It's Just going to be one of those...

You know the type, they sneak up on you. It didn't help that sleeping just hasn't been working out so well for me, then I got home last night and noticed the side door to the garage was open. Stepped into the house, greeted the dogs, noticed the television wasn't on the TV stand and the Guy asked from upstairs if I just got home. That's when it hit. We had been broken into.

That's right. Again. This time by a true thieving bastard. And Emmitt was in the house.

As was Tucker.

And last but not least, Sullivan. Who in the hell breaks into a house with three dogs inside, and one of them is a full grown Great Dane? Obviously my guys are not stellar watch dogs. We have done so much work with them and they are so socialized I think they just keep their distance. However, if one of us were to be threatened directly, some shit would hit the fan...

As far stuff taken, it was easily pawned electronics. All five of our various cameras, and the television. That stuff is just stuff and can be replaced. They also took our firesafe with all of our identity type things as well. That, is a bit of a pisser. So we are in the process of of trying to get those replaced. Oh Joy. And that alone makes me eager to get my hands on who ever did this. They could have had the "stuff". Stuff is easy to come by. But my passport? Not cool. I know they took that little fire sentry safe assuming it's heavy, there is probably a gun and perhaps some cash. Nope. Just our important documents. If by any chance you read this, please bring those back. You can just leave it by the door.

And if by any chance who ever did do this, read this, Thank you for not letting our dogs our or doing anything to harm them.

Okay, enough with that because my blood is starting to boil again. Just a heads up, until I replace cameras and such, this blog is about to get a bit thin on photos. Sorry. These few I did take with the iPad.

While the evidence tech was inside taking pictures and dusting for prints, I snagged these of the garden and the dogs.

Okay Kim, stop reading here. Beware, snakes ahead.

The other night I snagged these photos with my phone.

We have a couple snakes living around the house, and one had caught themselves a frog.

I've seen the snakes retreating to these ornamental grasses a few times now, so I think they are using them as housing, which is just fine by me. Keep rodents down. This one is actually a small garter snake. There is a larger racer I've seen couple times now too. To be honest, I'm impressed with the quality of images my little iPhone takes at times.

This one doesn't count though, I was snapping it through the window screen in the rain storm. Any camera on auto focus would have fought it.

Okay, off to try to recover a birth certificate copy. You all have a good night. Oh, and to the Wyoming Fiber Skeinks, it was so good to chat with you all on Face Time for a few minutes today.

Have a good night.

Home Again

So, I'm being really bad right now because I'm being very impatient. You see, we've been having a rolling thunderstorm across the area for most of the day and every time I either try to get on the computer or walk the dogs, the lightening and thunder start back up. And I decided that I was done so here I am on the computer to post about the 2014 Mens Rocky Mountain Knitting Retreat. Wish me luck...

It started out a bit auspiciously, as I discovered as we were on our final approach to the Denver airport that I had screwed up the last several rows of my socks. Above you can see the sock that I tore back to fix before setting back up on the needle to knit it two at a time with the other one. I did this standing outside at the airport while waiting for my ride to show up... Yeah I won't point fingers but someone got their days mixed up. While I'm on the subject, those socks are done! I'm working on another pair now. Whew, almost done with this sock challenge. I am now working on September's socks. I actually need to put these down as to work on a Mystery Knit Along pattern for the shop.

As for the retreat, it was as wonderful as expected from prior attendance. Frank and Brady once again did a wonderful job. As you can tell here, we had a good time. As per my usual, I didn't take a lot of photos, because I always forget I have a camera. I was too busy to remember I had a camera.

Too busy doing what, one might ask? Well... What happens at Yarn Camp stays at Yarn Camp. But let's just say I have assured that a new generation of young gay men have properly been traumatized, to assure the continued psychic bruising of Homo erectus flamboyutis. Slowly the knowledge now aware of the proper sound affect for a queef, and what happens when one has such an even while using clitter is working it's way through the next generation in an ever increasing ripple starting somewhere in SE Idaho. All I really have to say about all that is, "...and that's how Tinkerbell really did it."

However, I did manage to take my camera on the hike Saturday morning. Yes, some members of the species Homo erectus flamboyutis like to hike. Just accept it as the truth. How do you think those ancient genes in neolithic times made it across the world? I'll tell you, even back then we had to search out shiny things to make ourselves look FABULOUS.

Okay, enough with the gay agenda stuff there... I wore myself out. Seriously, we did go on a hike. That first picture of the five man hiking crew is from left to right, Gene, Frank, Bob, Jonathan, and Matthew. Okay, it was really a Seven man team. I was taking the picture and Michael chose to take the lower around Lilly Lake Trail instead of the up a steep trail Estes Cone trail.

Then here, you can see, we lost one. Bob wimped out, but I am in this frame as some passing hikers were bribed into taking our photo.

And then we lost Jonathan for the last 0.7 miles. Admittedly, the last .07 mile gained somewhere near 1000 feet of elevation. But we made it.

