Yellowstone Forever

I spent part of the weekend at Yellowstone National Park...one of the more magical places in the world. Native Americans called the place the "Land of Many Smokes" and they were right. There are many smokes from geysers, fumeroles, mud pots, warm/hot basins and springs, and so much more. Nowadays, while I like to look at the "smokes" I truly enjoy the wildlife. Yellowstone is America's Serengeti. During this visit, I felt like I was on a wildlife safari as the animals were amazing.

First and foremost are the bison. The herd in Yellowstone is large and very healthy. There were hundreds of these huge critters roaming in both the Hayden and Lamar Valleys. Then there are the bear. Grizzly and Black bears call Yellowstone their home. We did not see any black bears but we saw some Grizzly. The Grizzly bears are HUGE and while they look like they are your best friend, you have to remember they are the apex predator in the Park with claws as long as your fingers. 

In the Lamar Valley we saw a herd of pronghorn, which local hunters call "goat." They were resting by a muddy waterhole enjoying the afternoon sunshine. 

At Mammoth, one of several "villages" in Yellowstone, we were greeted by elk. The rut is starting so the male elks are gathering harems. All the elk look beautiful. We were looking for one elk in particular, a huge male named "24" but alas we did not find him. We hard a lone elk bugle in the distance, so we knew the rut had begun. 

We were also lucky enough to see wolves. Wolves were introduced back into the Park in 1995 and for the last 30 years they have thrived. They can now be found in every area of the Park, as well as in Grand Teton Park down the road a piece. The wolves we saw were gorging on a downed bison and were only visible thru a scope...but they were there. Alas, no picture.

Lastly we saw mountain goat. Mountain goat are more illusive than all the other animals put together. We saw a herd, via scope, on a mountain, jumping around as though they were on flat land. I had no idea how any one saw them in the first place because without the scope, they looked like teeny-tiny white dots on the tall, steep hillside. Again, no picture.

I've been visiting Yellowstone for over 50 years. I never get tired of the Park. Not only are there "smokes" and the critters, there are pristine lakes, as well as some wonderful places to sit back and "watch the rocks grow." The nighttime skies are dark, sprinkled with twinkling stars and a brilliant moon. The daytime skies are clear and bluebird blue with puffy clouds. The mountains soar to 11,000 or more feet, while the average elevation of the park is 7800 feet. Yellowstone is large and lovely, yet parts are wild and untamed. If you have a chance, visit this world wonder and enjoy all she has to offer. 

AI vs AI

Out here in the country, AI has a completely different meaning than it does everywhere else. Here, AI has everything to do with cows and calves. In the rest of the world, AI means artificial intelligence. Right now, I'm a bit ticked with the artificial intelligence as it's putting words in my mouth that I don't want there. BUT there is hope. For now, MY intelligence is still intact. I've learned how to turn AI off...at least on Apple devices. 

Find the settings app (that's the app that looks like a bunch of gears). On the search line on the left side of your screen, type in "Apple Intelligence and Siri". A page will appear to the right and at the top of the page there's a button (or lever) that will turn Apple Intelligence off. Click the button from green to gray and AI is OFF. Remember, we're all in this together.

Dolly Dolly

My sister asked if I could make her a Dolly Parton doll. A doll made to look like a specific person is harder to make, than my "generic" doll, so I developed a prototype, filled with mistakes, so when I create the real Dolly doll, she might be more realistic.  

The "usual" doll I crochet is a basic person with legs, body, arms, head and hair. While Dolly has those basic forms, she has a shapely body. First step was figure out how to make a shapely body, then make clothes to fit. 

Jeans were not too difficult, but designing a shirt was another matter. Dolly always wears long-sleeved shirts and I had not planned for that...so I did the next best thing and gave her "cap" sleeves. Designing the hair was not too difficult. The prototype was finished. There's a vague resemblance to Dolly Parton, but now I know what needs to be done when I crochet the "real" Dolly Parton doll. Please tell me what you think?

This is a challenging project. It's been fun trying to figure out how to make all the pieces work together. I'll start on Dolly 2 tonight, based on the lessons I learned from the first one. Kitties and piggies are easier.

