Shake, Rattle, and Roll....

I didn't sleep very well last night. California was on my mind. Well, that's not entirely true...it wasn't so much California as what the state experienced yesterday. You see, I am extremely fearful of earthquakes. Tornadoes, hurricanes, even volcanoes give you a little bit of warning that they're on the way, but earthquakes? Nope. You're just sitting there minding your own business when the ground decides to shake....sometimes very violently.

I don't remember how old I was, but it must have been at the very least 12 because my brother was still in high school (he is 5 years older than me). We were getting new carpet installed in the morning, so the floor was the bare sub flooring. My bed had casters and they weren't locked. I was sitting on my bed dorking around when the ground started to shake. Believe it, or not, the bed actually rolled a little bit! I remember my heart racing and my breathing being a little gaspy, but my mind actually said "what was that?" I think I instinctively knew and didn't want to believe. Leave it to my big brother to come racing from his bedroom in the basement yelling "HOLY CRAP! WE JUST HAD AN EARTHQUAKE!!" That was all it took....I was a screaming and scared to death idiot. I just knew we were going to die and I had fought with my dad earlier, so I went running to him with the biggest apologies a pre-teen/tween (or whatever they're called now) girl can give. My brother never felt that one. He only knew because the girl he was doing homework over the phone with felt it and freaked out a little bit.

Then there was the one we had while in high school. I can't remember if it was my senior or junior year, but I wholly remember all of us being ducked under our desks and holding the legs while the floor rolled and the walls cracked. Granted, the ducking didn't happen until the shaking was well underway. The girl who sat in the desk behind me often made mine shake with her foot, so I initially thought that was all it was. When it increased to a ridiculous velocity I turned and looked at her. "It's not me," her ashen face stated. At that time we all realized the chandelier lights our old school sported in many of its rooms were swinging. The principal came over the intercom and told us what was going on and to get under our desks. It was amazing how all of those earthquake drills we had throughout elementary school stuck in our heads! When the shaking stopped, the fire alarm sounded. That was our clue it was safe to stand back up and get out of the building.

There were some who thought this was fun, that it was silly for us to be evacuated. I think the common consensus was that it sucked. The district had been trying for years to get land & plans for a new high school because ours was old and very unsafe for earthquake conditions. It was common knowledge, and we students joked about it often. It wasn't such a funny joke when it really happened! So we all stood outside on the front lawn for hours and hours, though it was kind of funny that the traffic on State Street slowed and honked at us. Many parents even came by to make sure we were okay (mine just slowly drove by about 5 times so as not to embarrass me any further than my awkward self already had to deal with...thank you!). After umpteen hours, the structural engineers deemed the building safe and we returned to class. I think they must have done some clean up, too, because the broken glass and things that were knocked off shelves weren't there. I don't know about others, but only one of my teachers even attempted to hold academic study. He still joked, however. He was on of our science teacher, biology and earth sciences. He disliked the drill team and had no qualms saying it wasn't an earthquake, but those ladies practicing in the gym (which was across the hall from his classroom). It wasn't very nice, BUT it did put us at a little more ease.

Those two were the biggest ones I experienced in Utah (one was a 5.2, the other was a 5.5...so nothing to sneeze at). But I have family in California. It's where my brother was born, where my mom was born and grew up. It's where my dad lived for a long time, and where my aunt, uncles, and one cousin live. We visited fairly often when I was a child. I think the seismic activity was always in the back of my mind, but it never really took hold. It was just always a fun trip for me.

Inevitably, however, the ground would shake a bit in the middle of the night when we'd visit my aunt & uncle in Riverside. I can't count the times when I'd have to get up and take care of business at something like 2am, only to hear the bedrock start growling and feel the toitie wiggle under my butt. I always thought I was crazy and it was my mind playing tricks, but the next morning my dear, late uncle would always say something like "did you know we had a little trembler last night?" Or "Did anyone else feel the quake?" SOMETHING to let me know I wasn't dreaming. I don't know if he felt it or heard the pool out their bedroom door sloshing. Maybe he learned about it on early morning news shows? I don't know. Others would state their thoughts, but I readily admit that a shaking toilet in the middle of the night isn't something I'm thrilled to have experienced.....multiple times.

Hawaii was the other spot we experienced the shaking. It never much bothered me there...I guess because I was too engrossed in my work and never really felt the earth boogie under my feet because I was IN the earth. There was one that others felt when I was still living in the barracks, but I slept through it. There was once or twice that I felt it a bit in my apartment, and it caught my attention. It was then that I'd head out, even in the middle of the night, and find something to occupy my mind for a bit. I didn't want to think of all the floors above me smashing me to bits (I was a ground floor unit). I also didn't want to think about the fact I would drown if there were a tsunami. I did think about it, of course, but to have a little distraction was nice.

Last night I had a dickens of a time. I don't live in an earthquake prone area now. That's not to say that they don't happen nearby and that we don't feel them at times, but we're not actually on or near a major fault. Still, I get to thinking about the ground shaking and I get that panicked feeling. So I sat here in the dark until late because I was a little afraid to walk down the hall to my bed. Stupid, I know, but it's one of those things that actually paralyzes me with fear.....

Well, Hellooooo, Dolly!

Taking a page out of Corbie's playbook, I got so excited over actually receiving rain from the remnants of Hurricane Dolly that I took some pictures on my cell phone while driving. Lest I be lectured by family, all I did was hold the phone up on the steering wheel and hope for the best, but it gives an idea.

We have been fortunate enough to see a trace of rain a couple of times over the past couple of weeks, just enough to settle dust, but nothing substantial in.....oh, my, I don't know! I had been at the school this afternoon registering for a few classes. When we entered the campus at around 3pm, the sky was blue. When we left an hour later the horizon was a wonderful black. I liked what I saw, but I know better than to get my hopes up living here.

