Side Trips

THINK ABOUT IT

2012-01-31T19:59:00.000-07:00

I don't know about where you live but where we are, when we go to eat

at a fast food restaurant, usually the soft drink is self serve with

no limit on refills. They just hand you a disposable drinking glass when you pay

and you help yourself to ice and your preference of refreshing beverage from the machine.

They give you a choice on the size of drink. Small is around $1.50. Medium

runs around $1.80 and a large is usually a little over $2.00.

My question is: if there are unlimited refills and you're staying there to eat,
why would you pay for a large?

Liebster Blog Award, originated in Germany. Liebster means dearest or beloved.

2012-01-30T05:30:00.000-07:00

Almost a month ago Button of "Button's Thoughts" was kind enough to pass along this award to my blog. Buttons' is one of my very favorite places to visit. Although we've never met, (we don't even live in the same country) we seem to be family. She and her Hero are full time farmers. She puts in long hours beside her man caring for their land and animals. She hikes through the woods and fields near her home in Ontario, Canada and posts photos of the beauty there. It is sometimes a raw life but she lives it well. Thanks, Button for the award.

"This award is for blogs with fewer than two hundred followers. It is for bloggers that put their heart and souls into their blog and have not yet been discovered. I'll pass this one along so others can see these wonderful blogs. This is very hard as some of you have already received it before and there are just so many wonderful blogs out there."

THE RULES!

1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.
2. Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.
4. Have faith that your followers will spread the love to other bloggers.
5. And most of all - have fun!

I know passing on awards can be time consuming and sometimes a hassle but I want to share with my readers some bloggers who have made me laugh, educated me, and often made my day. So, nominees, consider yourselves awarded whether you pass it on or not. Here are my choices to receive this award.

1. Small Works in Wool Susan is another one I would choose as a sister. She creates unique and amazing works of art in wool and sells them in galleries and shows. Her drawings are clever and enlightening and so is her writing. I'm a proud owner of one of her prints and a copy of her latest poetry book.

2. Circles of Rain Sarah lives in London not far from the venue for the 2012 Summer Olympics. She posts about her life as a teacher of amazing youngsters and her travels about England and other places. She is also very artistic and has beautiful cat companions.

3. Textilosophy Pam lives in Adelaide, South Australia where she also works in teaching and is very clever and creative. She works mostly in textiles but also posts her photography which she often enhances with special effects. Not only do I enjoy her writing but I like learning about Australia and enjoying reading about the opposites in weather in the Southern Hemisphere.

4. Just~One~Life Dawn lives in Alberta, Canada. Her writing has a contagious love for life. She is a runner and a triathlete who spends as much time in the outdoors as possible. Her photography of her home in the Canadian Rockies just blows me away.

5. Carrie On Carrying On Is another Canadian who has a hilarious and quirky view on life. She is also a published author and illustrator plus a straight man for an energetic young lady named Roz.

So to these five friends, consider yourselves awarded. To all my other friends not on the list, I only left you out because I'm way over time here. I highly recommend any and all on my Bloglist on my sidebar.

Isn't blogging just the best way to make friends and learn about the world?!!

HOMETOWN HEADLINES

2012-01-28T15:08:00.000-07:00

The "city" a few minutes north of here is considering chickens.

Our "city" already has considered chickens and decided long ago

they were pets as long as a minimum of 5 are kept and are not

permitted to run at large.

Lack of snow has put our big Snowfest back in the freezer.

But that's okay. The snow plows can be put to use

pushing spilled, and therefore mashed, potatoes off the highway.

IMAGINATION SETS IN

2012-01-26T13:12:00.001-07:00

I’ve set a goal for myself to do more drawing and also to

become more familiar with my watercolor pencils,

since they are very portable and useful in sketching situations.

Using this book by Bert Dodson as a guideline

I’ve done some pencil and pen sketches.

The author encourages stretching the truth.

Making the familiar strange invites

the viewer to see things in a new way.

Since I'm more of an illustrator than and artist;

I’ve put together a series to dramatize a song written in 1970

by a father for his young son.

I’ve put my own twist on it, but then,

that’s what imagination is all about.

Wikipedia says, “The song's lyrics, filled with colorful, dream-like imagery,

led some to believe that the song was about drugs.”

The article continues--the author “has stated in interviews

that the song was actually written for his then three-year old son, Josh.”

Can you name that tune?

THIN ICE

2012-01-24T18:40:00.000-07:00

The days are getting colder. Yes.

Bugs are dying by the truckload!

Ha ha ha! Good riddance to ‘em all! -

Calvin and Hobbes

No one can look at a pine tree in winter

without knowing that spring will come again in due time.

Frank Bolles

I like these cold, gray winter days. Days like these let you savor a bad mood.

Calvin and Hobbes

The snow doesn't give a soft white damn whom it touches.

E. E. Cummings

Nature chose for a tool, not the earthquake or lightning to rend and split asunder,

not the stormy torrent or eroding rain, but the tender snow-flowers

noiselessly falling through unnumbered centuries.

John Muir

The problem with winter sports is that

– follow me closely here –

they generally take place in winter.

Dave Barry

I used to be Snow White, but I drifted.

Mae West

I must say, the stinging snow makes your cheeks look positively radiant.

Calvin and Hobbes

I should be doing my homework now.

But the way I see it, playing in the snow is a lot more important.

Out here I'm learning skills that I can apply throughout the rest of my life

- procrastinating and rationalizing.

Calvin and Hobbes

ZOMBIES CAN DANCE

2012-01-23T09:12:00.000-07:00

When I went for a walk early this morning there was a thin layer

of snow just covering the icy streets. The sand trucks were out

putting down a layer of grit to add traction to the intersections.

Walking is really tricky in these conditions.

You never know when you're going to take a step and suddenly go flying.

Even the neighbor's cat was walking carefully.

The campus zombies on their way to class looked like they were dancing on marbles.

I would have laughed at them but I was too busy trying to keep my own feet under me.

I made it home safely unless you count the two steps I took through the ice

in a gutter which resulted in cold wet feet.

Maybe the zombies were just doing a snow dance.

THE DIRT ON OUR WEATHER

2012-01-20T09:58:00.003-07:00

The swing in our yard winter 2006

Winter 2008

Winter 2010

Last Tuesday this headline warned us to brace for a "massive amount of snow."

We've had NONE so far this winter.

WRONG. This is today, January 20, 2012. Snow fell in the highlands and mountains.

All we got was wind. So much wind the traffic on Interstate 15 was dealing with

low-to-no visibility from blowing dust.

The newspaper still has high hopes.

I think the snow got left behind in Oregon and Washington.

THE WORDS OF THE PROPHETS ARE WRITTEN ON THE SUBWAY WALLS

2012-01-17T17:16:00.000-07:00

Just random stuff I’ve collected from the web,

from friends and from that Weirdo living in my head.

Valuable strategy for organizers, directors, people in charge, spouses—

“Listen, smile, agree, and then do whatever the heck

you were gonna do anyway.

If caught, pretend you didn’t know

whatever you were doing was against the rules.” GB

Don’t you just hate leaving the house looking good (for once)

and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day.

It is difficult to differentiate between hunger and boredom.

Makeup can make you pretty on the outside.

But it doesn’t help if you’re ugly on inside (unless you eat the makeup).

There is just no good way to fold a fitted sheet.

Cats have poltergeist radar.

Some days you’re the pigeon and some days you’re the statue.

