The TattleTale Gazette

MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE RANCH . . .

2011-10-22T13:17:00.002-06:00

Just before my sister and her family moved to Washington, Mom, Dad and I spent one last weekend with the kids. As Laura herself was making an attempt to spend some individual time with each of her kids before the big move, we never actually had all of the kids at once! However, we made the best of the situation and adventured hard while we could! As it was early spring, (yes I am THAT far behind) I HAD to take the kids out to see all the new ranch babies. The calf pictured on the left, Black Boy, was actually born just days before. The moment I laid eyes on him, I fell in love! He is the first black calf I have seen born at the ranch. Pink nose, pink ears, brand new clean white face, long lovely eyelashes, little black freckled feet -- such a beautiful baby boy! I really do think newborn calves are some of the sweetest creatures on earth! It sure is a good thing they grow up to be ugly old COWS! I am so thankful to my ranch relatives for not only allowing me to be a part of the ranching festivities but for for allowing me to parade people around their ranch as if I owned the place! Granted, I usually parade their/our own family around, but still, they are so generous to allow all of us to come see what is going on back out on the ranch.

As I was on backseat duty for the drive out to the ranch, I made sure the crew was entertained. When we stopped for snacks, Makayla picked out a can of Pringles. Oh did we have fun with HER snack!

MAKAYLA AND I QUACKING UP.

UNCLE JIMMY'S DUCK WAS MY FAVORITE!

OUR FIRST STOP WAS TO CHECK ON TESS AND IRENE . . .

SUCH A BEAUTIFUL BABY (WELL, EXCEPT FOR HER SNOTTY NOSE)!

AND SINCE IT WAS FEEDING TIME FOR ROWDY AND OLIVE, WE BOTTLED UP AND HEADED OUT TO THE BARN.

MAKAYLA AND CLAIRE GOT TO FEED OLIVE (OR PICKLE, AS CLAIRE CALLS HER FOR SOME FUNNY REASON).

SO GLAD THEY GOT TO DO THIS! FEEDING OUR CALF IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE CHILDHOOD MEMORIES.

MEANWHILE, ROWDY SHOWED EVERYONE THE REASON I CALL HIM ROWDY! HE TRIED TO CLIMB OVER THE WALL TO GET ME TO PAY ATTENTION TO HIM!

WE STOPPED TO POSE FOR SOME COWGIRL ON A TRACTOR PICTURES

MY GIRLS!

MAKAYLA, CLAIRE AND COUSIN JESSIE

WE RODE THE FOUR-WHEELER IN THE MUD A LITTLE . . .

AND PETTED AND HAND FED SPIKE THE GOOSE.

WE GATHERED THE EGGS FROM THE CHICKEN HOUSE . . .

AND THEN LEARNED THAT OLIVE REALLY LIKES MAKAYLA!

HER NICE, SLENDER LONG FINGERS THAT IS!

NANA AND HER GRANDDAUGHTERS :)

DAD, MOM, CLAIRE, MAKAYLA AND I . . .

SUCH A BITTERSWEET WEEKEND!

SUPER MOON.

2011-07-11T17:45:00.001-06:00

This, apparently, is a moony year! When I heard there was going to be a "super moon" I decided I HAD to stay up for it too! A total lunar eclipse and a GIANT moon within months of each other?! I wouldn't be much of an adventurer if I didn't photograph both celestial events -- especially when they were clearly visible from my back patio! I will say that staying up for the super moon in March was a MUCH warmer experience than the December eclipse, HOWEVER, I will also admit it was a total disappointment!!! The full moon was to be closer to the earth than it had been in 18 years, meaning it was to appear MASSIVE. I personally didn't think it appeared the slightest bit bigger though! I will admit I had to wait for it to travel up higher in the sky in order to be able to see it. If I had watched it rise over Bogus Basin, PERHAPS I would have noticed a difference in its size. Even though I was disappointed in the SUPER-ness of the moon, I decided to photograph it anyway! I am getting good practice! Perhaps this summer I will try my hand at some star trails . . .

JUST SO YOU UNDERSTAND, THIS IS THE IMAGE THE "AUTO" FEATURE ON MY CAMERA PRODUCES.

AND THESE ARE WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU MOVE THAT DIAL TO MANUAL!

MORAL OF THE STORY -- I KNOW THIS IS SCARY, TAKE YOUR CAMERA OFF AUTO!

2011 CALVING SEASON.

2011-05-27T18:37:00.007-06:00

For several years now, I have been rushing out to the ranch at the slightest indication a cow might be in labor. I have been present for and photographed as many calf births as possible. This year I missed . . . Every. Single. One. I do not have a single graphic birth photo!!! Although I am bummed EVERY cow snuck off and had her calf in peace, I am pleased to introduce one very special calf that was born out at the ranch this year. The black cow to the left is . . . Tess. I'm still not sure HOW a cow got named after me (and, trust me, it causes some confusing and often uncomfortable moments during our ranching conversations). Alas, this beauty is my namesake. And early one morning this spring, she became a MAMA! Fortunately, they realized Tess had delivered and sent me some photos of her new baby when she was just moments old!

WELCOME TO MOTHERHOOD TESS!

TURNS OUT, TESS IS A PRETTY GOOD MAMA!

AND HER BABY, A SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL CALF!

I THOUGHT IT WAS ONLY APPROPRIATE TO NAME HER . . . IRENE.

SHE IS SOME KINDA WONDERFUL!

AND THIS IS ROWDY, A FOSTER CHILD THAT CAME TO LIVE ON THE RANCH THIS SPRING.

FOR OBVIOUS REASONS, I KINDA LIKE HIM!

'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE . . .

2011-05-26T07:45:00.008-06:00

Nothing has reminded me of how far behind I am in posting more than this post! Here it is, nearly JUNE and I am just now getting around to posting my CHRISTMAS adventures! Oh, well. At least I am still plugging along!

Traditionally Christmas has been an holiday that I wholeheartedly enjoy. I tend to be completely present in the moment and rarely take pictures. This year was certainly no different! I did manage a few throughout the month though because, (as you might not know) Gordons celebrate Christmas the whole month through!

IF THERE IS ONE MONTH WHEN I AM HAPPY TO SEE SNOW, IT IS DECEMBER!

ALTHOUGH, I HAVE TO ADMIT, I WASN'T SO THRILLED TO SEE THIS MUCH SNOW!

AH, POOR FLOYD!

SADIE LOVES THE SNOW!

SHE ONLY COMES IN WHEN SHE IS COMPLETELY FROZEN!

EVEN THEN, SHE STILL LOOKS LONGINGLY OUT AT IT!

MY BEAUTIFUL BABY GIRL

HERE SADIE WATCHES JACKSON (WHO CERTAINLY DOES NOT SHARE HER APPRECIATION FOR THE SNOW). SHE CAN'T BELIEVE HE MANAGED TO MAKE IT TO THE GRASS THIS TRIP -- SINCE HE USUALLY TAKES TWO STEPS OUT THE DOOR AND PEES ON THE DOOR MAT! I DID END UP SHOVELING A PATH TO A PEE PATCH IN THE GRASS FOR THE POOR OLD GUY!

THIS YEAR, FOR MY MOM'S SIDE OF THE FAMILY, I SUGGESTED WE DO AN UGLY SWEATER PARTY -- AND THEN I HAD TO WORK. :( ALTHOUGH I COULDN'T GO TO THE PARTY, JESSIE AND I IMPROVISED!

DURING OUR LUNCH BREAK, WE DONED OUR UGLY SWEATERS . . .

AND WENT OUT FOR CHINESE FOOD (SINCE IT WAS BEING SERVED AT THE PARTY WE WERE MISSING OUT ON). WE TOOK PICTURES OF "OUR" PARTY AND SENT THEM BACK TO THE FAMILY CHRISTMAS PARTY! WE WERE DEFINITELY THERE IN SPIRIT!

YUMMY! PORK AND SEEDS . . .

AS THEY LIKELY DID AT THE FAMILY GATHERING, JESSIE OVERINDULGED

(IN THE HOT MUSTARD)!

FOR THE MAIN COURSE, I INSISTED WE USE CHOPSTICKS . . .

JUST AS MY NIECES AND NEPHEWS WERE DOING!

JESSIE DID SPECTACULARLY WELL!

ME? NOT SO MUCH!

DURING DESSERT, JESSIE AND I GOT SOME PRETTY AMAZING FORTUNES!

AND BEFORE HEADING BACK TO WORK . . .

WE STOOD AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE FOR TRADITIONAL PHOTOS!

WE EVEN RECEIVED GIFTS!

AND THEN, JUST DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS . . .

MY DRYER HAD A MELTDOWN.

WITH THE HELP OF THE BRILLIANT MAN AT MY NEW APPLIANCE PARTS STORE, I MANAGED TO DIAGNOSE AND REPAIR MY DRYER -- BY MYSELF!!! TURNS OUT VICTORY WAS A PRETTY TERRIFIC CHRISTMAS GIFT TO MYSELF!

AND FINALLY CHRISTMAS EVE ARRIVED.

WE LOADED ALL THE PRESENTS IN THE SLEIGH . . .

AND HEADED FOR THE CHAOS AT MY SISTER'S HOUSE!

(poor danny had to work).

THERE WERE FUNNY FACES . . .

HILARIOUS MOMENTS . . .

A VERY SPOILED OLD MAN . . .

ONE SNEAKY LITTLE BOY . . .

AND SOME VERY TENDER MOMENTS BEFORE . . .

THE TRADITIONAL READING OF THE "THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS."

WHEN DID MAKAYLA GROW UP SO MUCH?! SNIFF, SNIFF. MY BABY GIRL! SNIFF, SNIFF.

MAKAYLA READ IT THROUGH THE FIRST TIME.

FOLLOWED MY MISS CLAIRE . . .

AND EVEN GABE!

I LOVE THAT WE ALL LOVE THIS BOOK!

AND BEFORE WE KNEW IT, IT WAS CHRISTMAS MORNING!

OF COURSE THERE ARE NO PICTURES BECAUSE I JUST SAVORED THE MOMENT!

BUT I DO WANT TO SHARE SOME PHOTOS OF MY FAVORITE GIFT I RECEIVED!

GARRETT MADE THIS WATER GLOBE FOR ME!

WHAT A SWEET, CREATIVE LITTLE MAN!

AND ANOTHER MEMORABLE DECEMBER!

is it time for warmer adventures yet???

2010 LUNAR ECLIPSE.

2011-04-14T23:45:00.005-06:00

I am a lover of the heavens and when I heard a total lunar eclipse was coinciding with the winter solstice, I decided it was simply worth staying up for! December 21st is one of my favorite days of the year! In fact, it is a day of celebration for me! You see, it is on the 21st of this dark and frigid month that the days begin to get LONGER again!!! I adore the long daylight hours of summer and think the return of them is worth celebrating (even if it is literally freezing outside when I begin to do so)! Not only was this my first attempt to photograph an eclipse, it is actually the first time I even attempted to photograph the moon! I learned a couple of things on this lunar adventure. First, eclipses take a really long time, particularly when it is FREEZING outside! Second, when I get wound up about photography, I lose sight of the fact that it is FREEZING outside. Although I stayed up past midnight for the actual event, I was up even longer trying to warm up enough to go to sleep -- that is, once I actually realized I was COLD! Staying up for and photographing the eclipse was an adventure (and adventures are mighty hard to come by in December)! I hear the next total lunar eclipse is in June . . . thankfully!

