A Busy Week of Unpacking and Building

The first week here has been pretty basic and so I have let the blog slip a bit. It’s not that we haven’t been doing anything; it’s just that for the most part, it is stuff that’s pretty humdrum. Our days have involved unpacking the fifth wheel, readying the lapidary studio, building steps for the fifth wheel and then a little golf along with watching the elk graze on the mountainside behind us.

Building steps and a landing has been a pretty basic task after constructing the studio. I used plans from our friend Jim, (he does lapidary and wire wrapping), and I only had to make a few modifications.  Molly was pretty nervous when she first stepped out on them and still looks for the usual metal stairs but we really like having steady steps.

We stopped at Raven Lunatics Art Store and found out that we had some winter sales. Barbara is one of our greatest fans and so we spent a couple of hours looking at her new art items and her expanding rock collection. We both realized we had better get to work on some pieces as the summer shows will be here before we know it.

I actually took some time out to golf and the altitude is really kicking my rear end. I walk the course and going from sea level to over six thousand feet is probably not the best way to start your exercise program. Regardless I actually am hoping to walk my way into shape, before we head up into the high country. I do enjoy golfing but it’s really about the walking. Today I had an added bonus as a red tailed hawk flew over my head, carrying a shrew which it dispatched and ate as I watched.

So we go through our day and then after dinner turn our attention to the feeding elk. There is a herd of cows on the mountain side and they have been hanging pretty close to the valley and the houses. Its calving season and they know that being close to people protects their calves from wolves and bear.

We have finally finished most of the busy work so tomorrow it’s shopping in Idaho Falls and then we hope to spend some time wildlife watching in Grand Teton National Park. Perhaps we may drive to a place where bears are known to be hunting elk calves, and notice I am not saying the location, Suffice it to say we will not hike into the back country!  Clear skies.