Wednesday

We got the art work displayed at Rendezvouse Pointe today for the silent auction next week. It seemed much easier than it did last year. Maybe because we more or less knew what we were doing this year.

Vicky and Judi discussing the brochure.

One half of the main wall of artwork.
The other half

And for some reason, I seem to have my own wall. Something we ended up doing last year, and it seemed natural to do it again this year. I hate the plastic over the pieces, but it does protect them.

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I went to lunch yesterday at the Brew with Melanie S. and Dee C. We worked together and enjoy getting together to visit.

I even went to Ridley's today after art group. I probably bought some stuff that Barrie already got last week, like a large jug of vegetable oil. I didn't think she got it, so I bought another one today. We enjoy the deep fryer, and will be changing the oil in it some day. Or I hear I can burn it in my pickup?

I finished the pencil drawing of Kasey and Karma today. Barrie says it looks like a wild Indian child with a wolf pup. Hmmm. Kasey did tell her mom one day "If you'd cut my bangs, I could find my cup."

We had a good long rain last night, without much lightening. If the power went off, I was asleep and didn't notice.

Everything was so wet this morning, and Barrie took off work and went to buy hay for her horse.

My rainbow picture has sure gotten a lot of attention. Just think, if I hadn't had those trees cut down, that picture would never have happened, because I wouldn't have seen it!

I have a new pencil drawing started of cowboy boots, jeans, and a rope. I assume there's a guy in the jeans, but he doesn't show in the photo.

Sunday

Made it through a day without rain, and without a power outage. I have some computer gliches since the last time the power went out. I can no longer print from my laptop to the printers that are downstairs. I don't have the ambition to track down the problem today. I'm sure I will have to spend time on the downstairs computer and install the printers again, and share them.

I watched a live video feed yesterday of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge bike race that took place from Steamboat to Breckenridge in Colorado. I think it was Stage 5, and it went through Silverthorne (where Paul and Tracy live). I'm pretty sure I recognized the traffic light out in front of the Silverthorne Elementary School, and the big home center. But the announcer kept saying they were in Dillon. You don't enter Dillon until you go under the Interstate overpass. Saw that in the video also. The race was pretty interesting, actually. Paul was at the finish line, but Tracy works for the Summit County Sheriff's Department, so of course she was working.

Watched a movie "The Chase" on the Crackle web site last night. It was an old movie, 1966 and starred Marlon Brando and Robert Redford, along with several others who were familiar to me.

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When I was teaching, I got some doozies of written excuses from parents. I found a website where someone has collection of "excuses" and posted them. Thought you might enjoy reading a few of them.

"Amy did not do her homework last night because we went out to a party and did not get home until late. If she is tired, please let her sleep during recess time."

"Please excuse Lisa for being absent. She was sick, so I had her shot."

"It was my fault Mike did not do his math homework last night. His pencil broke and we do not have a pencil sharpener at home."

Saturday

Beautiful day, but who knows what will happen this afternoon. Forecast says 30% chance of rain, and if it rains, there's a 75% chance something will get wet and our power will be out again! Just saying.

I lost Kat the other day. She is always out rubbing on my feet when I get up in the mornings. Barrie even helped me look for her, and she was nowhere to be found. Barrie had looked under my bed, but I started pulling out pieces of a quilt frame I have stored under the bed, and cat crawled out, yawning and stretching.

We decided the sounds of the chain saws, the trees hitting the ground, and thunder in the afternoon did her in, and she took refuge under the bed.

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I watched "A River Runs Through It" on Crackle.com last night. Great movie. I think I read the book years ago, but have never seen the movie.

Couldn't resist getting a picture of a pile of puppies sleeping on the front lawn. Karma heard the camera and lifted her head. It makes me laugh every time I look at her ears!

Friday

The view out my upstairs window looking at the ditchbank. Top photo shows what I can see now, bottom photo was before. Most people wouldn't that that's such a great view, but this area of the ditchbank is a favorite spot for deer and moose when they are hanging out in the neighborhood.

