Lots of Things

First of all, here's my latest read. 
It is an interesting read, but kind of bothering me too. If you haven't read it, it is 2 stories interwoven.  The story of modern day polygamists-those sects down in Northern Arizona-and a murder. Then it is also a story of  historical Mormons.  Specifically, the 19th wife of Brigham Young who left him and wrote a book about polygamy back in the late 1800's. I guess what bothers me is why any woman would submit to that life style. I do not get it.
But it is a good read, really holding my interest.

Secondly, here is a bit more of my trip journal.

Here's a page with a hiking map. And info about a hike we took.

I added the tab and the green edged blank sticker (I wrote in the Friday) which were on some sheets from October Afternoon. The fish stickers I also added, and I stamped the Montana word around the edges. Hero Arts/Studio Calico has out this set of state names rubber stamps which I love when doing a travel album.

Since I had no way to print out the photos I took, I bought a post card of our hike and put it in this little clear cover that fit right into the binder. I bought the binder and these folders at Staples. I added the little sticker on the bottom right.

Here's another folder for these little binders you can get at Staples. They're sold in packs of several folders. I used this one to put in some bear info since there are warnings every where in Glacier National Park. I added the black and white image to the outside-it came off a souvenir T shirt wrapper.

\

And here's another little page I did about the bears with some safety info on it. I had stamped the bear before we went away and then I added the words along the bottom.

OK, so let me show you my third thing-some pictures from this hike.

I haven't hardly started to go through all the 2000+ photos I took on this vacation. But here is one from the hike that my journal documents. I plan on fixing the darkness of it one of these days. But it goes with the bear pages in my journal.

Here's another untouched photo and some unidentified hiker who made it into the photo. This is Avalanche Lake, the same lake that I put the post card of into my journal.

It was a beautiful lake, You can see all the little waterfalls on the mountains at the far end of this little lake.

I like this photo better. First of all, no unknown person in it. That is the hubby Dave off on the rock. Plus you can see the color of the lake better. These glacial fed lakes all have this blue-green color to them because of the sediment that suspends in the water.

I'm glad you stopped by.

Have a great Tuesday.

Travel Journal-first views

Hey I finally took some photos of my travel journal, completed!

Here's a few views.

So this spread started with the back of the cover -I covered it in some compass paper- and a sheet of 7Gypsies paper that I stamped the planes (Impression Obsession) and the Wednesday (Hero Arts/Studio Calico). I added some tags off my suitcase. Some assorted stickers and metal stickers-the October Afternoon chipboard plane and the key envelope from the hotel we stayed at during out first night of travel in Spokane, Washington.

That night we just had a quick burger at 5Guys for dinner so I took the menu to cover the back of the page and then I had this postcard which I embossed the hello-(Stampotique) and added an October Afternoon rubber sticker of the car.

You can see it better here.

So we start another week- August 6th already. No month goes faster than July except August. I have 3 weeks left and then I go back to school. Only 3 weeks. But that is summer- a long vacation that flies right by.

And many of you might say that you don't even get 3 weeks off a year , so don't take this the wrong way. I am just saying that having 10 weeks away from the kiddies and 7 of those have flown right by.

So far this summer has been A++++++.

(except Dave losing his job)

And as usual, you do lots of things you want to do and then do lots of things you don't even suspect you'll do.

But enough philosophizing. 

Have a great Monday!

Ok, More trip photos

Due to my lack of any art to show you...here's a few more photos from our trip-not the one to Maine, the one to the Rockies.

This is Parky, the mascot for the Canadian National Parks. He was out wandering when we did a mini-trip into Waterton National Park in Canada (sister park to Glacier) as it was Canada's Park Day.

Here's a view from Waterton Lakes. The slogan is where the prairie meets the mountains. And that is true.

I find the prairie an interesting place...coming from New England with our rolling hills/mountains and heavily forested land, grasslands without all the trees is so foreign to me. Do people want a way to hide from the sun? Although the sense of sky is unbelievable. I can see why Montana is Big Sky Country.

