Grandma Barbara's Art and Photos

Love Vibrant Day Lilies

2012-02-20T18:30:00.000-07:00

Daylilies have got to be the world's best flowering plants. Such a magnificant show! I raised oddles of them in my garden and had such fun photographing them.

2012-02-10T08:16:00.000-07:00

Ohhhh, the nostalgia of the dainty blue ForgetMeNots!

These grew under the ancient pine tree in our backyard. A delight to see, but sticky and funny to touch.... much sought after little angel-flowers.

I wish I had them planted over my precious husband's grave here in Utah.

I cannot not forget him.... every moment of my life he is here with me.

Hope he doesn't forget me.

2012-02-09T18:25:00.000-07:00

White tulip, and Peach Melba tulip. I love these colors. Spring is coming and I'm looking through the pictures I took of the hundreds of tulips I raised in our beautiful backyard in Boise. Each spring the yard started to come to life..... the roses put out new reddish leaves, muscari came up everywhere, and the jonquils and tulips burst from the ground and took over...... what a heavenly sight..... a delight just to be there. Gardening is so rewarding.

Utah Pumpkin

2011-11-05T09:32:00.000-06:00

I think I will save some of the seeds from this pumpkin. It has a beautiful color, size, and just fits the season. Since it is snowing today, it seems like a nice idea to take its picture.

On to The Old West Town of Tombstone

2011-03-28T10:32:00.002-06:00

Tombstone lives up to it's name. (giggling) Instead of green lawns there are replicas of tombstones in the yards. And dust, and weathered wooden fences, and dust, and hot sun, and dust..... And did I mention the soil is so dry that there is dust everywhere? We watched a staged "shoot-out" and cheered when the victim got up, dusted himself off, and went to the bar to wet his "whistle."

Flat, comes to mind when you try to describe this quaint little town. Dusty and flat. We got ourselves some tasty western hamburgers at a cute little western restaurant, then packed up our horses and got out of there. Fun place to see, though.

Grand Canyon to Kingman and Surprise and Phoenix City

2011-03-09T09:54:00.000-07:00

We stayed in a nice motel in Kingman and liked it. The next day we drove on to Phoenix, .... but to our surprise and delight we passed through the Town of Surprise on the outskirts of Phoenix. Our daughter called and said she was tracking us on her map, and wondered if we had seen Surprise yet. I laughed and said Yes, as a matter of fact we had just driven through it.

We fell in love with the beautiful city of Phoenix. Hospitality was great there, no matter where we went. We visited the University campus, toured the Doll Museum, the Firefighters Museum, and the Police Museum. My husband is a retired policeman with BPD and so he loved seeing these. Driving through Phoenix (off the freeway, of course) we found lots of beautiful surroundings, plus the usual casual living areas in the downtown part.

From the Hoover Dam to the Grand Canyon Skywalk

2011-03-06T09:57:00.000-07:00

http://grandcanyonskywalk.com/
This is a neat web site showing a video of the famous skywalk. Fantastic! I loved walking on it. Awesome view and friendly folks there.
The drive to get to the west side of the Grand Canyon was a tree-lined dirt road. Lots of dips and not many cars. Very interesting drive.

So, on to Henderson, Hoover Day, and Lake Mead

2011-03-05T09:56:00.000-07:00

See the men clinging to the work in the air?

This is a nice web site for the City of Henderson
http://www.cityofhenderson.com
If I were ever to live in a nice community in Nevada, Henderson would be among the top of my list. Sunny, quiet, clean... sunny.... (I like the sun better than cold cloudy days). Henderson is close to Lake Mead, (which was an eye-opener... when we finally saw it).... and the fantastic Hoover Dam. They were in the gigantic process of making the new highway over the dam when we drove through there. That project was a REAL "turkey-necker". But I got a few neat pictures.

As we drove through town toward Lake Mead, I could hardly believe my eyes. The water level was very low and there were no trees, or anything that looked inviting. I guess by the time water from the tributaries that feed into Lake Mead, was diverted for other projects, the inflow into the Lake is greatly diminished. What a horrible shame. The town is so inviting and pretty..... I almost could live there....

On to Smoggy Las Vegas

2011-03-04T09:42:00.000-07:00

As we drove the desert highway southwesternly, to the famous Las Vegas area, we were fascinated by the numerous industrial mines and factories that we saw. I think they get a lot of the stuff that goes into concrete, etc. from those mines. Very interesting area. They dotted the high valley floor, and were surrounded by snow capped mountains.... These mountains didn't have trees on them..... just desert mountains that we love to see. Hiking and horseback riding come to mind when I see them.
Entering Las Vegas we just kept the "pedal to the metal" and drove straight down the freeway that runs north to south in Las Vegas. That's when we discovered there is a North Las Vegas, where the famed NASCAR race track is, and a South Las Vegas, where new developments are springing up all over. Side note here: My grandson's wife's (adorable woman) father drove his nascar in a race there and did pretty good a few years back.
Anyway, I snapped pics of LV as we zoomed through, and despite the awful smog, I got some good shots. Looks like a mad-man's nightmare down there where all the tall skyscrapers are. Some of them were colored "gold" (if you can imagine - shaking my old head). "Sin City" is a nickname for this spot, and I'm thinking it has honestly earned the name. (tsk tsk tsk) (giggling)
In South Las Vegas I began to see why folks from everywhere would like to retire there. Very pretty and clean and new. However, no lush green lawns like we have here in beautiful Idaho. Such a shame.
We drove right on through, to Henderson, NV. Nice place.

