(Not Nomadic Right Now) Knitting Nurse

Hiked amongst mighty purdy wildflowers Sunday, up on Centennial Cone Open Space.  Dug out my flower ID book to attmept learning them.  I need a new book. This one is small, light and packable but rather skimpy on contents. 

A virtual walk for you:

The setting, Centennial Cone Open Space, Jefferson Cty. Yah…it’s beautiful:

Not sure what these yellow guys are:

Some type of daisy (there are over 50 in the Rockies):

One of my faves, Paintbrush.  Just learned it’s actually parasitic and draws nutrients off neighboring plants:

Not sure about this one, either. Anyone know?

Lupine of sorts:

Geranium:

Purple:  Lambert Loco?  (Book says it absorbs barium from the soil.  Cattle avoid it but if the grazing’s poor they’ll eat it, become adicted, and act “crazy” with symptoms of poisoning.) 

Fields of yellow:

Headed into the mtns over the Fourth of July for almost a week.  The flower sighting should be good!  Better get a new book by then.

 Had two showers, while in MN, for my sister Ali.  She’s expecting the first week of July.  Little guys getting antsy, though!

Mom’s friend Nancy made this ADORABLE baby quilt from the Dick and Jane collection of fabrics:

L-R:  Rachel, Ali, Mom (Marlys), Me, Karen  (Us 4 sisters!)

Tori, a friend from high school, trying to look taller than me!  (She’s not.)

Sis Rachel made Ali a bunch of gifts, just a couple shown here. Rachel HATES veggies, thus, the humor in the embroidered onesie below:

Tres cute Rocket racer overall:

Rachel makes gorgeous baby clothes from vintage and novelty fabrics/trims and sells them on ETSY. Check out her shop and blog!

++++++++Shameless promotion here++++++++

Pic from her last show:

ETSY shop:    http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5933254

BLOG:  http://sweetpandco.blogspot.com/

 Goofing with Ali’s belly:

Karen and friend since forever, “Fifth Frank Daughter” Kyleen:

Had to thow this in.  My brother in law Tyler, (Rachel’s hubby) is a fish-a-holic. That’s actually his degree from school.  He follows the fishing community news/contests like I follow knitting on Ravelry.com.  Who knew we’d be kindred spirits?

Must be true love between the two since she lets him keep buckets of live fish in the kitchen and worms/fish in the fridge…ah…true love! This is a type of Sunfish, I forget the name. It will go live in his parent’s stocked lake and (hopefully) populate the lake.  (Its colors were really pretty.)

Made it to MN and had a special outing with my mom. We stopped at:

Anderson Iris Gardens – 651-433-5268

See how brown and crunchy the grass is?  : (

Oooh…the flowers…

 Aparently one preused the gardens, orders the bulbs, and you recieve them in the fall if there are enough.  Cool!

I drove to MN a couple weeks ago to spend time with family.  Could have flown. Would have been a hell of a lot cheaper, BUT I had two motives:  carry my bike with and camp in the Black Hills on the way back to CO.

Mother Nature had other plans.

There’s been NO rain there all spring. Wierd…seems I am the rain charm.  (See the trend in the last travel posts of mine?  Rain…)  Hardly biked and got rained out in the Black Hills.  Now I’m not opposed to hiking in the rain. HOWEVER, hiking in split pea soup fog/rain, so thick you can’t see the sights, well, that’s a drag.  I did get to putter around Deadwood, SD on the way back. More on that later.

So, for those of you who haven’t driven across the Midwest (1,000 miles each way to my folks) here’s a glimpse:

Nebraska, never as green as this, rain must be stopping here and avoiding MN. 

• Truck stops with $4.99 Big Boy breakfast specials
• Truck stops that make the diesel price larger on the sign than unleaded
• Bad truck stop coffee and bags of cornuts
• State Parks along the interstate (Many in NB only.  None in South Dakota, very few in Iowa)
• NB State Parks with swimming beaches (on almost pond sized holes) similar to the ones I grew up swimming in
• Unbelievable amount of deer carcasses on the side of the Interstate
• Ginormous semis
• BIG pickup trucks

Then Iowa.