Though the going kind of sucked in some places. Let's just say, moving back to sea level then returning to +8000 feet of elevation isn't all that cool at 35.

Frank and I were first ones up... That's because Frank was chasing some eye candy. Don't deny it Frank.

And I tried to do some selfies on the little pinnacle of rock while light headed. Not so successful, let me just say.

It was beautiful, and we beat the rain down. Because all that blue sky was hiding a storm moving in. We didn't get it bad up there but it sounded like a couple of lower elevations down slope from Rocky Mountain National Park got some weather out of it, and the area is still recovering from last years floods.

On the way up I snapped this photo. Then I got home and was wondering what the hell I was snapping photos of. But then I looked closer.

This was the only deer of this small herd I was able to catch on film. If you look close to the lower left of the large picture she's hiding in there. We saw several elk over the days too, but I never had a camera on me when we did. And I somehow never managed to pull out my camera and get shots of the hovering line of hummingbirds at the lodges feeders.

The retreat was as fun as ever. What isn't great about a bunch of guys getting together in the woods to play with yarn? Well, sunburn isn't all that fun, but I lucked out there too. Bob got the worse of that. How could seven of us go on a hike and not a one of us bring sun block? Really?

I truly hope I get to return next year. It is planned to coincide with the Estes Park Wool Festival which I never got to attend while living in the area. So fingers crossed I can make the money work out.

We went up to the Weaver's Attic in Estes one day and they had some really neat antique looms. This one is about 130 years old. Not a single nail or screw in it as it is able to be completely broken down with a wallet and block.

It is a counter balance loom and was donated to them by a family that moved into the area with it. I believe the family was from the Minnesota area and were of Scandinavian ancestry and this was used for making rugs.

This too was a hand made loom that was donated to them. It is obviously a newer loom, but still a wonderful piece of textile history. They are still using these looms to weave on.

I snapped this photo on the last morning before leaving for the airport to return home. Who doesn't love hot air balloons?

Anyway, I better stop risking it and get off the computer before it gets bad here again. I promise more will come later now that I've returned home. But I need to do laundry and get dinner going. Wiener shnitzel anyone?

Nice Surprises and That Little Evil Voice

Well, we the house actually gave us a nice surprise this week. We had decided the living room carpet at the least just had to go and it was on my agenda for today but The Guy beat me to it while I was working last night.

Look what we found... We knew upstairs did not have hardwood, but we found this in the living room. What's that in the center? We're not sure what it used to be but there was an inlay that was pulled out, plywood placed over the hole before carpet was laid over it. Tomorrow we're going to go looking for a floor professional to come take a look and see what they can dog for us to make it a little nicer. There are a couple spots in it that need repaired and we're going to have to figure out what to do with that center spot. I'm thinking maybe a tile inlay that we can cover in the winter with a rug and in the summer the rug can be rolled away for dogs that need to do this.

Because it's hot. I'm thinking in addition to the rest of the things we need to get to this weekend, is to set up at least the bedroom A/C unit. It's time. And I think the dogs would appreciate it and a cool tile section of the floor to lay on in the living room, don't you?

So, now the entire downstairs is carpet free. Yay! And I have to say, I noticed even last night, the house smells better for it. Which it's always nice to not want to retch when you walk in the front door.

Maybe that's one of the reason's I seem to be feeling punchy lately. That and it's hot, and I don't do hot well but I'm trying. However, I've been noticing it at odd times that I'm snarky. We went to a movie for the first time since we left Casper this Sunday and while waiting for our movie to start the preview for Edge of Tomorrow with Tom Cruise came on. And I want to see it. Anybody that knows me and my movie choices and feelings towards Tom Cruise would be surprised at this. That is until I inform you all that I want to see it and would be willing to pay prime time movie ticket price just to get to watch Emily Blunt shoot Tom Cruise in the face over and over again. But I bet they showed that part over and over again in the preview just to get those people like me to do exactly that. She couldn't kill him that many time, can she?

See, it's thoughts like that that I sometimes wonder, "Where in the hell did that come from?" Then I remember I'm not nearly that nice of a person to not feel those kinds of things, and worse, to say them. But that's just because I know other people appreciate those sort of things too.

So, in a bit of an effort to be a nicer person, let's discuss this past week. We're slowly getting house work done. I got the diverter for a rain barrel up this afternoon in addition to the last of the carpet tack strips up and the nails out of the floor. I didn't get the rain barrel attached because the drill bit that was supposed to come with the kit, didn't. So maybe tomorrow I'll hit Home Depot.

We did get more outlets changed and exterior lights up. I did the little E-Dance on the latter by the garage while messing with the halogen flood light. It's bulb was out, I had tested the wires and contacts in the fixture with my little voltage thingy and they were all wrong. It's not the first time I've done that little dance, but damn I hate it. After that I went on a search for the light fixtures real electricity source and let's not discuss the fire hazard little jerry-rigged nightmare I found in the garage. Let's just say that it is no longer a fire hazard.