Traveling on to Mesquite, NV

2011-03-02T15:00:00.000-07:00

An abrupt change meets a traveler when you get to the end of the Virgin River Canyon, and meet Mesquite, NV. The climate there is like Las Vegas, warm all the time. Lots of Utah folks like to go there in the winter. They say Mesquite is a nice town,.... could be.... we didn't see much of it. What we did see was ok, quiet, clean, and friendly. We stayed at a hotel by a casino.... The biggest change for us was all the great big expanse of paved and quite elaborate parking lots. I guess they get lots of big motorhomes coming in and like to accommodate them. Nice. We traveled with Toodles (our 4 pound toy poodle) and so the hotel put us in the "pet friendly" section. Our view was of the dumpy, trashed, weedy lot used by pet owners and their dogs. We kept the curtain closed. (giggling) (who likes to watch dogs going to the bathroom?)

March Trip, Virgin River Canyon Drive

2011-03-01T07:54:00.000-07:00

I can't say that the Virgin River Canyon drive is beautiful, but I can say it is awesome! Until you've driven it in your little car, you have no idea what "feeling small" feels like. Gigantic rock walls are all you see...... period. But what a fantastic view it is. I love the rock formations that show the shifting of the rock plates over the centuries, the coloring of the rocks due to the various minerals, and the thought of the stupendous job that the highway crew had to do to make this area both a luxury to drive, and a "turkey-necker" to the folks lucky enough to travel it. Warning! It is a short drive, leaving St George, Ut, and traversing the uppermost NW corner of Arizona, and arriving at Mesquite, NV. (giggling) Imagine..... Utah and Nevada and separated by a whole 'nother state. (for a few miles, anyway)

http://www.americansouthwest.net/arizona/beaver_dam_mountains/wilderness.html

Arizona Tour in March

2011-02-28T07:36:00.001-07:00

I can tell this is going to be a very hard month for me. Everyday I re-live the wonderful month-long trip Virgil and I took to tour Arizona. We went to all four corners, and everything inbetween. One day we were cruising along on an isolated smooth stretch of the highway in the southern Arizona desert, and came upon an even-more-isolated Chevron station. We stopped to enjoy a little picnic in the car, walk Toodles, and relieve ourselves. Guess what? The "outie") had no door and was absolutely filthy (hadn't been clean since it was built ages ago), and I thought I'd die (giggling). I didn't, but I didn't use the outie either. (laughing)

One very interesting place we visited was in the most south-eastern of the state, and it was the cutest little town, snuggled into the desert mountains...... Bisbee! We toured the Queen Mine and fell in love with this area. The folks running the mine tour are the guys who used to work the mine. I'm posting a couple web sites that will show the mine and that adorable little town.

http://www.bisbeemuseum.org
http://queenminetour.com

Waiting for spring

2011-02-27T09:44:00.001-07:00

Help on Valentine's Day

2011-02-16T11:30:00.000-07:00

Though most of my family has been called back to heaven, my precious daughters and their children sent me beautiful things for Valentine's Day. I thank them with all my old aching heart. It made it a nicer day to live through without my darling husband. Lots of beautiful cards, flowers, candy, and Krispy Kreme coupons. I love you all..... Kathy and kids, Laura-Russ and boys, Jessie and Janee and their husbands and families, Tyson-Krystal and family, and Chelsea.

Ahhhh.... the pansies...

2011-02-03T15:57:00.000-07:00

Beading

2011-02-01T15:26:00.001-07:00

The winter months are very long here right now. I got some beads and wire and have made a few jewelry things.

Pansies Orange and Creamy

2011-01-30T08:47:00.000-07:00

More glorious orange

2011-01-28T13:50:00.001-07:00

Best orange for brillance

2011-01-28T13:47:00.000-07:00

Love Orange Flowers

2011-01-28T13:40:00.000-07:00

The radiance of orange in flowers is beautiful.

Some more White

2011-01-11T12:46:00.000-07:00

Yucca bloom

Love cloth dolls!

2011-01-07T11:20:00.001-07:00

Visit Cloth Doll Artistry

Wow! Gorgeous tulip!

2011-01-01T14:38:00.000-07:00

Consider all the White

2010-12-28T15:13:00.000-07:00

Silverado Iris - reblooming

Lily - white, giant

Cosmos

Springtime whites of tulips.....

Crystal whites of snow......

5AM Moon Shadows on Snow

2010-12-20T07:43:00.001-07:00

Took Toodles out to the covered back patio at 5 am. Was amazed at the brillance of the winter moon, and the snow on the green grass. Shadows from the trees and fence were like awesomely beautiful.

Sad

2010-12-16T07:46:00.000-07:00

Virgil is tending to our son's grave at Xmas time, in Utah. Virgil's grave is just a few feet away from Nick's. I don't think I can bear the horrible pain that resides in my old feeble heart. It won't go away..... memories don't seem to ease it any. I'm still hoping time will heal me.
Nick's grave. He was a top notch architect with a prestigous firm in SLC. So kind and fun and funny. He played golf, rode horses, traveled, I miss him so very much..... A mother's true joy in life.
Katie's grave. I decorated it for Xmas yesterday, agan. She gave me a nightmareish existence, but I love her so very much. I'd do it again.... all the tears, money, raising her precious children, hiding from her in my closet when she was high on drugs... (sigh)

A Xmas card from a relative made me relive old memories. I have less than half my family left, and thinking about the loved ones that are gone, makes me very sad. Very, very sad. I cry a lot. I slouch further down in my old chair. I feel very very alone. It is hard to face the world when I realise the truth. I wish folks who still have all their families, wouldn't gloat.

4 am Winter Wonderland

2010-12-01T14:32:00.000-07:00

When it snows in Boise all night, it stays light as daytime. I got up at 4AM and took these pics. It was breathtakingly beautiful and so quiet.

Feel like I live in the Forest

2010-12-01T14:29:00.000-07:00

Took this pic out the window in my laundry room. Love the snow on the pines.