• Rolling hills, some terraced for farming
• Green!  (Again, the rain stops there?)
• Gas stations with an entry through a silo
• Wind power (see pic below)
• Signs that point to exits leading to famous covered bridges (mental note: check out someday!)
• REALLY nice, really clean reststops
• Mature, treed windbreaks
• Old red barns next to newer pole barns next to old houses
• Ginormous semis
• HUGE pickup trucks

There were windmills, in Iowa,  for miles on end, Cool!  Saw some blades being hauled down the interstate.  Perspective is all. They looked MUCH larger driving by.

Took around 16 hrs driving to get to my folks with a sleep-over at a NB State Rec Site.  Watced/heard a wicked thunderstorm off in the distance. It rained that night but not the heavy storm that must’ve pelted homes in the distance.  Popped in earplugs to block out the interstate noise and slept like a log. (Figured out my sleeping pad’s sprung a leak!  Note…fix it!

Was good to get to family and start my visit!

Look what I finished! 

Started the Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Baby Surprise Jacket a month ago as a shower gift for my sis, Ali and her hubby Josh. Baby boy is due the first week of July.   I have a sizeable stash of girly-colored yarn and lacey baby patterns. Doh! Of all the summer/fall babies on the way that I know of, all are boys!  Doh!

 Details:

RAVELRY.COM link:   http://www.ravelry.com/projects/hfrank007/baby-surprise-jacket

Pattern: Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmerman available at Schoolhouse Press

Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash – Blue, Green, Red

Needle: 7 Addi Turbo

Gauge: 4.25 SPI

Size: 21.5″ Chest

Start Date:  5/1/09

Stop Date: 6/7/09  (Yah…that was the day of the shower.  Had to sew the buttons on that AM.  Nothing like last-minute gifts!)

 The jacket construction is ingenious. It looks like a flat amoeba to start with:

It folds up and there are only shoulder seams to sew!  I did a crochet seam. Thought about three-needle bind off on the outside but couldn’t pick a color for that. Will likely do that on the next one.

Back view:

Front View:

Did an I-Cord bind off which I LOVE the look of. 

Can’t wait to see the little bugger in it!

PART TWO of a series of three from my Memorial Day weekend adventure.

Part One:     http://hfrank007.wordpress.com/2009/06/13/technicolor-ut-desert-part-1-of-3-the-desert-washes-away-horseshoe-canyon-canyonlands-np/

Part Two: HERE! 

Part Three:  http://hfrank007.wordpress.com/2009/06/14/technicolor-ut-desert-part-3-of-3-the-trail-of-tears-and-bumpers-and-more-flash-floods-and-stinging-goobers-home/

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 

A definition for those new to the term CANYONEERING, with my edited notes  in RED:

Canyoning (known as canyoneering in the U.S.) is traveling in canyons using a variety of techniques that may include walking, scrambling, climbing, jumping, abseiling, (rapelling) and/or swimming. (Cursing, hip/butt/boob jamming through cracks,  shoulder/face stands on a buddy, doggie paddling, giggling and whooping out of control.)

Canyoning is frequently done in remote and rugged settings and often requires navigational, route-finding and other wilderness travel skills  including after midnight coffee drinking, plowing through muddy sand dunes, high speed off road chases after lost friends and Subaru bumper reattachment.  Oh, and road engineering.

Canyons that are ideal for canyoning are often cut into the bedrock stone, forming narrow gorges with numerous drops, beautifully sculpted walls, and sometimes spectacular waterfalls.  Though running waterfalls while canyoneering would be BAD. 