If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

Google Maps needs an "Avoid Scary Neighborhood" option.

I can look at my watch three times and still not know what time it is.

How come I can’t find my keys in my pocket or my cell phone in my purse

but I can find and hit the snooze button in the dark at three feet away, eyes closed?

EARTH SHAKING NEWS

2012-01-16T13:18:00.000-07:00

What do

James Earl Jones,

Benjamin Franklin,

Eartha Kitt,

Shari Lewis,

Pope Pius V,

Vidal Sassoon,

Anton Chekov,

Betty White,

Muhammad Ali,

and Al Capone

have in common?

They were all born on the same day.

January seventeenth; same as

…this baby.

On that day in history...

1775

Nine old women were burnt as witches

for causing a bad harvest in Kalisk, Poland

1861

The flush toilet was patented by Mr. Thomas Crapper

1969

The Beatles released the Yellow Submarine album in the

U.K.

1971

Super Bowl V--Baltimore Colts 16—Dallas Cowboys 13

1976

“I Write the Songs” by Barry Manilow hits #1

1982

“Cold Sunday” in U.S. temperatures fall to their lowest levels

in over 100 years in numerous cities

1991

Operation Desert Storm begins

1994

6.6 Earthquake in L.A.

kills 60 and causes $30 billion in damage

1995

7.2 Kobe, Japan Earthquake

(the 2010 Haiti Earthquake magnitude 7 happened on January 12)

2011

It was the best birthday present ever—

Ten days on the Caribbean. THANKS! Dear Hubby

Do you think we are due for another monster earthquake?

PISCATORIAL WATERCOLORS

2012-01-13T13:22:00.000-07:00

While the guys fish and freeze their fingers I stay inside where it's warm and...

...draw pictures of fish.

Trout to be specific

I use photos of the ones the guys catch for reference.

When I get a good idea of what I want to do,

I paint watercolors. This one is "Cutthroat trout."

"Brown Trout"

"Rainbow Trout" (sold)

All images are 8x10 inch originals and are available along with many other

landscapes and wildlife paintings from my Etsy Site, "Watercolors by Leenie."

Click on the red logo box upper left of this blog.

SCAVENGER HUNT

2012-01-10T18:46:00.000-07:00

My blog friend,Susan, challenged her readers to go on a scavenger hunt with her. The following are her words in italics with my submissions following:

The "Art" of the world around us, naturally occurring and only waiting to be discovered . . . I think taking a moment to have a relationship with 7 items of beauty is a good start. I'll take notes and bring you back my findings next week.

(I really hope some of you might share yours as well...?)

So -- here's my challenge to you, Dear Reader --

I want you to find:

1. A beautiful line

(could be the curl of a wisp of smoke, the curve of a lover's smile, or the silhouette of a tree-branch against a January sky, for instance)

Winter ice crystals

2. A beautiful sound

(maybe a laugh, a symphony, birdsong, or something you've never heard before)

JDB’s giggle

3. A beautiful color
(even winter gray can be lovely, when adequately savored)

Flicker helping herself to left-over plums

4. A beautiful turn-of-phrase

(pay attention to the dance of words for a change, and notice the ones that create an immediate spark when they brush up against one another)

19 Hast thou given the horse strength? hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?

20 Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? the glory of his nostrils is terrible.

21 He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength: he goeth on to meet the armed men.

22 He mocketh at fear, and is not affrighted; neither turneth he back from the sword.

23 The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield.

24 He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage: neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet.

25 He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting. Job 39:19-25 KJV

5. A beautiful thought
(think one yourself, or look and listen -- people have them all the time)

Age is not determined by the passing of years, but by our reactions to new ideas—our resistance to change. People grow old through their encasement in the past—not in their hopes for the future. Years may wrinkle the skin; but to give up faith, courage, ambition, enthusiasm for the future, and the spark of continuing growth wrinkles the soul.

The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely, or unhappy is to go outside somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy amidst the simple beauty of nature. As long as this exists, and it certainly always will, I know that then there will always be comfort for every sorrow, whatever the circumstances may be. Anne Frank

6. A beautiful movement

(particularly expressive of grace, or energy, or emotion)

7. A beautiful moment

(the kind that makes you want to hit "pause" or perhaps even "rewind")

Son, Bobert, and his wife finishing the Logan to Jackson bicycle race. Two hundred and six miles, three states, one day.

Finding and listing these seven items of beauty was a challenge but not in the way I expected. The difficulty was narrowing my list down to one entry in each category. Thanks, Susan, for the reminder that beauty exists in abundance.

THE EAGLE HAS LANDED...and LEFT WITH FISH

2012-01-08T21:58:00.000-07:00

These are videos DH and sons took of

Charley the Eagle teaching them how to share

the fish they caught ice fishing.

(You can biggify the video by clicking on the little icon

in the lower right corner of the screen

if it is available on your computer.)

Of course when I went along

(see previous post below)

they didn't catch any fish they wanted to

share with Charley...

even though he waited around all day for them.

EAGLE ICE

2012-01-07T13:09:00.000-07:00

Last October I tagged along with the family fishermen as official photographer. I finally determined to accompany them again mostly because I wanted to take photos of their friend Charley the Eagle. See the guys' photos of him coming in to grab a fish here.

For some reason the fishermen swear fishing is best
just as the sun rises over this piece of Siberia in Montana.

First order of business is drilling holes through three feet of solid lake.

Then while I gawk in wonder at the fearsome beauty of the place…

Beavis, DH and their friend, Kent, set up to bag that trophy trout.

Then the excitement begins. Wow.

Okay, I admit another reason I went along was to try out

the snowshoes I purchased at a super price on Ebay.

I wandered around and saw lots and lots of coyote tracks...

Fantastic ice formations…

And wait! Who is sitting over on that pole waiting for his free breakfast?

Charlie! Hot Dang! Don’t go anywhere big guy.

I’m coming to take your closeup!

You can tell he was thrilled to see me.

So much so that when I got within getting a good photo,

he dropped his payload…

…and flew away in a blur. Nuts!

Meanwhile, back at excitement city, something was happening.

DH had hooked a fish and Beavis was ready with the gaff to bring it in.

(Secretly I hoped it was a trash fish that they would toss out for Charley to eat).

It was a big beautiful rainbow trout.

Smile!

That was about the only action for a long, cold time.

So Beavis gathered up gear and moved to a more promising spot far away.

He phoned me when he got a fish on the line. So I followed.

But Wait! There’s Charley over there on a fence post.

Don’t move. I’m coming as fast as these snowshoes will go.

Drat!

Beavis did indeed have a very fine fish.

But not one he was willing to feed the eagle.

Alas it wasn’t a day to catch many fish of any kind.

So I had to be content with my few blurry photos of a bald eagle

and plenty of astounding scenery.

Even though I tried to keep moving to keep my body temperature up, I still started to freeze solid. Although; my fancy glove liners and these hand warmers which gave off heat through some kind of chemical reaction, made it possible for me to take photos even in those arctic conditions.

Conclusion: Ice fishermen are insane but I do love the flavor of fresh trout.

PARTYING WITH THE DAHLIES

2012-01-03T16:05:00.000-07:00

WHAT DO I NEED TO CHANGE?

2012-01-02T15:30:00.001-07:00

For the past few years I’ve made a point of NOT making any New Year’s resolutions. It’s worked pretty well for me; no pressure no guilt, shame, no self-reproach. If I manage to discontinue some stupid habit, at least for a little while, or accomplish something out of the ordinary I pat myself on the back and go on about my routine.