FIRST ANNUAL LADYBUG HUNT.

2011-04-14T23:19:00.005-06:00

Years ago my family and I stumbled upon my first pack of hibernating ladybugs. Late one fall, we were visiting a very remote lookout. While sitting on the rocky crag, enjoying the magnificent views, we began noticing ladybugs EVERYWHERE! We started turning over rocks and soon discovered THOUSANDS of them! Mom and Dad remembered hearing that ladybugs in this area migrate to certain elevations and then hibernate for the winter. By visiting that high elevation, late in the fall, it is possible to reliably find swarms of ladybugs! Several years ago I did a solo adventure to Thorne Creek Butte Lookout in search of ladybugs -- and definitely found them! So now, hunting ladybugs has officially become an annual event for me! One of my favorite parts of hunting ladybugs is that I combine it with a trip to a lookout! Lookouts are the BEST place to find ladybugs because: 1) lookouts are perched on the highest peaks and 2) they provide a good road to the top of the mountain! Ladybugs and lookouts -- two of my favorite things!!! This year when "ladybug season" rolled around, I asked Jessie if she wanted to join me. Like ANY good adventurer, she said YES! We picked a BEAUTIFUL fall day and headed for the hills for what we titled the First Annual Ladybug Hunt.

WITH JESSIE AND I TOGETHER IN THE TRUCK, IT WAS INEVITABLE WE ADDED AN ANIMAL DIMENSION TO OUR ADVENTURE! AS WE HEADED TO IDAHO CITY, THIS DOG RAN ACROSS THE BUSY HIGHWAY IN FRONT OF US! OF COURSE, I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AND JESSIE QUICKLY SNAGGED HIM BEFORE HE BECAME ROAD PIZZA! ALTHOUGH WE WEREN'T ABLE TO FIND HIS OWNERS, A NEARBY HOMEOWNER OFFERED TO TAKE HIM DOOR-TO-DOOR AND PROMISED TO HELP HIM FIND HIS WAY HOME. RELUCTANTLY WE SAID GOODBYE TO OUR NEW FRIEND AND CONTINUED ON OUR LADYBUG WAY.

AND, AS I TRADITION, WE STOPPED AT THE GOLD MINE IN IDAHO CITY FOR A BITE TO EACH AND SOME MANDATORY DOLLAR BILL DECORATING!

KIPPER AND HER FIRST GOLD MINE DOLLAR.

MY 2010 DOLLAR

JESSIE TACKING HER BILL TO THE CEILING OF THE BAR.

WE FOUND MY FIRST BILL FROM BACK 2008 AND HUNG OUR BILLS NEXT TO IT!

LADYBUG ROW.

MY INTENTION WAS TO TRY FOR THE LOOKOUT ON PILOT'S PEAK HOWEVER, THE ROAD GOT PRETTY UGLY! THE WORST PART OF AN UGLY MOUNTAIN ROAD, IS THAT YOU HAVE TO KEEP GOING UP THE UGLY UNTIL YOU CAN FIND A PLACE TO TURN AROUND! WE DEFINITELY HAS SOME MOMENTS WHERE I SAID TO JESSIE, " DON'T TELL MY MOM WE DROVE UP THIS ROAD!" JUST BEFORE I LEFT ON THE ADVENTURE, I SENT MY MOM A TEXT TO LET HER KNOW WHERE WE WERE HEADED. SHE TEXTED BACK SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF, IT MIGHT BE SNOWY, BE CAREFUL AND DON'T TAKE RISKS. THE ROAD TO PILOT'S PEAK DEFINITELY WASN'T MAMA APPROVED!

FORTUNATELY WE GOT TO A WIDE ENOUGH SPOT THAT I COULD GET THE TRUCK POINTED BACK DOWN THE HILL!

JESSIE ENJOYING A NICE PRETTY FALL DAY IN THE MOUNTAINS

(and probably thankful to be alive after the harrowing trip up the mountain)!

I SIMPLY REFUSED TO BE DEFEATED ON OUR FIRST ANNUAL LADYBUG HUNT SO, AFTER CRAWLING BACK DOWN THE ROAD TO PILOT'S PEAK, I DROVE UP TO THORNE CREEK BUTTE LOOKOUT. THERE WAS SURPRISINGLY LITTLE SNOW ON THIS MOUNTAIN WE EASILY MADE IT TO THE LOOKOUT . . . AND THE LADYBUGS!

I LET JESSIE TURN OVER THE FIRST ROCK . . .

LET THERE BE LADYBUGS!

AND THEN I TOLD HER TO TURN OVER A BIG ROCK . . .

I LOVE THIS PART!!!

LADY BUG HUNT: SUCCESSFUL!

TWO-CAMERA KIPPER

PHOTOG TESS.

THE OCCUPATION HAZARD OF PHOTOGRAPHING LADYBUG HIBERNATIONS!

AND NOW, MY LADIES . . .

2010.

THANKS FOR THE ADVENTURE KIPPER!

ADVENTURE ON!

THE END!

2010 BLUE BELLY LIZARD WRANGLE.

2011-03-05T18:52:00.003-07:00

Fall is such an A-MAZING time for adventure AND the perfect time of year for a DESERT adventure! I have been wanting to do a "lizard wrangle" since I came across some old pictures of what was probably my first lizard wrangle with my Uncle Ben and Aunt Lin. When I heard Mom, Dad, Makayla and Garrett were coming to spend a weekend with me, I was all over planning a wrangle out at Celebration Park. I couldn't have asked for a better group of adventurers and what a TREAT to share such a unique adventure with my oldest niece and nephew! There will definitely be may MANY, MANY more! And now, I'm sure I should address this question: What in the world is a lizard wrangle??? In order to lizard wrangle, you must first travel to the desert with a FISHING POLE. At the end of the line, a small NOOSE must be fashioned, weighted by a few sinkers. One must find a lizard SUNBATHING atop a nice desert rock. With a good STEALTHY approach and some serious PATIENCE it is possible to slip that little bitty noose around the lizard's NECK. And then, my friends, you have caught yourself a LIZARD! The whole "lizard wrangle" terminology -- I just made that up! Although wrangling lizards sounds EASY it really is a bit of a RODEO -- and a really great ADVENTURE!

MAKAYLA AND GARRETT

CELEBRATION PARK IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE SPRING/FALL PLACES.

IT WAS FUN TO LOOK AT THE PETROGLYPHS WITH THE KIDS AND ASK THEM TO IMAGINE WHAT THE INDIANS MIGHT HAVE BEEN DRAWING!

SINCE WE WERE ON A LIZARD WRANGLE MISSION, WE DEFINITELY DECIDED THIS WAS AN INDIAN LIZARD!

AND THERE IS ONE HERE TOO! CAN YOU SEE IT?

GARRETT "LOOKS" AT PETROGLYPHS THE SAME WAY I DO -- WITH HIS HANDS!

WE TITLED THIS PIECE "ROADKILL LIZARD"

OH MAN, I LOVE THESE KIDS! THEY ARE SUCH GOOD ADVENTURERS!

MY FAVORITE ROCK IN THE PARK!

AS YOU MIGHT REMEMBER, I CALL IT THE TIME-OUT ROCK.

I EXPLAINED TO THE KIDS HOW I IMAGINE SOME LITTLE INDIAN KID, IN TROUBLE FOR PICKING ON HIS SIBLING AND BANISHED TO THE TIME OUT ROCK, DRAWING THESE PICTURES.

I SEE A BOY WITH A MOHAWK ON THE LEFT AND A GIRL WITH PIG-TAILS ON THE RIGHT!

MOM DEMONSTRATES THE "CHAIR" PART OF THE ROCK!

MAKAYLA, GARRETT AND I DOING SOME TIME-OUT!

GARRETT TAKING A PICTURE OF THE TIME-OUT ROCK!

SO PROUD PHOTOGRAPHY IS CLEARLY IN HIS GENES!

MAKAYLA AND NANA

AND NOW . . . LET THE WRANGLING BEGIN!

SNEAKING UP ON OUR FIRST LIZARD . . .

STEALTHY PAPA WITH OUR BORROWED FISHING POLE

(thanks uncle j)

UNSUSPECTING BLUE BELLY.

JUST A THEORY HERE, BUT I'M GUESSING THIS LIZARD HAS NEVER BEEN LASSOED BEFORE! THEN AGAIN, A GOOD POPULATION OF THE BLUE BELLIES IN THE PARK HAVE LIKELY NEVER BEEN LASSOED BEFORE! WHO LASSOES LIZARDS ANYWAY???

GOT HIM!

NOT SO SURE ABOUT TOUCHING THE CREEPY LITTLE THING . . .

AH NUTS! HE GOT AWAY!

WORKING ON LASSOING HIM AGAIN . . .

WAHOO! SNAGGED HIM AGAIN!

MAKAYLA WAS STILL A BIT CREEPED OUT BY LIZARD COOTIES . . .

SO LITTLE BROTHER SHOWED HER HOW IT IS DONE!

AND SINCE GARRETT WAS SO BRAVE . . .

MAKAYLA DECIDED TO GIVE IT ANOTHER TRY!

FIRST BLUE BELLY -- DEFINITELY WRANGLED!

SCOPING OUT ANOTHER . . .

THIS ONE WAS BIGGER!

LIZARD NUMBER TWO . . . WRANGLED!

HE DEFINITELY SHOWED US HIS BLUE BELLY TOO!

HAVE YOU EVER HAD A LIZARD GIVE YOU THE STINK EYE?!

TURNS OUT, THE WORST PART OF THE WRANGLE IS DECIDING WHO HAS TO LOOSEN THE NOOSE . . .

THANK GOODNESS FOR PAPA!

IF IT WEREN'T FOR HIM, THIS WOULD DEFINITELY NOT HAVE BEEN A CATCH AND RELEASE WRANGLE! IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SOMETHING THAT LOOKED CLOSER TO -- THROW THE POLE DOWN AND RUN LIKE HELL FOR THE CAR!

WHILE THE WRANGLE WAS STILL ON AUNT TESS . . .

STUMBLED UPON (AND CAUGHT) A MEADOW LARK!

THE BLUE BELLIES SHOULDN'T HAVE FELT BAD. MAKAYLA WOULDN'T TOUCH THE MEADOW LARK WITH HER HANDS EITHER!

ONCE WE WERE FINISHED WRANGLING OUR LIZARDS AND LARKS WE HEADED FOR THE PARK ENTRANCE.

WE STOPPED AT THE WIKIUP BEFORE ROUNDING OUT OUR ADVENTURE ON . . .

