A Few Days at Yellowstone and the Tetons

We are blessed to have two National Parks nearby...and I believe they are 2 of the prettiest national parks in the US. The closest is Grand Teton with a boutique range of spectacular mountains, that captured my heart and soul half a century ago

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The Tetons from Schwabacher's Landing are spectacular. You can see a sliver of the Snake River shimmering in the foreground. 

Natural beauty at it's best.

Another view of the mountains from Oxbow Bend...possibly my favorite place in the world. I can gaze at Mt. Moran for hours and feel at peace.

A few short miles from the Tetons is Yellowstone, the first national park in the world. It's impossible to use one word to describe this park as it's too big and filled with amazing wonders. You can look at Old Faithful Geyser one minute and see a 2000 pound bison resting near a mud pot the next. There are geysers and mud pots that spout and smell, as well as an outdoor zoo filled with some of America's iconic animals, lakes and rivers, mountains and streams, all above a huge resting volcano that has not blown it's top for millennia. 

Sunset at Yellowstone Lake is special as it marks the time when some of the large animals make a foray into the meadows for some juicy morsels to munch upon. There's a chance (not guaranteed) to see bear, elk, moose, deer and bison. Sometimes you are lucky and you see all of them, sometimes you see none of them. We saw a mama moose and her twins one evening (but her twins were camera shy).

The elk congregate in the Mammoth area of the park, and they are quite adept at blocking traffic (but bison do it even better)

This big guy was ready for the rut which was about to begin when we were there. 

In a few more days, harems would be formed and bugling would begin. He's resting now.

No trip to Yellowstone is complete until I see Artist Point, in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River. 

Here you can see the rhyolite...or the yellow stone that gives this natural wonder it's name.

If you want to get up early (and it's mandatory if you plan to see critters) you will be entranced by the morning mist on the rivers and lakes.

I'm always amazed at how a tree can grow in a rock...but they do. It's my way of thinking "never give up hope."

Throughout the park, you will see critters big and small--a coyote looking or lunch...

...or a pronghorn enjoying the sage. We saw herds of bison but no bears.

 No matter...any time spent in Yellowstone and the Tetons is amazing and we had an amazing time.

A Few More

A piggy with a flower on her head and a purple plane joined the group tonight. The tiny airplanes are fun to make. 

The other DrC said it looks like there will be a flying circus and I think he may be right.

Watch this spot to see what happens.

The Steam Locomotive Gets Added to the Transportation Collection

Almost finished...a steam locomotive, 2 animal carriages, and a red caboose. The engine has a cow catcher and a puff of steam in the smoke stack. The caboose has observation windows. The two animal carriers hold a pig and a steer. This is not a one night "masterpiece." I've been working on the train for almost a month. I looked at a lot of pictures of crocheted trains, model trains, and real trains, and this is what I came up with. It's going to be a Christmas present for a very special person.

Transportation Collection

Welcome to my transportation collection of toy vehicles. I started with cars

...then I added a pick up truck

...then police cars

...it seemed logical to make an SUV pulling a trailer ...

then an old fashioned steam locomotive

...and last night I created an airplane

More vehicles are on the way. I need to make a boat...and the carriages and a caboose for the train...

there are so many more transportation items to make and so little time...

Tobey the Bison

My friend Sunni asked me to make her a bison. I looked at every picture I could find of crocheted bisons and could not find a pattern. 

Then I looked at pictures of real bison. Based on both, this is my bison, named Tobey

.There is nothing easy in making this critter--The mane, legs (front legs are a different shape from back legs), bump, even the color of the horns were difficult to figure out. Some bisons have black horns, some have yellowish horns, and some have brown horns. I chose to make them light as a brown or black horns faded into the background. All in all, I think Tobey came out well

And the other side...

Tobey will be with me for awhile...but he will go to Yellowstone in September along with Sunni.

We will compare my crocheted bison with the real thing.

