2011 Photo of the Week : Week Thirty Four

 

Week Thirty Four : A Captured Moment

More river fun captured on film...er, sort of :)  On this image, i applied Aly's vintage action i got off the internet, then added some of my own Photoshop magic to come up with "A Captured Moment". 

Rocky Mountain Raptor Open House ~

 Saturday was Open House at the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program, so i surprised Jordyn with a visit there to meet some of their Educational Ambassadors. 

 This Long Eared Owl greeted us at the door...isnt he cool!

 Then we learned about owl pellets and all the neat things you can find inside them.  Jordyn and i are always looking for these on the island behind the house, but so far, we havent found any yet. 

 This gorgeous Peregrine Falcon was missing a wing due to electrocution, so now he lives at the facility and travels to schools and educational shows, raising awareness and funds for the program.

 This is the Rough Legged Hawk, and hes been with them for many years.  He is blind in one eye, and therefore cannot survive in the wild.  He travels to the Renaissance Fair every year, as well as schools and other fund raisers.

 Here Jordyn learns the difference between different raptor feathers, which was really interesting!

 And my favorite little guy...the Eastern Screech Owl.  Also blind in one eye, he was so tiny and cute!

 We had a great visit, and im glad we made the trip down.  After a visit to the gift shop, Jordyn picked out this cute furry owl, while i scored a t-shirt and we picked out a magnet for Daddy. 

 

 Overall, a great distraction from a conversation we had earlier that morning...thats right, the dreaded question..."Mom, is Santa real?"  Doh...shes in kindergarten for a week, and already someone is spoiling the magic!

I asked her why she wanted to know, to which she replied, with great sadness on her face..."some kid at school told her he wasnt real."  So i told her, "some people dont believe in Santa, but i choose to believe in the magic of Santa, how about you"....to which she gleamed "me too!" And with that, she finished brushing her hair and went about her day.

Sketchbook Challenge for August ~

Its been a few months since i participated in the sketchbook challenge, so i decided to get out my paints and give it a go.  The theme for August is everyday objects, which seemed like a fun subject...so here it is!  Not too shabby for someone who hasnt picked up a paint brush in 4 months!  Gotta get back in my groove, cause now that Jordyn is back in school, i can start meeting with the watercolor society again.  Though i miss Jordyn when shes at school, i look forward to having a little more free time for creating!

Kindergarten ~ First Day of School!

 We just dropped Jordyn off at school, and its official...we have a kindergartner!  Justin took the morning off so he could ride up with us, which was great, because when Mommy got emotional, he stayed in the classroom and took the photos. :)

 Im not sad to see her starting kindergarten, just proud and excited for this giant milestone in her life.  Kindergarten in rural schools are full days, so she will be there all day with the rest of the kids...a big step indeed!

 Here she is modeling her new school outfit (courtesy of her Godmother Christy)...i just love the tutu-like skirt!  You probably recognize it, as she wore it during rogue camp during the treasure hunt.  Personally, i love her Scooby-Doo crocs and Scooby-Doo lunch box!

 Most of the kids take the bus, so even though we were 10 minutes early, the kids were already in their seats...so here she is saying hi to all her friends and showing off her Scooby-Doo lunch box.  Look how excited she is!  Hurray for Kindergarten!!!

And the Winner is...

Congrats to Nik at Nik's Bits and Pieces for winning the drawing for my 500th post giveaway...just send me an email with your mailing address and ill mail you your prize :)  Thank you to all of the ladies that entered my giveaway, the kind words about my blog were quite inspiring, and i hope you visit again soon!  Happy Sunday Everyone!

Harry Potter and Fort Fun Friday ~

 

(image courtesy of the official Harry Potter website / Warner Brothers)

Once again, i think we were the last people to see the final movie in the Harry Potter series...but i didnt mind the wait...no lines, no crowds, an empty theater, and the seats of our choice!  

Since Jordyn was born, we had not seen the Harry Potter movies in the theater, but instead waited to buy them when they came out on DVD...but we decided we would all go to see the last film in the theater, and i am so glad we did!