GUFFEY BRIDGE.

WE SHOWED THE KIDS THE HISTORIC MACHINE GUN HOLES MADE WHEN THE AIR FORCE USED THE BRIDGE AS TARGET PRACTICE. FOR THE RECORD, THEY WERE UNIMPRESSED. I GUESS THEY EXPECTED MACHINE GUN FIRE TO MAKE BIGGER HOLES!

MISS MAKAYLA

MISTER GARRETT

AUNT T

MOM, DAD AND I

ADVENTURE ON!

STANLEY 2010 -- FINAL ROUND-UP.

2011-02-09T08:45:00.002-07:00

Alas, I have reached my final posting in my STANLEY 2010 series. It is bittersweet to say the least! I am thrilled to have finally completed the postings but sad to think I won't see the word Stanley on my to-do list anymore! There are some good adventures coming up though! :) And, since my resolution this year is to stay caught up better, I guess I had better move on!

With Dad having so much free time at camp in the evenings, he had done some research and had stumbled upon what is call the Indian Overhang. Once upon a time, Native Americans took shelter in this rock outcropping. Although an extensive archeological dig has been done in the area (and all artifacts thereby removed), it was still entertaining to see the shelter and imagine what it might be like to huddle there on a dark and stormy night! It is still possible to see the fire residue on the ceiling and there was ONE lonely pictograph still visible on the wall. Although I absolutely DETEST museums (even THINKING about museums right now gives me the heebie jebbies) I love trekking to sites such as these -- they are where imagination and adventure truly reside!

HERE IS THE PART WHERE IMAGINATION LIVES!

I CAN PRETEND A MEAN CAMP FIRE! I WAS SO CONVINCING EVEN JACKSON LOOKED TO SEE IF THERE WAS AN ACTUAL FIRE!

I WOULD HAVE BEEN AN AMAZING PICTOGRAPHER TOO! ALL MY DRAWINGS LOOK JUST LIKE THIS!

CAMPFIRES AND PICTOGRAPHS -- YES.

SPENDING THE NIGHT UNDER A ROCK -- NOT SO MUCH!

AND NOW FOR THE RANDOM PICTURE ROUND-UP . . .

AFTER SEEING RAIN AND COOL TEMPERATURES FOR THE WEEK, THE WEEKEND FORECAST OF SUNNY SKIES AND NEAR 70 DEGREE TEMPERATURES FOR STANLEY, LOOKED AMAZING!

I AM IN LOVE WITH MR. HEATER! HE IS MY HERO!

WHEN I GROW UP, I'LL HAVE A MR. HEATER OF MY OWN!

LISTENING TO MOM READ ALOUD IN THE DINING ROOM . . .

JACKSON RESTING HIS TIRED OLD BONES ON WHATEVER PIECE OF MY ATTIRE HE IS ABLE TO FIND . . .

DRINKING HOT COCOA WITH MY TEQUILLA NOSE!

FYI: BABYBELL CHEESE + PATRON = SILLY, TEQUILLA NOSE

PARTING SHOTS OF STANLEY . . .

MT. HEYBURN

THE VIEWS FROM DAD'S JOB SITE.

JUST OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS.

THE OVERLOOK.

JACKSON SUNBATHING THE DAY WE RETURNED HOME!

HE LOVES CAMPING BUT I THINK HE MISSED THE WARMTH OF OUR BACK PATIO!

UNTIL NEXT YEAR MY DEAR FRIEND . . .

STANLEY 2010 -- LOON CREEK CORRIDOR.

2011-01-03T18:56:00.002-07:00

If you live in Idaho and don't own this book -- you should! It profiles some really awesome trips -- including the one we took through the Loon Creek Corridor to Pinyon Peak Lookout! (Oh, yes, you knew there HAD to be at least one lookout adventure during my Stanley visit)! Dad had been reading through his copy of this book and found this loop he was really excited about. Let me just say, I am SO GLAD I went on this trip! The views were A-MAZING! However, I say I am glad I went because I might not ever go again! It was a LOOONG trip on some VERY rugged roads. Near the end of the drive, I had had it! My guts were so tired of being bounced around! It was a super cool trip -- we just should have taken TWO days to make the loop! Again, I can't imagine making the trip with anyone but Mom and Dad! They are THE greatest adventurers! I feel so blessed they passed along their passions for adventure, the outdoors, and laughter! I simply love being in the woods with them! And now I give you, the Loon Creek Corridor . . .

THE YANKEE FORK

(Sunbeam, Bonanza, Custer)

JACKSON AT SUNBEAM

I LOVE THIS PICTURE OF HIM!

ROCK SHOPPING THROUGH THE DREDGE TAILINGS AT BONANZA

A BONANZA CAIRN!

CUSTER.

I LOVE THE JUXTAPOSITION OF THE DAINTY LACE CURTAINS AND THE WEATHERED WOOD.

CUSTER CHICKENS!

(aka spruce grouse)

HECLA MINE

DAISY ENJOYING THE "OH MY GOSH VIEW"

I LOVE THIS PICTURE OF HER TOO!

ENOUGH OF THE MINING ALREADY!

LET'S GET TO THE LOOKOUT!

AFTER BUMPING AROUND ENJOYING THE BUTTERFLIES AND THE WOODS, WE CAME AROUND A CORNER TO SEE . . .

THIS!

I SWEAR, THREE "HOLY SHITS" WERE UTTERED IN UNISON.

PINYON PEAK LOOKOUT IS ON THE VERY TIPPY TOP OF THAT SNOW COVERED PEAK. LOOKING AT THE MOUNTAIN, WE ALL WONDERED HOW, OH HOW, WE WERE GOING TO GET UP THERE?!

THESE ARE THE FINDS TRUE ADVENTURES ARE MADE OF! I LOVE FINDING TREASURES SUCH AS THESE!

AND FORTUNATELY SO DO MOM AND DAD!

OH MISS SADIE!

THE TRIP WAS SOOOO LONG AND BUMPY THE DOGS WERE WORN OUT BEFORE WE EVEN GOT TO THE LOOKOUT!

GETTING CLOSER TO THAT PEAK!

PINYON PEAK

A LONG WAY FROM EVERYTHING!

GETTING TO THE LOOKOUT WAS SUCH A SWEET VICTORY!

STANDING ON THE TOP OF THE WORLD . . . YEAH, THERE IS NO BETTER FEELING!

POTTY WITH A VIEW

DON'T YOU THINK I JUST BELONG ON A LOOKOUT?!

MOM, DAD AND I SUCKING IN THAT THIN MOUNTAIN AIR!

THE ROAD.

YOU'LL NOTICE THAT IT RUNS RIGHT ALONG THE RIDGE. NO, IT IS THE RIDGE!

SCARY! FANTASTIC!

FELTHAM POINT LOOKOUT

WE HIT ANOTHER LOOKOUT ON THE WAY BACK DOWN!

A DOUBLE WHAMMY!

TOO BAD THE CABIN HAD BEEN DESTROYED.

REALLY, WHO WOULDN'T WANT TO LOOK AT THIS VIEW FOR A SUMMER?

LOOKOUTS ROCK!

I LOVE THESE SWEET PICTURES OF DAD AND JACKSON.

BY THIS POINT IN THE TRIP POOR JACKSON'S BACK WAS BOTHERING HIM.

HE WAS HAVING A HARD TIME GETTING AROUND BUT STILL WANTED TO GO.

I THOUGHT IT WAS SUPER SWEET OF DAD TO PACK HIM AROUND WITH HIM SO HE COULD STILL ENJOY THE ADVENTURE!

THE END!

THANK THE LORD!

WHAT A RIDE THOUGH!

STANLEY 2010 -- SAWTOOTHS.

2010-12-11T22:23:00.005-07:00

After Mom joined Dad and I in Stanley, she and I spent a day seeing Stanley -- as in the actual town of Stanley. My very favorite store in the WHOLE world, Riverwear, is in Stanley so we HAD to do some shopping there! I think I ended up in that store three different times before my vacation was over! :) If they were open in December, I would drive there JUST to do my Christmas shopping! Yeah, I LOVE it THAT much! After our shopping spree, we stumbled upon the elementary school -- where their sign reads, "Home of The Lawn Chairs!" The area adjacent to the school is one of those places I found myself going to again and again. The views -- amazing! After seeing the views, I decided to do sunrise/sunset sessions there just to see the dramatic lighting changed the mountains.

MOM AND DAD ENJOYING THE SUNSET FROM THE COOL SWING

CAN YOU THINK OF A BETTER PLACE FOR A PICNIC TABLE?

WHAT A VIEW!

SUNSET

I LOVE THE PICTURES MOM TAKES OF ME TAKING PICTURES!

THEY ARE REALLY REFLECTIVE OF WHO I AM!

SUNRISE

WE WEREN'T ABLE TO ARRIVE RIGHT AT SUNRISE BECAUSE IT WAS TOO TOO FOGGY!

BUT I THINK WATCHING THE FOG BURN OFF WAS EVEN MORE SPECTACULAR!

GOING . . .

GONE!

MOM SWINGING AGAIN!

WHOEVER THOUGHT TO PUT THAT SWING THERE . . . SIMPLY BRILLIANT!

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MORNING!

A PERFECT MORNING FOR A GRAND ADVENTURE . . .

COMING UP NEXT . . . THAT GRAND ADVENTURE!

STANLEY 2010 -- STANLEY LAKE.

2010-12-05T22:22:00.002-07:00

My first full day in Stanley was a solo day for me. Dad had to work and Mom had yet to arrive. Although I am never one to be disappointed by solo adventures, I was bummed that it POURED rain the entire day! It didn't stop me from exploring though -- it just kept me from seeing as much as I would have liked! The dogs and I spent most of the day in the truck (especially since the heater ran out of propane shortly after Dad left for work)! I learned my way around the area and by the end of the day, had a list of places to visit again in the sunshine! Stanley Lake ended up being one of my favorite places to visit -- rain or shine! Since it was largely deserted, the days I spent at the lake were fabulous! There is just something to be said for feeling like a lake that beautiful is yours and yours alone!

A SOGGY MOUNT MCGOWN AND I

DURING MY SOLO ADVENTURING, I HAD DISCOVERED WHAT I PRESUMED WOULD BE A BEAUTIFUL OVERLOOK HIGH UP ON THE MOUNTAIN OPPOSITE THE LAKE. THE RAIN AND THE CLOUDS OBSCURED WHATEVER VIEW THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN SO I WAS EAGER TO RETURN WHEN THE CLOUDS HAD LIFTED. THE NEXT DAY MOM, DAD AND I RETRACED MY ROUTE TO WHAT WAS INDEED, A VERY PRETTY VIEW OF MOUNT MCGOWN.

MOM AND DAD

THEY REALLY ARE THE BEST ADVENTURERS . . . EVER!

SUNSHINE MAKES ME HAPPY!

