Anniversary, and Ruler Work Practice

Our anniversary is same as Eclipse Day - flowers arrived early, because of all the activity planned tomorrow, big "E" day.  Our little town of 8900 is in the center of the pathway and good grief, so much planned, so many people expected, so many flights in and out and even rumors of a few big name "movie stars"!  We are not accustomed to "traffic" but already 1 day prior to the big "E" day, ... hey, it's a ZOO  out there!  

New subject -- I've been practicing ruler work - this quilt begged for straight lines.  

Originally I tried this ruler made especially for what I thought would be useful - mmmm - not sure it works well for this project, but perhaps on another design.  More practice me thinks! For this project, the straight edge is not long enough before hitting a stop point.  Re-adjusting the ruler each time means delays, and more possibility of a mis-stitch.  

Below is one of my quilting feet - notice the high edge around the foot, meant to keep a ruler  from sliding getting under the needle, but also it slides along the edge of the ruler, keeping the line straight.  However, note on the right of my foot, how the assembly is rubbing slightly against the ruler - it does not actually impede movement but it 's close and something to think about, if choosing a ruler.  Also, there is a lot of "stuff" in my view, hard to see behind the foot, but it can be done.  I did a lot of peeking, up, down, leaning left and right to be sure my ruler was lined up accurately. 

 I found this short, ruler in my stash, a freebee when visiting this Denver shop - it works great!  It is thin so be sure your ruler foot had high edges.  You need a little ruler that slides around easily, doesn't get caught up on seams, but slides over them but also stays put.  Tricky?  Yep! 

Some of my lines - turning corners and then readjusting was difficult without little crooked stitches.  I did used a dark Sharpie to fix some of my mis-stitches on dark fabrics as my thread showed light.  Thread buildup was my problem at the center of the triangles, but then I learned how to stop short before going back the other way and then I learned Jump Stitches when moving from one area to the next.  My first 2 or 3 blocks had to be redone several times -- practice helps a LOT.  

I marked everything, using a Frixion pen in purple along with a white ceramic pencil.  This is not a fast project for now but gets faster with practice.  Perhaps, in time,  I won't need to mark each block. 

DH and I both agreed we are liking the overall effect.  This is before sandwiching.

An Original Anniversary Gift

DH surprised me with this unique Anniversary Gift.  He planned a 2 hr. plane excursion this morning over these lovely Sandhills.  I live in a town of 8900, far out in the boonies, western Nebraska , and I wanted to show YOU how open and wide the spaces are, outside of town.  Photos were quickly shot from the plane  - you won't recognize anything but they DO show you the landscape.  It was a lovely gift - something we'll both remember for many years. Our plane was a 1976 Cessna Sky Hawk, piloted by a talented and knowledgeable pilot.    

Below - east of town, there is a LOT of space.

 Below - see the dot?  Our shadow. 8-))

 OK, I'm a quilter -  was inspired by the lines! 

Despite being a dry climate, there are many small lakes in the Sandhills.  Most are not good water. 

 I think this was Crescent Lake Recreational Center - a waterfowl sanctuary. We saw a lot of white pelicans.

Below - one pivot, this  crop looks like corn. Some of the dark blotches in the back are lakes, others are cloud shadows. 



Below - 6 pivots all together.  There is a car or truck on the road, that little dark splotch before the "Y" on the road.  A pivot is an irrigation system, with a well in the center and a huge spraying contraptions that move in circles, irrigating the various crops.  These might be corn.  

 We had lightning and an unusual heavy rain last night, and saw 3-4 blackened areas that had been struck by lightning, burned, and apparently distinquished by the unexpected rain (no photo).  Signs on highways are remind motorists to beware of range fires, a serious danger in dry seasons.  

The "Sandhills" cover large areas east of my home.  Fields appear pockparked with humps and hills, many sprinkled with cattle, deer, some antelope.  From the air, we can see huge farms and ranches, waaaay off from main roads.   Large amounts of land is necessary for cattle. Farms/ranches of 100,000 acres is not unusual.

Below is my town, Alliance.  

75% of this town's economy, is related to railroads.  I counted 25 parked trains as we flew over, currently parked due to EPA restrictions on coal emissions.  The trains carry coal, from Wyoming.  A fully loaded train will be 130 cars long.  At times I've wondered if there is anything left of Wyoming, due to the many trains full of coal that pass thru this area.

Below - DH and I, two old fogies living in the fast lane - our 18th anniversary!   A very good day!