Dakota Designs

Just one little glitch on the trip home; after spending the night in Laramie Wyoming Tuesday, we had to drive into Cheyenne and get the oil changed. It afforded us a nice breakfast, and a slow start to the day. Strangely enough, we stopped to sleep at all the SAME places -- Winnemucca NV, Laramie WY, Grinnelle IA -- funny. Nevada Cows vs Nebraska Cows Nevada cows really have to spread out to find some grass to eat amidst all the sage brush. No clumping together in one big cow mass for them. Nebraska cows like to mill around together, there's plenty of grass, so they don't really wander far apart. Nevada and Sage Brush Nevada is just one huge sage brush factory. It's a pity we can't use it to make alternative fuel or something. Lou suggests we grind it up and sell it to China as a rare, healing herb. I figure the only really useful feature about Nevada is that if you wanted to conduct covert activities and/or avoid EPA inspections -- you're all set! You see si...

Jun had to fly back to L.A. -- work on Monday -- Bummer! We decided to wait to depart until Monday early evening -- that would get us back to Winnemucca -- which is as good as any place to stop. We decided to bum around Old Sacramento -- there was a hat shop there that Lou wanted to visit -- get a new straw hat for summer cowboy shoots. It was fun, a weird combination of old store fronts and modern architecture in the background. A few old timey shops, but mostly just junk, tourist stuff. The hat shop, however did not disappoint, and there were a few candy shops that provided some goodies. Once finished in Old Sacramento, we toodled off back to Davis, had an early dinner / late lunch at Dos Coyotes, packed up the car and headed off homeward bound, with a promise to call Jim each evening when we settled down.

Walking at Davis -- she look like she's leading him to you??? So, OK, it was 95 degrees, in the height of the day, but it's a DRY heat -- so you hardly feel it! These ducks were actually hanging out in the shade -- guess they thought it was hot too, and for them it's more of a wet heat. We were actually lucky to get this cactus flower, and I was lucky not to slide down the hillside into the algae coated stream! I was tempted to try and smell it, but the journey was fraught with danger (including the pricklies on the cactus). A welcome respite in a beautiful Gazebo. Jim is trying to avoid having his picture taken (so what else is new!) Jun and Dad, resting in the shade. I'm saying WHERE are the horses already!!! Lou was constantly off gathering some fresh grass for these beauties to nibble on. I did not get a SINGLE picture of that! (slaps hand to forehead)

Getting the antiques was a great relief. Once they were safely stored in Jim's garage, we were free to have some fun with the kids. We only had the weekend, but that's ok, it's the quality not the quantity that counts. Saturday was Wine country and then a FABULOUS dinner at La Provence (http://laprovenceroseville.com/). Jim and Jun checked it out last year, while trying to decide on a restaurant for the rehearsal dinner. They felt it would be a lit tle pricey, so Lou and I decided it would make for a nice, just the four of us, place to eat. We only visited a few vintners in wine country, Hess was definitely the best of the two, and that's where all the pics are from. Sunday we just hung out in Davis. Jim took us on a nice long walk at the university, culminating in a visit with some very nice horses. Lou went scrounging all over the place to give them a few handfuls of fresh grass, not a mean feat since they keep the grounds so well groomed! The horses really ...

Not the best picture of Lake Shasta, but trees and things kept getting in the way. Never a disappointment -- Shasta in the distance! Well, once you reach your destination, it seems you are busier than a 1-armed paper hanger! We got in to Davis mid-day Thursday, and were off to the Wilds of Oregon at 5:00 a.m. the next morning. We WERE well rested, though and it was a beautiful day for traveling. Jim was happy to stay in bed and wait for us to get home later that day, he stopped being a morning person a long time ago. First stop in Oregon was Ramifications, and my good friend Sharon Allen. She has -- you guessed it FIBER! I had her holding some dark wool with bits of red/blue/lavender for me and I told her I'd buy all she had (around 5 'bumps'). I was going to be a good girl, but Lou said "is that all you're getting??? We traveled 3,000 miles and that's ALL you're gonna buy???" You don't have to tell me twice, I bought all she had of a blend ...

Messages in the Sand Driving by the great salt lake there is this huge piece of beach by the highway, with an occasional "keep off" sign planted in the sand. So, naturally, there are foot prints all over the place, but the interesting part is that there are all these messages left. People stop, gather up little blac k stones, sticks and what not and make pictures or words in the sand. WHO can read them??? Not the people in cars whizzing by at 65 mph. You'd be craining your neck to make out the writing, miss the turn and vault yourself into the sand, crushing a "keep off" sign. It couldn't be an aerial message, because it is not near large enough --though I think that is the intent. People have NO sense of scale. So there's this pilot in a small sesna, trying to make out the messages in the sand, groping around for binoculars, misses the proximity warning for the mountains surrounding the Great Salt Lake, crashes, scattering debris and landing on t...

I LOVE airstreams -- just couldn't resist. The BIG event today was the visit to The Sheep Shed Studio in Encampment, Wyoming. Just a short 90 minute trek ou tside of Laramie and we were there. Lou was supposed to be in charge of the camera and he dropped the ball! But if we go back there on the way home, he promises to make it up to me. Carol and her husband have a HOUSE FULL of roving and yarn from the Brown Sheep yarn company. I didn't know what to look at first. Picture a kid in a candy store, with an indulgent parent that says, "get whatever you want, honey" I picked out undyed superwash roving, dyed roving, dyed and undyed mohair, and some WILD yellow superwash roving to make Lo u socks that will look cool with his crocs (the guy is NUTS). They also had a ton of yarn, so naturally, I bought enough sock yarn to do a dozen pairs of socks. I'm definately gonna go back and get some more colors. Wyoming, Utah and Nevada are pretty wind blown and dry. This...

Ok -- Comfort Inn is nice. We spent a nice night 40 miles east of Des Moines and woke up to a crisp, clear fresh world. I had a real treat at checkout. The gal comes out to take our keys and trudging at her heals is a sweet little black lab pup, maybe 9 weeks old. "Ohhh let me see!" I exclaimed, up she came onto the counter-top and into my arms. I was immediately immersed in puppy kisses, wiggles, nibbles and even a hug -- how sweet. There's all these fat round silos with a small "house" on top, windows, peaked roof and all. Maybe that's where the missile control room is located. A guy is just sittin there waiting for the signal. He better bail out in time though or that rocket'll come right up his ...... Maybe they gave him an ejector seat. I love seeing tru cks carrying trucks. Hey guys, load those suckers up and make 'em carry their own weight! Crosses by the side of the road, marking where some one had a fatal accident -- you see them ...

Well, we are off on our cross country trip. We had RATHER a late start. Too many projects to finish up before leaving, including a cowboy shoot on Saturday, horrors if that were missed -- as any shooter would tell you. Once we got Molly to the A1-bed and Biscuit, her excitement could not be contained. She could hear them, smell them, and knew that something stupendous was awaiting her! She did not even give me a backward glance, when the kennel worker called her over, leashed her and walked her back to dog paradise! Back home we went, and started gathering the necessary items for a 10 day trip. Coffee machine, KNITTING, computer and a few other sundry items. By the time we were done, the new Honda Element looked pretty full. Hmmm are we going to be able to fit all the antiques we bought in Oregon last year amongst these travel essentials??? I guess that's the adventure part. Locked up the house, shut all the windows, and off we went, exactly ONE block to the Stone Oven, a...