AFTER DRIVING TO THE TOP OF ELK MOUNTAIN, WE DROVE BACK DOWN TO STANLEY LAKE WHERE WE OOGLED CATERPILLARS, WILDFLOWERS AND OH, YEAH, THE MAGNIFICENT VIEWS!

STANLEY LAKE.

FALL 2010.

STANLEY 2010 -- REDFISH LAKE.

2010-12-04T01:16:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, I don't think I have EVER been so excited about visiting my Dad on one of his job sites! In addition to working on the Landmark and Elk Creek Guard Stations, he was also awarded the bid for some work in the Stanley Ranger District. In early September I was able to spend FIVE amazing days with him there in the shadows of the majestic Sawtooths (or is it Sawteeth?). This trip was easily the highlight of my summer! I love the Stanley area and was especially tickled to find that the tourists really clear out after Memorial Day! We practically had the mountains to ourselves! Mom too was able to take a long weekend so the three of us PLAYED HARD! We went on so many adventures and I took so many pictures, I have decided to do MULTIPLE Stanley posts! Be sure to check back to see all the posts from my grand adventure! The photos in this post are from my final bittersweet hours in the mountains. We enjoyed a still, quiet morning at Redfish lake!

I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and have my senses put in order.

--John Burroughs

BEAR VALLEY, ELK CREEK GUARD STATION.

2010-11-19T23:16:00.002-07:00

For the past several summers, my dad has been working in the backcountry. This means Mom and Dad spend entire summers camping in some of THE most beautiful, remote places! This summer was a busy one for Dad as he had several backcountry jobs! This is all VERY exciting for me because I get to show up for four or five days and camp in LUXURY! The MANsion, Mom's cooking, splendid fresh-air-mountain adventures and THE best company a girl could ask for! I feel so spoiled! The first outpost I was able to join up with Mom, Dad and the crew was in Bear Valley. Although I have passed through the area, I had never had the opportunity to camp there. All the stories I had hard about Bear Valley being beautiful were absolutely true -- all the open meadows are simply gorgeous. Next year, I will be back for wildflower season!

*** CAMP ***

EVEN DAISY LIVES IN LUXURY IN THE MANSION!

DAD BUILT HER THIS HIDEY-HOLE AND SINCE NEITHER LONG NOR LONGER WILL GO IN THERE, IT IS HER OWN PRIVATE RETREAT!

THIS IS THE VERY FIRST THING I NOTICED WHEN I PULLED INTO CAMP!

AS YOU CAN SEE, THE CREW CAMP IS JUST BEHIND THE SIGN!

THEIR DRINKING WATER ALSO CAME FROM THIS FAUCET!

APPARENTLY GOVERNMENT SIGNS AREN'T ALL THAT SERIOUS!

THE CREW AS WORKING ON RE-ROOFING SOME OF THE FOREST SERVICE BUILDINGS AT THE ELK CREEK GUARD STATION.

MY DADDY, HARD AT WORK WHILE I WAS VACATIONING :)

THE FIRE CREWS QUICKLY LEFT THE COMPLEX TO MAN FIRES THAT WERE STARTED BY A BIG ELECTRICAL STORM THAT ROLLED THROUGH ON NIGHT WHILE I WAS THERE. THIS PARTICULAR FIRE LITERALLY BURNED ALL SUMMER!

ME AND SMOKEY (A CHERISHED CHILDHOOD ICON)!

THE CREEK BEHIND CAMP

MY OLD DOG LOVES THE WATER!

(but he doesn't swim well!)

*** DAGGER FALLS ***

THE WEEK BEFORE I ARRIVED IN BEAR VALLEY, MOM AND DAD HAD SPEND AN EVENING AT DAGGER FALLS AND ACTUALLY SEEN SALMON JUMPING UP THE FALLS! I WAS SO JEALOUS!!! THERE WASN'T A FISH TO BE SEEN THE NIGHT WE WERE THERE BUT THE FALLS ARE SPECTACULAR NONETHELESS!

DAD AND I STANDING ABOVE DAGGER FALLS

JUST BELOW DAGGER FALLS IS THE BOUNDARY CREEK BOAT LAUNCH, THE PUT IN FOR WHITEWATER RAFTING TRIPS DOWN THE INFAMOUS MIDDLE FORK OF THE SALMON RIVER. THIS WEEK-LONG FLOAT IS DEFINITELY ON MY BUCKET LIST! SOMEDAY! SOMEDAY! :)

IN THE MEANTIME, THIS WAS AS CLOSE TO BEING ON A RAFT ON THE MIDDLE FORK AS I COULD GET!

I AM, APPARENTLY, VERY SERIOUS ABOUT MY OAR WORK!

***BEAR VALLEY MOUNTAIN LOOKOUT***

THE DRIVE TO BEAR VALLEY MOUNTAIN LOOKOUT WAS BREATH-TAKING! THE VIEWS WERE AMAZING. THE ROAD, A MERE FOUR MILES, WAS EASILY ONE OF THE MOST RUGGED ROADS I HAVE BEEN ON! MY LITTLE NISSAN ATE UP EVERY INCH OF IT THOUGH! THAT BABY KNOWS HOW TO ADVENTURE!

A SMOKEY SUNSET

THIS IS ONLY THE SECOND STEEL LOOKOUT TOWER I HAVE SEEN!

VERY COOL!

DAD AND I DECIDED WE HAD TO CLIMB THE TOWER!

(keep in mind, neither of us "do" heights well)!

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT MY MOM IS DOING!

IT LOOKS LIKE SHE "SPLATTED" THOUGH!

MADE IT TO THE TOP!

(the hatch was nailed shut so we couldn't actually make it into the cab).

I SUPER LOVE LOOKOUTS!

***THE CROOKED GOVERNMENT OUTHOUSE***

DEFINITELY ONE OF MY FAVORITE OUTHOUSES I HAVE PHOTOGRAPHED!

BUT THE OCD TESS, REALLY WANTED TO "FIX IT!"

ON OUR OUTHOUSE HIKE, DAD SPOTTED A FROG (and we had a big laugh because there is a sign at the guard station about talks about being able to see frogs mating in the meadows. Fortunately, we didn't "interrupt" anything!) AND I SPOTTED MY VERY FIRST ELEPHANT HEAD FLOWER! I WAS VERY EXCITED ABOUT FIND ONE!

***GRAND JEAN***

ON THE WAY BACK HOME, WE DECIDED TO DRIVE INTO GRAND JEAN.

WHAT A FUN LITTLE AREA! I WOULD LOVE TO BRING MY NIECES AND NEPHEWS CAMPING HERE. THE RIVER IS BEAUTIFUL HERE AND THERE IS A WONDERFUL HOT SPRINGS POOL. THE KIDS AND THEIR AUNTIE WOULD HAVE A BLAST!

WE ATE DINNER AT THE SAWTOOTH LODGE

(A DELICIOUS GRILLED CHEESE FOR ME)!

AND THEN WE HAD ICE CREAM! MY MOM HAS A FOND MEMORY OF EATING ICE CREAM AT THE SAWTOOTH LODGE WHEN SHE WAS A LITTLE GIRL! WHAT A NEAT NEW MEMORY WE MADE TOGETHER!

OREGON BURN CENTER, PORTLAND.

2010-10-07T09:10:00.002-06:00

This is a post I've been putting off writing but I'm not sure why! There is so much to celebrate! I posted the picture at the left way back in June. Seeing it again still gives me the chills and makes me slightly nauseous. My life-long friend is still trapped in that plane, being burned alive. Although she was eventually pulled from the plane I wasn't sure she would survive. Seeing this picture, I wasn't sure how ANYONE could! But SHE DID! In fact, as I write this today, she has been released from the hospital and is now participating in out-patient rehab (along with her husband and surviving son, Hudson) at an army medical center in San Antonio. She has been making regular (often funny) status updates on Facebook about her progress. Yesterday she wrote: Tried on my first set of legs and feet and walked 15 feet. Minor adjustments to be made and back on again Friday. Only make feet in whole sizes so now I have size 7 so all my 7 1/2 shoes will still work. A little like walking on heavy stilts. AMAZING! SIMPLY AMAZING!! I am SO proud of Stacie! Not only did she survive, she is managing to do it with her infamous spunk and determination! She has faced so much adversity and heartache yet she has so much HOPE! She is my HERO!

In July I flew to Portland to visit Stacie, Preston and Hudson in the burn unit. What a trip! Try boarding a plane when you are off to see plane crash victims! My visit with Stacie was one of the most difficult things I have done. That day wasn't a good day for Stacie (though while there I wasn't aware it was a "bad day"). Before I left for the airport for my return flight, I sat next to my sleeping friend and said my goodbyes to her. My final goodbyes. I didn't think there was ANY way she was going to survive. Knowing that three other friends were flying to see her the next day, I called to prepare them. While refusing to discouraging them from visiting her, I wanted them to be prepared to see what I had seen. Again, seeing her in that state was beyond heartbreaking (especially since she was having such a struggle that day). However, two days later, Stacie was feeling MUCH better! She had a wonderful visit with the other girls! They laughed and cried together and I breathed a sigh of relief that they hadn't seen what I had seen. While devastated by the condition of Stacie that day, I decided to celebrate all she had left. I spent most of my time playing with little Hudson! And I quickly fell in LOVE with him!

We spent time outside watching the construction workers build the new hospital and playing with the fire truck I brought for him. He laughed and smiled and somehow seemed like a regular little boy despite all of his IVs and bandages. He was a bright shining light amid the darkness and devastation of the situation. Hudson made my whole trip worthwhile! It was a hard day but he gave me such hope! There is so much spark in that determined little smile!

Sitting bedside with Stacie, saying goodbyes that weren't necessary!

She has come SO FAR since that day!

Taxi ride from the airport in rush hour traffic! Scary!

A group of us (all lifelong friends) met for dinner one night shortly after Stacie's accident. We took this picture and sent it to her (along with some fun old pictures). In turn, each of us ended up in Portland to visit with her too!

I was able to contact the newspaper in Anchorage and obtain this photo. I presented Stacie and her family a print when I flew over. This is the man that ultimately pulled Stacie from the plane! If it weren't for him, she wouldn't be alive today. What a brave, persistent, self-sacrificing man. The absolute definition of HERO!

LAKESIDE LAVENDER FESTIVAL, 2010.

2010-09-24T22:20:00.002-06:00

This was my first year of being able to actually attend the Lavender Festival out at Lakeside Lavender. Last year I was graciously allowed access to the fields to photograph them, but had to miss out on all the festivities. However, attending the annual lavender cutting event will now be mandatory! The only thing more magnificent than standing amidst the purple masses of heaven is taking a small bunches of heaven home! I cut SO MUCH lavender and had bunches drying all around the house for months! I had such grand plans for all my dried bunches too. A wreath! Let me just sum up this very sad story by saying . . . there are things I can do well. AND there are things I am MORE than willing to admit I do HORRIBLY! Making a gorgeous lavender wreath with lavender I painstakingly cut myself -- one of those horrible things. I will admit my wreath-making adventure was a giant FLOP but hey, we can't all be good at everything! I'll be back out at the lavender farm again next year, taking pictures of that glorious purple wonderfulness. And I'll be buying a pre-made wreath!