Cold White Winter

2010-11-21T17:57:00.000-07:00

How about vibrant yellow

2010-11-11T09:47:00.000-07:00

Fall and Yellow.....go together nicely.

Rosa single-petals

2010-11-11T09:43:00.000-07:00

Pastels on black. I love the "old" roses. My mother had several on the homestead farm and I remember how fragrant and colorful they were.

Big Bad Bull Trout (yummmmmm)

2010-10-28T15:24:00.000-06:00

Bull Trout. Idaho is famous for them. Sketch - pastels on black.

Heaven on Earth

2010-10-06T10:22:00.000-06:00

The rose, Heaven on Earth, is blooming so beautifully now. I finally gave it some fertilizer and it seems to like that.

Gorgeous Boise Sunrise

2010-09-24T12:37:00.000-06:00

Went out to get the newspaper on the front porch and saw this gorgeous sunrise! It changes so fast as it comes up, so I dropped the newspaper and grabbed my old camera.

Fun Little Mushrooms

2010-09-15T13:09:00.000-06:00

Lots of little mushrooms growing in the yard this year. Especially now that it is cooler at night. Just had to take pictures of them.

Two Botanical Sketches

2010-09-15T12:13:00.000-06:00

I saw this horse in a magazine and wanted to try it with pastels on black. The magnolia bud was fun to do last eve as I sat in bed and watched tv. Love to sketch.

Relaxin' Boots

2010-09-11T10:05:00.000-06:00

Picked up a cowboy/rancher magazine at Walmart. Looking for something new to sketch. Found this picture. Graphite and carbon.

Smallest Bird Sketch

2010-09-10T10:59:00.000-06:00

There is a little hummingbird that is only an inch (or a bit more) big. After seeing a picture in the local newspaper of him, I decided to sketch it.

Art on Black

2010-09-03T18:45:00.000-06:00

Messing around with pastels on black paper.

Mums and Critters

2010-09-01T17:34:00.000-06:00

Found this adorable green critter sitting on one of the mums on my patio this afternoon. He wasn't a bit afraid of me as I got very close to him to take his picture. Love his coloring.

2010-09-01T08:09:00.000-06:00

Rain here in the high desert has cooled us down. Nice! Been sketching and walking. Missing Virgil very very very much. Seems my whole life was about him. Read in the paper today about a doctor I used to work with who died yesterday, just two days after his wife did. What a wonderful thing for him. Being left behind is awful.... lonely..... dull..... I want to be where my husband is, also. Waiting..... that is the hard part.

Sittin' and sketchin'

2010-08-19T19:07:00.000-06:00

It's too hot to work outside in the yard, and too nice outside to be inside.... so I've taken to sittin' on my old patio in the shade and sketchin'.

How about Burgandy Red?

2010-07-16T20:42:00.001-06:00

Pretty in Pink

2010-07-16T19:52:00.000-06:00

I love the vibrant, yet gentleness of pink flowers. These were grown in my gardens.

Back in Beautiful Boise

2010-07-08T19:39:00.000-06:00

Now that I'm back in my Beautiful Boise, and very comfortable in my new home, I'm spending more time sketching and taking pictures of my roses, etc. Using PS Elements I've enhanced a couple of roses. It is fun to find new things in this software to use in photography.

Heaven in Beautiful Boise

2010-05-08T08:40:00.000-06:00

It's been awhile..... I don't cry as much..... Some days are wonderful...... like when I'm in my garden tending to the flowers or talking with my best friend, Gae. She gardens, also. With the purchase of this adorable mobile home, I inherited some spring flowers. What a welcome site to my old eyes! Red tulips, blue muscari, white star-like flowers, miniature rose bushes, a floridunda rose bush (that must be 50 years old), a covered patio, lots of green lawn, a towering pine tree that sways and whispers in the Idaho gentle winds. I love all of it.

Lonely Broken Heart

2009-05-31T06:54:00.000-06:00

How I miss my dear husband. I wish he were here. I cry a lot when I'm alone. What shall I do to heal this lonely, miserable, breaking heart? I'm going through every room in this old house, rearranging and sorting and dusting..... but it's just busy work. I don't cry when I'm busy. After contemplating about my finances, I find that I have to move into a much cheaper home. I'm ready for that. Without the horribly, debilitating worry about finances, I'll be able to go on with my life.... alone. I'm constantly thankful for my faithful little dog, Toodles. He's so sweet and loyal and loving. This is his picture.

2009-05-21T20:17:00.000-06:00

My precious husband of 49 years died last week. I feel like my world has ended and that I'm standing in limbo, waiting for him to come home. I feel like I'll see him in the next room when I walk there, that he is just outside enjoying the yard work that he puttered around doing every day. I think of him constantly.... I feel him in every thought, every minute, every room, and all the time. I think I am part of him and he is part of me. I love his smile and his humor and his strength and everything about him. I thank my Father in Heaven for my wonderful husband. I can hardly wait until we are together again, for eternity.

Lord Baltimore Hibiscus

2009-05-12T08:56:00.000-06:00

Lord Baltimore hibiscus grew in our half acre yard for years and years. It seemed to love the sun and oodles of water that it received through flood irrigation. It grew 12 feet tall and bloomed profusely. It was a show stopper, that's for sure. I'll never get to garden like that again, because my husband retired and he hates to dig up lovely green lawn to make flower beds (grinning).... but I have so many hundreds of pictures of what I used to raise, that I'll have to make do with them. However, we did buy another rose while we were in Boise last week..... Double Delight..... one of my favorites. Now, there are two of them in our back yard.

Mother's Day Orchid

2009-05-12T08:50:00.000-06:00

I received a most beautiful orchid plant from my daughters and granddaughters, this Mother's Day. Loaded with large blooms, it was perfect for photographing. After looking up how to grow the orchid, on the internet, I'm hoping it will stay with us for a long, long time.

