Thursday, June 28, 2012

Mug Rugs and 100 Years Calgary Stampede

Been awhile since I last posted, just too busy in the garden and outside. Trying to keep on top of the weeds, but we've had so much rain it is hard to get into the vegetable garden without sinking. Good excuse anyway. I should make some covers for my knees so my pants don't get so muddy crawling around in the dirt.

Made these Mug Rugs some time ago, but decided I needed something to post.
Fronts and backs, a couple are just in time for the Calgary Stampede coming up next week.
Speaking of the Calgary Stampede, I have 3 old post cards from my Grandma Pearl.
My maternal grandparents were married in Calgary July 1912, and must have returned in September for the first Stampede. Rumors are Grandma raced her horse there but I am not certain of that.
I remember these postcards pinned on a bulletin board in the upstairs bedroom. They were one of the things I wanted when Grandma moved from her house. Kind of faded and one has something on it, but don't know how to clean it, so it can stay that way for now.
Real Cowboys and Cowgirls

I never knew my Grandfather, he died 1939, and my Grandmother always seemed old. She was quite the cowgirl and had her own cattle brand when she was 16 in 1904 before Alberta was even a province. I still have that brand registered to me. I've got those gloves she is wearing and another white beaded leather pair also. Picture taken 1903.

1912, Forrest and Pearl on her horse Swift.

Tuesday, February 07, 2012

Back From Holidays

WOW, I can't believe it has been so long since I last posted.
My husband and I went on a 5 week long road trip to Arizona. Did lots of sightseeing & exploring in the desert.
Glen bought a used metal detector in Parker, Arizona and tried his luck at finding gold in the hills of Arizona and California. No luck with gold but found lots of old bullets and other stuff.
North of Quartzsite, Arizona

I knitted 15 dish cloths along the way. Made them out of doubled #10 crochet cotton. I had a bunch of partial balls and just wound them all up, used 3.5mm (3 U.S.) (10 Canadian) knitting needles. They seem to have more scrubbing power than worsted weight cotton.

Saw a herd of antelope south of Great Falls, Montana on our way home. Picture shows about 1/3 of them.

Visited with friends, Larry & Dianne who live in Palm Desert California.They used to be neighbours 28 years ago. I sure envied their lemon and orange tree. You can't believe the smell of fresh oranges while peeling them.

















Beauty in the desert





West of Quartzsite, Arizona

Someone's lost butterfly, North of Quartzsite, Arizona
Bright red and green hills north of Barstow, California


Our car from the top of a hill we were exploring north of Barstow, California
1000 Palms Oasis, California
Geode found north of Yuma, Arizona 
Weird rock found north of Yuma, Arizona
Strange cloud over street festival, Palm Springs, California

And the not so beautiful
West of Quartzsite, Arizona

Not much for wildlife, but what we found was interesting.
Black Phoebe

Northern Mockingbird

 Back home, now some sewing time for my next post.