PARMA MOTOR-VU.

2010-09-24T08:56:00.000-06:00

Since I am on this wild tribute to summer, this post is oh-so-appropriate! One of my top ten favorite summer activities is going to the DRIVE-IN MOVIES! Most of you who know me well know that I'm not a huge movie-goer. I just don't have the PATIENCE to sit still for an entire movie! Theaters are absolute torture! So . . . an outdoor theater is a perfect fit for me! I can fidget, I can wiggle, I can walk to the concession stand sixteen times and, if I get desperate, I can always crawl back into my truck and CLEAN something! I will add that although I LOVE the drive-in, they really do have to be playing a movie I REALLY want to see. Otherwise, well, I just won't be there! Fortunately this summer there was ONE moving playing that I HAD to see. Even more fortunate, my pals Tanner and Trooper were able to join me on THE most perfect warm summer night!

TANNER AND TROOPER

TROOPER WAS QUITE A SOUCE OF ENTERTAINMENT FOR ME!

WE FIDGETED TOGETHER -- AND QUITE POSSIBLY THREW POPCORN AT EACH OTHER WHEN HIS MOM WASN'T LOOKING! :O)

THIS WAS TROOPER'S FIRST DRIVE-IN MOVIE. HE WAS QUITE IMPRESSED THAT THE TRUCK IN THE ROW IN FRONT OF US . . .

HAD A GUN IN THE GUN RACK!

OBVIOUSLY IT WAS THE FIRST TIME HE HAD SEEN SOMEONE BRING A GUN TO THE MOVIES TOO!

THE FIRST MOVIE WAS SHREK THE 23RD.

I PERSONALLY LOVED THE RETRO INTERMISSION ADS!

AND THEN THE REASON I WAS WILLING TO SUBJECT MYSELF TO THE MOST UNCOMFORTABLE BUSINESS OF SITTING STILL . . . THE KARATE KID! GROWING UP I WAS ABSOLUTELY IN L.O.V.E WITH THE ORIGINAL KARATE KID (OR WAS I IN LOVE WITH RALPH MACCHIO) SO I ABSOLUTELY HAD TO SEE THE REMAKE!

AH, SUMMER NIGHTS, MAYBE YOU ARE THE REASON FOR MY EXISTENCE!

CHERRY PICKIN'.

2010-09-24T08:21:00.001-06:00

I absolutely ADORE summer! I thrive on the long hours of daylight, the hot, hot days and the deliciously warm nights. Summer is when I feel the happiest, the most energetic, the most ALIVE! The sights, the smells, the activities -- I absolutely eat up every second of S.U.M.M.E.R!!! And the CHERRY harvest, ah, it is the epitome of all that is wonderful about my favorite season! Warm, ripe, juicy, beautiful red cherries! As much as I love eating delicious local cherries, I had never been to PICK cherries! Uncle Jim and Aunt Dee heard of my plans for an orchard adventure and offered to join me! We had such a fun evening together! After sliding into the orchard JUST before they closed (and picking what had to be a record number of cherries in 20 minutes), we ate dinner and took a delightful, leisurely drive back home. We took the back road from Emmett and my aunt and uncle gave me agricultural lessons as we drove through the rural farmland! I eagerly absorbed every ounce of their wisdom about the land and the crops coming from it. I can't wait for another farmland tour with them. What a wonderful summer adventure!

I HAVE TO ADMIT THIS WAS A VERY DIFFICULT ADVENTURE! I FELT LIKE A BLUR!

DO I TAKE PICTURES, PICK CHERRIES OR . . .

EAT CHERRIES STRAIGHT FROM THE TREE?!

FORTUNATELY UNCLE J. AND AUNT DEE WHERE THERE PICKING RELENTLESSLY SO THAT I COULD RUN AROUND DOING A BIT OF ALL THREE!

WE PICKED AN UNBELIEVABLE AMOUNT OF CHERRIES -- AND THEY SENT THEM ALL HOME WITH ME! I PROMPTLY TOOK THEM TO CASCADE AND SHARE, SHARE, SHARED WITH THE REST OF THE FAMILY! OH BUT THEY WERE SO, SO, SO DELICIOUS! I CAN STILL TASTE THOSE WARM CHERRIES, STRAIGHT FROM THE TREE! DEAR SUMMER, YOU ARE THE REASON FOR MY EXISTENCE!

FOOTBALL CAMP.

2010-08-29T23:06:00.001-06:00

How appropriate that I finally get around to this post! Yesterday Garrett turned . . . sniff, sniff . . . NINE! I still remember the day he was born as if it were yesterday! And rocking him to sleep . . . But, sniff, I digress. Earlier this summer Garrett got to go to football camp at BSU! I was absolutely thrilled because it meant Laura and the rest of the kids got to stay with ME for a few days! Oh, what an amazing treat! It was SO great to see and love on my nieces and nephews but it was even better to get to see and VISIT with my sister! Being a mom of FOUR means my sister rarely gets an uninterrupted moment. However, we actually got to sit and talk -- one day for HOURS even! I miss my sister so much and really cannot express how much it meant to me to have those precious days with her! She is absolutely the most amazing woman and an unbelievable mom! I honestly don't know how she manages four babies -- and yet she does it with such grace! I got a glimpse of what her everyday life looks like and there is NO WAY I could do what she does! I am so proud of her and so thankful for the four little blessings she has given me. Being an aunt is truly one of my greatest joys! Can you believe I have somehow managed to completely neglect the true subject of this post? Alright then, on with the show!

Each day, upon arriving at camp, the boys were to warm up out on the BLUE!

Most of the boys warmed up with their dads but Garrett had . . .

MOM

AUNT TESS

AND EVEN MISS CLAIRE!

HE REALLY WAS SUCH A GOOD SPORT ABOUT HAVING THE LADIES IN HIS LIFE TOSS AROUND THE FOOTBALL WTH HIM!

GARRETT ON THE BLUE TURF

THE INDOOR PRACTICE CENTER

ON THE LAST DAY, COACH PETE GAVE A GREAT SPEECH AND SIGNED GARRETT'S FOOTBALL! :)

FUTURE BRONCO? I THINK SO! :)

DAM TOUR.

2010-08-12T13:57:00.004-06:00

It was certainly a wet spring in my little hometown! I decided to spend a weekend in Cascade, taking in all the WATER! The drive up the canyon was IMPRESSIVE! The mighty North Fork was absolutely RAGING!!! I have never, in all my years of seeing that river, seen it roil like that! I have always thought the stretch of Class V was a fantastically beautiful stretch of water, but it was absolutely breathtaking that weekend! UNBELIEVABLE! Of course the high river flow was due, in large part, to the release of water from the dam in Cascade. Even after growing up in Cascade and visiting there frequently, I have never seen the spillway run like it was either! They said the flows out of the dam hadn't been that big since the 1950s! We almost always stop to see the water coming from the spillway at Deadwood Dam but seeing this much water jet from the CASCADE DAM was amazing! For me it was really a once in a lifetime experience! Clearly I was impressed! However, so was the rest of the world! There were SO MANY people at the spillway! It is so strange, for us "locals" to have to deal with that many people invading our tiny little town! Oh, well, I guess I can't blame them for wanting to see a sight so rare--especially on such a pretty day!

CASCADE DAM SPILLWAY

THIS IS WHY I LOVING COMING FROM A SMALL TOWN!

SO MANY PEOPLE PRAYING FOR MY SWEET FRIEND AND HER FAMILY!

WE ALSO STOPPED BY TO SEE THE NEW KELLY'S WHITEWATER PARK

THE ISLAND AND MOST OF THE RAPIDS WERE COMPLETELY UNDER WATER!

I AM REALLY EXCITED ABOUT KWP! I KNOW MY FAMILY HAS BEEN ENJOYING THE PARK THIS SUMMER. AND NEXT SUMMER? I'M GOING TO TRY TO TAKE KAYAK LESSONS THERE! MAKAYLA TOOK LESSONS THIS YEAR. I'M SO JEALOUS! HOWEVER, NEXT YEAR SHE AND I WILL BE TEARING IT UP TOGETHER!

YOU KNOW I CAN'T RESIST WILDFLOWERS!

SANDHILL CRANE AND BABY.

MENTOS ROCKET PARTY.

2010-08-12T13:25:00.001-06:00

I am having a difficult time remembering exactly how it was decided we should shoot off Mentos and Diet Coke rockets! Regardless, this story begins with Dad and I driving all over Cascade trying to come up the ingredients -- 1 liter bottles of Diet Coke are tricky! And then we did some research on the internet regarding the best ways to turn the infamous geyser experiment into ROCKETS! There were some pretty impressive videos on YouTube with some great tips! Since the whole Pierce family was out, we had ourselves a little ROCKET PARTY!

ALTHOUGH THE WHOLE FAMILY CAME OUT TO WATCH, FEW WANTED TO ACTUALLY PARTICIPATE IN THE MAKING OF THE ROCKETS!

DAD AND I HAD LEARNED THE BEST WAY TO GET THE SHOW ROLLING!

DROP IN THE MENTOS . . .

QUICKLY SCREW ON THE LID . . .

SHAKE AND . . .

THROW!

BUT IT DIDN'T WORK!!!

IT BOUNCED AND NEVER ROCKETED!

SO WE SET UP AND TRIED AGAIN!

BUT IT DIDN'T WORK THAT TIME EITHER!

WE STOOD AROUND GIGGLING . . .

AND TRIED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WENT WRONG!

MAKAYLA AND GARRETT SET OFF A GEYSER

(SINCE WE COULDN'T GET A STUPID ROCKET WORK)!

THEY ALL THOUGHT THE GEYSER WAS MUCH MORE IMPRESSIVE THAN OUR ROCKET DUDS!

ISN'T MY LITTLE GUY GETTING BIG?!

SPEAKING OF BIG, MISS CLAIRE IS WEARING MAKEUP . . .

THAT SHE PUT ON HERSELF!

THE PIERCES MOVING LOCATIONS TO GIVE THE ROCKET EXPERIMENT ONE MORE TRY! AREN'T THEY THE CUTEST FAMILY?!

MAKAYLA AND I DECIDED TO DO THIS ROCKET

BUT SHE WASN'T QUITE QUICK ENOUGH WITH THE MENTOS!

A GEYER WENT OFF BEFORE WE COULD GET THE LID ON!

RIGHT IN MY FACE!

THAT'S IT! I AM OFFICIALLY RETIRING FROM ROCKET MANUFACTURING!

MOUNTAIN HOME MOUNTAIN CANARY.

