I have been absent from blog land for a bit. Julia was on spring break and we had a lot of time to hang out together. It was really nice to have her home relaxing, not working on homework.
The break started with my son and his wife here for the weekend. Julia picked out her pig for this year and they wanted to come and join in on the fun. (My son raised market hogs during high school too and really enjoys this common interest he has with Julia.)
Let me introduce you to Leo. He is about 11 weeks old and has a very sweet personality. When Julia brought him home, he was very skittish. Poor little guy was so shy and wanted to hide in a corner of the pen, behind some weeds. Julia was very patient with him and just stayed near him but didn’t try to engage very much at all.
It didn’t take more than a few days before he would sniff her hands and come closer to her. She continued to just be with him, letting him approach her.
After the five days or so, Leo became very comfortable. He has gotten very social and loves to be scratched and rubbed whenever Julia is out with him.
Now they are best friends. He will not leave her side if she is in the pen. He nuzzles her legs and wants all of her attention. She did such a good job of gaining his trust and this will make it much easier for her when she starts to train him for showmanship.
In between playing with Leo, we did go do a few fun things. One day we took a hike on the Buttermilk Bend trail along the South Yuba River. The wildflowers are gorgeous this time of year.
These wild lillies are one of may favorites.
With so many wildflowers, comes an abundance of butterflies. There were many and we enjoyed watching them.
Try as she might, Julia couldn’t get one to land on her hand.
At home everything is blooming too! This is our cherry tree. Each season it is anyone’s guess whether we will get cherries. Judging by the incredible bloom we have this year, I am feeling hopeful we will have fruit. The birds take more than their share, but I think we will have some to enjoy as well.
We have two Asian Pear Apple trees, each of which are about four or five years old. This is a strong blossom year for both of them so maybe we will get fruit! Last year I think we only had two or three apples and they were not very big. Crossing fingers for this year.
My quick sewing project for last week was this cozy for a pint size mason jar. My daughter in law takes jars of layered oatmeal (I think she puts fruit, milk and yogurt with the oats) to work and cooks them for her breakfast. She wanted a cozy for the jar because it gets fairly hot in the microwave. This isn’t exactly gorgeous, but I am fairly happy with it. First I measured the girth of the jar and the height I wanted. I cut two rectangles of fabric and one of batting, each 4 3/4″ x 11 1/2″. I also cut two circles of fabric and one of batting, 3 1/2″ in diameter. Then I quilted the batting to the exterior fabric. Stitching a seam along the short side first, I then pinned the outer fabric circle to the cylinder I had made. That was the most difficult part.
I couldn’t get it to fit correctly without a few tucks along the way. I did the same with the lining (except no batting this time). Then I stitched the lining and outer fabric right sides together around the top opening of the cylinder, leaving a couple of inches open so I could turn it right sides out. It worked well enough but I am sure if I made a few more, the aesthetics would look a bit nicer. (I did make a mock up with some ugly fabric before I started so I could be sure it would fit the jar.)
The week went by so quickly! School is in session again and we are back to our routine! Today I even did a bit of quilting on a baby quilt I am making. I love the way these flowers look. I backed the quilt with a vintage sheet I had thrifted a long while back. It is so soft! I will share this with you again when I get it finished up.
I hope you have been enjoying springtime! We are definitely in full spring season here in Northern California.
What a full, fun spring break! Leo is adorable (how do you not get attached??), and Julia definitely knows how to make a pig feel loved. Love the name of the trail, Buttermilk Bend, and what a lovely stroll it was. Thanks for sharing the photos! Things are really blooming in your neck of the woods; we are still wet and muddy, although getting more sun each day.
Hi Wendy – Well, as far as the pigs go, we do get attached. That is part of the whole process.
I don’t know where the name for the trail came from, I am sure there is history, but it is just a gorgeous walk. Not difficult and has a little waterfall along the way that is so pretty. I love this time of year. Hope you are heading into better weather now. 🙂
Love all the pictures and the piglet!
Thank you! It is a great time of year – so nice outside. I love this season, before the heat arrives.
Leo is definitely a cutie — what gorgeous nature photos. And a very pretty vintage sheet on the back of that quilt.
Hi Julie – I have backed numerous quilts with vintage sheets. I love the colors and soft feel to them. I am on “Leo-duty” today (feeding and playing with him) because Julia has a long day at school. He is a character and we all enjoy him. 🙂
What a fun spring break!! I’m loving Leo and how your daughter trained him. Can’t wait to see more of your quilt!
Thank you Brenda! Julia is really comfortable working with animals. The quilt is almost finished!! It is a gift for a baby due any day now so I better get it done.
Love your blog! Leo is adorable and your daughter was so good at earning his trust. Such a cute story. Love the globe lilies………..I don’t think we have those in my neck of the woods in far N. Cali. The vintage sheet looks lovely and soft and perfect for the back of a baby quilt! Can’t wait to see the front. Thanks for sharing your Spring Break news.
Thank you Nadine! I’m so glad you enjoy it. How far north are you? Are we (sort of) neighbors?
Julia is very patient with animals and I am proud of her for her work with Leo thus far. As for the baby quilt, I just need to bind it and then it is done! Yay. 🙂 Have a great day.
What a wonderful week and so much fun to see Julie begin with Leo. The cozy will be perfect for your DIL and that quilting is terrific!
It was a nice, relaxing week. Gorgeous weather and lots of time to goof off! Perfect. Hope you are well. Thanks so much for the cute piggy fabric you sent us. That was really sweet of you Kathleen.
Love the post Bernie! Your picture of Buttermilk Trail is Magazine worthy! Heidi
Aww, thanks Heidi! The trail is just perfect this time of year. We had such a nice walk. I hope I can get there one more time before the heat comes and the wildflowers die off. So pretty!!
Hey Bernie!
Thank you for introducing us to Leo. He’s a cutie. Julia will enjoy him!
I loved your pictures of nature. Beautiful area.
Thank you for sharing with us. ❤️
Katherine
If that little piglet is destined for the table, won’t being friends be hard on her when that time comes?
Hi Jean, Julia will raise Leo, show him at the county fair and he will be auctioned in mid-august. Yes, it is hard on her, actually on all of us. But it is a good experience for her and Leo both. I wrote a post about this last fall after she auctioned Olive. You might be interested in it. https://needleandfoot.com/2018/08/13/on-raising-show-pigs/
It talks about why she does this and why my husband and I support her in it. Let me know what you think. 🙂
Im really impressed with how well your daughter bonded with Leo. Who’d have ever thought? Such a lovely hike. I look forward to returning to Cape Breton and hitting the trails.
The trail is just gorgeous right now. We enjoyed our little hike. When are you heading north? Soon? It seems like the time between your travels north and south flies by so fast!!
Me again 😁. Leo is adorable! I honestly never thought about a pig being cute! This was a great blog with fantastic pictures. You made my day 🎊