I try to focus on work on travel days. I'm away from home with fewer distractions and I can often get something done on the computer. Unless I get distracted :-).

I just got an email from TED and this talk was at the top of the page. I've read about Apollo Robbins and seen a video of him before and he is always entertaining. This talk was especially interesting to me because he's talking about what we notice (and don't notice) and how easily distracted we are.

I gave the same color lecture three times in Canada. It changes a bit each time but the core information remains the same. One thing I emphasize is that we notice contrast, what is different. I give ideas about how that works in quilts. I need to think about how to add what I just learned in this TED talk – there is so very much that we don't notice, even when we think we are being observant.

FYI – The weather turned lovely, cool and crisp again, on my last day in Canada and it is the same in Detroit. I hope it's cooler in Texas as well – but I'm not holding my breath. It's likely to be October before we see weather this cool and clear. But – we don't get feet of snow either so I am not going to complain.

I tried to post last night but the wireless connection would not let me upload photos. It happens.

Some of you know that I like to take pictures of my feet and manhole covers. I especially like 'sewer' covers because I see 'sew-er'. This may be my favorite: Danger Sewer! 

There are a surprising number of big interesting signs in Ontario. I was able to snap this one. What's funny to me is that the ladies I was with did not see this as an unusual sign – where to me it would be a landmark (for example, 'turn left at the paint can').

I have seen a lot of well-preserved old cars. They look like they are used all the time, not brought out for show. It's nice to see them on the road!

I have finally realized that I am in the breadbasket of Canada. So many large, fertile farms. These look different from the farms in Texas and Oklahoma. It's the structures – they remind so much of Pennsylvania. Every one is photogenic.

The bright yellow fields are soy, nearly ready for harvest.

A farm, dwarfed by the sky…

This may be the prettiest group of farm buildings… 

I love the reds against the grays. It was lovelier on the other side. The short silos had walls of red. I couldn't stop soon enough to take that picture. How cool is it that the pipes above are painted in the same red. That has to be hard work, to keep them painted. I hope they know that strangers appreciate the effort.

I was in Goderich Sunday and Monday, yesterday and today I was in Kirkton, now I'm in London. These places are not far apart and I am driving myself in a rental car. I'm enjoying the driving.

Tonight has been mildly exciting. I got to my hotel in London at 5:15. I went to my room and had just started to unpack when I heard sirens. Tornado sirens. We are under a 'dangerous storms watch' so I took note. I got my purse, computer, iPad, and phone and went downstairs. The very nice manager said that yes, those were the tornado sirens and that he was checking out the situation.

I grew up in Oklahoma and live in Texas. I don't panic over tornados, nor do I ignore them. I asked where one would go for shelter in case it came to that and, luckily, that space was next to the bar. Yay! I got a glass of wine and not long after I, and everyone else, was ushered into a nearby dining room. We spent some time there while the storm blew past. Big thunderstorm, no tornado that I know of. 

I ate dinner while I was downstairs and before I headed up the nice manager let me know that more storms could come this way later tonight. I asked if they would knock on doors he said that, no, if it came to that, the alarms would go off. Good to know! I would much rather be mentally prepared. If nothing happens, great! If alarms go off, I won't be surprised. I may, in fact, keep the weather on for a while. Right now I'm enjoying the lightning and thunder out my window.

I got up at 4:20 AM this morning to catch a 7:00 flight to Detroit. Early! Once in Detroit I rented a car to drive north to Goderich, Ontario. The drive through Detroit and on to the border was fine – nice even. Traffic stacked up at the Blue Water bridge into Canada and I was glad it did. It gave me the opportunity to admire the very blue water and the amazing sky above.

The blue water below the bridge looks just like that! Deep aqua in the center of the channel – lighter toward the banks of the river. I took a lot of pictures as we inched along…

As I went through the photos I noticed how amazingly blue the sky was!

The drive to Goderich, via Sarnia, skirt the east shore of Lake Huron. The weather is cool and crisp now – so different from Texas. It looks to me a whole lot like Pennsylvania, but not. I pulled out my iPhone and started to take pictures as I drove along. I looked forward and pointed my camera  out the window. I would not do this in traffic but there were long areas where I was it on the rode and I drove slowly…

I'd see something interesting ahead and snap snap snap as I drove by. The sky is still the most amazing blue…

The next photo was taken through the windshield – you can almost see the bugs. Isn't the sky a beautiful aqua?

