An ironing board cover and a horse quilt

My regular quilt group, Northeast Quilting Friends, has expanded.  We have 25 on our roster and from week to week, 15 or so show up.  In our room we currently meet in, this is getting to be a problem, so we've started a second group which meets on Friday in the Lower Level, from 10 to 1:00.

Well, today, there is a wedding reception being set up in the LL and so I set our quilt group up in the room right next door to our regular room.  I had the room to myself, the whole time.  Come to find out, when I returned all the "gear" to the quilting room, that was being used by another group, there were people looking for quilting!

Oh well, it meant I was very, very productive today.  I really get so much more done without all the distractions of home.

I made an ironing board cover, mine old one had holes in it.  If you need to recover anything, just take it apart and use that as the pattern.

Then I started a new horse quilt.  Mom's Closet has an annual fund raiser, the Wednesday before the Kentucky Derby and I'm making a quilt for them to sell raffle tickets for.  This is another one I'll be donating for the fundraiser.  Maybe it's a silent auction item.

So off we go back up the canyon-More Bright Angel Trail

We Spent One Night at the Phantom Ranch then Hiked the Bright Angel Trail

Onward!  That's all you can do.  Once you've made it to the bottom, you have to go back up.  I had considered riding a mule up, but, they told us that is not possible.  Teddy Roosevelt made the park and his intention was to preserve it's natural beauty.  Nothing goes down to the bottom except hikers and mules.  Unless it's a real emergency and they helicopter out 300 people a year.

There are so many things that could be done to get more people in and out of the bottom of the canyon, like having a tram to the Indian Gardens on the Bright Angel Trail.  The BA Trail is listed as one of the 10 most dangerous trails in America.  I guess people start the hike at the top where it is cooler and down at the bottom there can be a 20 degree difference in temperatures.

We made it!  We are now in the exclusive club of hikers that go to the Phantom Ranch in the Grand Canyon.  Whew!!  Less that 1 percent of the people that travel to the rim make the hike.  The S. Kaibab is grand vistas and a lot of red earth.  The Bright Angel is a lot more intimate views, small waterfalls and trees.

Continuing Down the South Kaibab Trail of the Grand Canyon

Feeling pretty sore by the time we get to the suspension bridge at the bottom.  Some nice man feels for me and loans me his walking stick which really saves me.

The nicest people on the trail are at the bottom.  Everyone is a little concerned about each other's welfare and stories are told of near helicopter rides out, but, by golly we hung in there!!

This squirrel tried to sneak up and steal Chelsea's lunch!