Quilting at the Quilted Apple

Mom and her quilting group spent the weekend at the Quilted Apple Retreat Barn right here in Mercer. Carol Fenton has done an amazing job transforming her Dad's old barn into a functional, working space.

We had been invited to stop in and visit for a bit... that visit lasted the entire afternoon. It's just such a comfortable space, both for conversation and for working. Kaylee jumped right in and started sewing strips together for a donation quilt. It wasn't long before she was working on her own project - a handbag/purse. It was fun catching up with Tina Missbach and Dina Jeannotte (my ob/gyn who delivered both of the kids). Comfortable, familiar conversation coupled with cozy atmosphere made it easy to spend hours hanging out.

The boys went out hunting while Kaylee and I were across town. Nothing to speak of as far as deer go... but they did have quite an adventure with a Moose. Kaylee and I had gone to the Turkey Pie Supper after we left the Quilted Apple, and returned home about an hour before dark. I was surprised that the boys were already home, thinking there must be a deer in the back of the truck. No deer? Hmmm, what's the story?

We hadn't walked in the door when Colby started telling us the story. They were still hunting in the blind near the house. Colby started to bore, and BJ decided they should head out. As they made their way back to the house, a rustling behind them caught them by surprise, stopped in their tracks they scanned the woods for sign of the animal. BJ grunted into his doe bleet and the return call was one of a great big bull moose. BJ estimated him to be about 800 lbs, standing 10 yards away from them. Colby's first impression of such a large critter was that of fear - once BJ convinced him that it would not charge or be of concern, Colby was excited and instructed BJ to "shoot it". Of that, BJ got a chuckle out of and told Colby that he needed a Moose Permit to do so. They sat and watched the Moose for a while, Colby, still in awe of it's size. When it finally caught sight/smell of them, it walked away - unphased by their presence in the woods.

What an exciting story for Colby to tell to his friends. They both were impressed with their moose sighting, and were not at all upset that they came home empty handed.

It was a day of memories made - for Mom and Kaylee quilting together, and for BJ and Colby watching a Bull-Moose in his natural environment.