Winding Down

Our boy is back from Texas for the holiday!

What a great way to start the weekend . . . grandson Ty and the ponies pulled in this morning after driving since yesterday from Odessa, Texas. He'll get a one and a half day rest and then it's back on the road Sunday, the 10th, to Las Vegas and the Ote Berry Junior Steer Wrestling World Championship and the National Finals Rodeo. We'll all be in Las Vegas by Monday, the 11th, to take in a week's worth of rodeoing, shopping at the Cowboy Christmas, visiting, eating, and just plain having lots of fun!

Week 48 is coming to an end which means there're a mere four weeks (actually three plus one day!) left in 2017. As is the mantra every year . . . how did it go by so fast! This last year, I must say, has been a mixed one for the world, this country, this state, and for days on Vine. I'll let the newscasters review everything except the happenings here on Vine as it is way too much to grasp. 

I've been able to keep up with my digital Project Life project and it has been a real joy; especially looking back to Week One. Having left you at Week 45, I will catch you up to the present with our trip to California and back for Thanksgiving and then last week spent at home with a head cold!

Ole' Bob Carr's place on You Bet Road, November 24, 2017.

We traveled to California on Wednesday, November 22nd, making good time across the Nevada desert and arriving at Dad's before sunset. The weather was mild and the property looked just like the park that it is. By Thursday morning, after a good night's sleep, we were ready to face the turkey and thank the good Lord for a bountiful, blessed life. While Dad and Clare went to Bierwagen's farm to retrieve the mail order Thanksgiving meal from cold storage, I took myself out for a walk to breathe in the musty autumn day and, of course, take photos.  Once the dinner was unpacked and organized for heating, we all took a walk and grabbed a few more photos, like this one of the three of us - old, older, and real old! Haha!

Clare, Hazel, Ole' Bob.

By about 2:00 p.m. the turkey was hot, the sides were prepared, the table was set, and the wine uncorked so we sat down and enjoyed every bite and sip. Although the preparation/heating process took a bit longer than I'd anticipated (probably because of the elevation it needed more time at higher temperature), the meal was delicious! The wine Dad had bought for the occasion was the perfect addition; it was so good, in fact, that Clare went Friday to buy two bottles to bring home.

Dad had the table set with autumn placemats that Mom Delta had made for Thanksgivings long ago.

The turkey was tender, the yams were sweet, the mashed potatoes fluffy, the green beans were buttery good, and the dressing was spiced just right. We waited until the sun went down to slice into the pumpkin pie which was also very tasty.

The lovely white wine - crisp and not-too-sweet.

Friday's plan was to drive over to Reno and have a visit with cousin Kathne, her husband Mike, and their daughter Molly. After a short visit at the St. Paul Lutheran Cemetery in Chicago Park we were on our way over the Pass. The traffic, surprisingly, was not too bad, considering that it was the day after Thanksgiving, a Friday, and Boreal Ridge Ski Resort was open (as I imagine resorts like Squaw Valley were too). We pulled into Reno and the Dowd's place shortly after noon, visited with Kak, were introduced to Riley Joseph, the fat cat (see photo below), and when Mike returned we drove to the Stonehouse Cafe for lunch - no leftover T-day! - where we met up with Molly. Spent about two hours laughing, reminiscing, and thoroughly enjoying a lovely meal together. Kathne is our only cousin on the Carr side, being our Dad's brother Silas's only child. It was a tiny Carr-family reunion of sorts!

Riley Jo - the fat, black cat.

Hazel Carr Allred, Bob Carr, Molly Park, Kathne Carr Dowd.

Uncle Bob Carr was the star of the day and we all had a grand time. We said our goodbye's and headed back to You Bet Road. Kathne had come across some old photo albums and boxes of photos and memorabilia from her mom and dad and wanted very much to go through them with Dad; we didn't really have time but Kathne and I have made plans to meet up in a couple months and browse them before she discards them all. Here is one photo that caught my curiosity that appears to be a rare picture of Carr ancestors. 