Canyons can be very easy or extremely difficult, though emphasis in the sport is usually on aesthetics and fun rather than pure difficulty. A wide variety of canyoning routes are found throughout the world, and canyoning is enjoyed by people of all ages and skill levels.  Harder slot canyons are enjoyed by idiots who enjoy being pushed through a meat grinder and having cold, muddy water infiltrate every pore on their body.  But they love it!  (Except the famed Grim Weeper and Team Estrogen.)

Canyoning gear includes climbing hardware, static ropes, helmets, wetsuits, and specially designed shoes, packs, and rope bags.   Also handy are scuba gear, bolt placing guns and a batmobile. 

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Dear Journal: 

I woke this AM to others already well into breakfast.  Why do I always feel behind in the AM with these guys?  Wait, Cupcake Kurt’s still asleep.  He can sleep through an earthquake.

I was nervous to canyoneer today. Pics from a previous canyoneering trip of Leetard’s shivering body and blue lips flashed through my head.  I consulted in the leader/experienced canyoneer(er?) of the gang, “Cap’n Tom, I’m feeling weenie, tell me what to expect today. Will I die?” 

“Nah!  we shouldn’t lose anyone!”  Replied Cap’n Tom.  He filled me in on the length, time estimate, technical aspects and the hike out’s distance with the ever-present twinkle of mischief in his eye.

I knew I’d harbor regret and shame, while on my deathbed someday, if I woosied out. 

The road was washed out on the way to the canyon.  Problem? Nah! 

Camp Cookware.  Not just for cooking!  Rebuilding the road on the way to the drop-in point:

The slot canyon, named ALCATRAZ. Maybe 2/3 mile long, it took us three hours (?) to get through.  Just a skinny little gash opening up to a stunning vista:

I used to snort at the Nissan Xterra commercials where they rappel off the bumper.  Well…it works! 

Melisa prepares the rappel:

Tom rappeled off the SHADOWCRUISER and we all followed:

In I go!

Pics of dry spots, courtesy of Melisa, my camera was tucked into a dry bag.  There weren’t many dry spots…

L-R: Ray (The Scorpion), Matt, Kim, Emma, Agie, Matt chimneying through a section.

Top to bottom: John, Cap’n Tom, & Ray squeeeezing through.

 Talk about water!  

‘There was only one swimmer pothole and a couple knee deepers when we were here last!” Capn’n Tom remarked.  Rain roared through this slot yesterday.  Plenty was left over.   

First swim was a shocker but not as bad as I thought.  John kept asking me if I’m ok.  Seems my screetching,  once up to my waist in cold water (imagine that?), worried him.   I sent him some giggles to reassure him was ok.

So this is what sewer rats feel like after a city storm? 

Kurt aproaching a swimmer with trepidation:

And he’s in!

The last hurrah was a big swim.   No one touched the bottom.   The sun erased chattering teeth and goose bumps on the other side.  Have a video but I can’t get WordPress to open it and embed.  I’ll work on that later. 

Wet shirts peeled off, snacks refueled, cold bodies pressed against the sun baked canyon walls.  Bliss. 

“The Death March” out (must’ve been a couple hour hike out?) was beautiful.

Heavy, dark clouds loomed above:

No rain, a few rumbles, no lightning, thank goodness. (I’m terribly freaked out by lightning.)

Beautiful, swirling, gloppy, and finned rock formations:

Tom and Melisa taking a break:

And others:

Melisa pointed out these little flowers to me:

Yucca:

All made it, in one piece (though pooped, shredded, bruised and battered for some, esp. me!)

L-R:  (Top) Me, Barry, John, Matt, Ray, Kurt, Matt, Agie, Lee.   (Bottom) Becky, Emma (All the way from Sweden!), Tom, Melisa, Kim

Enjoyed margaritas back at camp.   Three cheers for Tom and his hand-crank blender!

Ray ate too much coal-cooked brisket and corn and broke the little chair he was sitting in.  ; )    Thanks, Melisa for sharing the pic!

