The Effects of Cosmic Catnip

This plus


The wooly gnome

Equals this ...


And this


And then this


And this...

Winter Has Come To The Retreat

We've had lots of snow teasers, but so far no accumulation beyond a dusting at least in this part of town. Other parts got about a foot, lucky ducks.

The front yard/garden



Looking out a living room window to the "back yard"




An amazing sunset



Mayana the Christmas Kitty, helping me decorate ;-)

Stinky Excitement!

I've known since Tuesday or Wednesday this week that we had a skunk who decided our laundry room was it's all you can eat buffet. I had moved the cat food in there from the garage because the mice were getting at it, not that they'd live long with Mayana the Mighty Huntress around, but still...
So the cat food and water was stationed up on the clothes dryer and our skunk was climbing up the back of the washer on pipes and tubing to get at it much to the disbelief of 2 different critter catchers I called. Skunks don't/can't jump I'm told... Well all I know is that there's a skunk and it's eating the cat's food cuz they don't go through this much food normally and it stinks to high heaven oh well and there's a puddle of pee on the washer too and the cats don't do that!
Thursday morn I saw the little devil scrambling down the pipes behind the washer. It was really small. I thought maybe it was a baby...
So the critter catcher, Bryan comes out Thursday afternoon and we look all over and don't find it. I had left the back door open in hopes that it would leave voluntarily which is what we both decided.
Friday afternoon I heard from Daniel, the houseguest, that he saw it early that morn up on the washer eating the cat food. Drat it's still here! I realize that it's probably going down the pipes in the wall and chillin under the house.
So Bryan comes back out Friday afternoon, sets a trap w/bait, and the skunk finishes off what little cat food was in the dish and bypasses the trap-fooey.
Saturday I put the cat food and water dish away and sprinkle cat food in the trap before heading out for the evening to listen to some live folk music and I come home to a sprung trap complete with skunk! Wahoo!!
I called Bryan this morning to let him know and he came out this evening and was so excited by what we caught! Not the common striped skunk, but a Western Spotted Skunk instead, and fully grown, oh and come to find out they're climbers ;-) Yeah, coulda told ya that! I'd say they're about the size of a guinea pig...? but w/a bushy tail ha ha.
So cute! Here's a pic from the web that I found that looks just like the one that was here.

Tennessee Trip!

I just posted all about my trip to TN and the conference and lots of pics on my Genotype Blog. Here's the link http://genotypes.blogspot.com/
I don't know what I was expecting... But it was soooo gorgeous! Go check it out! :-D

Blogging 101

Tonight I taught my aunt Merrie Jo how to blog...
She was very frazzled.

Kitty Update

Mayana (mama cat) took her 2 kitties back to where they came from (they were all gone for a couple days last month) and came back here to live just herself. Little did she know we'd soon have company....



This is one of kitty girl's fave places to be-perched on my dad's back, but really she doesn't care who it is just someone, anyone! I can walk through the house with her perched on my shoulder! She's the weirdest cat I've ever had, but I love her.

Welcome Welcome Charlie!!
Charlie came allllll the way from Show Low where he'd shown up on the doorstep of friends Harry & Penny, and who's other cats didn't welcome him in with open paws. So they asked if I'd like to take him in and I said sure!
So far Mayana has been quite curious of our new friend, following him everywhere he goes and offering to share grasshoppers and mice that she's caught to no avail. Charlie's still gettin used to his new digs and would rather Mayana not follow him everywhere, but what are ya gonna do??

Oops I...

skipped Halloween... literally and figuratively lol I was in a bad mood so I didn't attend the Halloween party I had been invited to so here's a couple super cute pics of Wyatt in his costume instead! ;-)

Jester Hats, Etsy and Other Handmade Delectables

Hurray Hurray! I got my etsy shop restocked! You can get a preview of what's in the shop right now from the etsy widget lower down on the page. Christmasy hats are on their way!
I've also got hats at a shop downtown called A Thing Or Two and the owner, Ginny, is fabulous and if you live around here I highly recommend you pay her shop a visit. She stocks lots of fun and wonderful products.
I'm also part of the MDC Etsy Street Team a group of ladies who are also members of mothering dot commune. There are lots of amazing handmade/homemade products there-Happy Shopping!
Our blog is here:

http://mdcmoms.blogspot.com/

Quote Of The Day

Ok, so this wasn't today, but it was great on the day it was said! ;-)
On Zack's first visit out to the Retreat he was frollicking in the garden in the rain munching on a clump of lettuce freshly plucked from the earth as well as some mustard greens which taste very much like dijon mustard when he said, "Now all ya need is a bread plant and a mayonaise plant and you'd be all set!"

