The Menagerie Grows

Crochet critters are fun to make, so I'm making them. I give one away, I make 2 more...

This little sheep is named Raquelle Azul...which means "blue ewe." 

She's going to be a birthday present. It might be time to learn how to make another critter.

Oops...There's One More

I'm on a roll...it took me 5 hours from start to finish to make this little girl. My friend Sunni named her "Pinky Tuscadero from Grease" but I changed the spelling to Greece...so please meet Pinky Tuscadero from Greece. I don't want to infringe on any copyrights. 

Summer Fawn

The first fawn of the season. This little fawn (less than 18 inches tall) was all by herself. We looked for mama but we never found her. 

I love having a Bambi roam in my backyard.

Along Came Baaaaa-braaa Ann

I'm having too much fun crocheting lambs and creating names for them. 

BTW there's a website for naming sheep...go figure.

Meet Lambie and Ewe-Dora

The crochet menagerie is growing as a new critter is added to the fold.

 

Meet Ewe-dora a dark purple and creamy white lamb ...

...and her cousin Lambie a more traditional black and creamy white sheep.

 These little guys are a bit more complicated to make than the other critters, but worth it as they are so darned cute.

Grand Tetons

While Yellowstone is closed, Grand Teton National Park is open. The scenery, as always, is stunning, and much to my delight, it was not very crowded. This National Park does not get the publicity that Yellowstone gets, yet they are connected. Here are some views from last week.

The view from Schwabacker's Landing

The view from Dornan's by Moose Junction

The view from Signal Mountain

Grand Teton National Park is one of my favorite parks in the US and I'm lucky to leave near it.

Yellowstone

Many of my friends have contacted me to find out if we are OK after the drastic flooding of Yellowstone. I can say, we are OK...but our beloved Yellowstone National Park is not OK. Roads and bridges are washed out. Rivers and waterfalls are at an all time high. Cabins and other structures near the raging rivers have been  washed away. All the entrances to the Park are closed and it looks like the North and Northeast Entrances (Gardiner and Cooke City) will be closed the rest of the summer. All visitors and employees have been or are being evacuated...even people in back country cabins. Gardiner and Cooke City are isolated right now with power problems and lack of food in addition to record flooding. Grand Teton National Park, a few miles from Yellowstone is OK as are the towns surrounding park such as Jackson, West Yellowstone, and Cody. As of this morning, the road damage has not been fully assessed, but it looks like the "Upper Loop" of YNP will be closed for most of the season, while the "Lower Loop" will reopen when the flooding subsides. All of us are saddened by the closure of Yellowstone and our prayers go to everyone who has been affected by his disaster. So far, we have not heard anything about the fate of the animals in the park.

Map courtesy of https://www.yellowstonetreasures.com/yellowstone-treasures-guidebook/maps/yellowstone-national-park-map/

As an aside, my good friend and I were scheduled to visit Yellowstone, today and tomorrow, staying in cabins at Roosevelt and Old Faithful (2 villages in the Park). We had planned this little vacation for several months, but it will not happen. The Park has graciously refunded all reservations. Today we plan to go to the Tetons to inspect what is happening. 

...and then there were more

In the wintertime, I crochet blankets and warm items. In the summertime, I crochet toys. To that end, I've finished 2 teddy bears and 5 piggies. I need to master some other toys. Please meet Tiny Timmy Blue, Harley Hamm, Peggy Piggy and Purple Polly Porker. Hermie Hamm, (not pictured) found a forever home.

A Pair of Piggies

A pair of piggies joined the menagerie tonight. They are named Harley Hamm and Peggy Piggy. I've not made piggies is awhile so I had to go back to the pattern...

turns out I was making them too long in the past. Go figure!

2 New Teddy Bears

Meet Katie and Jazzy, my two newest bears. They are looking for their forever home, 

so if you know of a couple of children who would like them, please let me know. Katie is about 1/2 inch taller than Jazzy, while Jazzy is bright and colorful.

 Both are polite little bears looking for a home. 

Lest We Forget

D-Day, June 6, 1944

Many gave up their freedom yesterday, so we have our freedom today.

It's White Day

It's White Day! A special day in the high country as it's the day when all the berry trees and shrubs in the forest bloom. They only bloom for one day and then it's done. Today is THAT day. Right now, there's a faint white scree over and around the forest as the "understory" and "midstory" are filled with white blossoms.

 It's quite a sight to see all the tiny pure white blossoms.

 

It's uncanny how all the trees blossom on the same day...

....and the blossoms last for a day or two at the most

... Today is June 3, which is late for white day...it's usually before Memorial Day weekend. 

If the trees don't blossom now, it will be too late to bear fruit, and if they...

...blossom too early, the temps will freeze the blossoms from ever blooming and there will not be any fruit. 

The fruit, berries. give the deer added and needed energy in the fall of the year.

 I was afraid we had missed white day, but it came a little late this year.

PS--I discovered these are Service Berries and they are edible...but I'll still let the deer eat them.