Visit to Cheyenne, Wyoming.

After chores, watering the in the greenhouse, and making a batch of queso cheese this morning we headed off the homestead. It is my mom's birthday. She wanted to head to  Wyoming, at first, to find the grave of our Great Grandmother Julia who came across the prairie to pioneer and settle in Wyoming. But when we got there we got all caught up in the history of the place.  Cemeteries will need to wait for another day. Wyoming is an hour and half from the eastern plains of Colorado.  I love Wyoming.

It is fitting that we went to find a grandmother as it seems Wyoming is famous for it's strong women.  They were the first state to allow women to vote - 12-10, 1869, Colorado was next in 1893 (wow, long time between)  and the first state to have a women Governor - Nellie Ross , 11- 4-1924. My grandmother owned a cattle ranch which she worked hard  while having troubles with a drunken husband and sons roaming saloons of the wild west. We are lucky to have her letters from her travels across the country looking for a better life as a pioneer. (will post at another time).

Anywhooo... a good time and fun to get off the homestead every once in a while to learn about others who came before us.
                                    

        The Capital

                                                        Out at the rodeo grounds.

These boots are all over town! They were all different and brightly painted.

There is a cool story about the lower balcony of the Wrangler building. They would hang elk, deer, antelope over the side and whenever they wanted a hunk of meat they would just slice it off. I am sure it got rather ripe come July! Not sure if it's true but it is a story we were told while visiting. The main part of this building has been there since 1892.

Another point made was how difficult it is to grow anything in Wyoming due to the altitude, extreme winds and snow storms. (thank goodness I unloaded a 40 acre ranch in Laramie about 10yrs ago)

Well, more days will be needed to visit again and we plan on it. Being the Capital of Wyoming, Cheyenne and a very quiet town...unless you are there on Cheyenne Frontier Days at the end of July.

Books - Finished reading Pioneer Women , Into a Dark  Dark Wood and listening to Pillars of the Earth.  I am reading The Sweet Life in Paris, yes, still. 

 I love this book, so I am  taking sips of it, savoring every bit instead of gulping it down.  I love that it is story and recipes.  How can you go wrong with recipes such as warm goat cheese salad  or cinnamon meringue  with espresso- caramel ice cream, chocolate sauce and candied almonds? As I read it my brain just melts, falling in love with every word... it happens.  I know no French. I have had 5 years of studying Spanish and continue to listen to Spanish conversational lessons on podcasts.  I know nothing of Paris, yet, books of the place have been magically landing on my shelf lately.

Tomorrow it is back to the homestead life, family and work.

peace, health and happiness

We're back!

We are finally back up and running!  Our computer had died.  We had been saving for a rainy day fund. Thank goodness because it paid for our new air conditioner and computer.  It was funny to see the young cashier's faces when we paid with cash!

It was great to see the sun come out today. It has been raining the last few days. Not complaining since here on the eastern plains our air is dry and the ground can be so hard and cracked.  Our storms can be fast and furious... downpours, lightning, funnel clouds, blackness and tornadoes.

Today I didn't get much done before work but I did dry some peppers and make some cheese.
Queso Blanco but maybe I should call it Queso Rojo... smoky paprika and onion salt mixed in to make a barbeque tasting cheese. So good.

Trays of yellow and orange peppers dried.  Chickens delighted in getting the leftover bits. 

We  moved the turkeys in with the hens with the intent to move their house in there as well.  At first the turkeys stayed in the corner pining away for the goats.  They missed them. Later they integrated with the hens and all seemed well.  It seemed well until we saw Blizzard, our oldest turkey, attacking a rooster.  She had pinned him down and was ready to claw his eyes out when I went out yelling. That caused Snowflake, the younger turkey, to look up and run to help out Blizzard.  I am not sure what the rooster did but they didn't like it. The result? The turkeys are back with the goats and all is well in paradise.

Tomorrow is my mom's birthday.  She is going strong in her mid-eighties and has a goal of living to 100.  She is young at heart, vivacious, loves to learn new things every day, is beautiful and fun.  She wants us to take her to Wyoming tomorrow.  So off we go!  Happy Birthday Mom.  Love ya!

peace, health and happiness

Kids visiting the homestead

Sometimes kids don't want to come out because they think it will be boring or work, work, work. We were lucky when one of the grand-kids wanted to come visit for a day or two.  Besides the regular egg collecting, she learned how to milk the goats...

Take care in the greenhouse each morning. 

Collect flowers. 

Learned how to dry them. 

and finished...

and herbs.

Take long walks.

Had teatime . 

Watched nature on the back porch

My bird friend showed her a wasp in it's mouth. 

okay, and collected eggs..

Visited Great Grandma...

Went to town for a pedicure...man, I haven't had one for over four years! ahhhhh

Joined the summer reading at the library...

Got books and movies ...yay!

Rescued chickens...

And cut out a bonnet... 

Dinner is made. Tea will be out on the deck with a bit of yoga later. 

Grandma is exhausted but her heart is full.  

peace