Otter Falls

Otter Falls is an impressive hike off the Middle Fork Road in North Bend. These falls are so high that you can't seen the entire falls from the base vantage where the beautiful lake is.

These photos hardly do this area justice. It has been probably over three years since I have done this hike and I am impressed how much has changed along the way probably due to a couple of the larger storms.

We have had some freezing weather and snow out here which is probably why the falls weren't running as full as I have seen them in the past.

Along the hike to Otter Falls one of the other truly beautiful crossings is Marten Creek:


I have been in a knitting stage again right now but nothing to show yet. BUT, one of the more exciting things that happened last week is that I located a discontinued yarn that I have really been needing for months now at Fine Points Yarn Shop. Really helpful people and easy to use online ordering. I even called them to see if they could match my dye lot (which they couldn't; but at least they were willing to go through the store and check).

The quilting doberman, so well loved by one of our few, but regular hiking partners at Otter Falls:



As she likes to call it, it is the "Prom Picture." (Thanks Super)

The slowly going first applique project

Well the crow legs now have a body. Things are coming along well and I am glad I didn't wait too long after class to start on this pattern. There has been lots of places to practice everything I was taught. I have only had to pull a little bit back in a couple of places and that is because I have messed up which piece should have laid down first (for example the beak and the berry...I considered leaving the berry out).

Just some highlights and the eye to add now and hopefully it will really look like a crow then!

You will notice that on the beak I actually remember to use a complimenting thread as opposed to a contrasting thread like I accidentally did on the feet but then didn't want to have to entirely redo both of them. I decided I like them like that...

Cassette Jammed

So when the time came to disconnect and take everything apart I was bummed to see that the tape had jammed. If I am looking at it correctly; it jammed at the end, so it will just be a matter of whether or not they can read it. I have a request in to find out.

You can see the amazing amount of hair that came off when I took the tape and the electrodes off. It hurt me just to do it. You can't really pull it fast, you have to try and go slow with the dog's hair if at all possible.

Apparently the quilting doberman is done having his photos taken or he just was annoyed because he wouldn't look at me. You can see all the shaved boxes where the electrodes were attached.

Off topic, but I added a link to the Quilted Kat. I highly recommend it. Complete accident that I found it; but what I really like is that she also has a mix of animal, wilderness and quilting (glad I am not the only one). But her quilting is pretty much intimidating...and her photography; well, just look for yourself.

I can't remember entirely what I was looking for when I found her; but I think it was another blog that actually mentioned her an a Beartooth Llama Trek for Adventurous Quilters. I was so stunned at the thought of a quilting event involving hiking and llamas that I am at a loss for comment.

Wait! Now I remember how I found this blog. I was trying to research a story from a couple of years ago regarding Rachel Lake (the one in WA state). One of the links I got was this llama trek because they stopped at a Rachel Lake...wrong state; same lake name. How is that for a random stroke of luck in finding the Quilted Kat?

The Big Snuggle

This post is purely for my own entertainment (I know, as if the other ones aren't?). In the first place, some day, rescue kitten is going to learn that there are safer places to snuggle. How he ended up there I have no idea.

Notice younger kitty trying to join up (younger kitty is also a rescue and likes to snuggle with the quilting doberman although never as closely as the rescue kitten does).

You can see the look of concern in the quilting doberman: there was hissing and hitting and younger kitty left. Rescue kitten has yet to move. Amazingly the quilting doberman didn't move either.

You will note the recording device in the pocket. About one more hour to go and the entire mess gets taken off.

The Holter Hike

I was excited when I found out that I had an option to request the Holter Monitor from WSU and have it sent out to me to do it at home (compared to driving to Pullman and spending at a minimum over night out there). The reason being that I really wanted to run this 24 hour test in his environment.

Naturally I wanted part of his test to include one of his regular hikes. What I wasn't counting on was that it was really rainy today and the device can't get wet. Thankfully we had a break in the weather. Believe it or not, in the lower photo there is normally a beautiful view; including Mt. Si.; but the clouds were in thick by the time I got there.

I think the quilting doberman and I are both ready for this to be done. It wears too loose on him and so it moves around all the time. The device makes a recording noise (think the older, clunky tape recorders). I noticed he doesn't want to run as much which I think might be all the adhesive all over him that probably pulls when he moves.

That yellow sticking out is the vet wrap that slide off his chest. It was around the adhesive which is covering the 7 electrodes. I have a feeling a lot of hair will be coming off when I take this all off later tonight.

As promised...

I wanted to get a sewing photo up. This is one of the patterns I am working with on the stockings. I just think the fish are pretty funny. I think I am about burned out on stockings though. That is good; I have some quilts that need more work!

I was a little mortified to be starting Christmas related activities in October (that would be a personal recored) however, I noticed my neighbors had their reindeer lights on tonight...

Holter Monitor

I would hate for my readers to think I was never going to post about sewing or knitting again! So the quilting doberman has been photographed in front of one of my other larger quilts in progress.

For the next 24 hours the quilting doberman will be wearing what you see in the photo. The orange vest covers 7 electrodes that are reading his heart and recording it to a device in the vest pocket. This is called the holter monitor. Over the next 24 hours I will be recording activity so that the vet has a comparison when they read the tape.

You might wonder why I would bother to do this. When my vet suggested this about a year ago I put it off. The quilting doberman has shown no symptoms and he is in extremely good shape. From my point of view that was an expensive round of testing on a perfectly healthy dog. It took the sudden death of another dog I know from a tumor in the heart for me to commit to the initial testing which was an ultrasound.

Dobermans as a breed, and unfortunately in the quilting doberman's family (mom died of it) are prone to a cardiac disease called dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) which affects the heart muscle. The main reason to bother with the heart tests is that there has been some success controlling this disease with heart medication. It is not a curable condition.

The quilting doberman was started on medication recently which he will take for the rest of his life due to inconclusive; but suggestive results from his ultrasound test.

I have a lot of stockings to finish before Saturday. Look for another post soon!