I stopped and went back to take the striped room on the silo. And then as I drove on I realized that there are many that look just like this:

And then I drove past a clothesline that made me turn around and go back for a photo. Look close and you'll see colors on a line behind the house. This is Mennonite country so I assumed this was a Mennonite household.

I got closer and it wasn't until I downloaded the photos that I noticed the above-ground pool behind the colorful clothes… and the Dish antennas on the side of the house. Is Dish Mennonite or are these just folks who appreciate solid colors and like to dry clothes outside?

I got to my motel in Goderich. There aren't many choices in Goderich and this one was not awful – nor was it wonderful.

Judy met me and she told me that she had a space that would probably be better than the motel. She was right :-). Quilters are so nice!

We went for a walk after I unpacked and it is lovely here. Judy lives close enough to the lake to get a wonderful breeze. We walked to the water. The sun was in the wrong spot to take photos out over the water but I did get these birds…

…and the view uphill was lovely.

As I look back over the photos of the day what I see are shades of blue. So very many shades of blue! I don't think I look up often enough – or is it that I take my own sky for granted? Maybe it takes seeing the sky in a new place to make it seem so special.

I never thought I could grow succulents because I tend to kill plants in containers. Most won’t survive our winter freezes so I can’t plant them directly in the ground. However, I have two friends who love growing succulents and I listened long enough to give it a try. So far, so good – I don’t water them often and they love our hot weather.

You might recognize the head planters. I ordered these online from Stone Face Creations. They make us smile :-). I need to dress them up a bit but that will have to come later. 

Maybe he needs Clark Kent glasses… or a tie.

The aloe vera that mom gave me for mother’s day is thriving. When it gets cold, these all have to come inside. Many of them are going to Steve’s office on campus where there is more room and lots of light. I’m going to miss them!

I leave early, early tomorrow for Goderich, Ontario, via Detroit. I’m hoping for a nice, uneventful travel day.

I read the NY Times on my iPad every morning. I don't live in NYC but the Dallas Morning News got to be so very expensive. Stupidly expensive! I can't afford it… but that is a whole other story.

I click on interesting stories when I read the NYTimes. In that sense, I much prefer a digital morning paper (you can't click a link printed on paper). A couple of days ago I clicked on a link that took me to the video below.

You know, I love my technology. When I am in line, almost anywhere, I pull out my iPhone and check my email. If I am stuck somewhere (in the doctor's office!) I go online. When I'm out and about, I pull out my phone and snap a photo (or 2, or 12). Sometimes I take the time to post those photos.

But I'm 'old' in that I don't pull out my phone at dinner when I could instead talk to the actual people I'm with. (However, if nothing is happening at dinner, I might think about pulling out my phone.)

Sometimes, but not always, my son (no naming names) pulls out his phone at a meal. I have to stop myself from swatting his phone. Maybe I should be more interesting? I try.

At any rate, this video made me stop and think. How often do I live through my device? Not as often as some, but that may not be saying much. It's important to experience NOW! and it never hurts to be reminded of that. Be warned, this is depressing if you are guilty of living through our device at one time or another.

The other thing I realize is that, because I can use my iPhone to do a whole of interesting, useful tasks, I have a lot less down time. That's time that I might use to just daydream. To sketch. To actually call someone for a chat. I do love my technology – but right now I'm thinking a bit more before switching on.

Elanor's favorite jeans are prone to ripping. I've fixed 2 small tears already. 

The knee ripped out a few days ago – from one side seam to the other. 

Rather than using iron-on jean-fixing patches, I use my darning foot and sew fabric behind the tear. It's a whole lot like reverse applique. I could have made more of the fabric patch show, but I think a bit of color peeking through is better.

These are skinny-legged jeans but luckily I was able to fit the leg onto the bed of my machine. It was a little tight for free-motion darning, but it worked.

Once sewn, I turned the leg inside out and trimmed away the excess fabric. I used a red bark cloth because this new, big rip is at the knee. It should hold up reasonably well.

She looks very cute in them, don't you think?!