Thursday 21 November 2019

Seasonal Beauties, Breakthroughs, Birds and Wonders

Here in Canada we have four distinct seasons and there are things to love about each.  And also things to complain about like last year when winter felt like it stretched into May. Yesterday walking, I noticed how fresh the air smelled and how crisp the landscape looked. It was so invigorating and I realized I'd forgotten that feature of winter.
Image result for phylis harris drawings every season has its beauties"
From Phyllis Harris Designs
Meanwhile the days are shortening. I took this at 4:30 recently just as total darkness fell in the front yard. Happy the ivy seems to find enough light there.
 It seems the long shadows of morning are just disappearing when the long shadows of afternoon begin.  The sun in between is just topping the trees but is a welcome warmth on my back.

Carl Sagan said Somewhere something incredible is waiting to be known.  I wonder what year he said that. Medicine always comes to my mind because we've made such discoveries and treatments that are incredible.  And more every day. I felt heartened to read this article because losing my mind is a fear of mine! Millions of us are and will continue to do so but researchers do seem to be whittling away at the causes and treatments.  Baby steps it seems.
10 Alzheimer's Breakthroughs You Should Know About
Our wonders are much more down to earth here at the wooden house. Like what made these tracks in the garage. Whatever it was shook my mouse trap and dug in a bag of dirt making a right mess with it. We're guessing the resident raccoon.
I did feel a bit of wonder when we spied not one, which would be a treat, but two pileated woodpeckers playing in tandem around the trunk of a tree in the deciduous forest.  Wish I had a recording of the sounds they were making as they were vocalizing the whole time.
 I had to run back to the house for the camera and luckily, they were still there moving from tree to tree. I had to be very quiet as they alarm easily. Chilled to the bone but happy, I watched them for ages till they moved out of sight.
I do glimpse one from time to time and always suspected there was more than one. I'm thinking this is a mated pair.  Here is where my old camera would have done a better job on distance.
I enjoy a look around the bigger library in the next town and found these three books that I've been really reading instead of just glancing through.
All three have proven to be useful and inspiring and I've noted a number of things from each. In particular, I liked how Ann Myhre in her book, Quilts Inspired, works through two large projects including the one on the cover, Nordic Log Cabin. I read that section with my own Autumn Patchwork project in mind. I believe when she says differing blocks, methods and patterns can work together in a fun way. And to shut out the quilt police while welcoming individual creativity in the process. As I sew each of my large sections together, I hope I am achieving that too. Meanwhile my pile of flying geese for the border is growing.
Have you ever heard of this?  A poverty patchLori in this post at wonderful Humble Quilts about vintage quilts shows how the tiniest little patch was used to make a diamond big enough.  I have never heard it called that though I have done something similar a couple of times.
                                
Something fun that made me smile- for Jenny at Romany Quilting who spends many a happy hour caravan touring. I think her cat, Gemma, would love it! This is Ana Rosa's Pattern On the Road House from Ravelry.  The ingenuity of stitchers is always a wonder!
In the Jesh Studio
This is the time of year I think of home and what my mother would be cooking...boiled raisin cakes, baked custards and partridgeberry pies.  Always a warm house, a happy smile and good smells greeting us when we came in the door from a day at school.  So blessed.
I hope you have such lovely memories to buoy you up and carry you through too.
Happily joining Not Afraid of ColorPaying Ready AttentionIt's A Small Town Life, Bijou BoutiqueFor the Love of GeeseViewing Nature With EileenCamera CrittersThe Jesh Studio and The Needle and Thread Network.


45 comments :

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

I bet Jenny would like that little crochet camper! how cute. Love woodpeckers I haven't been outside long enough here at home to hear them about but we usually have some but not that kind. I didn't hear any on my walks this week. Love your Ivy - they seem to grow in poor light so maybe they will be ok.

Jenn Jilks said...

I adore the pileated woodpeckers! Lots of fun photographing them, too!

Home Sewn By Us said...

Hi Jocelyn! My sister and I were just talking this morning about the happy memories we have of our childhood. Although we are 26 years apart, we each had wonderful albeit very different childhoods with happy events that we still smile about. The poverty patch - what a clever name and most certainly something I have done upon occasion. The woodpeckers! So startlingly pretty! ~smile~ Roseanne

LA Paylor said...

I feel like we've just had a lovely visit when I come here.
I like the last description of coming home at the end of the day, being enfolded in coziness, the sense of belonging and safety. The woodpeckers are brilliant against the snow. I checked out the strings book and like the idea of the middle one, got to go looking for it.
LeeAnna

Nana said...

How sweet all those animals, the cat, the woodpeckers and even the trail of the racoon.

Nana

Mary in Peoria Handmade said...

What a warm and lovely post. That ivy is so healthy. Dark at 4:30? Wow, no wonder people suffer in winter from lack of light. Those woodpeckers are beautiful and so big. I've not heard of a poverty patch before but love that idea.
Enjoy your day and stay warm. mary

Quilting Babcia said...

