SkyWatch Friday: Tricks & Treats!

After waiting in vain all week for a hauntingly beautiful Halloween sunrise to share, I had a sky-less Halloween post ready to go… until just a few minutes ago! As my finger hovered over the "publish" button, BW called to me with eerie timing, "Come see the sunrise!" Sure enough, it was a colorful, luminous beauty that seemed to mimic a glowing jack-o-lantern…

Oh those trickster Wyoming sunrises! Now you don't see 'em, now you do! :-)

So here's my originally planned post with more Halloween fun from (mostly) ground level…

Above-ground level, that is. ;-)

First, a sneak-peek at one of this year's quilts in the annual Fiber Arts show at the library. The lone Halloween quilt in the exhibit and one of my top three favorites in the show, I thought it would be better appreciated here than on my upcoming quilt show post...

"Who's Watching?"

Technique: Pieced

Artist: Tammy Johnson

From a kit designed by Heidi Pridemore

Quilted by: Karen Van Houten

On the day of our visit to the cemetery and picnic among the "Roman Ruins" last week, we also drove by this old home in Sheridan's historic "Residence Hill" neighborhood. It was for sale when BW and I were looking for a place and we made an offer on it, but it was not to be (just as well - ideal location, but way too big and in need of too much work, it would have meant delaying BW's retirement and thank goodness that didn't need to happen!)

A spooky spider, pretty pumpkins, and comely crow await trick-or-treaters

I didn't have to wander far from the home we did end up living in to get these next photos. Our neighbors a few doors down have their place very festively decorated for fall and Halloween, but I especially love these gossamer ghosts gamboling around the festooned spruce...

And up the street in the opposite direction one is greeted by these gregarious ghouls and their hauntingly hospitable howdies! :-)

Remember our friend the Red-tailed hawk? He showed up again at dusk last Friday, perched on our next door neighbors' roof. I took some more photos of him (of course) despite the bad lighting, and really liked this one of his eyes reflecting my camera's flash. By darkening the original a little I ended up with this great silhouette ~ add a few spooky elements courtesy of PicMonkey and our red-tailed friend becomes The Haunted Hawk of Halloween! :-)

It's predicted to be sunny and 71º here today (and tomorrow) with no wind. Combine the balmy weather with the fact it's a Friday night and we're expecting a record turnout of monstrous moochers Trick-or-Treaters, though we "only" bought enough vegan goodies for the first 250 or so. Wish us (and our poor doorbell) luck, and enjoy a safe and happy Halloween! 

SkyWatch Friday: Dawn's Early Light to Twilight's Last Gleaming

Happy SkyWatch Friday to my fellow SkyWatchers around the world, and Happy 4th of July to my fellow Americans! 

Lots going on in today's post, so I'd best get busy…

It was not a good week here for sky photography due to a thick haze from wildfires in Alberta, Canada. But it started to clear by yesterday, when I took all of these photos ~ beginning at sunrise when I walked barefoot to the end of our street to finally photograph the Western Meadowlark (Wyoming's State Bird) who sits atop the corner streetlight every day, singing his sweet little heart out. I thought he looked especially lovely bathed in the "dawn's early light"...

I've always loved the Meadowlark's melodious songs and calls, and so was happy to catch a snippet while he alternately preened and sang (his version of singing in the shower?) :-)...

(Don't know what the annoying clicking from my camera is all about!)

I was also able to capture this still photo of him in full-throated song...

...but noticed that he was no longer bathed in the pretty golden sunlight. So I turned around to see what had befallen the rising sun and discovered it had been obscured by an ill-timed cloud. Still, it was a pretty sight, so I snapped it...

… and only after viewing it on my camera did I notice the silhouettes of the deer on the right! Since I had my telephoto lens attached, I was able to get a few nice closeups of this doe and her suitors (the one on the right, whom I also hadn't seen till I downloaded this photo, is clearly not a morning person!)...

