April 18-26, 2023 Fort Collins, Colorado

 

My loving younger brother passed away peacefully Thursday night. It is so sudden and such a shock. I know death is part of life.  He is too young. My sister and brother are here so we can support each other. Woke up to this surprise this morning. 

Sunset from my brothers condo tonight. The three siblings. Sue, Judy and Ray. Great to see them. 

Judy left this morning. It was such a nice day Ray and I walked along the bike path here in Fort Collins. We saw this heron.

Sue and Ray with the Poudre River in the background. 

April 15-17, 2023 Shoshone, California To Denver, Colorado

 84 degrees and sunny.

Prefect day for the SE Inyo Desert Arts Festival and poker run. Judy and I had a booth. Judy sold her woodworking masterpieces and I sold baskets and jewels. A very successful show. I sold all but two of my baskets and many jewels. 

Judy built a wooden lathe and set it up and ran it for the show. Robin visiting Susan's potter booth. Susan was throwing pots on a wheel. Some of her ceramic sculptures are in the foreground. 

Ila's booth. She had many of her handmade arts for sale. Dancing at the stage with live music. There was live music and entertainment the whole day. There were dance demos, bull whip demos, readings, story telling, poetry etc.

Judy running Gladys the recyclescope and hands on reuse arts workshop. There is garbage in the middle of the recyclescope and  large kaleidoscopes on the side, you can look in and see the kaleidoscopes of the garbage. it looks really cool.  It is about recycling and reusing trash in art.  There was a really long line all day at Wonder Hussy's booth. She is a local celebrity. She has a utube travel channel that is extremely popular nation wide. For a donation to the fire dept you could have your photo taken with her and there were different costumes you or she could wear for the photo. Many people said the only reason they came was to see her.

There was also a drum circle booth which had belly dancers twice during the day. Robbie sent us this aerial shot of the festivities. We are the white topped booth in the middle with a black car about to go by.

Judy and I watering the native plants we and a group of volunteers planted a few weeks ago at the new wetlands trail in Shoshone around the runoff from the spring here. The meandering stream at this moment has weed barrier cloth in it to discourage the cattails from growing up into it. The plants all look great so far. This will be so beautiful when the plants grow up, There will be rocks and benches. Sunset over the wetlands.

My younger brother Jerry is in the hospital with a rather serious condition. Judy and I flew out to be with him.  I am not ready to discuss the details yet. We are overwhelmed with the whole thing right now. Please do not call us just yet. I will provide more information soon. Just send lots of love. John drove us to Las Vegas for the flight. I am not good with mornings The view of I think Glen Canyon from the air. 

The Rocky mountains from the air. 

Downtown Denver from the air.

My brother is in Medical Center of the Rockies. We are here to support him.  I am not ready to discuss the details yet. We are overwhelmed with the whole thing right now. Please do not call us just yet. I will provide more information soon. Just send love and good vibes, it will help a lot.  Sunset from the hospital room. 

April 11-13, 2023 Shoshone, California

 93 and sunny. 

We had dinner with Judy and James last night. Yummy food and good company. I got to meet Kit Kat who is a sweetie.

Sunset from Tecopa Heights. And a UFO in the sunset.

Only 85 today and sunny. Cool clouds. I made this tiny basket to hold my business cards. 4 x 4 1/2 x 1 3/4 inches. Made with dyed pine needles, polyester thread, glass beads and the center is a piece of dichroic glass I fused.

Also finished this masterpiece. It is made with ornamental grass, polyester thread, glass and metal beads, the center is a piece of dichroic glass I cast.  It is 5 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches. Backlit brittle bush tonight. 

I found another hillside covered with flowers. White blooming cactus downtown Shoshone, another prickly pear bloom and two photos of lilac bonnets. 

Backlit sun cups. Sunset to the east.

Round holes in the clouds at sunset. Some wire wraps I made after taking some classes in Vegas. The top one is red jasper, bottom left a glass bead and right a piece of dichroic glass I made. 

We helped for a bit with pre Firehouse event preparation. We assembled donation boxes, and signs. Bottom left Marge and Susan are working on paperwork for the silent auction. The basket in front of them I donated, it is made with pine needles, polyester thread and ceramic beads. The center is a pot Susan made for me with hole around to the top to attach the basket. We had a farewell Primrose Patio dinner last night. Lots of great pot luck food and wonderful company. Many of us are leaving this week after a wonderful winter here. 

 

April 8 - 11, 2023 Shoshone, California

 77 degrees and sunny today.

We went to an excellent talk at the museum by Len Warren, Birdman of Shoshone on local birds. Always a pleasure to listen to Len. John and I watered the plants that we planted along the wetland trail  a few weeks ago today. They need watering once a week for awhile. They look good so far.  

Sunset tonight. Mid 90's and sunny. Way to hot for me. Either in the pool or sitting in the shade with wet clothes. Working on baskets.

I got up early and went on a hike on the White Trail to see the flowers.

The flowers just started popping this week. I hope the 90 degree weather does not kill them. It is killing me. Hillside of desert gold and sun cups. White bursage, phacelia, chicory and bursage, brittle bush. Button bush, prickly pear, and cryptantha. 

Desert gold and phacelia. Chicory, brittle bush, dwarf poppies, white bush, mohavae,  monkey flower and white wooly daisies. , 

Brittle bush.

Desert gold, phacelia, five spot and chicory.

John admiring the flowers. Brittle bush and view.

A heart shaped clump of monkey flower. Phacelia, 5 spot, desert dandelion, white wooly daisy and monkey flower, dwarf  poppies with yellow wooly daisy, evening primrose, gravel ghost and chia.

Brittle bush. View of the Kingston Mountains across the valley.

Dwarf and regular sized poppies. Poppies, wild bug desert gold and phacelia with monkey flower.

Desert tortoise  sunbathing.