Gusty

Windy today, but 55 + mph gusts don't slow these two down at all. 

I watched them bounce around for about an hour but they play longer than that. 

Some of the clouds that passed through rapidly this evening

Chick update

The four little peeps are mostly doing well. 

The ameraucana is huge and plump. 

The golden lakenvelder is a little older and thinks it can fly already

The cochin is still a little smaller and slightly gimpy but there isn't anything obviously wrong with it's little leg. I'm watching this one but it is still perky and eating well. 

And the silver campine is doing well

Spring cleaning

We've been busy lately organizing things and trying to create space where there is none. This new shelf helped a little but I'm hoping to build storage shelves along one wall. 

I still haven't figured out the measurements for the wall unit but I'm hoping it will be somewhat similar to this one in the Ikea catalog. And I'm patiently waiting for the first CO Ikea to open, that might be worth the drive. Obviously I like their big clear plastic storage bags, they seem to hold up well. 

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pictures from today

There is a little hint of green, the grass is just starting to poke its way up right now. It is always exciting when the grass starts to come in. 

March is supposed to be the snowiest month of the year but we haven't had much at all. There was a little gropple today but mostly just clouds that tease. 

Cooking for tomorrow

I'm trying out a new recipe for Dutch Apple Cake that looked interesting. I didn't have pecans on hand so I substituted walnuts. So far it looks nice and smells good. I also made a caramel topping. 

Dutch Apple Cake

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 c. oil
2 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
3 c. flour
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
3 c. chopped apples (granny smith)
1 c. chopped pecans


Directions: 
Mix oil and sugar, add 1 egg at a time and beat well after each. Add vanilla then add flour, salt and soda, mix well. Fold in apples and nuts. Bake in well greased 13 x 9 x 12 pan at 325° for 45 minutes or until tests done with tooth pick.


Caramel Topping


Ingredients:
1/2 c. butter (1 stick)
1 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. whole milk


Directions:
Melt butter in heavy small skillet over medium heat. Whisk in remaining 1 cup brown sugar, then milk. Continue to whisk until topping is smooth and blended and comes to boil, about 5 minutes. Whisk in vanilla. Pour remaining warm topping over cake. Let stand until cool, at least 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome. Let stand at room temperature.)

Early Morning

photos from WHP

Up early this morning in response to a wreck that shut down I-80. Thanks to the first responders and condolences to the family and friends of the deceased driver.

Fatal Crash Closes Eastbound I-80 Between Laramie & Cheyenne

by Wyoming Highway Patrol on Friday, March 25, 2011 at 10:18am

Laramie – The number of fatalities remains unknown at this time from an early morning crash involving two eastbound tractor trailer combination units.  The crash happened around 5:40 a.m. at Buford.

  

Eastbound Interstate 80 remains closed as the fire continues to burn and fire departments continue to poor water onto the now smoldering scene. 

Wyoming Highway Patrol Troopers were dispatched to the crash and found when they arrived that one tractor trailer combination had rear ended a slower tractor trailer combination.  Upon impact, the second tractor trailer caught fire and has been totally consumed.

The impact was severe enough that both van type trailers were breached and their load of empty dog food sacks and large rolls of possibly flooring covered the roadway. 

Waiting for some moisture

Watching the fires down south on the news and watching the clouds outside wondering when some moisture will arrive. They say that the month of March has an average of 3 wildfires in CO, this year we are up to 26 or 27 and March isn't quite over yet. 

I have a new horsehair braid going for another memorial project, it should make a nice piece.

horsehair dreamcatcher

I was looking through pictures and realized that I never did post a picture of this horsehair project all put together

That piece was made as a tribute to four different horses along with some additional jewelry pieces.

Sunny with a chance of gropple

Yesterday we had lovely t-shirt weather and we took advantage of that and got a lot done. Things are beginning to turn ever so slightly green. Today it was breezy so we headed back to town to gather things for another project.

Sunset tonight

On the way home the weather was just strange, sunny with clouds blowing by and then a couple of angry clouds were dropping gropple (icy pellets between snow and hail) and that was swirling across the road surface blizzard-style. Then a patch of sunshine, then getting pelted by more gropple, but we did get some useful things done today regardless. 

Bronc halters

These halters have a wider customized noseband, popularized by the look of rodeo bronc and mule halters. 

I haven't had a chance to make very many but the design is only limited to the creativity of those who order them. 

The customized noseband can be put on a web or rope halter. They can be wide or narrow and personalized in all kinds of ways with different stamping, tooling, colors, conchos, rhinestones, spots, cowhide, etc. 

more elk

This evening we saw nine elk grazing nearby. Looked like they were all bulls, mostly younger and some may have shed their antlers already. They have been bedding down nearby all week.

We snapped a couple of cell phone pictures that aren't great but you can kinda see them. Probably a good time to go look for elk sheds.

more chick pics

A little snow this morning, all melted off by this evening. 

Here are the little peeps making a break for it.

Happy St Patty's Day

A few little sprigs of green grass are coming up, promises of things to come. For a few days we almost forgot it wasn't spring yet.

One of the new chicks didn't make it through the night but the remaining four seem to be doing well. Hopefully they will continue to thrive.

Here comes the snow blowing in sideways but it probably will not accumulate too much.

Chicks

 I wasn't planning on getting more chicks this year but I have been wanting more than just brown eggs.  Hopefully all these little gals survive (and hopefully they are all hens). 

Golden Lakenvelder

Two silver Campines

A silver laced cochin

And a very spunky Ameraucana that likes to zip out the door running as soon as it is open. I think this one is the most active and friendly little chick I've ever encountered.

Drive safe

Yesterday we were happy to be able to offer some assistance to the victim of a serious single vehicle rollover accident. It looked pretty bad, but hopefully the driver makes a full recovery. She was very lucky, her vehicle was completely totaled. Some other good folks stopped to assist as well before authorities arrived. It was nice to see such a positive response.

It was a good reminder to always keep a functional fire extinguisher in your vehicle along with road flares, flash lights and batteries, rubber gloves, first aid kit, a knife or multi-tool and foil space blankets.

It is also a good idea to keep some water, a change of clothes and something to eat that will not spoil and supplies for pets that may be along for the ride.

In the winter we take along snow suits, gloves, hats, goggles, chains, rope, snow shovels and other useful items for digging vehicles out of the snow.

It is important to keep things (including pets) restrained in such a way that they do not become dangerous projectiles in the event of an accident. And of course always be alert behind the wheel and use safety belts.

Time change

I took a few pictures along the road today...

Fox tracks and antelope trails across the road

The main road

A few hours of warmth and our landscape changes again.

Funny weather

The day started warm and sunny, then we were hit with a wall of big wet snowflakes. 

A few raindrops, more wet, slushy snow. 

Not enough to accumulate until after dark, but it made things nice and damp. Good for the grass whenever it decides to come back up.

A little clearing at sunset

Herd dynamics

I turned little Cupcake back out in the big pasture today. She has been out before but spent most of the winter close to the house.

She is trying to hang close to the cross fence where her pals live, but Sprout is patiently babysitting and trying to guide Cupcake back to the big herd.

Sprout

Farfalla, the little mustang comes to help and they push Cupcake away from her pals, then she runs back, then they start all over. No drama, just slow encouragement.

Here they almost have Cupcake integrated with the herd, Sprout stays between Cupcake and her other pals over the fence. Always interesting to watch the changing dynamics. 

More gear

Finishing up an order of halters, leads and reins...

Some halters with wrapped nosebands that look sharp with their matching leads.

Baby blue and navy halter and lead.



Royal blue and merlot halters and leads

Classic black

Some new lead rope colors