Tuesday April 7 2009

Last Night - Bondurant Weather Cam

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HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAY

AND MANY MANY MORE

My Friend of Many Years, Kay.

I think she's asking whether we like

this painting better in landscape or portrait.

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Saint Kay

LATER: Well some of you have already figured out I never made it to Charm's for the day. I'd been having a headache for several (four maybe five) days and by Tuesday night and all day Wednesday it was pretty awful, along with terrible restless legs and other stuff all at once. Mainly I'm calling it a sinus headache. It just really wore me out. Didn't sleep much Tuesday night and stayed mostly in bed on Wednesday dozing, sleeping or watching old movies on TCM - at least there were some good ones on. By Wednesday night I was able to fix us a fairly decent dinner. And that was my day.

I was sorry not to get to Charm's. I know they had a great time and a wonderful lunch (taco pie!) Anyway Gina took a few pictures of them at Charm's that you can see. Gina put the pictures on her blog http://www.horseback41.blogspot.com/ if you want to check those out. If I'd gone, I'd planned to show Kay herself on the blog, but missed that chance. Kay doesn't do computer, so she wrote me a note on Charm's computer about her pictures above. I can imagine the giggles over that and the input and expertise they were all giving Kay on how to use the computer! I bet that prayer is what got me better.

OUR DEAREST FRIEND, LYNN.....WE'RE THINKING OF YOU OVER ANOTHER GLASS OF FINE WINE...OUT OF THE BOX...AND HOPING THAT YOU ARE FEELING BETTER. THANK YOU FOR THE BLOGGY BIRTHDAY GREETING... I'M HONORED BY IT THANK YOU FOR BEING SUCH A WONDERFUL FRIEND...WE MENTIONED YOU TO GOD DURING OUR LUNCHEON PRAYER...WISH YOU WERE HERE... IT;S A BEAUTIFULDAY AT CHARM'S...A RARE CHANGE FROM ALL THE WIND...I LOVE YOU;;; SEE YOU SOON!!!!!!!!LOVE KAY

EARLY: Sunny and warmer. Today we're going up to Charm's at Boulder Lake Ranches to paint - our small Tuesday Group. They call it the Splinter Group, The Whinoes, and now the Tuesday Tarts (no not farts), of Mixed Media. I'm looking forward to a wonderful day getting into the mountains and being with the friends. I'll probably come back and write a few words about the day..... Later.

Monday April 6 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MELITA

Have a great trip home to Switzerland!

Melita and I have had wonderful, fun, special

times together. She is a good friend.

For whatever reason not feeling the greatest this morning. Maybe its that time of the month. Sat under the hot shower for a while after I got up. Am waking up earlier now that the daylight comes sooner. I want to walk if the wind doesn’t blow. But Joe took the dogs and went out to the ranch this morning. So will go this afternoon and it should be warmer then.

Was glad for the snow for the moisture that came night before last. It sure went off fast and right into the ground. It's sunny and cold, without a cloud in the sky this morning. Will pay a couple of bills and see if I’m smarter than the TV receiver Smart Cards and get them in. Got a load of laundry in and its ready to be folded. Am going to get my recycling bins set up. I finally found some I like at Walmart last Friday. Have to straighten out a wall in the garage to get them where they will be convenient. I vacuumed and dusted the house. No other plans so far.

Tomorrow we're going up to Charms at Boulder Lake for our Tuesday art group. A few of us are going to carpool. I’m just going to bring my little cotman watercolor set or I might not get up the stairs. I might like to do some more horses running in the snow. It will be more like a colored sketch than a real watercolor painting. Am really looking forward to that and it will be a nice outing to see the scenery up there again.

It's the birthday of the Shoshone woman Sacajawea, born in Idaho (1789), who served as interpreter for Lewis and Clark's expedition while she was a teenager with a two-month-old baby.

