July Beauties and Babies

Trying to capture the natural beauty of various florals around our property with a version of  blown and sculpted glass.

This July was very full of family, flowers, and furry kittens. I'm sharing some of those pictures with you this month. Even though we are constantly working on new projects in the Studio, sometimes it's nice to take time to smell the flowers and enjoy a simple life now and then.  

Sculpted Rosebuds

A sampling of our wildlife sold in Yellowstone Park Stores

     We enjoyed the birth of our sixth grandchild and 2nd granddaughter at the beginning of the month.

Our brand new granddaughter born in July. 💖💖

The Kittens I talked about last month have kept us on our toes. So silly, naughty and cute, all wrapped up in little balls of fur. 

Our rescued kittens

The following pictures are my once-a-year share of  the flowers around our property, plus our garden and chickens. We like to quote Bilbo Baggins from the Hobbit...."It is not such a bad thing to enjoy a simple life". This month of July we are doing just that, by enjoying family reunions, babies, kittens, working on our yard and gardening. We hope you can take the time to slow down and enjoy the simple things too this summer. 

One of many flowers in the yard.

Many blooms going on in July

Our glass flowers try to blend in with the lilies.

Beautiful colors!

More pops of color

Pink Daisy

Pretty purples

Our garden sign highlighted with fused glass pieces.

More Daisies

Sunflowers are one of my favorite!

Some of our chickens

Hollyhocks galore!

Until next time, take the time to enjoy a tall cold beverage in the hot summer sun.  

Last Rites of Summertime

Every summer I find myself wondering how, in the blink of an eye, the season of sunshine can fly by so swiftly. I suppose there is truth to the saying "Time flies when you're having fun". Now the days are starting to wane, and the night temps. tell me Autumn will soon be upon us. Labor Day is looming on the horizon, and  we find ourselves preparing to spend the days harvesting and canning the bounty from our garden.

I'd say this summer was a summer of opportunity and special occasions that I will look back on and cherish for many years to come.  Among them were some extra special events that stood out. We enjoyed a milestone in our marriage as we celebrated 30 years together, renewing our vows in the mountains with some of our children witnessing. The time spent in the Tetons will always be treasured memories for me. 

Jenny Lake in the Teton Range

A great day of horseback riding in the Tetons

Next, we witnessed our youngest son say his vows to his bride in a beautiful outdoor June wedding. Another memorable and special event for the family.

Our youngest son and his beautiful bride

We also managed to get away and enjoy a few camping trips, having fun times alongside Nature's crystal clear waters, both at reunions and the old stomping ground of my partner's childhood, Meadow Lake. 

Campground at Meadow Lake

Pups playing Fetch at Meadow Lake

Crystal clear water at Meadow Lake

Just last weekend, we topped off the summer experience at Bear Lake (nicknamed the Caribbean of the Rockies), also one of my favorite getaways.

Beautiful day at Bear Lake

We  had some very successful outdoor art shows where we sold 2 of our biggest pieces of art work made in the studio to date, both of them hand sculpted trout scenes. Below is one that we affectionately nicknamed "Walter" (from the movie 'On Golden Pond'). 

Hand Sculpted  Glass Trout nicknamed "Walter"

Yes, summers are short here, so we try our best to take full advantage of them. Everyone should have an opportunity to enjoy a camping trip, or get away with the family on a fun Summer vacation. It's rejuvenating and so enjoyable, especially spent with the ones you love. Because before you know it, the season of preparedness and hard work will be upon us: Fall, which just so happens to be my most favorite time of the year! I will expound on that in the next blog.