Then I happened to be in a place to hear a good friend lecture on goals and self improvement and how a plan not written down is just a wish and blah, blah, blah….

So in a moment of weakness I wrote down five things I think I can accomplish in the near future. I even make a little chart in pencil on graph paper. NO computer file to come to light at some embarrassing moment, NO indelible ink so I can’t change my mind (I’ve already got out the eraser twice).

It is the afternoon of January second and I’ve kept three promises to myself, slacked on one and have another to go. I’ve also realized this is a leap year. That means there are 366 days in 2012. It’s going to be a LONG year.

January second ’12. One two. One two.

(thanks to Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes for the cartoon)

CHOCOLATE IS GOOOD FOR YOU!

2011-12-31T11:49:00.001-07:00

Any time I can find a study that tells me chocolate is healthy food I love it. According to scientists at Cornell University and Seoul National University cocoa has nearly double the antioxidants of red wine and four to five times more than tea. Bring on the hot chocolate!! Below is a recipe for Mexican Spiced Hot Cocoa that I love. You can tell I like it by how wrinkled the paper is from use.

To make it even more fun we received a Back to Basics Cocoa Latte machine. We just pour in the milk and while the machine stirs and heats, I add the cocoa and other ingredients. When the beverage is ready I just plop my cup under the spout and out comes hot n' foamy--yuumy.

CHEERS to the New Year and no designated driver needed.

HAPPY 2012!!

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR

2011-12-29T13:54:00.000-07:00

Not too long ago I commented on someone’s blog that what we need in Idaho are shorter winters. Normally our weather during the last week of December…

…looks like this. Snow dumping on us like a thick, cold, wet blanket;

forcing us outside to get our morning exercise like it or not.

We invest in snow throwers, snow shovels, snow tires,

snow suits, snow mobiles, snow boards, snow skis, etc.

We roll with it, drive in it, enjoy it, even revel in the white stuff that will eventually fill our lakes and rivers with water. Okay, after a few weeks of those drifts on the road we start checking the calendar for June when we might see green grass again.

Not this year. What the heck?

We’ve got NO SNOW and record-breaking warmness.

Is this weird weather the warming of the planet which, according to the Mayan calendar, will result in total destruction in 2012? Is it all that sludge China is blasting into their air, heating up temps all the way over on this side of the Pacific? Has Russia finally found a way to control weather and is sending drought to the

United States

Personally I think some Canadians up in Alberta finally realized all the arctic air was escaping from their hockey rink and closed the door.

AWESOME--in a very scary way

2011-12-27T19:19:00.000-07:00

I’ll admit it. I’m easily distracted. The part of my brain that’s supposed to focus and keep lists was probably trashed when I fell on my head while trying to walk along the roof of the machine shop when I was seven. Or the time I fell in the unfinished basement when I was twelve, or when I fell off the horse…anyway I’ll blame it on one of those.

I like to think I’m creative, not a dufus, but a lot of others seem to have different opinions. I’ll confess I’ve gotten so caught up in studying light and shades of color in clouds that I’ve nearly driven into a ditch. I can become so fascinated by a pattern on a person’s shirt that I will zone out entirely on what they’re saying.

On Christmas day our family was preparing for a big dinner. We were waiting for a few guests who would arrive any minute. New gifts pulled everyone into the living room while I finished up and then went to my computer to, you know, check on things. I could smell a smoldering smell and blamed it on spillage from the turkey in the oven. Then it slowly dawned on me that I’d already taken the turkey out of the oven.

I said one of those words I shouldn’t say and ran to the kitchen. Black smoke was rolling across the ceiling. At that moment the fire alarm went off and everyone came to see me pull a small pan of chopped walnuts out from under the broiler. I’d set them there to “toast” before using them as topping on a dessert. Now they were ablaze and on their way to becoming charcoal.

I grabbed hot pads and carried the pan to the door like a waiter bringing a flaming dessert to diners at a fine restaurant. The outside breezes snuffed out the fire. I set the pan and its charred contents beside the barbecue grill and returned to the scene of the inferno.

Everyone opened windows and turned on fans to chase out the smoke just as the final visitors arrived. No one was harmed in the making of this disaster. The hot pads are toast—literally. The pan is probably beyond salvage. Now the smoky smell has somewhat cleared out of the kitchen I can set the oven to self-clean--and stink it up again.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

2011-12-25T07:14:00.000-07:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2011

To all my Bloggy Friends

Hope you got something super cool.

GOOD DAY FOR A HANGIN'

2011-12-23T16:19:00.001-07:00

When the last cutting of hay was stacked and the wheat was safely stored in the granaries; the next order of business was securing the property against an onslaught of pheasant hunters.

The area where my childhood farm home was located, Dietrich, Idaho, was on the map for a good place to find and shoot wild pheasants. Earnest Hemingway was mostly to blame.

To quote one of his friends, a rancher named Bud Purdy,

“Hemingway stayed with his girlfriend, writer and journalist Martha Gellhorn, in Suite 206 of the Sun Valley Lodge, which he soon dubbed “Glamour House.” Hemingway worked diligently on “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” and soon became enamored with duck hunting at Silver Creek, near Picabo, and pheasant hunting at points south, near Shoshone, Dietrich and Gooding.”

Pheasant hunters actually did farmers a favor by thinning out the flocks of hungry birds that could do a great deal of damage to a new grain crop. But there were always a few inconsiderate guys who left gates open, wrecked fences and often shot cattle in their eagerness to blow a bird out of the sky.

Californians (who had more gear than brains) and their big idiot dogs, seemed to be the worst offenders. They could be seen driving their vehicles with the black and yellow license plates slowly by stubble fields looking for game. They’d jump from their automobiles and charge through the fences to be the first to bag a bird.

Neighbors and friends who came to the door and asked permission were usually allowed to hunt on our property. They were given information on the best places to hunt and told where the cows were grazing so they could watch out for them.

My brother and I were given the job of making the “No Hunting” signs. We used scrap lumber and old paint to label our fields off limits. This was probably one of my first lessons in the importance of planning ahead when doing a lettering job. I discovered the word “hunting” was too long when painted in all caps on a square board. The sign ended up reading, YOU NO HUNT. On another one I ran out of room and stuck on an apostrophe instead of the letter G. It read, NO HUNTIN’.

We had several big fields a couple of miles from our house. Hunters seemed to think they could get away with shooting pheasants there even when it was posted.

Mom came up with a great way to get their attention. We made a scarecrow dummy out of old clothes and straw and hung it on a rope from a tree along the road with a big sign around his neck that read, “I TRESSPASSED.”

Our “hangin’ victim” seemed to keep the hunters away. Plus our neighbors reported back how the guy really gave them a shock until they realized the joke. The hang-man did his job well during that hunting season. That is until Danny Larson, a teenage neighbor boy, blew away his whole bottom torso with his shot gun.

EARLY RISERS

2011-12-21T15:51:00.000-07:00

This time of year it’s not difficult to get up before the sun.

There was a fresh layer of snow when I went out for a walk

so I took my camera to see who would be up ahead of me leaving tracks.

These might be dog tracks, but dogs are usually accompanied by people.

The footprints didn’t follow the path but went in and out of grasses and bushes

near the golf course where I’d seen a coyote earlier in the year.

