The End of January

I have been spending most of my free time inside at home,

but the temperatures are warming up again into the 60's

by the middle of the day. The sky is blue, and so

Ella and I visited the local sports park with the small duck pond.

Although we stayed a respectful distance away,

one goose seemed to tilt its head and look at me.

Ducks and geese gathered around and in the pond.

Although the sky is blue and the temperatures are not too cold

to go outside during the day, the trees are still winter bare.

A few people with children came to the edge of the pond

to feed the ducks and geese, who swam their way near us.

Ella waited in the tree. In the branches above her there

was a bird's nest. Something unusual about this nest is that 

there is some kind of purple ribbon or streamer in it.

The park is used for parties as well as sports, and some streamers

or paper decorations may be left in the trash or fall to the ground

as people leave.

Ah...the geese and ducks arrived at the edge near us!

They were very colorful!

The plants and trees in the landscaping were not as

bright today!

Ella still wanted to be photographed with the blue sky

and the winter trees.

Facing east, there was snow on the tips of the mountains

framed by this moment of winter.

Saturday in the Park

On Saturday, I joined a friend for her Saturday afternoon activities.

She had her 6 year old granddaughter with her,

so going to her neighborhood park was one of our outings.

I had 6 inch Autumn with me

and thoroughly agreed on going somewhere

where I could take photos of her.

The park had a few visitors, but I tend to respect the privacy

of children and don't focus on photographing children

when I can avoid it.

Autumn thought the playground was colorful and fun.

We walked away from the playground to the trees

to focus on Autumn's adventure and not intrude upon other visitors.

We have had some colder temperatures in January,

and moments of snow, but it is warming up in the afternoon,

and our beautiful days have a shining sun.
It has not been so snowed in or so cold that people

cannot go outside.

 Autumn enjoyed exploring the trees outside.

The smaller pine tree had its evergreen pines, but there

was also a larger leaf that had settled by the trunk.

Soon, we went to visit another friend's house for dinner.

By the time Autumn and I returned home,

the full moon had risen.

My Dollhouse for Amaya

In early December of 2014,
I ordered a  high quality wood dollhouse

by David at the Rocky Mountain Dollhouse company in Colorado.

I ordered it for myself and to be a home for my PukiPuki, Amaya.
I did not expect Amaya to arrive before February or March of 2015.

She arrived on December 22, 2014.

During Christmas vacation, I spent days assembling

the Country Cottage.

I also worked on Amaya.

With the basic construction of the dollhouse completed,

I did not work on it again until May 2015.

I ended up doing the roof shingles in May,

but I ended up with a final block in completing the house.

The shutters on the upstairs window are meant to go on top

of the edge of the window, but I did not prefer that.
I also did not have the tools and experience to cut the

wood for the inside window frames.
I asked David to trim the upstairs shutters and also

paid to have the inside window frames cut.

By the time they arrived, my new school year had started.

I thought I would again use at least part of my Christmas vacation

to complete the last few tasks, but I did not use my time that way.

This weekend is a 3 day weekend for Martin Luther King Jr. day

on Monday.

I rose up with enough determination to finish the basic construction

with this dollhouse over a  year past the time when I began.

There are now blue shutters on the outside windows.

As I went through the box of supplies that I had never put away, 

I found the unfinished chimney piece. I painted it and glued it to the roof.

I was surprised when I opened the wrapped and sealed

in cardboard window pieces that David had sent.

The window pieces were not just cut, but glued into

inside frames! Woohoo!
Easier than I thought it would be!

I painted the window frames and doorway frame pieces

and glued them into the dollhouse.

I added the bottom trim along the back wall that had been

waiting for the doorway trim.

I then returned the inside furniture that I have had.

Amaya replicated a kitchen pose that she had done

several times before. In the first photo, she is in the wig

where I over trimmed her bangs and when her face up was wearing off.

In the second photo, her face up was redone and her wig replaced,

but the bangs had not been trimmed.

Now she is as cute as can be in a reasonably trimmed wig

and with brown eyes in a natural face up (one done last spring).

The basic three pieces kitchen pieces are high quality pieces in the kitchen.
The bathroom also has the basic three pieces.

Both rooms are lacking details of more furniture or accessories.

She has a bed and a bedside table.

Amaya told me that bedding was next on her wish list

for this house.

 The living room/possible dining room area is also sparse,

but she said she can run and play in this room.

Amaya is happy because this dollhouse may eventually

be a great place for her live!

My Flickr Album

for this dollhouse and the process of construction:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/traveldollcompanion/albums/72157647105022093