Panorama View from Bonnie's Window

Three Dogs Get Acquainted

Run

New Friends Holding Tails

Bonnie and Annie Oakley

Joe Clears the Deck

Snowy Lacy Branches

View from the End of Our Street - looking NE

"The Boys" Run - looking south

That's Pine Creek View From Up Our Street

You Can't See It From Our House Because There's a Hill

Panorama View to the West

Beverly called last night and we talked for a long time. I had said two or three days ago I'd call her back in an hour or so when she last called because I couldn't talk very long. I'd been meaning to call ever since. Bad Mom! Joslyn called from Nebraska this morning and we both talked to her. They had been having a blizzard for two days with a foot of snow and terrible wind.

Woke up early to about five or six inches of fluffy snow that had fallen in the night. It was beginning to clear up and there was a weak sun pillar and a sun dog rainbow in the east. We did have a sunrise, but it clouded up quickly. Got up, had tea and a sticky bun from the bakery. Watched some of the BYU channel for a while, a lecture and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. No Church today because it's conference.

I got bundled up and took the dogs for a walk up the street since the wind wasn't blowing. It was cloudy and about 14 degrees. The snow had already settled down som. They ran and ran, especially Raven. Waved at Pat as she drove by going to church? with her little dog in the car. Joe shoveled the front walk and the deck. That new scoop snow shovel he got sure works slick. Looked at backed up email, didn't do much with it yet except get it read.

Bonnie and Craig invited us out to lunch so we got ready and drove out there a little before noon. They have a "new" dog, it was her son's - they live "next door" - but guess it liked being at Bonnie's better so moved in with them. She is a lab and maybe Australian shepherd, still a puppy. She looks a whole lot like Clinker. So we gave the three dogs a little getting acquainted time. Bonnie fixed us a wonderful fried shrimp dinner, with green bean casserole, crescent rolls and fruit salad to die for. We had a nice visit and came on back home - maybe about 3:30. Saw some deer. The snow went off surprisingly quickly and the roads were clear both ways - wet going and dry coming home. Most of the day it never got over 28 degrees, but late afternoon I saw 34. It cleared off and we had blue skies. Hope it stays that way for a while.

Betty called and we talked for about an hour before dinner. Neither of us can believe how the time goes by. Lucky she has free minutes. I read the new emails and downloaded the photos I took today and got them sized for the blog. Sorry if I put too many on, but guess that's what I do.

Saturday April 4 2009

Bondurant Elkhorn Store

Battle Mountain and Hoback River

Going Snowmachining - Granite Creek

Hoback River

Coming in to Jackson

Field at Wilson

Field at Wilson with Horses

Snake River edge of Jackson

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The Doctor's Office at Wilson

Back of Albertson's Store Jackson

WILL THE ADVENTURES NEVER CEASE!!

I'll skip a post on Friday and just combine Friday and Saturday in this post.

FRIDAY: Yesterday Charm arrived at the house about 8 a.m. She is getting over a cold, so she wasn't feeling the best either, but said she was good to drive me to Jackson. The weather was much better than the 100% chance of snow and 20 mph winds predicted. The roads went from snowpacked to icy to wet to dry, with mostly dry on the way back home. I guess we were just in between these storm pulses that have been coming through. The drive was beautiful with the fresh snow piled on the pines and as Charm mentioned the hills looked like marshmallow. You think the landscape is white until you see the highlights of the sun on a snow cornice or mountaintop. Mainly in the Canyon the snow was still over the fences, and more or less in other places. The Hoback and Snake were up and flowing, dark and ice free. I didn't take many pictures, since I've got too many of that trip already. Got another rock ding on the windshield from a passing truck. Ow!

The plan was to go right to KMart, and Charm left me there for about an hour and a half to get through my large list. I did get a basketful. And did what the economists on TV are telling us to do - "Spend your money"! I got about everything that was possible to get there that was on my list except Joe's eye drops and my Metamucil. It has been a long time since I stocked up at Walmart or KMart. While I was in there Charm went to Wilcox Gallery and a store that had cards. She got a couple of new art books. From there we went to The Bunnery and had a delicious lunch - they had their clam chowder. I got some of the pastries from the bakery to bring home.

