Outtamyway

How about this for a grille statement? We saw this today on a pickup truck in Jackson. I've never seen an after-market grille with such a macabre look. Needless to say, I quickly snapped the picture and left before the owner came out of the store. I truly did not want to meet the critter.

Spring Time in the Rockies

In California it is early summer. The weather is hot. The green grasses have changed to gold. The wildflowers stopped blooming a month ago. Of course there's no water. 

Here in the Rockies it's a different story. It's been raining since we arrived nine days ago. The grasses are green, the wildflowers are thinking about blooming, and the robins are making nests.

We normally have 4 or 5 robin nests each spring, but they are usually high on the house. I never get a chance to see the pretty blue eggs. This time, Mama Robin made her nest in a low Alberta Spruce right off my back porch. I've yet to get a picture of her on the nest, but today I did get a picture of her upcoming family. It will be interesting to watch the chicks grow.

Hats Off

I looked at my new crochet pattern book and became overwhelmed at all the possibilities. So....I made a cap out of leftovers. I think this is called "avoidance behavior."

Number Fourteen

I just finished my 14th blanket for the year. It's a minty/white creation with stripes and diamonds. 

It's a new pattern for me...I'm trying to branch out a little this year. The next blanket might be very exotic as my Project Linus contact person sent me a crochet book titled Mosaic Magic--Afghans Made Easy by Lily M. Chin (published by Oxmoor House, 1999).

It has some very interesting patterns that I'm going to try. The patterns are pretty complex too, so I hope I have the skills. Watch this space to see what happens. 

The Tetons

Today we saw the Tetons for the first time this year. Since it was cloudy, we only the bottoms of the mountains...they are still pretty! When the weather clears up, we will see how much snow is on them.

For Californians

This is a public announcement for those of you who have forgotten what rain looks like. This is a puddle. A puddle develops when rain falls and collects in a low spot or depression on the ground. Puddles are made up of hundreds of drops of water. The water is coming from clouds in the sky. 

We are trying to send "move to CA" vibes to the rain clouds, but I have a sneaking suspicion that it's not working.

Fill 'er Up

Is this the next filling station? It can't be called a "gas station" as there's no gasoline. It's not really a pit stop, as there's no pit. There's definitely no service here, so it's not a service station. What is it called? Tesla calls their stations "super chargers." The Chevy Volt however does not have a network of free super chargers, so they rely on the open market. 

While I think electric cars are interesting, there's no short cut method to refill them with power. Tesla has many free filling stations on US highways where the company recommends you wait 30 minutes for 1/2 a "charge." So, does it take 60 minutes for a fill up? I see how the engine reduces emissions but does it really save energy? I think it trades one source for another, but of course that's never mentioned in the promos for this type of vehicle. 

BTW, each electric car has a different type of plug. The plug determines how quickly or slowly the power is transferred to the car. Therefore one needs to have a variety of adapters to fit the charging station. One day it will become easier. 

On the Road Again

If you should see this combination rolling down the road, honk!

One more trip. I wonder how many we have made with this truck and fiver?

Lake Oroville

Yesterday we drove past Lake Oroville which is a major reservoir for southern California only to find it  low. 

To give a comparison view...this picture was taken May 16, 2014 from a very similar location. It's a bit lower than last year. CA is definitely in need of rain. 

Update on Method

I have learned from one of my blog readers that Method products are available at Target Stores too. And based on my recommendation, she bought the All Purpose Cleaner. 

Baker's Dozen

Twelve little bunnies lined up in four rows is my latest blanket. As you know, I make a lot of 

Teddy Bear blankets, but this is my first bunny blanket. My friend Jeanne saw it today before it was finished and asked for it. I know it will be going to a good home. 

                        

Here's some detail...the pink bunnies face left and the varigated bunnies face right. I found the pattern  online, but please be advised-- do not use it. It's just wrong. 

If you know of someone who would like a bunny blanket, let me know. I'd love to make another one. 

51 and Still Rolling Down the Road!

You know how much I like old cars...this is a 1964 Beetle. She's been restored to more than she was in 1964. She has a 2 tone paint job, chrome eyelids, chrome wind deflectors on the windows and a funky bright green bug deflector on the hood. (You have to wonder if that even works?!)

If you look closely she's been carefully pinstriped too.  With white sidewall tires, mud flaps and a roof mounted luggage carrier, she's ready to go -- but remember she has only 36 horsepower. 