Leaving campus I knew we needed to stop for some pull-ups, so I planned to swing by Walmart near my house. The clouds were getting darker, it was obviously raining over the ponies, and the lightning was brilliant.



"Luke, we're running in, getting what we need, and running out. MAYBE we'll beat this and be able to enjoy it from home."

I should've known better. We weren't halfway down the aisle, and not going slow, when you could barely hear anything other than the rain beating on the roof. People actually stopped and stared at the ceiling! We were officially stranded. Not that I totally minded, I knew this rain was also hitting at my house.

It took about 45 minutes, but we were finally able to dash to the 4Runner. It was still raining pretty hard, but less than it had been. I kind of tossed Luke into the back seat, threw the pull-ups in the back, ran the cart to the corral (something I've never before done without my child, but it was special circumstances and I was literally running), strapped Luke into his seat, and hopped into my seat. I was soaked, and giggly. Luke thought I was crazy.

I was able to snap a few more pictures on the way home. I know this is silly, but we haven't seen this in a long time. The rain gauge said .75" Hard to believe that was it! I am one of those dorks who has to cross-check everything when it comes to weather. The "official" station for my area said closer to 3-hundredths of an inch, but I'm guessing the power went out there because that was clearly wrong. When the arroyos and low-water crossings are completely full, you know it's at least a half-inch. Anyway, for the very first time ever, I wrote a quick email to the news station who supports our weather station near the house. I told them what it read, where I was located, and what the gauge in our yard said. They chose to use my report for the 10pm newscast. I feel special (feel free to puke over that).




The lightning was spectacular! I know I've mentioned that, but it also deserves another mention because it started a grassland fire near the house. It apparently burned about 35 acres, but the rain prevented it from being bigger. The good news is that it happened on a cattle ranch that is about 8,000 acres in size, so no homes were threatened, and it was pretty much out by the time crews arrived. They stayed on scene, however, to be sure it didn't flare back up. Rain and fire at the same time. Never a dull moment!

Tonight we're enjoying the sweet smell of the life-giving gift we were given. Tomorrow starts another long stretch of hot and dry. I just have to thank "Dolly" for coming ashore in a spot that allowed her to get caught up in the monsoon flow, as well as holding on to enough moisture to let us have a bit. Besides, it was nice to see the tropical storm clouds again. It's been a while, and I always marvel at how different they look from the normal storm clouds....

Leadline Champion!

My Little Man made his horse show debut yesterday afternoon. It was completely ridiculous how nervous I was, especially given the fact I don't get nervous when I show and knew I was going to be in the ring with him, handling the pony. I couldn't eat yesterday. I was a little wired. I was also excited. Luke? Well, he knew something big was going on and that he was going to ride a pony, but was otherwise his gloriously goofy self. It made things so much easier on me.

I ran around throughout the morning making sure his saddle pad was clean, saddle was wiped off & ready, cleaning his boots, getting his show clothes together, packing a lunch, and loading the car. I also had to figure out what I was going to wear. That was the most difficult part! I'm just used to just throwing on some jeans and a t-shirt for grooming while packing breeches, boots, show shirt, and jacket for later. This time? Well, the jeans and t-shirt were already on, but I had to figure out what to wear for handling. A specific request that handlers were not "too casual" was put out, so jeans were out for me.

After everything was packed we grabbed a quick snack, then hopped into the car and took off for Parker. Luke had a wonderful nap on the way up, which I was banking on. I knew it was going to be a late night for him. It was the usual uneventful drive up, albeit one I always enjoy because it's pretty. 90 minutes later we pulled in, grabbed our stuff, and made the trek to the stabling area.

I was greeted with the news the pony Luke was to be riding had to be taken home. Oh no!! Not to worry, they were already working to find him another one. It was probably 20 minutes later when, in a total twist of fate, around the corner walked an already braided bay roan Welsh pony. I say it was a total twist of fate because I knew this pony! His name is Rollingwoods Twist Of Fate (a.k.a. "Twist") and was sold to his current owner by my dear friend who lets us play with the ponies down here. I couldn't believe it! So, it was time to get moving.

I proceeded to unwrap his legs, brush him off, and get him tacked up. Good thing I brought my own girth because Twist's was too short with Luke's saddle. Once that was done, I got Luke dressed. The good little boy stood by quietly and kept himself clean while I changed my clothes, threw some ear plugs in the pony's ears, and put the bridle on. We were all set! Our new little friend, Kadence, was also set, so they piled into the golf cart with all the other adults and made off for the Grand Prix ring while Claire and I brought the boy's mounts.

Luke caught on quickly. He saw the other kids already on their horses and ponies by the time I made it to the in-gate. He came barreling over to be, grabbed the flap of his saddle, and said "Up! Up! Up!" I patiently told him he had to wait a moment while I put his helmet on. I am proud to say that he was wearing MY show helmet because he has a big head....or maybe mine is small, I don't know. But I took the padding out of his helmet and put it in mine for the day (I was still able to put the helmet comfortably on my head....yikes!). Once his head was secure, I threw him up into the saddle and put his gloves on. He was the only youngster to wear gloves, and the judge did later comment on that. When I knew we were set, we started walking around the warm-up ring while waiting for our class. Little pointers from Mama set the stage, the last "kid jumper" left the Grand Prix ring, and our class was called.

waiting for our classpointing out the braids

watching the goings on
Our friend Kadence on his jumper

I was helping Luke sit up by telling him to pull on his grab strap. He was exaggerating it and ended up leaning back, but I figured it was fine. He was still doing this when we entered the ring, but he took one look at the very large crowd and sat like a perfect equitation star. I pointed out the photographer to him, he still saw the crowd and decided to start waving. This, of course, brought me and all of the spectators to laughter. Luke hears this and starts CLAPPING! What a ham! I told him he needed to keep hold of his strap (he's not figured out the reins, yet), which he promptly did. He wasn't done showing off, though.