2010-08-10T14:45:00.001-06:00

Boy am I good at my job! Apparently too good! One of my windows got this poor Mountain Canary out in Mountain Home. He thumped himself pretty good! :( I found him lying on the ground and scooped him right up! By now you know my theory on adventure -- you never know when or where you are going to find it -- or when it is going to smash into a nearby window! I think Mountain Canaries are just about the prettiest birds! What a treat to be able to study one up close! This little guy was completely content to perch on my finger until he stopped seeing stars! Daimon was pretty thrilled to see Mr. Canary although he wasn't so sure he wanted to HOLD him! Jessie was convinced we needed to take him home and Danielle just thought he had cooties! In the end, Daimon braved up and held Mr. Canary just before he flew off -- hopefully in the opposite direction of my nice clean windows! Sorry, guy, but thanks for the teeny tiny slice of adventure on a rainy spring day!

STANLEY--SPRING 2010.

2010-08-10T14:34:00.004-06:00

This spring Dad put together bids for several different Forest Service projects. One of the projects he decided to bid on was in Stanley. He and Mom drove up to the bid meeting -- and guess who decided to tag along! We spent the day in Stanley and drove on into Challis as well (just for the heck of it). We went home and prayed for weeks that he would be awarded the bid for the project! Stanley and the surrounding area is just SO pretty! We all thought spending a portion of our summer in Stanley sounded like a pretty good idea! Ultimately, Dad WAS awarded the bid! I am so excited to bask in the glorious SAWTOOTHS!!!

REDFISH LAKE.

HISTORIC BATH HOUSE AT SUNBEAM HOT SPRINGS

SUNBEAM HOT SPRINGS

I CANNOT WAIT TO SPEND FOUR OR FIVE DAYS HERE!

B-E-A-U-TIFUL!

LOLA, LARRY, LUCY AND LEROY.

2010-08-10T10:02:00.002-06:00

I won't say when, where, why or how but this spring Aunt Dee came into possession of some GOOSE EGGS! I will say I had absolutely NOTHING to do with acquiring the eggs! That was one adventure I did NOT go on! Anyway, she put her eggs in the incubator and we waited . . . and waited. Just when it was looking as if the eggs weren't going to hatch, I got an early morning phone call, "We have a BABY!" I, as I am known to do, rushed out to the ranch immediately! When all was said and done, FOUR geese hatched -- Lola, Larry, Lucy and Leroy!

YOU COULD FEEL THE BABIES MOVING INSIDE THE EGGS

AND EVEN HEAR THEM PEEP!

NUMBER TWO, LARRY, WAS ON HIS WAY OUT WHEN I LEFT FOR WORK!

ALTHOUGH I DID HAVE TO WORK THAT DAY, I WAS BACK TO THE RANCH THAT NIGHT!

JESSIE AND JOSH WITH LOLA AND LARRY

UNCLE JIM AND I TAKING OUR TURN AT BABYSITTING

BEFORE I LEFT, NUMBER THREE WAS WORKING ON HER ARRIVAL!

LEROY

LUCY

BECAUSE I HAD TO WORK AGAIN THE NEXT DAY, JESSIE SENT ME PICTURE UPDATES!

AND AS THE GEESE GREW SHE WOULD ALSO SEND ME CUTE LITTLE REMINDERS THAT IT WAS TIME TO COME SEE THE KIDS AGAIN!

WE SPENT ALOT OF TIME SITTING IN THE YARD WITH THE BABIES!

THEY LOVE CLOVER (and they love it even more when YOU pick it for them)!

THE GEESE GREW VERY QUICKLY!

EACH TIME I VISITED THEM THEY HAD CHANGED DRASTICALLY!

LAURA AND I TOOK CLAIRE AND GABE OUT TO FEED THE BABIES.

AUNT DEE SHOWED CLAIRE HOW TO FEED THE GEESE CLOVER BOUQUETS!

CLAIRE AND I

GABE AND I

GABE AND UNCLE JIM PLAYING WITH TRUCKS

AS I MENTIONED, THE GEESE GREW QUICKLY AND CHANGED DRASTICALLY -- BUT NOT ALWAYS FOR THE PRETTIER! THEIR "TEENAGE" PHASE WAS QUITE HIDEOUS!

THE POND

THERE ARE ONLY TWO THAT WILL ACTUALLY SWIM IN THE POND!

NOW LOLA, LARRY, LUCY AND LEROY ARE MOSTLY FULL GROWN!

THEY STILL VERY MUCH BELIEVE JIM AND DEE ARE MOMMY AND DADDY!

DON'T TELL THE OTHER GEESE BUT LEROY IS MY FAVORITE!

HE IS THE RUNT OF THE LITTER AND A BIT MORE INDEPENDENT THAN THE OTHERS.

I FLUFFED AND BABIED HIM SO MUCH WHEN HE WAS FIRST HATCHED!

MY LEROY.

LARRIES AND LOLAS.

2010-08-10T08:32:00.001-06:00

I LOVE BABIES! I'm not just talking about human babies either! I love babies of ALL kinds! Really, who doesn't, right?! And, after rescuing a gosling last year, I have a really super soft spot for baby geese. I had noticed that the goslings were just hatching in the park so when Laura and the kids happened to be down for the day, I insisted on dragging them to the park! Oh, what fun -- despite the fact that it SNOWED on us while we were there! I loved watching the kids' eyes light up at the sight of ALL those babies! It was SO hard not to reach down and scoop up one or two and slip them in our jacket pockets! They are just too cute!!! Makayla drew this adventure picture and left it in my truck for me to find! She explains that all baby ducks are Larries and all baby geese are Lolas (after the two babies we each rescued last year)! :)

I later learned that these HUGE flocks of goslings are called GANG BROODS.

Several mama geese will actually pool their babies and then take turns looking after them!

There are likely babies from two or three mamas in this bunch. It is GOOSEY DAYCARE!

They definitely learn at a VERY young age to come running at the sight of people!

I LOVE THIS PICTURE!

LARRIES.

MAKAYLA WAS SO SUPER PROTECTIVE OF THESE TWO LITTLE GUYS!

IF A GOOSE CAME ANYWHERE NEAR THEM, SHE'D YELL AT THEM!

AT ONE POINT, I THOUGHT SHE WAS GOING TO END UP IN THE POND TRYING TO PROTECT THEM. SHE IS A WOMAN AFTER MY OWN HEART!

WE ARE SOOOO EASILY ENTERTAINED!

WE ALL THOUGHT THIS GOOSE BUTT WAS HILARIOUS!

I LOVE THESE GUYS!

(even MORE than baby geese).

'HAWK SEASON.

2010-08-04T19:03:00.005-06:00

Daimon is my godson! Since his mom works for me, she often brings him to work. One day Daimon asked (as he usually does) if he could come play at my house. I told him yes--and asked if he would like to SPEND THE NIGHT! D was absolutely thrilled with the idea! Since our plans were rather spontaneous, his mom and I ran to the store and bought him some pajamas. Danielle mentioned something about Daimon needing a haircut. I teased him, saying I would get him a haircut. A MOHAWK! Well, D was thrilled with that idea too! We took his pajamas, went home and played outside until at least one of us was completely exhausted! As D lay AWAKE in bed that night, he wouldn't let the idea of a mohawk drop. As I drifted off to sleep, I promised him I would indeed get him mohawk. That's what FAIRY GODMOTHERS do, right?! In the morning, the first thing Daimon asked was, "When are we getting my hair cut?" I called Kipper asked her to bring her camera and meet D and I. Although I definitely wanted to document the moment I deliberately shaved off my friend's kid's hair WITHOUT her knowing, I honestly needed the moral support! Mohawking a kid without Mom knowing, yeah, that's kind of a big deal! Thanks Kip, for documenting this momentous . . . shaving?!

HAIRY D AND I READY TO GO FOR IT!

I'M NOT SURE I'VE EVER SEEN A KID SO EXCITED TO GET A HAIRCUT!

AND IF THE MOHAWK ITSELF WASN'T ENOUGH . . .

SHE MADE IT RED!

BEFORE WE MEET HIS MOM, WE JUST HAD TO GET D'S PICTURE ON MOHAWK DRIVE!

OH, YEAH. HE WAS HAPPY ABOUT HIS 'HAWK!

AND HIS MOM?

SHE WAS DEFINITELY SURPRISED!

THIS MOMENT WAS WORTH EVERY PENNY OF HIS $11 HAIRCUT!

IN THE END DAIMON'S MOHAWK HUNG AROUND FOR ABOUT A MONTH!

AND . . . MY GODMOTHER STATUS WASN'T EVEN REVOKED! UNBELIEVABLE!

SO WHY IS THIS BLOG TITLE 'HAWK SEASON???

BECAUSE ABOUT THE SAME TIME DAIMON'S GODMOTHER GAVE HIM A MOWHAK,

THIS GUY TURNED UP WITH ONE TOO . . .

OH YES. DAD HAD SHIRLEY (POSSIBLY THE WORLD'S WORST HAIR STYLIST) GIVE HIM A MOHAWK! WHY WOULD A MAN IN HIS 50s WANT A MOHAWK? TO SHOCK THE HELL OUT OF HIS WIFE, OF COURSE! INDEED, IT DID JUST THAT! DAD'S MOHAWK LASTED ABOUT A WEEK. AND MOM, AFTER SHE PICKED HER JAW UP OFF THE FLOOR, WAS A VERY GOOD SPORT ABOUT DAD'S AWFUL MOHAWK! WILL 'HAWK SEASON COME AROUND NEXT YEAR. GOOD GRIEF, LET'S HOPE NOT!!!

RACE TO ROBIE CREEK.

2010-08-04T18:11:00.008-06:00

My sister Laura once told me she wanted to run a marathon before she turned thirty. When she decided to run Robie Creek--often called the toughest 1/2 marathon in the Northwest (just weeks after her 30th birthday) I was so PROUD of her! She spent just about a year training for Robie Creek and then . . . we held our breath on Number Day. There are a limited number of runners who are allowed to run Robie Creek. Many who want to run it, simply aren't able to get a race number! Fortunately, SHE GOT A NUMBER!!! She also got a spectator pass which meant, I GOT TO WATCH HER CROSS THE FINISH LINE (they also limit the number of spectators)! And yes, she did cross the finish line! In fact, Laura not only crossed the finish line, she came across that line DANCING! I know my sister is tough (come on, she delivered FOUR babies WITHOUT epidurals) but she simply wowed me by running this race! I watched runners before and after her, vomiting. And yet, she DANCED! She is super tough and ultra determined and I am beyond proud to call her my sister! I am so grateful I got to be there to watch her achieve her goal and to help her celebrate! I'm not sure if Laura will run Robie Creek again but in my opinion, she doesn't need to. She's already proven she's

WONDER WOMAN!

MATT, LAURA'S BROTHER-IN-LAW, RAN ROBIE TOO!

THEY ACTUALLY LOOK EXCITED!

RUN, LO, RUN!

LO'S SPECIAL RACE SOCKS AND HER TIMING CHIP!

DANNY AND I DROPPED MATT AND LAURA OFF AT THE STARTING LINE AND CAUGHT A SHUTTLE TO THE FINISH LINE. WE TOOK CLAIRE AND GABE WITH US WHILE MAKAYLA AND GARRETT BABYSAT NANA AND PAPA AT HOME!

