Feeling Spring

Ray and I have been trying out different walking trails. Between rain showers, it is such a great time of year to walk. The smell of the earth and the green and the flowers, washed clean, is divine. Warm sunshine, chilly shade, mud, moss and birdsong. Sunday we explored the trails around the Jenkins Estate, which is quite close to where we live.

It is a beautiful 68 acre estate on a hillside, out in the countryside. The main house, above, was built as a summer home in 1912 and it is a woodsy, Craftsman beauty. That deep shady porch was made for summer teas and wedding parties. Makes you want a floaty pastel dress, big hat and parasol. Eventually it was purchased by our local Parks and Recreation district and it is used as an events venue for weddings, quilt shows and all sorts of gatherings. The guild I used to belong to once had our quilt show in the wonderfully rustic old stables just down from the house. It was great—probably the best quilt show venue I've ever seen. The quilts were hung in the stalls. It has become a favorite place of mine. The grounds have gardens, woods, a farmhouse, a playground, a gazebo and several miles of walking trails. The Rhododendron garden is especially spectacular this time of year. Though we have attended a number of events here, we had never walked the trails until yesterday.

I think these are Oregon Fawn Lilies.

I am lucky to live here.

 

Back home, I spent some good hours in the studio, starting a new piece for our Making Our Mark show. I got this far.

 

Then I opened this photo in my drawing app and played with ideas for stitching this, using a heavy white thread.

I don't think this is quite what I want, but how cool to be able to try ideas out before I actually stitch.

 

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