Wanna' See...

...some really cool wildlife?

Right beside the road.  I had the telephoto going, and the car between me and him.  Actually, there were others between me and him, too.  I think this is a grizzly, but not completely sure.  Check out the claws.  And yet, the wisdom of the park says the most dangerous animals in the park are the bison.  Which I believe.  These guys are just messier with their claws and teeth.

Coyotes, playing in the morning sun.

We saw five eagles on our float trip.

And three moose.

I see pelicans in N. Colorado, but this is a Yellowstone pelican, so special!

Momma Grizz and two cubbies

And we saw wolves!  On this evening, we were the first ones to spot and pullover (but not for long).  It was dusk and there were way over there.  But still.  We saw wolves!  We think, from our sources it was the Canyon Pack, which has the three adults, white, black, grey.  Also there were three or four little ones. (See a couple in the photo below.)  So so cool.

It was really an terrific experience.

PS The last several photos were taken by Eldest so she gets photo credit!

Well, hello there!  No apologies from me for being away.

See, there was vacation.  Then there was recovery from vacation.  The return week back to work was tremendously busy, too.  No rest for the weary, I guess.

However, this weekend gave chance to catch up, re-acquaint, touch base, and settle back in.

The week in Yellowstone was absolutely grand.  Grander than grand. The grandest ever!  Eldest Daughter and Manfriend made their connecting flight coming to, which I had come to realize may have been a weak link in the whole week's plan.  I was wrong, however.  The return flight, which allowed almost twice as much time for connecting, was an hour late departing.

That pooch was screwed pretty much from the git go.  However, time was made up in flight and cabin attendants said 'please let those like them get off first' and the gates were near each other on the concourse, so with the door closing right behind them! The two made it onto the plane.

Sans luggage.

Which was delivered to them the next afternoon.  Which, for what?  $25/bag, darn well should have been!

But back in Yellowstone, we hiked with rangers (about 17 miles total).  We saw wildlife and wildflowers.  We floated on the Snake River in the Tetons one evening.  We photographed Lake Yellowstone, Old Faithful, and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.  We saw randy buffalo, and thermo-features of every ilk.  We took a ride in one of the old yellow buses. We swatted mosquitoes and viewed smoke from fires.  We ate cheeseburgers.  We had off and on cell phone service, no TV or internet, and manage quite nicely.

Funny though.  We downloaded photos a couple of evenings while sitting in the Lake Lodge.  We were asked by passers-by who saw us working the computer 'do you have internet?'  Alas.  We had to disappoint!  All we had were AWESOME PHOTOS!!

See.  Eldest and I had a plan.  When we were out hiking, one carried their kit lens (and by one, I mean me!) and Eldest carried her telephoto, which is more tele than my telephoto.  Mostly, we were riding from here to there, we both had on our telephotos, the better with which to photograph the critters.  And mostly?  The plan worked.

Want to see?

I am back, and I have photos (Yellowstone and others), news (both exciting and the mundane), and trite exclamations.

Such as...How can this be August already?

Knittin My Own, Part Deux

I had this.

Blue-faced Leicester combed top.

I made this.

2-ply, DK wgt, 525 yards

I changed this way.

Hand-painted with acid dye, shades of Crimson

I took advice, and I knitted with it. It turned out like this.

Sunkist Cardi, with a couple mods, but nothing earth shaking.

It fits, and she says she likes it. So that is pretty sweet stuff for me.  Also, it's soft.

But she said she will wear it later, if I didn't mind very much...like when it isn't 95 degrees outside.

I understand.

My own handspun, handdyed, handknit cardigan. I think I can hang out with the cool kids now.

How I’m Doin’

Another quarter of the year has come and gone. For me, that signals a review of the goals I outlined at the beginning of this year. This will be an interesting check, because I have given them very little thought until the last week or so!
• Finish Grandbebe Bean’s quilt, for one. (last qtr-Pending. Still.) Stitches have been made, so progress! Which is now really really important because another is going to be needed in the near future!

• Knit sweaters (in particular Feb Lady Sweater and EZ’s Green Sweater). (last qtr- Check, and 2 others on the needles. That’s right. Another FLS, and Peasy!) Another FLS and a Sunkist cardi are complete, pretty much, with a Sweet Peasy on the Needles of Iron. ( EZ’s Green Sweater is shelved until Schoolhouse Press does downloadable patterns.) I am finessing this goal now to pullovers…

• Knit more socks (2 3 4 pair). (last qtr-2 adult and a couple for the bebes, but I am only counting the two adult pairs.) 2 more adult pair finished, and two more being cast on for the upcoming road trip.

• Go to Philly (week penciled in). Done! Spectacularly!!

• Go to Yellowstone (reservations made). Lists are drawn up! Packing is happening! Days are being counted!

• Take a photography class (scheduled). (last qtr-Done! Still practicing.) And still practicing.

• Learn to dye? (maybe) (last qtr-Actually. Yeah.) Bought lots of Easter Egg dye on sale…

• Commute by bike (starting in May) at least 600 miles. (last qtr-One month out from starting!) 220 miles.

• Hike 40 miles. Hmmm…probably 6 so far?

• Snowshoe. (last qtr-Uh. Didn’t happen this year.) But maybe this winter...

• Brush off the soap making skilz. Fresh research. Inventory of supplies Progress…

• Learn some different spinning skilz. (last qtr-Navajo! New wheel! Taking the workshop at the Wool Market!) Using new techniques learned at the EPWM workshop. Contemplating a Spinning 201 class at Shuttles this fall.

• Improve photoshop skilz. Some gains made.

• Paint upstairs rooms. Rearranged a craft room without painting. More expeditious that way.

• Rail fence section in the yard.

• Sew some. Some. But minimal.

• Stay honest. Be open. Remember the lessons that brought me here. (last qtr-Now what were they again?) Kidding! Still working this one. Hard.

It’s good for me to work my growth this way, without obsessing, but taking a bit of time to check in now and then. There are a few reminders up there, and there were a few feel-good moments while reviewing, too.

Still plugging along, but I have done some of the things I set out to do this year, too.

(Have I really only hiked (officially) 6 miles…)

Flutter By

Sometimes I just get lucky....

(clicky for biggy)