Home again, home again, jiggity jig!

We are back home from a trip which took us up to the tip-top of the US, for a family reunion at my brother's home in Montana. Since this was our vacation, we decided to camp for the two days it took us to travel there. We began the first day by climbing from our Colorado valley up over Douglas Pass, from which it seems like you can see forever!


We were passed by a nonchalant herd of big horns, and I sketched one in my new travel sketchbook, to find that the paper does not like watercolor or wet media at all, so I would have to use colored pencils for the remainder of the trip. Quite a disappointment, and something to learn from: TEST sketch materials before leaving home next time!!


Another learning situation: you notice my sketch page lists a mountain lion as part of the wildlife we saw? My husband always says to me, 'if you really want a picture of something, just let me know, and I will stop or go back so you can get it.' Well, I saw a large golden brown animal hunched over something near the road we were traveling. My mind quickly went over the list of what it could be: A cow? No, too low to the ground. Deer? No, too big..... The only thing I could not eliminate was a mountain lion. This mental process was pretty quick, but not quick enough to shoot a photo as we traveled past. The animal was busy and not going anywhere, so I asked my husband to turn around and go back. He did not do it. Yes the road was a bit narrow, and there was some traffic, but he had promised me, hadn't he? Well, now he, and everyone else will just have to take my word that I'm pretty sure I saw a lion eating it's kill.


We arrived at our first campground to find it was a large lake, with lots of boats and RV's (we tent and truck camp) and almost no shade! But I saw this at the site next to ours. I went over and visited with this oil painter, and enjoyed the talk, seeing how she paints, and sharing the tiny bit of shade she had found. What I did not enjoy was the group of kids that yelled and screamed on the other side of us until well past midnight.


The end of our first day of vacation.

I will share a bit more of it with you, but I do promise not to bore you with my family reunion play-by-play.

Now that I am home, I will begin getting the loom ready to weave the Nativity tapestries. Today, I'll select and order the yarns I'll be needing for it.