The photographer gave Luke the nickname of "Mini Richard Spooner." Richard is an international level Grand Prix rider. He's tall, thin, and very blonde. He also quite often rides his courses without his stirrups. This is how Luke gained the nickname. He's tall (for 2), thin (vs. thick), and very blonde. He also decided to ride his class without stirrups. He kicked his feet out of his irons and played it up.

The judged lined everyone up and started his obligatory time speaking to each contestant. At this time, Luke reached down to pat Twist on the neck, looked at the crowd said "YAY!" and started clapping. When his turn came, Luke told the judge his name, his pony's name, and thanks. The judge, as previously mentioned, thanked me for putting gloves on him, gave Twist a pat on the nose, turned to the crowd and threw his hands in the air. This signaled that he "couldn't decide" and that all the children won the class. (Staged, of course, but part of the fun) As the blue ribbons were being handed out the announcer was giving a special mention for each child. Lucas, the crowd was told, lives in Pueblo West, had just turned 2, and was competing his his very first horse show on a pony named "Honeybear." The pony was wrong, of course, but that's what happens when you have to switch mounts at the last minute.

We then exited the ring and went back to the barn to let the pony and horse retire for the night. I took Luke's jacket, tie, and gloves off, then we all piled back into and onto the golf cart to head back to the ring to watch the Grand Prix. Luke & Kadence played and played and played. I enjoyed adult conversation and a very nice view of the class (MUCH bigger and more competitive than last year), and we all enjoyed a bite to eat. It ended up being 9pm before we pulled out, but it was worth it.

The drive home I knew to look for deer. It was dark, this is wildlife country, and I wasn't on the freeway. It's a good thing I was aware! I spotted something in the road, had just formed the thought "is that a bison or an elk?" when I saw movement to the left. I thought it could be a bison because there's a ranch right in that area and you never know when fences can go down. Nope, it was elk. A nice herd of them. I stopped and started honking. If you've never seen elk scatter like scared bunnies, I recommend it. Even in the dark it was kind of funny. That was the only excitement, thank goodness.

Luke conked out as soon as we got home and I climbed into bed. We had a great time, Luke got up this morning and refuses to take his boots off. He's proudly carried his ribbon & prize all over the house, and is just enjoying himself. I think it's safe to say he not only enjoys riding, but now realizes he loves the limelight. I'm just proud of him and glad we've had the chance to make these memories....

Shot? What Shot?

Today was Luke's 2-yr Well Child checkup. It was certainly an interesting one! My child is so well behaved 98% of the time that those rare moments of tantrum are always shocking. He doesn't get away with it, but it's still shocking.

Enter the visit with the pediatrician today. We've been a number of times, of course, and while there have been moments of crying, he has always been good. He was great walking in today, played with one of the toys, was bright-eyed, seemingly fine. Then our nurse called us back.

Luke walked through the door, took one look around, and flopped to the floor screaming. I quickly scooped him up and we scurried into our exam room. I have VERY little experience trying to get a youngster stripped down to his skivvies while he's fighting back and still screaming at the top of his lungs, so it was an experience. I admit that I was laughing through it, though.

You would have thought the scale was something that was going to eat him! He was horrible! But it was managed and I expressed my shock that he's still a half-pound below 30 pounds. The boy has weighed exactly the same for almost a year! I am pleased to report that he stood still while we got his height, to the point he seemed slightly amused. Then it was back to the room with the screams returning to the very tall boy.

I did somehow succeed in calming him down, which was good. I don't have a clue how. Once our pediatrician came in he remained fairly calm. He stayed on my lap and cried a normal cry when she listened to his heart & lungs, looked at his eyes, in his ears, and checked his mouth. Still unusual, but better than the screams. He was completely beside himself when she asked him to walk, trying to drag me to a quick escape out the door. That didn't happen.

He needed one booster shot (we delayed all shots, so he's still lacking a few), so our wonderful pediatrician said "let's just do it now and not wait for nurse." No problem! This was his first to be received in the arm, I was sure he was going to hate me, despite the fact it's easier on kids in the arm (as opposed to infants who don't have enough muscle there, yet). BOTH of us were shocked when he not only watched (because he wriggled away from my hand over his eyes), but didn't twitch. Not even a peep! Nothing!

We got him dressed again and discussed the various questions & concerns that always come up. Luke did say he was sorry, thought about giving her a kiss, said "thank you" (which always leaves his mouth as "theeks!"), waved & said "bye." It was time to go. But he cracked everyone up as he walked down the hall to leave and showed EVERY single person he encounter his injection site. "Shot, shot, shot," was heard while he pulled up his sleeve and proudly displayed his Garfield bandaid. What a goofball!

He was rewarded for his stellar shot behavior with a trip to the City Park for a romp on the playground equipment. That lasted only about a half hour because it is so hot (and he was literally dripping with sweat), but it was enough that he smiled and was the perfect angel the rest of the day.

Two year olds. You can never tell what's going to happen! It'll be kind of fun to see if he's still so excited when his arm is a little achy come morning. I know that I'm not....

Bananas....

I had to giggle this morning as I thought of Corbie and her banana fetish. Why? Because my dear little Lucas ate 3 of the yellow things for breakfast and is begging for more. Poor Corb ends up with them looking like science experiments on her counter while I can't keep them around long enough to be even remotely good for banana bread! Such is life with a boy who will eat dang near anything you put in front of him....

Season Finale...Now What Do I Do???