And suddenly you come upon this beautiful mountain lake. The end we are facing is in the US, that's how close we are at this Canadian Park.

Prairies and mountains...and lakes.

A pretty place to visit.

Today I am not sure what is on the agenda.

What's on yours?

Luxury

This is what I title a post when I get to get the house all to myself as I did yesterday afternoon. Oh what to do? A nap? Watch the tv shows ( 3 recorded episodes of Project Runway) I don't get to watch when others are home? Play in my studio? Go internet shopping so no one will know what I am buying?

Wow.

It was tough to decide.

And since I was alone (except the cats and my dog who managed to have to be in my presence) I can keep it a BIG secret!

Today I get to sweat at the boat ramp all afternoon...no luxurious alone time...

But it IS money for some new craft supplies coming out.

Love that!

Here's a few photos from my trip to Northwestern Maine this past week.

A beautiful sunset!

And interesting placard.

Kayaking an interesting river on a beautiful summer day

Mountain and water view

And an evening campfire next to the water on a  summer night.

Enjoy your Saturday!

Home again

Home from my mini-trip- we had 2 wonderful days on Lake Mooselookmeguntic near Rangely, Maine. Took a bunch of photos but I have yet to put them on the computer. Had a great visit. My brother-in-law showed us the lake from his dad's boat...it was beautiful!!!-even when the rain clouds chased us across the lake. We had a campfire on the beach the first night there and also went kayaking down the Kennebago River. We took the boat out and had a picnic on this rural bit of land between Mooselookmegantic and Richardson Lake where the cabins didn't even have electricity and the remnants of the old steamboats (that served the old hotels-no longer on the lake but used to be there to for all the crowds that arrived by trains) could be found. We also checked out this 100 year old dam that will be undergoing some big changes soon. Got to walk behind on the spillway which was neat. We also saw 5 bald eagles. Did NOT see a moose though-granted, I have seen plenty of moose before including in my backyard and almost ran into a bull moose once not far from my house, but still, I wanted to see one. Oh well.

OK this is NOT a moose and it is NOT something we saw in Maine, since it is an elk and as far as I know there are not any wild elk in Maine. But while we were in Banff this guy walked up from the woods onto the road right in front of our car.

He is quite a magnificent guy I think. Here's another view.

Anyhow, I will be back with some photos from Maine, more from my big vacation to the Rockies and I did finish my travel journal from my big vacation which I will take some photos of and post also.

That is if I can get my camera to work.

I had to use my phone in Maine the camera was being fidgety.

Hopefully, buying a new camera is not in my budget right now.

Anyhow....

Not going to bore you with little trivial complaints.

Have a fabulous Friday!

Off Again

Heading out to northwestern Maine later today to go visit my sister-in-law and her husband at their cabin in Rangely, Maine. Since Dave isn't working and we were invited, we figured we might as well go. I've been to Rangely once, when I was a kid, so it will be fun. Maybe I'll see a moose or two.

This little trip is only for 2 nights so I will be back on Thursday so I can work Friday.

Anyhow, a few more photos from my big trip to Glacier National Park and the Canadian Rockies.

Today, wildflowers and garden blooms-since they were blooming up a storm.

I'll be back at the end of the week.

Have some beautiful blooming days till then.

More Photos-Glaciers

WARNING:

If you don't like other people's trip photos, then don't read this post.

LOL-

I want to show you some of the over 2000 photos I took-yes, a lot of them aren't anything much, but if I show you a few, that is ok. I promise you won't see all 2000.

Big ice bus that we rode up onto the glacier-this is up on the glacier. You can see people out there walking on the ice...

And here's the glacier we went up-that white streak on the back just left of center. I am standing a ways up at the visitors center, which is across the street. In this photo it looks rather small and like nothing, but in real life it is HUGE!

Here's a close up, with my finger over part of it unfortunately...

