Back in the Desert

The transition from the lush high country to the dry desert is amazing. One day things are green and turning golden...

 

and the next day the red and ocher sandstone in fantastic shapes decorate the background

They are so different from each other. 

On another note...while we were away our landscaping was finished. It looks like a backyard from Sunset Magazine. We are impressed.

The perfect place for morning coffee after my walk!

Pumpkin Patch

My friend Dottie called this a pumpkin patch..and it is

.

I know more are on the way!

Fall Flame

Fall in our little patch of the Rocky Mountains has been spectacular. The aspens are turning from green to yellow-gold. When aspens are intermixed with conifers, they look like patches of flame amid the green. The effect is eye-dazzling. The vistas of gold and yellow trees on the mountainsides have to be seen as a picture just does not capture the beauty. Given that, I take pictures from a closer perspective. Take a look:

We have had incredible weather...warm, blue skies, and autumn leaves

A cabin nestled in the aspens

The color has been amazing this year

Even the leaves dappling the ground are artfully arrayed. 

Mini-Pumpkins

I've branched out from critters to things...this time mini pumpkins for the fall.

I like them a lot and they are relatively easy to make. As you know, I like to stay busy.

The Herd of Elephants and Other Critters

What do you do when you have Covid and are too tired to do much of anything? I don't know what other folks do, but I crochet. 

My latest pack of pachyderms includes Golly, Jumbolina and now Effy. I finished Effy last night.

 All three have forever homes in such far flung places as Florida, Utah and Guam. 

I still have some piggies too...the next 2 projects are baby blankets. I'll post them when I'm done.

Yep..One More

Meet "Golly" short for Goliath, as he is one of the bigger "little" elephants that I've made

He's a loving fellow with a heart on the tip of his trunk. 

His forever home will be in Salt Lake City as he's a birthday present for a friend.

More Elephants

I'm making nonpartisan elephants...some with their trunks pointing up, some with their trunks pointing down. All are kind of cute. This little girl is named Jumbolina and she's going to live in Florida with my friend who just survived Hurricane Ian. She's a circus elephant, all dressed up in pretty colors.

This little fellow is named Horton...and is sort of noisy like a Dr. Seuss critter should be. 

I wonder if he hears a Who?

Now for a downward pointing trunk...Meet Elspeth the Elephant. 

Do I need to get a life? NO, I'm having fun making critters. Remember I'm still in quarantine...what do you expect?

Quarantine

The camping trip ended...we all hugged each other...and we all came back with Covid! Not so lucky. Along the way, the other DrC caught it too, and another friend...so I'm tracking 5 cases of this weird disease that is no longer a pandemic. All of us have had the same symptoms in the same order to varying degrees of intensity. It has not been fun. The DrsC went to Urgent Care on Monday to get the "official" test, which we passed with flying colors. We were given a multi-page document telling us what to expect and 2 boxes of Paxlovid, one for each of us.

 

Then we were put under home arrest (aka quarantine until Wednesday). Quarantine started from when we first had symptoms on Friday. If we feel well on Wednesday then we can "go out" starting Thursday as long as we wear masks outdoors. So far, the regimen has been helpful. I feel better than the other DrC and he's making progress. 

I must say the directions for Paxlovid are easy to follow. Someone designed the packaging so a very sick person could figure it out. Inside the box are 5 trays, one for each day; each tray is divided in half and there are 2 large blisters-packs on each half to open to get to the pills. The morning half is white and has a sunshine on it. The evening half is pink and has a moon on it. Just follow the easy directions and you are good to go. So far, we have not paid anything for the medication. The box says "For use under Emergency Use Authorization" and I'm not sure what that means. 

We are trying to wrap up our time in the High Country and this has put a crimp into that process. When we get back on track we'll be working hard to winterize the house and get on the road.