This is really sad, but I'm now officially at a loss for what to do with my Tuesday evenings. I am hopelessly addicted to Deadliest Catch, which has only a short televised season. Tonight was the finale for the summer. I don't have a clue what to do on this one night I actually set aside to sit my butt in front of the tube!

Maybe it's that I find the working man the sexiest thing on the planet, I don't know. I just can't help but love it when a man returns home from work all dirty and stinky...which is kind of gross when you think about it. Still, it gives me the knowledge that he worked his tail off to provide for his family. Add in the glorious scent of sea water and I just melt.

Maybe it's the fact these guys are putting their lives on the line on a continual basis in order to provide the common person with a table delicacy. Maybe it's that afore mentioned love of the sea and the fact I married a man who was most often away in that same body of salt water. Maybe it's just that I'm a little bit crazy and can relate to the mindset of these men who are clearly not right in the head.

It doesn't matter. I'm hopelessly addicted and have no idea how to fill my time on Tuesday evenings from now until the snow flies. Ah, well, I have a big back yard that is constantly calling for my attention and a toddler who loves to frolic out there, so maybe I'll survive until next season begins, but it's going to be difficult...


P.S. Hang in there, Phil!!

14, 110 feet in 10 minutes....The Race for the Clouds.....

Yesterday saw the 86th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. A truly unique event, to be sure! Pikes Peak is a 14, 110 foot mountain (as the local meteorologists call it, the 14, 110 ft Thunderstorm Generator) that is a big tourist attraction. It is where Katherine Lee Bates wrote "America The Beautiful." It has a road from the base to the summit, and at night we can see the light from the summit house....well, most of the time. Bear in mind the mountain is about 40 miles away from us, and we see it from a similar view that it's namesake saw it. Interesting that Zebulon Pike thought he could walk from Pueblo to the summit and back in two days...he only made it partway up, probably not even on the mountain but nearby Mt. Rosa, and it took several days. Common knowledge to those who live here.

Each year in July is the annual running of the race I already named (PPIHC). I am the farthest thing from a racing fan that you can find, but I am so intrigued by this particular event that it's stupid. I have yet to score tickets, but hope to at some point. Yesterday I decided I could sit outside with a radio set to the simulcast and watch the Peak with the strong binoculars I bought my husband a few years ago. Turned out to be a great thing! You can see the final approximate mile of road from the house, and it is something to watch cars, trucks, motorcycles (some with sidecars), 4-wheelers, and semi-trucks take that final hairpin turn on the still-unpaved portion of summit road.

In most races, rain is a very bad thing. In this race, it is your friend. Most years there are thunderstorms, rain, hail, snow (yes, snow), and high winds. The start line is usually around 90 degrees, the summit around 50 degrees. Not this year. It has been so dry that the summit reached right to the 90 degree mark (holy crap!) and the dirt portion of the road was "like driving on ice." There were a record 14 stoppages of the race, a number people who actually somehow managed to finish the race with blown tires (in one case the car had 3 blown!), 3 people taken via Flight For Life and at least one person via ambulance to the hospital. Lots of injuries. Thankfully, no life threatening stuff. Sadly, one broken back. This person was in a car that flew off the road and broke a 40-foot Fir tree off at the base! But she is said to be in good spirits and doing well, so that's great news.

You have to realize that this road usually takes about 45 minutes, or so, to drive up. It is STEEP, narrow, has a ton of switchbacks & hairpin turns, and, if I remember correctly, posted at 20 mph at max. On race day the average person does it in approximately 11:30 mins. The record was set by "Monster" Tajima last summer of 10:01 and change. He ran it this year in 10:18 and was thrilled. The average speed on the very short straight sections is 130 mph, the turns average 80 mph. It is INSANE!!!!! Yet, in 86 runnings, there have only been a handful of deaths and yesterday was the most injuries they've seen. Amazing...

Bear with me, I have no clue how to get video clips from Youtube on here, so it's links. They're all from yesterday, except the first one. Monster's record run from last year that gives a decent example of the track. This is the actual road that is used daily for tourism. Those who wish to spend more and actually enjoy the view can take the COG Railway. The most adventurous of us choose to hike (still on my agenda)....the trails, not the road.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zaf3DsTaviw (Monster's record run last year)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBORqaWvC0U (Brandye Connolly's crash, you can hear the tires blowing out)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_Nr6zg1-nw (one of the semi's)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xALKtiKfhQ (A crash into the ditch at 16-mile...notice the snow)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47Cs0tp7DuE (A good example of the speed)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxZz5NCJSoY (same driver, dirt portion....narrow!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR8RgdzlvDY (one of the classic cars, and a shot of Flight For Life heading for Brandye Connolly)

Ouray, the last day....

I never finished telling about our camping trip! There are more pictures to share, as well.

After we came off the mountain and back toward town, we headed for our original hiking destination: Box Canon. We wanted to see the Box Canon Falls. It is essentially a box canyon with a river running through it. At the point of a fault, the canyon falls and the water follows. But it isn't a typical waterfall, this one the water sort of spirals through the rock. It's pretty amazing to see! So we did the walk on the steel walkway, down the steps, and to the base of the falls. Very loud, a little cool, and the wonderful smell of water spraying as it splashes.

Back into town we headed for the hot springs. The Utes believed this pool was sacred and had healing properties. As a pool of water that naturally stays 102-106 degrees, I'd have to agree. It was extremely relaxing, despite the toddler who loves water trying to get away so he could splash. It was the first time I purposely let him go and sink to the bottom in an attempt to scare him into being a little less wiggly....it didn't work. Granted, it was only about 3 1/2 feet deep, but he thought that was a great moment. He's just too big for me to hold onto now!