It's a Bear

I was visiting a friend in the mountains today when her "resident" black bear strolled onto her property. 

This bear knew exactly what to do. He walked past the little green table and sat down on the patio where the COB was, and he proceeded to his fill.

He then scratched his face

And sauntered away. 

I only wish my pictures were better but I had to take them thru a window. Nevertheless, it's always interesting to see a bear. 

Two Household Cleaners of Note

I don't believe I've recommended a product before, but I believe in these 2 cleaners so much, I'm taking a risk and making a recommendation. The two cleaners are made by The Method Company and they are Method All-Purpose Natural Surface Cleaner and Method Power Foam Dish Soap

Method All-Purpose Cleaner was recommended by one of our favorite cooking shows: America's Test Kitchen. They tested many household cleaners and determined that Method was the best. Given that recommendation, we tried to find the product and couldn't. No local stores carried the product and it was not available online. After a year of searching for Method, we finally found it in our little store in WY. Guess what? It was wonderful. We went back to the store and  bought several bottles and we were good to go. 

I have used the All-Purpose cleaner for over a year now, and I'm very impressed with it. It cleans and degreases surfaces better than any cleaner I've tried in the past. It's non-toxic, green, biodegradeable, and effective! It smells good too...it's hard to ask for more.

The other day I went to our local Ace Hardware store, and found several products made by the Method company. Since the All-Purpose Cleaner is so good, I decided to give the Power Foam Dish Soap a try. It claims to be a degreaser...and it is. In fact it's better than Dawn, which was my previous degreasing dish detergent. Even better, I spray it on my glass-topped range, let it soak a for a few seconds, then after a light scrubbing, the grease and spots disappear! I'm a happy camper. 

I'm very pleased that Ace Hardware stores carry a pretty complete line of Method products. In addition, the products are now available from a company website at http://methodhome.com and Amazon.

If you are looking for a good cleaner, that is non-toxic, plant-based, biodegradeable and WORKS, try Method. I hope you like these product as much as I do.

An Even Dozen

I just completed the twelfth blanket of the year. 

As you can see, it's not my typical zigzag pattern, but striped. To soften the design some, I crocheted a scalloped edging around the blanket. While stripes are nice, they are a bit stark. The next blanket with have bunnies on it...it will be done soon. Keep watching this space.

Given my schedule and away time for travel, it's taking about 10 days (on the average) to make a blanket. 

Happy Mother"s Day

Mother love comes in many varieties and these elephants say it as well as any one else. My friend Dottie, in Guam, made this lovely mommy and baby for me and it arrived the day before Mother's Day. The timing is perfect. Thank you Dottie. I love these little creatures and the message they embody. Stick with your mom...she loves you forever and ever!

Numero Once aka Number Eleven

I just finished a "stash-buster" blanket. For those who are new to crocheting or knitting, a stash-buster blanket uses left-over yarn. For this blanket I tried to follow the color wheel, so each color is followed by a color that should follow it on the color whieel. It was fun to figure out which color from my stash would be next. 

i don't know if this blanket is appropriate for a girl or a boy...but it has pink in it, and that generally makes it off-limits for boys. Stash-buster blankets are one of a kind creations. I doubt I will ever have this mix of remnants again.

Two Acronyms

At the meeting I learned 2 new words...YOLO and FAIL. YOLO has been around for awhile but it was off my radar screen. FAIL is just a little ditty to bring about encouragement.

What do they mean? YOLO stands for You Only Live Once..therefore do all that you can while you can. Come to find out I'm a firm believer in YOLO. Ask me about my travel schedule and its YOLO with adventure. We just booked a Swiss Train vacation that's sounds pretty exciting.

FAIL can stand for "first attempt in learning" and can be used to encourage kids to keep on trying. Edison failed over 100 times before he made a lightbulb that worked. Many other inventors have failed scores of time before reaching success. So following that logic, kids can fail several times in their attempts to learn a concept or solve a problem, but as long as they pick themselves up and start again, it's a learning experience telling them what does not work...and they should start trying again! 

Hello from San Francisco

I'm spending the weekend in San Francisco at a Delta Kappa Gamma conference. It's a sunny day! (Not all that common on SF.) There are hundreds of teachers here enjoying the camaraderie of friends and colleagues, while going to sessions or enjoying the City. 

As for me...My first agenda item this morning is at 11:30, so it's off to the hot tub for some therapy, as I threw out my back this past week.