Greetings Blog, Do you remember me? I started you long ago and have neglect you this summer!

Excuses for neglecting my blog are many but mostly . . . I was getting hits from a rather ugly source full of porn and gross crap to be honest which just pisses me off to no end!  I am not sure what the rest of you do when this happens but really those sites need to go away and the exploitation of women NEEDS TO END!

I will admit to falling for Instagram!  I enjoy that venue of social media an awful lot---it is rather addicting just the way social media wants you to be addicted. . . on the good side is it isn't full of politics or at least the people I follow aren't about politics.  I find the people I follow motivating, creative, interesting, and just fun!  

The blog . . . I always debate about moving it to WordPress.  The reason being is for better control, and Blogger doesn't really seem to be all that supportive at times or current.  Then Blogger is free and I know the format so I just stay.  Enough on this topic as I either need to say goodbye to the blog or just accept it as is . . .

Summer was fun, warm, not hot as the last few years, a real normal old fashion Montana summer.  Cold to cool mornings, warming up the to high 70s and low 80s, some rain to keep everything green!  It was delightful! I did a good amount of hiking once I got my boot figured out.

Boots took a bit of time but luckily I bought my 2nd pair at REI and although they didn't work out I could return them.  My 3rd pair of boots have been awesome for my feet!  This whole boot thing is important as I am leaving to go to Mont Blanc and to trek around this huge European mountain in a few weeks!  UGH!  I am a bit worried over my knees and all the verticle DOWN one has to do on this trip.  In Montana, it wasn't an issue getting out and hiking both up and down.  Here back on the tundra there just isn't the vertical to use for training.  We do have hills but to get in the vertical I need would be hiking up and down all day long! Then it has been typical August here rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, and more rain!  Belly aching I know but it is a muddy world!

Photos are in no order at all . . .

Oh, just fun crisp ginger snaps and a great cup of constant comment tea!

One of our tree/shrubs in our yard.  I love the leaves, the various green in the leaves and the bright red berries!

Miss Sadie in the yard and she loves!  Oh, on green grass and not rocks and a bit of grass like up north.

Summer trail flowers---always a treat!

One of the many hikes to help get ready for TMB!

You just have to love all the small gems of Montana!

Train dog and my buddy cooling off in a creek!

Treat did you say treat and a swim!

Paddling at home such a wonderful treat!  I didn't do nearly enough of this due to my May rib injury.

Sadie swims as I paddle but she does get rides on the kayak too.

My 140 Hurrican which I love!  A great boat and totally functional, comfortable, and easy to handle.

On the road north which has to be a bit of a stressful drive for the dogs.  They do get swimming breaks and dog walks but it is a lot of car time.  I do think it is better than being in a hold on a plane from MT to AK.

Back on the trail taking a snooze during one of our breaks. Sadie is carrying her water and dog snacks.

Trailside selfie!

Looking north into Canada.

Two key ingredients for a successful trek around Mont Blanc for me---poles and boots that are comfortable!

A 1950s book on Mont Blanc region.  A friend lent this to me but I was in a great used book shop in Pullman, WA and was able to purchase one that is almost brand new!

Summertime porch life---I love eating outside as much as possible always a treat to sit outside and enjoy a slow relaxing lunch.

Beargrass and then the photo dropped into a watercolor App.

The berries arrived!

While in Pullman and I wanted to check out the library and low and behold they had a knitting group meeting up.  I was invited right in and had a blast.  I had my knitting with me, they even had a name tag I could borrow and tea!  Gosh, what a blast!

My dearest friend!  It is always such a treat to have some time with Lynnatrix!

BLISS!

Never ever enough berries!

Our little dream boat Miss Tally!

My favorite berries!

Huckleberries arrived!

Back home on the tundra my northern latitude home!

PS This blog will be going away at some point . . . for now this is my last post.  If you are interested in following me please look me up on IG.  My account is private but you can request to follow.  knit ski nancy all together.

201st Post!

July 4th Whitefish, Montana

Celebration! Blog Post 201! WOW!  I never ever really thought about writing over 200 posts when I started Wool-n-Ski. I have arrived at this number of posts today.  For a person who is not a strong writer and struggled severely with writing growing up, I have managed to write a lot of posts.

What is next for the blog and the blogger? 

I certainly want to keep blogging.  I often think of moving this blog over to Word Press and I think of this about every 6 mos and then I don't follow through with the migration.  I like blogger it is free, simple, and it let me start Wool-n-Ski.  This is the home I will stay with and I will not place ads on my blog as I find blogs with ads annoying, to say the least.  I understand why people have ads and they are trying to make some $$$.  I give those bloggers credit for figuring out how to make a bit of a living blogging.  No migration to Word Press and no ads for Wool-n-Ski.

What to write about?

I write about my life and sometimes it may be boring but sometimes life is rather slow and not super eventful.  Sometimes there is a lot going on in my world.  Just like all of you sometimes life is rather simple and I do cherish those moments.  I really just write about my life, knitting, reading, cooking, being outside, my dogs, and sometimes my wonderful husband shows up in photos.

What is new in my life?

Not a lot . . . I work and am thinking more and more about when I might leave the classroom and move on to a less stressful position.  I have a bit of an idea and a plan but will keep that to myself.  

I also want to start drawing and sketching using pencil and ink and some watercolor tossed into the mix.  I will be using a cartoon book. I heard about this book from a famous fiber artist to start this sketching journey on a more serious note.  

Unspun Icelandic Wool: Lopi for one of "My Knit Girls."

Knitting, of course, is something I will always keep developing.  I just finished a cute Lopi sweater for one of "My Knit Girls."  This sweater was knitted up in unspun Icelandic which I describe as knitting with cotton candy.  I find this fiber rather addictive!

The sock/slipper test knit from Unspun Icelandic Wool.

I am also working on a felted slipper sock out of unspun as well.  I have a lot of this fiber and need to find some more uses for it!  Once my Carraig-Fhada Vest is done, which means I need to pick it up and start knitting it again, I will move on to my Norwegian!  

My Norwegian sweater is based on these buttons which I bought some years back.  I found these buttons online and then had to find a place to purchase these vintage ski buttons.  I tracked them down and purchased enough for myself and a dear ski friend of mine.  The theme for My Norwegian will be my love of Nordic skiing and snow.

The top button is an Alpine skier. The lady I purchased these buttons from just sent me a few of these in my order along with a few snowflake buttons.  The bottom button is my Nordic cross-country skier.  This button is the button I am designing my  Norwegian sweater around.

Ski Season!

Enough Said!

I am looking forward to skiing and was able to get 4 days skiing in October.  

Current crap-o-la!

Then the weather warmed up, we had rain, ice, mud returned, the

ice melted in the slough, and generally rather gross typical late October early November weather.  Today it is supposed to be +37ºF and yesterday it was +12ºF at one point.  I am hoping once we make it through today the temps will drop, the slough freezes up, and we can have winter!  I am extremely happy with my knee's progress since I had surgery in July.

Gratitude Journal 

My dear friend Lynn, asked me to join in with her and her daughter to keep a Gratitude Journal.  I am keeping this as a combine sketch & writing journal.  The goal is to come up with 1,000 things to be grateful for in your life.  I started stating the obvious things one should be grateful for but not to be taken lightly.  For example, the obvious things are life, great health, family, and friends . . . I wanted to move on to the little things that are unique and surprise you.  These little sparks in your day that give you that sensation of gratitude that make the moment or day.