Barbie Pink

My latest teddy bear is "Barbie Pink"

Hybrid Humor

In April, we became the owners of a 2023 Ford F-150 Limited hybrid 4x4 truck. We named him Ted*, and he's a honey with more bells and whistles and brains than we can believe. We are familiar with pickup trucks, as we've had several since 1983. Each one has been a bit "smarter" than the last. The current 2023 has a set of lights on the dashboard that tells us how many miles we can drive before the tank is empty. It's a good deal since this is a hybrid truck and we might run out of fuel (which we've been told is a bad thing). 

On Sunday we drove to Jackson Hole, about 50 miles from our home. The dashboard indicated that we had 490 miles til empty, hence we had more than enough fuel for the drive. I drove the 100 miles to and from Jackson and when I returned to our driveway, the dashboard indicated that we had 500 miles til empty. How is that the case? I have NO idea. But I drove 100 miles and I actually had more "fuel" than when I started. I'm guessing the batteries were charged on the drive giving us the extra miles? I don't really know. I find it part of what I'm calling hybrid humor.

*P.S. We name our vehicles, the last two diesel pickup trucks were named Vin Diesel I and II, aka Vinnie for short.

It Happens in the Quakies

I'm fortunate to own a little piece of a larger quaking aspen forest. The locals call the trees "quakies." At 6350 feet above sea level the trees are tall and lush and in their element. In the wintertime, when there's several feet of snow on the ground, the forest is pure white and the quakies are quiet.  In the summertime the quakies sing at the slightest breeze, sounding like a bubbling creek in the far distance. The sound of the quaking trees is as magical as is the rest of the forest. 

In the summertime, the green canopy shades the understory. The understory is filled with wild grasses and flowers. On a good day I see everything from orange Indian Paintbrush to yellow arnica, pink wild rose to purple harebells, spotted orchids to black coneflowers, lavender-blue flax and bachelor buttons, to blue lupines and so many more many more. The understory also hides the birds and deer that find protection in the forest.

In my patch of quakies we have several mule deer families that have hung around for years.  One summer we had twin fawns that were my friends all summer...about a week before we left for the winter, one of the twins was hit by a car and her right back leg was broken. I saw her hobble along with her twin the rest of the time I was in residence and I was sure she would not make it thru the winter. I was wrong...the next summer, she was there with a remodeled and crooked right back leg. The broken leg had healed, leaving her with a limp and strange gait, but she was alive.This summer, five years later, I spotted a limping doe with a crooked right back leg, with a fawn. She's a fighter!

There are many stories in the forest. Summer 2023 started with a sad note. Spring was hard and many of the fawns and yearlings did not survive. The Department of Game and Fish said there was a 90% kill-off of fawns and yearlings. After hearing that, I was not hopeful of seeing many fawns this year, let alone yearlings from the previous year. There were no fawns in May or June and I was sure Game and Fish was right...then in early July a mama deer shows up in the backyard with her twins. We had twin fawns gracing our backyard. Since then, I've been observing the twins daily. They are growing fast, yet they still have their spots. They hop and jump and play and then rest for hours on the soft bark beside my screened-in deck. I can see them but they can't see me...and if I'm quiet on the deck, I can watch their antics.

The other day the twins were laying in a patch of vinca nibbling a few leaves and minding their own business when their mama walks into the yard. From almost asleep to wide awake in mere seconds, the twins jumped up and ran to their mama. The forest was quiet and suddenly I heard a sound I had never heard before and I could not figure out what it was. I quietly moved from my chair to a better vantage point and there was Bambi 1 suckling with great gusto, slurping up delicious milk from mama. Soon he got his fill, and Bambi 2 starts suckling as loud as could be, until he too got his fill ...at which time mama gave him a soft short "kick" indicating she was done, and it was time for the fawns to go away. The twins reluctantly left and mama walked into the forest, where I could not see her anymore. The twins went back to resting on the vinca.

