Visit with the Eagles on Kentucky Lake - February 6, 2010

Every year Wayne and I enjoy a February cruise on Kentucky Lake to see the American Bald Eagles. Yesterday we had a great time on the cruise, which is sponsored by the Kentucky State Parks and Kentucky Wildlife & Conservation Department. They have staff on board as guides and to answer questions.

We cruised in style aboard the CQ Princess, which is normally docked in Louisville. They bring this yacht to the lakes in January/February for the eagle cruises.

We saw 29 eagles, lots of ducks and geese, herons, and other birds. It wasn't sunny but at least it wasn't raining (like last year). I took my camera with the 300mm lens and an extender so I could get better shots of the eagles. It was worth the price of the cruise to see a female sitting on a nest and the male eagle sitting on a branch nearby. We were able to view it in 270 degrees since the nest was in the top of a tree that was on a peninsula. I was able to shoot lots of photos.

This was my first view of the nest, using my long lens to see the male eagle sitting on a branch, while the female sits on the nest. The captain slowed down the boat so we could go by very slowly.

How about this view? You can see the female tucked behind the crooked branch.

Now the boat is almost on the other side of the nest - the female (on the left) has hopped off the nest. Did you know that female eagles are 20-30% larger than the male eagles. And this is one type of bird where the male and female look alike - he doesn't get all of the pretty feathers.

An immature eagle - see the speckled head and breast. They don't have a white head until they are about 5 years old.

This young eagle is older than the one in the previous photo. See how it has more white on his head?

Another eagle nest that was tucked back into a group of trees. The other two nests we saw were closer to the water.

An adult American Bald Eagle. We saw 29 eagles in all; 15 were immature, 2 we couldn't tell, and the other 12 were adults. You can't miss the adults with their big white heads.

Two immature eagles sit in this tree on the point. See how they look like a big black blob sitting in the tree. They are so big that they are easy to spot once you know what you are looking for.

There were some eagles soaring close to our boat just as we were finishing our cruise. Look at that wing span.

Another nest that was close to the water.

Another eagle soaring - the staff called this one the greeter, it's the first eagle we saw as we left the dock and the last one we saw when we returned. He stays in a group of trees just across from the boat dock.

Part of this Visit with the Eagles program was an evening talk on Raptors (Birds of Prey) by Dale and John Stokes. They are associated with S.O.A.R. - Save our American Raptors. From May to September they present programs at the Rock City Raptors Birds of Prey at Rock City near Chattanooga, Tennessee. During the rest of the year, the give programs at schools and at state parks. All of the birds they display have been "humanized" - that is they have been raised by humans (and often depend then on humans for their food) or have been injured and cannot be released back to the wild.

I took a few photos, but they asked us not to use any flash, so the lighting isn't the best. You can see what the birds look like anyway.

Many of us have probably heard Screech Owls - here is what they look like. These two small owls are the only birds that live together at their sanctuary for these birds of prey.

The barn owl has such a funny shaped face.

This broad-winged hawk flew very fast...and this one came right over my head, parting my hair it was so close. But I got his picture anyway. Phew, that was close.

Red-tailed hawk has such beautiful coloring. I didn't get a photo of his back, but the back and tail feathers are really pretty. We have one of these hawks that torments the squirrels in our back yard (and catches one of them sometimes).

This black vulture flew back and forth over the heads of the audience. BIG bird.

This American Bald Eagle was rescued after being shot; his wing had to be removed as a result of that shot. Still a beautiful bird, but can never be released to the wild again. (The bald eagle is the bird up front...not the head you see in the photos...grin.)

There were people on this cruise from all over. If you are ever going through Kentucky in late January or early February, be sure to check out the Eagle Cruises through the Kentucky State Parks. We are really glad that they have this program and enjoy cruising to see the eagles every year!

Radio Interview on the AQS Quilt Show in Paducah

Yesterday I taped an hour-long radio interview with Sally Terry. We talked about many of the changes for this year's AQS Quilt Show in Paducah.

Here is a link to so you can listen to a replay of the program:

http://www.AttendThisEvent.com/?eventid=11107371

We were just informed this afternoon that there are some rooms available at the Hampton Inn (270-442-0200). Call immediately - these rooms won't last long.
Or, you can call the Paducah Visitor's Bureau (1-800-PADUCAH) for an application for the AQS Home Bed & Breakfast Program.

See you in Paducah in April!

