Happy Trails

 My mom surprised my daughter and I with a short trip out west to visit my sister and her family.  We hopped on a plane and soon found ourselves in the middle of the mountains of Utah. 

 First on my agenda . . . well, after saying hello to my sister and her family . . . was to find the local knitting shop.  The good news:  it was a spinning shop called Rumpelstiltskin.  The bad news: it had closed.  The good news: there is a new knit shop.  The bad news: it won't open until November.

So close.

 There we were, wandering through this charming little town and I saw this in the window of a Hallmark store.

I went on a covert mission to find out more.  I snapped these photos with my super-spy camera (and by the way, one should always turn your mute on and turn your flash off when sneaking indoor photos or you'll find yourself in a very awkward situation).

 This would be a lot of stockinette stitch, but if you're in the mood for mindless knitting, or if your lucky enough to have a knitting machine - there you go.  A funky wrap.  I'll be spending some time on Ravelry trying to find this pattern.

 The real enjoyment came from simply spending time together with my family.  Belle found plenty of things to amuse her, including herself.  My niece was a ball of wonder and joy. 

 My sister and her husband were gracious and hospitable, feeding us well and touring the town in their shiny new Subaru with all of us in tow. 

We passed this house and I had to go back to get a photo.  This was typical of the town.  Chickens in the backyard, sheep and horses right there in suburbia.  The homes were tidy but always decorated and inviting.  And look at the corn!  This was a gorgeous garden that inspired me to try corn again next year.  I think I just need to plant more, move into a Victorian home and hire a gardener.

I couldn't put my finger on what was so appealing about this little town.  This house above, was fairly typical of many homes there.  Big and little, humble or grand - the yards were clean - the front porch always tidy with chairs and tables.  Beautiful, functional gardens were alongside sheep pastures and chicken yards.  Pumpkins lined the steps of many porches, one for each member of the family.  One porch had 14 pumpkins . . . but we are in Mormon country, so I was told that this is not unusual.

And my Knitting?  Yup.  I've been working feverishly on a gorgeous little sweater for my little niece that should have been done two weeks ago.  It's almost done.  I'll post pictures soon.