Sand Hills near Holland

Went exploring in our own "back-yard park" yesterday.  We sure were surprised to find some major washout in the river flats due to the severe spring flooding.

This area has had all the top soil washed away.  I doubt it will be easy to reclaim this as a viable farm field as it was in the past.

It looks like only the subsoil is left, none of the topsoil remains.  Huge cracks and crevices, and even animal footprints are seen on the surface.  This looks like an elk print.

Harvest

Harvest is fully underway.  Don has over half the crop off already.  Yahoo!  I did manage to cut a few stocks of wheat and canary seed for decorations before it was swathed.

This upcoming year I have off work.  No teaching.  Weird!  I am looking forward to the year of travel.  Don and I have no firm travel dates for the winter yet, but I do have a fall trip planned.

I am going to Bali, Indonesia, on a women's-only tour of Bali's Fibre Arts.  We will be visiting locations where Bali Batiks are made and trying our own hand at making them!  I enjoy using these materials in the quilts I make and this will be an experience of a lifetime to tour these areas with other women with similar interests.  Eight of us from North America will be touring from Oct 1 - 15, 2011.  We also will be checking out other arts of silk dyeing, fibre weaving (ikat), leather making and silver jewelry making.  I am also hoping to check out a few of the beaches.  Bali is supposed to be extraordinarily beautiful!

As Bali is a third world country, I am hoping to take some items to give away.  The women like to get lipstick, blush and eyeliner.  The men enjoy hats, T-shirts, key fobs, pens.  For the children I plan to take school supplies, backpacks, etc.  I hope to visit some schools to drop off these supplies.  If anyone has items they would like to add to my give-aways, please let me know.

What! No school Prep?

It seems really weird not to be at school preparing for upcoming classes.  Always in August I spend time at school getting my room and courses ready.  It is a strange feeling!!