Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Cups and Saucers Quilt Block and Walking Wednesdays


Cups and Saucers Quilt Block


Welcome to Walking Wednesdays! 
Each week I photograph the sites I see on my walks.

 
 
 This week I walked along another portion of the New Santa Fe Regional Trail. 


The 20-mile New Santa Fe Trail is part of the Colorado Front Range Trail
as well as the American Discovery Trail.  It's a rail-to-trail; the trail follows a portion of the abandoned Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railroad line.
 
 
I had a beautiful view of the mountains as I walked.
 

I walked in both the evening and early mornings when it wasn't so hot.  I got to see the Giant Evening Star in bloom.  The flowers open only in the evening and remain open through the night, being pollinated by night-flying moths.  The Giant Evening Star is also known as Ten-petal Blazingstar or Moonflower. 


I loved seeing this Common Milkweed along the trail.  Monarch butterflies only lay their eggs on the milkweed plant, so they are essential for the Monarch's survival. 


 I think the Prickly Poppy is beautiful, although its leaves are very prickly!
All parts of the Prickly Poppy are poisonous to humans and animals.
 
 
Isn't this Prairie Spiderwort beautiful despite its strange name?
"Wort" comes from "wyrt," an Old English word for plant.  


At the beginning of July,
this is what the Soapweed Yucca looked like.


Now, they look like this . . .


or even this.

 
One morning after walking on the Trail,
I stopped off at the nearby Wisdom Tea House, one of my favorite places.
 
 
I had a pot of Earl Gray tea and a homemade granola bar
for breakfast on their lovely patio.
 
 
At Wisdom Tea House, you choose your own tea cup. 
They happened to have a cup in my mother's china pattern, Friendly Village!


Their flowers are just gorgeous.
 
 
Where is your favorite place to walk?
 

You can read all my Walking Wednesdays posts here.  You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post here.


8 comments:

  1. Such a delight, 'walking' with you, Susan! My favorite walks are ... in the mountains! We won't get to see them this year, though -- except for the Porcupine Mountains of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Not quite the Rockies. ;-)

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    1. Hahaha, that is for certain. When you have experienced the Rockies, you find the Porcupines to be big hills. Still love them, tho. Have fun on your visit to my 'neighborhood". Don't forget to go dip a toe into Lake Superior while you are here.
      DJ in MI's U.P.

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  2. Love to see the flora when you or I walk. Normally, we only walk on the street in our subdivision, not nearly as beautiful. Love to walk in our woods in Brown Co, IN

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  3. Susan, love your accounts of your walks. I haven't been to CO since 1973, but I definitely loved it then and would return if possible.
    Thanks for sharing with us.

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  4. What a wonderful post you have written! The names of the flowers was so helpful! I see some of these in my area, too, but knew the name of just the Yucca plant. You really know how to write a delightful post. Thank you so much!

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  5. Posted on behalf of Bev in Canada: "Always enjoy your posts, Susan, this one in particular, both for the great pictures of your walks and the Friendly Village cup and saucer. That was my mom's china pattern also and seeing it made me feel quite sentimental because she just passed away in June.

    I tried to post this on your blog but being more than slightly computer challenged, I couldn't figure it out.

    Anyway, thanks for the nostalgic moment. Bev in Canada

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  6. Once again thanks for sharing the beautiful walk. Of course my favorite walks are in Colorado but since I haven't had that opportunity for 2 years...I have to settle for the heat & mosquitoes of my Texas neighborhood!

    The block you chose to represent this walk is beautiful.

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  7. Beautiful pictures, as always! The cups and saucers block is very clever. I wish I was starting a new quilt right now, so that I could use that pattern. I'll save it for later.

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