Lovely Purple Pansies

2009-04-30T11:05:00.000-06:00

We bought some lovely grandiflora pansies at a garden center this spring, and planted them in big containers on the back patio. This is one of them. I love the color. Pansies are one of my most favorite flowers.

2009-04-22T07:59:00.000-06:00

The first photo shows an awesome overview we had of the Colorado River in the Canyonlands NP in southeastern Utah. The seond photo depicts a sturdy spring flower surviving in the arid and harsh lands of The Arches NP. With minimal rainfall, the vegetation that grows in this area is very slow growing and coarse. This little yellow flower was hugging the side of the steep climb we endured to get to the top of one of the view points. Worth the climb, but I had to rest often. I'm very old, you know. :)

Canyonlands

2009-04-21T09:29:00.000-06:00

We visited the gorgeous Canyonlands NP over the weekend, with our daughter and her family. The weather was perfect and the scenery was breathtaking.

This is a photo of one of the longest natural rock bridges in the world.

Frog in Graphite

2009-04-13T15:47:00.000-06:00

Today I got out my woodless graphite pencils and enjoyed sketching again. I sketched a frog that is in one of my resource books on animals. It felt good and natural to sketch again.

Combining Graphite Art and Fabric Art

2009-04-10T06:57:00.001-06:00

I've ALWAYS sewn, it seems like. My dear mother taught me to sew everything under the sun (she was a 4-H leader for many years). I sewed my clothes, my children's clothes, my grandchildren's clothes, knitted clothing and afghans, crocheted everything I could find a pattern for and created my own patterns, and created and made dolls and animals from yarns and fabric. I LOVE to do that. Then I discovered the fine arts. I was consummed by it..... I've exhibited oils, watercolors, and graphite landscapes and botanical and stilllife and won several awards. My fine art work is included in the private collections in New York, Chicago, Florida, California, Idaho, Utah, Texas, etc. I love to work in graphite and find the botanicals (flowers, animals, etc) to be my favorites. The Missouri Botanical Conservatory exhibited my work of orchids one summer for several months. The prestigous Galleria in Toronto, Canada, exhibited my works last year for several months.

I find that I can sketch fabric art and love it. Life is fun for this senior citizen.

Music

2009-04-10T06:45:00.000-06:00

I LOVE music. I LOVE to sing, play the piano (I've owned several including a $10,000 upright grand, play the organ (I've owned several including a Wirlitzer), play the clarinet in marching bands and concert bands, conducted choirs, sung solos in competitions and won. Music has always been a big part of my life. UNTIL I lost my hearing at the age of 65. Now my music is in my head and heart..... nonstop. I can sing a hymn while typing this.... it is that easy for me.

When our precious only son died suddenly, the only things I could think of were hymns. I found myself sketching a picture and writing my favorite hymn under it. I put this is his casket and I'm glad I did. It felt right.

Recently, one of my extremely talented grandsons, inherited my old metal clarinet because he and his brother both have lots of MUSIC in them. I'm thrilled!

WebShots Albums of Flowers

2009-04-06T07:15:00.000-06:00

I'm adding the link to the web shots albums of flowers that I've had for years. I love photographing flowers of all kinds.

http://community.webshots.com/user/bkbrown1939?vhost=community

Pansies

2009-04-04T10:07:00.000-06:00

I love pansies. All shapes and colors. Here are a couple of my favorites that I entered into competions and won awards for.

Princess Foggy Ready for Play

2009-04-04T09:53:00.000-06:00

Little Princess Froggy has her new play outfit on and keeps her litle lily-pad security blanket close to her at all times. Today is filled with sunshine and happy moments chasing her favorite little bugs across the sand.

She'll practice hopping and sticking her little tongue out, too. Of course, the best part of this day will come when her best friend from Elf Village comes over to play. She can hardly wait to show her the new cattails growing at the end of Emerald Pond.
Photos courtest of naturalist photographer - Laura Henry

Baby Frog Doll

2009-04-02T06:57:00.001-06:00

Yesterday was a creative day. I couldn't find any patterns that I liked, so I created my own pattern for a little cloth baby frog. She gets her baby outfit today. Since she lives in Emerald Pond south of Dreamland, and she is the precious little baby daughter of Prince Charming III, she lives a sheltered life. Sunshine and blue skies, lots of little flies to eat, and loads of warm sand to hop around on, fill her life. She's not quite sure what to do with the little crown her father gave her, so she keeps it close to her favorite thing, her lily-pad baby blanket.

Meet Our New Baby Doll

2009-03-29T19:35:00.000-06:00

I used Mary Huber's pattern that is in the "Doll Reader-Make and Dress, Vol III, " published by Hobby House Pess, Inc. in 1982. This doll designer is very talented. I learned a lot from making the adorable doll. Thanks.

Baby Doll Finished

2009-03-29T19:30:00.000-06:00

Today my little 7 inch baby doll became a whole entity :) She is dressed in her finest little gown and is ready to meet everybody. She has a needle sculpted body of ribbing material. Her attire is of the lightest weight cotton material, adorned with lace and ruffles. Her picture will be entered in the the clothdoll Baby Doll contest. This little imp looks adorable sitting on the bookcase in the livingroom.

Cloth Doll Baby Challenge

2009-03-26T19:23:00.000-06:00

This is a pattern for a 7 inch baby doll that appeared many years ago in the Doll Reader book. She is rather hard to make because she is so tiny and yet intricate. Needless to say, my sewing isn't blue ribbon grade on this little doll, but she did come together :( , after a fashion. She is resting on the sewing table with her underwear and long slip on. Tomorrow I'll start on her little christening gown and her pretty bonnet.

