Summertime and the bloggin' ain't easy

Between a lack of sewing projects to share and seasonal activities, Pearl the Squirrel has been sorely neglected. I'm hoping to actually sew later this week, but for now I'll share a couple of my summer distractions.


First, there was that Iowa phenomenon, RAGBRAI. It's a week-long bicycle ride across the state. Now, I don't ever ride, but I am a driver for my husband's lab; they typically ride one day each year.

It's always quite the scene: thousands of riders from all over the country pedal 400-some miles, converging on tiny towns along the way to camp, and to eat rhubarb pie, pork chops, lemonade, and breakfast burritos. Lots of folks dress up and decorate their bikes and helmets: the bike at top belonged to a man on Team Flamingo.

This year, just 39 percent of the riders were from Iowa. Folks of all shapes, sizes, ages, and physical condition ride (and eat) their way across the state. I can never resist going to watch. (In past years, while the team is riding, I've been known to frequent quilt shops in the area. I usually have to read in a coffee shop for several hours before the shops open: RAGBRAI riders like to get started around 6 a.m., before the heat gets brutal.)