Winter is Definitely Here

Well, all righty then--woke up this morning early thanks to my husband and Emmi. Shortly after getting up the rain started, a few hours later it turned to snow and has been snowing all day. No accumulation yet, it melts as fast as it falls but they are predicting 1-2 inches tonight.

Our Jazzy girl hated rain and Emmi is no different. She just could not understand why I was making her get wet today in order to do her business. And, she did not get a walk today so has been wild beyond belief!

My poor flowers are done for and that stuff on the deck is snow.
Michael worked out in the shop, he is building me a shorter table on which to mount my longarm quilting machine so I can take it south this winter.

I started working on a secret project today, made great headway and Barb came up to use the longarm. I really enjoy teaching people about longarm quilting and she is a quick learner.

First fire in the fireplace today and Emmi is confused cause we had to move her crate to another location other than in front of the fireplace.

Another Load of Firewood

OK, Niki, here is my fuzzy worm and yes, winter is coming. It was 85 degrees today and the high tomorrow is supposed to be less than 45 degrees with rain. It was a beautiful September and tonight Michael and I had dinner on the deck.

We went up into the mountains again today and cut firewood, doesn't our stack look great, we are ready for old man winter.

This is a photo I took of the frost melting off the trees and roof yesterday morning when it was 20 degrees!

I know that I have said many times on this blog that I am so thankful for my handy husband, well, these photos prove how handy he is.

Broke Explorer

Fixed Explorer with less than $500 worth of parts.

My friend Cheryl that I found on Facebook called me this afternoon. We spent a long time chatting--it was so great to hear her voice, I think she speaks more southern than she did before! I was speaking southern before our conversation was finished.

That's a Big Motor Home

Oh, my--we started out this morning to wash and wax the motor home. About 4pm, we finished. That is one big vehicle!! It looks great now, though.

Barb came up to use the longarm machine and I did spend some time helping her in between waxing and rubbing on the motor home. And of course there was Emmi to contend with! She got into those nasty, sticky little green things again today and I spent about 30 minutes combing them out of her wild hair.

Only recently did I succumb and open a Facebook account--I couldn't understand the attraction but my niece Niki posts photos often and I enjoy seeing those. Today I learned what one of the main attractions to Facebook was--I reconnected with a friend who meant so much to me many years ago and for some reason we just slowly lost contact. Cheryl worked with me as a nurse in Little Rock and then moved to Texas. When I divorced, I also moved to Texas. Cheryl was my rock and support through a difficult time in my life and I don't know that I ever gave her credit for that. I am looking forward to reconnecting and hearing more about what she has been doing the last 15 years.

That's all we did today--oh, almost forgot, I did give Kathy another computer lesson and didn't have to use the ruler on her knuckles once!

Oh, and my flowers are done--we had a heavy frost this morning and it got cold enough to freeze and break one of the lawn sprinklers.

Dinner With Friends

Well, my Explorer is looking pretty good, Michael finished it up yesterday. Nat came up for lunch and I made meatloaf--I have a fabulous recipe for meatloaf, the best ever tasted!

Here is a not so great photo of the Aero Garden. I should have little green sprouts soon!

We went from upper eighties to upper sixties yesterday morning via this cloud bank you can see rolling in. This morning it is 20 degrees and the water from the sprinklers froze on the trees.

Look at all the "whitetails" run.

Last night we spent an enjoyable evening with Nancy and Geoff and Boo and Terry. I cooked those marinated steaks and steak fries. Boo and Terry brought fresh corn out of their garden and Nancy made a wonderful apple crisp. This group can talk politics without fear of offending anyone and the conservation was lively to say the least. A great evening!

A Billings Trip and A Busy Saturday

Yesterday my quilt machine renter had a change of plans so we decided to make a trip to Billings. We got a late start and thus were late getting home, too.

What to do with Emmi--too hot to take her with us and Nat plays cards in the afternoon at the Senior Center on Fridays. So, Emmi went to Steve and Jeane's--they have two dogs of their own, a Corgi named Gizmo and a red Setter named Red. They are also baby sitting a border collie about the same age as Emmi. When we picked Emmi up last night she was exhausted and Jeane said their dogs were too.