After mowing and weeding, BW and I took a break in the shade of our front porch and enjoyed the view of this interesting cloud, who appeared to be responding to complaints about the increasing cloudiness with, "Talk to the hand." :-)

At the end of our busy day - and our first hot one (92ºF) in nearly a week - we enjoyed an evening bike ride, and then a final respite on our front porch to watch the sun go down…

BW sporting his "go to hell hat" beneath our festive star-spangled string of lights!

And what a sunset it was!! All of the following sunset photos are "SOOC" - straight out of my camera, which had captured the breathtaking magnificence of the "twilight's last gleaming" so perfectly that the very thought of trying to improve them through editing seemed both futile and arrogant…

Even after the sun had set, the show - and photo ops - had still not ended. By the very last of the day's light, a herd of at least nine mule deer paraded past in front of the school across the street, providing a delightfully perfect close to a day that had begun with a beautiful sky and beautiful deer... and because what is Independence Day without a parade? :-)

Click on the photos to enlarge, and please pardon their poor quality. I was surprised my camera was able to capture the deer as well as it did, given my distance from them and the lack of light! Though some of them had lagged behind to peek in the classroom windows and front doors (not kidding) and so didn't make it into the frame, the ones who did are more visible in this photo...

Again, I wish a very safe and 

to those who are celebrating it…

And please also enjoy a mindful holiday celebration...

Happy Arbor Day News & Happy SkyWatch Skies! :-)

I've wanted to share this news for the past week, but what better day than Arbor Day to share the happy status update about Al and Jackie's critically wounded maple tree?

Many of you may remember my post about "Atlas," the devastating snowstorm that hit us in early October. It wreaked destructive havoc on the still-leafy trees with 10 inches of heavy, wet snow and high winds. In my second post about the storm, I shared a photo of the fatal-looking damage it had done to the beautiful maple tree beside the patio of our friends Al and Jackie.

Well, Jackie didn't spend a long career as a nurse for nothing, and despite some teasing and possibly some evil snickering from cynical naysayers, she convinced Al to perform emergency triage on the tree with rebar, twine and duct tape. A lot of you shared your hopes that it would work, and I promised to give you an update in the spring.

The trees here started budding recently, so I emailed Jackie last week (with some trepidation) to ask her if the maple had shown any signs of life. But here is the photo she took with her iPad to share with me the happy news!

She said that she and Al are concerned about the branch on the right, which started to bud and then seemed to stop, but that even if that branch doesn't make it they're optimistic that the tree will. So three cheers for Al and Jackie's ingenuity and hopefulness, and for their brave maple tree's tenacity! :-)

And since today is also SkyWatch Friday, I can't pass up the chance to share a photo of today's lovely sunrise. As soon as I saw it through our kitchen windows I snatched BW's iPad off the counter to capture it, knowing that by the time I fetched my camera, changed out the lens, and returned to the back patio, the colors would have faded - which they did. So I give you a little less photo quality in exchange for a lot more color!...

Have a wonderful weekend!

SkyWatch Friday: Skies & Chocolate, My Valentine to You

Happy Friday and Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!

Goodness, where does the time go? Six weeks since my last post ~ I should be tossed into blogging prison for dereliction of duty (thank goodness there's no such place… is there?) :-) I can't tell you how many times I've sat down to put a blog post together only to stare blankly at my screen for 30 minutes before giving up in disgust. On a good day when my creative juices are flowing (at a glacial pace, but at least not completely stagnant), I may edit and upload some photos. But then all attempts to conjure words to accompany them are a vain and painful struggle, till like some pale, consumptive heroine in a gothic novel, I have to retire to my fainting couch. Ha. I'm PITIFUL!

Since I've enjoyed reading rather than writing, watching movies rather than taking photos, and relaxing rather than… well, pretty much anything else, I'm more certain than ever that this is what winter is for - filling our tanks, taking in inspiration and rest so we can expend our creative and physical energy when spring rolls around. At least that's my theory and I'm stickin' to it! 

But enough of this slothful lethargy - if SkyWatch Friday, a Full Moon, and Valentine's Day aren't enough reasons to get a new post published then I don't know what is. Just don't expect me to get around to updating my blog header till I've had at least several more naps. 

