'Til we meet again

Well, this has been an historic day hasn't it? John McCain announced that Sara "Baracuda" will be his running mate. Alaska must be so proud of their Governor. As I reflect on this, I realize that I have lived to see a great deal of history in my short life. I remember when the word "God" was added to the Pledge of Allegiance. It wasn't always there. I remember when our first launch into space took place. (Our bus driver had us all sing "God Bless America".) I remember exactly where I was when John F. Kennedy was assassinated. That was about the same time the company I worked for had the first computer. It took up an entire room. The bookkeeping department had a calculator that was so large it was on a table that was wheeled around. I remember my first "transister" radio...what a thrill. I could carry it with me the way people carry IPODS now. So much for reflection. I plan to see a lot more history take place.

As summer will soon give way to fall, the picture is of the creek we camped near this summer and in which the Mr. pans for those few flecks of sparkling gold. The flowers will be gone and the stream icy, and the meadows and valleys covered with snow. We had a wonderful time camping and look forward to next year and more adventures. This will probably be my last post for a while. The movers will be here in a few days and it will no doubt take us a while to get settled enough to be back on line. Keep checking on me though as I WILL BE BACK!
"Happy Trails to You, 'Til We Meet Again!

Clean-up

Remember when you were a kid and were told to clean up your room? I shared a room with two sisters and a brother for a time and then got my own room, such as it was. It was an addition to the back door which included a porch of sorts. Mom did her washing there on an old wringer machine, and our deep freezer was there and we did the separating of milk and cream on that old contraption of a separator. A small room which became my bedroom was there also and the enclosure to the cellar was also part of that addition. Daddy did it all with his own two hands and the house still stands there as it did those many years ago. But since my room was so small, there wasn't much to clean when the time came. However, I remember going through that learning process with my two kiddos. One kept a fairly neat room and I finally learned to close the door on the other. The pile of clothes on the floor was very clearly not "dirty". I was told it was in various stages of cleanliness. I learned!! Anyway, I am cleaning up my folder of photos so the posted pics for a few posts might not be pertinent to the blog. Above is my Chocolate Rudbeckia...depending on the light, sometimes more chocolate than orange. The other photo is of a squirrel the beagle found up a tree and couldn't entice down. Look closely--it really is there! The other clean-up is the one taking place as we pack for our move. When you move every 4 years or so, it would seem that excess baggage would be eliminated. Not so! I swear that I accumulate more junk than anyone. We have sorted, and deliberated about treasures to the point of confusion. As the deadline to be out nears, it has become apparent that our children, when we are gone to the happy hunting ground, will be in charge of the decision to pitch or keep. Until then, we will keep on lugging around our excess baggage and forget about the cleaning up process. It is all in various stages of necessity or cleanliness! Whatever!

Not the Black Dahlia

One of my very favorite movies is the Black Dahlia...the original, not the re-make. The story of the investigation done much later is even better. The man doing the investigation discovers that it was probably his own father, a Dr. who committed the murder. I don't remember names or dates, but if you get a chance do some investigating of your own, check it out. My dahlias are not black, but I am so thrilled with them that I just had to post these pics. The single pink one is nearly 9" across. I am afraid that I won't be able to get to the bulbs before I move, but I am going to give it my best. We have begun the packing process and my feet hurt! We had a visit from my nephew and his wife and little girl yesterday. What a joy that baby was! A real sweetie. They live in Alaska and flew down for his grandfather's 80th birthday. We went to dinner and they left for a road adventure on their way back to Colorado.
This blog is going to suffer I fear until I can get moved and back up on line so if you find me away for a few days after the 1st of the month, hang in there....I will be back. We will miss our neighbors and friends here, but this is just another marvelous adventure and life goes on.

Where the deer and the Moose (?) play

Really it is supposed to be the deer and the antelope play isn't it? I promised the picture of the moose and the mama deer with baby. There were twins, but the other twin was still to the right of these and the other moose was to the left. Click on the picture for a larger image.
When the first hunting permits were issued here several years ago and not that long ago, the moose were just beginning to be sighted here. I remember in early 2000 there were only 5 permits issued and the population has increased significantly although I am not sure of the numbers. Having come from a hunting family and now with Wyoming depending on this income from residents and so many out of state hunters, it has become a way of life here. These are always awesome to see in the wild, but as with 4-H critters who are raised as pets, eventually some of them become part of the food chain. A bitter sweet reality.
I keep finding more pictures in my folder of these lady bug bowling balls. This shows how we secured the antennae with rock hard putty. Then the putty was painted black to match the ball. You may be getting bored but it's my blog!!!
I went to lunch with my dear friend, Ginger today and because we have become cheap in our old age (you're not old Ginger, just me), we decided a few weeks ago to pack a lunch and meet in the park rather than spend money for a lunch we could provide ourselves. It has been very relaxing to picnic by the river and there is no one to overhear our gossip, I mean conversation.
Every day brings about another episode in our home moving process. Today we received more paperwork which we needed to forward on and as each day passes, things look more and more like the end is in sight. The problem is that we haven't started to pack and in the event that it all falls apart near the end (which is when it will happen if it does), I don't want to have to unpack everything. This is the sixth home we have sold and with the current home foreclosure situation nationwide, everyone in the business is taking greater precautions and requiring more information. Of course, this is as it should have been anyway. However, the others home sales were each different so this is just another adventure in life's journey. I do realize that I am getting older each time I make another move which makes the moves a little more difficult.

~We could certainly slow the aging process down if it had to work it's way through Congress. -
Will Rogers

Summer joys

I hope you don't get tired of my flower and garden pictures. Erica posted a picture a few weeks ago of Lulu, her assistant seamstress and as you can see, I also have a very dedicated tailor's assistant. Whatever in the world attracts the feline to the sewing table is beyond me, but every cat that I have belonged to (they pick you) has loved the paper patterns, the fascination of the moving needle and the soft fabric on which to nap. Really, it can be a nuisance and I always fear piercing a paw with the needle. Hojo took this opportunity to take a nap.
We were in Cheyenne yesterday to deliver more paperwork toward the purchase of our house.
We are not getting too excited as we know from experience that it may not take place. We have had the inspection here though so some things are happening. The other picture was taken near North Spring Creek when we were out camping last time is of shooting stars. Mother Nature at her best!! I love summer and am not looking forward to winter.
Centennial Wyoming, a small mountain town as you enter the Snowies, has a wonderful eating establishment known as the Corral. We stopped yesterday evening for a Buffalo burger and onion rings. This was a real treat for the palate. The new proprietors have had the place since December and it was our first stop this summer. Not a mistake!! As we continued along the winding mt. road we happened upon a pair of bull moose and as we were taking snaps, a doe deer and twin fawns entered the little grassy clearing and we were able to get a picture of the doe, one fawn and one bull in the frame. Will post them next and keep you posted on our continuing adventures of home progress.