The Travelin’ Show

 

Pack up the babies and grab the old ladies and everyone go…..

Traveling with Blu was like having a toddler in the car. “Give me a drink”, “Wipe my face”, “I’m hungry”, “I have to go to the bathroom”, “Oops, I just threw up”.

We traded in the view of the space shuttle from the kitchen table, for the majestic mountains of the Rockies; specifically, the Gallatin Range. I live near places like Roaring Hell Creek now. I am fairly positive that it has that name for a reason.

Shuttle launch – July 4th

We spent four days on the road with only my beads, clay and some clothes packed. Oh, and my pc and laptop. I had my priorities in order. Everything was precisely packed in the back of my Blazer and Blu was allotted a 4x4 area to sit or lay down. Everything else was walling him in.

Could we get any happier?

He only had one incident, we took a turn too sharp in Atlanta and he became buried under stuffed animals and his dish. He farted.

Our travels took us up through all the areas that were so badly damaged by the tornado outbreak. It was very difficult to see all that damage and be helpless to do anything but pray for the folks in those areas.

The paths were obvious as they crossed the interstates and cut wide swatches through the trees along the road. The last place that we saw damage was in St. Louis and just seeing the rivers and streams all bursting forth gave you the sense of being so insignificant.

This is the Tennessee River – up and over it’s banks.

We had smooth traveling weather across the Midwest and up into Wyoming. We left intermittent rain behind us in Kansas City, Mo. and sailed the rest of the way into Montana where we were greeted to 50s and 60s and sunny skies.

Our summer rental was ready for us when we got here and I feel so blessed by the new surroundings.

We found a little one bedroom cabin on a pond with mountain views all around us and lots of wildlife. We were immediately greeted by the honking of the Canadian Geese, mallards, a local pheasant, 2 deer, a muskrat, a mating pair of robins and oodles of red wing blackbirds.

Canadian Geese

Yes, I traded in the antics of a pair of crazy rabbits that were using my back porch as a playground and a squirrel that insisted on burying all his nuts in my potted plants for a more rural environment, but I am looking forward to an inspiring summer.

Oh, the robin just decided where she was going to put her nest. Right outside my dining room window! Yay babies!

Enjoy the photos!

Julie and Blu

Blue Morning Expressions May 2011 Newsletter BluPrint

Volume 8 Issue 5 May 2011

What's New in May?

Bead 2011 has selected some of my polymer clay beads for their annual edition. They selected a couple of my floral round beads and they can be seen on page 17—#19. The whole magazine is filled with gorgeous beads by talented beadmakers and worth getting.

New styles for you earring pairs fans. I modeled these after a lampwork lentil bead that I saw at a show. I used the lentil heart in my “Peas and Carrots” bracelet and I really like the way that it looked.

These little pairs make great little earrings for all occasions and they can be as simple as you like, or bedazzled with chains and Swarovski. I am working on a tutorial that I will post on my website. See the sample photos in this edition.

Packing to Move. After spending the last 25 years in Florida, we are off on a new adventure! At least for the summer and fall, that is. We are trading in the beautiful beaches of the east coast of Florida with their soul soothing musical waves, to settle in the majestic mountains of Montana. When I write the June newsletter, my view will no longer be a shuttle launch from my kitchen table, but the amazing heights of mountains with magical names like, Bridger and Gallatin ranges. I am looking forward to the new inspiration that the west will bring to me, my beads and my designs.

It will be business as usual with the exception of maybe a week of processing orders out of the back of my truck.

Polymer Clay Canes—with all the flowers that are blooming in my yard, garden and surroundings, I have created a number of new raw polymer clay canes. Flowers and butterflies are both represented. I also have a couple kaleidoscope canes that I am reducing down for beads.

These canes have made their way into www.bluemorningexpressions.com and along with some regular canes, these custom color canes are located in the cane section. I reorganized the cane section and split it up by type and color. That makes it much easier for everyone to find what they are looking for.

As always, thank you for all your support and emails.

www.bluemorningexpressions.com

Until next month,

Julie & Blu