My doctor appointment was at one so we drove out to his office in Wilson. Saw an osprey on its nest as we crossed the Snake River bridge. Charm let me out at the door and went to park. Lo and behold there was a sign on the door that the office was closed - they were all on vacation - there must be ten doctors in there and all of them apparently gone for two weeks. I finally got a young woman to answer the back door and she said they really were gone and Dr. Meno wouldn't be back for another week. I whined about how far we had driven and that Charm had come even further to drive me. She apologized nicely but didn't have anything to do with it. I left my appointment card with her to give the office staff, signed my name on it and said I wouldn't be back. She said she didn't blame me. Another lady, probably also a patient, came and stood forlornly reading the sign as we left.

So we contemplated whether to go anywhere else just for the fun of it, but decided just to go to Albertson food shopping and come on home. I also got everything there I had on that list plus the eye drops and Metamucil. What a wonderful produce section they have there compared to what we get in Pinedale. There was a huge pile of legs of lamb and I seriously thought about getting one, but didn't. Maybe later. I do like lamb. Never could figure out why most people don't like it. So we started back home and got to Pinedale about 4. It was also a nice drive home. I'm so grateful for Charm, and all my other friends, driving me and for the good companionship along the way. It's a great way to get a visit in.

Got all the bags of stuff put away, put the new set of towels and rugs into the washer, and by then was pretty pooped out. Joe asked if I wanted to go downtown to eat. I was about too tired to even eat, but he drove us down and we went to the Chinese restaurant. He had friend shrimp, one of his favorites, and I had fried rice. You can't believe the huge pile of rice the waiter brought, so that will probably be lunch today. WENT TO BED.

SATURDAY: Had a nice apple turnover for breakfast. Yum! I'm sure I won't see another one. Another cloudy day, but just a breeze so far. I watched the Salt Lake news and they said if people had to travel to Wyoming -"Just don't go there". The freeways are still closed along with many roads to the east. At least the temperature is warmer if nothing else. So the snow is mostly melting off. We have our big drift in the back yard. The front is mainly bare.

An interesting thing is happening. The dogs seem to have learned on their own to stay out of the mud. And there is horrible mud out there. They just walk on the snow. I'm sure they don't like that sticky stuff on their paws. The time will come - when the snow is gone - that it will be muddy and they will have no choice. I told them a few times "Don't get in the mud" and when they came in, they hadn't. Not sure they comprehended that or not. But I think that's a very good thing for them to realize on their own - both of them.

Will just have a restful day. I keep eyeing "the studio". I'll try to go in and do some painting. Think I'll make a chicken and broccoli casserole with that big wad of Joe's steamed rice from dinner last night. That's the leftover chicken from back when we had chicken and dumplings. I had rinsed it off and froze it. Got a bunch of emails waiting for me to read. Might organize the linen closet since I got another set of towels and a couple of rugs and it's kind of a mess in there.

WHATEVER HITS THE FAN WILL NOT BE DISTRIBUTED EVENLY.

MY MOTHER NEVER TOLD ME THESE THINGS - I WONDER WHY

Lies My Mother Told Me
by Elizabeth Thomas

If you keep eating raw spaghetti
you'll get pinworms,
then I'll have to make
a necklace of garlic for you to wear
each night while you sleep,
until they go away.

If you're mean to your younger brother, I'll know
because I have a special eye
that spies on you when I'm not home.
You cannot hide from it,
so don't try.

If you touch your "down there" any time
other than when using the toilet,
your hand will turn green and fall off.

If you keep crossing your eyes
they will stay that way
until the wind changes direction.

It is bad luck to kill a moth.
Moths are the souls of our ancestors
and it just might be Papa paying a visit.

If you kiss a boy on the mouth
your lips will stick together
and he'll use the opportunity
to suck out your brains.

If you ever lie to me
God will know and rat you out.
And sometimes God exaggerates.
Trust me — you don't want that to happen.

Thursday April 2 2009

Cookstove at an old cabin

If you click to enlarge you can probably see

the beautiful emblems on the doors.

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Nanny wrote after I posted this and said:

"I KNOW WHERE THAT STOVE LIVES

and it is a Beauty for sure..

a lot of food has be prepared and served

to a lot of hard working Folks... "

She's right!