Storybook Cloth Doll Challenge

2009-03-26T19:18:00.000-06:00

Raggedy Ann cloth doll...... I've made lots of them, but this little one was the easiest. She is holding a little doll dressed just like she is. This doll was entered into the Cloth Dollmaking challenge this month. It is a lot of fun to be making clothdolls again. Now that I'm 70, it seems harder for me, but more fun. The embroidery on her little apron was done by my new Brother sewing machine. I like that feature, plus it threads itself! :)

Yellow braids on Cloth Doll

2009-02-11T07:52:00.000-07:00

I'm studying the book of Alicia Merrett, a master at fabrics. This is the first doll I'm done using a pattern from her book. This doll as double sewn joints, and an elongated back side that allows for her to sit very nicely. Today she get cute little mary jane shoes. Great pattern. :)

Presbylla Presbyterian Vintage Cloth Doll

2009-02-11T07:47:00.001-07:00

Being a member of the Vintage Cloth Dolls group, I'm making the challenge doll of winter 2009. She has a neat history, and is a careful recreation of a wonderful cloth doll maker. My version leaves a lot to be desired, but she is cute. I'm using fat quarters for the clothing and so her bonnet is a different color from her little dress. Her boots are painted, as is her hair. Wonderfully fun doll. :)

2009-02-11T07:40:00.000-07:00

Bitsy is finished. She has two friends that have been created this week, and join her. Many ideas for dolls are in my old mind these days. I love making the vintage patterns. There are oodles of them to be found. Also, I'm anxious to do art dolls. I'm studying Oroyan and Lichendenfelt books. There is a lot to know, and they are the masters. Also Culea and Ward are fabulous dollmakers, using delightful colors and cloth. I think my future will be hunched around my sewing maching and cloth stash. :)

Old Hobby Renewed

2009-01-31T08:48:00.000-07:00

I used to make cloth dolls by the hundreds and thousands.... all kinds.... muslin, sock, wooden, crocheted, etc. I had a doll booth at the Homespun Crafters Mall for awhile. I designed, exhibited, and won awards on my dolls. Things became very hectic in my personal life and I backed off from sewing and hobby work. Now I have more time on my old hands and am starting to make dolls again. I love it. I'm finding old friends on the clothdoll internet groups and it feels wonderful. I'm rebuilding my huge library of dollmaking information. The little doll shown is Bitsy from the current Soft Dolls and Animals magazine. Today I'm starting on a presbyterian doll challenge using the Presbylla pattern.

Where is the rose - Buff Beauty

2008-11-07T06:30:00.000-07:00

My son gave me this most gorgeous yellow musk rose a few years ago, for my birthday. It grew in my french-style rose garden in Boise for years. I tried last year, after we moved to this state, to buy a couple of them..... but... alas.... the ones that were sold to me by the High Country Rose Nursery, are not Buff Beauty! Buff Beauty has rich green leaves, and grows in a mound form... the roses are big and beautiful and hang from the healthy green, thornless canes. These horrible roses have thick red canes that bear long hideous thorns. I will yank these horrible roses out of the soil and keep looking for replacements for the beauty I had to leave in Boise. (Sigh)

Snowing in the Valley

2008-11-05T07:38:00.000-07:00

The snow and whirling wind and icy roads have hit the southern end of this valley this morning. Usually, it is the northern end that gets the brunt of the storms. Nestling and the foot of the 11,000 gigantic Nebo Mountain, we are like a little banana-belt. It was interesting watching the snowline fall from the top of the mountain range, inching down the mountain sides, until now the valley floor is enveloped in the white brilliance. The first photo shows a red tea rose loaded with snow as it danced in the whirling icy winds. The second is of the miniature roses that bloom in front of the east portico.

English Daisy

2008-11-02T07:04:00.001-07:00

Two kinds of daisies grew very well in our gardens in Boise. The magnificant Shasta Daisy, and the adorable English Daisy. I loved both of them The English Daisy did well in the shade gardens. The Shasta Daisy thrived in the summer sun in the exposed gardens along the fence. They were prolific bloomers, going strong in growth and flowering all summer. How I miss them.

Missing my Garden

2008-11-01T09:26:00.000-06:00

I am very thankful for all the photography I did in our gorgeous half acre garden in Boise. Memories were so pleasant and I love remembering those times. This little flower grew under a giant pine tree that bordered the secret garden area. It was a survivor, against all odds. I love that. The common name for it is "wind flower." Actually, it is an anemone.

Our Grandson's Wedding

2008-09-14T08:08:00.000-06:00

Our precious grandson and his beautiful fiancee had a gorgeous garden wedding this month. I felt so privileged to be there. We helped his mother raise him and we couldn't be prouder of him and his new wife. They are absolutely GREAT! and so devoted to each other.
We can't wait to get up into Idaho and visit with them again.

Honorable Husband

2008-09-12T07:51:00.000-06:00

I'm sharing pictures of my most precious person on this earth.... my funny and honorable husband. (grinning) In the kitchen he is preparing breakfast for himself (I had eaten early when I got up) and he did a good job.

The second picture is one of him and one of our handsome grandsons, as they conversed (joking and clowning) about the little league baseball game. It was a really good game and the best player was another one of our cute grandsons. The third grandson likes to attend all the games and support his little brother. I really enjoy these games. I sit beside our beautiful daughter and handsome son-in-law and visit.

Favorite Rose

2008-08-18T06:49:00.000-06:00

This is my favorite rose. It is called Fashion. It is not grown anymore by any of the hybridizers or rose growers. Quite a few years ago, about 50, the rose was discontined because it seemed prone to rust. I grew this rose in my front yard for about 40 years and it thrived and hardly ever suffered from rust. It is a florabunda and the most gorgeous rose in the world.