And here's me, getting back on the bus after slipped and sliding around the glacier for 20 minutes.

This glacier is as thick as the Eiffel Tower is tall!

That is tall!

So it is almost the end of July-can you believe it?

Summer, as usual, is flying right by.

Enjoy your day.

I'm Home

We got home last night from our fantastic vacation adventure. We did so many fantastic things-rode a 6 wheel drive vehicle up a glacier, looked at glaciers, hiked and walked a lot, saw tons of black bears, a mama wolf and her two pups, tons of big horn sheep, a few mountain goats and elk and deer galore. The scenery was beyond beautiful and we drove over 1700 miles.  We heard a glacier break off a piece-like thunder, and drove through some spectacular mountain scenery. I saw prairies and mountains and raging rivers.

It was fabulous-

and that's an understatement.

Anyhow... I tried to post in Canada but couldn't access my account.

Here's a few other photos. Some have been touched, some haven't.  More to come another time.

Top is Lake Maligne in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada.

Totem in downtown Jasper.

Glacier on the Icefields Parkway, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada

Maligne Canyon, Jasper National Park.

Anyhow, back another day.

Thanks for visiting.

Canadian Rockies on Dwellable

We're still in Glacier

It is Saturday and we are still in Glacier National Park with no internet service. I wrote this post before we left and scheduled it. It is only a snippet of a project I have been working on this summer. 

I was hoping to be caught up on my summer journal before we left on this vacation but that didn't quite happen. Kind of defeats the purpose of a journal, doesn't it? But I am not going to let it be a problem. When we get home I'll finish up those unfinished entries and then add all the other entries. I did decided I am not going to do a lot of pages from this vacation in my summer journal-I will make that a book of its own.

So what have I been missing out there in blog land? 

Hope everyone is doing well!

Be back some other day!

Summer Journal

I am scheduling a few posts for a few days since I am now away. Today we are driving from Spokane, Washington to Glacier National Park in northwestern Montana. Not quite sure what we are experiencing right now, but I am optimistic it will be different from New Hampshire.

So here's a page from my summer journal. I used this set of stamps and a phone die from Die-namics. Really like this little phone and all the phone sayings that go with it.
Don't know if I'll have any phone service at Glacier-not sure I can call home and see how Katie and the critters are doing. I miss them, but I think they will be doing just fine.
More later.
Thanks for visiting.

Taking Off

Today is the day! We have an early flight to Vegas and from Vegas to Spokane, Washington. I have never been to Washington so it is a new state for me! Plus tomorrow we will be driving through Idaho to get to Glacier National Park which is another new state for me! I want to make it to all 50 states and this puts me at like #38 (if you include Michigan-but in reality I have only been to the Detroit airport a couple of times). 

We're in Glacier until Monday and then we are driving north to Banff, Alberta (another new place for me- I have never been to Alberta) and then north to Jasper before heading back to Spokane to fly home on the 28th. Maybe I will even make it through a bit of British Columbia which would add another new location.

It is exciting.

But since we need to leave the house before 5 a.m. for our flight I will hold on my excitement until later.

I am bringing my laptop so I may have some new posts while gone.

Until whenever that is, let me show you a few more pages from my ready for travel journal.

I do like this past springs Globe die cut by Tim Holtz. Didn't think I would, but since I adore traveling and rambling the globe whenever I find the money or the time...

And I bought myself some new running shoes for the trip so I can run up a few mountains-

HA! HA! HA!

What do you think?

Until next time-

take it easy and have some adventures.

Packing and getting ready

Almost time to travel.

I am getting excited.

We discovered today will be Dave's last day at work but he is seeming pretty up beat considering.

He does tell me he is excited for this trip and I think the trip will be a good way to transition for employed to unemployed.

I hope.

I know he's been talking about this trip for months so I think the timing of it couldn't be any better.

And on the trip topic-

Here's some more photos of my travel book for recording deep dark secrets and new discoveries from our trip..

Thanks for visiting.