eaglet update

sadly, today the chicks were removed from the nest and sent to the wildlife center for continued care and eventual release.  it was determined that one parent could not provide enough food for the chicks whose appetite increases daily and one or more chicks would not survive.  skilled wildlife caretakers have speedily set up a similar habitat and say the outlook is very good, since the chicks are older than most they get and are all in excellent health.  an older sibling of the chick is at the center where he was sent and lives after contracting avian pox.  even the tree service staff who facilitated in the banding last week and the removal today were filled with emotion over the events of the past two days.  i am totally surprised how attached i have become to these wild birds just by watching them grow and be cared for by the adults.  the wildlife center has been overwhelmed by voluminous contacts of those who have followed their progress.  fortunately, it has resulted in significant donations to aid in their work and rescue efforts. ***** back to quilty stuff tomorrow, i promise.

p.s.

checked back on the eagle cam before heading to bed with my book and learned that dad eagle had been perching on a nearby branch all day and did eventually bring the chicks some food.  he's an experienced dad so maybe he will be able to keep up with the feedings for the next month or so until they start flying on their own.  even if he is successful, the fact remains that 50% of all eagle chicks die in the first year, mostly due to inadequate hunting skills.

sooo sad

the mama eagle from the pair nesting at Norfolk Botanical Garden has been killed by a landing US Airways plane.  from the moderator, i learn that this mother eagle lost her first mate from a plane strike.  it's terribly sad, especially since i've recently been watching her teach her 3 babies how to eat by themselves.  they are nowhere near ready to be without her.  it's possible the father eagle will step in, but not sure.  he has not been seen at the nest all day either.  waiting to hear from NBG what will be done for these little feathered orphans.  all of us who have been watching the progress of these majestic birds are in deep mourning.  i know, it's only a wild animal, but if you had seen her with her babies, you would be crying too.  after having seen this bird care for her young through only her instinct, i am truly in awe of their Creator.  God knows when a sparrow falls and i am sure this includes eagles as well. 

another finish

this is a small piece finished today utilizing pepper cory's drunkard's path method totally by machine.  i busted some solids (very few) in its construction, it was quilted free form with brown thread, totally invisible on this view.  the units are 3", total size 18" square.  i'll add it to the stack of finished items for someday use.  i've now started quilting, free form again, on a wallhanging made of swap squares from my yahoo group, Real Women Quilt.  i expect it will be finished some time this week.  the binding takes the longest as i usually bind totally by hand.....great TV watching, er listening, work. 

the finish

so here it is all finished, quilted and everything, posing on the sofa.  big relief to know it's all done just waiting to be mailed to maine quilts at the designated time.  i took a break from the pineapple blossom to get this one done.  i've a few more small quilted projects that can get finished quickly and knocked off the list as well.  this could very well be the year the entire list gets finished, who knows?  in the process of the finish, i busted 2 spools of thread, one quilting and one machine.  once i finish a few more, there's a summer wallhanging i want to make using up my watermelon fabric stash of just 5 FQs.  there will be some scraps leftover but it'll be out of the Elfa drawer.  plus i want to get back to those 5" pineapple blocks started earlier this year.  those are a great warm weather project, sitting in the a/c with the old viking whirring. 

happy easter!

this is the gang of four on Easter Sunday in 1961 and the littlest is now 50....how did THAT happen?  it really was only yesterday, wasn't it?  i hope they all see this and know i love them and will for always.  ***** what did i do today?  had dinner with family and finished a UFO...will post photo tomorrow!

leaders/enders

this is my ongoing inchie leaders/enders project.  when i get 1.5" squares out of scraps, i put them aside in a little tote next to the old viking.  i sew them in rows of 16 and they are getting sewn into squares for a future scrappy project.  i've been doing this for a while now and have enough for one whole square now, so it'll be a while before any flimsy appears.  the leaders/enders allow me to get the max from my spool of thread, which i like a lot.  before L/E, a lot of thread went into the trash can but no longer.  another gem of a tip from quiltville USA!  before L/E i would use a thread bunny over and over that eventually got tossed, but this method is sooo much better and way more frugal. 

today's tasks...

not much really, but i have been watching the eaglecam quite a bit.  it is fascinating viewing and i am amazed at how fast these chicks grow.  in the past week they have begun to shed their down and grow feathers and even try their wings.  on thursday, april 21st, the banding process will begin at about 9 am, so i'll be watching then.  no, it isn't the royal wedding but darn near as interesting and certainly more educational.  if you have some time, be sure to check in.  there is a moderator posting answers to questions that are emailed with lots of info about eagle habits and lifestyle.  did you know eagles mate for life?  this pair has raised chicks in this particular location since about 2001.  did you know that by the time the feathers appear, their feet are full grown?  they now weigh about 5 pounds each with a wingspan of 3 feet.  disclaimer:  the parent eagles often bring food, dead fish or birds, so if you are squeamish about this, don't tune in to watch this engrossing live show.

pineapple progress

spent some time sunday afternoon working on this flimsy.  so far i've gotten all these blocks finished with more halfway done.  (that's sunshine filtering through blinds)  i used batiks and am happy with the look/result so far.  the best thing about batik fabrics is that they all together no matter what, and i have never seen one i didn't like either.  i originally planned for 24 squares but i've upped that to 36, which will give it a square finish and large enough to use as a bed covering.  it'll have a 1.5" finished inner border and then an outside border of something batik, not sure what at this moment.  i do have some bonus HSTs but i think they'll be saved for another project.  well, daytime plans await....

ahhhh..

a good night's sleep in my own bed, the sealy posturepedic extra firm, thank you, which is about as good as it gets in my book.  ****  i've posted a photo of my blocks so far, the good ones, and i'm anxious to pull out the machine today to make more.  though it's tame compared to some design-wise, i had a reason for that.  i used white and avoided the sashing in order to hand quilt, using open spaces for patterns.  i wanted the batik colors to pop once it's quilted.  we'll see if that works or not.  i might also dig out those plaids i've been saving and cut some strips or squares for a new project.....