Saloon Time

 The first place that was actually called a "saloon" was at Brown's Hole near the Wyoming-Colorado-Utah border. Established in 1822, Brown's Saloon catered to the many trappers during the heavy fur trading days.

 

Decorations at these many saloons varied from place to place but most often reflected the ideals of the customers.  In the cowtowns of the prairies, one might see steer horns, spurs, and saddles adorning the walls, while in the mountains, a customer would be met by the glazing eyes of taxidermied deer or elk.  Often, there was the infamous nude painting of a woman hanging behind the bar.

Earning as much as $10 per week, most saloon girls also made a commission from the drinks that they sold.  Whiskey sold to the customer was marked up 30-60% over its wholesale price.  Commonly drinks bought for the girls would only be cold tea or colored sugar water served in a shot glass; however, the customer was charged the full price of whiskey, which could range from ten to seventy-five cents a shot.

     All information above is from Legends of America ~Saloons of the American West

 I thought it would be fun to share some of the saloon pics I've taken through the years.

Even little Nel got in the picture when she was two.

And here's Nel at a downtown shop trying on hats.

    Oh, this picture really spoke to me.

~pinterest

Looks like someone just got thrown out of the saloon.

*Nel and Jess' traveling teddy.  They never travel without him.

  

~Sheri

Run With The Wolves

I took a walk in the woods the other day, and when I say in the woods, I mean my neighborhood because my neighborhood IS the woods.  I asked my son to go along with me because there is a dog that roams around, and my neighbor said he's not the friendliest dog.

He said that the neighbors have all complained about the dog because he's gotten into fights with other pets, but to my knowledge, has never hurt any people.  Well, as it turns out, my son says he's not that bad and has even come close enough to petting it.  There are all kinds of animals in the mountains, so I can either be fearful or run with the wolves and embrace what comes along.  So, that's what I'm trying to do.  But I'm always cautious, that's just my nature.  Here are a few pictures of the things I saw on my pleasant walk last weekend.

I liked this cross wreath.  It is the entrance to a nail salon that is close by, and I'm surprised it's still open.

My neighbor, Lisa, has this sign in her back yard.

A pretty tree with some kind of moss growing on it.

There are trees all around me.

When I first got here, these mats were placed on the front and back porch.  My brother got them, and I thought they were perfect.

Time to put on the coffee.....and I got this cup in the mail from Mia for Valentine's Day.  It's from my favorite shop, Anthropologie.  Oh, I miss shopping there.  The inside has the word, daisy.  It's so cute, I love it.

Here's a rainbow from Francesca's bedroom to brighten your day.  It's from me to you, and I hope you have a beautiful week.

~Sheri 

Just Because

Remember I mentioned that when I moved, I found the most special and interesting things along the way, in boxes or bins or tucked away safely somewhere?  Well, I kept all my children's Baptism candles, but to my surprise, I found my Baptism candle!  My mom kept everything, and she was really good about labeling names and dates.  

My china cabinet moved with me one last time.  I found a perfect space for it in the house.

When I gave my bedroom dresser to my neighbor, she wanted to thank me somehow, and one day she brought over this.  It's nice to not have to buy any for awhile.  

While it's snowing here in the mountains, it's sunny in So Cal, and Nel and Renecke worked out in the back yard all day Saturday getting the yard in order for the kids.  They have their own personal little playground now.

When I was unpacking, I also came across these metal hearts that I gave to my Mom.  I didn't want to keep them because she was sick at the time, but I'm glad that I did.

And I found a special message from her right before Valentine's Day.  It fell out of a book when I was cleaning it.  

Nel drove up to the snow line one day before work, and Mia had a fun play day.

Jess sent me this picture of the heart tree.

Remember the swing set?

I had a Zoom meeting with the kids and it brought a big smile to this grandma's face.

~Sheri

When The Snow Falls

When I looked outside one morning last week, I couldn't believe my eyes.  I walked out the front door, and to my surprise, it was a winter wonderland.  The snow was beautiful.  It covered my car, and I'm sure the neighbors laughed at me when they saw me scraping off the snow with my hands until we got a snow shovel.  I am learning many things about mountain life - making sure there is enough Antifreeze in the car, buying an ice scraper for the car windows, and stocking up on groceries before the first snowfall.  It's not easy getting out with this much snow, so you have to be prepared.  They use the bird houses here to cover the pipes so they don't freeze.  My neighbor told me that when the snow falls, everything is still.   Everything becomes quiet all around for a little while.

This will tell you how much snow we got!

                           

I call her my Christmas fairy, but I think I'll keep her out for awhile, as she looks like a snow fairy, doesn't she?

     It's cold outside, but it's cozy inside.   And it's a hot chocolate kind of day.

The sun is coming out, and my neighbor's dog barks from a distance.  He's a rescue dog, and he was mistreated before my neighbors took him in.  They say he's the most gentle dog.

My brother had the living room walls painted in a pewter color, and it looks really nice.

The Gift by Mary Oliver

Be still, my soul, and steadfast.

Earth and heaven both are still watching

though time is draining from the clock

and your walk, that was confident and quick,

has become slow.

So, be slow if you must, but let
the heart still play its true part.
Love still as once you loved, deeply
and without patience. Let God and the world
know you are grateful. That the gift has been given.