Sunrise in Spanish Fork

2008-07-30T07:39:00.000-06:00

Watching the early summer sun crest over the Wasatch Mountains is an awesome experience. From my front porch I can sit and watch this fantastic occurance every morning. Sometimes it creeps up on the other side of the majestic mountains and starts to illuminate the tops of the clouds. Then the cloud tops become dark as the sun climbs and starts to light up the bottom of the clouds. WOW! If there is smoke from the wild fires in the air, the sky blazes with orange. If there is no particualtes in the air, the sky is calmer in color. I love all of it.

Country Scenes

2008-07-03T08:49:00.000-06:00

While we traveled in our motorhome here in the West, before the gas prices went through the ceiling, we saw a lot of interesting things. The train rattling over the freeway overpass, in southern Idaho was a very early morning camera shot. The reactment of the "crossing of the Snake River at Three Islands" in southern Idaho was a late afternoon shot. The wagons were pulled by oxen or horses and came down the hills on one side of the river, right into the river and then to an island, and then onto the other side of the river, where we were waiting. It was a gorgeous and awesome sight. One of the teams of oxen got into trouble when the wagon they were pulling started to drift past them, and the cowboys had to work like everything, to keep the oxen from panicking and getting tangled up in the harness. They did avert danger and continued successfully. In the past, some of the crossing were not so successful. A very true to life reactment along the famous old Oregon Trail.

My Photography Jigsaw Puzzles

2008-06-25T07:52:00.000-06:00

http://www.jigzone.com/gallery/CA25083E19.6573CBE/3?z=0
Visit the link above and you will have access to my photography on the jigzone site. I have lots of my photography there that is fun to do as puzzles. Some are landscapes, some of wild horses, flowers, etc. The picture here was taken in the Kolob Canyon in Utah, which is just south of the little town we now live in.

Vernal's Homesteaders Home

2008-01-17T06:33:00.000-07:00

Vernal in the High Desert bordering Colorado. Terracotta colored mountains and loose towering rock mountains are truly mind boggling. When we drove to the border town of Vernal high in the desert, I couldn't believe the gorgeous formations of the earth there. I think this town was settled a long, long time ago. We saw a homesteaders home that has been abandonded. What a shame. I was raised in one in eastern Oregon. Such warm and delightful memories. We were out for a drive for the day, but we will return to Vernal this spring. I love that drive, plus they have a nursery there that sells High Country Roses!

Provo Canyon Rock Formations

2008-01-17T06:22:00.000-07:00

Wind in the canyons leading out of the valley, whip through at a terrific speed. I've watched as the mighty wind storms whipped enough snow off the granit mountains until they were bare. Yesterday, while we were drive to the upper basin where Salt Lake City is, I watched as the wind over Mt. Timpanogos blew fiercely and whipped the snow on top into clouds! Awesome. The sky was blue and the sun was shining, but there over 11,000 feet the wind was causing a terrific storm. This valley and its sheltering mountain ranges give me such goosebumps when the force of nature displays it's powers. At one spot in Provo Canyon, there is a perpetual waterfall for thousands of feet. It the winter it is a curtain of ice glued to the granite.

Provo Canyon in the Winter

2008-01-17T06:14:00.000-07:00

Provo Canyon is beautiful any time of the year. When we drove through it just after a big snow storm we were amazed at the breathtaking beauty of the gigantic granite mountains. I'm sharing a few. The road is a wide and safe highway, but ice and snow on it can be hazardous. We were going up the canyon, but we passed miles and miles of stalled cars on the other side who were headed for the Lower Basin. They were waiting for the road to be cleared near the mouth of the canyon, where ice had caused an accident. Beauty has it's price, I'm thinking.

2008-01-12T05:27:00.000-07:00

We missed our beloved Tyson and Chelsea and Crystal and Jordon so much that we drove up to Idaho to see them just before Christmas. What a joy to be with them again. They are so alive and delightful and loving and welcomed us with open arms. We couldn't be prouder of them and the successes that have made with their lives. May God bless them forever and continue to guide them. They are our family. While traveling to be with them, I snapped a few pictures of our beloved Idaho, also. We visited our best friends, John and Paige, who live in the quiet dreamy countryside west of Boise. The sun was setting as I took pictures of the surrounding farms, the Boise Mountain Range, and the Owyhee Moutanin Range. While driving home I was lucky to get a picture of a train on an overpass over the freeway down by Glenns Ferry. Another pictures shows the heavenly rays of early morning bathing the very productive farms around Jerome and Gooding. As we drove over the snowy and slick and hazardous Sweetzer Pass we had to stop a couple times for truck accidents. I got a picture of some of the snow on the mountainous pass. We truly enjoyed our visit to our precious family in Idaho.

Snowy Christmas at Home

2008-01-12T05:16:00.000-07:00

This winter we have enjoyed sooooo much beautiful snow on the Wasatch Mountain range that towers over our humble little home. Gosh, I didn't know there was so much awesome beauty to be seen. I don't think the Austrian Alps have as much beauty as this gigantic mountain range in the Rocky Mountains. We now own a snow blower and it gets used just about every day. I think I really love our little home here in this heavenly valley surrounded by the mountains.

On the Mountain Top and Devils Kitchen

2007-11-30T07:01:00.000-07:00

We spend a lot of time on car trips, enjoying the bounty of God's creation here in Utah. We love heading for the mountain passes and deep canyons, finding a fairly decent road and following it. One day we took Highway 6 into Spanish Fork Canyon. What a gorgeous drive. We were amazed at the way the highway crew cuts through the gigantic granite mountains, then lines the passes with concrete that looks like it is part of the mountains. Gorgeous! We passed a train loaded with coal as it wound it's way through the passes on its way to the valley. The train snaked along, passing under us in some places. We passed oil donkeys, refineries for the crude coal and other minerals, and gigantic modern mines billowing white spirals of gases into the crystal clear sky. Not a sign of polution the whole trip. Very relaxing and interesting drive. We stopped on top of the world and surveyed the humungous water reservoirs and lakes hidden in the Rocky Mountains. We picniked at the Devils Kitchen and saw the most breathtaking sight I've ever seen! I'm sharing a few of the pictures.