The tracks disappeared into the trees by the river which was black and full of floating ice.

A runner had been down the river road ahead of me.

It was probably our neighbor. I see him occasionally coming home as I am going out.

Only the call of magpies and chickadees broke the early morning quiet.

Smaller doggish tracks were left in and around grasses not far from where

I’d seen a mother fox guarding her den in the rocks last spring.

Whatever was making these tracks was probably just ahead of me and left in a hurry.

Even before I could see the small cat-like tracks,

each back paw falling precisely into the print of the front paw, I could smell a skunk.

Fortunately the stinker stayed out of sight.

Then I could hear what sounded like cars with loose fan belts

as the air whistled through the wings of a flock of ducks overhead.

I’m not sure, but with their white chests they looked to me like buffleheads.

My bird book says, “usually in small flocks on lakes or shallow bays in winter.”

And I was walking by the pond. The

Canada

geese were startled by my approach

and also took to the air.

These tracks were easy to identify.

The owner was just a few feet away…

…and on his way to join his friends for breakfast.

It was no longer dark as I made my way back to the house.

I’m SO glad after today the length of the days will again gradually begin to grow longer.

FIGHT APATHY--or don't

2011-12-18T21:32:00.000-07:00

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS OF TEMPLE SQUARE

2011-12-16T16:48:00.003-07:00

My hubby and I have finally found a way to give each other a Christmas gift that we both enjoy. We plan a trip together and share the expenses.

This year we had a coupon for great prices on a nice hotel in downtown Salt Lake City. Fluffy king bed, big screen t.v.---

---and a splendid view from the sixth floor.

Meals were yummy and we did some window shopping at the fancy stores and some serious shopping at a huge outlet mall.

In the evening we walked across the street to Temple Square to see the Christmas lights.

The place was busy with people like us, there to

wander around and stand open-mouthed staring at the beauty of the displays.

Workers start setting up for the lighting in August.

They string strands of LED lights on just about everything.

Christmas lights on Temple Square--our hotel in the background

Young trees, already strung with lights, are “planted” in the landscaping. The trees have been harvested from State Educational Trust Fund lands. Using these trees has multiple benefits, for Temple Square and for the state.

For the state, the money used to purchase the trees benefits the state educational system, and thinning state-owned stands of timber allows the remaining trees to grow strong and healthy. For Temple Square, using stand-in trees for the lights display protects the living trees.

Families and Church groups spend an evening draping nets of lights over shrubs,

while service missionaries hang garlands that function as cordons along the sidewalks.

When the lights are switched on the evening after Thanksgiving

the sight is just awesome in every way.

Temple Square is a landmark for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, a.k.a. “Mormons.” The area includes visitor centers, museums, The Conference Center and The Tabernacle, home of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

The large temple is the centerpiece of the site.

Note: in spite of reports to the contrary: faithful members of the L.D.S. Church—Mormons- (not to be confused with various and random splinter groups) are law-abiding Christians.

WHERE IN THE WORLD WAS--ME?

2011-12-14T21:19:00.000-07:00

Well? What's your guess? Family are not allowed to enter.

NOT IN A HOLIDAY MOOD

2011-12-12T12:30:00.002-07:00

Thomas and I came to a compromise a long time ago. If he won't sleep on the couch (thus leaving behind hair that decorate's our guests' tan pants) I'll let him sit on the back of the couch so he can look out the window and fulfill his job as neighborhood watch.

All goes well most of the time. He keeps track of the vagrant squirrels, passing dogs and feline intruders in his kingdom and still keeps his sheddage to a minimum.

But in December we put a tree in the living room covered with dangley shiny things which he is supposed to leave alone. To make matters worse the couch gets moved away from the window to make room for the tree.

Thomas still roosts on the back of the couch even though he can't see out the window.

(Before I got the camera out he looked more like this --a thinner Thomas look-alike)

Then the paparazzi shows up up with cameras flashing

and completely ruins any possibility of a nap.

Bah, humbug!

A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS

2011-12-09T07:45:00.001-07:00

I noticed a small water leak under our kitchen sink. I put a plastic container under it to catch the drip. DH said it was probably coming from the dripping faucet.

He took the faucet apart and saw the gaskets were worn. None of the local plumbing supply stores carried gaskets that size. They could sell him a new faucet (ka-ching).

Soon he had the water off in the kitchen. Things stored under the sink were all over the floor. DH was on his back under the sink contending with plumbing. He was finally successful in installing the new faucet. It worked very well.

But there was still a small leak under the sink. DH said it seemed to be coming from a gasket in the garbage disposal. He went to the plumbing supply store, found a new gasket and replaced it.

But there was still a small leak under the sink. DH said it appeared to be coming from the housing of the garbage disposal. More stuff under the sink came out and DH removed the disposal. Its whole base was rusted and there was a crack where water had been dripping out.

We went to the plumbing supply store and bought a new disposal (ka-ching ka-ching). After much struggling and effort it was installed. It fit perfectly and ran wonderfully. While we cleaned up and restored the kitchen to order, I started the dishwasher. DH said there was a possibility the leak could be coming from the dishwasher. I told him to bite his tongue. After the load of dishes was washed I looked under the sink. Whew! No leak.

And, then, since the kitchen had been out of commission all day, we went out to dinner--for tacos--and concentrated on the positive: A plumber's bill for such a project would have been a BIG KA-CHING. (ladies,when shopping for a hubby get one who is good with tools) PLUS the new faucet didn't drip and the new disposal runs so smooth and quiet.

THE DAHLIES 111206 A Double Dose

2011-12-06T19:21:00.001-07:00

More piano jokes...

☺ Why did Mozart kill his chickens?

Because they always ran around going, "Bach! Bach! Bach!"

☺ What happens when you play Beethoven backwards?

He decomposes.

☺ A note left for a pianist from his wife:

"Gone Chopin, (have Liszt), Bach in a Minuet."

RAVEN KISSES

2011-12-04T15:16:00.001-07:00

“Whiter than new snow upon a raven’s back.” (Wm Shakespeare) Against winter snow a big raven is hard to miss. The long black feathers on their bodies and the shaggy short feathers on their heads and necks probably absorb light and heat in the cold, cold weather of the Rocky Mountains.

Bernd Heinrich’s book, The Mind of the Raven, says ravens mate for life. According to Heinrich they chose their partners carefully, because the male raven must be a clever scavenger to provide for his mate and young. Humans should be so wise.

Not only that, they raise successive young

and are often quite affectionate with each other.

This couple was spending a morning looking for breakfast

and trying to stay warm in temperatures well below freezing.

Finding a sunny spot on the roof they just decided to soak up the thin sunlight.

This progressed to grooming, caressing and mumbling.

The sunlight moved so they looked for a warmer spot
next to the vent on the top of the roof.

They settled down and fluffed up their feathers to keep their feet warm.

These two really care for each other.

Awwww…

Bird kisses.

GOOD TIDINGS

2011-12-01T10:26:00.001-07:00

(original poem by me)

The silver moon climbs in the east

And pulls along the rolling sea.

At lowest ebb, black mussels close,

Still dripping, into salty pools

Where sculpins dart and hide in fright,

If passing shadow blocks their light.

Starfish clamp themselves to rocks.

Anemones bind their snaky locks.

Then, slowly, footprints in the sand

Erase as waves contract, expand.

As leisurely as the fading light

The mossy rocks sink out of sight.

