Ricky Tims - Route 66

In This Issue

Route 66 - Photos!

Canadian Flooding - Quilts Needed!

André Gallant - Photo Workshop

Where in the World Is Ricky - Next stop, Canada

Route 66 - Photos!

Whoo-hoo! I got my kicks on Route 66 along with a bus load of quilters and quilt enthusiasts! Each day was fun and educational and we saw a multitude of great sights and learned a lot about the grand ole' U.S. of A.

While I was the one who created the tour concept, destinations, and themes, it was Jim West with SewManyPlaces.com who orchestrated my ideas and made them a reality. It would take a book to tell you all we saw and did, so I'm not going to burden you with that. However, if you just scroll down, you'll see a set of photos that chronicle the trip - not so much as a photo documentary, but for the most part, as my endeavor to create artistic images from the subjects we saw along the way.

Our journey started at the Congress Hotel in Chicago which is opposite the famous Buckingham Fountain. I almost waited for the couple to exit my frame, but I'm so glad I didn't. They made the shot - perfectly backlit by the spray.

The Bean in Chicago's Millennium Park is a must see. I'm posting the above image to give you an idea of what it is like. You might not understand the following photo if you didn't know about the Bean.

The first day of the tour, Chicago's 5K Color Run was held. There were thousands of runners covered in colored dyes. These two were enjoying the Bean.

Outside Chicago's Art Institute. Yes, Justin and I visited inside for several hours.

The Route 66 Begin sign is directly across from the Art Institute. It was the only day we needed an umbrella during the trip. (photo by Justin Shults)

A detail of Abraham Lincoln's tomb.

The Jefferson Westward Expansion Memorial - otherwise known as "The Arch" in St. Louis, MO.

The final zip from my first zipline experience near Meramec Caverns in Missouri.
(Photo by the Caveman Zipline Company)

At the Cherokee Heritage Center near Temecula, OK, natives preserve their language and ways of life - including making arrowheads the old fashioned way.

A major attraction along Route 66, just outside of Amarillo, is the interactive art project called Cadillac Ranch. Our group not only added paint to the cars, but I became part of the art project and they painted me as well. (Photo by Justin Shults)

The vastness of the west is evident from Oklahoma to the west coast. Here the road stretches into the distance driving from Amarillo, Texas to Sante Fe, New Mexico.

One of our unexpected treats was an unplanned stop in Adrian, TX, the half way point. It's a speck on the map but had some pretty cool things to enjoy. (Photo by Jim West)

Sante Fe, The City Different, is a photographer's dream.

As we left Sante Fe, our theme for the day was UFOs (near Roswell, NM). We traded quilt UFOs as well. Justin got in on the fun and created his own UFO detector helmet.

In Gallup, New Mexico, the town was overflowing with folks participating in the National Jr. High School Rodeo Finals.

Shadows had fallen in the canyon at Red Rocks Park near Gallup, NM, but it was far from dark outside.

The Painted Dessert National Park didn't disappoint.

Neither did the Petrified Forest National Park.

Sunrise at the Grand Canyon.

There is a silent reverence watching the sunrise at the Grand Canyon.

The shapes and colors slowly change as sunlight creeps into the crevasses of the Grand Canyon.

Needles greeted us with 122ºF. HOT! I suppose Threads is around the corner, and Thimbles, not too far.

This photo was taken while riding along in the scorched barren wasteland just south of Death Valley, California.

We made it to Hollywood!

Part of our tour included history of the dust bowl and the great depression which related to John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath. We also watched the 1940 Academy Award-winning movie. Justin and I are pictured here with Darryl Hickman who played Winfield Joad in the movie. Darryl is the only surviving member of the cast. Darryl was our "Hollywood Surprise" for the tour group. He spoke to us at our final luncheon. He's not the only famous actor in his family. He is the older brother of Dwayne Hickman who played Dobbie Gillis on TV 1959-1963.

Here we are! A fantastic group of really fun and adventurous souls. (Timed photograph)

Finished Quilts Needed!