That's the thing, between the dense canopy and the understory, the animals are hidden by the forest within five feet of entering it. Mama was done...her babies were fed and safe...and she could take a rest away from her demanding twins. All is good in the forest. 

There are many stories in the forest, all I have to do is wait for them to unfold.

Common Abbreviations

Do you text? Do you receive texts with abbreviations and you have no idea what they mean? Kim Komando posted the following today. It might help you out.

1. SMH: Shaking my head
2. POV: Point of view
3. TBH: To be honest
4. ASL: Age, sex, location (or "as hell" with the younger crowd)
5. BBL: Brazilian butt lift or be back later
6. HMU: Hit me up
7. NSFW: Not safe for work
8. LMAO: Laughing my @ss off
9. OFC: Of course
10. TTYL: Talk to you later

Choo-Choo

Big Boy, #4014, is a real steam engine...

...and this is my version of an old-fashioned steam engine complete with cowcatcher

I'll make some rail cars and a caboose soon.

County Fair

It's "Fair Week" in the Rockies and "my" kids are at the fair showing their animals. This year they are showing pigs, steers and 1 lamb. 

So far, they've done well with 2 grand champion critters and a few firsts and seconds.

 

My 60 pound girl and her 1500 pound steer...and she managed him well.

The "Grand Champion" Steer in Local Born and Bred Class

Her last year to compete in 4H with her steer "Last Chance" 

The 4H kids work hard during the spring and summer getting their animals ready for fair. On "show day" their animals get a spa treatment. Yesterday I was privy to some of the behind-the-scenes grooming of the steers. The steers are huge, weighing between 1100 and 1500 pounds, and the kids are washing and combing their fur, shining their hooves, and making them look gorgeous.

Why I Don't Paint Many Rocks

Rock painting is a lot of fun...but you have to have basic talent...

What you see is what you get. I should stick to crocheting.

After the Rain

The last 3 days have been rainy. We've not had a huge deluge...just wet ground and an occasional "female rain" that lasts about 10 minutes. 

While the skies are gray, it's not cold, but it is cooler than usual. The plants seem to be enjoying the rain, as their leaves are perky and green.

 

Indian Paintbrush

Aster

Aspen

BTW, the asters started to bloom on July 20. IF the "old wife's tale" is correct, fall will come in 8 weeks or September 14...I'll let you know.

103

Today, I'm remembering the 103rd birthday of my Auntie Ruthie. Sadly, she passed away in January. She was loved by her family and friends and we all miss her. 

We hope you had a happy birthday in heaven.

Happy Birthday To You!

Nonpartisan

This cute little girl is a nonpartisan elephant. How can a critter this loud belong to a political party anyway.

No matter, she's nonpartisan. She was named last night. So please meet  Ms. Spectacular. 

I think she's pretty cute.

Five Fawns

This summer we have not seen many fawns. The winter was hard and we were told the little ones did not  survive. For the past month we've had a set of twin fawns gracing our backyard...but today we had 5. The most fawns I've ever seen in the backyard...and we've lived here over 20 years.

This trio are in the backyard often. Mama watches while the babies play or sleep. 

Another mama, one I've not seen before, showed up with her set of twins, causing some disturbance in the "deer-ly force."

Then this lone fawn showed up and he tried to nurse on our mama...and she was not going to let that happen. 

Based on spots they are all about the same age and I'm wondering where they have been before today? 

Five fawns and two mamas -- a wonderful sight to see.

Two Handy Charts

My friend in Guam sent me these charts from BaBaMail (a paywall website). The first one deals with laundry icons. Have you ever looked at a label sewn in a garment that is covered with icons but no print? Have you tried to decipher the icons? The chart below tells you what the various icons mean.

