Kat, Griffin and I have an indoor morning while the rest of the gang is out riding a UTV. Griffin and I play the Bowling Game. I set up the colorful rubbery foam pins, counting them off. Finish with a dramatic TEN, often like The Count: Ten Bowling Pins! Ten! Ha-ha-ha!
Then he gleefully runs over to knock them all down, I feign shock and despair. He retreats to wait for me to do it all again. This amuses us.
The gang returns, covered with dust. Had much fun, though BW claims Jason hit many mud puddles purposefully.
Jason does not actually deny this.
Lunch, showers, laundry.
Some work time for me, nap for my bowling partner.
Our aviary on the front porch is busy. I think the two babies—that third egg never hatched—are growing fast and constantly hungry. Many feeding times with little heads popping up.
Kat, Kayla and I have a jewelry-making class and head out. There are about a dozen of us in the group—from New York, California and our MD team. We’re given our choices of many rough gemstones and wire to wrap for rings.
Kayla chooses a pretty blue celestite. I’m tempted by the same, such a sweet color, but go with a pale yellow citrine. Kat picks a couple—starts with an amethyst—and asks our instructor if it’s okay to do something other than a ring.
Well, sure.
Of course, we’re only being instructed in the steps of making a ring, but this is Kat.
I go with copper wire for my citrine, and Kat and Kayla for silver. Two thin wires, one thicker—I think. I’m easily confused on the process apparently. Wrap, wrap, wrap the thins around the thicker. Small and tight. Kat has to stop her own project to get me started on this, then the light bulb in my head ignites.
I manage this fine, as does Kayla. I see Kat is making a circular pendant.
Others in the group are making progress or asking for help. Everyone appears to be having fun. The instructor comes around to help most set the stone. You have to flatten the four ends of the thin wires out like spider legs then wrap them around to secure the stone in the center of the wrapped band. Harder than it sounds! The instructor sees Kat’s nearly completed pendant.
It gets the expected Wow!
We have clippers and needle-nose pliers to snip wires, to tuck the pointy ends into the wrap. I’m amazed to make this work.
Meanwhile Kat completes a SECOND pendant—a square one. Both have the pretty center stone set in a way they move freely. It’s Kat genius.
We all leave pretty pleased.
Time for The Chuck Wagon.
Lovely evening, good food, great views. Kat takes Griffin—or he takes her—down to the river where he picks up rocks, hands them to her to throw into the water. Over and over and over. He may have a plan to clean the entire river bank of rocks.
Jason goes down at shift change, and same deal. The boy spends the best part of an hour on his project, perfectly content. The rest of us eat and enjoy the evening sun. BW and Kat try their hand at axe throwing. No one does well at this but the axe-throwing instructor, but Kat managed to stick one in the target.
Griffin comes back, grabs some offered salmon. Kayla accuses him of wadding it—which is true. A whole chunk goes in. But he’s not much interested in more, Kayla’s had her s’more, so it’s homeward bound.
Now Griffin’s into food and eats past bedtime, ignores the Daddy Dance playlist. Until The Monster Song proves too much for his will power. Scramble down and run to Daddy. Many happy dances.
I love how he sings along.
Bed time.
We’re up early this morning. In house breakfast as all but Kat and Griffin are going for a morning trail ride. Workout will wait. I hear Griffin up, morning cheerful. He greets the day with: Yay!
The mid-50s may call for my new Montana sweatshirt for the ride. Gotta go get up and get ready for the trail.
Nora
Thanks for sharing your life and family with us. Be blessed and have fun together.
What a wonderful day! You ladies did an awesome job with the jewelry and I love the crystals you all chose❤️❤️
The pictures you all take blow me away..they’re so clear, crisp and perfect🥰
One question: Is there anything that Kat cannot do? She seems to be omni-talented and excels at everything. Seriously!
I believe there are gem stones to be found in Montana (sapphire, quartz, along with others), but I don’t know if there is a specific region. That might be a fun expedition if a mining location is nearby or something for a future trip. All of your pretty jewelry reminded me that there are naturally occurring gems in the state. Were the ones you used found somewhere in the state?
