Wyoming Breezes

Drying Corn Misawa, Japan Autumn 1980 When I was in Japan, I took a LOT of photos, and most were taken with a Minolta with interchangeable lens. Sometimes, I took multiple shots of the same subject matter because each perspective tells a different story. I enjoyed living in rural Japan and seeing the "real" Japan, not just the images on travel brochures. Many times, we overlook the beauty in our surroundings because we do not change our perspective.

Tumble Inn Powder River, WY September 2014 Powder River is a small, dying town, but it used to have two restaurants, a motel, a gas station, etc. Now all that remains is an elementary school, a post office and some private homes. I can't recall ever going inside the Tumble Inn, but it used to be quite a hopping place, the only "watering hole" between Shoshoni and Casper. It closed about 15 - 20 years ago, but it remains alongside the highway as a reminder of days gone by. Last week, I stopped to take a photo before it disappears or lives up to its name and actually "tumbles in." Another popular pit-stop in Powder River in the 50s and 60s for teetotalers was Romeo and Juliet's, a restaurant located just to the east of the Tumble Inn. It was a good place to stop for a meal, a cup of coffee, or a piece of pie on the journey home. Romeo and Juliet's was leveled either in the 70s or 80s.

I stumbled on a great deal in a Casper quilt shop last week and doubt that I will ever find such a bargain again. The shop has a section in the basement where the clearance fabric is displayed, so I headed downstairs when I entered the shop. I was on a mission to find some backing fabrics for Quilts of Valor. The QOV I frequently make require about four yards of fabric each, so spending full price of $11 or more for yardage can deplete my QOV funds fairly quickly. In the basement, I found three fabrics with a 30% clearance price. I returned upstairs. The clerk was helping someone else, so I put the bolts near the cutting table and wandered the store looking at patterns and fabric. Tucked near the back of the store was a small alcove with a sign on the wall indicating the fabric in that section was $1 a yard. Really? I perused the fabric and found two bolts of Jenny Beyer fabric, one with broad stripes that would make an attractive quilt back and another with smaller stripes. I t...

Denim blocks with batik rail fence blocks Friday evening, I drove to Lander for the annual Popo Agie Quilter's show. I know some of the ladies in this group and love to see the projects they have on display. One of my favorites in the show was actually on the back of a quilt by Pat Welch. The appliquéd VW Beetle was so cute! Appliqued VW Beetle on the back Quilt pieced by Pat Welch and machine quilted by Floye Weekly 67 x 92 inches This quilt didn't have a name, but I think either Flower Power or Feelin' Groovy would be appropriate. The batik fabric reminds me of the 60s tie-dyed fabrics. This quilt and its clever back made me smile and begin humming Feelin' Groovy. Ahh, the 60s!

Saturday, September 27, 2014 Saturday was a gorgeous day: about 70 F and a slight breeze. The weatherman predicted rain on Sunday, so it was a good time to rake some leaves and get them off the lawn before the weather changed. I filled my yard waste container and borrowed those of two neighbors - the front lawn was somewhat clean for about 30 minutes. Many, more leaves need to fall, but at least I got a bunch of them picked up. I have two large, ash trees in the front yard, and one in the back yard. Thousands of leaves have yet to turn golden or even think of falling. My days working in the yard have only begun. You may not remember what I faced last year at this time.  Same day, same view - totally different weather . That's Wyoming!

Bare flat-bed of a festival float Misawa, Japan Autumn 1980 I've featured festival floats in previous Foreign Fridays, but today's photo shows the base of the float and how they are not only pulled by individuals but also steered by someone inside the float. Update: Just to clarify, the trailer does not have a motor. The steering wheel allowed the trailer, which was pulled by individuals, to maneuver the narrow streets during the parade.

Bill H., Nancy S., Joy G., LeRoy S., Susan K., and Nancy J. show principal, Hank T. (a Raiders' fan) that he was in Bronco territory approx. 1985 Most of the staff at Wind River High School were Denver Bronco fans, and if they weren't, they got a bit of ribbing from those who were. Hank T. was the principal, ironically from Denver, and was a Raider's fan. The staff donned Orange Crush shirts and decorated Hank's office to leave no doubt that WRHS was Bronco territory!

Baby Surprise Jacket September 2014 Hopefully, I will have enough yarn (it's scraps) to finish this Baby Surprise Jacket. I had hoped to knit a mirror image of this BSJ , but clearly that is not going to happen. Now, I'm just aiming for finishing the sweater with the yarn that is remaining.

In high school, I belonged to such a "wild crowd," a group that included upper and lower classmen. We were involved in music, pep club, and Future Homemakers of America - no girls' sports in those days, we were much too delicate to sweat. Frequently through the year, we had Slumber Parties: I remember staying at Cathy, Darla, and Nancy's houses. It may come as a surprise that one of our activities at the slumber parties was knitting, and I have the photos to prove it. Cathy R. in background and Eugenia T. Slumber Party at Nancy J. Pavillion, WY 1967 Margaret B. and Nancy J. Slumber Party 1967 Pavillion, WY Now, Nancy (High Plains Footprints)  and I knit with a group that meets every Tuesday evening. Did you knit with friends or attend slumber parties when you were in high school?

The Humbags are packaged and ready to mail to the winners.         Camouflage bag - Dee         Black and White checks (gingham) - Katherine         Floral - Sissy Sees         Black and White windowpane - Crafts on the Go (Crafty One)         Small, cloth Humbags will be given to: TamKnots, Pumpkin, and Leah Winners, please send me an email with your mailing address.