Our time of relaxation over, we headed back to camp for a short time of fishing. I was anxious to break my new fly rod in. It had been waiting for this day for about a year and a half. That's a long time! I didn't more than about a dozen casts in, though, because the wind had kicked up enough that I couldn't see my fly (we were on the lake, not the river). Aside from that, Luke had somehow managed to take a header into the lake. I'm not sure how he managed it, but he did get back onto his feet and into more shallow water in the time it took me to drop my rather expensive rod (eek!) and start my own dive. There were three adults, and I was supposed to have a break from my normal parental duties so I could fish...that didn't happen. Oh well. Back to camp for some dry clothes. I did manage to catch a little Rainbow on my spinning rod, daddy caught a Rainbow and walleye, and our friend caught 5 Rainbows (for those who don't know, Rainbows are species of trout). Despite the anxiety I felt before heading out, it was a great evening.

Back at camp I fixed some buffalo chili, which Luke proceeded to devour, we started planning our clean-up and pack-out for the morning, and marveled at the camp host's cat who was out on his nightly walk....on a leash. This cat was better on a leash than most dogs! It cracked me up. After Luke crashed for the night we just sat under the stars enjoying the silence and the campfire. We took a little walk to see the lake by night from the overlook, then headed to bed ourselves. It was late and we did have a five hour drive the next day. It was a wonderful last evening in Uncompahgre Wilderness....

Rain! Glorious rain!

It's ironic, actually. I've always believed that rain is God's way of crying with us, so while I am rejoicing over this sweet gift from the Heavens, I am also well aware of the tears in my own eyes tonight.

March 18th was a very difficult day for me. While it was supposed to be a happy and fun day, I received the most horrible news while I was preparing goodies for the evening. A dear friend's grandson, who was exactly one month older than my sweet boy, had been rushed to the hospital because he fell unconscious. Twenty minutes later came the word he died. I could no longer keep up with the happy things, including the baking. All I could do was cry. Bawl, really. And hold my wonderful child.

For whatever reason I've been hit with grief all over again tonight. I'm sitting here and just can't stop crying! It's been 4 months and just the thought of this very cute, very fun little boy not being with his parents now is just killing me.

Each night I thank God for another day with my perfect boy. I am well aware he is only on loan to me. I know I am so very blessed. I can't imagine life without him, nor do I want to. And my heart breaks for Johnny and Anna all over again....

Wolves, Grizzlies, and roadkill.....

I just love this video. I had to post the link because the video is a little too big for the blogger's liking. Sometimes I feel like the momma bear, especially around playgrounds. Sometimes Luke acts like the wolf.

http://nrmsc.usgs.gov/research//video/Kendall_O2007carcasswolfbear

And this one just cracks me up:



Silly animals....

A little bit of a funky slideshow. Not all of the pictures, either, but enough for now. Yes, there's an odd hummingbird one in there, but I take a feeder when camping. This is the best shot I've ever been able to capture of the speedy things, so I included it. Also a giant rock/landslide that had to have happened either over the winter or first thing this spring, mine remains up around 13,500 feet, the doe I got to within about 5 feet of before she let me know she was resting there (I was gathering firewood and watching where I placed my feet), and some pictures that it's obvious Luke had stuffed his mouth completely full of jerky....which we weren't happy about when we discovered it. Enjoy!

Uncompahgre....Dirty Water

We have obviously made it home safely from our mountain adventure. What a grand time we had! I think I have to agree that the Uncompahgre wilderness is just about the most beautiful part of Colorado. No wonder the Utes revere(d) this land as sacred!!

Luke did fantastic in adjusting to sleeping in the tent, though he was just a tiny bit bored at the campsite. Who can really blame him? He was the only kidlet among 5 adults! Lesson learned: next time we pack his bike and some things to dig with.

Sunday gave us an unexpected family opportunity. Our ATV broke down, so daddy spent the day with us. We hadn't planned on climbing a 14'er or doing any heavy hiking, so I didn't pack our good hiking shoes, but we have a fantastic vehicle for getting us into parts of the wilderness that are otherwise unseen (also why we have the ATV). Once up about 12,500 feet...maybe a little higher, stupid us, we left the GPS in the tent...we did get out and wander the tundra a bit. The columbine, paintbrush, and tundra daisies were JUST blooming, the pika were serenading us, the snow was still thick in many places, the waterfalls rushing and plentiful, and it was just perfect.

Not ours, but a good example of the amount of snow leftover.

Part of the road. Notice the overhang on the road, and the sheer drop of probably 700 feet on the side. It was barely wide enough for one vehicle.

It was a serene scene that even the dogs and the older generation were content sitting back and reading a book in peace. THIS is the part of Colorado that I adore and can't get enough of! Bear in mind that these peaks are littered with mines, and headframes stand strong in this harsh landscape. Seriously, there are headframes and remains of the glory days of mining in this state on the summit of many, many 14,000+ peaks! All taken up the mountains via mule and lived in year-round by the men who worked inside the depths of the mountains. So, if I can figure out how to do a slideshow, you can understand why we take so many pictures, both up close and from afar, of the mine remains.

Jenn posted about her family photo venture. I have pretty well given up on the studio thing, but the impromptu shots in the back country work for us. I am pretty pleased with what we got, and it will be framed as soon as I get it properly printed. Notice that Luke and I are in sandals and we actually had to convince Luke that he could, indeed, keep his shirt on. I was quite tempted to run around barefoot, my "shoe" of choice, but that would've entailed killing tundra. Big no-no, and too many people are idiots about that. I'm convinced part of the reason the Rockies are called that is because the footing at elevation is nothing but rock.....SHARP rock. I can wander just about anywhere and on any rock barefoot, but I did try it at elevation once. Never again!

It was a great little trip. We've decided to make it an annual trek. There are miles and miles of the mountains that we just NEED to see. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten my Utah roots, and we've got some plans to hike around Alta when we visit in October. If anyone in the area wants to join in, we'll certainly have to try.....

