Vacation

We just returned from a vacation to Montana and Wyoming. As I have stated before, I like to look for quirky things where ever I go. You really never have to look too far.

This is Wayne's 6 year old niece. She drew a face on a paper plate and stuck it over her face and into her hood. Clever child that she is, it tickled my funny bone. Enlarge to see the face.

This is an owl (I think) that was made from the rear end of a white tailed deer. It was for sale at the miniature museum in Cody, Wyoming. Why, oh why would you make it and why, oh why would you sell it?? I don't remember the price, but a nickle would be too much.

This was a little bear that was hit by a car, so the enterprising businessman stuffed him up for view.

We went and viewed the Cody Dam and looking waaaay down in the water on top of the drift wood was a child's flip flop. I hope there is no meaning in it whatsoever.

As we walked around my home town in Wyoming, we spotted this little guy that was part of the water pipes for the sprinkler system.

This is my son-in-law Matt standing by one of the entrants in the pioneer parade.
Can you believe the outfit that lady is wearing? Me either. Enlarge to see the whole effect.

Have you ever seen a bank this tiny? It is the actual bank of Deaver, Wyoming from many years ago. Here is an article about it.
MyFamily.com - Cowley, Wyoming - View Taggart and Johnson Foil 1927 Bank Robbe

A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes

About once a year, I have a dream where when I am asleep, I think that something I dream is brilliant and when I wake up I realize that it was not all that brilliant but was, in fact, rather silly. Take for instance this dream that I blogged about last year. Click on My Pansy Dream. Well I had one of those dreams the other night. For some reason Wayne and I were staying at the Struther's home. Now they are our neighbors and they are fantastic people, but we have no earthy reason to stay with them and they only live a few houses away so I don't know why we were there. Anyway, as I was drifting off to sleep in my dream, I noticed the ceiling. Apparently Becky had lots of afghans, quilts and small blankets that she needed to store but didn't have the room. Sooooo, she just used push pins and tacked them all to the ceiling. It was like one giant pieced quilt above your head. I thought it was a genius idea and so beautiful. I was thinking I would run home and do the same thing to my bedroom ceiling because I have similar blankets and throws and I could copy it almost exactly. She had beauty and storage all in one "great idea". Oh that clever, clever Becky. I woke up and thought about the ceiling in my dream, which in reality was really pretty tacky looking and full of dust. Well, maybe my next dream will be the idea that makes me millions. "They"say a dream is a wish your heart makes. Now that I think about it though, "they" is Disney and although he makes wishes come true, dreams.... maybe not so much.

Freedom Festival

It's the 4th of July, and we headed to the Freedom Festival in Provo. We had not been before and really didn't know what to expect. It was larger than I had imagined and the crowds made it hard to navigate the sidewalks. Wayne had to be persuaded to go this time, (but he did go) and was a good baby sitter for Emerson as Amy and I went from booth to booth to look at the crafts, art, and "for sale" goodies. A stage was set up for the musical acts that played throughout the day, and since there were lots of food booths, Wayne could feel at home.

Glad we had the stroller and E's backpack leash.

On the way in there was a contraption that you could go on to simulate a trapeze. We never did see anyone that was able to do it. They all fell.


The times that I was at the stage, the musicians were not there. Instead there was a mime.
Not terribly impressive.....but are they ever? They try to get out of an imaginary box and do a sort of moonwalk. Ho hum!


There was a puppet show and E was interested for 10 minutes because of the blue Elmo look-alike, but that didn't last long either.

I liked the Colonial section of the park where people were dressed as, and were doing the chores
as the colonials did at the time. This was the candle maker. It takes 25 dippings to make a candle this size from beeswax.

In the women's tent, this wig was set up. I thought they had big hair in the 80's but this beats all. Can you imagine the heat, dirt and bugs that this hair-do would attract? I am quite sure it was a long time from wash to wash.

This was an ordinary soldier's tent.

One of the soldier's with his canon.

Now here is something I could have used when the kids were teenagers.

Why, oh why did they get rid of stocks?

A colonial lady

The wooden spoon maker must have needed a potty break as I never did see him, but his spoons were wonderful. You could see how he started out with just a block of wood and had to carve each one into a work of art. Now we can run into the dollar store for a set of 3.

The broom maker's outfit and glasses were so authentic that I felt like I had been in a time warp back to the 1700's. He makes his brooms the way they did back then with sorghum straw that he weaves together. It takes skill and an artistic knack to get a strong and handsome broom.

The finished products

Here was the blacksmith making some wrought iron pieces. It was a hot day and his booth was even more so. I'm sure he was glad to quit at the end of the day. It gave me a better appreciation of the real working conditions for those men at that time.

I am also very grateful that I wasn't there with them. Thank you God for allowing me to be born in the the 50's. No, not the 1750's or 1850's. The happy and carefree 1950's where my biggest worry was, "does the fork go on the left or the right?" Freedom....what a wonderful privilege.

This is What Happens

Enlarge to see better.

What happens when you get your entire family....parents, kids, grand kids and dog together for a family photo? Phil Struthers knows, since he was our photographer and neighbor. Luckily he was patient and gave it a few more tries. This is the one that didn't work. Notice
Wes and Amy have their eyes closed, Alex and Wayne got distracted and looked sideways,
Lissie is looking down, Toby is adjusting his hair, Millie is frowning, there is too big a gap between Joey and me and the dog ran away.