Wyoming Breezes

Temple Window Bangkok, Thailand December 1979 It was difficult to capture the golden color of this beautiful stained-glass window. This exterior shot gives you a better idea of how the window filled the temple with a golden light. In hindsight, I should have paid more attention to how I was framing the photograph.

Venetian Masks by Justin Hayward oil on canvas displayed at the Nicolaysen - Casper, WY When I visited the Nicolaysen in October, I was drawn to the work of Justin Hayward, an art instructor at Casper College. Last month, I posted one of his paintings  that many thought was a photograph. Hayward's work is truly intriguing and his attention to detail is amazing. close-up of Venetian Masks close-up of Venetian Masks

Caramel Latte Needle size 8 106 stitches Yarn - off-white and variegated mystery yarn from stash Checks and Ridges and Stockinette stitches

It wasn't funny at the time, but now I can see a glimmer of humor. Remember the parking lot scene in the movie Fried Green Tomatoes ? I definitely wanted to have a Towanda moment last week in the Smiths parking lot. I had finished my shopping and carefully pushed my cart across the icy parking lot. As I neared my car, I immediately saw the problem, but it took a while to process the situation. I knew no one would believe me if I didn't take photos. It's been cold here: high temperatures in the teens, but a puff of wind reduces those temps to single digits quickly, which is why my options were limited. Getting in the car on the driver's side was clearly out of the question. Thankfully, I was able to get in on the passenger side and maneuver my way into the driver's seat. Okay, now I was out of the cold, but the question remained: could I drive out of this parking space. Yes, I tried, but the angle and the ice made it impossible - at least for me. So I ...

Saturday, the Fremont County Fiber Guild hosted a Fiber Fest, which was well attended despite the bitter cold that has settled in this valley. Members demonstrated spinning (wheel and drop spindle), twining, knitting, needle felting, etc. As promised, I have photos of Jamie knitting with her giant needles . Jamie demonstrates how to cast on.  She cut T-shirts into strips and looped them together for "yarn." Jamie counts and arranges the stitches on the needle. With any knitting project, the first row can be a bit tricky. Alice B. steadied the right-hand needle as Jamie knit the first row.  Once started, the rug grew and grew.  The black bag contained more shirts for strips of lime green, gray, blue, and white. The big needles were a hit at the Fiber Fest, and were perfect for showing the knitting process to beginning knitters. 

April 2012 April 2012 Sheila photographed signs in Japan that encourage responsible dog owner behavior.

1955 Workbasket (click to enlarge) Please note that the diet would be mailed in a plain wrapper: some consolation since they already insulted everyone  with the "Fat Girl's Diet" headline The more things change, the more they seem to stay the same. While the headline is not politically correct in 2013, many of the same "diets" keep surfacing in magazines. I doubt that they will ever disappear. What's the craziest OR most successful diet that you've tried?

Back to Nature started June 2012 I knit the last section (dark green) on this Western Region Oddball Baby Blanket. Needle size 8 106 stitches Caron Simply Soft (Cedar) Box Stitch Update: January 20, 2013

"We spend January 1st walking through our lives, room by room,  drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched.  Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk  through the rooms of our lives...not looking  for flaws, but for potential."   ~ Ellen Goodman "We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves.  The book is called Opportunity, and its  first chapter is New Year's Day. ~ Edith Lovejoy Pierce Are you ready to discover   the  opportunities  2013 will bring? Happy New Year!

The Western Region Oddball Knitters have been busy. Below are the blankets that have been finished since November on which I had the honor to knit a section. Vari-unique started June 2012 Little Frog Prince started October 2012 Garden Vegetables started June 2012 Sand Dollar started July 2012 Peter Pan started June 2012 Faerie Delight started July 2012 Around the World started September 2012

Ziggy circa 2003 Click to enlarge

Vending Machine April 2012 Today, Sheila shares some vending machine photos. Vending machine outside a plumbing shop April 2012 In the late 70s vending machines ( seen in this previous post ) were commonly seen on the side of the road. The machines sold cigarettes, beer, soft drinks, snacks, nectars, and magazines. Note: the magazines were the "adult" variety. More on Japanese vending machines on this post by Michael Weening.

Winter Storm Western Region Oddball Baby Blanket started December 2012 Red Heart Sparking (White) Size 9 needles Box Stitch My white section must have prompted the 3 - 4 inches of snow that fell on Christmas Eve. The snow was too light and fluffy to contain much moisture, but it was welcome just the same. Update : March 15, 2013