September is gone 9-30

Larry sent some pictures of the area in Idaho where fire camp is for the McGuire Fire.

Fire camp city there in the distance.

Bye bye to September, hello October...our month of fall colors here.  Autumn is my favorite season in spite of the flower garden slowing down, I love the cooler temps and watching the colorful transition into winter.  

Right now at 9:30 p.m. it is still 72 outside...  That was for Larry who is in central Idaho where the nights get down into the 20's and they are lucky to see anything out of the 60's during the day.

The sun is at a pretty angle in the morning this time of year.

I've been hanging with Gracie and working on my knitting/crocheting projects.  Also I have been spending time with Me, meditation, contemplation and energy work.

Our daughter Andrea and Scott changed their wedding venue to Tahoe and I will have a guest this coming weekend that I need to get charged up for...hahaha.  Connor our almost three year old grandson gets to hang with Grandma and Gracie.  I'll see Ian a little bit coming and going, but he will spend the weekend with his Dad whom he hasn't seen since July.


Nothing much else is new with us.

Incoming!  I didn't see him when I snapped the picture.

This bush has gotten enormous, it is over 3 foot wide in any direction,
and you can see the gorgeous blooms!  I wish you could smell them!

Murphy visited 9-27

I had just told my sister that I hadn't noticed the bear through here lately and I was thinking of moving the trailcam from its place viewing the garbage can.  Gracie and I were heading for the mailbox via the garbage and we noticed that it was tipped over.  The bear was very neat...it carried the bag down to the meadow and ripped into it there, but didn't spread it all over the place.  The sprinklers came on in the morning and rinsed everything off so it was easy to pick up.  

Woo hoo, the camera was still pointed at the garbage can.  I was excited to see the bandit caught red pawed and see what happened and ran into the house with the camera card, plugged it into the computer...AND.......blank....nothing...not even the neighbors cat.  The batteries were dead....dang it all!!!!

The only other thing of note is that for the past week almost daily large flocks of pelicans are heading south.  I can't keep my eyes open...so ta ta for now!

Quiet Day 9-25

Just me and Gracie doing our thing.  Another glorious day in paradise.  I photographed my most recent finished projects and the roses caught me eye....

My very own Infinity scarf.  I finished
it awhile ago, but just got it blocked.

My Summer Shawl...finished finally...now that summer is over.

The stupid program turned this on end.
Gracie found this big guy...it's dead and huge.

Stunning weather 9-24

Having such stunning weather.  Warm, breezy, busy bees and birds.  The only blight is Larry isn't here enjoying it with me (he's freezing his hiney off in Idaho) and the sunlight goes away much too soon.










Gracie guilted me into going for a walk, but because of her, the past six/seven weeks I've probably walked more than I have all summer and I'm doing it briskly.  It just makes my hips sore for a little while after getting back home.  She lounges in the sun in the garden while I make my breakfast and then she lounges some more while I eat my breakfast and I enjoy the flowers, the bees, watching the birds and listening to the birds sing and chatter.  I usually can't resist taking a picture of something and I usually get to working in the garden, but I resisted today.

The turkeys roost in those ponderosa pines

I finished a couple of crochet projects, then washed and blocked them.  Started another crochet project, while working on a knit project too.  Edited some pictures and talked to Larry on skype for awhile...it isn't great, we can't do video, but as he doesn't have cell service and the land line phones are tied up with the fire people it beats nothing.  It keeps him from waiting until they're all done out there and then freezing his butt off out there after dark talking to me on the phone.

Gracie likes to dig in the gopher holes.

Isn't she pretty!?!

Don't they just look snugglie!

Gracie's photo shoot 9-22

Happy first day of Autumn!

Her sultry look

I finished Gracie's sweater today.  The first sweater I have ever made.  It was made with a wool-acrylic blend so it will be warm and washable, and thick yarn so worked up quickly.  The stitch used is squishy (garter stitch) and makes Gracie look a little like a brown armadillo, but we were going for quick and warm and not fashionable.  What is funny is she didn't mind wearing this as opposed to the little dress she modeled a month ago...so apparently she has an opinion.

Larry says the smoke is really bad up there.  One guy was sitting down and a fly dropped dead into his lap...everyone figured lung congestion.  You know the smoke is bad when the flies start dropping dead from the air.

The back of this rose was glowing in a sun ray and caught my eye

The roses are still going strong!

Last day of Summer 9-21

It was a beautiful last day of summer.  I went to pilates.  After eight months of building strength, flexibility and alignment and working the legs, arms and core somewhat separately we have graduated to harder whole body exercises, the challenges keep it interesting and seeing improvement is encouraging.  I've come a long way baby!

This series of pictures is from my chair in the garden
this afternoon and of my view...to the left...

After changing and playing with a happy to see me back Gracie it was time for breakfast in the garden.  The goldfinches were at the birdbaths today, a few days ago it was the bluebirds.  I was going to finish fertilizing the rose bushes, but it was so lovely I just decided to sit in the garden and enjoy it this afternoon.  There was a breeze that was the perfect temperature that some times bordered on windy but it kept it from being stuffy.  White clouds were starting to wisp in.  I had a snack, water, phone, camera, KindleFire and my knitting...I was set for a couple hours.  I wish I could do video so you all could have heard the birds singing in the trees around me...the little finches and other small birds get to going and it is so pretty.  

....and around to the right....

The only blight was the quarry was busy all day so every once in awhile I would hear the crash of rocks into trucks, the beep beep beeping of backing up trucks and the steam engine sounding rock crusher/conveyor chugging away below.  You usually don't hear much from them in the afternoon, but I was still hearing back up beeps at dusk so they must have a big order they are working on.

And UP! 

The clouds covered the sky by late afternoon and though they were thin they made it still and heavy feeling.  So I took advantage of the lack of breeze and sprayed the roses.







Larry says it has been cold and smoky and today the smoke was very heavy and ash was falling.  The smoke ceiling is 12,000 feet and reaches all the way to Bozeman...a lot of air traffic is being diverted, there are just a lot of fires raging away in Idaho.  With the smoke so bad there hasn't been any rotors turning Larry says.

These pictures are from a couple days ago, smokier then this today.
Larry's camper home away from home.

That's the helibase trailer with the wind sock and
to the right is the truck/camper behind the tree.  The yurt
is a temporary fire camp office.

A Beautiful Day 9-20

I forgot to show you my Martha Stewart comforter set I replaced the too small set I first had.
Bad grammar, but you get the point.  I love this one and it is a much better quality.

I am managing to keep the "master suite" coordinated, new towels, sheets and flannels.
The bathroom has green tile back splashes and weird blue/green counter and these towels
work perfectly.  My past m o with sheets and blankets is to buy whatever color I like whether it
matches the comforter etc.  I've decided to be tame.  Now I still need to find new curtains and a
headboard and I am entertaining painting the wall behind the bed one of the colors from the comforter.

The chrysanthemums in these two beds are starting to pop. 

Larry emailed me a bunch of pictures of his current location in Idaho.  I'll post some tomorrow.