Michael got the bumper back on the Explorer today and if you didn't know it, it would be hard to tell we hit a deer! A $500 fix instead of a $4000 fix, jeez that man is handy! We carried liability only insurance on the Explorer--it is over 9 years old and has 130,000 miles on it. Both of us are good drivers--I've never had an accident (knock on wood) and Michael has had one accident way back when he was a teenager--so we took a chance and had only liability insurance. Sure am glad I have that handy husband!

I planted the Aero Garden today that my friend Nancy gave me and did not want back--can't wait to see those basil and lettuce sprouts!

Late this afternoon I had a hankering for ice cream and was brave enough to drive the VW to Big Timber to get some. I got all the way there and back in the VW, YEA!


We disturbed this big guy and his harem this morning on our walk.
I don't like venison but if this keeps up, we may have venison! I was in the bathroom which looks out over our backyard and saw movement in the reflection of the mirror--I turned around and there was this guy snacking on my flowers!

A Surprise Evening

What happened to the morning, the first thing I know it is time to start lunch for Nat and Michael!

I did a little cleaning in the motor home in preparation for our trip next weekend but that's about it for the day!

My friend Nancy has those Aero Gardens--you can grow herbs, lettuce and a variety of other things in the winter under grow lights. I first read about them on a blog I follow, Patchwork Times. When at Nancy and Geoff's for dinner one night I noticed she had a couple of the gardens all planted. One of her gardens stopped working and she offered it to me knowing that Michael can fix anything. Well, he did fix it very easily and I think I better offer it back to Nancy! It just seems so cool to be able to grow stuff like lettuce in the middle of the winter!

Hasn't Emmi grown a lot???

When I went up to Nancy's to get the Aero Garden this afternoon she invited me to go to Big Timber for a trunk showing at Cinnabar Creek--our friend and neighbor Shirley was going too. We had a great time and I found a fabulous jacket and made good use of my birthday gift certificate from Nat. After all that shopping we went to Chives for dinner--great fun.

Back up the Boulder dodging all the deer--a very pleasant evening with good friends.

Firewood Cutting and Squash

This is the first year in a long time that I have planted a garden. Our growing season is so short it is often frustrating to try and grow anything. But this year I did it--I got a late start and will start earlier next year but I had lots of lettuce, radishes and peas all summer and finally I am getting some squash--aren't they beautiful--Michael doesn't think so, he hates squash!

Today was deemed a good day for firewood cutting so I put together a picnic lunch and off we went. It was a beautiful, beautiful day and we got a huge trailer load of firewood. Emmi went along but spent most of the day in the truck out of harm's way.

I promised a photo of my bear quilt and here it is, doesn't it look great??

Tomorrow we are off to Billings and Emmi is spending the day with Granddad. I am so excited, the first weekend in October we are going camping with my good friends Jane and Rich in Yellowstone National Park!

Quilting Club

Cold again this morning with frost. Last night just after going to bed I thought I heard a strange noise--in a few minutes I heard it again--it was elk bugling!! When we first built this house almost 8 years ago we heard elk often in the fall, then the wolves were re-introduced and the elk left. I love to hear them talk to each other. Then we started hearing another strange noise almost like a barking dog right off the deck, never did figure out what that one was then an owl started to hoot. It was a regular menagerie around here last night!

I spent the entire day getting ready for "Quilt Club." A group of quilters has decided to form a loosely knit club meeting once a month in the quilt shop in town. I was asked to talk about my quilting business so I scurried around today (nothing like the last minute) and put some things together. I quilted an example of several designs on muslin and created a flyer. Various names for this club were discussed such as "Quilt Club", "Friendship Quilters", etc. We will vote on a name next month. Most people brought their sewing machines me included and worked on some project--I got the borders finished for a fall wall hanging. It was lots of fun and I won the door prize--two fat quarters of fabric and a charm for my scissors so I don't lose them. I do love this quilting business.

Lily's quilt shop is located in a historic building that used to house a clothing store even when Michael was a child.

Michael and Emmi coped without Mom tonight just fine but she sure was glad to see me when I got home and so was Michael.

Frost on the Pumpkin

BRRR--a chilly 28 degrees this morning and frost! When we took our walk and the clouds moved to reveal the mountains, we saw snow on the mountain peaks.

Lonn called early this morning and made Michael an offer he couldn't refuse. The owners of the ranch Lonn manages are building Lonn and LoraLee a new home. The house they currently occupy and many of the older outbuildings are being torn down. There are 4 working garage doors and openers in one of those buildings--we could have the doors in exchange for removing them. That's where Michael has been all day! I have a homemade pizza in the oven--he is probably going to be very tired.

I spent some of the day working on my bear quilt and it is finally finished. I started that quilt two years ago when Nat had his heart surgery. It looks great--I will post photos when I get it on the bed tomorrow.

After lunch Barb came up and finished her quilt that was on the frame and began to get another one ready for quilting.

Emmi's friends went home this morning via Michael and I think she is glad to once again be the only child. She was filthy so a bath was in her morning.

Emmi chased poor Spunky relentlessly all weekend as if to say, "I know I can catch that fluffy tail, I know I can." This morning she was successful in catching the tail and pulling it earning her a well deserved snap from Spunky.

Quilting Lessons

OK, will I ever finish that bear quilt?? Seriously, today was taken up with quilting but with teaching someone else how to use the longarm quilting machine. My friend Barb came up after lunch and we had a lesson and then we loaded one of her quilts on the machine and off she went using a cute pantograph with bears and trees. Pantographs are printed patterns that the quilter traces with a laser light. This quilt is for the bed in their cabin up the Boulder. The pattern she chose is perfect!

Michael spent the day fixing the VW and working on friend Steve's engine for his 1947 truck. Michael was saying at dinner that he doesn't know why he didn't have a shop before, he enjoys tinkering with stuff so much--I'm glad he has a shop now!

Emmi spent the day chasing those two other dogs and is once again exhausted.

A photo of Nat in his sawmill. It makes my heart skip a beat to know this 87 year old man is operating a sawmill but it is something he really enjoys doing.
The three dogs out for a walk.

Our weather has certainly changed--rain, wind and rather chilly today.

Art Walk and Dinner

Yesterday Michael puttered with the Explorer most of the day. Lonn and LoraLee decided to be gone for the weekend and we offered to keep their two small dogs at our house. They have four other dogs (yes, 6 dogs) , the Bichon puppy went with LoraLee and the 3 cow dogs stayed home, thus we got the two in between ones, Zip, a Schnauzer mix and Spunky, a Pomeranian. Emmi is one exhausted puppy tonight--she has chased and chased until the other two dogs are sick of her.

Last night we went to Big Timber for the Art Walk--a cooperative art gallery has opened in Big Timber, a donor bought the gallery a building and it is a very elegant place for such a small town as ours. We stopped in at the other stores and galleries that were open, too.

Dinner was at the new restaurant again, Chives. It was a very unusual September night, we ate outside and it was still warm at 9pm. We were a big group, Geoff & Nancy, Terry, Jill and their young adult children--Kerri, Fritz and his new wife Amy. Steve and Jeane completed our group. We had a marvelous dinner and such a good time visiting we almost forgot to go home! But, Emmi was waiting at Nat's so home we went.

Today I was determined to get that bear quilt finished and on the bed in the motor home but fate intervened! We needed to go over to Lonn and LoraLee's to check on the cow dogs, horses, etc. and took the VW. On the way home it died--friends stopped by and picked me up and took me home. I was on my way back with the truck when Michael drove by in the VW. Another friend stopped by and had an air compressor so he could blow out the gas line--worked like a charm. That VW is starting to get on my last nerve!

So, now we are relaxing, Emmi is sleeping as are the other two dogs.

No photos tonight, Blogger is having an attack of some sort.