I know Jordyn is a little young for these movies, but she absolutely loves them.  This is the first time Justin was able to come to the movies with us too, so it was a special day!  It was a fun and emotional experience...the last movie of the series, after 10 years of enjoyment!  I knew the storyline so the anticipation was great!  Ill admit it...i cried, i cheered, i applauded with laughter...its been a while since a movie touched me like this!  An awesome experience indeed!
After the movie, we decided to head over to Fort Fun for pizza, beer, and games!  Jordyn LOVES this place...the mini carousel, the giant wave slide, the paddle boats, the arcade games...but this time she got to ride on the Go-Carts...and that was a blast!  Jordyn and Daddy rode, while i laughed at the spectacle before me.  Why is it that the most memorable and special moments in your life are not photographed...thats right, i left the camera at home.  Sometimes i feel like i miss the moments because im always trying to capture them with my camera, so yesterday, i went without.  Ill never forget the look on her face as they drove out of the gate...her hair was blowing up in the air like Don King, and the look of terror and joy on her face as the other cars raced past her was classic!  She was laughing and hollering at Justin..."faster daddy faster...dont let them beat us"...and then when he went fast, she'd yell "too fast daddy, too fast".  She was grinning from ear to ear as they circled the track, and i had tears in my eyes as i laughed watching them!  

At the end of the day, Jordyn cashed in her prize coupons.  She picked out three plastic dinosaurs, a wind up lady bug and a giant pixie stick (great suggestion daddy...ill be sure to let her eat that on your watch).  What a fabulous family day!

2011 Photo of the Week : Week Thirty Three

 

Week Thirty Three : Waters Edge

I was really pleased with the light in this one, so i thought it would look nice in black and white.  Digitally painted in Photoshop.

And dont forget...theres only a few more days to sign up for my 500th post blog giveaway!

Summer Play Date ~

Hurray...we were finally able to schedule a play date with some of Jordyns school friends before the season ended!  We had tried on several occasions, but either someone was sick, out of town, or had other plans, and sadly, the entire Summer passed us by.  So, two days ago, totally last minute, i decided to schedule a little play date barbecue for today, in hopes that a few of her friends could make it....and happily, they did!

 Jordyn and Andrea are starting kindergarten together on Monday, and Oriana, who was in preschool with them last year, will be going back to preschool next month, so this was a nice way for the girls to spend some time together before they get separated at school.

 They had such a good time, they didnt want it to end...and i have to admit, i had an absolute blast too!  Justin grilled us chicken and hot dogs, but the kids could barely sit still long enough to eat...there was too much to see and do...so, with ketchup on their faces...they ran off to play, while the moms got to relax and visit....hurray for adult time! :)

What a magical afternoon...lots of laughter, fun and wonderful memories were created today!  The perfect end to the season ~

Back to School Count Down...

That's right...school starts in just 6 days!  It seems like we were cheated about a month or so this Summer with the gray, rainy days lasting through June and then the Summer colds we all got, but i hope that means we will have a nice long Fall like last year.  With the gorgeous weather, we have been enjoying lots of outdoor activities...bike rides around the circle...trampoline fun...and of course, playing in the river.

The river is nice and low at this time of year, so its perfect for Jordyn to play in...and dont worry, we weren't sending her downstream on that inner tube...its actually tied to a rope!

She loves to climb out on these rocks and pick off all the moss...and then she likes to throw it at the kittens....look out kitties!

 

Today we headed over to Jordyn's school for kindergarten testing, and i am proud to report she did fantastic!  I was worried she would be a little rusty after the Summer break, but the teacher was really pleased with her skill level.  I wish i could take credit for it, but really the credit must go to Ms. Bev and Ms. Donna, her preschool teachers.  Thank you ladies!

So, to celebrate, we went over to the Hill Top General Store for some ice cream!  This is the cutest little store...filled with all kinds of crafts and antiques, as well as groceries, and each room is uniquely decorated.

Of course, the view out side the store is rather lovely too...

ahhh...the dog days of Summer...

p.s. be sure to check out my 500th post blog giveaway...ill be drawing a name on Sunday!