TAG!

TAG- YOUR IT: Whoever reads this post!!
Where were you born? SLC
Middle name? Lynn
How old will you be this year? 32
Nicknames? Neesie, D
Are you taller than your mother or father? taller than mom
Do you cry often during movies? Depends on the movie
Your biggest pet peeve? You mean I have to narrow it down???
Favorite color(s)? Purple
Favorite Food? Italian, Tex-Mex
Favorite smells? A summer evening after a rain, fresh cut grass, clean laundry
Favorite time of the day? sunrise and just after the sun has set
What brand of shampoo/conditioner do you use? Suave
What brand of make-up products? Physicians Formula Organic
How many pillows do you sleep with? 1
Do you play an instrument? No
Have you ever been skinny dipping? But of course!
Did you play any sports in High School? Yes
What was the last movie you saw in the theatre? Over the Hedge
What is your favorite article of clothing? wow...probably my PJ pants
What is your dream vacation? Alaska...all over the state
What was your first impression of your spouse? I liked what I saw and he was so nice
If you were an animal, what would you be? A big cat (tiger, lion, cougar, bobcat) or a hummingbird
What is your dream car? FJ Cruiser or Land Cruiser
What is one of your weaknesses? I have zero confidence and am not very trusting
What do you fix for dinner when there is nothing to fix? Breakfast!!
If you could live in a different decade/era what would it be? Victorian, 1860-1900's, moving West
What is the emotion you feel the most? Anger
Do you consider yourself outgoing? With some people
What is something you are constantly working on? My mental status
Any hidden talents? I can tie cherry stems in knots with my tongue
What is a word or phrase you overuse? Idiot, bite me
What was the hardest thing that happened to you this past year? Needing to be the one who diagnosed that my gallbladder was shot when no doctor would listen. Thank goodness for a fantastic surgeon who said I was the wise one in the situation and validated my complaints!
What is the best thing that has happened to you this past year? Being able to wake each morning and spend another day with my son
What is one thing you hope to accomplish this year? There's quite a few that are way too personal, but I do want to climb Pikes Peak this year, along with at least one other 14'er.
The best piece of advise you learned this past year? Just let it go...

Spotlight...

My dad has become a celebrity! Alright, not really, but he did catch a little attention. My mom called me last night and told me to watch Fox 13's story on the newly formed neighborhood watch in the neighborhood I spent my entire childhood. I knew it had been done, but I guess someone was impressed by the persistence of the residents.

When my parents arrived home from their visit with us they had learned of some very serious burglaries in a number of the houses in the neighborhood. They had some ridiculous amount of messages on the answering machine. Dad, a brand-new retiree from protecting our country (retired from the Air Force Reserves in 2002, now retired from the Civil Service portion of the military), stepped right up. He patrols daily.

Yesterday a news crew from the Fox affiliate in Salt Lake ventured out to interview my dad and another classmate's father. Dave is actually the one who formed the current watch, dad just does the most patrols. I had to giggle at just how serious my father was, however. Don't get me wrong, when my dad is mad (I mean REALLY mad), he's the scariest dude in the world. When he's on a job, he's extremely serious. But he's still my goofy, fun-loving, forever-young dad. So to see him a little torqued and letting the perpetrators know he's not happy about it was kind of funny to me. I had flashbacks of my brathood! But I'm extremely proud of what he is doing.

http://www.myfoxutah.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=6959359&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1

I did receive a couple of emails from a few readers asking about him. Yes, indeed, you witnessed my dad becoming famous.

Luke and I will be pulling out in about 2 hours for our camping trip. I'm just trying to finish up some watering and last minute packing. I made a quick run to Wally-world yesterday (have I ever mentioned how much I dislike that place??) to grab the chili-fixins I somehow missed. I ran into a couple of neighbors, too. What's so big about that? My 20-minute trip turned into over an hour. No big deal, Luke had a fantastic nap. I snapped a picture with my Blackberry after I tossed the bag into the 4Runner. Needless to say, he impressed a large number of people with just how well he sleeps.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

30 Days....

We had never watched this show before this season. The first installment of this season, however, immediately caught our attention. We bookmarked the episode so we wouldn't miss it. The show's creator, I think, went back to his home state of West Virginia to work in a coal mine. For 30 days. Given we moved to Colorado from an area that is chalk full of coal mines, we lived in an old coal mine company row house, know quite a few people who have worked or still work in coal mines, were touched deeply by the Quecreek and Sago accidents (Sago was very close and hit our community & home very hard) we had to watch. And we were quite impressed! Thankful for Morgan Spurlock to be so blunt and brave. It was even an episode we've been tempted to buy the DVD of...something that says a LOT.

Last night Morgan hit another subject and area that is very near and dear to my heart. He spent his 30 days on an Indian reservation. The Navajo Nation, to be exact. The same one I have visited multiple times while growing up. So many people believe there is wealth in the reservations because of casinos (they are few, not on every reservation, and a source of conflict among the entire of the Indian Nation). They believe the government has made right for the atrocities committed 150 years ago. They believe wrong. There is no more impoverished people in our nation than those of our native inhabitants. Most do not have running water, plumbing, electricity, or even a way to get a job, Welfare exists, but on a minimal scale....something that is different in all other circles of our society. Mr. Spurlock was successful in demonstrating this at just one reservation. He lived, for 30 days, in a Hogan with no running water, no indoor plumbing of any kind, and no electricity. He learned to speak the dying language. He cleaned his soul and body with a sweat ceremony, he gained the love and respect of the elders, and he cried when his time to go home came. He showed a big part of why I am so passionate about the American Indian and the way they are treated.