Essential in the plan must be

The moon that daily stirs the sea.

(something to remind all of us dealing with December

that summer is out there---somewhere)

A SQUAWKING BIRD AND A NEW LAKE

2011-11-28T19:36:00.001-07:00

Our parakeet lived in a cage that hung from a floor stand. Our cat enjoyed bumping the pole to make the cage rock and the bird squawk.

One night in August my brother and I were awakened by shrieking from our bird. His cage was swinging, but no cat was there to take the blame. The next morning we learned of a massive earthquake in the Yellowstone Park area about 300 miles away.

(news photo of a highway in the quake zone)

The quake measured 7.6 on the Richter scale.

It was said to be the largest known earthquake

ever to hit the

United States

in recorded history.

Fast forward (ahem) several decades.

On our return home from West Yellowstone, Montana,

DH took the route past Hebgen Lake

so he could check out the formation of ice on the water.

Fishermen are peculiar, but aren’t we all in our own way.

Not far down the highway is another lake called Quake Lake. It was created that night in August when the earth shook and big hunk of of Sheep Mountain broke loose

and swept across the narrow valley,

filling the canyon and damming the Madison River.

The face of the mountain is still void of most vegetation.

Trunks of trees that once grew high above the river

can still be seen rising out of the water of Quake Lake.

Several groups camping along the river were buried so deep that no attempt was made to find them. Twenty-eight, (give or take two or three depending on how they are counted) people lost their lives in the Yellowstone Earthquake.

A visitor’s center is built on the dirt and rocks deposited by the land slide. Near the building is a huge rock that bears a plate with information and a memorial to those who lost their lives in the catastrophe.

The area still shakes with earthquake tremors. DH tells of standing on the ice of Hebgen Lake trying to catch fish when the low rumble of seismic activity rolls across the valley and the ice cracks and rattles.

WEATHER EYE DO

2011-11-26T19:00:00.001-07:00

West Yellowstone, Montana: gateway to the world’s oldest national park,

a tourist town in every sense of the word during the summer.

In the winter the place is almost deserted. Snow falls heavy and deep.

You are as likely to see a snowmobile going down the street as a car.

Thanksgiving weekend the town fills with skinny people on skinny skis.

It is the Yellowstone Ski Festival.

Skiers dress in classy matching team outfits….

…or not.

On the other side of town things are a little less manic.

Instead of skiers putting down their heads and going like a bat out of hell,

there are people on snowshoes and families on cross-country skis meandering.

People like me.

I’m taking photos of ice,

Mother and daughter snow angels,

Mossy logs,

A turkey in hiding…if you can’t see him you know he’s hiding really well.

A ski trail that freaks me out a little.

Ever since “Wizard of Oz” I’ve been spooked by long green halls.

A condition made worse by “The Shining.”

Scenic views of Yellowstone Park in the winter,

A beautiful sunny day on the ski trail,

Out of nowhere I see dark clouds boiling over the mountains toward me.

I do a quick u-turn.

Suddenly I’m standing in a blizzard.

I put my head down and go like a bat out of hell back to town.

What the guys were doing while I was skiing.

I'VE NEVER MET SOME OF MY BEST FRIENDS

2011-11-22T13:20:00.001-07:00

Wherever you go this weekend. Please be safe.

And come back.

My blog friends are some of my best friends.

The field of positive psychology (the branch of psychology that teaches how

to have positive mental health instead of how to treat mental illness)

has found significant evidence for what sages and poets have long taught:

that regular expressions of gratitude not only brighten the day

of the recipient, but improve the happiness and resilience of the giver.

TREASURE AND TRASH

2011-11-20T13:39:00.001-07:00

This is a re-working of my first two blog posts. At the time I was dealing with the remainders of my recently deceased parents’ lives.

I ended up with the task of emptying my father’s tool shop. I was assisted by DH, my younger brother and his wife. The guys went through the tools and recognized some. “Look, a chamber reamer for a diesel engine!” “Hey, a railroad gandy’s bar.” They rejected most implements and divvied up the rest. Now we were left with a lot of trash and plenty of junk. The suggestion was made to take the metal items to be recycled. Everyone left me with the job of sorting.

The railroad gandy was one of the things I decided to keep. The tool looks like a giant crow bar with a cow’s hoof on the end. It’s 68 inches long, solid iron and weighs 35 pounds. It was all I could do to lift it. Since ancestors on both sides of my dad’s family were in the railroad business---even helping push through the first narrow-gauge rail from Ogden, Utah over Monida Pass to Butte, Montana in 1881—I decided to keep the huge bar. I don’t know if my grandfathers actually used it. Dad may have bought it at a farm sale, but I consider it part of my heritage.

Later I went through the other bits and pieces. I picked out the brass and aluminum from the iron with the result of heavy buckets of nails, staples, bolts, tools, engine thingies and unidentified parts. The recycle place was in the next town so DH took pity on me and loaded the stuff in the pickup. The guys at the recycling place took the bucket of brass and the bucket of aluminum and sent us around back with the buckets of iron. There we saw a construction crane the size of a brontosaurus. It had an electro magnet as big as a Volkswagen picking up scrap iron out of the back of a truck. A rust covered man took our buckets of bolts and sent us around to the office to be paid. We had to wait in line with some unwashed hippie-types who had brought in their aluminum cans. The bottom line was: 380 lbs. of scrap iron, 12 lbs. of brass and 3 lbs. of aluminum. We were handed $20.80 for our efforts. That was just enough to pay for two combo meals and fifty miles worth of gasoline. The experience was a freebie.

A short video about gandys and Gandy Dancers.

VERSATILE?? OKAY, I'LL PLAY

2011-11-18T09:41:00.001-07:00

Thanks, Carrieboo from Carrie On Carrying On who nominated me for a blog award. She's passing on the Versatile Blogger/10Things You Didn't Know about Me prize. I just came across Carrieboo a few weeks ago. Her posts are full of humor and an interesting concoction of contemplations.

So in the spirit of bloggy disclosure--here is my list:

1. Been blogging since September 7, 2008--535 posts. That's why it's difficult for me to come up with something to reveal that I haven't already spilled or refuse to put in print.

2. There were only eleven seniors in my high school graduating class.

3. Because my school was so small they let me play basketball. During one game I hit a girl in the head with the ball, knocking her out cold. Thus I gained the nickname, "Killer."

4. Like sandals but hate flip-flops.

5. Made my future spouse jealous by dancing the polka with Julio.

6. Been doing yoga for years so I can sit flat on the floor and touch my head to my knees; or do a headstand or a backbend; but I don't have enough balance to stand on one foot in tree pose.

7. Have five children--three are redheads.

8. Keep a shovel in my car because I get stuck in snow drifts.

9. Get stuck in snow drifts because I stop in random places to take photographs.

10. My favorite number is The Golden Ratio---1.618 a.k.a. Phi. Click here to find out why.
Another sample.
(The music is a little annoying in that last one but the video is good.)

I'm passing the award along to some super bloggers.

Connie at Far Side of Fifty

Buttons at Buttons Thoughts

Linda at Life on a Colorado Farm

Debbie at It's All About Purple

Dawn at Just~One~Life

I know this is a maniac time of year.
If you choose, just accept the award

and forget the list.

