In search of delicious

Beautiful sunny Montana morning and we are heading out.

Swollen rivers with all the Glacier run off

 Past forests fires

new growth is starting to emerge.

Beautiful views of the peaks in the distance

Sometimes I feel like Peer Gynt in Soria Moria (Norwegian Folk tale)

Can it get any more beautiful and majestic?

Why...yes it can!

Could this be what we are searching for ?

A home of yesteryear.

Here it is...!

30min of heading north on dirt roads...we arrived.

This merc is famous for it's bakery.

Folks come from far distances just to devour their cinnamon rolls and bear claws.

Looks like a peaceful place to cop a seat.

...and have a little picnic

my sons paw wrapped around a Huckleberry bearclaw.

oh...it is sooo good.

My "bunny" is feeling so much better.

 Eating and enjoying the summer day.

Even the butterflies seem to do little happy dances.

...I don't know if the Huckelberry Bear claw was more delicious or...the view?

Maybe both?

 Either way it was a lovely day.

Happy Weekend.

Base Camp Cafe

Things are moving along with the cafe- a little slower than we had thought...but isn't that just how it always is..

Kitchen is finished, paint,tile, walls

The hood for the stove is in as well as the ansel system.

whew!

The worst is over.

Painting shelving

Sealing the floors

Digging holes for ADA ramp and wood deck posts

to be finished  this week.

This is dads booth that Pierre especially built for him.

He has alzheimers and I think it is neat for him to be part of our daily  life...he can have breakfast and socialize with the "good ol boys" in town

This is the counter to order from and  also the chalk board for the menu...it wraps around the 2 walls.

Ta da!

Our logo

(I wanted it to look like a cup of yummy hot cocoa with whip cream)

with a little adventure in your cup..or future.

 

Oh gosh, I just can't believe we are doing this.

So many people in town stop by and ask when we are going to open

and telling  us how proud they are of us for all this work and starting this business from scratch.

...and yes, we only be serving the good stuff.

Happy Dance!

Yarnalong

Happy Wednesday!
I am knitting the Oaklet shawl in  rose tones with one of my own yarns from Twist & Twine .
Crossing off one more thing this year on my bucket list. Fly fishing. Started reading The Orvis Guide to Fly Fishing and taking class from a guide in Whitefish...can't live in the State of  "a river runs thru it" with out fly fishing!

So what is on your needles this week?

Joining Ginny for yarn along.

Knitting- a zen thing?

Socks are done. Plain and simple. Wendy toe up sock. A perfect goto pattern, I don't have to think- just knit. Socks are a favorite knit for me during summer- they are fast and don't end up as a big blanket over my knees in the heat - like a cardi. I think socks are wonderful for stash and leftover yarns. Some of my favorites are just stripes in different colors. Knitting in my life is actually not about the " something " that is on my needles, it's about the peace I feel when knitting. Sort of like the journey...not the destination. The rymical and repetitive motion of my hands and needles are very soothing. When I am stressed or troubled there will be alot of knitting projects around the house...a pretty good emotional clue. I always make time to knit- it helps me clear my thoughts a zen sort of thing. I have been knitting since I was 6- and  would knit underneath my desk at school as long as I kept my eyes on the teacher - they didn't say much about it. Though I love to challenge myself with different patterns etc. simple is also good - practical as my mother would say.

I guess the nice thing as I process my thoughts...I end up with something warm and useful.

What does knitting mean to you?

( Thank you all for your very nice comments on my prior post- that was very nice of you) 



Good News - Bad News a Norwegian Saga

Good News: My uncle, cousin and his daughter came to visit from Norway for a few days. We went hiking in Glacier Park- a big hit.
Bad News: It was raining like crazy with thunder & lightning

Good News: Arne & Knut felt like Lewis & Clark- the "Core of Discovery" here in Montana...taking it all in.
Bad News: They quarreled about who would be Lewis and who would be Clark...hehe

Good News: Even skipping rocks is fun on rainy days
Bad News: Hard to see where the rock ends up in the water because of all the rain drops.

Good News: I truly haven't felt this happy in so long- just being and speaking Norwegian with my family
Bad News: I want to move back home.

Bad News: Still raining
Good News: We ate a lot of Swiss chocolate...a must when Norwegians hike- Chocolate.

Bad News: Holy crap I see a grizzly- or Forest Sharks as I call them (didn't exactly help either that I watched "Night of the Grizzlies" the evening before on PBS...ehem.
Good News: It is a beautiful Moose...and in theory can be much more dangerous- gulp.