Bravo Zulu, Morgan Spurlock. You've gained a fan for life....

Quail, Snot, Wheelbarrows, and Tractors....

Interesting topics, yes? Not really, I'm just horribly bored.

The quail have been hatched for a while, and they come to the yard often. They like the bird food I put out, and I like having them. Though I do have to keep an eye on the window wells because I've had to rescue baby quail from there before. Dublin then gets mad because she likes to tease them, but she survives.

Sometimes it's fun to document how they grow. When they're tiny, they're adorable. Within a week they start to look quite gangly. Momma still loves them and keeps a close eye, though. They're not very trusting little birds....

The 5 babies last week, they were still cute:

Yesterday, running from the camera:

Poor Luke is a big ball of snot this morning. I'm not terribly surprised, but I feel bad. I had hoped we dodged a bullet after I caught that cold in South Dakota, then promptly gave it to my husband when I got home. Luke stayed healthy. Apparently he just wanted to catch it from a friend of ours. Still, it's better now to get this part over with than to have him wake this way while camping. Thank goodness for tea, honey, orange juice, and children's herbs! He's got a good attitude, he's eating like a mammoth, and sweating, so I know he's fine.

He also has discovered the joy of riding in a wheelbarrow. The yard is a constant process, so the wheelbarrow is used often. I tossed Luke in one day in an effort to get him out of the way and to another spot in a quick fashion. The rest is history.

(unflattering, but it WAS yardwork)

(notice Red in all the pictures...)

Mom and dad brought the tractor out for us to use in the yard. We decided to wait on the sprinkler system simply because the ground was so hard when we put the yard in. Another year and the soil will have conditioned itself enough that a couple of trenches will be cake. Until then, I am the sprinkler system. But I don't mind.

This tractor is pretty aged now. Probably 50 years old. But it still works great! You can still buy water tractors, but mine is not only antique, it is unique. The new ones are all plastic, mine is cast iron, heavy as heck, and soaks the ground so well. I love it! The lawn does, too....

Return of the Jedi, among other things....

I couldn't help but laugh at Star Wars: Return of the Jedi last night. The movies the original series, I still remember nearly all of the lines. Verbatim. My brother is among the biggest of the Star Wars fans and used to make me watch the trilogy with him. Over, and over, and over. To the point that people hate to watch it with me now because, as previously mentioned, I still remember nearly every word to every line AND can point out mistakes.

So, why did I laugh last night? Because it was actually the first time I've watched the movie through since episodes 1-3 were completed and released a few years ago. Therefore, I had yet to see the "new" ending. The vision Luke Skywalker has of his father, Anakin, Yoda, and Obi-Wan standing together is certainly not the original. It took me a moment, the thought of "huh, he looks just like..." started in my head, then I realized what was going on. I literally laughed out loud. Don't ask me if it was truly at the movie, or if it was at my momentary example of being a true blond. I really don't know.

The days are also quickly passing in preparation for our camping trip to the Western Slope. The more I think on it, the more excited I become. I absolutely hate the fact that my dear husband has nixed my plans on including the dog, and I sort of resent him for it. In reality, not having Red there is probably wise because he is getting older and much less brave, meaning he'd be attempting to tear down the tent to gain "protection" from his female pet-parent at odd times, but I'll miss having my buddy there with me. He won't be alone, however, as Dublin, the cat, will obviously be here, and Joe will be taking care of him.

Despite it all, it is exciting. Preparation has been surprisingly light and boring, too. Since we're going with other people I am not required to pack cooking utensils, every last ounce of food for us, all forms of nighttime entertainment AND light, etc. I am, however, in need of finding all my fly-fishing stuff (except my rod & reel because I know where they are) and some spin-cast stuff for my husband. That's proven to be a bit of a task because I haven't touched either since August of '05. Sad, very sad. The tent, sleeping bags, pillows, air mattresses, lanterns, coolers and emergency survival stuff are all set.

Corbie commented on her blog about being too wired. She was telling of her trip to Africa and discovering just how, well, wired we Americans truly are. I've never considered myself overly-wired, but I think I'm sort of jaded. Among other things to be taken camping will be the camera, of course, the laptop to dump the pictures onto, various iPods (which may, or may not be utilized), and the ever-present cell phones. I seriously doubt the latter will work where we're going, but it seems to be a permanent appendage to all of us now. The beauty of it all, though, is that I always end up taking the stuff with and rarely miss actually having real use of them. Hence I don't feel too wired.

Luke must be in a growth spurt. He has been much too happy to take a nap on a daily basis. There are moments when he's wide awake, only to be crashed out in a strange place or position the next. A few days ago found him stripping his lower half naked, climbing onto the couch, and taking a doze. What a goofball! Currently he has bounced across the room, crawled onto my lap, and promptly placed his head on my chest to snooze.

I am very pleased to report that he only has one more tooth to come in. It feels like it is working well and I estimate we only have another 10'ish days of misery for the boy. I can't wait! I only hope he will have this final tooth in before the end of the month so that he can fully enjoy his first foray into Vacation Bible School. He'll have more fun if he's not in pain. It's much easier to run around with the other kids that way....

Baby, Baby, Baby!

Finally! The moment I've been waiting for since mid-March! Fair warning, babies are sometimes difficult to photograph because they want to "help" you with the task.

It shouldn't have been quite that long of a wait, but the dates given for Mayb's breeding were wrong, so the wait was long. Turns out she was actually due mid-June. I joked that she'd foal while I was in the Black Hills...silly mare, she listened.

So, a cute and very big chestnut colt was born. He was kind of a surprise as mom didn't show labor signs and snuck a pasture foaling in. He's a pony, but he's got big bones and decent size to him...and he's a smart little bugger! He has the presence of his warmblood mom, but the braveness of his dad. It's a good combination and tells me what similarities I'd see if my own mare were bred (Maybs reminds me so very much of the Dustbuster). Being a boy, he's also very rough and rowdy. It cracks me up. He acts like my human baby!

