Emptyknitster

Hubby was out transplanting some wildflowers on our property when he meet an unknown resident bull snake.  We took several photos and after the snake slithered off. I went back back with a tap measure. This bull snake was FIVE FEET LONG! Seriously, I'm done with reptiles for the summer!

This week's challenge was to embrace Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa. Each week we think the task is harder than the last week and yet somehow, someway, someone pulls through and the competition just improves!  Buffa Lisa  Covida Lisa  Baby Lisa  Egga Lisa  Gaba Lisa  I'sa Lisa  Mona Lisa Interruption SadieLou Lisa  Sarah Lisa Zoea Lisa

Stash Dash started on the 22nd and I had my first pair of socks finished the next day. The second pair were finished today. They wee both completed down to the ribbing of the last sock in the pair. It's hard to cheat when competing in Stash Dash! Pattern: Vanilla with Fish Lips Kiss Heels Yarn: Colorway: Needle Size: US Size 1 Pattern: Socks of Kindness: a recipe by Chawne Yarn: Manos del Uruguay Alegria Colorway: Fondo Del Mar Needle Size: US Size 1 The Chick bought this yarn for me when she had a conference in New Orleans a couple of years ago. I’ve been saving them for a "special project". We all need to indulge ourselves just a bit right now so I decided to splurge and enjoy a few of the wonderful skeins the girls have bought me over the years! This year I'm dashing to the 10,000 K finish line... 432 meters done... 9,568K to go!

These muffins are delicious and better the second and third day! Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins   1 cup milk   1 cup oatmeal   1 and 1/4 cup flour   1 t baking powder   1/2 t baking soda   1/2 t ground cinnamon   1/2 t salt   1/2 cup melted butter   1/2 cup honey   1 egg   1 t vanilla   1 cup frozen blueberries Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine oats and milk let them sit 20 minutes. Melt butter add honey, vanilla and egg mix. In large bowl mix dry ingredients, stir in butter mixture, then milk mixture and finally blueberries gently added. Spoon mixture into 12 muffin liners. Sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake 5 minutes at 425 then lower heat to 350 for 15 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Cool.

(Above is this week's winner) Friday has become the highlight of the week. We love catching up with everyon but are having a blast with our weekly art assignments! The family is beginning to think we may just have to continue through the summer.

 This week's challenge was right in my wheelhouse! I think the Tiger had me in mind! When I was a science teacher I found a skull on Amazon and knew I just had to have it! (The first day of school I dawned my lab coat and carried Mr. McMasters everywhere. The kids loved it! In the "old days" teachers were given school bells when they retired. I view Mr. McMasters as my school bell. ) Feathers and wildflowers, we have them everywhere in the yard! Ink pots, keys, nuts, thank goodness for my travels! I set up the scene and thought I'd have it in the bag with one shot... A photo bombing...  Oops, in two shots.... Hey! don't take that feather...   Err, four shots?   Don't take that nut! And finally, the masterpiece!

After rattling around with the rattlesnake a couple of weeks ago we thought our hiking adventures with reptiles was over. Oh, how wrong we were! For our trip to Medicine Rocks State Park Hubby had loaded the Rattlesnake chaps into the back of the car but upon arrival he decided they weren't necessary. Off we went hiking on trail and in grassland, totally enjoying the walk and the view. It was fun looking at the rocks and interpreting what they looked like to us. A teepee, lizard's head, human head or heart, knowing at a different time of day with a different angle of the sun on the rocks we would have seen totally different images. Also in the park there are supposed to be pictographs drawn by the early Native Americans. They were hard to find because the rocks have been defaced over the years but we thought we found one set. Hubby saw a Native American Chief in the lower left corner and I saw a sunset/sunrise in the same scene. After our pictograph sighti...

Because sheltering at home has been lifted and we have now moved into the phase of social distancing our local news station filmed a segment on suggested places to visit within the state. Most places we have visited and because we live in Montana they are not just an hour ride down the road but one park caught our eye, Medicine Rocks State Park. Hubby and I hadn't ever heard of the park and it was in an area of the state we had never visited, about a three and a half hour drive. The park is in the south eastern corner of the state. The area contains tiny towns with such distinguished names as Ismay, Mizpah, Plevna, Baker and Ekalaka. Small towns to start and even smaller now. Not knowing if there were any camping spots we decided to just hop in the car rather than take the truck and trailer.  A straight drive one hundred and fifty miles to Miles City, then a turn right and another hundred and twenty miles we were there! Medicine Rock State Park became a designated park in 1959 ...

This week's art challenge was tough but so rewarding!  (Above is this week's winner)