Charlotte - Could this be Caroline and Job Carr with Grandfather A.B. Carr and his brother?

There was no date and other identification; however, the photo card is marked "Smith [the photographer I presume], Harvard, Neb." I'm hoping that when we sift through her photos again, we will find more relating to the Carr's. 

Saturday, the 25th, Clare and I bid Daddy Bob farewell and set back out for Reno and home. We stopped at the Sands Casino to meet up with friends for breakfast at the Mel's Diner and then got back on the road for home, making a couple stops for fuel and stretching and arriving home about 6:30 p.m. (MST). I craned my head around to capture this spectacular sunset over the Bonneville Salt Flats outside Wendover. 

The reflection on the wet Salt Flats really was impressive.

It was a truly wonderful trip - short but loaded with goodness. 

I'll sign off for now and get back with the last two weeks either later this evening or tomorrow. Time to get dinner ready!

Quick Update

Referring back to this post about our family's vacations to Bridgeport, California in the 1950's . . . my eldest sister sent this photo that she took on one of those vacations in 1957. Her motivation for taking the photo, she says, was not so much the Bambi deer but the chap bottle feeding it!

He is kind of cute, in a 1957 sort of way! (The chap - but the deer is quite cute too!)

Thank you, sis, for sending this; it certainly brought the memories back!

I am going out in the yard today to clear out the flower/vegetable beds, preparing for winter but will be back soon to bring you Part II of our day in Yosemite. 

Later . . .

Autumn Musings

October is the month that truly begins to feel like autumn to me. Despite the fact that there hasn't been any significant rain since September 22, the mountains have turned from yellow green to yellow to orange and on to deep red and brown and there is a snap in the morning and evening air that leaves icy dew on the grass. Although autumn is a time of melancholy for the bright spring and summer, it is my favorite for the rich, earthy beauty it brings. As a portend of winter, it is not a favorite!

Last Saturday we received the news that our fourth great grandchild will be a boy; our granddaughter and grandson-in-law had a little get-together they called a "gender reveal" party and the blue balloons and confetti made an appearance! This baby, due in March 2017, will be our son and daughter-in-law's first grandchild and of course they are insisting that they are too young to be grandparents! As great grandparents, we are over the moon! Four greats - three boys and one girl.

When our granddaughter announced that she and her husband were expecting a baby back in August, I couldn't resist picking up some nursery fabric at Joann's which sat for a month until last Thursday when I broke it out and whipped up a crib quilt. Here is the happy result:

Fun forest animals print

This is the very first time I've broken out the even feed foot and quilting table for my Viking Platinum 750 sewing machine and what fun I had! I wonder why I hadn't quilted like this sooner as I've had this particular machine since 2004 complete with the Quilt Kit. Ah well, it will get some use now as I already have another top just about done for quilting.

Lucky for me, I guess, that the blanket is a hit with the new parents; I didn't know, of course, that the little one would be a boy! In fact, we both were convinced that we'd be having a great grand GIRL!

Yesterday, the 11th, was my dad's 93rd birthday and because we haven't seen him since October 2014 for his 91st birthday, we thought we'd take the opportunity to check in on him. So, in a couple days we will load ourselves into the motor home and trek across the Nevada desert on Interstate 80 to his humble "Northern King" on You Bet Road. We have also decided to go to Yosemite National Park and take in the beauty that is there especially at this time of the year. This will make our fourth road trip for 2016 and, to be honest, we are having the time of our lives . . . you know, living the dream! :)
Here is how Dad looked two years ago. The owner of the Apple Alley Cafe had a breakfast celebration for him and I snapped this photo then. I suspect that he hasn't changed all that much as he's still out splitting wood, tending his four acres, and driving into town. Can't wait to spend a couple days with the old bird!

There are a whole lot of photos and stories that need to be told here about the last leg of our Wyoming adventure and then the six-day journey we took to Odessa, Texas and back in September. Many of the photos have been posted on my Instagram feed but there are stories that need to be documented. I will save those for another day. 

Ta for now!