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Charm sent us this picture of a young moose and said:

"This little moose was ravenously munching on

foliage outside my window.

I wonder where its momma was.

Poor little hungry scruffy thing. "

Just to let you know - I'm up and feeling much better this morning, but not with much ambition. That's not unusual though. Took NO prescription pain pills, but one alleve.

It's cloudy and snowflakes keep sifting down. There's a little brightness as if the sun is trying to shine. The temperature is just hovering around freezing.

Joe's been to coffee with the dogs. He's back up in the attic again. Guess its good for him to have something to do. I haven't done anything yet, so not much to write about. Things to do - a load of laundr, read two days worth of emails, and get the blogs written for the last two days. I may or may not make it to the store, which I've been going to do all week and not accomplished yet.

Charm will pick me up about 8:15 or so in the morning and we'll go to Jackson for some shopping, lunch and my appt. with Dr. Meno. I probably won't get a blog done tomorrow as it will be a long day.

Kay Abeyta wrote this today and it's got more truth than most of the things I stick in the blog.

I love you Kay.

PLACES I WOULD RATHER BE RIGHT NOW:
"I am OK with where I am at, Life changes so I make it good wherever I’m at.
What God brings me to, He will see me through. "

Wednesday April 1 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR DEBBIE

Today is Debbie's Birthday, and hope she has a great day. She does a lot of nice things for other people - volunteering and just offering her help - and here she is painting the closet in Betty's "Dog Room" a couple of years ago. It was always hard to have her birthday on April Fool's Day. But it was a special day for me when she was born and special to celebrate that.

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An April Fool that None of Us Know.

This is the unfinished pastel of a cow and calf moose.
Still need to finish the foreground, and tweak the anatomy of the moose.

This morning I went to the Wednesday painting group that always meets at Rendezvous Pointe. Vicky had just baked cookies and there was coffee. First we watched a video that I took about Maynard Dixon and they seemed to enjoy it. The usually watch a lesson on video but this was a documentary about his life and artwork. We had watched it at Mixed Media a while ago. Then we worked on our artwork for a while.

I was going to meet Joe at Rendezvous Pointe for lunch, but had just gotten sicker and sicker, so when the meeting was over at noon, I found him in the dining room and told him I couldn't eat and was just going to go home. He had lunch there.

The problem probably was that yesterday I started on some new and stronger pain medicine. You might remember I told about getting it prescribed several months ago when I was having so much pain from the port, just before they took it out, and being afraid of the side affects so never started taking it. Well, I've been having more and more pain likely from the "arthritis?" I've been having for some time and thought since I was going back to Dr. Meno on Friday that I'd go ahead and try this pain medicine so I could tell him if it worked or not. I took it Monday night and Tuesday morning and night, and again this morning. And this morning I didn't have any food with it, or for whatever the reason, and got pretty dizzy (which it can do - another thing they told me is YOU CAN STOP BREATHING!!) and I just came home and went to bed. All I had to eat was two of Vicky's cookies all day. When I got up to cook Joe some dinner about 5 p.m., I tossed my cookies (HA!). So had Joe finish up his dinner and went back to bed. I also began to itch all over but didn't get any rash. The nurses said I might have dizziness and perhaps some other side effects but that I'd get used to it. I'm not sure I want to try it any more, although it sure did get rid of the pain and I was good on it for a day - Tuesday went to Melita's and was out of pain. So Friday I'll tell Dr. Meno about it and see what he says. In the meantime I'm not taking any more of it. Just kept sleeping all afternoon and all night.

When I got to feeling better about 9 p.m. I called Debbie to wish her happy birthday and we talked for a while. They are getting the plumbing laid in their new house now, and the cement foundation should be poured next week so positive things are happening there. They are waaaay behind getting it started to what they had planned.

'Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain.

April brings us Dog Appreciation Month, Pets Are Wonderful Month, Holy Humor Month (for lighthearted worshippers), National Kite Month and National Poetry Month, Knuckles Down Month (for marbles players), and International Twit Award Month giving the Most Tiresome Wit [sic] of the Year title to some unwilling (but deserving) celebrity. US income taxes are due in April.