Stay tuned...we'll be taping a program on the AQS Quilt Show in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, soon.

Paper Piecing Patterns - Now in an eBook Downloadable Format

My book, Paper Piecing Patterns, published in 1999, is no longer available in print. You've been asking for this book, and it is now available as a downloadable eBook in Adobe PDF format. You can download the book, and print the pattern pages you want to stitch.

What is in this book? I've been paper piecing since the late 1960's and have shared my technique in easy-to-see photographs. Besides the step-by-step instructions for paper piecing, you'll find a selection of patterns that can be paper (some call it foundation) pieced. I like to use vellum paper, so I call it paper piecing. Why vellum? Because you can see the lines from either side of the paper. You can print directly onto the vellum, and sew on the side with the printing. The vellum is very easy to tear away too.

Here are some of the patterns: Teapot, Tea Cup, Cupcake, Coffee Pot, Coffee Cup, and Chocolate Cake - and those are just the designs on the inside front and back covers. Then there is a Barn, Cabin and House; Squirrel Eating Corn, Hummingbird, Tree 1, and Tree 2. Traditional patterns include Snowball Variation, Pineapple, Log Cabin Courthouse Steps, Diamond in a Square, Double Pinwheel Whirls, Job's Troubles, 3-D, Mosaic Rose, Palm Leaf (one of my favorites), Airplane, Sailboat, and a Heart (on the title page).

As you can see, it is chock full of some fun patterns to sew, and it's all straight line sewing. No fancy or difficult sewing here.

Click here to purchase the eBook and download it right onto your computer. It's just $8.00 or only $6.40 if you are an AQS member.

Send me some photos of quilts you make using my Paper Piecing Patterns.

Happy piecing!

Bonnie B

Snowy & Cold....

Last year it was an ice storm on this weekend...this year it is a snow storm. We'll take the snow any time! Here in Paducah we had about 4.5 inches of snow. Wayne snapped this photo this morning as he headed to the grocery store - Food Giant, that is very close to our home.

And, so we had a lazy day here at home. I worked on the pattern for a bag to carry my new mini purple passion computer. It will have a central pocket for the computer so it is easy to pull it out at the airports, with pockets on the sides to carry the mouse, jump sticks, my mini external hard drive...and all of the other things I need to give my presentations. It will be quilted, of course. The pattern is drawn out now, so tomorrow I can cut fabric.

Hope you are staying warm and dry, wherever you are!

Oops...You Can't Iron an Iron...

Sometimes not paying attention to what you are doing leaves you scratching your head! Yesterday I was going to finish up some fabric thank you postcards and clicked on the switch to the surge protector where I plug in my iron....did something else until the iron heated.

When I returned, I smelled something kind of funny but didn't see anything. Then I went to iron. The last time I had used my iron, I had used my small Rowenta travel iron. It had fallen over on my big Rowenta iron.

You guessed it, the heat of the small iron melted the big iron. Yowser, what a mess. Now I had a nonfunctional big iron and half of the base of my travel iron was covered with white plastic. I unplugged the travel iron and proceeded to scrap off the plastic while it was still warm with a straight-bladed sharp knife. Then I plugged it back in and ironed it over paper to remove even more. That was followed with ironing on fabric.

Here's the hole it left in my Rowenta. Hard to believe that it would get that hot, isn't it? When Sharon Schamber tells us that the Rowenta travel iron is the only that gets hot enough...I certainly believe her now.

I finished pressing my postcards together by using a press cloth over the top so I could get that part done.

Tonight it looks like I did get all of the plastic off the base of my travel iron.

The moral of the story is: Make sure you know what is plugged in...and that the irons are not touching one another.

Anyone have suggestions for a new big iron? I'm in the market for an iron now!

Our Holiday Visit to See the Barn Quilts of Washington County, Iowa

Wayne, his sister Kathi Beverlin, my sister Karen Franzen, and I spent a day visiting the Kalona, Iowa area to see the Barn Quilts of Washington County, Iowa. The snow on the ground made the barns more picturesque. We had a fun day and made stops at the Family Restaurant in Kalona for lunch, and then had to stop at the General Store, Willow Creek Quilting & Gifts (great shop), and the Kalona Bakery (the peach pie and cinnamon rolls were yummy). Afterward, we picked up Wayne's Mom and Buster to go to Bryn Mawr Steakhouse for dinner. What a fun day we had!

Look at all of the different styles of barns in the Kalona area as you view these photos.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Hope you had a Happy New Year!