IT WAS CLAIRE AND GABE'S VERY FIRST RIDE IN A SCHOOL BUS!

LITTLE MISS CLAIRE WAS VERY EXCITED!

GABRIEL SAT BEHIND US AND THOUGHT PULLING MY HAIR WAS HILARIOUS!

JUST LIKE EVERY LITTLE SCHOOL-BUS-RIDIN BOY DOES!

WAITING FOR UNCLE MATT AND MOM WAS PRETTY BORING!

CLAIRE WAS SO GOOD AT ENTERTAINING HERSELF THOUGH!

THE LITTLE GUY DID WHAT I WISHED I COULD DO . . .

HE TOOK A BIG FAT NAP RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THE COMMOTION!

MATT CROSSED THE FINISH LINE FIRST!

AFTER SOME CONGRATULATIONS FROM ALL OF US HE SAT DOWN TO CATCH HIS BREATH AND GET RE-HYDRATED.

WE DIDN'T HAVE TO WAIT LONG BEFORE LAURA CAME RUNNING ALONG!

OR SHOULD I SAY . . .

DANCING ALONG!

I LOVED MATT AND LAURA'S REACTIONS TO EACH OTHER!

IT WAS ALMOST AS IF THEY WERE SHOCKED THE OTHER HAD SURVIVED!

PARTY IN THE PARK!

LAURA AND I.

I AM SO PROUD OF HER!!!

MATT'S OFFICIAL TIME: 2 HOURS, 9 MINUTES.

AND LAURA'S: 2 HOURS, 19 MINUTES!

ABSOLUTELY AWESOME!

THE RACE HAS A THEME EACH YEAR. THIS YEAR IT HAD TO DO WITH RUNNING BEING A PAINFUL LOVE AFFAIR. THE MOTTO: STOP. DON'T. DON'T STOP. THEY HANDED OUT THESE OFFICIAL ROBIE ROMANCE CHOCOLATES TO ALL THE RACE FINISHERS!

pictures of the signage and race course courtesy of the idaho statesman.

UTAH--LOOSE ENDS.

2010-08-03T22:38:00.004-06:00

We spent our last day in Utah making a few small trips to some areas we had spotted during our travels earlier in the week. Our first stop was Grafton, considered, according to our trusty guidebook, to be one of Utah's "best-preserved and most picturesque ghost towns." We were intrigued by the ghost town part but additionally by a story behind two of the remaining buildings. Apparently a Mormon bishop built a house for each of his wives--directly across the street from one another. Wait until you see the difference in those houses! And THE very last thing we did in Utah . . . we went to the OSTRICH FARM! Our Ostrich adventure ended up being one of my very favorite parts of our trip--and also played a very BIG role in our Easter celebration!

THIS HOUSE BELONG TO THE BISHOP'S FIRST WIFE . . .

AND THIS ONE BELONGED TO WIFE NUMBER TWO!

GRAFTON.

NOW FOR THE OSTRICH FARM . . .

OUR TRIP TO THE FARM CONSISTED OF BEING COMPLETELY IGNORED BY THE OSTRICHES. HOWEVER, I DID MANAGE TO ASK MR. OSTRICH FARMER IF WE COULD BUY AN EGG FROM HIM. FOR $15 HE OBLIGED!

WE THOUGHT THE EGG WAS FANTASTIC! IT WAS QUITE AN EXPERIENCE TO HOLD AN EGG THAT LARGE AND HEAVY. AND THE TEXTURE OF IT WAS AMAZING! WE WRAPPED OLLIE (AS MOM NAMED IT) IN A GIANT TOWEL, SHOVED HIM IN THE REFRIGERATOR AND CARTED HIM ALL THE WAY BACK TO IDAHO!

AND, YOU ASK, WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU DO WITH A GIANT OSTRICH EGG?

WELL, FIRST YOU GET OUT YOUR DRILL AND CAREFULLY DRILL A HOLE IN ONE END.

YOU SCRAMBLE THE EGG, WHILE IT IS STILL INSIDE THE SHELL . . .

AND DUMP THAT GIANT EGG INTO A BOWL . . .

DID YOU KNOW ONE OSTRICH EGG IS EQUAL TO 24 CHICKEN EGGS?!

AND THEN YOU WHIP UP A QUICHE . . .

AND SERVE IT TO YOUR FAMILY FOR EASTER BRUNCH!

BY THE WAY, OSTRICH EGG QUICHE TASTES JUST LIKE REGULAR QUICHE!

AND IN CASE YOU ARE WONDERING, OLLIE'S HOLLOW SHELL IS NOW ON DISPLAY AT MY HOUSE! I CAN'T THINK OF A BETTER SOUVENIR FROM OUR UTONIAN ADVENTURES!

AND NOW FOR THE RANDOM PHOTOS . . .

THIS SIGN CRACKED DAD UP!

THIS IS A PHOTO OF ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS SIGHTS IN THE AREA.

THE WAVE.

WE WOULD HAVE LOVED TO SEE THE WAVE! BUT . . . SEEING THE WAVE IS A BIG ORDEAL! YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PERMIT TO HIKE THERE AND PERMITS ARE HARD TO COME BY! VERY FEW PEOPLE ARE ALLOWED INTO THE AREA EACH DAY. THEREFORE, YOU HAVE TO APPLY FOR YOUR PERMIT MONTHS AND MONTHS IN ADVANCE! AND THERE ARE ALL SORTS OF CRAZY RULES YOU MUST FOLLOW ON YOUR HIKE TOO. SO, WE MISSED THE WAVE. :( BUT, WHEN I'M LIVING IN SANTA CLARA--I GUARANTEE YOU WILL HIKE THE WAVE! WHO'S IN?!

UTAH--SNOW CANYON STATE PARK.

2010-08-02T22:04:00.002-06:00

After a brutal day in Bryce, I was super excited for our trip to Snow Canyon State Park! Snow Canyon promised to be WARM (80 degrees in March) and since it was at a LOW elevation, there was little chance I would be experiencing the horrific symptoms of altitude sickness! Our trek to Snow Canyon took us through the St. George/Santa Clara area. I immediately fell in L.O.V.E with Santa Clara and just as quickly decided that I would really LOVE to live there! Someday, I tell you, SOMEDAY! In case you hadn't guessed, our day in Snow Canyon was my favorite day of our trip. The gloriously warm weather soothed our winter weary souls--just as a really good SPRING BREAK trip should! We walked through the red sand dunes and hiked along the rocky terrain. Being outside, under the warm desert sun all day was divine! I do love my mountains but the thought of WARM winters and HOT, HOT summers--aahh, I just BELONG there!

THE SUNSHINE MADE US ALL SO HAPPY!

THE RED DUNES.

RED DUNE HAPPY! :)

THERE WERE CERTAINLY AN ABUNDANT NUMBER OF CLIMBERS!

GALOOT HILL

DAD AND I HIKED TO THE TOP OF GALOOT!

GALOOT VIEWS.

DAD AND I GALOOTING! :)

SNOW CANYON STATE PARK.

AND NOW FOR THE RANDOM PHOTOS . . .

WE PASSED THROUGH A TOWN CALLED BEAVER DAM.

AND BY THIS STORE . . .

THAT THINKS THE NAME OF THEIR TOWN IS DAM FUNNY!

UTAH--BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK.

2010-07-27T23:40:00.007-06:00

We spent Day Two of our trip in Bryce Canyon National Park. Wowie, wow, wow wow! Bryce is B-E-A-UTIFUL! And it is spectacularly different from Zion! Although I certainly enjoyed touring both parks, Bryce, for me, was definitely more breathtaking. I WILL be back to see more of Bryce--and hopefully to hike some of its glorious trails! As we visited the high-elevation park during the still snowy months, we were really only able to explore the area from the plowed roadways. No hiking to the canyon floor for us! Well, truth be told, we couldn't have hiked much regardless of the depth of the snow. While in Bryce I developed a bit of a . . . complication. I was fine for about the first half hour of our tour and in fact, hiked a bit with Dad to an overlook. After that SMALL amount of exertion, I had a headache. Within 15 minutes I was really not feeling well! Mom and Dad walked out to one of the more spectacular overlooks. I sat in the truck with my head in my hands! When they returned, they insisted that I HAD to see that view. I reluctantly walked out to the point and took what I must admit where half-hearted photos. It was less than a mile from there to the next overlook but the drive there was excruciating! I'm not sure I have ever been so nauseous! Fortunately that overlook just happened to be one of the few with a restroom. I flew from the truck and what happened in that poor bathroom stall can only be described as violent! I dragged myself back to the truck where I stayed for the remainder of our tour. Mom, though, got some spectacular photos of some sights I never got to see! It didn't take long for the three of us to figure out I was clearly suffering from ALTITUDE SICKNESS! We drove to lower elevations as quickly as possible making only a few "emergency stops" along the way. I sure did leave alot of my lunch beside the roads of Utah that day! Even before we were back at camp I was feeling significantly better. By the next day, I was perfectly fine. What a brutal lesson I learned! Apparently I am SUPER sensitive to altitude! In retrospect, I have experienced symptoms of altitude sickness in the past, yet always attributed those symptoms to something else. I have done some research about my little adventure complication and am learning what I can do to prevent and alleviate the HORRIBLE symptoms I experience! I will go back to Bryce but next time, my memories will not be clouded by the words VIOLENTLY ILL!

RED CANYON--JUST OUTSIDE OF BRYCE CANYON NP

ONE OF MOM'S FAMOUS BACKSEAT PHOTOS OF THE TUNNEL!

WE DROVE STRAIGHT TO THE UPPER BRYCE CANYON OVERLOOK.

THAT ELEVATION SIGN SHOULD HAVE BEEN A WARNING SIGN!

WE HAD THE UPPER OVERLOOK ALL TO OURSELVES!

WE TOOK PICTURES (OF COURSE) . . .

ROLLED GIANT SNOWBALLS DOWN THE CHUTES . . .

AND WHEN THAT DIDN'T WORK SO WELL, I JUST STARTED THROWING THE SNOWBALLS AT DAD!

LOOK HOW MUCH WE WERE ENJOYING OURSELVES!

AND THEN DAD I AND HIKED DOWN THIS PATH OUT TO ANOTHER OVERLOOK BEFORE MOVING ON. NOT FEELING SO GOOD AT THIS POINT.

AT THE NEXT STOP I TOOK A FEW PICTURES OF THE VIEWS . . .

AND ONE OF MOM, DAD AND A RAVEN.

AND THAT WAS IT! BY NOW, I'M FEELING PRETTY ICKY!

A BACKSEAT PHOTO OF ME AND THE RAVEN.

THE LAST PICTURE TAKEN OF ME IN BRYCE! :(

DAD FEEDING THE RAVEN.

ALSO BACKSEATERS!

HERE WERE MY FEEBLE ATTEMPTS AT THE NEXT STOP. . .

AND THE REST OF THE PHOTOS ARE ALL MOM'S!

YEP, THERE'S MOM!

