Still Fall

I just realized that I have not blogged for a long time.  Guess I am spending too much time enjoying life and not missing the computer much.  It is still fall here and I do not even have any new pics to post.  Lots going on this fall though.  Since we got new Iphones, we have been using them for snaps and I have not downloaded any pictures!!!  Gotta get busy! Life has been happening though.  The mister has recovered finally from the hip replacement, and he played in a pool tournament this past weekend.  That is a sign that summer is over.  We have taken many day trips to the forest and the trees have been spectacular this past couple of weeks. I also went south of the border to Colorado with a buddy here for 4 days and we had gorgeous weather, but we also hit a wonderful yard sale in LaPorte, did all of the flea markets on south College, did the French Nest on Saturday when we met a friend from Brighton, and did the Brass Armadillo in Denver on Sunday and met with her son for lunch in Cheyenne on Monday before coming home over the Range.  We came back with some great finds.  I am off to sew with my quilt group this morning and plan to go to Sheridan with a friend for a few days next week.  But now it is time to get the garden finished.  With the early frost a few weeks ago, I had to bring my tomatoes in and they are getting ripe, a few each day.  The carrots still need to be pulled and will do that this week.  My catmint was so large that I had 4 loads in a wheel barrow of stems, or branches?, to haul out to the prairie and had to use a tree branch snipper to cut it all.  I watched the small herd of antelope stop to sniff and eat some of it.  Hope it didn't make them too loopy.  In the pasture next to our property, we have a very large herd of cattle grazing, a small herd of goats and a herd of 8 antelope...all grazing together and as I sit out on the back porch to watch all of this taking place it is no wonder that I don't get to this computer more often.  As fall is in the air, winter follows and I will be forced to be indoors more so I may get back to the blog.

Fall on the horizon

 Fall is on the way!!!  Yes it is!  But a couple of weeks ago we took another marvelous adventure with friends, packed a peanut butter sandwich and headed out to take in some of our high desert beauty.  Look at what we found!  Among the wild flowers and miles and miles of nothing...no vehicles, no homes, no people -  these ancient stones.  So many are perfectly round, some embedded in others.  What ever caused these?

 Here are some of the other formations, all are sandstone, weathered from the wind and at some point, probably water, however this is now a desert with only a few antelope and lots of gas wells.

So on another note, I still have a couple of stepping stones for people to get finished and hope to get that done this week. But I needed more mortar and it apparently only comes in 80 lb bags.  Really? 80 pounds? For a couple of old people, 80 lbs is HEAVY.  Not to mention the fact that we bought a new mattress and foundation so we took the old one upstairs and brought that older one downstairs.  More HEAVY!

Thank goodness for my quilting group.  Really it is a sewing group I guess.  We sew quilt tops...and don't do much actual quilting. I don't think I could handle another winter (which comes after FALL and sometimes skips FALL), without the support of these gals.  As I age, the arthritis kicks butt during the winter months and I have a pretty high tolerance for pain, but winter is long here.  So if the roads are not closed on Mondays, I will survive winter.  My buddy and I are starting a big quilt project and I will start to post these...but we have to get the vegetable garden and the watering system ready as it is supposed to be 28 degrees tomorrow.  FALL? give me a break.  We are skipping fall this year I fear.

More retreat projects

 Taken in the garage, this is probably not the best way to address this project, but we found glass blocks, drilled holes in the back side (Whichever you determine is the back), inserted a small string of Christmas lights and tied a bow on top!  That makes a great night light and can be changed for the holiday or decor you prefer!! And below, three of the banners....the last of 4 banners we started last year.  We did spring, summer and fall previously and now have winter done.

 This is the other project we did. We always like painting projects and this year we did 3 with the angels, banners and wine glasses. These are to be topped with a small metal encased candle and make a great addition to a table during the holidays.

So now we have already begun to collect ideas for next year.  This past Fri and Sat, I participated in a quilt retreat in the small town of Encampment at the historic Opera House.  There were over 30 gals who had signed up for several classes and demonstrations.  Let me say that this was the first for this type of activity and it was a terrific success! It was sponsored by their museum, one of which this community can be extremely proud! I also get to sew and quilt every week on Mondays in their library in Encampment.  Most of these gals come from hardy ranching families and with our great distance from any city, it is a way to socialize and get knowledge about our community.  In addition, we get to joke around and laugh a lot! (very important to laugh a lot) A quilting vendor came from Rock Springs..(150 mi.) and brought lots of fabric and notions and participated in teaching a class, a new technique for me and my understanding is that they want to come back as they sold so much fabric.  School begins soon and that is an indication that our summer is coming to an end.

