Frozen Fog

I am pretty sure this is MY term for this phenomenon...but we had it this morning.  It is a fog that everything it touches leaves a frost.  The air is brisk and cold and frozen...your breath a moist frozen puff.  It looks like it snowed but the particles are most a frost.

Here is a closer look on the tree branches...

The trees are experiencing a heavy frost...this will be gone shortly the sun is up now and the fog is already lifting.

the chair shows the frost..and it is under a roof cover...the fog seeps everywhere and where it goes it leaves the frost.

Baby Jay is doing very well...Mom is so proud of her little one and VERY protective!

Pictures of them next post.

Have a great day!

Birth Announcement

Meet Jaynelle...she is named for Dr. Jay who rescued her C-section last night.  Momma was having just 2 pups and they gained quite a lot of size during gestation and momma couldn't deliver them naturally.  If not for Dr. Jay we would have lost both children and momma!
Her sister didn't make it.

Momma is still quite groggy here at 1 am
But Jay finally is hooked up feeding away.

At 2 am Momma is snugging in to keep her baby warm...she still isn't exactly alert.

By 4 am...yes I am still assisting..but Jay is now able to find the feeder on her own quite an accomplishment....

So after baby was finished feeding I wrapped her up and helped momma out for a PP break..then moved them out to Mommas kennel (the floors are heated ) where she ate and drank and settled in.

At 10 this morning all are doing outstanding...Job well done Dr. Jay, Craig, Momma and Jaynell...I assisted (well sorta) in the C-section...mostly I was in charge of stimulating the baby...

So excitement on the range...

Thanks for visiting the nursery...

First Snow 2012

It doesn't look like much now...or so pretty as it did coming down and covering everything at 1 am...but this documents our first snow of 2012!

Onto further delights...I have been painting some wineglasses, preparing for the wine walk The Stagecoach Gallery is participating in with the other town stores.

I KNOW everyone who does this walk will HAVE to come into the store, beeeecauuuuse....to enter for the prize of this event, they have to have ALL the participating stores clicked on their ticket...mmmmuaaaaaahhhhhaaaaaa
that will get them in!

Their senses will be over delighted too, with all this gorgeous work hanging and laying about!

I digress...the glasses so far:

These are a blue/brown/green kinda teal ish color with some gold outline detailing...they look really pretty with Julie Windler's pottery dishes!

A little blurry but, you can still tell what this is...pheasant feathers!...I did this glass more to appeal to the visiting hunters...

I think you can tell what this is?? a tornado! why did I do a tornado you might ask??
I am fascinated with them...!!! I know they are destructive and scary and not nice of mother nature...however it is an element of nature and I am so drawn to the elements of nature.
Lightening fascinates me too...
The glasses also say...it is possible in Platte, SD..and it must be so,  because it says so on the water tower!

[The Pheasant painting in the back is painted by Sandy Nelson, of Platte...the cool old desk the glasses sit on was brought in from Cheri Antonsen]

I have others in the works too...

I never (and never say never...) considered or thought I would EVER work with HOBBY! paints...gah never...but those things are quite delightful...not nearly as expensive either...go get some!

These paints..Pebeo...paint on the glass or ceramic...and then you fire them in the OVEN!
the household oven..nothing toxic happens...you just place em in...turn the oven on ..let it get to 300...timer for 30 minutes...Cut it off ..let it naturally cool...done!

LOVE that stuff...

the glasses are but 12.50..very affordable if you ask me!

Thanks for dropping by!

Soggy Morning

I LOVE the fog...all mysterious.   When it gets foggy these trees remind me of a tunnel.
Like taking a trip to another place or time.

There was a little story book that JR use to love have read to him and then he would read it to me...the Foggy Morning...only he couldn't say fog he said sog..so it became the soggy morning.

In VA there was quite a few soggy morning/days (we lives so close to the water)
 and we would stand at the door looking for Craig to either leave or be coming back in...and Jr would stand there in his little one piece rig with Brutus on one side and Ruthanne on the other tails wagging in sync just waiting...every now and then JR would sigh and say it is sure soggy...can dah find the way...

It is looking pretty defined where I am coming up on it

but it is really more like this..

and denser...

like looking past the gate there you can't see anything across the road...