Rural barn Misawa, Japan Autumn 1980 On weekends, I put on my walking boots, grabbed my camera and wandered around the countryside. Sometimes, I went alone; other times, with friends. I saw more of the "real" Japan than those who stayed on the highways and in town. I found beauty in the raw images of rural Japan. Note: that is corn drying under the eave of the barn.

Garter Rib Baby Blanket Pattern: Garter Rib Blanket  (Ravelry link to free pattern) Yarn: Caron Simply Soft (Soft Pink) Needles: Size 8 Stitch count: 126

Oilcloth Humbug bags I was recently invited to sew with a group that meets at the Lander library each month, so last week, I loaded my sewing machine and supplies and drove to Lander. The project for September was Humbug bags . The bag was inspired by an English sweet, called a humbug . I'd seen the bags before, but had never made one. I completed a small bag from the supplies I took to the sew-in as well as bought some kits for larger bags from Mary, the group's coordinator. Some of the bags were made as gifts, and the ones pictured above are my gifts to four lucky readers. The bags are approximately 12 inches long and are constructed with oilcloth. They are a good size for knitting or other crafts as well as a ditty bag for travel. If you want to be included in the drawing for a bag, tell me in your comment which one appeals to you. The winners will be posted on Monday, September 22, 2014, so you have until noon on Sunday to enter the drawing.

Rich S., Dwight M., Rosa S. Brenda M. approx. 1978 My nephew and niece from Denver came to the farm and worked for Grandma Rosie for several summers. They milked cows, fed calves, cleaned the barn, fixed meals, mowed the yard, irrigated, worked in the field, and fed cows. Dwight and his cousin Bruce (from Fargo, ND) slept in a camper near the house and next to the irrigation ditch. Brenda and her cousin Becky (from Fargo, ND) slept in the house. Some evenings we played Spoons  and Nertz , card games that can be quite competitive.

Twining September 2014 I use a simple Bulldog clip to help me see my progress when twining. I move the clip to the bottom of the last row and twine from that point. The photo shows that I've added about an inch since I last moved the clip. An inch may not seem like a lot, but it sometimes can take 30 minutes or more to twine an inch. When knitting, I often attach a removable stitch marker so I can see my progress. These clips and markers keep me motivated on seemingly endless projects. What tricks do you use on projects for motivation?

Our tour guide demonstrates how latex is harvested from a rubber tree Singpore December 22, 1979 The notes from my travel journal state, "The rubber tree plantation was the last stop today. A British commander smuggled 22 seeds from Brazil and only 9 seedlings sprouted and were then planted in Singapore. Singapore became the rubber capital for some time. The American company, Goodyear, discovered vulcanization and rubber tires thus caught on." Up until this tour, I had no idea where rubber originated. Latex from a rubber tree Rubber Tree Plantation Singapore December 22, 1979 Other notes from my journal: "Gas in Singapore -  $2.30 a gallon. The government encourages car pooling in the morning and taxes cars for having less than four people inside. The cars on the streets are less than ten years old because older cars are taxed double."

Twining on the deck September 2014 Temperatures have been in a state of flux the last few weeks as Autumn creeps down the mountainside. It can be 80 F one day and 50 F the next. I usually start the day with the house closed and fling open the windows and doors by mid-day. I added a down comforter to my bed about a month ago, and in another month, I'll probably start using the flannel sheets. Recently, I've been trying to twine outside as much as I can. The lint and strings can be easily swept off the deck, and I can enjoy the gentle breezes. All too soon, it will be too chilly to twine or to knit outside. How do you like to spend Autumn afternoons?

Rich S. cleaning the chaff from the combine air filter approx. 1983 The oat fields are just starting to turn golden in this area, and soon the harvest will be underway. Harvest for other crops (malt barley, oat hay, alfalfa) have already begun or are finished. Soon, the silage will be cut, sugar beets dug, and beans combined. It's a busy time of the year for local farmers. I really don't know how my brother managed to get everything harvested, as he and my mother also milked cows twice a day. My oldest brother, John and sometimes his son, Larry would come out and help during the harvest. When they weren't available, Rich would combine the oats, fill the truck box and then drive the truck back to the farmyard and unload the grain into the bin. Often he would combine even at night.

Sewing the binding on  Country Crossroads Binding is the last step in the quilting process. For Quilts of Valor, the binding is sewn on one side and drawn around to the other side and tacked by hand. Since I received three quilts back from the volunteer long arm quilters last week, I've been busy doing the finishing work. Recently, I received several quilts back from long arm quilting volunteers: two quilts from Boise, ID, two quilts from Cheyenne, WY, and one quilt from Miles City, MT. Today, I mailed another QOV to a volunteer in Dutch John, UT.  I am thankful for the long arm quilters who volunteer their time and talent. Partnering with these and other machine quilters has made it possible for me to complete 46 QOV in the last four years .

Roll Call Quilt of Valor 56 x 70 inches Another Quilt of Valor made from the scrap 2.5 inch strip bin. The pattern is written to make a 66 x 86 inch quilt; however, I down-sized the pattern since my color selection was limited to the scraps. Only the tone on tone white was from my fabric stash, the rest is from the scrap bin. Roll Call is QOV number 46 - made since 2010: a list of completed QOV can see seen here . Pattern: Jimmy John (free pattern) - Jo's Country Junction I loved this pattern and will make another one. Jo was sweet and featured Roll Call on her blog here .