I don't think I've heard the term poverty patch before, but I do them all the time in my quilting adventures. It's pretty commonly seen in antique and vintage quilts, and I love seeing how creatively our quilting ancestors put their blocks together.

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

I love seeing those 2 big Pileated woodpeckers! WOW! And the quilts are beautiful and neat to learn more about. I love thinking back at the big Thanksgivings we had as a child and even when my boys were growing up. Ours will be quite this year but that's good too. Hugs!

Nancy J said...

I have memories of childhood on the farem, now it would not be large enough to bring in an adequate income for one family.And Mum was always home when I got off the school bus or biked the 1.5 miles on a rough metal road, or rode my horse home. So different now.The caravan cat home, yes, you are so right, This would suit Jenny and Gemma perfectly. Maybe the Ravelry pattern will find its way down to them, about 1 hour south of us in NZ. How blog friendships span the world always amazes me. And the mutual friends a lot of us have with blogs and comments far and wide. Keep warm, love that illustration.

Julierose said...

I love that quote--so true...the fact that both my parents had dementia in their final years makes me worry about Alhz too...your ivy looks pretty there...
I am on the lookout for Christmas Cacti to add to my one little one leftover from a huge collection that somehow gave up the ghost!!
hugs, Julierose

eileeninmd said...

Hello, you have many blessed memories. I remember cooking with my grandmother, I loved spending time at her home. My father and his mother both had dementia, it is a scary disease. The caravan cat is cute. Love the Pileated Woodies! The first quote is beautiful. Have a happy day and a great weekend ahead.

Brian's Home Blog said...

Such a wonderful post and you always have the prettiest things. Love those woodpeckers!

Jenny said...

Of course I love the crochet caravan with pussy looking out! How cute is that, just a shame that I can't crochet. Thank you for thinking of us. Your resident woodpeckers look gorgeous, it's a great photo, taking photos of birds is not always easy.

Magpie's Mumblings said...

I've only seen a pileated a couple of times and I think you were SO lucky to be able to get a photo AND of two of them at that! My memory of after school was on Thursdays when my mother would make a batch of buns (bread in the form of buns) timed that they would just be warm out of the oven when I got home. Slathered with real butter of course!

Michelle said...

I will be cooking Thanksgiving dinner next week, and like you, I am remembering all the things my mom made and I will be making them :) I LOVE the cat "camper". So cute! Thanks for linking up!

PaintedThread said...

Look at those woodpeckers! That camper is a hoot. Ah, Carl Sagan - bill-yuns and bill-yuns.

Out To Pasture said...

Pileated woodpeckers are so dramatic looking. A bit prehistoric in a way. Cute wee footprints. I wonder if they might have been left by a skunk. Ah yes, happy memories of Mom's wonderful cooking, baking, preserves, sewing and knitting. My sister and I recall those great memories often!

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

So many things to enjoy in your post today, Jocelyn! I love that first sweet picture, and heartily agree with the statement. Your photo of the woodpeckers is amazing! I love their bright red topknots! Glad you are still working on your fall blocks and finding support and ideas in the new books. Although my many local quilting friends have a variety of interests in their sewing, I'm so glad I don't know any quilt police!

Rosemary Dickinson said...

I think most days have something wonderful in them if we just take the time to notice. I love the woodpeckers! They look like they're having a great time! I've never seen or heard of a poverty patch but it makes so much sense. Our ancestors used whatever they had on hand. Love those quilt books! And the cat camper is great!!

piecefulwendy said...

What a lovely post to read at the end of an evening. So many good things, and memories. How fun that you were able to see the two pileateds together. They do make quite a bit of noise, don't they! Sure enjoyed this post!

MissPat said...

We have a few Pileated Woodpeckers in our village. Lots of dying trees to keep them occupied. We've had one in our backyard working on the two tree stumps and there's a much smaller white woodpecker with a black head that regularly taps away on the cedar shingles on our neighbors house. I bought the turkey today for our feast next week, although with just two of us, it's hard to think of it as a feast.
Pat

Siouxzq64@gmail.com said...

Oh the woodpeckers are fabulous. LOL the cat in the vintage looking camper. I agree winter has this fresh cleanness to it, especially after the snow. As always great likes for the week.

Lynn said...

I so enjoy your posts. I particularly am in awe of your nature shots, those birds are amazing. The books also look interesting, I agree with others, it's a delightful visit, thank you for your generous blog.

Linda said...

Your days really are short! That cat caravan is just too much - lol! Your childhood memories are very similar to mine, with a warm house and a smile to greet when I came home from school. I had to Google "partridgeberry". My Granny lived with us a few years, and she was the pie maker. Her specialties were gooseberry and cherry, and I still love them both.

Carol- Beads and Birds said...

I KNEW Jenny would love that little Cat Camper. How cute. I just LOVE woodpeckers. I have never seen a Pileated, but we have had Red-Heads visit in the spring then disappear. The Downies and Red Bellied are resident visitors. I especially like the print in the first picture. It brings to mind my childhood when we walked everywhere no matter the weather. Though I HATE the winter and snow, I do like to be outside for just a minute in the dead of night on a crispy snowy night to enjoy a more silent moment than we ever get in the summer. I remember a time when we baked or used the oven every day to help warm the house. Today my oven is so well insulated you never know its on if you forget to turn it off.
xx, Carol

Chopin - A Passionate Quilter said...

