I never got around to blogging about what was in bloom at the cabin. It’s not the time of year for prolific wildflowers, but there were some still putting on a show.
There were quite a few Gallardias.
Somehow these large white daisies have seeded themselves in front of the cabin and a few other locations. I don’t know if they came from the grass and wildflower seed mix we spread so many years ago or what. I don’t think they indigenous. They are pretty though!
The asters were still blooming too.
A few harebells were still hanging in there.
A lone lupine with Bull Mountain as a backdrop.
Rose hips and some kind of berry.
A bull thistle along the road.
Sometimes the prettiest things are the ones no longer blooming but gone to seed.
A few flowers just naturally dry themselves which I find particularly interesting.
Pine drops.
Here is a little dried flower garden.
And here is the bouquet I picked of all the flowers growing around the cabin.
Since we left I’ve been told that they’ve had the first snow of several inches up there. You could feel the change in the air right before we left. Sleep well little flowers!
Unlike Dorothy I have no need to click my heels together and repeat the phrase above. I am there. We arrived home right on schedule last night and pulled in to our driveway at 6:57 p.m. How’s that for a good guess? The house seems huge after spending two weeks in our 1,000 square foot cabin. So much space! We were gone long enough that things look and feel strange to us. It will take a few days to acclimate to the East coast again, just as it took us a good 3 days to settle into the cabin. The dogs are having no such issues. They are home and that’s all that matters. All their familiar habits that were out of place at the cabin have resurfaced now that they are back in their home environment. Some of them are good; some are not.
More later. Just wanted to touch base and say that we arrived safe and sound. Now there is unpacking to do, but the laundry will have to wait at least one more day. Our dryer died the day before we left, so a service person is due out tomorrow to see what the trouble is. I do have to visit the grocery store though since the larder is bare. I’m thinking maybe some Salt and Pepper Shrimp for dinner ...
So, did you recognize those lyrics? If not, you were not “of age” in the 70’s. Guess.
Anyway, here I am so very close to the Indiana/Ohio border I can almost brag that we’ve put the “I” states behind us. Tomorrow will still be a long, hard drive but we hope to be home by at least 7:00 p.m. Driving on a Sunday should hopefully help some. But then again, maybe not.
Some snaps from the road over the past two days. Sorry, last night I was too tired to do much of anything. (Note: Apologies in advance for the quality of the following photos. All were shot either out of the windshield or my side window, both of which I’m afraid were spattered with bugs.)
Pine Bluffs, Wyoming and we have history. It’s a vortex of bad karma, it really is. On the first occasion we ran out of gas in the middle of the night while coming home from a dog show (which one I do not have a memory of). Here is the hill (taken from the opposite side of the road) just a few miles on the East side of Pine Bluffs where I sat with at least two dogs and waited while Rick hitched a ride into Pine Bluffs to get gas with some trucker. It was dark and I was scared you-know-what-less. He eventually returned—with gas enough for us to make it into Pine Bluffs.
Let’s call this unfortunate incident #1.
Unfortunate incident #2 happened a few years later, only this time headed East (again to another dog show—Lincoln NE) with our nearly new 21-foot travel trailer and our equally brand new (of 2 weeks) Chevy Tahoe. We lost control of the travel trailer while passing a semi truck in the wind and ended up jack-knifing the travel trailer and pretty much totaling our Tahoe. This stretch of guard rail should have a memorial in our name since it is the only thing that stopped us from going over this elevated section of highway. The grand state of Wyoming also charged us for the guard rail we mutilated. I think we should have a plaque bearing our name along this very stretch.
Is it no wonder that I make the sign of the cross as we go by this god forsaken town even though I am not longer a practicing Catholic?
Our next point of interest after making it safely past Pine Bluffs (at least this time we were spared) was the Great Platte River Road Archway Monument in Kearney, NE. We have never stopped at this even after passing it by many many times.
We spent the night in Council Bluffs, Iowa, just barely over the Nebraska/Iowa border.
Here it the sunrise over Iowa countryside this morning.
More wind turbines. Sorry, I just can’t help myself. They are so darned poetic.
The old Miss (again).
Somewhere in Illinois. Not really sure just whose mailbox this is. The residence of Mr. & Mrs. Corn?
And last but not least, a yummy lunch just West of Chicago at Culver’s. Those of you who have never experienced a Culver’s hamburger have something to look forward to. Unfortunately for us, it’s a Wisconsin based chain that doesn’t exist outside the Midwest corridor, or at least as far as we can tell.
And that’s it for tonight folks. This road weary person is going to get horizontal for change. Catch you back on the flip side in New Jersey. Thank you all for taking this journey with me.
Good night.
It’s now 8:00 p.m. mountain time as I sit writing this post. Our last night in the cabin. Tomorrow we head home, tackling the huge state of Nebraska with the hopes of making Council Bluffs, Iowa as our first stop in the eastward trek home. Sometimes with all the animals on board I feel like we should be piloting a covered wagon instead. But then it would take us much longer than 3 travel days to reach our final destination.
It’s sad, but I think we are all ready. The dogs watched us getting out the suitcases, loading things in the Suburban, and finally as a last chore tonight, loading their crates. They know we are going and they seem okay with it. The cats didn’t even freak out like the usually do when we bring their kitty crates in from the front porch so they aren’t too cold to load them into in the morning. Usually they hide in anticipation of the trip home. Not today. As “at home” as the cabin is, it’s not home. New Jersey is home now. For now. We are not sure what the future holds as far as our place of residence. We’ll let it unfold as it should.
We saw Mr. Moose again the other night. Same moose, nearly the same location, different night. I was lucky to get this shot as it was getting pretty dark.
The dogs will miss their walks in the high prairie and big sky.
We’ve seen so many hawks this time around, I am certain they will not miss us.
Bella will certainly miss her daily dips in the pond.
We will miss the true unfolding of Fall here but we know we’ll have our own glorious display in NJ.
So many things I could have/should have blogged about but in the end went unspoken.
We know we will miss the people, creatures and flora of this special place, but will it miss us?
I’ve taken so many photos over the past week that they are all screaming and crowding around me saying pick me! feature me! that I finally have to cave in. So here are a collection taken in the area of our cabin. Hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoy visiting the real places like old friends each time we come.
More big sky and clouds, sorry. (on our property.)
Vertigo. Which way is up? (Our other parcel of land.)
Driving around Sand Creek Park and Chimney Rock (aka Camel Rock).
My mom was so fascinated with this old falling down ranch-ette that she dreamed about living here. I think the only things that live here now are packrats. Still, a piece of history.
Mr. Pronghorn (or antelope: Wyoming’s fast food)
Rick wanted me to take a photo of this no fanfare border crossing. I think I am taking this from the Colorado side of the border.
Okay, most of the photos are finally appeased (except for Dick the Tree who is still whispering sweet nothings in my ear, but he will just have to wait. He simply does not fit in to this post.)
Did you enjoy your three minute tour?
