Fun in the summertime

I honestly can't believe it's already the second weekend in July. Last week was our annual vacation to Southern Illinois for hiking, canoeing, fishing, wine tasting, etc. It was a relaxing "I wish this would never end" vacation. Here's a pic of Ben and me hiking at Grand Tower (Mississippi river in the background):

And here's me under an amazing "secret" waterfall:


This trip really made me wish I was in an area where I really *could* walk down to a lake to canoe every night, go berry picking, and buy my wine at a friendly local winery. I'd honestly love to live down there, but seeing as how Ben spent the first 24 years of his life in Southern Illinois, I think we'll need to find somewhere new to explore. It's just getting harder and harder to come back from these trips and back into the daily grind of corporate city life. Some day...

As for the woolly work, I'm in full wool-hoarder mode. The Midwest Fiber and Folk Art Festival starts at the end of this week(!) and I'm doing some last minute dye sessions. Here is a new colorway called "Cereus", inspired by night-blooming flowers: