Big Springs Trail

Even though the rest of this Utah spring has been cloudy, cold and wet, last weekend was beautiful! Hot, even summer-like! Ryan, Dingo and I decided to take advantage and drive through Provo canyon. This is what we found!!

Funny photo for today.

Bonding with Baby Mike! ..maybe his foot was cold.

Oh ...Fort Collins.

We need to stroll back a bit to my old Fort Collins days and a few of the people I miss ...and have an afternoon at the O'Dell brewery! (of course)...with a fisheye camera!

xoxo...

Feel free to ad-lib.

Enjoying employment.

Not sure why, but I have put off this blog for a bit. Maybe it's because I am at work so much that I feel like blogging about other things. A conflict of secrecy also clouds about the room because I design things, and they aren't sold yet, so I cannot publish photos of what I am working on.

I was hired a few months ago as an Assistant Designer/Pattern Drafter for a very fun company called Little Adventures. We create washable, wearable children's costumes. I happily spend my working days ruffling puffy skirts and applying sequin.

Here are a few photos from the office.


One of many machines I sew samples on ...file this under job perk!!

Miles of sparkly sequin trim from China ..3 cents/yd.

Hot pink serger thread ..a staple at Little Adventures, how perfect!!
Sewing machine refuse ...lots of it.

Flooding of Murray City Park

For the last week, the creek that runs through our city park has been steadily rising. We noted the change and started taking photos on Saturday. The Creek overwhelmed it's banks on Sunday, and now seems to be level, if not receding a little bit. Here are 3 photos from the last 3 days!



Saturday. Ryan and I having a nice stroll with Dingo. The trees in the background is where we usually walk.



Sunday night, 10:30ish. Our road was closed and the police directed us into the park to turn around. Those are picnic tables!!



Monday evening, about a half hour ago, right near State street on the side of the park. The whole area is taped off to the public now.

Saturday's stationery.

I love writing letters, second only, perhaps, to receiving them! I seem to always be involved in writing someone. If it isn't the physical act of pen on paper, then I am cutting and taping envelopes or developing film to be glued onto postcards.

So ..it's only natural that I chose to spend a good deal of my Saturday off covered in glue and paper scraps. Usually there is glitter in that list too, but today I toned it down a bit.

Here are some of my favorites from today. They haven't been written in yet, that comes next. And surprise, some of you will be getting them very soon. Keep an eye on your mailbox ..xo.


Yes folks, that certainly is a hat filled with kittens!! Erica, are you jealous?

These are a collage of old photos, printed in black and white and then watercolor painted!! These are a repeat project I loved them so much!

Awesome old stagecoach! This one is being mailed to Quinn ..I made it with her in mind.

All old phots found on http://old-photos.blogspot.com/

What's happening.. journal entry.

Some of you, my friends and family, know that for years now I have been keeping photo journals. Ideas, photographs, thoughts, things I find inspiring or important. This outlet for me has become very important to who I am, and has morphed along with my many moves and travels and captured a visual history starting from when I lived in Logan, Utah and my friend Home gave me a blank book.

Now, with my new, garage sale scanner, I have an opportunity to share some pages with you!!

Here is one from today.




Feel free to request ones from the past if you would like to see them again and cannot freely come over for a beer or a cup of tea!!

Photo of the day.

This photo was taken off Antelope island earlier this spring.

Mike and Mike ...and Erin and Brad.

My beautiful sister and her family were just here visiting and my nephew is growing so fast!! Here are some photos from the visit!




Hammin' it up!




Brad, giving himself a little photo-finger love.



Chillin' with Grandpa!!



Helping Grandma heal!

Memorial Day lll, The Water Stand.

This is an amazing picture for all of you readers that know my wonderful dog, Dingo. He is afraid of water ..always has been, but in his older age, he has let up on a few of his fears, and as this photo shows, he is letting his adventurous side out ..and into the water. He's so cute!

Memorial Day; the squeakquel.

After much running about with motorcycles, we retired to my parents cabin and did some manual labor. Here is a sequence of photos; a tribute, to the new green roof on the old house:
(feel free to comment about snow removal or giant leaps of faith)



A corner of the old roof, about to get a make-over, with a view of my parents house.



Old roof and soon to be power tool wielding Ryan.



Monkey on the roof ..also soon to be wielding power tools!



That's my dad, he's in charge. Look how good the new roof looks!!



Done! ..at least with the big pieces!

Memorial Bike Rally

Happy Memorial Day!

The first warm-ish weather Holiday in the intermountain west brings leather clad riders, their motorcycles and beer tents into my home town; Evanston, Wyoming. It's called the 'Freedom Rally' and this year hits its 12th year running. Ryan, Dingo and I decided to enjoy part of the long weekend amongst it.

Parley's Canyon

Salt Lake City is a fun place to explore, and has alot of easily accessable areas. After work one early spring day, Ryan and I drove up above the mouth of Parley's Canyon and took a short hike.



Dingo, enjoying the local vegetation, with a view of the canyon behind him.



A local climber enjoying the warm weather.



The view from the canyon, looking west over the valley!!

Hiking

Many of the major moves that I have done in my life have happened in January. An interesting time to land in a new place. My move home was one of these moves. I was so excited to get outside that Ryan and I started hiking the local canyons in the snow. Now that the weather is getting better and land is getting green, we are not the only people on the trail.

A few weeks ago, I decided to introduce Ryan to Logan, Utah and one of my favorite hikes in Logan Canyon; Spring Creek Trail.



This short, steep hike wanders up the canyon wall and curves through a large, fossil filled rockslide before shooting straight back down into Stillwater Campground.



This Cairn was waiting for us when we arrived.



This is the type of fossils that can be found in the rockslide. Unfortunately, this rock was too big to carry out with us.



This rock was much smaller and easier to pack out, we gave it to my mom for Mother's Day.

It was a beautiful day to be introduced to Logan, and Ryan enjoyed the hike, the moose we ran into near the rockslide, and the tiny camo hat we found at the campground.



"Winner, Winner, Turkey Dinner!"

Wagons West

So aside from the photo of the Great Salt Lake, it may not be apparent that I have moved out of New York and back out west. Well, I did (smile) and I love it! Being in New York was a mixed experience for me. For a while I was overjoyed to be there, loving the sights, shopping, and easy transportation. I relished the freedom and opportunity that the city had to offer. Then, as money got tight and my dream job was unreachable due to the climate of the economy, I grew to see it for what it really was. And then I started to feel stuck and unhappy. The realizations that I came to are as follows:

1.) I am not a city girl. I thought that I was, but no, I am a country girl and I am proud of it.

2.) New York is too far away from my family. Yes, my sister is still in St. Louis, but that is still accessable, and 2 out of 4 is far better than none. We have more opportunity to all be together.

3.) My mental happiness can be gaged by how much outside time I get. Winter is low. Summer is high:)

4.) I'm a much simpler person that the people of New York.

5.) Quiet is wonderful!!!

6.) Driving, also wonderful.

That isn't the whole list, but for now it will do to get me back connected with this blog and you who read it.

Scanner Sweetly

It's amazing what a small bit of knowledge can bring to a person. Thank you Mikey G. for introducing me (monkey-see, monkey-do) to the simplicities of owning, and using, your very own photo scanner. You see, I picked a nice HP scanner up at a yard sale today (for 4$) that scans things!! ..amazing. ..now I can reintroduce my non-digital images to the digital world. Here is my favorite image of the last few weeks, and my tester run with my new scanner!!! Thanks, Mikey!!

The family expansion...

Here it is, aside from my half sister, whom I don't really know, my family has added a new member, branch and level. Our small spread out group has created a new tab, the next generation ...and he is beautiful. Sure, sure, that is what every blood relative says of the new members, but it's true. He's delightful. He screams and gurgles and lolls his head around and we love him all the more for it. Life and love have changed for me, and it's a great place to be.
xo.

Subway system...

It's really extraordinary, the amount of time that I spend walking to trains, waiting for them to arrive and then riding them. This is one of many subway platform views that I see on a regular basis (read: everyday), and although I am a big fan of public transportation ...and really do like the above ground platform more than the below ground one, I am really looking forward to sitting behind the wheel of a car!!

Thanksgiving squared!

It's been a very long time since I have uploaded anything to this sight and I guess that a second Thanksgiving post is the perfect way for re-introduction. I have spent the last year in New York City. It has been testing and frustrating. I have learned things about myself that I would have never learned any other way. I have stuggled and been frantic and lonely and yet had days where I drank coffee out in front of the store and quietly enjoyed the sunlight hitting the West Village in front of me. My friends from home have pushed their way to the surface and shown me that we are a different breed of people with different wants and needs, and my friends here have been supportive, though vague and absent at times. This city really forces you into self involvement.

That being said I would like to welcome you back to my blog ...which I hope to be more attentive to from now on ...no city=more time.

These photos were taken walking through Central Park directly after the Thanksgiving parade! Though the parade was fun and things were floating, I felt that the park was prettier, with just the right bit of calm and color and at times that is what we need more of!
Happy Holidays! xoxo!