GOOD NEWS-BAD NEWS--WHAT HAPPENED

2011-11-16T10:15:00.001-07:00

(A follow-up to Good News Bad News Part 1)

Yesterday’s weather was wintery but not awful. I met the ladies who’d invited me to go with them for a hike in Grand Teton National Park and was glad to see I wouldn’t embarrass myself by wearing the wrong clothes or bringing the wrong gear.

We arrived at the trail-head and I got out the snowshoes I’d rented and my cross-country ski poles. I was happy to discover the learning curve for snowshoes was pretty flat. I fell in right behind them and away we went.

Holy-Freakin’-Cow! Those ladies took off like a pack of hounds after a jack rabbit. I managed to keep up with them as long as they kept stopping to adjust zippers, shed layers and snap a few photos.

I was in the rear and when they started up the ridge to the lake I kept thinking…

“Wait a minute you roadrunners! Can’t you see the scenery?

Don’t you want to stop and take in the view?”

I was breathing like a steam engine and who knows what my heart rate was. I thought this would be a great place to die but I didn’t want my new friends to have to drag a body out and I was pretty sure they wouldn’t leave me for the wolves.

Since we’d be returning the same way we went in I finally gave up trying to keep up and stopped to take photos. They were out of sight in a flash.

They were finally kind enough to wait for me and I was thoroughly enjoying the new freedom of snow shoes. We arrived at the lake and took a breather to refuel.

color coordinated--my red jacket matches my face

We should have been able to see The Grand, a giant tooth of a mountain towering over us but the top was fogged in.

Since the wind was picking up we had to keep moving or put our jackets back on. The return was easier since it was mostly down hill.

I managed to not lag behind too far and survived the forced march back to the car. My thermal underwear that was supposed to wick away the sweat—didn’t. As I dried out on the ride back to Jackson I started to feel like a pretzel rolled in salt.

These women were not only marathon runners but marathon shoppers. We checked out the 50% off sale at Eddie Bauer’s.

There were some nice deals on great items but nothing caught my eye. I finally picked up a pair of silky soft, fuzzy boot socks.

On we went to a store packed to the ceiling with Christmas do-dads. A nativity scene with figures that looked like children dressed for a Christmas play caught my eye.

The whole set was way out of my budget but I brought home the little angel.

I thought of that quote, “The only difference between a rut and a grave is in their dimensions.” I think I can safely say I got out of my rut and yet avoided the grave.

Oh, yeah---I priced snowshoes in Jackson $200. Same ones online $160. Just beat out all bidders on the same on ebay $60. SCORE!

DETERMINATION

2011-11-14T13:45:00.001-07:00

“The only difference between a rut and a grave is in their dimensions.”

Ellen Glasgow

Bad news: I’m getting bored with going out for exercise walks by myself.

Good news: I’ve been invited to go walking with some ladies in my neighborhood.

BN: They are all mostly grandmothers.

GN: They are all in good health.

BN: They are all mostly athletes.

GN: They are going hiking in the mountains tomorrow.

BN: I’ve been told I’ll need snowshoes.

GN: I can rent snowshoes overnight for ten dollars.

BN: I have no idea how to use snowshoes.

GN: I can rent them today and practice.

BN: I am an incompetent klutz.

GN: If I survive I can go with them to a great sale at the Eddy Bauer store.

BN: I probably won’t survive.

GN: I am determined to give this a try.

BN: Determination is the feeling you get just before you do something incredibly stupid.

GN: Bad decisions make good stories.

What happens when I mix magnetic poetry and t.v.'s Bizarre Foods or...

2011-11-12T08:05:00.001-07:00

MAYBE IT WAS THE TARTAR SAUCE

Ready for another one? Okay...

McCRADY'S PLACE

2011-11-09T16:59:00.000-07:00

McCrady's Place is an old farmstead. The only thing left is the house.

All the other outbuildings have been torn down to make way for a big field.

It was a picture just waiting to be painted.

I added a picket fence to balance the composition

and ended up using some pretty bright colors.

The brightness kind of took away from the lonely feeling of the place.

I'm not sure that was the effect I wanted.

So I painted another one, this time later in the day when the sky

was going into a pink sunset. The grasses still turned out too bright

to say, "Lonely." I guess my optimistic nature rebels at drabness.

I put both of them up for sale on my Etsy site. Which one do YOU prefer?

THE DAHLIES 111109

2011-11-09T10:32:00.000-07:00

JUST A BUNCH OF PANSIES

2011-11-07T12:45:00.000-07:00

Every year when the temps get down to freezing I bring in a piece of my three geraniums, Phyllis, Florence and Blossom and put them in small flower pots so they can winter in the house and have a head start on blooming next spring. This time I also had a nice crop of pansies in small planters that I just couldn't leave out in the cold. I brought in two containers to see how they'd last the winter.

I set the hanging basket in a sunny spot on the floor. The pansies were so colorful I decided to use them as models to learn a little more about how to work with my new watercolor pencils.

Well...I can see a lot of potential and that there's more learning to be done.

Back in the kitchen Thomas was checking out the new flowers too.

He's a finicky eater but he does like to occasionally add a few greens to his diet.

If he could do a guilty nonchalant whistle he would. La-la-la-la-laaaaaaa.

Then he dives head first into the flower pot for some stolen salad.

I decided the pansies could stand a little trimming so I let it go. Then I noticed the other container of flowers was looking a lot worse for wear. Beavis photographed what was happening.

I moved those pansies out of Thomas's favorite sunny spot to a different window.

CHANGING, TIME & A FULL MOON

2011-11-05T14:54:00.000-06:00

Unlike a lot of people I don’t get all annoyed about shifting to and from daylight savings time. Yes, it means a week of messed up sleep habits, but I welcome making good use of extra sunlight in the summer and squeezing every drop of light out of the sun in the winter.

When the time change arrived this fall—way too late—it brought to mind another change, more personal. I spent last March 15 in surgery for several hours. I remember coming out of anesthesia in the O.R. and hearing my surgeon dictating his notes: “No sign of cancer.” I recall little else of what he said but that outstanding sentence remained in my mind.

My hospital stay lasted for several days. Most of it I try to forget. Some of it, thanks to morphine, I can’t remember. But I do recollect one very early morning when even the pain meds wouldn’t help me sleep. The window in my room faced to the west and I could almost see the full moon setting through the blinds. I unraveled myself from the sheets and call button, pulled off a monitor and hauled my body and my i.v. on a pole to the window.

I opened the curtains and watched that big fat moon ease itself down into some soft pink clouds on the horizon. The town below was slowly set in motion.

A nurse came in to find out why the monitor was off. She stayed by me for a moment to enjoy the view before hustling me back to my crib.

The surgeon, his team and the other hospital people did their job well. Except for some small scars I’m almost better than before.

Experiences like that make you think. They help you realize what you’ve had, what you might have lost and what you’ve taken for granted. I only wish every search for cancer had the same result.

THE STATE OF IDAHO--Busting the Myth

2011-11-04T11:31:00.001-06:00

Children are taught in school that the United States has fifty states. It’s an accepted fact. However, with a little research the conclusion may be that Idaho is a baseless myth.

Not counting me do YOU know anyone from Idaho? According to the 2010 census there are 1,567,582 people in Idaho. If there are so many Idahoers where are they? Idaho is supposed to be TWICE the size of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts combined. Isn’t it strange that a place claiming to be so big has so few people?

What about Idaho Potatoes? Almost any supermarket in the United States has sacks of potatoes with the Idaho label. People think they were “grown” in Idaho. This is probably just the name of that variety potato like Bing Cherries, Jonathan Apples or Iceberg Lettuce.