New House!

My timeline is getting a little jumbled here with my posts as my camera was having picture transferring issues, but here ya go! I've been out here a month now!




These first 2 are a split panorama of the front of the house


This is the gate to the front porch & yard/garden. I love the bright colors!


Here's a bird's eye view of the front yard/garden or most of it at least.

This is the fort/playhouse/sleeping porch thingy ;-)


Sunset looking out the front of the house


The view from the front of the house taken from the roof


The view looking out the back of the house taken from the roof.

Kitties, Kitties, Kitties

I've been feeling ready to have a kitty or two back in my life again lately, and even had one follow me around downtown Jerome. On two separate occasions. Weeks apart. The same cat. We didn't have a cat carrier so that kitty got to stay in Jerome, and I put my request in to the Universe that I'd like my cat to show up at my house so I know for sure that it's definitely for me. Soooo about 4 days later I'm walking around outside taking pictures of the house to post here and there's a kitty! Ta-Da! Am I good or what?? She's all gray and looks to be about a year old. She's very friendly and wants lovin, rolls on the ground so I can give her a good scratchin and I notice a perfectly square patch of her belly hair is shorter than the rest, has a recent scar from having been spayed and she looks to be nursing. Hmmmm... As I continue walking, out of the shrubs pops a little gray kitten and I double take! It's an exact duplicate of Mama and also very sweet and wanting love if a bit shy. Then moments later out pops a third! This time a little stripey baby who wants nothing to do with this unknown human. Climbing trees and pouncing on bugs are much more interesting!
They've been here about 4 days and seem pretty set on stickin around :-)


Meet my new furry friends!


Gray Baby who told Tashi his name is Kaion. as in Kai-on


Me & Gray Baby


Stripey Baby who told Tashi his name is Sayo.

The happy kitty family the day they found me :-)

Don't have a pic yet of Mama Cat, who told Tashi her name is Mayana, as she missed the photo shoot which was compliments of Kristi.
They all come running quite splendidly when I holler "Kitties!"

I picked Tashi up from hang out time at the mall this past Thursday and when she heard the kitties hadn't told me their names yet she set straight to work connecting with them and getting to tell her their names. ;-) Thank you Tashi!!
Now we just have to get them to learn them! ;-)

Cutie Patootie Wyatt

These are my most favorite recent pics of Wyatt!


My mom and I picked out this outfit for him at Osh Kosh!


Chillin in the hammock at the 'Red House'


Look at those blue eyes!

Welcome Sweet Baby Wyatt!

On April 16th at 10:34am Wyatt was welcomed into the world by his mom, Sarah and dad, Jason. Sarah is my cousin. Congratulations Sarah & Jason!! and Welcome Wyatt! I can hardly wait to meet you!!

Spring is Popping Up at the Peace House!

Everywhere I go I'm seeing more signs of Spring! The trees are getting greener everyday, there's daffodils, poppys, and hyacinth blooming. I've seen buds on the purple iris, the tulips and the lilacs! And our own Apple and Peach trees are abloom!

Have you ever seen pussy willows on an Aspen??

Oh and did I forget to mention our Rosemary Shrub?

Happy Happy Spring Everyone!

Added some more pics today 5/5/08-Hey! Happy Cinco de Mayo!

The first Ladybug of the season!

Happy orange Poppys

Barrel of fleurs

Fluffy white flowers who proliferate without any watering by me! Whoo Hoo!

Renaissance Fair

Audree made all of our costumes and I made all of our hats! And I sold the 3 hats I had with me to a vendor at the fair who wants 20 more for a Ren Fair in Colorado in June & July!! Whoo Hoo! And And she would have bought all the hats off our heads too, if we'd been willing to part with them ;-)

L to R Kristi, Zack, Audree, Tashi, Bree, me

People LOVED our costumes! We got so many positive comments, and Tashi and I got quite a few, "awww, you look like easter eggs!", which was fine since we were actually there on Easter!