Yes, I do quilt

You may be wondering if I actually do quilt with all the gardening and biking posts lately.  Yes, I do, it's just not what I'm excited about right now.  Plus the weather has been too nice to be stuck behind a sewing machine.

These blocks are part of a quilt my sister Mo and I are doing together.  It's a black and white Buck-A-Block from our local quilt store Peddler's Way Quilt Company.  It started in August 2011, and every month you go in and pay $1 for the fabric for 2 blocks and the pattern.  Every month you have to show that you have completed your blocks in order to pay the $1 for the next month, if you don't have it completed or if you don't go in there on the designated week then it's $3 per packet.  At the end of the year you will have the top of a twin size quilt.  We are each doing one, so that's 4 blocks a month and it will be put together to make a Queen size quilt when done.  We bought the border kit which is yellows, black and white.  Can't wait to see this one come together.  8 months down and 4 more to go!  We are making this for a special person in our lives and can't wait to give it to them.  I know they will love it!  

Gardening Update

Garden View.  Rhubarb is coming up faster than we can eat it.  Back fence is for the peas and beans.  Peas are planted.  Onions & Lettuce are in too. 

 Peppers going strong inside.

 Tomatoes, Broccoli & Chamomile replanted into larger cups for more indoor growing.

Plants in the tanning bed.  I planted some herbs on Sunday too (not pictured).

Mike built me a raised flower and herb garden complete with a birdhouse that my brother built.  I planted Iris' (not pictured) around the two trees yesterday.  I hope to put annuals and herb in the remainder of the area.

Weekend Eats

 Dinner Friday Night:  Salmon & Swordfish on Grill. 

 Dinner Saturday Night:  Gluten Free Pizza on the Grill.

Sunday Dessert:  Gluten Free Strawberry Rhubarb Pie.  The blob in the middle is extra dough that Mike didn't want to go to waste, so it was dumped in the middle.  Lovely.  Tasted great!

52.5 Miles in 10 Days

I logged 52.5 miles on the mountain bike trails in 10 days.
  4/6/12 - 9.5 miles at Farmdale with Carrie
  4/7/12 - 10 miles at Black Partridge with Kim
  4/8/12 - 16 miles at Black Partridge with Mike, Matt, Carrie & Lori
  4/10/12 - 9 miles at Comlara with Lori & Kim
  4/15/12 - 8 miles at Black Partridge with Mike
The trails have been in excellent riding condition with the exception of some slippery spots Saturday from the rain we had this weekend.  My body is a bit sore, but it's worth it.

Rabbit Defense

We planted our lettuce last night and our rabbit fence in the hope that those little furry fellows stay away from my rabbit food.  Anyone else battle with rabbits?  I'll find out if the lettuce survives in a couple of days.  I had a dream that a rabbit got into my garden and destroyed the carrots.  We haven't planted carrots yet and I'm not sure why I would be dreaming of gardening but I guess it could have been worse. 

Biking = 2, Quilting = 0

Biking won out this beautiful weekend.  I thought about finishing up some binding on some table runners but biking was triumphant over quilting.

I enjoyed 2 awesome rides this weekend.  Rode Farmdale with Kim Toohill and Lora Clark on Saturday morning.  It was 45 degrees driving to the trailhead at 9am.  I rode with long sleeves and long tights.  It was a bit chilly but overall awesome ride.  I did 10 miles of singletrack and the trail conditions were perfect. I hadn't ridden out at Farmdale since the Halloween night ride 2011.  Farmdale trails are the closest to my home but I haven't been riding them lately since Black Partridge is in Mike's backyard and we typically ride together.  He was riding the trail in Syllamo Arkansas this weekend so I did my part to branch out and do some group rides.

Here's Kim and I at Farmdale Trailhead.

Then it rained down hard on Saturday night.  On Sunday, we delayed our ride at Wildlife Prairie State Park for an extra hour to give the trails more time to dry.  We met at 2pm and rode 10 miles around the park and made two loops of the North Trails.  I rode with Jon, Rich & Kim.  It was HOT!  I made it without getting heat stroke, but I had to drench my head with water every 15 minutes to survive.  I have this problem of overheating.  My face gets super bright red and my head gets so hot.  I can't sweat, so I have to dump water on my head before and throughout the ride on hot days.  It's what I do for doing the thing that I love!

Here I am at Wildlife's Trailhead & Kim and I on the trail.

 The bluebells were in full bloom and gorgeous!  Seeing the wildflowers was the highlight of my ride!  They were beautiful.  Here's some pics.