Some Days are Like That

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This painting just kind of fell together for me today at watercolor group. Some days are like that. Sure wish they all were! I might work a little more on the foggy looking place on the lower right, but then again, I might just leave it alone.

There were two small paintings on the wall of the Sundowner Motel room I was in that were similar to this. I took them down from the wall and photographed them.

Kasey finally got the last of her Christmas presents open last night. These were the ones I brought back from Riverton.

Tuesday

My new toy

This little gadget just kind of fell off the shelf into my cart in WalMart. Funniest thing. It has a dock for my iPod, and will also keep it charged. My XM radio transmits to it, and I can listen to other radio stations, if there are any. I know the Pinedale station is there somewhere, but I very seldom listen to it. It even has an alarm, which I haven't figured out yet, a snooze button, and a nap button.

Barrie had fixed a big turkey, and I boiled the carcass yesterday, and made a huge pot of turkey soup this morning. Don't know if it's any good or not, as I haven't tried it yet.

Monday

For some reason, I feel like sitting around in my pajamas all day! After I ate breakfast yesterday, I did the marathon Wal Mart thing in Riverton. It wasn't as crowded as I had expected it to be. Then I went to KMart and then home. South Pass was icy on the north side, but cleared up and I had dry roads all the way home. I even got home before the gas field rush hour started!

Unloading the pickuptook took many many trips up and down stairs. Barrie and Kasey weren't home, so I did it all on my own. I usually let Barrie do all that.

I believe every two year old in Riverton is being potty trained right now. Wal Mart had no plastic pants, and KMart had four pairs. Kasey wears them over her pull ups at day care so she doesn't have to be completely changed if she has an accident. For some reason, her plastic pants disappear between day carre and home. Someone must be getting quite a collection of them.


Zack and Cody, who are my great nephews. They used to be little boys, wonder what happened?

The Pehrsons. My great neice and husband with Hadley, the newest member of the family.

Almost everyone in this photo. Tracy and Paul had already left for home, Barrie and Kasey weren't there, and I was taking the picture.

Christmas Day

My brother's flag stood out straight all day. So windy and cold!! We had wanted to get everyone (all nineteen of us) outside for a group picture, but no one wanted to go outside. There is hardly room anywhere in the house for a group that size, so we don't have a group picture yet. Maybe tomorrow.


Alice had this down the center of the table for Christmas Eve. It looked so nice. Eric sat down at the end of the table and said "What's this plant for? Needless to say, he got the treatment for dinner today. We all had a good laugh.

My neice, Teri, and her new granddaughter, Hadley.

Tracy, Braxton and Mike working on a project with Braxton's new legos

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Tracy and Paul's pickup wouldn't start this morning, so the guys came to town with jumper cables. Then when they got ready to go back to their motel tonight, it had to be jumped again. It's looking like they might be buying a new battery tomorrow

Thursday

A headline in The Billings Gazette Wyoming News said "Skiers and Snowmachiners Warned of Trees" I thought that was funny. When I read the article, I found the intention was to warn about the danger of beatle killed trees falling on them.


Just for fun, I did a Google Seach for funny headlines, and I spent about 45 minutess reading and laughing. Here are some of the best.

Wednesday

Barrie was quick with her camera last night. She was at the computer, and Kasey was rearranging her ornaments on the tree. Then she heard Kasey talking to the cat, looked up, and this is what she saw. Her camera was right beside her, and she got two shots of this scene before Kat ducked back in the tree.




You would think that someone who lived in the snow all her life would be able to paint it. Not!



Here's how to solve the problem - just crop the snow off.

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Sure wish we had snow, but now I hope it waits a while. I am leaving over the Pass for Shoshoni tomorrow. Barrie and Kasey aren't able to come until Saturday morning. Paul and Tracy will be there (at my brother and sister-in-law's house) plus Bill and Alice's three kids and their families. Looking forward to a long overdue gathering of the whole family!

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Tuesday

Barrie helped Kasey wrap dog biscuits and treats for Jarvi and Shorty last night to put in their stockings. Kasey has never wrapped anything before. Maybe she thought Mom meant "rip" when she said "wrap". But she soon got into the spirit and worked really hard to fold the edges of the gift wrap and tape it.

Getting the doggie treats out of the bag. There are two finished ones on the table in front of her, but they kind of get lost on that red and white table cloth.

Kasey couldn't resist taking a nibble out of one of the dog treats to see how it tasted.

Sometimes the tape sticks to fingers.

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I was hoping Kasey would finish wrapping my packages, but no such luck. I have to finish that today and make the Chex Party Mix.

Monday

If I sent out Christmas cards, here is what I might send! So if you want a card from me, print one of these photos!







