Happy Halloween!

Watch out for goblins tonight!

This is another card design I used this year.  I cut the pieces with my electronic cutter which makes life really easy.  With all the travel we've been doing, I need all the assistance I can get.

It is folded at the top and can stand up.  I used black cardstock for the base.  Patterned paper was adhered for the body of the shoe and the other pieces are cardstock.  I punched the holes in just the front of the shoe and wrapped with satin ribbon.  A big bow at the top completes the design.

Spooky

Are you ready for Halloween?  This is one of my card designs.  The pieces were cut with my electronic cutter and the hat lifts up to reveal the text.  She looks so friendly I don't think she'll scare anyone.  She probably hands out chocolate and hugs to trick or treaters.

It Was A Privilege

We recently had the opportunity to go on a tour to Square Tour in Mesa Verde National Park.  The first photo  is the typical view from but as the second photo shows, we were right down to it for a very personal view.  I've always wanted to get down there and when special tours were offered for a limited time this fall, I jumped at the chance.  The dwelling hasn't been open to the public since the 1940's and only 10 were allowed in a tour.  That's why it felt like such a privilege.  My husband worked in the park for 10 years and he hadn't even been down the trail.  The trail has three 20' ladders and some "rustic" steps in rock so it's a bit strenuous and but certainly worth the physical effort.

That's the tallest tower in the park and Square Tower dwelling contains the only kiva (photo 3) that has the original roof.  It served as the model for rebuilding kivas in other dwellings.  Notice the "crow's nest" in the upper right of the second photo.  That isn't even visible in the typical view.

There's a second dwelling around the corner from this one that isn't visible from any trail.  If they extend this tour and include that dwelling, you'll find me down there again - if I'm still physically able.

Just One

This is the closest look you're going to get.  Good looking specimen, don't you think?  I think the summer in the clear mountain air with lots of fresh grass to eat was good for the flock.

Closer View

We were able to go close to the corrals to get close up shots.  This is still a very small portion of the total sheep that were congregated.

It's a Whole Flock

This doesn't show all of the sheep but the sheepherders told us there were 2500 and it certainly looked like at least that many when you saw the whole group.  They were dividing them into groups for reasons I was unable to discern.

Red Mountain

Red Mountain is part of the San Juan range to the south and west of us and, yes, it really is that red.  This photo was taken in mid-September and you can see there was already some fresh snow on the highest peaks.

Just to the right of this mountain is Sheep Mountain and some ranchers were preparing a flock of sheep to be transported to lower elevations for the winter.