AND DAD!

BUT NO TESS. :(

HERE IS THE REALLY PRETTY PART OF BRYCE . . .

ALL MOM'S PHOTOS OF COURSE!

AND THIS IS ONE SUPER SICK GIRL WHO CAN'T EVEN GET OUT OF THE TRUCK!

AND NOW FOR MY RANDOM PHOTO OF THE DAY . . .

DOES THIS SEEM REALLY, REALLY WRONG TO ANYONE ELSE?!

I THOUGHT IT WAS SO HILARIOUS, I MADE DAD TURN AROUND SO I COULD GET A PICTURE OF IT! HOWEVER JUST HAVING THE PHOTO MAKES THIS ORDER-LOVING NEAT FREAK, A BIT CRAZY! I NEED TO FIX IT! HEY, MAYBE DISORDERVILLE BOTHERED ME SO MUCH, IT IS THE REASON I WAS SO NAUSEOUS!

UTAH--ZION NATIONAL PARK.

2010-07-25T10:29:00.002-06:00

Mom and Dad decided they were going SOMEWHERE for Mom's SPRING BREAK (and I decided I needed to go SOMEWHERE with them)! We had a difficult time deciding where to go--though we all agreed we NEEDED to head in the direction of WARMER weather! Just days before our trip, Mom and Dad decided on southern Utah. Oh what a treat for me! We crammed as much adventure as we could into the days we were there--and we only touched on the magnificence of the area! I absolutely fell in LOVE with southern Utah! In fact, while there, I decided I might like to LIVE there! I'm holding tight to that dream so don't be surprised when I decide to pack up the house, the dogs and my NEED for adventure to become a Ute! But back to Spring Break . . . after great debate, we decided to take the trailer to Utah. Mom found a beautiful dog-friendly RV resort very near to the entrance to Zion National Park. We arrived to its glorious warmness after spending a MISERABLY COLD night at a rest stop! I must admit, this was another adventure item on Dad's list! Going to Utah we spent the night at the rest stop, just outside of a miserably cold city. On the way home, he insisted on staying at a Wal-Mart! I suppose he is a true adventurer! He finds adventure in the strangest places! Our rest stop was less than an hour from Zion. It was cold, windy and literally freezing! I could not believe the climate change during that final leg of the trip! But what a relief! We were beginning to wonder what we had gotten ourselves into! We rolled into camp and started peeling off the layers! And the second the trailer was unhooked, we were off to explore Zion National Park!

THE VIEW FROM OUR RESORT!

THE SCENIC BYWAY THROUGH ZION. I LOVE THE RED ROADS!

BEFORE I GO MUCH FURTHER I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT SOME OF THE FOLLOWING PHOTOS WERE TAKEN BY MY MOM. I LOVE WHEN SHE IS ALONG TO TAKE PICTURES OF ME TAKING PICTURES! AND I ALSO LOVE THE NEW TECHNIQUE SHE TRIED THIS TRIP . . .

BACKSEAT PHOTOGRAPHY!

INSTEAD OF CLIMBING OUT OF THE BACKSEAT AT EVERY STOP (WITH ME ALONG THERE IS A RIDICULOUS AMOUNT OF STOPPING) SHE STARTED TAKING PICTURES THROUGH THE TRUCK WINDOWS! THE PHOTOS ABOVE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF HER BACKSEAT PHOTOGRAPHY!

ZION NATIONAL PARK.

ONE OF OUR FAVORITE PARTS OF THE SCENIC BYWAY WAS THE ZION-MT. CARMEL TUNNEL.

JUST OVER A MILE THROUGH SOLID ROCK IS PRETTY IMPRESSIVE!

AND JUST A LITTLE CREEPY . . .

THE GALLERIES.

ONCE WE HAD THOROUGHLY EXPLORED THE UPPER PART OF THE PARK, WE WENT TO EXPLORE THE AREA ALONG THE VIRGIN RIVER.

THE VIRGIN RIVER BELOW ANGEL'S LANDING.

THE GREAT WHITE THRONE.

SADIE, JACKSON, DAISY AND I.

SUCH A PRETTY CANYON--AND SUCH WARM WEATHER!

I WAS IN ADVENTURE HEAVEN!!!

MOM AND DAD ARE THE BEST ADVENTURERS!

WE HAD SO MUCH FUN TOGETHER!

DAD AND I HIKED THE WEEPING ROCK TRAIL TO THE HANGING GARDENS.

UNFORTUNATELY THAT EARLY IN THE SPRING THERE JUST WASN'T MUCH GROWING!

I WAS STILL PRETTY COOL TO BASICALLY WALK BEHIND THE WATERFALL!

DAD AND I.

AFTER OUR DAY IN ZION, WE HEADED BACK TO CAMP TO GEAR UP FOR A NEW DAY IN BRYCE CANYON! STAY TUNED FOR THAT BLOG!

RANDOM PHOTOS THAT JUST COULDN'T BE LEFT OUT . . .

SALT LAKE CITY.

YEP, THAT'S SNOW!!!

BUT WE KEPT OUR EYE ON THE PRIZE AND READ OUR TRUSTY GUIDE BOOKS, DREAMING OF THE WARMER WEATHER JUST HOURS AWAY!

and yes, that is an ice pack. some of us were feel old!

THE BEST PART OF TRAVELING WITH A TRAILER, IS HAVING A MOBILE POTTY!

SPRINGDALE, THE TOWN JUST OUTSIDE OF ZION, WAS HAVING A LATE ST. PATRICK'S DAY CELEBRATION. AS WE WERE HEADED INTO ZION, WE GOT STUCK IN THE PARADE.

THE GREEN JELLO PARADE!

I ABSOLUTELY HATE PARADES SO I WAS LESS THAN THRILLED THAT OUR ADVENTURES WERE INTERRUPTED. HOWEVER . . .

JACKSON HATES PARADES EVEN MORE THAN I DO!

HE HID UNDER THE TRUCK SEAT AND GOT STUCK!!!

DAD HAD TO TAKE PART OF THE SEAT APART TO GET HIM OUT!

THE MOTHER NATURE STATUE IN SPRINGDALE CITY PARK.

I REALLY KIND OF LIKE MOTHER NATURE!

JUNKYARD DAWGS.

2010-07-20T21:57:00.002-06:00

By now you all know one of my favorite words is ADVENTURE and by now you've heard me say, "In the dark and dreary months, you have to be creative about finding adventure!" Every year, on New Year's Day, Mom, Dad and I write an adventure list. For some reason, GO TO JUNKYARD ended up, scrawled in Dad's distinctive handwriting, on that list. So, on a day when Mom had a hair appointment, she suggested Dad and I go get that adventure crossed off our infamous list. Dad had managed to come up with a parts list so, with that in hand, we were JALOPY JUNGLE bound!

ALL PAID UP AND READY FOR ADVENTURE!

THE LARGEST ITEM ON THE LIST, A HEATER MOTOR FOR THE OLD DODGE TRUCK.

THERE WAS ONE DODGE TRUCK IN THE LOT! JUST ONE!!!

AND ONCE WE FOUND IT, WE FOUND THAT IT WAS PICKED CLEAN!

NO NEW-USED PARTS FOR OLD WHITEY! :(

SO WE WERE OFF TO FIND A WINDOW WASHER PUMP FOR MOM'S CAR!

ALONG THE WAY, DAD SPOTTED THIS!

WE PRIED IT OFF AND GAVE IT TO UNCLE JIMMY!

THE JUNKYARD GIVES YOU A PRINTED LIST OF THE CARS IN THE LOT THAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE THE PARTS YOU ARE LOOKING FOR. WHILE THERE WAS ONE DODGE TRUCK IN THE LOT, THERE WERE ABOUT FORTY OF MOM'S CAR! DAD WAS ABLE TO QUICKLY FIND AND REMOVE A PUMP FROM THE VERY FIRST CAR WE LOCATED!

BUT THEN WE FOUND A RED STRATUS ON THE WAY OUT!

AND DECIDED THAT ONE MATCHED BETTER! :)

AT THE END OF OUR ADVENTURE, WE HAD A GIFT FOR UNCLE JIMMY AND THE WASHER FLUID PUMP. AND WE HADN'T EVEN NEEDED TO CRACK THE TOOL KIT OPEN!

HOWEVER . . .

DAD DECIDED WE NEEDED ANOTHER JUNKYARD ADVENTURE!

HE SORT OF SNUCK THIS ONE IN ON ME! I WASN'T EVEN ARMED WITH A REAL CAMERA--JUST MY CAMERA PHONE! MOM WAS MYSTERIOUSLY OFF AT ANOTHER HAIR APPOINTMENT AGAIN. HMMMM . . . I'M SEEING A TREND HERE!

THIS TIME WE GOT TO BREAK OUT THE TOOLS!

AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, DAD DECIDED HE NEEDED A MUFFLER FOR HIS GENERATOR!

SINCE THERE WAS SO GRUNTING AND SWEARING HAPPENING AT THE MUFFLER SITE, I DECIDED TO SNOOP THROUGH THE CARS! I FOUND TRASHY NOVELS . . .

LOTS OF KEYS TO NOTHING!

ANOTHER JIMMY EMBLEM!

I COULDN'T GET THIS ONE TO PRY OFF FOR UNCLE JIM'S COLLECTION THOUGH!

LOTS OF TACKY BUMPER STICKERS!

I EVEN FOUND A MUFFLER--IN A BACKSEAT!

DAD FINALLY MANAGED TO WIGGLE HIS MUFFLER LOOSE AND OUR JUNKYARD ADVENTURES WERE OVER! WELL . . . FOR NOW! DAD SEEMS TO LIKE THESE LITTLE FATHER/DAUGHTER JAUNTS. I'M SORT OF SUSPECTING THAT HE'LL SNEAK ANOTHER ONE IN ON ME! AND MOM WILL MYSTERIOUSLY HAVE ANOTHER HAIR APPOINTMENT!

I HEART HOCKEY!

2010-07-16T20:43:00.002-06:00

I do love hockey but I particularly love it when my oldest niece PLAYS hockey! She was able to be on a really amazing all-girl team out of McCall this year--for FREE! All uniforms and equipment were loaners from one of the boys teams! It was a great opportunity and I am so proud of her for stepping up to play an untraditional sport! She seems to LOVE it and has plans to continue playing next season! Although it was difficult to coordinate games this year, she did have one tournament in Boise, at the Qwest Arena! What a treat for her (and her hockey-loving aunt) to skate on the same ice as the Idaho Steelheads! In fact, the team and their families (aunts included) attended a Steelheads game later than night! It was such a fun, hockey-filled day! I am such a proud aunt and was (and will continue to be) one of Makayla's very loudest cheerleaders! I certainly wish I had the opportunity, when I was her age, to learn to skate and to play hockey. But alas, I will live vicariously through her and continue to be one

RIDICULOUSLY PROUD AUNT!

MY BRAVE LITTLE #82

MAKAYLA AND HER BEST FRIEND, METTA

I LOVE YOU K!