Odds and Ends

Part 1: The other DrC has been home about a week. During that time he has left a trail of green tubing throughout the house. I'm glad it's green because I can see it and therefore NOT trip over it. I always know where he is because I can follow his trail. The green tubing brings him much needed oxygen. We saw our doctor on Monday and she said it was time to wean him from the oxygen; so yesterday he spent 4 hours without his green tether and his oxygen levels stayed between 88 and 94. When they started to measure 88, it was time for him to reconnect his tether.  This is good news

Item 2: My deer in the forest are being coy or shy or something. Ever since we had the forest cleared of downed wood and dead trees, the deer have not been showing up. About a week ago, 2 deer showed up--a mama and her 2 year old boy. She grooms him and he lets her...it's fun to watch and something I've not seen before. I've not seen the little fawns BUT, this morning there were 3 adult deer in the backyard and one of the fawns...maybe that means they are no longer "miffed" at me for cleaning their home, and will come back. 

Thing 3: I'm still painting rocks. I find rock painting a lot of fun even if I'm not good at it. I look at Pinterest for ideas but they all require artistic skills. I even searched "rock painting for kids" websites and find I fall short in that category too. Nevertheless, I persist and I am having fun. I see what other folks are doing and I try---I really try---but alas I just cannot make a cat that looks like a cat. I can do hearts, silly  fish, lady bugs and that 3rd grade mountain scene--you know the one with 2 mountains, a sun and some trees. (Second row, rock #4 from the left.) Sometimes the rock tells me what to paint and that's a big help. I have planters filled with painted rocks and they are kind of pretty. I know...it's crazy but too bad. 

Last oddment: I'm still crocheting. This summer I've made a few critters, and a baby blanket, but recently I've been working on hot mats. They are useful and pretty and keep me out of trouble too. If you would like one, let me know and I'll get busy. Notice, I don't make that offer for the rocks. I'm still making dollies.

I called this blogpost "odds and ends" and that's what it is. All the while, I'm nursing my fellow to health.

Deja Vu

Thirteen years ago, our house was covered with clear plastic tubing connected to an oxygen generator, just like it is now. There are differences. Back then the oxygen was for me...this time it's for the other DrC. Last time, the tubing was clear; this time it's green making it easier to see and less of a tripping hazard. Last time the O2 generator was a beast of a machine, very noisy and impossible to move; this time the generator is almost quiet and about half the size of R2D2 and has tiny wheels making it a bit easier to move. It is still a stationary unit that resides in my office as it is not meant to follow you around the house like a good puppy (aka a portable unit). That's why we have green tubing snaking the house. I have a perfect green trail thru the house telling me where he is at all times. You might be wondering why? The reason is the same....the other DrC has pneumonia. There is a difference too...I had very bad pneumonia, where his was caught early before it got a firm foothold in his lungs. This is a good thing! 

He spent one night in local our hospital where they filled him with the latest IV anti-pneumonia drugs and then sent him home. That one day did the trick. When I had the malady, I had a 3 day hospital stay and a few months on O2. He will spend about 2-3 weeks on oxygen. The moral of the story: Pneumonia is no joke so catch it early before it gets worse.

Sadly, I have had to cancel some company, but there's no way I can play nurse and entertain. I hope we can make it up to our guests in the near future. 

Pneumonia is not a walk in the park. Maybe the other DrC has a milder case than I had because we have taken pneumonia shots. Maybe his is milder because we had seen the disease before and we knew what to do. Whatever the case, don't linger with pneumonia. One of the nurses at the hospital said she had it when she was 35 and since she was a nurse she thought it was a normal cold...until it was much worse than a normal cold...turns out by "waiting" she ended up damaging her young heart. Pneumonia is real. If you have abnormal coughing or feel shortness of breath see your doctor. See your doctor NOW. Pneumonia is a dangerous disease. The other DrC will be perking along close to normal in a couple of weeks...until then I'm his nurse. Wish me luck. I told him if he becomes needy or demanding I will run away. (Hahaha) He told he would be a good patient. 

They Are Back

Every two or three years we have the forest cleared out. A company comes in and cuts down the old, sick trees that need to come down; takes out the fallen trees and clears the deadwood. It's a necessary fire prevention routine. Since our last house survived a wildfire, we are super cautious. 

While it's an important thing to do...it scares the deer and they scamper away. We've not seen a deer in the backyard in two weeks. Today the deer returned. YAY. We had a 2 year old male and his mama lounging in the backyard enjoying the quiet. I've not seen the fawns yet, but if mama is there...the babies will not be far behind. The foresters are out of their forest and the deer finally felt safe enough to return. I'm a happy camper.

This young male has 4 points right now...his antlers will continue to grow. It was interesting to see his mama grooming him...something you don't see too often.