The Airport and a Smokey Evening

The first year in a long time in which we haven't had smoke from summer forest fires and the USFS decides to do a controlled burn. About 7pm the wind changed and our little valley just filled with smoke--our eyes are burning, that's how heavy it is. The burn is being conducted in the area where friends Ellie and Dortha and my sister Ann and her husband Danny and I hiked this summer. Wish the wind would change in the other direction!

Smokey sunset.
Can't hardly see our mountains for the smoke.

Today Mom and I went to Billings to pick up friend Mary at the airport. We got the oil changed in Mom's car, did a little grocery shopping and went to a store to pick out part of a surprise for a friend from Holland who is having a baby. During all this Michael kept calling and sending me here and there for parts and pieces to fix the Explorer. I visited an auto salvage/junkyard today and sorry Geoff, I wasn't impressed. The part I picked up there was over 5 feet long--OK, we are in Mom's Camary--had to put one side of the back seat down and slide it through. Then we picked up paint. I still had Costco to go and Mary's suitcase. We were one packed little Camary on the way home but we made it.

We enjoyed a wonderful supper and visit.

Mom and friend Mary who is going to ride back to Arkansas with Mom.

Farmers Market

We took a walk yesterday morning and saw a gigantic offering left for us by a bear. Sure glad he was off taking a nap when we came through!

Mom learned to paper piece and I patched a pair of Michael's jeans--seems as if his knees wear out before anything else on his jeans.

Emmi was sure she could tackle this tumbleweed into submission.
In the late afternoon Mom and I headed to Livingston to the Farmers Market. I had never been and figured that this late in the season there would be lots of produce and I wasn't wrong. I bought heirloom tomatoes, regular tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce (my garden is done) and swiss chard. We also indulged in a bag of kettle popcorn.

Then we headed back to Big Timber and the Stampin Up card making party at Barb's. She taught us to make these really cool little bags for holding Halloween treats. And she had lots and lots of new stuff to show us.

It was after 8pm when we left the party and we slowly drove home--I am just a little deer shy now and took it really slow--didn't want to hit a deer with Mom's car.

Today we are off to Billings to pick up Mom's friend Mary at the airport. The two of them will then leave tomorrow morning and slowly meander back to Arkansas via the scenic route.

Where Did The Day Go

I'm not sure what we did today but the morning flew by and all of a sudden it was a quarter to 12 and Mom and I did not have lunch ready for Nat and Michael.

This is a photo I took on our walk this morning, the fall colors are starting to appear. In the past we had a small herd of elk that would appear in the neighbor's hayfield above our house in the fall. We could hear them bugling in the late evening and early morning. When the wolf lovers re-introduced the wolves to Montana, the elk disappeared. This morning early when Michael took Emmi out he heard an elk bugle.

After lunch we got a wild hair and decided to go cut firewood. Michael loaded up the chain saws and off we went up the East Boulder. We got a very nice trailer load of firewood without too much trouble, now we are all relaxing including Emmi.

Making Jam

Mom and I decided to get started this morning and use up the apples we picked when my sister was visiting. We made 18 jars of caramel apple jam--YUM!

After the jam was made and the kitchen cleaned we had turkey sandwiches for lunch then went to town. Mom had an appointment to get her hair cut. Before going to the hairdresser, we stopped to see Jill at her office. Jill has been doing Weight Watchers and looks absolutely fabulous! She had on a great pair of jeans and a beautiful white shirt today--very put together! Jill treated Mom and me to coffee drinks at Cinnabar Creek.

After the hair thing we came home and I began to put together homemade pizza for supper. I am using the bread dough from the book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day and a pizza recipe from a blog I read written by CJ.

Mom went out to the garden to pick lettuce for salads to go with the pizza and picked my first squash--now remember I live in Montana where nothing can go into the ground before the first of June and if you want to be really frost safe before the 15th of June. So, we will have fresh squash tomorrow--Michael doesn't like squash--it's a good thing he doesn't as this squash is just enough for Mom and me!