High River Quilt Project

A call for completed quilts by September 15, 2013

On June 20, 2013 Calgary took a severe beating as flood waters entered the city like never before in history. While the devastation to Calgary was big, worst hit was the neighbouring town of High River. High River is a farming community with a population of approximately 12,000. It is home to a unique and diverse population of commuters, retirees, and families. They have a volunteer fire department which had limited resources compared to those of City of Calgary.

High River had no chance as the river took new directions that were not mapped as being on the flood plane. Many people were rescued by local residents who took their boats out and singlehandedly saved many people one at a time. Some people were rescued by a helicopter that just happened to be in the area and to found a 10’x10’ patch of grass to land in. Elderly residents waded thru the water to get to the chopper, some had to be assisted by the pilot. The entire town, including the hospital had to be evacuated.

Over the past few weeks, Volunteers from My Sewing Room in Calgary, AB and Sparrow Studioz in Edmonton, AB as well as many others have been providing backing, batting and longarm quilting services to finish donated quilt tops for Calgary flood victims. As more information became available, the quilting project naturally evolved to fill a niche not yet filled by other quilting groups. They are now going to start gathering finished quilts to distribute to flood victims in High River, Alberta. With your help, we can honour the challenges faced by High River residents as they struggle to regain a foothold on some sense of normalcy.

Donated quilts from the USA can be sent to APQS in Iowa. Here's the website where you can follow along and find all the important shipping details to get your quilt into the hands of someone in need of your kind thoughts and big warm hug.

Thank you for your generosity.

Learn more about the High River Quilt Project here.

Please note… All quilts sent to APQS must be declared as having ‘no value’ or ‘gift’. This will ensure they are not required to pay any COD fees. Thank you to APQS for opening your doors to receive these quilts.

Left - Before/After

“A lake of stagnant water approximately 1.6 kilometres wide and five kilometres long covers a large portion of eastern High River, Alta. Entire homes are submerged in this new and unwanted lake. It smells of sewage and stubbornly remains, nearly two weeks after the Highwood River flooded, an event that placed the town of 13,000 at the epicentre of the worst flooding the province has ever seen.” (www2.macleans.ca/2013/07/05/waiting-out-the-flood/) - From Maclean Magazine

Questions: Contact Anne Dale at My Sewing Room in Calgary, AB (403) 252-3711

IN THE USA
PLEASE LABEL YOUR PARCEL:

The High River Quilt Project
c/o APQS
23398 HWY 30 East
Carroll, Iowa 51401

IN CANADA
PLEASE LABEL YOUR PARCEL:

The High River Quilt Project
c/o My Sewing Room
148 - 8228 MACLEOD TR SE
CALGARY, AB T2H-2B8
(403) 252-3711

OTHER COUNTRIES, Contact High River Quilt Project

André Gallant Photography Workshop

Ricky and Justin are hosting photographer, André Gallant next summer for a photography workshop in La Veta, Colorado.

André Gallant is a Canadian freelance photographer who travels the world taking expressive photographs. He is the author of several books including Expressionism: Digital Dreamscapes and other Techniques and Inspiration: Creative Photography Projects. André teaches photography workshops with well-known Canadian photographer, Freeman Patterson, with whom he co-wrote Photo Impressionism and the Subjective Image, as well as the revised edition of Photography for the Joy of It. He lectures throughout Canada, the US, as well as internationally.

The workshop is geared for photography enthusiasts, hobbyist, and professional photographers.

Complete details and registration information is available here.

Workshop cost - $950, includes 6 dinners and 5 days of workshop classes.

Where in the World is Ricky

August 2013

1 The Running Stitch, Kanata, Ontario, Canada

3 Oakville Sewing Centre, Oakville, Ontario, Canada

6 My Sewing Room Calgary, Alberta, Canada

8 A Great Notion Sewing Supply, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada

September 2013

6-8 International Quilt Convention - Johannesburg, South Africa

19-21 Ricky Tims' Super Quilt Seminar - Pasco, WA