The second chart deals with the myriad of alert or warning lights on the dashboard in your car. I know what some of the alert lights mean, but the other day a new to me light appeared. After finding the icon in the owner's manual, I discovered that the windshield washer fluid was low. We put in a gallon of fluid and the light went out. Take a look at the 64 alert or warning lights on your dashboard. This chart should come in handy if you drive a car or pickup truck.

Toys

Everyone will want a kitty planter

...or how about an SUV?

They are not electric.

Twins

This year we have not seen many fawns. The winter was harsh and we were told none survived. But...a few did. One of the mama deer that hangs out in our little piece of forest has finally shown us her twin fawns. They are cute!

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On Sunday we caught them lounging (or is it guarding) our front porch. There was no way I was going in the front door.

Yesterday they were cavorting in the backyard. The other DrC was watching them thru the screened porch playing among the trees. Viewing the critters from the screened porch is lovely, but getting a picture of the critters thru the screens is next to impossible...so I ran to the side porch that is not screened and snapped this picture before the disappeared into the forest. You can see how quickly these little guys can disappear into the dense greenery, spots and all...as soon as they head into the forest they are gone from sight within yards.

Goodbye Jeanne

Today my good friend, Jeanne, passed away. When we met about 40 years ago, we "just hit it off."  From then on, we would see each other all the time; have lunch together at least once a week, go shopping, go to Delta Kappa Pi conventions, or talk on the phone. We had a special connection. Last week, I flew to CA to see her and say goodbye. It was a sad trip, and yet it filled me with peace. She would not suffer much longer and that was a good thing. Today her suffering ended and she's in a better place. 

Goodbye Jeanne. 

You made the world a better place and I will miss you

A Trip Down Memory Lane

Fifty-three years ago I taught at Jackson School in Rescue, CA. It was small school district with 2 schools and 14 teachers. I taught in the "new" school which had been finished the year before. The hexagon shaped building was divided into five teaching areas or open classrooms, with a large library in the center. The sixth space actually had walls, and was the teachers' room/supply closet/general purpose room with coffee pot and microwave oven.  I team taught with Paul, Gary, Marion, and Delores. We shared an aide, Buzz. We taught over 100 children in the open space area. It was a challenging and eventful two years.

Last week I went to my old school and discovered there were now seven buildings, an amphitheater and several portables. Jackson School now had over 600 students, and the district had expanded to 6 elementary schools and 2 middle schools. What did not change was the beautiful setting. Yet, all was not heaven. The grassy areas around the school are as patchy as they were in 1970. One morning I was greeted with a rattle snake in the little patch of grass outside my door. Another night, I was working late and a bat flew in the building. Teaching in the country had a few downsides.

I learned all this information from a mom and dad muralist team who were painting the facade of two of the newer buildings. They were surprised that the school was that old.  You can see the amphitheater, not exactly Roman-style, where kids can enjoy an outdoor assembly. 

Trips down memory lane are fun, but you can never go back. Just as the school changed and grew, so did I. That's the way it's supposed to be.

Illusive Bambi

Last night I saw Mama Deer peeking around the corner of the house. I started to talk to her asking if she had her baby with her. She looked at me and I could see a tiny shadow behind her. Ever so slowly, a fawn appeared and quickly went away. I ran to the north window inside our home and that's when I saw this"

Mama has twins! Sorry for the poor picture, but mama and her babies were scampering away into the forest. 

We have twins out there. This is a summer treat.

Tiny. Houses

I've been working on tiny houses for the past few weeks. I've made about 25. I spent one day last week decorating them. 

Now I need to arrange them on "streets" of felt. As it stands now, each street will have about 3 or 4 houses

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They have been fun to make but it's time to move on to another project.

Independence Day #247

Happy Birthday to our Nation...the United States of America!

....and here's my humble homage...a 4th of July tiny village house.

Dear deer

As I sit on the back porch I enjoy the forest and the deer. 

This year we have no fawns.

 The winter was hard and the little ones did not survive...including some yearlings...

even more reason to enjoy the deer that are here.