Sandia was next to foal. She's a big Oldenburg mare visiting from out-of-state. She had gotten sick, came to one of the best clinics for horses around, and has ended up with the ponies for a while. She was bred to a European stallion and imported, so we knew this was going to be a nice baby. And she really is. A dark bay or black filly with long legs and a personality that just won't quit. She reminds me of her mom, whom I adore. She'll be a star in the ring.

Sorry, momma enjoyed a mud roll and the barn hadn't yet been cleaned.

Finally, Snappy was due. I've been dying to see this foal and wish I were in a position to have bought it in-utero because Snap is a very nice mare and the stallion is on-site. He's just the coolest and I love him. Even my mom exclaimed "this is a STALLION???" He's just so gentle, kind, and loveable. He's the one Luke runs to for pets and treats. So not only did this baby stand to be extremely fancy, it was going to be one with a great disposition. She certainly has exhibited all that was hoped for! This dainty grey filly was born July 1. She is extraordinary! Incredibly fancy, moves amazingly well, has a great disposition, and is very determined that the world revolves around only her. It's all on her terms. What a doll!

Watching these babies grow and getting the chance to work with them is going to be fantastic. I can't wait to see what they become.....

The 4th of July....

Our nation's Independence Day. The day we celebrate the United States gaining independence from Britain. What a fun day in summer! We have a very unique way of doing things here in Pueblo West. On the surface it appears just like any other town in the United States, but it's truly something else.

This year saw the return of the "wet" parade after a 2-year hiatus due to people being dangerous and dumb. It returned with threats of very stiff fines for breaking the rules. Everyone complied.

We moved here in 2006 and therefore have only witnessed the dry parades. It's just a little parade with the fire department, local tractor enthusiasts, local business owners, the little kids cheer and dance academy, the high school cheerleaders, and the like. Nothing fancy by any means. But it's just a little community thing. The return of the wet parade means that the parade was bigger....and full of water.

This event is unique enough that people come from all over the state, and some even from out of state, just to take part. Yesterday we met people who came from Oregon for this parade! I had even brought home one of the water troughs from the ponies just for the parade, at my next door neighbor's request. He needed a good water source for his super soaker. Other people showed up with kiddie pools in the backs of their vehicles. One little girl came with a spray bottle for hair...very cute.

The Lions Club holds a pancake breakfast before the parade each year. We've made a tradition of going. It was just Luke and I because daddy wasn't feeling real great. I couldn't believe what I saw! We had to take the parade route to the breakfast and it was already completely packed! My neighbors, Joe and Dave, had saved me a parking place, so very good. But I decided we'd skip breakfast this year because of how many people were there. Instead, we went home to grab a bite and check on daddy. He'd taken some allergy medicine, but wasn't up to doing the parade this year.

Finally, we headed to our spot with friends and started thinking on how to protect the camera. Those with camera equipment were off-limits of getting wet at this point, so I was safe for a little while. It was fun watching the community engage in mini-water fights before the parade began.

The first half of the parade is dry. It is for the beauty queens, little kids, old folks, animals...you get the idea. It was mild, just people cheering and waving for the day. Then a little break....just enough distance to not soak the last few dry portion participants.

That gave me enough time to toss the camera into the 4Runner and close the hatch. You see, the wet portion is led by the fire department and they take no mercy on who gets drenched.

Luke was sitting on the tailgate with Joe, who happens to be a volunteer firefighter and known to just about everyone here. I dashed over to him to cover his ears from the sirens. Silly me, so much for even attempting to stay dry! Joe let loose on the first firetruck with his super soaker and we had the hose turned on us. I was grateful the water wasn't absolutely freezing and could only sit there holding Luke's ears while rolling with laughter. My wonderful boy, who isn't fazed by much and loves water, just sat there getting drenched with a "huh, this is different" look.

Just a moment ago I mentioned the entire community taking part in mini-water fights. With this portion of the parade the entire community was taking part in the biggest water fight I have ever seen! Nobody was safe, everyone was involved, and it was just a blast! Even Fort Carson sent a few vehicles and soldiers down. One vehicle was in the dry portion, the other three were wet. So were the soldiers. What great sports! I did manage to safely get a few pictures of the action, but it wasn't easy. Snap a shot, turn around and protect the camera from the water being dumped on me. Snap a shot, turn around and protect the camera. Snap a shot, turn around and protect the camera while the toddler is trying to grab it away. It took a little talent!

The parade over we all took a few moments to attempt a bit of drying off. I say attempt because there was still plenty of water around. Joe's wife, Suzy, did a fantastic job of remaining dry through the morning's activities. Dave took no pity on her and dumped a water-cooler bottle over her head. Twice. Poor Suze! But her grandkids thought it was great!

Lesson learned for next year: WEAR A BATHING SUIT!

Luke and I headed home, enjoyed time with daddy, who was feeling better, played more in the pool outside, grilled up burgers, pitched the tent in the backyard (sans rain sheet...that would come later), set off a few of our fireworks (which, ironically, we bought from our Jehovah's Witness neighbor, whose kids participated with us), then ventured off to the community display. It was in a new place, much closer to the house, much easier to view, and much more enjoyable.

I love my son. He is enthusiastically unfazed by everything. He slept through the community display. He didn't even twitch for the grand finale! He has yet to see a full display. It cracks me up. But he did wake up when I put his pajamas on and watched the remainder of our little fireworks. Then it was time to camp in our yard. We got to bed late, watched a ton of fireworks through the windows, crashed pretty hard, and woke to a shining morning. It was a wonderful holiday!