Christmas in Iowa - 2009

Enjoy some photos of our visit with our family in Iowa over the holidays.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Happy New Year!

Can you believe that another year has flown by... guess that happens when you are having fun. Wayne, my sister Karen, and I had lunch with Mom Kirkland, and left just in time to do a little eagle siting before we headed back to Durant.

This is one of the big eagles that we saw as they came back to the trees to roost in Credit Island Park in Davenport. Some trees had as many as five eagles land in them. There were so many tree branches between my camera and the eagles that the photos are not very clear. It's always fun to just watch these majestic birds flying.

Did you see the Blue Moon (2nd new moon in December) tonight? We were out eagle watching along the Mississippi River when the sun went down and the moon came up. It was a beautiful yellow moon shining brightly on the Mississippi River.

Happy New Year...hope you and I find time to do more quiltiung in 2010!

Bonnie B

Packages are Wrapped with Care....

Happy Sunday! This has been a busy weekend, trying to get the packages wrapped for our families. I made some Christmas telephone calls to some far-away friends that we won't get to see during the holidays. It's always fun to catch up with our friends.

We had a good time at the Schroeder Publishing Christmas party on Thursday evening. Billy Schroeder always comes up with some kind of trivia for us to play. He had some great questions this year - like how many stitches are in a baseball?  Or, what sport has more participants than any other? I'll put the answers at the end of this message so you can think about the answers for a bit. Dinner was catered by Patti's Restaurant from Grand Rivers, KY.

On Friday evening, Wayne and I attended the Cirque Dreams Illumination at the Carson Four Rivers Center. It was really good...great stage work, lighting, high wire work, acrobats, skits, and singing. It had a little bit of everything.

The next couple of weeks will be very busy. Wayne and I hope you are able to spend some time with your family and have a Merry Christmas together. I'll talk to you again in the new year - can you believe that 2010 is here already? See you then!

Bonnie B

The answers are: 108 stitches in a baseball, and fishing is the sport with the most participants (we should have guessed that one since Billy is an avid bass fisherman)

Kentucky Living Magazine - December

Watch for the December issue of Kentucky Living magazine. I will be part of an article on using my photographs to make fabric postcards as Thank You cards. The title of the article is the Lost Art of Writing Thank You Notes.

Do you send written Thank You notes? My mother has always instilled in us that the proper way to say Thank You is to send a hand written note. In these days of electronic media, we sometimes forget how much people enjoy receiving something in the mail. I know I do. Whether you care to send the very best (Hallmark) or make your own cards, see what kind of reaction you get to sending something special that you have made.

Make someone's holiday merry by sending them a handwritten greeting.

Merry Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Make a Smilebox greeting

Great Quilt Shop in Celeste, Texas - Quilt Mercantile

While in Texas teaching last week, my host, Alice Wilhoit, took me to the Quilt Mercantile in Celeste, TX. It is just outside Dallas. What a great shop. There are lots of sample quilts and other projects covering the walls...it's like a small quilt show.

Alice was teaching a class there so I had some time to do some hand stitching...and SHOP. See that purse sitting in the foreground of this photo - it's an Indygo Junction pattern that came home with me. The handles go through those big grommets and when you pick it up, the purse closes. Can't wait to make it.

At this time of year, my favorite spot in a quilt shop is the Christmas room...lots of quilts with red in them and quilty gifts we can make.

If you are ever in the Celeste area, be sure to stop and visit this shop. Tell them Bonnie Browning sent you!

Wednesday Musings...

Life is getting back to normal again. After 8 days in Des Moines for the AQS Quilt Show there, then a planning meeting in Knoxville, TN, the following week, and last week I taught in Plano, TX, it's nice to be home for a while.

Today Marcelle and I finalized the last teachers for the Paducah show in April, so the registration guide is getting ready to go to the designer for layout.

Registration for the Lancater show is open and classes are filling, so don't delay in registering if you plan to attend that show. We've already filled the Thursday evening (7:00 - 8:30 p.m.) performance for Eleanor Burns... and we have been able to add another performance that will be held from 4:30 - 6:00 p.m. that same day. She is always popular so don't wait to get your tickets to see Eleanor Burns.

I'm ready to do some sewing. After teaching my Xquisite Scrap class in Texas, I even bought some fabric to work on the black,gray, and cream version of that quilt that I want to make. Should have enough different fabrics now... just need to get busy cutting 4" squares.

