Spring Things

It is beautiful here in Alabama and Georgia, as usual. The dogwoods and azaleas are in full bloom and the grass is getting lush and green. Our yard doesn't quite get the picture treatment yet, but give it another month. It's still in the rough stages.

We did go to Callaway Gardens last Sunday with friends Jo and Larry from Lubbock. They wanted to see a little bit of what grows in this area, so we thought that would be a good trip.

They got here late afternoon on Saturday after flying from Lubbock with just one stop in Shreveport (I think - I may have missed some details). Larry took Mike up in the plane a couple of years ago, and he loved it. Read about it here. It seemed fine to fly in the area, but I never thought about traveling so far in it. It's like getting in my car and flying.

Here are Jo and Larry getting ready to leave.


And leaving the Montgomery airport on the way to Florida. It is a beautiful plane and amazing that Larry built it. Oh, and Jo did some riveting, which I got to see on the wing.


A few pictures of Calloway. The azaleas were beautiful, as usual, but we missed the flower gardens and vegetable garden. It was just too early.

We enjoyed the "Birds of Prey" demonstration in a little amphitheater near a lake. It was so amazing to watch the birds fly so close you could almost touch them. I can't remember this one's name or whether he is a red-tailed hawk or a red-shouldered one, but he did an excellent job showing off for us. Larry has a better picture of one flying, and maybe he'll send it.



It was such a relaxing and fun weekend.

We went downtown to Wintzell's Oyster House on Saturday night. I don't have a picture of the Montgomery Wintzell's, but we had been to the ones in Mobile and had been wanting to go to this one. It was one of those perfect spring nights when you're just glad to be alive. We parked a couple of blocks away and walked past the Renaissance Hotel.


There was a wedding going on, and it was so festive with the wedding party coming and going and the bride and groom riding by in the horse and carriage. Wintzell's is just to the left in the picture, really easy to get to. It looks like Montgomery is doing a good job improving the downtown section. We all had good things to eat and enjoyed the atmosphere of the restaurant. We'll definitely go back.

It was so good to get to know these nice folks, and hopefully they'll come back to see us. And we'll definitely visit them when we're in Lubbock.

Just some of the spring things around the house. Debby gave me this little towel, and it goes perfectly with the snapdragons from the back yard.




And the spring quilt. Last summer Barbara and I exchanged fabric "scraps" and I confiscated this layer cake of sweet pastels, not having any idea what i would do with them.

I had not really planned to make another quilt from the time I finished the last 2 until our trip, but I kept seeing these fabrics in my fabric drawer and couldn't keep my hands off them. I decided to do a 9-patch, and it was a lot of fun to make.


I quilted it myself in just a simple crosshatch design and backed and bound it in the same stripe.


About halfway through, Mama passed by as I was placing the squares on the floor and asked who it was for. When I said, "No one in particular," she said, "Well, I like it." So it then became Mama's quilt.

I think it turned out pretty well, and it makes me happy.

I think Mama likes it pretty well too.



Tomorrow is a busy day. Lots of last-minute things to do before leaving on Saturday. Can't believe it's finally going to happen.