These two photos were taken a few years ago before I started painting and drawing again. I would spend a lot of time setting up a still life, taking a bunch of photos, then spend time on the computer fine tuning them, cropping them, and framing, etc. I enjoyed it and it felt very artistic.

I don't spend as much time on photography any more - the watercolors, pen and ink, pencil and colored pencils seem to take up most of my time now. I still love photography, but it's not my top priority.

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I actually accomplished something today. I went to the bank to cash a check and got some folding money and the gift envelopes for the young kids in the family. I went to the post office to mail bills and buy stamps. And I took some of my greeting cards to the Cowboy Shop. Tara was glad to take them to attempt to sell for me.

My good friends Vicky and Kris have sold some cards for me, and it was Kris who suggested I try the Cowboy Shop. Sure hope they sell, as I just ordered a new ink cartridge for my printer so I can print some more!

Sunday

Even though I am getting really tired of her, I worked on the drawing of Grinder again this morning. Cristy suggested more shadow in that fake Santa beard, and I think it is a little better now. I also moved the pupil in her left eye so she doesn't look quite so cross eyed. I'm also posting the photo I used as a reference.

Time to move on to a new dog.

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I'm about to give up on ever getting any snow. Sure wish we could get some of what they're getting in the Northeast!

I am cooking navy beans in the pressure cooker to make white chile today with left over turkey

I have a long list of things to do, like wrap gifts, pay bills, cash a check, make Chex Party Mix, and here I sit still in my pajamas! Manana, manana.

Saturday

As a reward for finishing 50,000 pages in the National Novel Writing Month, a publishing firm gives a free proof copy of your book. It looks pretty neat. It will be 6" x 9" with a color cover. This is the front and back cover I designed. I just submitted it yesterday and got word this morning that it has been printed and sent. The other writers who have received theirs seem delighted and think it is a high quality job.

So, I will put it on my bookshelf where I can see it, and no, no one else may read it.

I plan on doing this again next year. Not that I have any aspirations of really being a writer, but it was fun to do.

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Barrie asked Kasey the other day how old she was. Kasey replied "I'm 24". Then Barrie said she wet her pants five minutes later.

Friday

This portrait of Grinder is not one of my best efforts. I can see where I need to make changes, especially the hair under her chin. It looks like a fake Santa beard in my drawing.



This is "whiskey art" without the whiskey. I printed out the photo of the butterfly onto a piece of paper palette, cut the size of my printer paper. A paper palette i s used in oil paiting, and is waxy on one side. If you print onto the waxy side, the ink will not sink in and will remain wet for a while. I laid it, ink side down, on a piece of hot press watercolor paper and burnished it on the back so the ink transfers onto the paper. I think it works better than whiskey, but I've only tried one print. I wonder if it would work with wax paper?

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What a lazy day! Bright and sunny out, and not too cold. I was going to take cardboard boxes to the recycling center, but Barrie said she would do it, so I just came upstairs and worked on the dog drawing.

I am listening to XM Radio old radio classics. Just finished hearing the radio show of "The Day the Earth Stood Still". Funny, because I just watched the movie last weekend in West Yellowstone.

Thursday

We just finished putting our Chistmas lights up.

Call us if you need help with yours!

Wednesday

I don't even know who took this picture of Barrie and her team in the race at West Yellowstone.

Kasey was hanging onto Shorty's collar part of the time. Short rode in the back with Kasey and Jarvi rode in the middle in the front seat. Jarvi gave a lot of disgusted sighs because I was there sitting in her place.

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Helen, Lenore, Pam, and Vicky and I were the only ones at art group this morning. Judi and Rollie are on their way to Shar's house for Christmas. And Conley may be having surgery on his leg today.

I started a painting of an old tractor today. I'm not sure how to paint the seat. Every old tractor I know personally has the seat reversed so the driver sits on it backwards. This one maybe has a post hole digger on the back, I'm not sure. But I'd like the paint the seat the correct way.

Monday

So good to be home! I am seriously considering taking a nap today, something I never do.

We have some snow, but I was hoping for more. The sun is shining so bright that it almost hurts my eyes to look out the window.

It looks like Barrie will probably be keeping the little black horse that was abandoned up the Green. He has four brands, none of which are Wyoming brands. Mike said that the horse will be put up for auction, and Barrie can bid a small amount and have him. She has been training Kasey to answer the question "What do you want for Christmas?" with "A black horse!"

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Another little painting from Snake River Canyon

Tickling and Giggling

Another photo from Snake River Canyon on the drive home yesterday.

Sunday and Home

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We left West Yellowstone this morning about 10:30. Not very early, but we had all day. Besides, we were hungry for a good breakfast of eggs, sausage and hash browns, so we took care of this before we left town. This picture shows what the roads were like pretty much all the way home. Nice to have a good 4wheel drive truck and a good driver!