If you look at the United States on a satellite photo can you figure out where Idaho is supposed to be? It’s impossible to locate the borders of this state without the help of an overlay of a map. Even people who forecast weather pretty much ignore Idaho. They will tell us about storms all around the region but seldom mention this bogus state.

Try to find an airline that flies into Idaho. Delivery service and the U.S. Mail have addresses in Idaho but have you ever received anything from Idaho?

If you ask most people the location of Idaho they guess somewhere near Iowa or Ohio. Even though I claim to be from Idaho I’M not even sure where it is. Ask me about the dimensions of the place; or to name more that one or two towns or rivers and I get kind of foggy about the facts.

If I drive for a day to the east I’m supposed to be in Wyoming.

All that is there are miles of dirt, brush, eighteen wheeler trucks

and an occasional antelope.

If I travel one or two days to the west

I’ll see pretty much the same things until I go through some mountains

to what is called the “Oregon Coast.”

If I go southwest into “Nevada” it’s even worse plus there are no antelope.

If I travel either north or south on Interstate Fifteen

I’ll see more open range with only a scattering of cattle

and a few pockets of civilization for hours and hours.

So what is Idaho? Nothing. People have been brainwashed by the map making community to believe Idaho exists. All the so called “evidence” of the reality of Idaho is a mixture of falsifications, lies and exaggerations. So if I seem a little confused about what is going on and where I am, most of the time just remember I’m living in my own private Idaho.

RANDOM PHOTOS

2011-11-01T21:05:00.001-06:00

Just random photos I found in my files while looking for something else...

Awesome sunrise I saw while on a morning walk

Backlit leaves on a sunny afternoon

Basket of peppers at a wonderful Farmers Market

Seagull in the blue, blue water of Bellingham Bay

Sparrows wishing they had flown south with all the other birds

Spider cursing me for walking through her web.

I swear if I'd seen it I would have gone out of my way to miss both web

AND spider.

THE DAHLIES 111030

2011-10-30T18:51:00.002-06:00

Check out---"Getting a Birdie" one minute Raven video on PBS "Nature"

Check out---"Raven vs Eagle Ice Fishing" short video PBS Nature

RAVENS AND CROWS

2011-10-27T13:51:00.000-06:00

Crows and ravens----big black birds; considered symbols of life, death, wisdom and evil---they are judged as both intelligent and unsavory.

While in Grand Teton National Park last month I took some photos of some very large birds I thought were probably ravens. I don’t profess to be a bird expert and was curious about ways to tell the difference between ravens and crows.

Here’s what I gathered from several sources on the internet: Both are members of the same family, (Corvus) which includes jays and magpies.

Ravens are the largest with a body size close to that of a house cat and with a wing span of around three and a half to four feet. They have shaggy throat feathers and a large curved bill. Their tails have a wedge or diamond profile and they have more pointed wings with long finger shaped feathers. The raven’s most common call is a deep croaking or “cronk-cronk” sound.

American crows are closer to the body size of a squirrel with a wing span of around two and a half feet. They make the familiar “caw-caw” sound but I’ve also heard them talk to each other with rattles, clicks and even bell-like notes.

Crows have more blunt and splayed wing tips and a fan shaped tail. Their bill is flatter without the tuft of hairs seen on a raven.

Both are recognized as being some of the most intelligent of birds. They’ve been seen making tools out of sticks, dropping nuts on pavement to break them and playing pranks on dogs. They are scavengers and can find food even in the harshest conditions such as the dead of winter in Yellowstone Park. Ravens have been seen following wild wolf packs to a kill; some stories even have ravens flying ahead of the wolves to lead them to prey.

The Norse god Odin was said to be attended by two ravens named Hugin and Munin who would fly about the world and return to perch on his shoulders and whisper gossip in his ears. Eskimo stories say the god Raven made all things, creating light out of mica flakes and humans out of rock.

Native Americans have many legends about crows and ravens as both creators and tricksters.

For my post about an encounter between a crow and a squirrel at our place,

"Drama in the Yard", click here.

The illustrations are my watercolors. They are for sale on my Etsy site.
Click on the link or on the red icon, upper left on this page.

BRAINS!

2011-10-26T10:05:00.000-06:00

Even though my clock says it’s morning,

the sun is slow to get up when the temperature is

so cold exposed skin feels like it’s been plunged in ice water.

A hike across campus is a little spooky in all this dark.

Almost out of nowhere shadowy figures began walking toward me.

Fortunately I’d remembered to spray myself down liberally with zombie repellant.

Brains!

I wish I had BRAINS!

If I had BRAINS I wouldn’t have signed up...

…for this freakin’ 8 a.m. class in this frozen hell.

Then the sun came up and they all disappeared.

And I was left to wonder if this guy had been dared to put his tongue on a lamp post.

I LOVED CRAZY IKE

2011-10-23T21:35:00.000-06:00

He wasn’t much to look at. His head was too big and his legs were a little short.

He had no hair and a face more bland than Charley Brown, but I loved him.

I loved his giraffe, too and that other thing he hung out with which could become a horse,
a dog, a goat, an alien from outer space---whatever.

My sibs and I went through several sets of Krazy Ikes. They first arrived in a yellow box. Later they moved to a long yellow canister. I remember asking Santa for more Krazy Ikes and being pretty excited when my order came through.

Ike’s features were so vague that they could be girls or boys, grownups
or kids with only a little stretch of imagination.

Usually the blue ones were boys and the red ones were girls.

We could make countless odd creations, sometimes using the instruction book for ideas.
But we quickly went from motorcycles and shot guns to space ships, furniture,
weird automobiles, a canon, and on and on.

The set I have now is old and brittle so I have to be careful with the hard plastic parts. Some of the soft plastic parts have chew marks from when they were used for teething.

I still find Krazy Ike and his friends so fascinating that it took quite a while
to finish taking pictures for this post.

“What do you mean I look sad? You’re the one with the long face!”

“Yeah, but your legs don’t match and your toes turn in.”

“What! Why I oughta………… “

A GOOD MOTHER PROTECTS HER BABY

2011-10-22T05:00:00.000-06:00

Occasionally my dad would purchase a cow or two at the local cattle auction to increase our dairy herd. One time he bought a young cow that produced a lot of milk but had a mean disposition. We guessed she had been abused by a former owner since she plain didn’t like people. We kids learned she was easily threatened if we carried a stick, even a small one.

In the spring new calves arrived almost daily and I loved the new babies. Although our cows were protective of their shiny black and white toddlers most of them allowed us to pet and handle them. So when I was helping bring the cows into the corral one evening I was attracted to a new calf.

Suddenly I realized this one belonged to our cranky cow. She lowered her head and charged. I don’t think I even touched the ground as I shot across the barnyard. Ornery was right behind me as I rolled under the fence. I don’t remember screaming but my mom heard me and was out of the house and dusting me off before I knew what had happened. We tried to gentle down our grouchy cow but Dad finally had to sell her.

There was another time my mother came sprinting in response to my scream. Not all our fields were well fenced to contain the cattle. Some were surrounded by a single strand of barbed wire, but that wire was charged with a pulse of electricity. The cows and the rest of us, including the dog, had a healthy respect for a one-wire fence. Accidently touching the wire would give a surprise shock we didn’t forget.