I wonder where the tunnel will take me today...?

Some Sunday Shots

It IS Pheasant opening weekend, but these aren't the shots I refer to.

I took a load of glass to the gallery for working on a commission lampshade, and on the way home I spoted this tree, I don't know why but, I HAD to have a picture, so I made my way to it...

I have always liked this little cabin too..I believe it was the original building on the place before the family house was built, which is falling down but, this building is not...I can imagine being here and looking out the door at the new day or the days end...

My main story today though is about Charlie III.  He has been 'helping' me at the store the last couple of days.  He pulled a chair around the counter and helped me greet customers, or complained when those passed by and didn't come in..."what is wrong with them grammy?"
Periodically, he would go paint with Hannah...I noticed this morning he placed his paintings out in the gallery...sooooo cute! my youngest artist is 5, Charles Craig Hunt III.

I have pretty much a down day, done a lot of resting to recuperate getting the store ready for hunters and to be ready for the helping them select this week their gifts to take home ...
With a bounty of over 400 attending the Pheasants forever banquet last night, the largest number in YEARS I am thinking a few should make their way into the store.

Have a great week!

Dirt Storm 2012

We are getting a sense of what the people went through during the dirty 30's...by no means a TOTAL example...we are just on day 2...and it is quite enough for me!
I am wondering what is happening to the wheat seed that was planted.
Since it hasn't rained, that hasn't sprouted.
So is the seed just blowing up and out??

I don't know if you can see the dirt rolling out of the field...might be too bright...here..
but, in the trees...? can you see it...

It is blowing so hard it is pushing the car along with the brake ON!

Coming into town...this is the street i turn down to get to my store...

and here behind the store...

the dirt  is just hanging in the air...it is terrible for the eyes and nose and mouth...

It IS beginning to sprinkle so I hope we get a good cleansing rain and that will also aid in the beginning set to the crop!

This is a totally different kind of experience for sure!

thanks for coming by!

Packing Packages...WHAT a JOB!

 This bunch of packages is a huge! panorama of Chad Phillips (SD imagery photographer out of Sioux Falls SD) of buffalo in Custer; and the wonderful forged candelabra with the mouth blown candle cups that everyone enjoyed visiting...headed to MI now.
If you don't remember these things and want a refresher they are pictured on the Stagecoach Gallery page
www.facebook.com/stagecoachgallery
shown on march 3 2012

 This awesome barrel table that Jr Hunt rescued the barrel from the embedded dirt clean it up and reconstructed, then made the polished cement topper...sold
along with:

 the really nice restored Hoosier kitchen Cheri Antonson did...will be delivered tonight by my AWESOME delivery team: Jr Hunt and Shawn Anderson...to a Lodge outside of town.
WE ALL thank them for their support!

ALSO in the packing works are boxes for mailing! to: MI, IA, and NV!!!!

this is the last packaging to do...the lamp a few posts down of the cascading butterflies I explained the process for...has a new home!

SO it has been BUUUUSSSSYYYYY preparing all these things the last few days so they all make it safely to their new destinations!

NOW...to finish my Christmas projects and begin the next lamps shade!

thanks for visiting :-)

Here come Da SUN!

 Using "scene"

and here come the children...

it is a cloudy sunrise...but so pretty to watch...hope you enjoyed watching too have a great day!

Take the Lampshade Construction tour

 Step 4..after cutting the pieces and then laying them side by side and adding the tape..then raise the shade into a cone shape and add the disc.

 cut metal pieces for the butterflies..they will be solder sculpted and added to the outside

 here they are added...on stand choice for the buyer number 1

 stand choice number 2

 and stand number 3...this is my choice...shown lit with the cascading butterflies back lit

 view of the shade showing the cascading butterflies unlit

here i had added the cascading butterflies on the inside.  The reason i have from the inside is they are cut from a more delicate metal that can tear if handles too much..so to resist that temptation they are inside the shade.

how to construct a lampshade...more or less.

thanks for stopping by.

:D

Painting Considerations

 

 

I am considering these for painting, from the trip to Custer Park.

 

As they pass by.
Showing mommas and babies...they are thirsty here too...to me this is a real focus. but I probably won't paint that aspect.

