Quiltmaker and bus driver Cecilia England from Hermiston, OR, meets Lindblad Expeditions on every Columbia/Snake River cruise for the side excursion to thundering Palouse Falls. Today, Cecilia brought her latest quilt in production. It features the state bird and flower of all 50 states. Western meadowlarks sing cheerily into fall on the prairie around the falls, and Cecilia recently told us that six states have meadowlark as their state bird -- Oregon, Kansas, Nebraska, Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming.

We asked how she knew, and our bus driver replied, "My quilt has all the state birds."

So, she brought that quilt, and it was a highlight of the Palouse Falls ride in her yellow school bus.

Cecilia starts at 5:30 a.m. and drives l04 miles (208 round trip) to connect with us in this land of big sky, prairie, rimrock, silence and few denizens other than mule deer, badger, cattle and a scattering of ranchers.

She "retired" to driving for the Umatilla School District with Mid Columbia Bus Company and requested all the special Lindblad assignments to Palouse Falls. This is her eighth year of greeting us at the Zodiac landing for the bus ride to the falls.

All 50 patterns on this quilt, which were handed down from her mother, were hand-painted by Cecilia. The completed quilt will have a blue background, a layering of fleece and a blue backing when it is finally hand-stitched.

Through the fall song of the meadowlark our Cecilia brought us a handiwork of joy at Palouse Falls.