The camper is so cute especially with the Kitty! Hubby is trying to get the gopher who is trying to tear up the front yard! It is interesting what he is making to get the critter! They are destructive!

FlashinScissors said...

Love your photo of the Woodpeckers! They look to be both female? I had to look them up, and Wikipedia says that the male has a red line from the bill to the throat. Such large birds! We have the Greater Spotted Woodpecker here in England and I am always looking out for them on our feeders. We had one visit only yesterday. Our visitor is usually a male, but at breeding time we’ve had the female and young visiting too!
I hadn’t heard of the poverty patch, but I thought that patchwork was all about using scraps in olden times!?
We have badgers that visit and dig up our garden, but we don’t mind, they only do it for a few weeks of the year ..... I think they are looking for worms when the ground is too hard elsewhere.
Lovely to see your mystery prints!
A great post, Jocelyn!
Barbara xx

Verna G said...

I love the woodpeckers! I saw my first pileated woodpecker this past summer while camping in northern Saskatchewan. We don't have them in our area (Saskatoon) but we enjoy our Downey's every day at our feeding station.

Verna G said...

I love the woodpeckers! I saw my first pileated woodpecker this past summer while camping in northern Saskatchewan. We don't have them in our area (Saskatoon) but we enjoy our Downey's every day at our feeding station.

Michele McLaughlin said...

I love this post! I love your kind of wonders which are the kind that often feed my soul. We have a variety of woodpeckers in our city and in the spring we often see neighbors out trying to figure out what species is pecking away in the trees. I've seen (and own) lots of antique quilts and often spy how quilters pieced from two different fabrics; I never heard them referred to as a "poverty patch" so I learned something new this week! Thanks Jocelyn! I wish you a week of sunshine during these brief days! Hugs!

Chantal said...

I too appreciate the four seasons we have in Canada. I don't think I would be happy living anywhere else ... something would be missing to me. I don't feed the birds during the summer season. Let them learn to fend for themselves, so if I'm sick or something and the bird feeders are empty for a few days, I know they are still okay. I love seeing them every morning as I prep for work. Unfortunately, by the time I come back home from work, it is already too dark. But soon, in a month time, the days will get longer again. I love your pictures. I've used "poverty patch" a few times before and I will do it again. ;^)

eileeninmd said...

Hello, I enjoyed your Pileated Woodpecker, they are awesome birds. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Enjoy your day, wishing you a happy weekend. PS, thanks for the visit and comment.

Phil Slade said...

I would love to see those Pileated Woodpeckers. Trouble is I'm several thousand miles away.

Cloudia said...

LOL! Love it! Have a good winter

Glenda said...

Loved reading your blog, had to smile when I saw your ivy as an hour ago I pulled out a wheel barrow full to chuck from my garden!!!!!! Cheers Glenda

Stewart M said...

Love the woodpeckers - we have none in Australia, so I have to make do with digital ones!

Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

Powell River Books said...

We are on an RV trip right now and enjoy watching all the travelers with pets. They are mostly dogs, but once in a while we see a cat sitting in a window enjoying the warm sunshine. - Margy

sandyland said...

always so interesting

QuiltGranma said...

Yesterday morning I glanced out the bedroom window and there in the pine tree was a little (6-7") Downy Woodpecker working around the branches for goodies! It has been time time since this little girl came to visit. Then I went out on the porch and heard a Flicker Woodpecker's distinctive call. Love your picture! Like the idea of a "poverty patch". I've put some in, but used a scrap of the same fabric to finish the needed piece.

Ornery Owl of Naughty Netherworld Press and Readers Roost said...

The woodpeckers are beautiful and the little cat camper is so cute!

For the love of geese said...

Your Ivy is fairing better than my Parlor Palm with darkness setting in so early. It;s moved to the bathroom when we shower and I have artificial light on it hoping it survives this winter. Thank you for linking up to Put your foot down, I really enjoyed your post.

Kenneth Cole Schneider said...

Your back yard Pileated Woodpeckers are awesome!

Junieper/Jesh said...

What a wonderful post! It looks like you can think of plenty things to do when it's too cold to spend time outside. You must have that from your mother, baking all these wonderful things:)
Love your captures of the two woodpeckers, one on each side of the trunk! Am not a quilter, but it looks like a poverty patch is a wonderful invention:) Many thanks for making the hearts of All Season-ers warm! Believe it or not, but today it's snowing where I live in California - never this early! Have a happy week!

Su-sieee! Mac said...

I like your photo of nightfall. There's a spot in our living room where I can peek out the window and watch night sneak up on the day. I'm always distracted at the moment of nightfall. One of these days. :-)

betty-NZ said...

Nice variety of images! How fun to find two woodpeckers posing for you!! I love seeing quilts come together and your piece are so pretty!



My Corner of the World