Hope you are having a great week, wherever you are...

Bonnie B

Bonnie Visits with Classmates in Muscatine, Iowa

When Wayne and I were in town for his class reunion in September, I also was able to meet up with two of my high school classmates, Anita Bendle Bennett and Judy Leu Pare. Here are a few photos from that day. Anita and Judy then went to have dinner with Gini VanZandt - I've included a photo of them that Judy sent to me.

Make a Smilebox greeting

Fall in Paducah

Enjoy some photos Wayne and I took today...

Make a Smilebox slideshow

MHS Class of 1959 - Dinner on Saturday, September 26, 2009

The 50th reunion of the 1959 graduating classes of Muscatine High School and Hayes Catholio High School held its reunion dinner at Whispering Pines on Tipton Road in Muscatine. In addition to a wonderful dinner of steak, pork chops, and chicken prepared by the famous A Guy & A Grill, emcee Gary Diercks shared some happenings of long ago. Everyone present was pleased to learn that Larry Mittman's demise was greatly exaggerated... since he was here.

Click on the photos to enlarge them. You can right click to print or save the photographs.

There are six Blog entries altogether, with photos from both Friday and Saturday evenings.

If you find any names that are incorrect, please send me corrections. Sometimes the name badges were partially hidden. E-mail corrections or additional names to: bonniewayne@bellsouth.net. I'll correct the Blog if necessary. It was fun to share your reunion with all of you, and I hope you enjoy the photos.

Bonnie Browning



A beautiful sunset was the beginning of a great evening with old friends. Purple and Gold balloons greeted us as we drove into Whispering Pines.






Dinner was prepared by A Guy & A Grill



Emcee Gary Diercks



Catching up with old friends



Chatting before dinner



Janice Erickson & Jerry Lichtenwald



Judy Connor, Janet Kahl



Bruce & Sandi Hildebrandt



Leo & Gay Webb Hindbaugh



Larry Mittman, John Shepard, Glen Monson



Sandra Smith, Mary Jo TeStrake, Beth Williamson



Jean Ripperger, Nancy Eis & Alan Ripperger



Darla Morgan, Laura Jamison, Mary Ann Morris



Ervin Morgan, Bob Jones



John Bohling, Wayne Browning

MHS Class of 1959 - some more Saturday Evening Photos

Click on the photo to enlarge. Right click to print or save the photos.


Sandi Hildebrandt, Sandy Wells



Janet Kahl, Connie Bohling, Sandi Hildebrandt



John Bohling



Laurel Heard, Bill Griffin



Janet Kahl



Glen Smith talking to Wayne Browning



Hank & Rita Mann



Janet Kindler, Maxine Ricketts



Toma Tarin (married to Karen Berry)



Karen Berry



Beth Williamson, Dave Alftine

MHS Class of 1959 - more Saturday Evening Photos

Click on the photo to enlarge it. Right click to print or save the photos.


Beverly Smith, Lynn Paul



Laura Lee Mulvihill, Carol Lichtenwald



Juli & Bob Wagner



Dennis Roth, Lynn Beaucamp



Deems Ahlf, Bob Herrick, Diane Greene



John & Connie Bohling



Ervin & Darla Morgan



Phil & Mary Jane Chalups



Kathy & Bill Schmidt, Bob Bancks



Sandra Ash

MHS Class of 1959 - and more Saturday Evening Photos

You can click on the photo to enlarge it. Right click to save or print the photos.


Denise & Glen Monson



David Kneer, Ruth Ann Thorpe



Bill & Weninoka Jones



?? and Lois Kemp



Linda Giessregen Maas & Jim Maas


Lynda Raushenberger



Sally & Bill Paetz



Jane Klatt, Jim Esmoil, Kathy & Bill Schmidt

MHS Class of 1959 - Group Photos

Getting everyone into one end of the room at the Whispering Pines was no easy feat...but we did it. Here are the photos of those who attended the 50th class reunion of the 1959 graduating classes from Muscatine High School and Hayes Catholc High School.



Muscatine High School - Class of 1959: Attendees at the 50th Class Reunion



Hayes Catholic High School - Class of 1959: Attendees at 50th Class Reunion


Listed in alphabetical order by school, here are photos of those who attended Franklin, Jefferson, and Lincoln Grade Schools.


Attended Franklin Grade School



Attended Jefferson Grade School



Attended Lincoln Grade School

Photo Credit: Bonnie K. Browning, Paducah, Kentucky