Good food, good friends, a fun and wacky day…what more could a girl want?

 PART THREE of a series of three from my Memorial Day weekend adventure.

Part #1:     http://hfrank007.wordpress.com/2009/06/13/technicolor-ut-desert-part-1-of-3-the-desert-washes-away-horseshoe-canyon-canyonlands-np/

Post #2:  http://hfrank007.wordpress.com/2009/06/14/technicolor-ut-desert-part-2-of-3-escape-from-alcatraz-scuba-gear-a-bolt-gun-and-the-batmobile/

Post #3:  Here!

Thank goodness we headed out on Monday and not earlier. Recall all the rain Sat. during the hike in Canyonlands and filled the slot canyone with water?Slow drizzle filled a couple of the nights as well.  Desert sand becomes the consistency of  melted peanut butter when soaked.   Luckily, most of Sunday and all of Monday was dry.  

Steve, my housemate who came for the trip, had no problems “boating” through the mud as his travel partner Elasha remarked.  A few, however, did not have high-clearance vehicles for the pond crossings that dotted the road out. 

Water, in fact, continued to plague all vacating parties.

Matt and Kim lost a bumper and side-panel-trim-thingy crossing a  big moat of water off their Subaru (last car through below): 

Ray “The Scorpion” lost no car parts off his Subaru.   John and Becky, Cap’n Tom and Melisa were thwarted by a flash flood within stone’s throw of the interstate.  Thinking they’d go into Green River, UT for supper, the cop’s flashing lights on the other side of the flooded stream, once they dipped a tire in, changed their plans. 

Sights on the way out++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 

The San Rafael swell is a gorgeous area, with plenty of rock outcroppings such as below:

Sand Dunes on the road out:

Kurt and I, well, our ony water trouble was the sting of the Glenwood Hot Springs pool on our numerous goobers and scrapes.  (I looked like a victim of abuse, really, from all the bruises on my upper arms, right scapula and knees.  No social services person aproached me, though.) 

The Jane Fonda full body workout gave me sore hamstrings/tri-ceps and plenty of little muscles in spots I never knew I had muscles.   So worth it!  So worth it.  Can’t wait for Cap’n Tom’s next adventure in canyoneering.  I’m hooked.

I’ve been swamped.  finally getting around to posting my pics from a trip over Memorial Day weekend.    There are THREE posts.  (Big, I had to split them up.)

Post #1: HERE!

Post #2:  http://hfrank007.wordpress.com/2009/06/14/technicolor-ut-desert-part-2-of-3-escape-from-alcatraz-scuba-gear-a-bolt-gun-and-the-batmobile/

Post #3:  http://hfrank007.wordpress.com/2009/06/14/technicolor-ut-desert-part-3-of-3-the-trail-of-tears-and-bumpers-and-more-flash-floods-and-stinging-goobers-home/

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Memorial weekend I had the good fortune of a trip to remote UT, with many good friends, to hike and canyoneer.  What’s canyoneering, you might ask?  Imagine descending a skinny gash in the earth, wide enough in places for only your body to squeeze through sideways, slivers of blue sky above, punctuated by potholes of water, some wadeable, some requiring swimming across.  We’re talking Willie Wonka chocolate river brown water, Jane Fonda full-body-workout physical fun.  It was my maiden voyage into the world of canyoneering.  I LOVED IT! 

Pics from the trip through ALCATRAZ slot canyon, in the Robbers Roost area, to follow in the next post. 

 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Friday, May 22:  It was a looooong drive out to UT from home, 8 hrs or so, the last one hour on slow, wet, gooey dirt road. 

Woke to a desert landscape more GREEN than I’ve ever seen the desert. Against the red dirt and rocks, it looked almost surreal:  (Pic from Steve, my housemate, thanks, Steve!)

Had a mishap with a bike handle battling the sliding window in my topper. The bike won.  Have been quoted $250 to replace the destroyed window.  Needless to say, I’m researching other options.