Years ago—maybe when I helped him puck out her engagement ring, Jason told me he knew he loved her when he realized she could do anything.
I do know that there is a sapphire mine in Montana; I have a pair of earrings with Montana sapphires; they have a hint of brown in them & I’ve been told that’s typical of Montana sapphire. I love them anyway–gorgeous dark blue!
Well, fabulous jewelry!!! And OMG…Kat…Wonder Woman seem so inadequate a title to give her!
Kayla is simply lovely!!!
Looks and sounds like you are all having the most amazing time
The jewelry is gorgeous. And you all made it! When you ride in one of those things, mud is necessary; my grandson says so. Thanks for sharing your fun with us.
Wow! Great times!
I’ve taken jewelry making classes.
My daughter still wears a necklace I made about 15 years ago. Has her initial “K” dangling from the clasp. I generally stick to earrings, making and repairing!
The UTV ride is cool! My son-in-law and granddaughter did it in Hawaii, where they filmed part of Jurassic Park. It took 3 showers and lots of Q-Tips for their ears, to get them both clean! My son-in-law went into mud puddles on purpose (it had rained that morning) & my granddaughter loved it!
Your Kat is so naturally artistic! Does she design for a living? She’d be a great designer, has great insight into how to use things, out of the box!
Keep posting!
Kat is amazing!
So glad you have had a wonderful time with your family, making beautiful memories, especially with Griffin and Kayla and Jason Kat and photographer extraordinaire BW..🤗 😷 not forgetting your amazing self. Thank you for sharing this very private time.🤗 stay safe.
Wow! I love the jewelry. Beautiful. Great job, ladies!
I love the pictures of curious Griffin. He has the same expression as Kat did when she was making the pendant.
That jewelry class looks like so much fun. I was wondering how Kat got the wire thru the stone, then close up it looks like the stone was predrilled. All your explanations about the wires reminded me of an ID book, where Eve was tracking a killer thru a jewelry wire. I forgot which book it was.
Love, love the jewelry! Kat is very talented and creative!!!! Enjoy reading all about your adventures! Keep posting. Thanks!
Love, love the jewelry! Kat is very talented and creative!!!! Keep posting. Thanks!
Love the picture of Nora and Kayla. Kat continues to awe and amaze with her creativity and many talents. The UTV group sounds like they had fun. Griffin, as always, finds fun ways to amuse himself. Thank you for sharing another day of your vacation with us.
Love the jewelry, and how you all let Griffin set the rules for his games, within limits of course. That boy is happily surrounded by love. I laughed at Jason aiming for mud puddles in the off road adventure. I guess boys never outgrow the puddles of fun.
Great job on the rings!!! Kat is amazing! Loved her pendants. Chuck wagon sounds so wagontrainish! It makes you want to round up cattle too! Fun times…..Enjoy!
Way to go ladies, the jewellery is awesome.
What a wonderful vacation you are all having, and thanks again for sharing it with us.
Your Montana blog has been such a wonderful escape when I get home from work every evening. Ole blighty is no Montana. I do have a llooottt of cow’s where I live though. 🐮. I’m off to Dorset in a week and can’t wait to see the sea and have a holiday.
I won’t have a Kat with me though….. Her pendants are retail worthy. Kat needs to write a book ‘Kats Life Hacks’. I’d buy that. 😁
I think your trip sounds terrific. Kay is indispensable, we could all use a family member like her! Love the jewelry everyone made. So many great pictures, it’s such beautiful country. Thanks for sharing so many Griffin moments with us, he’s such a cute age. Safe travels and watch out for Buffalo pies!
Nora Robert’s. You are a National Treasure. How can you write so many different genres’ of books. I am always amazed by your abilities to create such amazing books. Please send me a signed photo so I could treasure it. I know I am 58 Yrs old and have been a fan for Yrs. You go from Romance, to Science Fiction, to Psychological Thrillers, to etc. how I don’t know. I am so amazed. Your ability to create just blows me away, and I have two BA’s, two MA’s and a double PhD in Neuro Psychology and Clinical Psychology; as well as, am a Licensed Educational Psychologist and School Psychologist.