Dozers to the left of me ...

... dozers to the right of me ... into the valley of noise and commotion rolled the 600 (dozers). Well, maybe not THAT many, but enough to create a constant rumble that sounds like one of those very long freight trains rolling down the tracks. Worse, the incessant BEEP-BEEP-BEEP. They can't POSSIBLY be operating those huge earth-movers in reverse all day, can they? Isn't that when the beeping noise happens? When they back up? Or was that only true of the little postal vehicles delivering mail when we lived in a town, long ago and far away?















Gas well pads are being prepared on the two farms adjacent to our property. We're like the filling in a gas well sandwich. I'll tell you what ... it gives people around here something to visit about! Absolute strangers stop on the road and chat about it. "Come, listen to a story 'bout a man named Jed ... " All of this will undoubtedly make my neighbors very ... shall we say "comfortable"? And me crazier than a loon. The noise. And I know the worst is yet to come. They drilled a well about 3 miles from here, and for the whole time it sounded like a jet engine roaring in my ears. Neither of these two new sites is as much as a half-mile away. Oh dear ... it may put me into orbit. I'm one of those people who cannot tune out background noise. DH doesn't even hear it.

They've pretty much finished the one pad to the east in less than a week. They've been moving their equipment to the farm west of us, a little at a time. Each time they're going to transport one of those huge machines, an escort pickup goes up the road. It returns, followed by a flatbed hauling the behemoth. I can only imagine the colorful conversations that must be spewing from the drivers when they pass our place. And pass it they must, to get from one place to the other. Every single time they come by, they invariably have to stop for a parade of geese crossing the road at an excruciatingly slow pace, or a pair of fuzzy kitties who pause halfway across to wrestle a bit. I do appreciate that the truck drivers stop, but I'll bet they'd like to just squash my menagerie and be done with it. I've got to hand it to them ... they're very patient men.

It rained today. Serious rain. A true blessing. Not only was it a welcome reprieve from the oppressive heat and drought, but it halted the dozers for the day. Quiet restored. Ahhhhh ...

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Our son was here last weekend. He glanced into the corner of the dining room and asked, "What's that? A roll of linoleum?" (Umm ... do you think my roll of pre-printed hexagons on freezer paper for quilting convenience might be a bit much?)

I was able to get a new start on my 111-block quilt today (aw, shucks! no hexagons required). Someone kindly ironed out all the kinks for me, so the task does not seem as daunting as it did when I discovered the blocks were all coming out the wrong size. At this point, it is a challenge, but a fun one. I don't know how long the fun will last. Let's hope I find it amusing long enough to make at least a lap-size quilt from it. I'm choosing the fabrics randomly, and the fun comes from seeing the results of my combinations. Whew! Some of them are dizzifying. But I'm NOT changing them.

Speaking of hexagons ... Jo D was here today and had a top she pieced entirely of hexagons. She put a variety of motifs, each centered in a hexagon -- it turned out looking pretty clever, but my camera batteries died just as I tried to snap a photo. She said she'd forward one I took with her camera. When/If she does, I'll post it.

I can't wait to go to bed tonight. It will be quiet. No dozers. No fan running. No noise! I expect to sleep like a baby.