Spruce trees!

I found two Grow Your Own Christmas Tree kits at the dollar spot at Target. I decided I wanted to see if I could grow a spruce tree. Its a stretch for me, since I've only grown desert plants. But I want to try, anyways!

Here I am with both of my kits and my gardening supplies. I decided to plant my spruce trees in Lanie's camper. The kits came with a pot made of clay, some really dry dirt, and spruce tree seeds.

I decided to borrow one of Caitlin's fancy cooking pots for my project. I hope she doesn't mind. I cleaned it up real good,  I swear!

I put the dirt in the pot and added water, just like the instructions say. And the dried dirt thing, it grew from a tiny pellet into this huge mound of dirt.

 There! All done! Hopefully I get a spruce tree. It would be so chill if one grew!

I put the spruce trees with the cacti. Which reminds me, I need to get them some Christmas tree lights. It'll remind me of home, to string the cacti with lights, 'cuz that is what they do in the winter, at least at the Cactus Garden at Ethel M's.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone! We actually got our candy yesterday, since Caitlin was going on and on about the Sabbath, and we didn't want to exclude her. But today we wore our costumes and posed for some pictures. Unfortunately they are inside, since it is cold and rainy outside. Enjoy!

Monica the Tap Dancer!

Caitlin the Medieval Princess and

Ellie the Angel of Sin City!

Catherine the Black Cat and

Lanie the Cowgirl!

Again, Happy Halloween everyone!

The Nevada Day Party

Unfortunately the camera was acting up so we only got a couple pictures from Nevada Day. Afterwards, we all got dressed for Halloween...pictures of that to come!

 

Happy Nevada Day weekend!

Cupcakes

Where I'm from in Massachusetts, we only celebrate Columbus day, no state holidays. This whole Nevada day thing is new to me.

I found Caitlin, the first Mormon I've ever met in my life, making cupcakes in the kitchen.

Caitlin, the cupcakes do smell good! Why do they have blue frosting and silver sprinkles? Is it a Brigham Young University thing?

"Oh no," said Caitlin. "Blue and silver are the state colors of Nevada." Then she went back to doing the dishes, which there were a ton of.

"Hey, Caitlin, what is with this marbled cupcake? Its the only one there is, the rest are all chocolate and vanilla," I said.

"That cupcake is for someone special. You'll see." said Caitlin, being cryptic.

I offered to help Caitlin do the dishes. There were so many of them, and it is awfully nice of her to make the food for our party tomorrow.

The two of us worked together to get the cupcakes done and the kitchen all cleaned up. When that was all done, I couldn't help it, I had to ask again. "So, Caitlin, who is that marbled cupcake for?" Caitlin laughed. "You'll see, Lanie, you'll see."

 

When we got done there were nine cupcakes in all. Tomorrow I get to find out what this Nevada day thing is all about, since Monica, Ellie and Caitlin are throwing a party. 

Happy Nevada Day!

Today is Nevada Day! Today I don't have to go to school. Nevada was admitted to the union on October 31, 1864, during the Civil War, which is why it says "Battle Born" on the state flag.

Nevada Day is celebrated the Friday before the 31st cuz its always fun to get a day off from school!

I don't remember the lyrics to the state song, but I found them on the internet and wrote them all below. The state song is called "Home Means Nevada."

Way out in the land of the setting sun,
Where the wind blows wild and free,
There's a lovely spot, just the only one
That means home sweet home to me.
If you follow the old Kit Carson trail,
Until desert meets the hills,
Oh you certainly will agree with me,
It's the place of a thousand thrills.

Home means Nevada
Home means the hills,
Home means the sage and the pine.
Out by the Truckee, silvery rills,
Out where the sun always shines,
Here is the land which I love the best,
Fairer than all I can see.
Deep in the heart of the golden west
Home means Nevada to me.

Whenever the sun at the close of day,
Colors all the western sky,
Oh my heart returns to the desert grey
And the mountains tow'ring high.
Where the moon beams play in shadowed glen,
With the spotted fawn and doe,
All the live long night until morning light,
Is the loveliest place I know.

