Quiet Walker Lodge Bed and Breakfast Inn

Old Jack

QWLodge — Sat, 12 May 2012 13:33:40 +0000

I use to be fond of racoons with their cute faces and petite feet. But ever since I moved to a place that has them I realize what a pain they are to have around. They eat the robin’s eggs and poop everwhere. They are nortorious for getting into garbage bins and tearing up plants.
However, it is hard for me to shoot Old Jack. Maybe it is the look he gives me everytime he raids the bird feeder or the curiosity he has about the cats looking at him through the window. I know….he is a racoon. You need to shoot him. Well I think I will wait for the neighbor to let out his dogs and let nature take its course. In the meantime I am off to the store to get more bird food!

Madison Birthday

QWLodge — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:10:34 +0000

I enjoyed my 60th birthday this past Wednesday by going to Madison, Wisconsin. I ate at a fabulous place called Muramoto. The shushi was some of the best I have ever had and the plum wine was excellent. Prices were reasonable for lunch and I would highly recommend this place if you are ever in the mood for some good sushi.
Besides lunch, I toured the Olbrich botantical gardens and saw three plants that I am hoping to get for my garden. The Persian Pearl Tulip and Checkered Fritillary were two of my favorite ones. For a shaded area, the Lenten roses were great bushes for accent color. I am sure the gardens change with the seasons and I am looking forward to going back in July to see the summer colors.

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Antlers and baskets

QWLodge — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 19:13:00 +0000

I went to the Antler auction this weekend and picked up a nice box of antlers to use for my baskets. So today I got creative and made a basket using all natural stuff. It is 82 here in Iowa and the trees and plants just do not know what to do. The normal is about 46! Amazing….

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Winter Beauty

QWLodge — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 12:45:23 +0000

Sometimes God blesses us with the most awesome sign of his presence. This morning I woke up to this beautiful landscape outside my front windows. As much as I complain about plowing, shoveling, driving and freezing in this winter, I am reminded of just how beautiful it can be.

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Mound Bread

QWLodge — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:41:54 +0000

Recently I traveled to Sinsinawa Mound to tour the Mother House of the Sinsinawa Dominican sisters. This exquisite site is the world headquarters for the sisters and the retirement home for those who are aging. It was a fantastic place to visit. I had heard about their famous breads and I was not disappointed when I tried several of their specialties. The “Mound Bread” became famous for its homemade flavor in the 1960s and ’70s. People who visited Sinsinawa Mound wanted more of the bread to take home and share with family and friends. As word spread about the bread, the demand continued to grow. Today, close to 70,000 baked goods are sold to friends and guests every year. The money from the bread helps support the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters as they continue their mission of preaching and teaching the Gospel.

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New Baskets

QWLodge — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 18:23:42 +0000

This past week I have been working on some new basket weaving techniques. I have finished two new baskets! I enjoy relaxing here at Quiet Walker Lodge and weaving new designs. I am looking forward to 2012. I will be learning how to weave and use gourds to create some unusual designs. My willow patch produced some great willow. I hope to make a basket using the beautiful orange willow that I have harvested this year.

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Linda Rodrigues

Christmas at the Lodge

QWLodge — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 14:14:58 +0000

Although there is no snow yet on the ground, I am still wishing for a white Christmas. The surrounding area is all aglow with lights and moving reindeer. It is beautiful to drive around and see the various displays on neighbors front lawns. One of my favorite displays is on Asbury Road in Dubuque. A farmer has a huge star glowing on his silo. It is breathtaking!
There are many plays, musicals and choirs entertaining tourists at this time of year. The festival of trees event was awesome and the Senior High Choir gave us all a glimpse of the festive spirit. Vendors lined Main Street with delicious food, warm drinks and one-of-a-kind holiday goodies. Buddy the Elf, Frosty the Snowman, Rudolf, and the Grinch also were there! The Dubuque Senior High School Choir performed and the tree lighting ceremony signaled the official start of the 2011 Festival of Trees. It was a great event to participate in.
We have already had a few parties at the lodge. It is always nice to share a meal with friends and family for the holidays. We here at Quiet Walker Lodge hope you have a blessed holiday and a great New Year.

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Linda Rodrigues

Midwest Basket Guild

QWLodge — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 12:39:14 +0000

This Saturday, members of the Quad Cities Guild were treated to an all day weaving workshop by the Midwest Basket Guild. Members enjoyed wine tasting at Quiet Walker Lodge and the beautiful weather! After weaving, the ladies were treated to a tour of the lodge and grounds. I enjoy basket weaving and meeting other weavers. Right now I am working on two willow baskets and planning a trip to the Make it- Take it workshop in Davenport.
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Linda Rodrigues

Summer Time Fun

QWLodge — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 22:15:14 +0000

My latest baskets

This summer I have been busy making baskets. These are three of my new additions and I am learning more techinques to make the baskets personal. The cherokee circles on my bean pot basket were fun to do and I enjoyed the progressive basket where we had one person weave the base, another the sides and the thrird person finished the basket. I was amazed at the ways different weavers applied personal techinques to make unique and fun baskets. Now we are getting ready for the Quad Cities Basket Weaving Guild coming to the lodge to weave the latest basket by teacher Jeanne Dudley. We will be weaving Mom’s Santa Fe Tote and the weavers will be visitng the lodge to weave part of the basket here before moving on to Park Farm Winery. It will be fun to be weaving with all these great weavers from Iowa.

Besides weaving, working in the greenhouses and finishing my flower beds and two songbird garden beds, I have been helping Carol with the innkeeping at the lodge. More and more people are finding us on the net and reserving dates to stay at the lodge. One of the highlights of June was a garden wedding held on a cool summer evening here at the lodge. It was awesome and beautiful to see the bride and groom walk down the rolling hill towards the willow tree to say their vows. After the service, the wedding party and their 50 guests enjoyed dinner, catered by Hy-Vee. It was a great day.

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Linda Rodrigues

Lightening Bugs light up the night

QWLodge — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 21:53:06 +0000

In the warm summer nights here at Quiet Walker Lodge, I enjoy how nature displays her own July 4th fireworks show. The lightening bugs hover above the forest floor and flash thousands of little lights to help them find each other for mating.

Whether you call them lightening bugs or fireflies, these little guys are part of the beetle family called Lampyridae. They have four stages of a life cycle: egg, larva, pupa and adult. The adults live for one to two weeks and feed on nectar, pollen or other insects. Their main focus though is on mating. After mating, the females lay their eggs in tall grass or under mulch. The eggs hatch this summer and the larva live until next summer when they transform into adults.

The light produced by the lightening bug is a cold light meaning that the chemical reaction to produce the light is nearly all light and very little heat. Each species of lightening bug has a distinctive pattern of flashes so that the males and females can recognize their own species by the flashing.

The light show will not last for long so come on out to the lodge and see this spectacular show!

Website: Quiet Walker Lodge Bed and Breakfast

Linda Rodrigues