Thoughts

2007-11-09T08:23:00.000-07:00

Today is kind of a milestone in our old lives. When our precious son died so suddenly in a needless way, the world came to an end. The lawyers filed a wrongful death suit against the company that caused his death, and today it will be ended. For that, we are thankful. My old heart aches...... why don't folks take better care of each other? If we weren't so selfish I think we would find it very easy to put others first. If everybody put others first, we would all be in first place.... (sigh)..... I'm crying a lot these days...... I hope the tears will soon turn off...... but I don't know how they will when I miss my precious daughter and son so very much. I pray constantly for Heavenly Father's help and I know He is helping me. That is a message I would love to tell everybody...... Pray... always.... He does hear and answers and comforts.

Why I love my Front Porch

2007-11-08T06:52:00.001-07:00

This is the reason I love to sit on our front porch. When I stand at the front window of the livingroom and look out, I am greeted by the majesty of the Wasatch Mountains. I love it. Every morning they display a different mood. Sometimes the clouds are very heavy and low and cloak them, making it impossible to see.... that is when my old imagination goes to work. Other days, the foggy clouds linger near the top and I can only imagiane how tall the gigantic mountains are. The fall colors are gorgeous, and the fringe of perpetual snow is encouraging. In the high desert the snow is very important. This is my favorite view, so far.

Spanish Fork Home

2007-11-08T06:46:00.001-07:00

We finally signed the papers and are in the mind-boggling process of opening boxes and setting up house. Excitement, exhaustion, fun, memories, and surprises at what we find are emotions that we experience each day. I'm posting some pictures of our home. We love it here. There was a gorgeous snowstorm one Saturday evening and night, but the rest of the time it has been the typical Indian Summer and we feel so blessed.

Retirement Day for Virgil

2007-09-07T08:51:00.000-06:00

Today is Virgil's last day at work. He's a little nervous that his coworkers will try to get even with him for all the jokes and tricks he's pulled on them. He didn't even take his lunch with him, that's how concerned he is. Toooo baddd (giggling). There is a retirement party for him at noon and I'll go. However, due to "no cameras" allowed in the Fed Bldg, I won't be able to get pictures of it.

We've had a couple terrific thunderstorms lately. Then with the wildfires burning a few miles away, the daytime sun is gorgeous. The setting sun in the evening is a breathtaking ball of fire. I'm posting a couple pictures. Tomorrow we are pulling this old RV out onto the freeway and heading for Spanish Fork, Utah!!!!! Yeah!!!!

August Storm

2007-09-02T09:47:00.000-06:00

Usually we get a good ole thunderstorm in the evenings, when it has been a very hot summer day in this arid desert of Idaho. However, this summer has been different. Nice, but quieter with no evening storms. But.... a few days ago we got a warning on the TV channels that a big 60 mph storm was headed our way! The Owyhee Mountain range tempers the winds, but we still got a thrill out of this one. I peeked out the windows of the motorhome livingroom, to see what was going on. There were just a few high clouds and it was very calm. I grabbed my old camera and stepped outside to get a few shots. It was so calm and warm... no sign of a breeze or danger. The school bus stopped and let a little child off, then left. Nice quiet afternoon. Except of the quickly approaching clouds in the distant west. I went back inside, knowing that everything was going to change in a few seconds. Sure enough. Next time I looked out the window, there was a brownish band of clouds spreading rapidly from the western horizon. I stayed glued to the window..... in a few more seconds the winds hit.... the lovely shade trees here snapped and whipped around like crazy.... the brown winds lashed all the cars and motorhomes..... ripping one of our awnings outerlayer and shredding it. Wow! The storm lasted about an hour then it was rain. We needed the rain badly, so we enjoyed listening to it. I'm posting a couple pictures of the storm clouds that started the terrific desert storm.

Wild Mustangs

2007-09-02T08:40:00.000-06:00

Here in the Idaho high desert, there are so many beauties and marvels of creation. The wild mustangs that mingle with the ranch horses, are one of them. Some of the ranchers who depend upon the wide open range to run their cattle and horses on, are very protective of the rolling, mountainous desert, and especially the wild horse herds that run free there. When it looks like the herds are inbreeding and become unstable, the ranchers will release one of their best stallions to run with them. This increases the beauty and the strength of the mustang herds. Now that is a good thing, except with more folks living on the desert, there has to be an equilizer.... and that is often the roundup of the mustangs.... and they are tamed and put up for adoption under close supervision, to the public. We know folks who have adopted them, and they make the very best horses for families. Last week we visited the arenas where the adoptions were, and the horses. The BLM crew was there giving demonstrations on how to gentle the horses, and help in a lot of other ways. To make sure the mustangs are adopted to the best families, and there are about 5 families to each mustang, they have very rigid rules. One of the rules is, the horse remains under the protection of BLM for one full year before family can apply for full adoption. Here are a couple of my pictures of the "Roundup of the Wild Mustangs."

Lunar Beauty

2007-09-02T08:31:00.000-06:00

Just after the lunar eclipse last week, the moon was gorgeous. Here in our area, the clouds were high and swift and added to the mystery of the night. When my husband drove off in his old pickup in the morning, to go to work, it was still very dark. But the moon was bright as daylight, almost. Then I noticed the night sky full of clouds and the moon was lighting them from behind. I grabbed my old camera and took a few pictures. Here is one.

Jigsaw Puzzles

2007-08-27T08:58:00.000-06:00

I love to do jigsaw puzzles. I really enjoy doing them when the picture is one of my own photographs. This link will take you a site that is a marvelous jigsaw puzzle page.