So here are a few lovely skies from January, followed by an extremely chocolatey chocolate recipe. Because if I can't make up for my long, lazy absence with an offering of colorful sunrises, dreamy clouds, a full moon above the tree tops, and above all chocolate - then romance as we know it is dead. ;-)

These first two sunrise shots were taken just a few minutes apart…

We've had a lot of wind this winter, and the only good thing about that is how beautifully it shapes and stirs the clouds...

I'm almost never entirely happy with my moon photos, and this one is no exception. But I do love the color of the moon, the way it illuminated that little whiff of a cloud above it, and the silhouettes of the trees beneath it…

On Valentine's Day and every Friday, skywatchers around the world really put their hearts into their beautiful SkyWatch posts, so go feast your eyes - 

And speaking of feasts, since I know how skywatching can work up an appetite, here's my other Valentine treat to you! 

Our neighbor Carol had us over for a delicious five-course vegan dinner (with a Valentine theme) about three weeks ago, and this was one of the two desserts she served: raw brownies. The recipe calls for making them in a loaf pan (which would definitely make things easier when it comes to frosting them!), but Carol had made them in these adorable little heart shapes, so despite my creative slump I was inspired to get the recipe, buy a silicone mini heart candy mold, and make up a batch for a Valentine's Day post (and for snarfing, of course!) And although it's only come together at the last minute, somehow I've managed to pull it off! Guess I'm not a doomed gothic heroine after all. :-)

Carol sent us home with those two little heart containers filled with dried fruit, 

and these little brownies just happen to fit in them perfectly! 

The only thing I subbed in this recipe was maple syrup instead of agave nectar. Though not low-calorie, for all their rich deliciousness these are surprisingly healthy, filled with fiber (especially in the dates), heart-healthy phytonutrients (in the cocoa powder & cocoa nibs), anti-inflammatory antioxidants (in the walnuts), and are sweetened entirely by dates and just 3 TBSP of maple syrup. Carol has a Vitamix and I'm sure a high-powered blender like that would work a lot better for mixing the batter than my food processor did, but it managed. It was a little messy (processing cocoa powder with dates and walnuts and no liquid does churn up some impressive clouds of brown powder!), but the end results were well worth it! The frosting is divine ~ you'll be fighting with your beloved over who gets to lick the bowl and spatula. These are deeply rich with the wonderful bittersweet taste that only dark chocolate can provide. Just look at this chocolatey bad boy; the Johnny Depp of desserts…

      

Hey, my blog, my fantasy. :-) 

Have a wonderful Valentine's Day and a great weekend!

Happy 2014!

Wishing you every wonderful thing in the New Year!

Glad Tidings!

❄ Wishing you a most magical Christmas! ❄

(and belated Solstice blessings!)

SkyWatch Friday: The Mysterious Skies of Halloween

I know, I'm a week late with these. I've been working on quilt show posts instead of SkyWatch posts (those of you waiting for the quilt show finale, despair not - it'll be next, promise!)

Anyway, we had lovely weather the weekend before Halloween, and took advantage of it by taking the dogs on some wonderful walks around a new park area north of town, even enjoying a picnic lunch by the creek. Here are a few sky photos from our adventures…

Though admittedly not much of a sky photo, 

I wanted to share our pretty picnic spot by the sparkling creek 

(the picnic table is to the right out of the frame) :-)

What is Halloween without a leafless tree? 

The moon in the upper left helps set the mood as well. :-)

This piece of modern art is part of this inexplicable, mysterious "gate to nothingness"...

Someone went to a lot of trouble and expense to put up this front entrance!

Guess they must have depleted their funds and had nothing left for the house.

Appropriately, our lovely weather ended on Halloween, when rain, cold temps, and very gusty winds arrived along with the goblins and ghosties… and this rainbow! It barely lasted long enough for me to grab the camera and had already faded a lot by the time I snapped this, but since we never get rainbows at this time of year I was grateful to have captured the mysterious moment at all…

Though another Halloween is past, may you continue to enjoy hauntingly beautiful and bewitching skies! (And those of you in the Philippines, please stay safe!)