Home means Nevada
Home means the hills,
Home means the sage and the pines.
Out by the Truckee's silvery rills,
Out where the sun always shines,
There is the land that I love the best,
Fairer than all I can see.
Right in the heart of the golden west
Home means Nevada to me.

It was written by someone named Bertha Raffetto, who obviously never visited Las Vegas, because Las Vegas isn't anywhere in the lyrics.

Today all the adults are too busy arguing over two people whose names are Sharron Angle and Harry Reid to notice that today is the state's admission day. How sad.

Well, there is a parade and a Powwow in Carson City, at least!

This Must Be What Fall Is Like

Today it rained and rained. It went from 60 degrees to 46 degrees in a matter of hours.

The world seems to have turned golden, and rainy.

We decided to explore, Caitlin and I. I've never seen fall before. It is either hot and dusty or nice and dusty. Not much rain at all. I don't know Caitlin that well. She and Ellie live in the same neighborhood. But we both wanted to see fall. See what it it looks like when its right outside your doorstep.

Fall is rain and cold, and squishy, gross dirt and muted colors: greens and golds and light blue, all on the same palette. Fall means rain.

We climbed on the wood pile, the wood was wet and the world was cold.

We climbed the trees, too. They were wet and covered with moss. Green moss, and the trees dark brown. So many trees here, all of them waiting to be climbed.

We found a spider web that had survived the rain, it was covered with leaves, and wedged between rocks.

We climbed a second willow tree, just in time to watch the sun come through the clouds.

This must be what fall is like.

Monica Brown

Catherine the Goat Hunter

So, today yet another outfit for Catherine came in the mail. It seems to have given Catherine quite a bit of inspiration to become an adventurer. I don't know how a dress with hiking boots (maybe the hiking boots are the reason, who knows) could make someone do something as dumb as hunting for crocodiles in Utah. Yea, I said crocodiles. In Utah. 

But being me, I could not pass up this opportunity to let Miss Prim and Proper get some egg on her face. I mean, come on, this is gold. Like sending people out on snipe hunts. 

"I'm serious, you two. There are no crocodiles in Utah. At least not in the wild. At least as far as I know. None. This is a desert, for pete's sake!" I said. But did they listen? Uh, no. Lanie did say something about how she read somewhere that there might not be crocodiles in the desert, but, because Catherine was wanting to go outside (in Lanie speak Catherine has "inside genes") Lanie went along for the ride. What did I do, you ask? Well, I decided to stay outdoors. Lay down on the grass. Its nice outside up here in Northern Utah. Not 110 degrees with a nasty hot wind that dries you out. Plus, no grass except the golf courses where I am from. 

Nice, soft grass. Nice perfect weather. Like Vegas at Christmas. The thing that is guiding Catherine in her quest to find crocodiles is jingling. As if crocodiles wear bells. But who am I to argue with Catherine? 

And so Catherine and Lanie set out on their quest for the bell wearing crocodile who lives in Northern Utah. I think they have a better chance of finding Elvis.

"Wait! Over there! I hear it!" shouts Catherine. Towards the tree they go, looking for that elusive, bell wearing crocodile who lives in the desert. 

When they got to the trees they forgot the jingling for a moment because they found some ladybugs. Lanie decided to keep them in a specimen jar. "Wait!" Catherine says. "I hear the jingling again!"

They run from the tree to the backside of the other tree, only to find...wait for it...A GOAT! Yes, folks, that was what was jingling. A goat. Just plain, boring Sombrita. Josefina lets her out everyday so that she will eat grass and not furniture. "See? I told ya, no crocodiles in the backyard!" I tell them. And because of the farmer next door, who is growing stuff, we took Sombrita indoors. At which point, Catherine whines. 

"I've messed up my hair! And my boots! They're covered in mud! And I got filthy for a stupid goat! Erghh!" and so we all go inside and hand Sombrita off to Josefina, who is wondering what on earth was going on. And there you have it, folks. Catherine the Goat Hunter.