Just as we are nearing the end of our stay we are completely in cabin mode. We don’t really pay attention to any kind of schedule (except for the dogs) and we get up when we feel like it, eat when we feel like it, and go to bed when we feel like it. Last night we turned in around 8:00 p.m. I think. We got up at 5:30 because the heater wasn’t coming on fully. (Rick had replaced the batteries in the thermostat and the cover was not on completely.)

We do shower every day but tend to wear the same clothes for several days. Fashion mavens we are not.

We’ve done really well planning and buying meals this time. We are really getting the most out of the ingredients we bought, such as we had to buy italian sausage for the Lasagna Soup and we used the rest of the sausage for italian sausage with peppers and onions last night.  Thrifty!


Sunset over Bull Mountain on Monday evening.

The weather has not been typical at all for this time of year. We didn’t bring any really warm clothes as we never need them. I am usually running around in shorts with layers on the top, but this year I’ve worn shorts once in two weeks and that was yesterday when the temperature was about 70 degrees F.

We are usually longing for keeping a fire going in the wood stove and this year have pretty much had one every day, although we let it go out in the afternoon.

The wind is something else that is not normal this year. It’s been extremely windy most days. I am not a big fan of the wind but if you live up here you get used to it. September is not usually a windy month—mostly winter and spring is when it blows. The wind also becomes your friend up here. Why? Because Wind=Power! Everyone has a wind generator (our is decommissioned now). We were discussing the wind last week when we had our neighbors over for a drink and they all said they celebrate when the wind blows by staying up late watching movies! Ah, high country life.

The aspens are not behaving as they should either. Some have turned while others’ leaves are still on the tree, but they were touched by the frost and snow last week and instead of turning color they will just fall off.

We took a drive yesterday over Sand Creek Pass and up a BLM road on the back of Bull Mountain. It’s usually a beautiful drive in the fall, but again, the trees this year are pretty much hit and miss. The view of the Rawah Mountain range is always beautiful from the top of the pass.




There are quite a few antelope around and we saw this little group of girls that was being watched over by a big male. He was pretty possessive of his little harem and while I was trying to snap their photo one female broke off from the pack and started to run. We watched him run after her, covering a large amount of ground in a very short period of time, and turned her right around and chased her back to the other females. Very cool.





We are expecting some snow on Thursday night into Friday, the amount of which seems unclear at this point. One prediction is for not much while the other one is for “a substantial snow event.” If that happens we won’t be leaving on Friday as planned, but will have to wait a day. We left the snow chains at home with the thought that surely we wouldn’t need them in September!

Rick has been posting some very interesting and enjoyable blog posts over at his site too all about our days at the cabin. I encourage you to go over and visit him, read a little and learn a lot!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad at the cabin 8,650 feet above sea level

This morning when I opened my eyes I saw a glow behind the closed curtains. I jumped out of bed and threw on my robe knowing that the glow meant a beautiful sunrise was taking place without me.

On the west side of the cabin I saw this gorgeous lenticular cloud,
looking for all the world like the Mother Ship was about to land and take us away.


On the other side, or east side of the cabin, was this cloud, which was not quite as well formed.


We went to town today to get the few groceries that we need to get us by for the rest of the week before we leave. I don’t even want to think about leaving this special place on Earth. But, leave we must.


A nice pronghorn antelope on the way into Laramie.

We also did laundry while in town and that went by quickly given you do three loads of wash all at once. Some of it that didn’t go in the laundromat driers is blowing in the stiff breeze on the clothesline.


The sky coming back from Laramie.

We tried a new recipe last night that came from the latest issue of Food Network Magazine, and I have to say it was absolutely delicious and we both gave it 5 stars! It was this Lasagna Soup. It tasted just like lasagna but with half the fuss. We’ll be making it again soon.

Just so you know, we have to be careful with our internet usage and have exhausted our limit on several days so I try to only use it a few times per day. Therefore I am not really commenting on comments, nor visiting your blogs as often as I usually do. Sorry! I appreciate all your comments!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad at the cabin 8,650 feet above sea level

The only aspen that has changed around the cabin! I love it when they turn orange instead of yellow.

We did indeed get snow yesterday afternoon into early evening. It was a wet snow that came down without any wind so it stuck to everything in sight. It was nice to be inside the cabin with a fire in the wood stove keeping us cozy while looking out on the snow falling outside.


It snowed for quite some time before the temperature dropped to freezing and then it began to stick. The poor aspens were not prepared as you can see their leaves in the photo are still green.





It had started out in the morning as a drizzly rain. It stopped for a while and I was convinced it was not going to do much else. In the lull we took the girls around the bottom of our property for a much needed walk.

The aspens here had changed a great deal from just a few days before.

The snow ended up just coating the ground. During the night the wind kicked up and this morning there was not much left.

Here is Bull Mountain this morning with its dusting of white.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad at the cabin 8,650 feet above sea level

Or at least the frost would be on the pumpkin if we had one, so you’ll have to settle for frost on the rose hip. Yes, we woke up to fog and frost this morning with a chilly temperature of 27 degrees. This should get those aspens changing! We might be getting snow showers tonight through tomorrow. We’ll see.

Not sure what are plans are for today. We’ve pretty much got all the chores on our list done (or should I say Rick’s list). I’m sure a walk to the bottom with the girls is in order a short while from now.

There is not a breath of wind out there this morning which is welcome after having gusts to 30-35mph yesterday. Maybe we’ll take a drive since we will probably be cabin-bound tomorrow with the weather moving in.

More later ...



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad at the cabin 8,650 feet above sea level

Last evening Rick and I were sitting at the table by the window eating our dinner. We had just finished up and were still sitting there chatting. I got up to do something and Rick said “Lynne, look, a moose!”

Sure enough, there he was—a beautiful bull moose not 30 feet from our window, standing in our meadow. He was such a dark brown that he was almost black.






He just stood there, posed in the same position for at least five minutes. He seemed to be listening to something. He is obviously just a youngster judging by his rack. But, youngster or not, he was still huge! It was such a thrill to see him. That is the closest we have even seen one. Like the doe the other morning, he was in no hurry to leave and seemed right at home.

Earlier in the day Rick and I took a walk around. He took the chain saw to clear our trail of trees that had fallen since we were here last.


Since we have so many beetle-kill pines on our land, there are always some that succumb to the wind. Some fall in interesting positions.

I am used to the pines falling, but when one of our big old aspens topple it’s much sadder.

Early this afternoon we visited our friend Donna. You might remember that her husband, Larry, passed away in July. It was bittersweet to see her and reminisce about Larry. We all miss him—he was a great man with a big heart who was always willing to help anyone out. It’s sad to think about neither one of them living up here anymore since Donna is selling the house and moving to Cheyenne where most of her family live.

I have more to say but none of it fits in to this blog post. Another day, another post!

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad at the cabin 8,650 feet above sea level