Longmire Days 9.5

Unlike 2020, the 2021 Longmire Days did have some live events, limited tickets, with masks required. None of the actors came, but Craig Johnson gave some talks and took it back to the roots of the first Longmire Days in 2011. This should have been the 10 year anniversary, but with Covid still in full swing, the Foundation was calling it LD 9.5!

My Truck's starting mileage

I had booked my hotel room when it was still under consideration that the whole thing would go on, and I decided to keep it, just shorten my stay, and go since I missed Buffalo and my friends there. 

There were many things that tried to change my mind on this from work related pressures to my old truck to having to travel alone to LD for the first time in 8 years. I did it though and I am so HAPPY that I did. 

I drove to Casper on Thursday. I don't come off my mountain very often and I hit shops and tourist traps that I wouldn't usually stop at when driving. 

Chugwater Wyoming

I stayed at the Rodeway Inn at Casper. It was nice and I had a King size bed and was just lazy! It was great.

Then on Friday, I drove from Casper to Buffalo. Buffalo has so many great murals! 

I went to Craig's Talk about his new book and his writing process. 

I stayed at the Mansion House Inn and had room 14 - 14 was a lucky number

I walked a LOT on Friday!!!!

This was much different than a "normal" Longmire Days, but I got to see a lot of people that chose to come up anyway, eat some good food and relax from the hectic life I have had for the last 18 months with COVID. 

I can't wait for 2022! It will be the 10 year anniversary!! WOOO HOOO! 

Monthly Model Horse Painting Challenge - July 2021 - continued into August

I totally skipped out on doing the June 2021 challenge - well - because I live in the place I always loved to visit and I wasn't sure how to translate that into a model! 

So I skipped to the July Challenge. 

Okay this choice was HARD - so many famous horses in history that I love - OMG!! 

I finally decided to do Justin Morgan - AKA Figure and since I like to do a couple horses - I pulled out a QH to go along with my Morgan. 

I did red primer base and the first layer of pan pastels disappeared, but by the third layer - it was a really neat color that I haven't gotten before. 

First layer of pan pastels

Third layer of pan pastels

I primered the horses on the 10th and didn't begin painting until the 24th! I didn't get another chance to paint until the 27th. I had 3 layers of yellow orche on the models and a layer of gold pearl-ex then I started on two layers of raw sienna and added dark grey for the base of the black points. This gave me an almost perfect silver bay color and I am going to try it again specifically for silver bay.

This has been a fun experiment. 

8/1/2021 - Due to my crazy work schedule right now - I was not able to complete the model by the July 31st deadline 😕 

8/14/2021 - I completed the models today - this was one of those trials that did not come out the way I want it, but they came out nicely. 

I ended up with two silver bays instead of two bays, but it was a fun painting experiment and I am glad that I tried it. 

Here are the two completed projects:

THE WINNER IS - 2021 Crowns for the Care Mrs. Rooftop Rodeo

What an amazing year 2021 has been for me - and competing in the 2021 Crowns for the Care - Estes Park Health Foundation - Paint Estes Pink Campaign was one of them. 

I have never felt comfortable asking people for money - whether for donations or help of any kind. If you had asked me to ride a horse for this event or do something related to growing up on a small ranch, I would have been so much better suited at that, then asking people for money. 

The thing is, I did compete and with your help I raised $1,568.00 that was counted (as there were 2 checks that they received after the closing deadline that they didn't count in my total) for the Estes Park Health Foundation to get the hospital an MRI. 

I had a good time overall meeting the past winners at the first get together and it was kind of surreal seeing my picture in the paper each week.

I stopped at businesses and asked for donations, begged friends and family and former employers. I made some bold moves and contacted large companies across the US and really dealt with dealing with my ADHD and RSD rearing their ugly heads through the whole thing.  

I did it without the support of the hospital I work for - as they backed another employee competing - allowing that person to hold a bake-sale on the Urgent Care grounds, while I had been told to only put up discreet posters and not bother my fellow employees with my fundraising endeavors. 

