Not Like This!

I totally stole this from masondixonknitting. It's very funny. Knitting for muggles:

Welcome, wee John!

For the new buckeroo, cowboy booties:


Congratulations Holly and Todd! We're thrilled for you!

Wyoming is Still Wonderful

In case there were any doubts, that is. I can't believe it's been four weeks since we were there (again!), but so it goes. With a third visit under our belts, I noticed a few things: I'm learning my way around the Salt Lake airport, as well as the freeways in and out. The exit at Park City for lunch and groceries? The empty exit that takes us north? Four hours later, the turn off the county road that takes us to the ranch house? Check, check and ... check (grateful for daylight on the last one!).

We spent the first full day riding on the ranch, which was plenty swell. There was alot of sky, alot of grass ...


... and alot of sage.


See that white sliver at the middle-right? That's Kara's house. Yes, We're still on her property:


We had a tagalong that day, a cutie-pie pony, who was energetic enough that he surely put on a couple more miles than we did. He ran way ahead at first, and then thought better of it. I think he was secretly relieved to be haltered and then ponied along for the rest of the trip.:




The heck with Waldo. Where's the moose? Right there in in the scrub -- that smudge of brown and the glint (the paddle of an antler) -- a cow and yearling were to the left of the frame. I'd not seen a moose before, so this was cool.


We worked our way to the top of Merna Butte -- funny how it's always a steeper climb than it looks at the bottom -- I made it handily in no small part to this guy, Big Red.


This is lunch with a view. Looking east and north-ish from the top of the butte. That's the Wind River range pressed against the horizon. Pretty swell, eh?


On Saturday, it was off to Glimpse Lake with a bigger group. A friend of ours who lives on the other side of the Winds drove down and around 'em to spend Saturday and Sunday with us. We hadn't seen him for a few years, so it was a fun surprise. The teeth-jarring drive to the trailhead became worth it early on. This was minutes into the ride. Those are the Winds, much closer this time:


Twisting slightly to the right after taking the photo above, a clear view of Fremont Lake, which we followed for awhile up high, until dropping back down and into the trees.


So, Michelle. I have some major hat envy. To say nothing of your handsome horse. Hi, Wizard.


This would be a parking lot, back-country style.


Nice place for lunch and a beverage, don't you think?


The Fort Robinson bunch. My dirty knee is a nice touch.


Next stop? Trapper Lake, where it was easier for the horses to cool their heels. Or knees. Valentine, there on the left, wasn't so keen on the idea, but Sage/Steve and Wizard/Michelle didn't even break stride till they got where they wanted to be.


Somewhere in the Bridger wilderness, between Trapper Lake and the trailhead, there is a tube of my favorite chapstick. If you find it, uh, leave it be. I might or might not have dozed off on the way back to Pinedale. This was looking out my window of the truck:


On Sunday, off to Hoback Junction, then a right turn, a left turn and a couple of rocky miles before parking the trailer. Not long after we got in the saddle, we came across a couple of hunting parties packing out meat. We tried to invite ourselves for dinner, but we couldn't get anyone to agree. Funny that ...

So, on we went, through the brush -- willows in Wyoming -- rubbernecking, chatting


and following Shoal Creek headed for Shoal Falls.


Yes, this is real. And yes, it's difficult to fit into a camera frame.



We tied the horses deep in the woods in the background and hiked and scrambled and scrambled some more to the spot near the falls where we had lunch and, um, more beverages.

We tackled the world's problems -- glad we got that all sorted out! -- and yes, it was pretty funny. Michelle isn't the only one who can rock a cowboy hat!


A few more pictures, for good measure. It's difficult to see, but the slabs were lined up like slices in a loaf of bread.



We won't talk about our misadventure getting back to the horses. We were not lost. We weren't! Let's say we took a walk before riding back out. It was just as beautiful heading out as it was heading in.



We kept trying to cram it all into a camera frame, of course.


Kara came close with this one. If I had to pick a single favorite image from the trip, this would have to be it:


Thanks, Kara, for another great weekend. Happy Trails.

A New Dog Toy

What could possibly be better than a kong with peanut butter? A woodpile with a chipmunk:


They do this for huge stretches of time.


It has never occurred to either one of them to jump the fence and visit with Titan, the dog next door.


The woodpile is getting a little ragged looking and Henry tends to lose his head.


