SECOND DAY ON THE ROAD

A few of the photos of rocks from yesterday's drive.  But, as I said, the most beautiful scenes were already behind us by the time I got the camera out.  These are all in the Lake  Mead Recreation Area.

This morning we were surprised to find this scene:

It was still snowing lightly when we left around 8:45 this morning, but it soon cleared up and we had good, dry roads and mostly sunshine all day.  We had headed for Helena, Montana, but were there early enough to go on and we are now in a Comfort Inn in Great Falls, Montana.  That means an easy drive home tomorrow.

Just across the street and down 1/2 block from our motel is a Golden Corral restaurant, so we had supper there.  A good day on the road.  Tomorrow morning a nice shower, a good breakfast and on for what should be the last part of the drive home.  The weather forecast looks good.  But first, a good night's sleep.

ON THE WAY HOME

This morning we left Surprise at 8:00 a.m., driving north and west on Hwys. 60 and 93.  Just west of Hoover Dam we took Lakeshore Drive north through the Lake Mead Recreation Area.  This is a two-lane paved road that begins just west of Hoover Dam and bring you to I 15 well north of Las Vegas, skipping all those busy freeways.

The scenery was spectacular!  Dry desert, with intriguing colours on the hillsides.  I got out my camera, but just too late to catch the best colours.  Not much traffic at all and good paved road.  Well, we will certainly use this bypass of Las Vegas whenever we come this way.  I would show some of the pictures, but the camera is in the car and I don't care to go out in the rain to get it.

Somehow or other it seems that our drive through Salt Lake City always involves rain.  Remember when we were driving south in October?

Once we are on I 15 the drive should be easy, but the last hour was dark, rainy and busy.  AWFUL!  We were very grateful to find a room in a Days Inn in Provo, Utah.  Tomorrow morning, quite early, say between 7 and 9 a.m. we plan to get through Salt Lake City.  The rest of the drive is fine.  We just hope for clear roads and decent weather.

Onward to the North lands.

SOME NICE SOCKS

I have certain traditions about giving socks to family: sometimes someone receives a pair of hand knit socks for their birthday, ex. #3 grandson last August.  Sometimes they receive a pair when they come to visit.  It's become a tradition to give my brother-in-law a pair when we arrive in Arizona and to give my sister a pair when we leave.  We plan to leave this coming Friday, so since the 23rd of December I've been working on a pair for her.  It's the time I don't spend knitting that makes them take so long.  But tonight I finished that pair.  They turned out very nicely.

I'm delighted that the stripes match.  How to do that: pull out several inches at the beginning of each ball (socks take two 50g balls of Patons Kroy Sock Yarn), until you can see a colour match.  Cut the yarn right at the beginning of the colour match on both strands.  When casting on, make sure that the "tail" that's left after the stitches are cast on is the same length on both socks.  This seems a little fussy, but IMHO I think it's worth the effort.  It's not always possible though.

Another nice tradition that has grown up, in its third year now: we get invited to their house for a potato soup supper the last evening we're here.

THIS ONE MISSED THE MARK

Dear Son #1 likes toques.  Sometimes I knit for him and sometimes his sister knits for him.  This year we both made a toque for his birthday.  Mine missed the mark:

He usually likes colourful, but this proved too colourful for him.  It was the yellow that did it.  Maybe I'll keep it for myself (that's me in the photo).

When I make a gift for someone it's theirs to do what they want with it.  It doesn't bother me at all if they don't like it.  They can give it away, and I'm fine with that.  Once I made my sister a chenille vest.  She didn't like it and asked if she could give it to a friend.  That was fine with me, and the friend thought it was the neatest thing in her wardrobe.  Rather someone who likes the object than someone who won't wear or use it!

ONE HAPPY LITTLE GIRL

Looks like the butterfly pjs are a hit!

BRRR!

January has been unusually cold and rainy.  Rain is expected and welcome this time of year, but the cold--well, can we complain?  Pool visits have been few--who wants to swim on a cold, rainy afternoon?

My friend Marcy had to scrape ice off her windshield this morning, and right now the temperature is just below 40º.  I'm so thankful that I have all my interesting activities to keep me occupied.

SO CUTE!

Marcy was here today and we worked on the pyjamas for her niece's daughter's 5th birthday.  Marcy had asked her what she wanted and the answer was: live butterflies, a house full of live butterflies!  Some research showed you could give a cocoon that would hatch and produce a live butterfly, but this is the wrong time of year for butterflies in Nebraska!

So Marcy came up with the idea of butterfly pyjamas and found JUST the right material.  We started them last week Saturday and this week we finished that project.  And are they ever cute!

The finishing touch was these darling butterfly buttons.  You'll have to look closely!  They are the very small butterflies.

I think Marcy should make a pair for herself!