Buffalo Burr
His head is just covered...as many of the Buffalo appear, so I think he is good representative for them.

Water under the bridge.
I love the quaint old bridge..

I generally do several mediums at once, to break off for awhile but still be working...I have the Lampshade I am going to begin and then the painting...so this will keep me out of trouble eh...
and waiting customers!

finished the butterfly lamp and those pictures to come...

Have A Great Day!!

October Moon

October has to have the prettiest moon! It is always HUGE and I love its color!!!

I was helping Craig in the shop and I looked over and saw the moon rising and ran in for the camera...I haven't thought until just now, I would really like it just clearing the landscape..so while it is still full tonight, I will go and get that.

FINALLY! arrived the palette of glass i ordered I can't remember when now...

I un-crated it yesterday and what gorgeous sheets of glass!!! 
I researched and ordered glass to reproduce a Tiffany shade called Magnolia...this was a reallY REALLY HUGE shade in the day...well anyday...I will have to measure the mold..but it is like 50 inches...would make an outstanding entryway chandelier!

The one I will produce will be but 22 inches...
Here is the museum image I found to research by...

It is a very pretty shade...Custom order...and the lady wanted it as close to the original as possible, except for the original size.

The class I wrote for the group of children (learning about color through the color wheel) fell through, so I will be working on lampshades...
I also have a small Butterfly shade to do
and I have yet to complete the Dragonfly shade...

so I brought back in to the gallery workroom all those dangerous things like glass...to get producing, since I never seem to get to that once I get home.

Ya getting ready for the ghouls and goblins?

So to Continue...

After Chris and I left the Park grounds we headed into Custer town proper and saw an open grocery store.  We stopped and bought large plastic cloths as barriers between us and anything our bedding might touch at critter camper...and a coffeepot, as we were not using the one they had in the camper!

Next stop fuel.

All fueled up we proceeded up the road...we are driving along and it is getting progressively darker and things are just not feeling right.  Ya know ...you ARE heading north that is the correct direction however, it just isn't looking the same...well
we were in that place.

We tried explaining it off as the dark is making it feel different.
perhaps it is just a little further...
until we saw the HUGE (well Chris saw it I can't see driving at night) sign that required proof of ownership for any livestock and brands leaving the state....THE STATE!

As we entered WYOMING..a little unplanned excursion.

To be fair Wyo. is not that far from where we ARE supposed to be in SO DAK.!  But it isn't SD and it isn't critter camper!

I have to say a Tahoe can whip around in the tightest of areas...so we get turned around and head back into Custer.
WOW...we did not notice all these places on our way TO critter camper...look at all the HOTELS I say to Chris!

Um...do we REALLY want critter camper IF we can find a room HERE...uh that would be a big NO...so we begin stopping.

After 8 stops and 8 no rooms Chris is getting a little discouraged...not me...I INTEND on finding a room that is not critter camper...we have 5 places left!
We stop at cowboy inn..LUCK we get a room!

A CLEAN room, with clean sheets, a clean bathroom, nothing on the floor, restful space of a room! SOOOOooooo happy!

Next morning we get up and head back to Custer Park.  Since we didn't have any luck finding the North viewing arena, we headed to the South viewing.

On the way we spotted through the hills the gorgeous sunrise! and veered off the line into the arena ..to hike up the hill and capture it...

After a few reflective moments to give thanks for the witnessing a gorgeous morning..we head back to car and get back in line.

We had a few greeters along the way...

A herd of donkeys! there were a lot of them too! and quite curious about all these vehicles!

We spotted the perfect critter dwelling...

Proceeding around all the curves and such up the hill to park...

We got settled and found a space to wait.

Finally! The Buffalo began coming over the ridge into the valley...

They meet up with buffalo being pushed from the other side to be turned and head over the next ridge into the corrals...

then turning them...

and taking them over the next ridge..

We head back to the vehicle and get in line to get off the mountain and go back through the park.
We take color reference pictures and stills of composition for future paintings...

Here is a nifty old bridge, it has a bit of a creek running under it and a great vista of boulder...

As we leave Custer a cool old barn with old corrals...

And we head home...

We had an awesome field trip!!!

Hope you enjoyed coming along :D