 You’ve gotta love car camping for the way your vehicle  seems to puke up gear all over the place.  Organization is key, lost at this moment:

Drizzle and impending rain clouds made canyoneering inpossible (and dangerous) Sat.  so we hiked in Canyonlands, NP. Ever see a flash flood in the desert?  Neither had I…

En Route, John surfs the Shadowcruiser:

It was muddy:

MAP:   Here’s a link to the National Park’s Horseshoe Canyon brochure, with a super map and info on the geology, archeology and plant life of the canyone we traipsed through. 

  http://www.nps.gov/cany/planyourvisit/upload/HorseshoeCanyon.pdf

What a gang!  We headed into a beautiful canyon hopping across the little stream crossings now and then to keep our feet dry. Hah!  Little did we know…

Becky leaps over a stream:

Flowers were bright beacons:

Rocks’ colors seemed brighter from all the damp:

Stopped and saw some pictographs. Left to Right:  Melisa, Tom, Ray, Lee, Matt, Me, Elasha, Kim, Matt, Becky, Kurt, Steve, Agie, Emma

Continued on to the  mother of all natural ampitheaters for snacks.  Was great timing since the sky opened up and the rain fell in buckets.  Look at the pic below.  Look closely.  See all the waterfalls tumbling over the canyon walls?   

Seemed half the desert’s dirt spewed over the edge of the ampitheater:

I’ve never seen water  like this in the desert. 

The falling cats and dogs  slowed and we hiked on to the final panel of pictographs:

A random broom became an object of entertainment.

John gave Harry Potter a “flight” for his money:

Ray (The Scorpion) rocked out air guitar playing:

All was fun and games until…

A sudden crashing sound disrupted the games.  This roar made my single speck of human survival instincts  alarm, “Oh shit…danger?”  The creek passing through the canyon we’d just walked up was swollen, rushing, WIDE.  After inspection, we waited to see if it would slow (yah…right!)   Teeth began to chatter and bodies became visibly chilly. 

 Let the flash flooding begin!

Resources pooled, the safest, slowest spot to cross identified, across we went in groups, safety and strength in number.  Spots were swift enough to knock over a person not paying attention. 

After numerous crossings, we all made it back, though, with smiles on our faces and hungry bellies.

Gear was strewn out to dry:

Butts were dried by the fire:

Steve (my hosemate) enjoyed a G&T’ by the fire:

Tom’s brother Barry arrived, pulled out his banjo, joined Tom with his guitar, and we all enjoyed a pre-bedtime music session, a tradition with this crowd I truly look forward to.

John and Becky soaking in the music:

The next day would be filled with adventure!

So I’m in MN, have two baby showers to attend this weekend for my sis, Ali. Haven’t seen my sisters yet.  Tommorow!  I’m bubbling with excitement.

Survived the 1,000 mile drive out through NB and Iowa. Came maybe less than 6 inches from totaling a deer. (Now driving a truck, I was less worried about totaling myself than the deer.)  Adrenaline rush from that buzzed through my bod for a LONG time after that.  Ouch!

I’m in a Caribou Coffee rying to upload pics from UT to Flikr but their connection sucks and it ain’t happening. Cool posts to come, I promise!

Just about have Ali’s shower gift finished. I-cord bind off left. I’ll post pics when wrapped and gifted. (Don’t want to give it away to her TOO soon!)

On the list for today:

Sleep in.
Knit.
Anderson’s Acres of Iris Garden with mom (Pics to come)
Sheepy Yarn shop with mom.
Make my pop choc. chip cookies for his long fishing trip. He leaves tommorow.
BBQ dinner tonight.
Get pics from laptop to mom and dad’s computer (no wireless at their house).
Bike around Sand Lake.

Full day. Sleeping in felt great but something may need to be axed off the list. Won’t axe biking, won’t axe knitting…