Mom Arrives and Dinner At 12 Springs

The bear quilt is finished--well, the binding still has to be sewn on but the quilting is done. I'll put the binding on tomorrow and hopefully it will be on our bed in the motor home soon.

Mom arrived about noon and Nat also came for lunch, we had burgers on the grill. We just spent the afternoon visiting.

In the evening we drove over to Lonn and LoraLee's for a wonderful dinner with them, our granddaughter Katie and one of the couples who own the ranch, Susie and Ron. It was a great evening and the VW got us there and back without any walking, peddling or pushing!

Isn't this guy gorgeous??

LoraLee had a breeding pair of Yorkies and sold them recently. She still has two of their puppies to sell. This little white Bichon named Sadie is about a month younger than Emmi and gave poor Emmi a run for her money tonight. Emmi sought my lap on more than one occasion during the evening!

Emmi has the wildest hair, I brush it and ten minutes later it is wild again. It doesn't help matters that she loves to dig and explore outside either, today at lunchtime she came inside with the dirtiest little face and paws. She is definitely not a foo-foo mutt!

Projects

Michael spent the day getting caught up on various projects--he finished working on the motor home and parked it back in its spot. He sawed into firewood the boards his Dad had made when using the sawmill to cut lumber. But the best think of all--he made the VW run again and thinks he may have solved the problem!! It still needs work--the blinkers don't work, the driver side door handle won't open the door from the outside, etc. but at least it runs!

I spent the day quilting again. I was going to make several batches of the carmel apple jam but discovered I didn't have any brown sugar.

Yesterday I went to town to meet Ellen for lunch--she was treating me for my birthday. It was wonderful to visit with her--she has been in Seattle since May and it was good to see her.

Friday evening we joined all the other friends and neighbors at Nancy and Geoff's for dinner. George and Shirley have been gone most of the summer to their condo on Vancouver Island fishing. So, for dinner they provided salmon--it was delicious! Robyn and Claire and Boo and Terry were also there--a great evening! Emmi also got to go along and she behaved herself. George and Shirley's dog, Cedar, was not impressed with her at all!

I took appetizers to the party last night and Jim and Ellie's habenaro/peach jelly was a hit!

We are over run with grasshoppers and Emmi has added them to her diet--UGH!

Life Is Good

As I type this Michael and a high school friend Sarge are sitting at the kitchen table telling old stories to entertain each other and me. They are talking about Michael's uncle Bo who had a hunting camp for 50+ years in the back country on the border of Yellowstone National Park. Sarge is a pilot and does crop dusting in eastern Colorado but has bought a condo in Big Timber for retirement. We had steaks on the grill and the ice cream/chocolate chip/raspberry dessert, YUM!

Michael worked on the motor home today and almost has it back together--we may take a trip. I cleaned house a little and quilted the rest of the day in between baby sitting this puppy. The next time I need a dog, someone remind me how much work puppies are, please!

On our walk this morning we saw this bird--couldn't tell what he was, probably a hawk or eagle.

She is sure we can't see her!Life is good.

It's Official, Fall Is Here

It was 30 degrees this morning and we had a light frost down by the creek--I think we can officially say that fall is here. It warmed up to a glorious 75 degrees this afternoon, a beautiful day.

Michael decided to take the VW to town to pick up his motor home parts. He made it all the way to town and back to our driveway before it died. He also ordered some more parts for the VW while he was in town. The rest of the day he worked on the motor home, got the leaking hydraulic pump fixed and is now working on putting insulation all around the engine compartment--there used to be insulation there but it has fallen off over the years.

I spent the day quilting--got two rows done on my bear quilt in between baby sitting Emmi. She is getting more and more self sufficient and is just starting to go to the door to let us know she wants out.

All the ranchers are cutting their second and last hay crop of the season.
Isn't that the sweetest face?

My quilting helper--lots of help isn't she??

Jelly and Lunch

Michael woke up a little on the glum side this morning and working on the motor home did not improve his disposition! Now the power steering and hydraulic pump is leaking. By the time I got back from town, though, he had the pump off, our local parts store has the gasket and his mood was much better.

