Stillwater Campground and Around

A few of our readers have asked for photos of the area so here is a few to see how gorgeous it is up here.  This is Lake Granby which the campground overlooks.

Here’s the campground we are staying in….up on a hill with a beautiful view

Here’s a look at the campsite across from us.  No trees here anymore because of the pine beetle kill.

We are still very busy on the weekends and are gearing up for Labor Day weekend….the last big camping days of the season.

You are loved.

Lonesome Stone Fiber Mill

A while back we stopped at Georgetown, Colorado, and I found a wonderful little quilt and yarn shop called The Quilted Purl.  There I found some beautiful yarn from Lonesome Stone Fiber Mill and was surprised to find out that this fiber mill exists right here in Granby, Colorado.

So last week I took an afternoon off and drove a mile out of town and found this little hidden gem.  The banner photo above is the pasture outside the fiber mill that houses their 40-70 alpacas.  I stopped and took a couple of photos of the herd.

Here is the entrance and a shot of the front of the building. 

Front part is their retail yarn shop with the processing plant behind it.

The retail shop is breathtaking….at least for a knitter….I spent a half-hour “petting” all the alpaca yarns and oogling the brilliant colors.

All the processing is done by the owners with a couple of dedicated helpers. They were very gracious and allowed me inside and showed me the whole process.

They have huge machinery to wash the fleece “blankets” and large drum carders. This machine combines the rovings	This machine takes the roving and makes yarn
Here the owner is threading the spools to spin several plies of yarn together to make a hank.	Here are there jars of yarn dyes
Here Linda dabs dye on a skein of bare yarn in a predetermined sequence.	After the skein is done being colored it is washed in a special solution, wrapped in Saran Wrap and microwaved to set the colors.  Not sure if this sequence is correct….but it’s something like that.

Everything is low, low tech.  After the multi-color yarns are washed several times, the skeins are put outside on the deck to dry on one of those collapsible drying racks many of us have used to dry clothes on rainy days.

                      

After drying the skein is respun to mingle the colors.

I bought my buddy, Salai, some black alpaca yarn and for myself, a skein of red and purple bulky yarn to make myself another one of those hooded cowls I like….keeps my ears and neck warm.

I had a great time browsing at Lonesome Stone Fiber Mill.  I’m going to go back for their “open knitting” sessions so I can meet some local knitters.

Remember, you are loved.
Read the story behind this saying HERE

Moose after breakfast

Yesterday, Sunday, we went to our favorite restaurant in Grand Lake called “Fat Cat” and had their Sunday Brunch.

As we were leaving town I looked down an adjacent street and saw a moose walking down the middle of the street.  I made Jim turn around so I could get a couple of pictures.  Here he is ambling lazily through the neighborhood.  BTW, I cropped these photos to show him better….I wasn’t close when I took these photos.

Isn’t it wonderful when you have a chance to see wildlife like this? 

Remember, you are loved.

Poncho Before and After

Here is what our bed looks like after I made it in the morning…..

and here is what our bed looks like when we come home….after Poncho has been sleeping in the bed all day…….

…..bad doggie, for sure…..why do I bother to make the bed in the first place???????

Training

That is all I have been doing the last 6 weeks.  First we had to open Brainard Lake Recreation Area.  We revised forms to streamline the process. Had to buy a new computer, printer and software. We had to evaluate, test and order  radios for communication throughout the area. Then we trained new area managers for a couple of weeks.

Last week we moved to Arapaho National Recreation Area in Granby, Colorado, and are training new area managers for this area.  We really like this area because of the beautiful scenery.  We are close to Grand Lake, Trail Ridge Road and Rocky Mountain National Park…beautiful area.

Plus one of the camphost had to leave for health reasons and we hired a new camphost from a current camper who was staying in the campground….lucky.  So I will be training that couple next week.

But I like training and I do a good job of it, if I must say so myself.  So more training for me next couple of weeks.

There is a couple of Forest Service cabins here at Stillwater Campground and one is used as an office.  I take Poncho with me to the “office” and he sleeps under the desk by my feet…he likes to stay close by.  I usually stay in the office doing paperwork and answering phones from 8 to 4.  We get a lot of phone calls especially on Fridays and Saturdays with people asking if there are openings for the weekend….we usually do have some sites available in this 129 site campground, but most are reserved for weekends.

We will stay the rest of the season here in Granby, visiting the other districts we are responsible for during the rest of the summer.

You are loved.
Read the story behind this saying HERE

Good-Bye Party

Last Sunday before we left the Brainard Lake area, the staff gave us a “good-bye” party.  Anna simmered brats in beer and then Thom put them on the grill to crisp them up….they even got me a piece of salmon to eat.  The sides carried on the German theme with sweet red cabbage, German style potato salad to go along with a wonderful pot of beans.

 

 

 

Here’s Thom with his plate of food, mugging for the camera

 

 

 

 

and a picture of Betty’s yummy angel food cake with pistachio pudding and pineapple, Anna’s delish Blueberry Buckle (European cobbler) and weeee bit of Marty’s tasty date crisp.

 

 

Even Basil (Thom and Anna’s dog) gets Betty to wipe off his face after a snack from Thom.

 

We all gathered around the fire pit.

         

And we even took a group photo to remember us all.  Thanks, Monica, for taking this photo.

Remember, you are loved.
Read the story behind this saying HERE

 

Dinner Mishap

Jim asked for a tuna casserole for dinner….sure, I can do that.  Oops, don’t have any mushroom soup.  That’s OK, I’ll drive to City Market after I finish doing laundry (8 mile drive into Granby).

So after finishing laundry I do that…get the mushroom soup and even bought some frozen peas to add to it.

Come home about 4 p.m. oops, one of the camphosts wants me to check his paperwork to see if he’s doing it right.

So 5 p.m. and Jim is still involved in setting up a new 6.5 KW generator that he’s been working on since 9 a.m.  That’s OK I’ll just cook up the macs and peas and wait for him to come home to finish it off.

On comes 6:15 p.m. and Jim comes home.  We tell each other about our day while I preheat the oven and put the finishing touches on the tuna casserole.  We’re talking, sharing…..I make a roux, add milk to make a white sauce….then I grate cheese and add it, add a little cayenne….mix it into the macs and peas, add a little diced onions….grate more cheese on top and pop it into the oven to heat up and melt the cheese.

Then 30 minutes I take it out of the oven and serve it up…..Jim has a second serving, complimenting me on the taste as he always does. Then after dinner I clean up and wash dishes……

OMG what’s that on the counter?????

It’s a can of mushroom soup and a can of tuna fish!!!!!!

I got distracted talking to Jim and ended up making macaroni and cheese for dinner instead of a tuna casserole.  Dumb, dumb, dumb.

Guess what we’re having for dinner tomorrow???

You are loved.
Read the story behind this saying HERE