But, try as they might, Chippie always wins.

AzGym's Turn to Sparkle

Everyone's favorite Grandpa horse had his turn to shine last weekend, when he delivered the groom to his wedding at the Hindu temple in Maple Grove. Yes, he's wearing the headpiece upside down -- it was way too big and he couldn't see, so we spun it around. No one seemed to notice or care. A quick test drive to make sure he wouldn't mind his new clothes and that lurking umbrella:


Check and ... check. Next up? Load the groom. It was a bit easier said than done, but we made it. A last-minute addition of earplugs -- loud music! fireworks! -- and off they went.




For being such a good boy, he got a little extra grain in his bucket when he got home.

Pure and Simple, Another Sweater

Clearly the yarn still looks gray, but I swear it's still navy. And, it's been reconfigured into this sweater, which has been done for a month or so, but I, uh, forgot about it. I know. What kind of knitter forgets about a sweater. One who finishes it during the 95-degree, 95-percent humidity days of July, apparently.

No extra charge for the silly model, who was a good sport in agreeing to pose mid-hairstyle! Even she noticed how nice the yarn felt, especially after it had been blocked, when it got even softer and more against-the-skin friendly. The next time I use this pattern, I will make the V deeper than written -- ventilation being an utmost priority these days. ahem ... -- but it fits its recipient flawlessly, which is what counts. Also in the done pile? This:

Is now this! I love it!

Even Mr. Denney noticed ... and asked for his own. Not being a bright-green kind of guy, he quickly added that he'd rather have gray. Or brown. Have I mentioned that he is the King of brown and gray? He will have to wait because I've recently dove into this wee assortment of Rowan yumminess:


We'll see what happens.

Yarn on the Hoof!

This is college move-in weekend for my favorite sophomore, but that doesn't mean there hasn't been time for a couple of side trips for Mom and Aunt Donna, who very graciously did the legwork so we could spend a Saturday afternoon ... where else? In a barn. Or two.

Barely 10 minutes from the house -- dangerously convenient! -- and we wove up the driveway at Tryphon Farm, near Waynesville. Owner Marian Davis introduced us to her herd, who were quite curious. Perhaps they'd never seen anyone from Minnesota before. Funny how courage grew in direct proportion to the quantity of snacks being offered, including by this guy with the blue eyes. Quite striking!



Marian had a few sweaters as well as some roving -- "It's like a cloud!" Donna said, with her arm buried up to her elbow -- as well as some aran or maybe even light-bulky yarns. She also had a sturdy dark grey worsted weight that would be perfect for a man's sweater. Inquiring minds might like to know that her property is for sale, so this could be the perfect opportunity for a lovely little farm and a fabulous way of life. You're welcome.

After a quick trip home to check on the dogs, it was off to Stewart Heritage Farm. We spent at least an hour with owner Brenda Hanes, chatting in the barn and feeding more snack-happy alpacas, and then dodging some curious chickens as we visited the boy-flavored alpacas in a nearby paddock. The fleece on the animals, including Mr. Pushy Boy, was very lovely and the colors were so rich! All that brown and grey! Kinda made the knees go weak, says the queen of ... brown and grey.

Brenda took these pictures in the third paddock, which was all girls, except for one little boy who probably will be moving to the other dorm soon. Some of them were a little stand-offish but most were very friendly, especially after they realized we had some feed in our hands. And, we found out quickly who was the mom of Mr. Pushy Boy. He comes by it naturally. By the way, want to start a small alpaca riot? Bring out some sliced carrots.


There were some beautiful animals in this group, too, and it was fun to hear them hum and click at each other. One of my favorites was the one with the speckled neck -- Brenda said that she has friendly days and not-so-friendly days and Saturday was definitely a friendly day. She. Liked. Me. And I liked her, too. Check out the little black one with the white brow. How cute is that!


Brenda had been to a farmers market over in Yellow Spring in the morning and it sounded like she'd gotten a fair lot of business. She carries yarn and mentioned some rugs that I would like to have had a look at, but it was getting late and we didn't want to wear out our welcome. And, my favorite college sophomore was waiting for us so we could go to dinner.

By the way, if you're looking for some brain candy, have a go at some books by Sally Goldenbaum. "Death by Cashmere" and "Patterns in the Sand" won't change your life, but they're a fun read. If you like them, they are part of a series.