These pictures so far were the ones I had on the big camera that I was stalling to look at because I knew they had the final pictures of Shiela on them. But today I loaded them up and thought it was perfect time for a blog post.

For those that are going to ask, yes, I do think the boys are missing her too. She was a regular part of their lives even in the last couple years where her presence was less as she aged.

Her presence was as normal as the regular walks, and sunrise. They expressed it by being clingier than normal, as though in the case of Emmitt that is even a possibility, but then he knew her longest. However, the most telling event of their upset was on Wednesday when Sullivan did this.

What happened? Well, your guess is as good as mine. I think he ran into a tree while running with the boys and some other dogs we were with on the Provin Ski Trails. I don't think there was a bight because, well, with 7 or 8 dogs running and if someone bit, I think we would have had a fight. Hell, Sullivan didn't seem to even realize he was hurt. It's hard to tell but it's about the size of a deck of cards and this is the bloodiest it got.

After several apologies from the ladies that we were with we finished our last lap of the trails and headed back south for our new vet that just met the dogs the evening before. Seriously. Welcome to caring for our dogs. I was there for about 30-45 minutes waiting to see a doc, had them take a look, take him back to clean him up and I left and decided to go about what I had scheduled for the day.

When I got to the next place on my list, Tucker wouldn't get up. He moped in the back of the car and would only wag his tail as he lay there. Emmitt wouldn't stop panting despite it being a cool damp day and seemed unsettled. That's when it dawned on me. Last week we went to the vet, I went in with Shiela, came out without her and she never came back home. A week and a day later I go into the vet with Sullivan and come out without him. Then I felt a bit guilty. But I went into the yarn shop for knitting anyway.

Then I came out and took them for a walk (those are the above three pictures. You've seen this boardwalk before but never with all those leaves!) before going to look at flooring and what not. The entire time was the same. To make things worse, Emmitt barked at everyone that passed the car, even after being told off for it. and then the vet in Ada called and told me Shiela's ashes were ready for pick up. So I did that too, might as well finish off traumatizing my dogs.

Before picking up the big guy we went to dinner, where Emmitt again got in trouble for barking, but seemed relieved when Silly Sully wobbled out of the vet on still kind of unsteady legs. I keep telling him that chicks love scars, even if you are a ball-less wonder.

He kind of stood around and slobbered that night before going up to bed with The Guy. It was kind of endearing in a damp sort of way. WhenI came to bed I had to guide him from the bed into the spare bedroom that he has adopted as his own as he was even more wobbly from anesthesia after sleeping for about an hour. I covered him with a blanket and closed all the windows in the room so he wouldn't get chilled and went to bed myself. And at some point in the night Sullivan decided he preferred the walk in closet. And took not only himself, but his blanket with him to bed.

Isn't that adorable? He now has a blankie that I need to wash as he got some blood on it. He was there this morning when I drug my butt from bed at 630 again. Seems he prefers it there over that big cushy queen sized bed. Ridiculous as usual.

Oh yeah, saw mama here with her ducklings hiding in the brush as we were leaving the boardwalk. She knew as soon as I stopped to snap a picture that I had spotted her and she was off into the current with her babies. Sorry, a lot of these shots are with my phone. Sometimes it does wonderfully, like the shot of the boys on the boardwalk, sometimes not so much. And it never helps when I'm taking shots through branches.

Anyway, we've been enjoying the yard if nothing else of the new house. Doesn't he look like he's enjoying himself? Never mind the mower deck, broke again so we can't mow until we get it back. Hopefully before the grass gets to long...

Again... Can't even see his frisbee he's playing with. It's bright red if you can believe it.

But life is always good with a nice grassy lawn and a stick.

Even better if someone will play with you and the stick in said lawn.

Today while I was cleaning up my mess with rain diverter, I saw a nice sized olive toned snake quickly slither into my lilies. I think it was either a smooth green snake in it's juvenile coloring or a racer. It didn't want to be near me though and stayed hidden while I went about my business. I saw a garter snake the other day in the lawn and we've seen frogs here and there though they have fallen silent in the evenings now as mating has come to an end. One of these times I'll have a camera on me when I stumble across them. However I did get this young and/or little grasshopper in frame the other night that The Guy pointed out to me.

And I got these yesterday while getting ready to pack myself and Sullivan up to go to work. We won't speak of the full water bottle I forgot I had chilling in the freezer...

I think between the stress of moving, unpacking, fixing up, cleaning, losing Shiela, and Sullivan's injury, we both seem to be forgetful lately.

Shush smart asses, more so than normal.

And off to the next flower. There was one buzzing around the aforementioned lilies trying to find blossoms. But no, the stalks just keep getting taller but no blossoms out yet.

Let us not forget the birds that make Sullivan nervous and grumbly as he stares at them through the front window. Those dang Turkey's... Sorry, i was snapping these through the window screen if you can't tell.

"Do girls really dig scars?"

Okay, it may be a bit before I get another post up. I will try before I leave Wednesday for the Rocky Mountain Men's Knitting Retreat, but no promises. I stuff to get done.