Our crafts and Fort Cummings

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Duane's latest



History in the desert

I know, it's hard to believe, we are actually touring. We sought out another stop on the historic Butterfield Stage mail line across the southwest. We drove several miles down a Jeep trail to find Fort Cummings--at least what's left of it. There is a cemetery ground, though all the graves are supposedly removed to another site. There are a couple of stone or adobe corners here and there. The spring still exists, covered so we couldn't see it. That is the reason for the fort being built there, and the fact that it could guard the pass nearby. The fort was built twice, once to protect the stage line from Apaches and once for the railroad. After wandering around awhile and eating lunch in the truck, we headed back down the road to our favorite carnelian hunting grounds for a couple of hours.

Above is the fifth quilt. This was made for daughter Stacy, who wanted a patchwork quilt. This quilt is made of 6 inch blocks scavenged from the scraps of every one else's quilts--adults and children's'--some new fabric we picked out to represent her various moods, and some fabric representative of some places she's been. The back is olive green and red leaves on a vine. The quilting is simple stitch in the ditch with family symbols scattered around.

Duane's latest is a cabochon made from the inside of a nodule. We learned that if a spherical rock is hollow and lined with crystals, it is called a geode. If it is solid with minerals or mud, it is called a nodule. He had it cut in 1/4 inch slabs then cut out the design from the surrounding junk. Then he polished it and set it in a silver pendant setting. The stone is about 1 1/2 inches long.

That's enough for now.

Louise and Duane