Craft shows

I have been doing craft shows as fast as I can sew since I came home from CC. I need to go back and decompress. I look at the web cam every day and wish that I was there, without the snow. I will show you a couple of the shows that I have done. Good thing that David takes pictures. I just take the camera and come home without pictures.

The first pic is at the U of M, and the next is in the Daly Mansion just outside of Hamilton. Beautiful, huge old house built by the Dalys whomade their money in Copper and lived on Park Avenue in NY in the winter. In my dreams....

My how time flies

Can't believe it has been so long. I have been home from Cooke City for more than a month now and have hardly had time to breathe. Who signed up for all of these craft shows anyway? I will post some last picture of the park and of the shows soon I hope.

I am thinking of a new enterprise for CC. I think that a high end consignment/gift shop with all Montana made products would be a real hit. Tell me what you think. The only gift shops there are all the same-o stuff that you find in any tourist town. I am thinking of some really nice native stone jewelry, some really beautiful jackets that I saw at the show this weekend, some very nice hats. Stuff down that line. I would also do some wildlife table runners and wall hangings. I know some photographers that are interested. We are planning a trip to Wisdom, Mt in the near future (thank goodness the gas is a little cheaper) to check out a gallery there that does something very similar. And I don't think that Wisdom has nearly the traffic CC does. Anyway, tell me what you think.

I sold some of my heirloom dresses this weekend. David sold 2 of them today and was about bowled over when he looked at the prices and the ladies just handed over $100 dollar bills. I like that in a show. It was a good weekend and it felt good to have things that people wanted.

Cody, Wy and Buffalo Bill

This is the original hotel built by Buffalo Bill in the 1880's. (I think that is about right.) It is named the Irma after his youngest daughter. In the museum is a beautiful letter she wrote to him on the night before she got married, telling him what a wonderful father he was and that she hoped he and her husband would be friends.

David and I ate there while he was here. It has a beautiful back bar and the original pressed tin ceilings. The rooms are still in use. The dining room has a bunch of mounted animals and some wonderful art work.

Cody has wide streets and nose in parking on all the blocks. It is laid out very nicely and reminds me of Salt Lake. Only much smaller.

David's visit

David actually came to visit! If only he had come earlier in the summer, he probably would have quit his job and come to stay. In fairness, we would have had to get a bigger house. This little cabin would have been too cozy.

We drove the Beartooth hiway to Red Lodge, went over to Belfry, and then to Cody. We looked in the shops and had lunch at the Irma, Buffalo Bill's hotel. We drove home over the Chief Joseph scenic highway. Had dinner at the Beartooth Cafe, (is there anywhere else to eat?)

It was fun to have him here and to have someone to do things with.

I will be heading home on the 30th. I am sad to see it come to an end, but it will be nice to live with somebody again.

My little friend

When I first arrived here in the spring, I was awakened and disturbed several times by alot of scurrying in the roof of my cabin. I just knew that it was something awful that would get in one of the teeny holes and jump on me in the night. Or it was a pine martin that would make a TERRIBLE mess of the place. So last week or so, I started hearing the noise again, along with some other strange ones. I finally discovered that it was just a little squirrel. He has been busily storing his winter food in the ceiling. He will spend all day jumping from the tree outside to the railing of the steps to a little hole under the roof, carrying his pine cones.

Some days, he spends half the day dropping the cones out of the tree onto the roof. Then he stores them away. He makes a terrible mess, but at least it is outside.

I have left him some cashews and he never saves them. He eats them right away. He has gotten used to me being around and doesn't get too excited when I go in and out. Hope he has enough for a long winter. I bribed him with a cashew to sit still long enough for a photo op. (Notice how well focused the car is behind him. When I figure out how to fix that I will get a better picture. Maybe my smart children need to give me photo lessons.)

Summer?

It snowed here in CC today. It is supposed to be all of 25 degrees tonight. Needless to say, my heat is on.

Only 4 short weeks to go here. I am looking for a way to do it again next summer.

Pictures of the cabin and restaurant before I leave.

The View

This is the view when I drive to CC from the ranch (from the east). The pointy one is Pilot Butte. I need to stop a little further down the road and catch the Clark's Fork of the Yellowstone river in the picture also. Too beautiful!!

Hurricane Ranch digs

This is the house (for you jealous people) that I am enjoying. I am staying in the bedroom over the porch, skylight included. It is open to the living room with floor to ceiling windows that look out at the view from the last post.

This is what I see out the windows and from the deck. Maybe a picture of the house itself tomorrow. I will be sad to leave. (Other than not having dogs wake me up 15 times a night.) I wish that we could have a reunion here.

Hurricane Mesa Ranch

I fell into a house/dog watching job. While waiting tables at the cafe in Cooke City, (hereafter called CC) I met some people who are part owners in a beautiful ranch at Crandall, Wy. I watch their 2 evil little cocker spaniels. They will be gone from Aug 5 thru Aug 22. I took some pictures, but haven't figured out how to get them here. You should be glad that you cannot see how truly gorgeous this place is.

One of the other workers at the cafe (Ilona from Romania) and I went to Cody today and looked through all of the fun stores there. She was wondering how many days she would have to work for a pair of cowboy boots. Suffice it to say it was a couple. I introduced her to scrapbooking, and the quilt store. She read a book on the porch there. I, however, had a very good time. She decided that the dogs are indeed evil when they dug through her bag and ate the sandwich that she brought for dinner. Then again at 2:30am when they tore out the doggie door to bark in the yard just outside her room.

This would be such fun without the dogs. I am trying to figure out how I can stay here all winter without the dogs. I could do next summer too, if I got acquainted with the wrangler and could ride the horses. Let me know if you think of how I could accomplish that.

Till next time. Maybe pictures soon

Thought that I would try this blog thing out. My kids have one and I love reading theirs. I'm sure mine will be dull and boring. Now to get the whole thing as organized as I would like it.