Sunday was a beautiful, 80º+ day in south Florida, so my sewing was interspersed with breaks to play outside with the dogs. Handsome was doing a little yard maintenance, and we were happy to visit with him and say "hello" from time to time.I did finish the quilt top and back for Dolphin Island and shut everything down in the studio by 5 pm. Not a full day of labor, but it was Sunday, after all.
I fussy cut four of the compass motifs from the same fabric used in the center, and I placed them at each corner of the finished top. I'll be doing the quilt top/batting/backing assembly today. I'll do my own machine quilting for this one.Handsome came into the studio as I was hanging up the assembled back for the quilt and asked if I'd like to go for a sunset ride on the Harleys. Of course! We decided to ride over to Englewood Beach on Manasota Key and have burgers at one of the local restaurants. (Remember, Englewood Beach is where my mum and Burt were married.)
As we traveled over the bridge to Manasota Key, I looked across the right side of the bay and guess what I saw? If you said dolphins, you'd be right! Two dolphins hunting for dinner just before sunset. The water sparkled and in an instant, I saw their dorsal fins roll out of the water and then disappear. I'm sure that if we'd pulled over, we would have seen them again. I had no camera, no picture phone...only a mental image. The memory of it made me smile, and it was so appropriate considering that I've been thinking about them a lot over the past couple of days.
We sat down to eat just as the sun was setting, and later rode home together - our appetites sated and my heart grateful for a perfect day.
Dogs & Dolphins... life doesn't get much better my friend! Your post made me smile. Oh how I love to watch dolphins. Especially when they ride the wave of the boat your in. HUGS!
ReplyDeleteCharlene
sounds perfect Donna, you are so lucky to have such lovely weather, so cold here in the UK. I really enjoy reading your entries, keep it up
ReplyDeleteAs many times as I've been near the ocean, I have never been lucky enough to see dolphins. Oh, someday!
ReplyDeletexo
Claudia
Hey Girlfriend,
ReplyDeleteThat special young man is gonna' be mighty happy with his new quilt.......I can tell. I started drooling when I saw the pictures in your last post of the chenille bedspreads, until I read that you call them "cutters" then I cried a little bit. If you ever have any "whole" ones you'd like to sell, let me know. Lookin' forward to all the goodies you'll be creating for Christmas.
Love ya'
Meri
Donna, I love the title of your post! Dogs and Dolphins it doesn't get any better than that! Both quilts are really beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThe quilt is beautiful and the perfect touch is the compass at each of the four corners. Sounds like you had a beautiful day, sunset, ride, and seeing the dolphins. Happy week to you...
ReplyDeleteDogs, dolphins, and a beautiful quilt top complete ~ I'd say you had a wonderful day. The compass on each corner is a nice touch. ;-)
ReplyDelete~ Sarah
There is something so beautiful and comforting about the dolphins playing and jumping. It is like a reminder that God is in His heaven, and one day everything will be right.
ReplyDeleteHi Donna, I love your quilt and Island of the Blue Dolphins is an all time favorite of mine too. My small family and friends vacationed at Sandbridge Beach in Virginia Beach Va. I remember the first time my girlfriend,two of her boys, and my sun ran down to the beach so they could take a quick dip, one of the boys jumped out of the water and started yelling SHARK! Every body jumped out of the water and my girlfriend looked at me in horror. I said can't be a shark, just as a dolphin surfaced. We all had a good laugh and looked forward to the dolphins coming in to hunt for their meals. It's a glorious sight.
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ReplyDeletePretty! The day and the quilt!
ReplyDeleteIt was cold as all get out in Virginia.