I started the morning out making chokecherry jelly getting another 11 half pints. Then I cooked a batch of Judy's Carmel Apple Jam, can't wait to try it in the morning, it smelled delicious while cooking.

I also made a trip into town to take Jeane a couple of coolers so she can transport cold stuff to ID for her son's wedding this weekend. We had lunch at the Grand and a good chat. We wish Reed, Hilary and Hilary's twin daughters the very best as they start a new life together.

Our hops has grown by leaps and bounds this summer--now we need to figure out how to make beer!

The poor broke Explorer--that was one big deer we hit going 70mph!

My jelly and jam.

My camera came back home today and the thread I ordered last Friday also arrived--now I can get started on that bear quilt.

A Birthday Party and A Wreck

Yesterday morning we all took a hike around our usual path and then Ann and I decided to pick some more chokecherries--got another couple of ice cream buckets full. Jill's Nutri-Steamer worked well again and we got 2 quarts of juice to make more jelly. The rest of the morning was spent cooking for the picnic we had planned for today.



About 2pm we headed out for the annual Reedpoint, MT Sheep Drive. Many years ago one of the 100 people in Reedpoint decided that if Montana could have a centennial cattle drive then why couldn't Reedpoint have a sheep drive. The drive caught national attention and an article even appeared in the Wall Street Journal about an earlier sheep drive. There are vendors, an auction to raise money and the sheep drive. The proceeds from the event support community projects as there is no city government or budget. Danny and Ann enjoyed their first ever sheep drive!

After the sheep drive we all went to Nat's house in town to freshen up and drop off Emmi. Then it was on to Steve and Jeane's for my birthday party that Jeane was so gracious to host for me. I have the bestest friends! It was a great party, good friends, wonderful food--even a birthday cake! We had a wonderful time--thank you so much Jeane!

Steve, Arch and Michael.

Jill on the left, Jeane in the middle and Jeane's daughter Jordan on the right.
Terry, Mark and Gwen

Deb and Jill

Danny and Ann

Today, my birthday, we went to Yellowstone Park to meet Mom and Chuck for a picnic. What a wonderful birthday weekend I have had! Present, phone calls and cards! The park was wonderful today, not as crowded as the summer, cooler weather and a spectacular picnic even if I did make some of the food!

Danny and Ann had decided to get a hotel room near the Bozeman airport for tonight instead of getting up at 3am to make their 7:30 flight tomorrow morning. We were on our way to Bozeman, going up the Bozeman pass when we hear Danny say loudly, "There's a deer and he is going---" WHAM! There was another car in the passing lane, Michael had no where to go and we hit the deer dead center with the front of the car. The front of the Explorer is a mess! But no one was hurt except the deer, the air bags did not go off and we got Danny and Ann to their hotel and we are home.

An exciting end to a great time of visiting with my sister Ann and her husband Danny.

Bears, Hiking, Jelly and Apples

Last night when it started to get dusk we walked over to the ravine near our house to look for bears. All four of us were sure the critter we saw making the bushes move was a bear eating chokecherries. Nope, when the critter finally showed herself, she was a big black cow!

This morning after breakfast Danny, Ann and I took off for a hike--the same hike I did with Tammy and with Ellie and Dortha this summer. A nice, less than 3 mile easy hike. We got back just in time to fix lunch for Nat and Mike who had been working on the motor home again. I made a sour cream pound cake that is to die for--YUM! We had that with fresh strawberries for dessert.

After lunch Ann and I decided to make chokecherry jelly from the juice I made the other day. We got 12 half pints of jelly--it is such a pretty deep red color.

The other day on Judy's blog she had a recipe for carmel apple jam and I wanted to try it. Our friends and neighbors Russ and Eileen had lots of apples and said we could have some. We went over this afternoon with a bucket and a ladder and picked apples--tomorrow we will try the jam recipe.

Sunset last night while we were "bear" watching.
Danny and Ann on our hike this morning.