One evening as I was bringing in the cows from pasture I decided I could jump a big puddle across the path. I missed the jump and instinctively stretched out my hand to steady myself only to have it close around that electric fence. Standing in water must have really increased the buzz because I let out a yell that brought Mom in a hurry from a hundred yards away. I had recovered from the shock by the time she arrived. I think I was more surprised at how fast she could run.

Illustrations are watercolor pencil on paper from my sketch book.

The Dahlies 111020

2011-10-20T22:46:00.002-06:00

MORE WILD LIFE

2011-10-17T21:03:00.002-06:00

Continued from previous post:

While the guys played in the mud, moss and fish slime I had plenty of time to

kick back, enjoy the scenery and observe the local residents.

The morning mist gradually melted off the mountains, just recently dusted with snow.

Plenty of birds came and went.---I think these are coots.

Seagulls cruised the vicinity, probably hoping there would be hand-outs,

left overs or tossed trash fish.

Loons swam by, their familiar call whistling across the water.

I was thoroughly enjoying the romantic sound until Beavis quoted the line from

"On Golden Pond" in a quavery Katherine Hepburn voice,

"The loons! The loons, Norman! They're welcoming us back!"

When the fish stopped biting at the first location we drove to another site.

DH pointed out the "eagle tree" and sure enough there was a big, dark

golden eagle perched there.

He was giving us quite a stare down.

After it snows the guys come back to this same place to ice fish.

Last winter there was a bald eagle the guys named Charley

who helped himself to the trash fish that got tossed on the ice.

I was sitting in my camp chair waiting for some fishing action when I saw what

I thought was a small boat moving through the water about a hundred yards away.

When it reached the shore I could see through my zoom lens that it was a huge

bull moose with a giant rack of antlers. He walked up the shore

...and wandered off into the trees. Wow!

Now I'm trying to talk myself into tagging along on an ice fishing trip

so I can get my own pictures of Charley. The last time I went with them

I nearly froze solid, but I really, really want some good photos

of a bald eagle. I'm going to have to think about that some more.

PHOTOGRAPHING THE WILD LIFE

2011-10-14T22:18:00.000-06:00

I’ve mentioned before that we enjoy fresh wild trout frequently at our table.

The fishermen come back and tell me stories of all the fun they’ve had and
show me blurry photos and videos they took while they were trying to land said fish.
I enjoy fishing but not enough to spend days at it and not enough to
purchase an out of state license. Still they needed a photographer
that wasn’t trying to hold a net or a fishing pole.

Besides, spending a day on a lake in Montana in the fall was an offer I couldn't refuse.

So four of us—Son Beavis, DH, myself and

S.T.--Beavis’ friend and a fishing rookie, left for the lake.

It wasn’t long before we met with success.

These trout are BIG.

Both DH and Beavis were bringing them in

S.T. was getting the hang of slinging a worm on the end of a fishing line

into the lake without wrapping it around a sage brush.

Success for the newbie!

Success for everybody.

Worms on a bobber and power bait. Somehow the fish found it irresistible.

Did I mention the scenery was stunning?

Oh, yeah, back to catching fish.

The legal limit was five fish each and they were doing their best to reach it.

Catching rainbows. Beauty, no?

The master shows off a “little” one.

Then the fish went off to do other fishy things.

Ho-hum--

It looked like the end of fishing for this day. So we went home.

There were plenty of pictures and video of the day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This post is for the fishermen.

Next time there will be photos of other stuff we saw.

NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT--NO PRESENT LIKE THE TIME

2011-10-12T13:17:00.000-06:00

Trolling the net for sillies so you don't have to.

You're Welcome.

WORKING UPSTREAM

2011-10-10T14:40:00.000-06:00

Another watercolor finished with a fisherman in mind.

Using several photos for reference I drew up a value sketch

at the size I wanted for the painting--10 inch by 14 inch.

I transferred the drawing to Arches watercolor paper, stretched it by wetting

and stapling it to gator board. I protected the man and some highlights with

liquid masking and laid in a few green washes.

I added darks and details working mostly from back to front.

When most of the splashy part was done I removed the masking and went

to work on details.

Final painting I'm calling "Working Upstream."

Knowing fish almost always face into the current,a fisherman approaches a

big rainbow trout's suspected location from directly downstream.

This painting and several others are available for purchase on my Etsy site--

Watercolors by Leenie. Just click on the red icon upper left of this

blog to see more...all at ridiculously low prices.

THE DAHLIES 111009

2011-10-08T20:42:00.002-06:00

GHOST TOWN--CUSTER, IDAHO

2011-10-05T22:06:00.000-06:00

Almost exactly in the rugged center of Idaho on the Yankee Fork of the Salmon River

(also known as The River of No Return) is a ghost town named after the

General Custer gold mine. The town of Custer was founded in 1879 not long after a

mother lode of gold was discovered along the river.

Gold was extracted from the rocks using stamping mills. The heavy machinery

was hauled to the area by mule packers along the rugged trails from places
as far away as Salt Lake City, Utah.

The town reached its peak population of about 600 in 1896. It had houses, stores,

restaurants, a school and plenty of saloons. By 1904 the mines and the mill closed

when the gold played out. By 1911 it had become a ghost town, but not before

millions of dollars of gold had been recovered.

Some of the settlement has been restored and preserved.
We visited after Labor Day so the buildings were boarded up and…

…the museum in the old school was closed.

Still we could peek inside the buildings and see some of the old furniture and antiques.

Other items were left to rust and return to the earth.

Some lady must have been so pleased to have a new stove
in her cabin kitchen…

…hauled all the way from St. Louis…

…by horses or mule team.

The Empire Saloon now serves as the gift shop.

Next to the saloon was a vintage outhouse.

Fortunately for visitors there were also better facilities provided by the Forest Service.

Everywhere we walked there were bits of broken glass and pottery left behind

by the people who lived in the old mining town.

Most of the glass was purple, indicating it was made between 1860 and 1915

when glass makers used manganese instead of lead due to lead shortages

created by the Civil War. Glass containing manganese eventually

turns a light purple when exposed to sunlight.

The road that leads to Custer and its sister city, Bonanza, follows the river up the canyon.

The whole river bed looks like it’s been churned up by a giant monster gopher.

Once placer mining was exhausted the owners of the gold claims knew

valuable gold still existed so they joined together and

in 1939 they built a huge dredge the size of a hotel.

It could dig down 35 feet to haul up the gravel ore.

The dredge washed and separated the rock and dirt from the gold.

It operated until 1949, pulling out another 16 million dollars in gold.

On a whim I picked up a rock about the size of a baseball

and threw it against another rock.

I kept the piece that split off and put it in my pocket.

I didn’t notice until I was home that…

I could see flashes of light and metallic sparkles in the rock

when I turned it in the sunlight.

LEARNING FROM THE MASTER

2011-10-03T21:57:00.001-06:00

DH is an expert fisherman. Rainbow and Brown Trout fear him.

He gets in plenty of practice, especially since he retired from teaching
at the university. He is happy to teach fishing skills to anyone ready to try.

Last weekend there were some granddaughters

willing to pick up a few pointers from the master.

I'll let the photos tell the story...

Baby J. thought the fish were cool.

The kids and grandpa brought back enough little rainbow trout to fry up in a pan.

When DH and his friends get serious about fishing they usually bring home

the legal limit of trout and they are three times that size.

THE DAHLIES 111002

2011-10-02T20:30:00.000-06:00