Good News: It was on the other side of the lake.
Bad News: No one was as excited as I was

Good News: We are heading out and ready to eat lunch.
Bad News: Everyone is wet, still raining....and I met our pesky neighbors from Connecticut on the trail...grrr.

Good News: The sun came thru just in time for lunch al fresco and some more rock skipping.
What a memorable day.

Bad News:
I want to get serious here.
When we came home my daughter was very lethargic, dizzy and had a fever. She did not sleep that well that night and was crying all morning because she hurt all over so bad. I started to see a rash appear in her face and arms also on her torso. We hurried to the doctor and had several blood tests
done. Sophia had contracted a very rare but not completely uncommon bacterial disease:
Spotted Rocky Mountain Fever.
It came from a tick bite. Spring and Fall are tick season here in the NW. She is on steroids and antibiotics and responding very well. This disease attacks the kidneys and internal organs and there have been cases that have been fatal if not treated. So with that if you feel flu like symptoms, body aches, dizziness and a body rash appears after a hike in these neck of the woods. Don't hesitate going to the doctor.

We have to end this Norwegian Saga on good note:
Sophia is feeling much, much better. We had some wonderful days with our family and wonderful memories to cherish...rain or no rain.
...and swiss chocolate.


Snip snapp snute saa var eventyret ute!

Celebrating color

Here in NW Montana we are accustomed to 7 months of "winterish" weather- which means little sunlight. I tried to get some more natural light in by not having curtains and painting everything white. Which in turn made my walls grey because it reflected the grey out side and without curtains it made it so cold and austere.....so I threw caution to the wind and painted a warm mocha and a warm mustard yellow- a favorite in Scandinavia. And added some red and white gingham curtains, with new warm color makes the dining room and entry really cozy. ... I am happy and celebrating color!

Yarnalong- and an extarordinary weekend.

I have had extra ordinary weekend. My uncle and cousin came to visit me from Norway- it's been 2 decades since I saw them both.

 Living in America I feel such a sense of isolation from my family and Norway.

Some days I feel as if a modern day homesteader...trying to find my way in Montana without any relatives.

I have no brothers or sisters ...so every little bit of family counts for me.

These past few days has filled my heart and my soul.

We are already planning a trip to Norway next July to spend time with the clan.

While Norway was my home

 Montana is my home.

Timely that I am reading Giants of the Earth  by Ole Rolvaag

 I couldn't get in Norwegian so reading it in English-

 never the less it is a wonderful saga of a family homesteading in America from Norland, Norway in the 1800's

A women once said the book had changed her life..

well... with reading this and seeing my family it has certainly changed my perspective.

I am knitting a sock- a just a simple sock  " Wendy toe up "...a favorite around here.

Joining Ginny for yarn along.

...a good morning

The moment when you first wake up in the morning is the most wonderful of the twenty-four hours. No matter how weary or dreary you may feel, you possess the certainty that, during the day that lies before you, absolutely anything may happen. And the fact that it practically always doesn't, matters not a jot. The possibility is always there. 

~Monica Baldwin

After the rain....

We have been washed out by the rain for a week...but how nice it is when it stops and the sun is shining...making everything so green and fresh!
Bloom. Bloom. Bloom!

New Yarn updates

Lots of new things happening on the yarn front!

While away, I dyed over 100 skeins.

(no kidding)

The new yarns are divided between my Twist & Twine shop

HERE

 and my ETSY shop

HERE

I am still experimenting with colors that I love and also new fiber blends.

Some of you might have noticed I have new look.

A lot of time, thought and creativity goes into trying to define who you are.

I think we nailed it.

I love yarn- color and dyeing

 hence the heart...nuff said

Thanks again all of you that helped me with feedback on the tag line;

dream. knit. love

You'll see this new little ad

around town

I also wanted to mention that I am sponsoring 3 new Fabby blogs!!!

~ Small Things

aka Ginny that hosts Yarn along and knitter extraordinaire

~Wolly Moss Roots

Taryn with here sweet family and creative life

~ One loopy knitter

Nancy who knits up a storm and does rennos

Stop by and say hi- much inspiration to be found

...and if that is not enough

 I am spinning!

Well no, I spun.

I am working on listing all my new handspun for Magnolia Hand spun

HERE

around 25 new yummy skeins of beautiful colors and fibers.

Hopefully done by this weekend.

***

So with that,

 if your in the mood for some new yarn

 please stop by and take a peak.

love to all

peace out

beansprout