My Puzzles Jigsaw Puzzle Gallery - JigZone.com

New Exhibit at IS Fair

2007-08-14T07:52:00.000-06:00

I spent all of yesterday finishing the colored pencil art work I was doing for my son on the day that the man arrived to tell me that my only son was found dead. I have been saving the pencils and the picture for months, hoping I could get back to it and finish it for my beloved child. It is finished. Today I'm going to enter it in the Fine Arts Division of exhibits at the annual Western Idaho State Fair. My dear husband says it looks excellent. I am happy with the finished art work. Time does heal, but it is still lonely and sad and it will take forever ............ tears come very easily to my heart and eyes these days.......

Neighbors left for Eugene

2007-08-02T06:45:00.001-06:00

It is kind of a sad day here in the motorhome. Our dear neighbors of several months, have boughten a lovely home in the green city of Eugene, OR, and pulled their new trailer out this morning at 6:30. I gave them lots of hugs and Pepper waved at them and licked their shoes frantically, making them laugh. It won't be the same around here without them. She is a gardener and she will be in heaven gardening at their new home.

At 3:30 this morning in the mobile home park next to this RV park, there was a terrible fire that killed a family. The fire trucks are still over there. Very tragic.

The wild fires are burning so badly here that we can't see the mountains anymore, and we live at the foot of them. We desperately need some rain the help put the fires out.

On the patio I'm growing a lovely flower, Lisaanthus (eustoma), and am posting a picture of it that I took a couple days ago.

Sunrise at RV Park

2007-07-31T14:30:00.000-06:00

When I walk our little cocker puppy early in the mornings, I am lucky enough to see some gorgeous sunrises. The most interesting ones are when the clouds are still lingering in the east, and some of the smoke and haze from the wildfires are in the air. I'm posting a couple I took last week. This morning when I walked Pepper, there was a full moon and it was bright as daylight, almost. I love the summer mornings and the warm air with the gentle breezes in the early morning just before daybreak.

RV Park Living

2007-07-27T08:29:00.000-06:00

It's been awhile since I've taken the time to post. Today I'll add a few pictures of the Hi-Valley RV Park where we are staying until the middle of Sept. It has been triple digits weather-wise, and I'm staying very close to the AC. When I gardened at our old home, I suffered heat exhaustion a few times, and now I don't tolerate the heat at all. My old body doesn't cool itself down like it used to and I get very sick. We added an outside sunscreen to the motorhome front windows and that helps immensely in keeping the rig cool. Plus our awing over the patio/lawn area is huge and it blocks out the heat. The pictures will show our humble home. The most important thing that we really love about living in THIS rv park, is the fact that it is very clean, the staff are very friendly and helpful, and we feel very safe. Not all rv parks offer those qualities.

Owyhee Desert Wild Flower

2007-07-11T16:58:00.000-06:00

While driving through the picturesque Owyhee Mountain Front, on July 4th, I took a picture of a gorgeous wild flower that lined the dusty dirt roads. I picked one bloom and was amazed at how soft and different it was. The center was filled with long brush-like filaments, and the long lance-like petals radiated out from the center. However, the leaves were a total surprise. They were pale sage-brush colored, harsh to touch, and tended to curl into the middle vein. What a fantastic flower to find on a gorgeous summer drive.

ArrowRock Dam Drive July 9

2007-07-09T08:49:00.000-06:00

We are really old, but we have a nice car and we still enjoy a pleasant drive into the desert or mountains or the farmland in Idaho. July 9 we drove up into the towering mountains that make up the east ridge of Boise City. We traveled about 70 miles on one-lane dirt roads to get to the tiny run-down mountain town of Atlanta. It is a treasure of a little town with lots of Idaho history. Some of our friends have summer homes there, but we didn't visit them. We just stopped at a little pole-lodge restaurant and bought some pepsi to drink on the way home. I'm posting a few pictures of our little drive. First we passed Lucky Peak Dam that was built to store irrigation water for the Boise Valley and Treasure Valley farms. Then we followed that reservoir to the next dam, Arrowrock. There were lots of boats and skiiers and jet skis on the water. After leaving the beautiful structure of the Arrowrock Dam, the road hugged the sides of that reservoir until it petered out and became the North Fork of the Boise River, a tributary that feeds into the two dams. The first part of the drive was landscape filled with sage brush, the second part was shady from the old tall evergreens. We stopped and picnicked beside the river and let our little cocker puppy stretch his legs.

Lighthouse in Pastels

2007-06-28T09:06:00.000-06:00

Last week we attended the graduation ceremony of our precious granddaughter, Jessica. She had asked me to do a picture of a lighthouse in a storm at night, for her. I did one in pastels. She framed it in a beautiful frame while I was there and is displaying it in her lovely livingroom in Orem, Utah.

I am going to do another lighthouse and this time I'll use my favorites - graphites. Did you realize that each lighthouse in the world has a personality of its own, and has saved many lives? I think that is why we like them.

Today in Boise it is about 100 degrees and the sky is blue and it is a lovely spring.

More Vines

2007-06-15T14:32:00.000-06:00

I took pictures of vines that I had sketched. These are the bitterroot vine that grows wild in Idaho and Montana, and the Virginia Creeper vine that is seen on a lot of fences and houses. We had VC growing on the north side of our clinker home here in Boise for over 40 years. It was a fast growing vine and covered the whole side, growing in the shade, and finding easy anchorage on the bricks and clinkers. In the spring it was green, in the summer the huge leaves would pull the vine away from the wall a little, and in the fall the foilage turned amber, purple, and orange. Such a beautiful vine.

The bitterroot has tiny red berries on it and is seen along the highways as it climbs on fences and electrical-line posts.

Today is HOT in Boise. Hot and dry with a mild breeze.