Happy Winter Solstice 2013!

Not sure how your winter has been going, and I know it's just the start of winter with the Winter Solstice, but it seems like we've had a month of winter already.  Been feeling more like January
'round here.  For weeks we've been down in the single digits and low teens.  With the snow and slick roads,   I've had my share of double-hour one-way commutes to work and back.... am I complaining?  Sorry.  Well, the other day, there had been freezing rain from about midnight to 5am.  I got up and thought I'd better go shovel the slush before it froze into inches of ice.  So I shoveled mine, my Dad's, then there is a particularly long sidewalk that boarders my Dad's field that leads up to the Jr. High (guess I'm volunteered to do it... and I love it when the snowplows blast all the road's snow up onto the sidewalk).  When I got done with that, it started to snow.  Now we've got ice covered with snow. I listened to the radio traffic reports to see how the commute was going.  Thought it would lighten up if I waited, but it kept getting worse.... so I took the day.  Why wouldn't I?  Since I had a little time on my hands (after I went back out and re-shoveled and used the snow blower on what I had done earlier... then I chopped wood for the fire, had lunch with my dad, cleaned the house, etc, etc), I went out and took a few pix- everything looked so wintery....?  Ice-covered everything- just couldn't pass up the chance to make a couple of my own Currier and Ives (I had been looking for some nice winter backgrounds for my computer and couldn't find ones I wanted- thought I'd make my own).  Hope you enjoy.

Also, thankfully with this storm, it has cleaned out the stinky inversion air so I can go out and run again... and not only that, so I can add to the pollution again with a lovely wood fire.  Nothing quite like a wonderful crackling blaze with Johnny Mathis Christmas playing in the background.  Mmmmmm mmm! I don't get much work done with that that combination! ;) ... what? (makes me want to cook some figgy pudding or bake cookies, you know).

I am very thankful for the snow and moisture we're getting- it is badly needed for when the days get warm and long.  Speaking of long, the days will start getting longer now- sweet!  Welcome back Mr. Sun!

Thanksgiving 2013

I looked forward to another Thanksgiving Day.  Not just because I wouldn't have to go to work for a couple of days... well, partly, but because all the family (except Emery) would be together at our place (Jake wasn't going to be here because of work, but he surprised us by getting off early because work was slow).

We tried something new with the turkey by putting it in a roaster.  It was probably an hour late, and it wasn't done then.  So we just ate the perimeter of the bird and put it back in to finish cooking after we ate (see the pic- notice the "blondness" of the fowl...we love living on the edge).  While worrying so much about the turkey getting cooked, we forgot to cook the yams- dang!  Oh well, there was plenty of food for several rounds.

After stuffing ourselves, we went around the table and took turns reading our lists of things we are grateful for.  If we said something that someone else had on their list, we had to cross it out.  So, we tried to think of the more obscure ones.  It was a lot of fun.... and insightful.

Since we were all so full, we couldn't plunge into the pie until quite late, but we still had to have some.... banana cream, lemon meringue, deep-dish apple, chocolate, and of course, pumpkin.  I was ready to "esplode".

Thanksgiving Day 2013- we have much to be thankful for, especially so much that is taken for granted.



Oh, I forgot to post some pix we took of Isla in the leaves... enjoy.

Fall

Autumn is so awesome. I was outside cleaning up the garden and the yard last Saturday.  When I was raking leaves under a peach tree and happen to look up and view the exquisite beauty of the sun shining through the leaves. I thought it was just lovely, but kept on raking.  I kept thinking to myself- "Self, you need to take a picture of that.  If you don't, you'll hate yourself in the morning. So I did.  The picture doesn't quite do it justice, but splendid just the same. Just one reasons why I love the Fall.

Then, a few weeks earlier, some of the kids went down to the corn maze to enjoy some Fall activities.  Here are a few pix from that event.  Those little grand daughters are so cute!  Must have gotten it from their parents.  I wonder where they got it from?  0;)

Boston Red Sox... 2013 World Series Champions!

It was so much fun watching the ALCS and the World Series.  We didn't get anything done around the house... but, it was worth it!

Yahoo! Doesn't it just make you want to grow a beard?  Why wouldn't you, right?   The Curse of the Bambino was broken years ago and now, the drought at Fenway is finally over as well. Way to go Sox!

Oh, So That's What Island Park Is

For many a year, friends and acquaintances have traveled north, crossing the Utah boarder to holiday. "Why", you may ask yourself. "Why would anyone want to leave the comfy, cozy, confines of Utah?" "I tell you Max, I don't know why I ever leave this place. I've got all the company I need right here."The Grinch Many travel to a spot called Island Park, ID. So, the fam decided that we might try that as well- don't tell anyone- they might not let us cross the boarder! "...And on Sundays I elude the eyes and hop the Turbine Freight to far outside the wire where my white-haired uncle waits..." cpt. Oh my goodness, what a beautiful place! Check the pix. The first one is a view just outside our cabin door. Everyday we would watch osprey dive into the water a catch fish.

Emery thought it was so cool. She would always want to sit on the rail and watch for the birds look for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Here are a few pix of Mesa Falls from different vantage points. The falls were about 15 minutes from where we were staying. It was quite beautiful as you can see.

"Sister! Sisters! Never were there such devoted sisters!"

Did Sydney get hold of the camera again?

And since Yellowstone National Park is so very close to Island Park, we thought we'd make a SHORT visit there. We were driving in two separate cars but thought we'd be able to stay with each other. Well, you can always count on slow people in Yellowstone and yep, you guest it- we got separated. The cell service isn't the best up there so it seemed like we spent most of our time looking for each other. We were on our way to Old Faithful and just figured we'd be able to find each other with no problem. Old faithful is probably the biggest attraction and has the most parking lots, so, it took a while. Luckily text messages were sporadic. The other cars' passengers were waiting for us at the geyser!

Here we have a picture of the faithful, both young and old, waiting on Old Faithful. As you can see, their wait was not in vain as Old Faithful lived up to it's name. "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!"Wizard of Oz

Grandma with the wee grand daughters- teaching them the finer points of crossing the stream. There were some little fish in there, so I don't remember if Isla was freaked out about that or was it that the water was just so danged cold?

Well as I mentioned, it was a very SHORT visit to Yellowstone, so I didn't get a picture of a griz- dang!

Brenda took her bonus money she had gotten from work so that we could do a float trip down the crazy Snake River. As it turned out, we really didn't need those life vests. We didn't get the rattlesnake part of the river, it must have been the roadkill garden snake fork. We had to get out and push the raft off as we got high-centered a several times. But we soon figured out how navigate the river. We had our kayakers scout out the deepest part of the river to avoid getting sandbar-ed and having to get out and get our feet wet. It was a blast though- we'd do it again for sure.

As we were coming around a bend in the river, look what was hanging out. It made me back-paddle a bit and hug the opposite side of the river. I had Emery in the kayak with me- who knew if mama moose would charge or not? As you can see, she had her wee babe in the brush... although it was quite tall itself. Didn't get a picture of a bear, but got some moose and I didn't even have to worry that it was going to eat me.

Grandma Great and Emery just getting back from the hunt. Looks like they fared quite well against those furry little beasties. PETA is going to have a field day with this though.

One day, Rory's animal instincts flared up and he decided to go for a run through the woods.  As it happened, a deluge decided to come in whilst he was gone- it came down! We were hoping he'd make it back OK- yep, he did, except he was wet, soaked through and had a bunch of burs stuck in his hide.

The hot tub was a big attraction at the cabin. Emery would have been in their 24/7 if we would have let her.

Emery and Taylor enjoying the cookies that she and gpa made.

Caught ya!