2011 Photo of the Week : Week Thirty Two

Week Thirty Two : Dodecatheon

also known as a shooting star (a flowering plant in the primrose family)

This is one of my favorite wildflowers up here...it grows in the sandy banks along the river, and with the high water we had this year i didnt think i would get to see any.  On a stroll along the island this weekend i found a small patch of them blooming and it made my day.  Hope it makes yours too.  This photo was not altered.

500th Post Giveaway and Quilt Show ~

 Thats right folks...can you believe this is my 500th post!!!  When i started blogging, i had no idea how much i would truly enjoy it...meeting so many wonderful people on line, learning so much, and of course, when the year is up, i have my blog printed into a book and its a fabulous keepsake for my family. (at least, thats how i justify all my time on the computer :)  Anyways, please read to the end to find out about my giveaway.

 The annual craft fair and quilt show was last Saturday and we had quite a turn out!  Folks look forward to this all year, however, last years show was canceled due to the construction of the fire station, so this year, it was not to be missed.  There were over 70 quilts to view, which made it difficult to vote for my favorite one.  They all had their own beauty and charm to them...but i posted a few photos of some of my favorites...

 I had three quilts in the show this year, two created by me, and one that was purchased on ebay.  Its always fun to participate in the quilt show, its humbling and inspiring at the same time!  The quilters in this canyon are amazing.  Theres a quilt group in the canyon called the Poudre Piecmakers, and every year they make a quilt to raffle off.  I havent won yet, but i keep buying my tickets!

 And now its time for the 500th post giveaway...

These two gorgeous patterns have been in my stash for a couple years now, and neither one has been used.  I would love to make them someday, but as its been a few years, i dont think it will be anytime soon...so they should go to a home that will use them and love them :)  To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment on this post and i will draw a name on Sunday.  Please tell me what you enjoy about my blog, and if you are new to my blog, tell me how you found it and i hope you will visit again :) 

Mountain Pine Beetle...They're Heeeere!

 We've seen them making their way over the mountain...killing hundreds of trees along the way, but we hadn't spotted any in our backyard until today.  There was rumor of trees in the neighborhood being attacked by these bugs already, so we decided to check out the island to see if we had any yet...naturally the kittens came too.

 Well, sure enough, we spotted about 15 trees on the East end of the island with the telltale signs of mountain pine beetle infestation.  These plugs are covering the trees, some worse than others, but sadly, all of them will be turning brown soon.

 Heres one of the little killers still lingering on a tree...and here is a shot of one of our trees already starting to turn brown.  I know its all a part of nature, but the beetle kill in the Rocky Mountains has been rather devastating over the last few years, and the rolling brown mountains are a sad sight. (not to mention a fire hazard).

 And speaking of sad...we discovered Jordyns bouncy tree finally broke...it too, was invaded by the pine beetle and she was rather upset.

 She has played on this tree since she was a baby...it curved down on the far left, so she could sit on it and bounce like a teeter-totter, and when we would go for a stroll on the island, we always had to make a trip to the "bouncy tree".

 We promised to carve something neat out of the old tree for her to keep, but when daddy cut the tree down she found a whole new use for it...

 Now its "balancing tree"...because of its curve, it sits about 7 or 8 inches off the ground, and once again, she can walk and bounce as well as balance on it!  Nice save daddy!

 So, with dried tears, we headed back to the house for some cuddling and play on the trampoline with daddy, while mommy took photos :)  These two aren't having any fun~

Meanwhile, our neighbor Mena stopped by for a visit and was assigned an important task...

Justin put her in charge of the hose to the fire pump to blast large amounts of water into the holes a rodent has dug up in my flower garden.  I have to admit, i was envisioning little geysers popping up all over the yard with animals flying out of the holes, but no such luck.  At any rate, Justin and Mena had fun doing it, and perhaps it disturbed the vole/shrew/mole...or whatever the hell it is, enough to chase it off.  If not, my garden is going to be destroyed too.  Wish us luck! :)