Mt. Washburn

Last Thursday a group of us went hiking up Mt Washburn in Yellowstone. Jan works next door to the cafe at Buns and Beds. Carol and Barbara are summer residents.

We met in Silvergate at 9am. Jan drove into the park and an hour later we were at the Chittenden road parking area where the trail up Mt Washburn starts. It was a glorious day. Sunny, (I left my sunscreen in my car) warm, no wind. A perfect fall day.

We strolled up the trail that used to be a road. We saw a band of sheep on the ridge and grouse below us on the hill. The Clark's Nutcrackers were out in force. It took about 2 hours to climb the 3 miles to the Lookout.

We ate our lunch, talked to the ranger (who had saved a friend of Barbara's from a heart attack 2 years ago), looked at the new fire and decided that Barbara would go back the way we came and the rest of us would go down the other side. Barbara was going to get the car and drive to pick us up. She had done both sides before and the rest of us had not.

We had a great view of the fire that really started to put up a column as the day got warmer. Yellowstone Lake was in front of us in the distance. Good company, great day, and my new hiking shoes were wonderful.

Cooke City in the summertime

It has been really cool and wet this year here in CC. But the upside is that the flowers are GORGEOUS! I went out on one of the few days off I had last week and took some pictures. (I really need a good digital camera.)

I have been working alot this year. I have been flagging on the road construction. (It is ALL the flagger's fault that there is road work) working at the Beartooth Cafe, watching the evil dogs, (still the best view in the world) and cleaning cabins for the Stillwater Outfitters. I also went home and ran the fireworks stands. Whew!!

Back to the pictures. Here are a couple of them. I nearly got carried away by the mosquitos while I was out. I had them in my nose, my ears, the camera case, my car..... I think the last one flew out while I was in Rexburg for Benj Jackson's wedding.

NEW CAR!!!

At last we have a new car. We really didn't want or need one till December, when we wrecked the old one. I really liked that car, my Explorer with the leather seats and all. It took me alot of great places. Sadly, it quit being our car after a skid on icy roads just out of Biggs, Or.

So, we have been making do with one and half cars. (Another whole story about the old beater that at least go me to and from Hamilton for the last 4 months.)

Yesterday (David's birthday present to himself) we went car looking and found one. It is a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder. I imagine that it will find plenty of paths on it's travels with me, starting next week when I go to Moses Lake to watch the boys while Ashley and the parents go to Seattle for surgery. It even has 3rd row seats, so I can get all of the boosters and car seats in it.

Here she is. We haven't named her yet. But we're looking forward to lots of fun together.

"New Bedroom"

We started redoing our bedroom a couple of years ago after a trip to Bend. Actually, we went to Prineville, to the best antique store in the world. They bring stuff over from Europe in containers and it is really great stuff. Anyway, we found an armoire (that I wanted) and while i was waiting for the key to said armoire, David showed me a bed that he liked. The bed just happened to match the piece that I was looking at and so, we bought them both. Buddy and I brought them home when we took the trip before he left for boot camp. So, lets just say it was 2 years ago. At long last, this weekend was a 4 day one, so we tore the bedroom down, got out the wallpaper, and went to work. It turned out pretty good, but just isn't a big enough room to do what I really wanted. (He wouldn't knock out the wall to the closet and pantry.) I just need to finish the quilt, that will take some time because I'm not crazy about how it looks at the moment, and it will be as done as it can be right now. The airplane pictures have to go, I'm hoping they sell soon.

Family pic

I took this picture myself,(with Colleen's camera) when Paige got baptised on Jan 1, 2009. We missed Brenna and Arlis, because they were smart enough to not come in the awful weather. We had a good time together in spite of all the commotion and upheaval that the weather caused. I have always loved pictures of all my kids together and here is another.

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.