Travel Notes

Vacations are to remind you who you are outside of work. Who the REAL you is, They can take you away and immerse you in a brand new view of the world. I’m two days into my vacation and have already had plenty of memorable moments. I’ve sat on a rock facing the Cathedral Spires at sunset. I’ve driven through the Black Hills national forest in morning light. I’ve gazed across fields of yellow flowers as far as the eyes can see. And I’ve seen a double rainbow end to end after a short Summer squall. And all that was just part of getting to the family reunion.

I believe we all need to get out into nature to replenish ourselves. My favorite view is any one that just makes me say, “thank you.”  Thank you for putting me here in this spot at this time and creating something so beautiful.

Sweet Summertime

OK, maybe not so sweet when it’s too hot to do anything outside – and we haven’t even hit the 90’s yet. Thankfully I got some help putting in my window air conditioner today which provides much needed relief! We didn’t have air conditioning in the home I grew up in and I remember retreating to the lowest level of our split level home seeking the cooler air. I’m thankful that Colorado is dry and humidity is rarely a problem. Still, I think I may move downstairs to the guest room during the hot spells that I know are coming (I say that every year, but this year by George I may just get smart and do it).

Summer vacations are in full swing and I have a houseful of company this week. We’ve been busy playing tourist and running all over the Front Range. Next week I’ll be the one travelling to a family reunion on my mom’s side of my family. I won’t be back until July, which is just around the corner already. It will be a road trip that will take me through the Black Hills of South Dakota and I’m planning to make some photography stops. If I have a chance I’ll post a photo or two next week, otherwise you may not see an update for a week or so. Enjoy the rest of June!

Green Goddess Necklace

This is a necklace I’ve had listed for a while that’s pretty gorgeous. I love Peace Jade with it’s mixture of white and green. I paired it with diamond shaped green Serpentine and teardrops of Green Aventurine. A few antiqued pewter spacers and a heart toggle clasp finish the look. Green is my favorite color so of course I find this necklace especially attractive!

Click on the picture to see more photos of this necklace!

And the Robin says ”cheep”

Ok, someone asked for more bird photos, and they seemed to be popular, so here’s one more.  Just your every day backyard Robin, captured in mid “cheep.”  I took this photo this evening shortly after another severe storm passed through. We’ve had nine days in a row with severe afternoon weather!  This bird also wasn’t a bit afraid of my cats on the deck. Maybe they aren’t the fearsome hunters I imagine they are.

A Shout Out to the United Kingdom

It took me a long time to add international shipping to my store. I guess I was afraid of underestimating shipping costs and the imagined hazards and pitfalls of mailing overseas. If you remember, I officially started offering international shipping about a month ago. I tried to get the word out, but saw no results. Now, suddenly, my last two sales have been to the U.K.! I'm always happy to make a sale and it's gratifying to know my overseas buyers are out there and have found me. So I just wanted to give a 'shout out' to my international friends and say, don't be shy! I'm open for business!

Bird photos with new lens

My new toys arrived today! As soon as I got home from work I opened up the boxes containing my new 70-200mm lens and the 1.4x extender and slapped them on my camera. Well, first I attached the UV filter to protect my nice new lens. I attached the lens hood, took a quick peek at the owners manual to see which Image Stabilization setting to use, and headed out onto the deck. My yard is home to a lot of birds and this young fellow came right out to see why my cats seemed to think the deck belonged to them (I think maybe he’s not too smart yet)!

A bit farther away, the rest of his family gathered to call out warnings and insults to me and the cats. I don’t even know what kind of birds these are. I much prefer my house finches and mourning doves. Anyway, they provided a nice little test handholding my new lens to see how the IS works.

Girl’s Pink Necklace on Sale!

I’d rather sell it than renew it, so I’ve marked down this pink donut necklace to just $8 until the June 15th renewal date! It’s made of rose quartz chip beads and the swirled donut is acrylic. The pink and white color scheme of this piece makes it the perfect girl’s gift. This Rose Quartz necklace is 16.5" long with a 2" drop for the pendant. Click the photo for more info!

Spring Hail

We’ve been having wonderful Spring weather in Colorado, and by that I mean it’s anything goes! Just about every afternoon you can count on some rain clouds building up over the mountains until they can’t hold any more and it pours for all of about 10 minutes or so! Sunday the weather was wildly unsettled with tornados on the plains and hail at my home in the foothills. Hail is pretty common here due to the elevation. I treasure these Spring rain storms because I know that soon it will turn hot and dry. But for now, everything is green and the sky is a wonder to watch.

New Camera Lens Coming!

Yay, I just gave in and ordered myself the camera lens I've been wanting for six months! I also ordered a new tripod head, a good UV filter for my new lens and a 1.4x extender. That's a small piece you put between your camera body and lens to extend the range of the lens. It's a less expensive and less bulky way to get some extra telephoto.

I'm excited to get these new pieces and give them some serious use at my upcoming family reunion. I visualize some great portrait and candid shots along with landscapes in and around the old family ranch. Every time I get a new lens it becomes my "favorite" and I expect nothing less this time. But, like children, each lens is unique and they're ALL my favorite!

Gone Fishing

I’m finally over being sick for five days. Here’s to better health!

I did go out on Saturday and visit a bead shop I’ve never been to. They had some interesting, affordable items, including this fish pendant that I snagged for 75% off.  I strung it on this simple knotted cord and it’s all finished except for the clasp.

I also picked up this piece of Blue Coral (which looks black actually). I like the shape but I’m not sure about the accent beads. The cord is round rubber, but it seems a bit flimsy for the piece. What do you think? 

Sales have been slow in my etsy store lately, but I like to keep adding new items. Got to keep it fresh! Of course these items aren’t listed yet since they’re not finished.