At the dog lot when we got back. Barrie is unloading dogs, and then fed them. She dressed Kasey in all her winter gear and let her feed Jarvie and Shorty. But then Kasey dropped her gloves in the snow and her hands got cold. I wish I had gotten a picture of Kasey trucking through the new snow, but it was too dark.

The best traveller in the world!

Saturday

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I tried this little painting for fun last night. It is just 4" x 6" in the little book that came with my plein air painting kit. This paper/paint combination doesn't do much with the effect of salt on it while still damp.


Barrie sprained her wrist yesterday, and put algyval and vet wrap on it. So Kasey had to have some vet wrap too. Kasey didn't leave hers on long.



Watching "Peep" on my laptop in the motel room



This is what happens when you forget to bring along books for a child. She reads the bible!

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Sure hope we don't have to spend the rest of the winter in West. Snowing and blowing, and more is predicted for the next week.

Race Day

Barrie is probably out on the trail for her race today. And Kasey and I are just hanging out in the motel room. We just got back from their Continental breakfast. Not too bad, but not my idea of breakfast. Kasey ate two helpings of peaches, three helpings of yogurt, and a piece of toast. She was a bottomless pit.



This picture makes me laugh. John Barron was at the vet check. Barrie lived with them both in Alaska and Montana, and John introduces her as his daughter. They were laughing and talking, and when I took a picture, this is what I got. They don't look like they are glad to see each other, do they?


As I have said before, Kasey is so easy to travel with. The motel didnt have any cribs, so Barrie built her a little "nest" on the floor in the corner. It was very warm in the room, so she didn't have her fleece sleepers on. After she laid down, she called out to me "Grandma, I'm tired", and that's the last I heard from her until 8:30 this morning.

A pretty drive yesterday. I took this in the Snake River Canyon

The motel has some interesting decorating. There are several of these on the wall, and I like them. I think I might like them better without the imitation arrowheads, though.

Road Trip

On the road to West Yellowstone with Barrie, Kasey, and 29 dogs, more or less. Barrie is even bringing the dogs that are not on her team so she can make sure they are fed and taken care of.

Colder than &*#@*! Did I spell that right? I hope Kasey and I will be able to watch part of the races, anyway. If not, we will be couch potatoes in the motel room. I really wish Kasey could be there to see her Mom hook up her dogs and start a race. Maybe there will be someone who could give us a ride back to the motel room after we watch for a while and before we freeze.

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This is Dan. She is one of the original kittens whose mother left in my driveway several years ago. I had her and her sister spayed, but not until they had kittens. Anyway, I have not seen Dan since early last spring. She showed up on my front porch this afternoon. Af first she acted totally wild. I fed her, and the next time I opened the door, she came right in and rubbed on my legs and let me pet her. Who can figure? She is fat and healthy looking.


This is the beginning of a colored pencil drawing I did of Dan. It finished it, but I don't seem to have a photograph of it.

Wednesday

So COLD this morning!! If Barrie hadn't already had my pickup started and warming up, I might have been tempted to stay home from art group!

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I posted some pictures of paintings from others in the group earlier, but didn't get pictures taken of Vicky's work. The framed one is an oil painting she did sometime in the past. She is doing such beautiful work.

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I just made motel reservations for three nights in West Yellowstone for the sled dog race. Barrie and Kasey and I will go tomorrow morning.

We are expecting it to be so darned cold that Kasey and I might end up spending a lot of time in the motel room while Barrie is out freezing her you-know-what. So I will be taking my computer, some watercolors and drawing stuff, and some books. I'm not sure what Kasey will need. Books for sure, crayons and paper, and maybe some of her movies on DVD to watch on my computer.

Our furnace didn't come on this morning, and Barrie had to go down and tap the black plastic thingie like they showed us. That is the third time we have had to do that, so I called them this afternoon to come replace the part. Probably won't get it done until next week, because we will be gone until then.

Someone came into the art room at the senior center today and announced that the crows were attacking a red pickup. My first thought was that there were meat scraps in the back from when Barrie trims meat she gets for her dogs. Instead, it was two black plastic garbage bags of cans for the recycling center. A bunch of ravens had gathered and were trying to get into the bags to see if there was anything good in them. Funny birds, but a little spooky, too.

Going on a Wolf Hunt

Hunting with a camera, that is . . . .

This is the carcass the wolves have been working on. We drove close to it to check it out this morning. This horse is wearing the same kind of shoes as the little black horse Barrie brought down yesterday. So it appears the two horses were left or lost up there together. As the little black horse had stayed right in this area, he would have probably been the next meal for the wolves.

Didn't see any wolves this morning, by the way.





Two pictures I took on our drive. There are a couple of inches of snow up there, and we have more snow in town than there is up the Green.

Kasey met the little black mustang this morning. He has several brands on him, and the brand inspector was to come look at him today.