Trimming branches from the big cottonwood tree.

Doug loading the branches with his Bobcat.
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I need to start planning on what I will do on those nights when the power is off. Seems like it happens very often! I have three kerosene lanterns downstairs, and need to bring one up here. Hope we have kerosene, and I think I have some new wicks somewhere.

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I am so disillusioned by Wranger Jeans! There was an article in a recent issue of a magazine called "Booty Up by Wrangler-wearing cowgirl! She was a lucky winner of our newest uplifting jean giveaway in COWGIRL Magazine. "

Oh Wrangler, please don't tell me you are manufacturing support jeans now. Get real, "Booty Up" jeans?

What happens when you cut down a tree

When I woke up this morning, this is the view that greeted me out my upstairs bedroom window, instead of a big pine tree! I hated to lose the trees, but this is a pretty nice pay off.

I've never seen Kasey as excited as she was last night when she saw the trees were gone. She came upstairs and told me Mamma cut down the tree. She rushed to my bedroom window, and said "Come look, come look, Grandma!" Barrie told her she only helped Doug cut down the trees, but Kasey still says "My mamma did it!"

Barrie didn't wok yesterday, except for one lawn. She helped Doug and his guy with the trees. She did most of the cleanup. She also kept the tree for firewood, although we don't even have a wood stove. (She wants to get one.)



Salli posted this on her blog, and I am borrowing it. Funny!

By bye trees

This is what my front yard looked like last week. There's house in there someplace behind those dead trees

This is what my yard looks like now. Barrie is putting the fence back up.

This is the big tree in the back yard. Going, going, gone!

The stump.

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What a difference a few trees make! The front yard looks so strange, but I guess I'll get used to it. People should be able to find my house much easier than before. Maybe we can get the grass to grow there now.

Spent my morning in the art room at Rendezvous Point, and got the paperwork finished on the work I am putting in the silent auction. Then I drank coffee and ate cookies!

Pencil Progress

This is what I have been working on for the past several days. If I don't ruin it, it will be the first portrait of Kasey I have done that I am happy with.

Think I will take this to art group Wednesday to work on, and ignore the half dozen or so watercolors I have started.

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I watched a movie on the Crackle.com site the other night, called "Dream for an Insomniac" ( I think). The next day, I couldn't remember at all how the movie ended, so I got on Crackle again and played the ending scene of the movie. I guess it wasn't such a great movie.

What's that you say? A memory problem? Wait, what were we talking about?

Sunday

I've been waiting for Barrie to post pictures of their camping trip to Willow Lake so I could steal them.

They went to Willow Lake yesterday with 3 adult dogs and 3 puppies. They were back home about 10:00 last night. Not very good camping weather, rain and lots of lightning.
Kasey brought her own firewood, which she got from her Grandpa.

She was in the water up to her neck. She is wearing one of the new hats Nancy J gave her. It's been in the water.

Kudor likes the water.

After a long walk, this is what camp looked like

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We went to breakfast at the Wrangle this morning. Got there about 9:30, and by the time we got seated, people were standing outside waiting. Some of them came in and got orange juice or coffee for their wait. They did amazingly well - friendly and fast waitresses, and the cooks must be really good. Had sausage and eggs and a biscuit - yum.

Saturday

Barrie and Kasey went to the last rodeo of the season last night. Kasey got in the "Mutton' Bustin'". Barrie has tried to talk her into it several times, and last night she agreed. Afterwards, she told her Mom "I want to do that again!"

This is Kasey's "Real Hat", one she can't play with, has to take off properly and wear it the right way.

I wanted Barrie to find this hat when I was into painting cowboy hats. She came up with it last night.

The cowgirls.
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Barrie attacked our "jungle" again with loppers and chain saw. She removed some more caragana bushes down by the driveway, and trimmed willows and lilac bush, She took out the dead growth in the creeping evergreen thing, and took the lower branches off the big blue spruce trees.