"Life is far too important a thing ever to talk seriously about." ~ Oscar Wilde

Retreat projects

 I just couldn't resist adding another Mt.Sheep picture as this curious lady above was watching us take pictures of the herd!!  And below, two of the garden angels that we constructed and painted for our yards.  These will either be placed on re-bar in flower beds or hung on a fence.  With aluminum flashing wings, steel wool scrubber hair on wooden pieces from my old bar stools and a tart pan for a hat, they are constructed from scrap 2 X 6's.  We had a great time giving them personalities.

 Another angel sits next to two more stepping stones.  These bunnies also came out terrific!  We did discover that springform cake pans work well for unmolding.  You can see that the angel below has copper wings and the glass block was another project I will post.

Blessed to have such good friends for close to 50 years, we have always gathered periodically for this and other kinds of times together!!

Summer Surprise

Surprise!  This cute baby mountain lamb was not a bit afraid of us as we were able to snap these pictures on Sunday on one of our "Marvelous Adventures".  The day trip was a wonderful break. We have been so busy this summer and have missed our camping trips and getaways.  A hip replacement, family visit, funeral out of town, reunions and last week our annual girl's craft and art retreat took up our summer so far.  But on a trek to find the Water Valley Ranch, a private ranch for corporate and family vacations, we encountered this herd of at least 26 mountain sheep.  What an awesome sight!  They even lay down in the road as we stood and took these pictures.  This is less than 15 miles from our home.

One of the projects we completed, these garden stepping stones made from stained glass pieces (painstakingly cut and ground to fit this winter by yours truly) were a total success.  We found large cake pans this winter at thrift stores and then placed the glass pieces on clear contact paper, sticky side up.  After smearing Vaseline all over the bottom and sides of the pans, we placed the paper down, again sticky side up with the glass firmly placed against the sticky paper.  We mixed and poured mortar over the glass, filling to the pan rim and then left it for 2 days.  Carefully unmolding like cakes, voila!  Stepping stones! We also had 4 other projects which I will continue to post, but the 3 gals stayed with us the entire week and we had a wonderful time!

"Life is a series of surprises, and would not be worth taking or keeping if it were not." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Summer daze

 Did I not tell you I was a little busy this summer? There definitely are NOT enough hours in the summer days and that puts me in a DAZE.  Simply put, I can't get everything done!  The Mr. is still recovering from his hip replacement and is not able to do a lot yet, but is doing great considering all.
So Hildy decided to take a lazy morning nap in Roger's bed which is much too small for her, but she looks pretty comfy in the dog days of summer doesn't she.  And my goodness, that black cat Coalette has become the best hunter!! Even though she is supposed to be an indoor cat, every morning, she goes out and brings back a critter of some sort...we are mainly talking about mice and other small vermin which destroy my plants, carry fleas and ticks and are just a nuisance.  Yesterday she had 3 different animals, but she seems to play with them sometimes and doesn't always harm them.  We have rescued a bird and a chipmunk as she has a very soft mouth and wants to bring her prey inside.  We have a family of chipmunks playing in my berm out front and watching them is a kick.

I am getting ready for our annual chick craft session and although this stone below is over 10 years old and very dirty, it is an example of one of the projects we will be doing, so I have been cutting, grinding and fitting patterns for these stepping stones...one for each of us!

 We have had such a great summer in spite of the surgery, and although we haven't been able to go camping, we did get out for a day to Bennett Peak campground here to check our Geocache and a picnic with friends.  I have also been able to get several plantings from the nursery here...6 different bushes for the blank spot in my back yard and am building a berm for more plantings.  What....? did I say I was not going to garden?  I lied.  Since the Mr. can't do much yet, I dug all of the holes and have planted some chokecherry plants too...hope they survive. 

The majestic eagle always watches my activities and sometimes there are even 3 in the tree.  We also have a herd of goats that have escaped quite often and seem a little curious about what I am doing.  I woke up a few days ago to see them on a neighbors porch. And I have watched the new baby antelope playing and kicking up their heels in the range land just east of us.  So if I am absent for a few days it is the summer Daze and I am probably reading a book and drinking iced tea and waiting for the snow to fly.

Wyoming square

 With the Mr. recovering quite nicely, it's business back to normal ...got these pics a little out of order.  At left, the quilt pattern with a few of the glass pieces cut and ground to fit.  then the grinder showing one piece there to smooth and fit the edges.  Cutting is not always accurate and glass breaks unevenly at times. (lots of times)

 Then below it is foiled and ready for solder.

And here, the finished project which I hope to deliver today. I am hosting a craft retreat in about 3 weeks so I will be working on these projects now so that they instructions and materials will be ready and of course there is the food.  Stay tuned for that.