While that experience tainted my Rooftop Rodeo Crowns experience (and I almost did throw in the towel), the MRI was the most important thing and I persisted because of those that had already supported me and I wasn't raised to be a quitter. 

One of the hardest things for me was the Rodeo Queens Luncheon on July 6. The Mrs. Rooftop Rodeo Queens were invited to the 2020/21 Rooftop Rodeo Queens lunch. I have to say as a woman who is heavyset at this moment in time, this made me sick to my stomach thinking about being around all the beautiful and talented young women from the various rodeos. I am glad that I went though.

It was nice to meet so many Rodeo Queens from the Rooftop Rodeo Queen to Larimer County, Miss Rodeo Colorado and Miss Rodeo America 2020-2021. 

Miss Rodeo America gave a lovely speech about stepping outside your comfort zone and being true to yourself and having your biggest supporter be the person in the mirror. It was a wonderful time and I am grateful for the experience.

Friday, July 9 closing deadline saw 2 checks still outstanding that I knew people had sent, but had not arrived. I contacted the office about it and was told "it wouldn't matter anyway with my poor showing - it wasn't going to change the results." 

I have to say I was furious about this and really, really wanting them to send all the funds back that my friends and family had donated, no matter the cause.

FINALLY - Saturday night came and I had a migraine all day and was feeling like crap. I wasn't going to attend because of the rudeness from the Foundation office and not feeling well, but friends and family convinced me to go and finish this final piece. 

Mrs. Rooftop Rodeo 2021 is: Dona Cooper with an Amazing donation amount of $19,000. 

Sonya McTeague was the Runner up.

I was very happy for both of them, because at our initial meeting, they both had the biggest fears for not getting donations from anyone (while I was a bit outspoken at the meeting and ended up 5th out of 5), but they are both wonderful ladies and I am so glad for them. 

The grand total was something like $26,500 earned by all of us (not counting the 2 checks of mine.)

And the winners of the 2 Horses I made are:

Tom Oates was the winner of "Give Cancer the Boot"

Jean Sorensen was the winner of "Paint Estes Pink"

And finally - 

I want to give a HUGE shout out and thank you to the following people for supporting me in this endeavor:

• My mom - for being encouraging and a wonderful listener through all of this!
• Renne Stachnik, Morgan Haberman, Deborah Bouziden, Deidra Hues, and others who I can't recall at this time that encouraged me to keep going. 
• Marsha Hobert for being my Mentor and a previous Crowns winner

And my donors: 

• John and Nancy Warstler Thut
• Zander Rexroad
• Marilyn Fitch Herrmann
• Cindy and Rich Jackson
• Tami Scace
• Deborah Bouziden
• Theresa Brynard
• Scott and Pam Duemig
• Susan Steele
• Patricia Sobral
• Jason Busey
• William Gomer
• Catherine Wilsey
• Catherine Lewis
• Morgan Haberman
• Carly Lusky
• Susan Thelander
• Judy Palmer
• Kevin Mullin
• Leon Martin
• Donna Bryson
• Kenneth and Marsha Hobert
• Tom Oates
• Jean Sorensen
• Rudi Lee
• Bill and Sue Pinkham
• Patrick Dunn
• Mike and Rita Albert
• Deidra Hues
• Daniel Rauk
• Shirley Neely-Turpin
• Karen Johnson
• PB Ingold
• Larry Strong
• Fredye Jo Williams
• Barbara Addison

Your generosity is greatly appreciated!!!! 

Raffle Models to the Donors for Crowns for the Care - Paint Estes Pink

 

Give away for donors to my Crowns for the Care 2021 Campaign! 

If you have donated to my Paint Estes Pink, 2021 Crowns for the Care Campaign - I am going to put your name in a drawing for one of two models that I created.

The first is Paint Estes Pink Horse:

The second is Give Cancer the Boot Horse:

I want to thank everyone for their donations and I will draw the winners on Tuesday July 13, 2021 and post them on social media! (I will pay postage to the winners).