My new countertops!

After 17 years, we finaly upgraded our countertops from the laminate to granite.  I honestly don't know why we waited so long, it looks fabulous!  I am so happy with the way it turned out, we also changed the faucet in our sink, it was so old and worn out.  I even took pleasure in cleaning out all the bottom cupboards and throwing old stuff away, almost like a new kitchen and I am HAPPY!

Still missing you Booner Moon Doggie...

Booner

To My Buddy

The  years we had together were not nearly enough, I always thought you'd be with me forever.  You were loyal, protective, loving and obedient, forever the faithful guard and companion.  I miss you every day my friend.  I still look for you to go walking with me and to sit by me when the worry of the world is just to much to bear alone.  I miss your eyes, the way your tail rotated when you ran, the big spot on your tongue and the talking, you were such a big talker.  I only hope that you are running free through the fields and flowers some where beautiful and that every once in awhile you turn and look for me too.  I love you buddy and miss you more than you can ever know. 

Some Sister Time

Love this shot, me and Beanie in Rocky Mountain National Park.  We had a really fun day poking around in Estes Park.  We both took a lot of pictures, some good and some that will never see the light of day.  Here's a couple more...

Love this shot of my sweet sister, she's the best!

And another great shot of the Bean Blossom

The two of us at the end of what looks like a really long log!  I love the sky in the background.  It was an incredible day, the weather was perfect and it just added to the awesome company.  So much fun to just spend a day doing whatever catches your fancy.

We ate hamburgers for lunch at this joint on the main drag in Estes, not too bad.

We watched a glass blower make a very cool candy dish.  It was amazing how hot it would get when he'd pull that glass out of the furnace.  It was something like a 120 degrees in there where he was working.  Very cool to see a master working.  I am mezmerized by the colors and swirls of the glass.

No trip is complete without a little retail therapy...

Or a drive by of the famous Stanley Hotel where "The Shining" was filmed

And topping off the trip to Estes was the lady walking around with the chicken hat.  I tried to get a good picture but it's hard to sneak when you have a huge camera!  It was a super fun day, I loved every bit of it.

Later, Gator!

Lake Tahoe

My work travels are taking me to some pretty cool places.  I got to spend 4 days in beautiful Lake Tahoe.  This is a picture from a hike around Spooner Lake, love the reflection of the clouds in the lake.

This is Hannah, she's the daughter of my bank client from Pennsylvania, go figure that the PA bankers are holding their annual conference in NV, I'm not complaining!

A picture of me on my perch overlooking Lake Tahoe, boy did I want to fly that day.  I tried to get a plane, but it was hot so the flight school didn't want the planes going up.  I would have killed to land a float plane on the lake, someday!

I did get my feet in the water and it was COLD!  Beautiful scenery, and a great place to reconnect with the rhythm of the soul.

Moment of silence

I don't know how to post a quiet moment, so I will share a quick reflection.  As the days have led up to the 10th anniversary, I have watched and listened to a lot of stories from different aspects of lives that were affected that day.  I know where I was and the impact it made on me, but I am blown away at the all the things I never even thought about, the kids going to school near ground zero, the people consumed by fire balls as the elevators opened, all the people that made the decision to jump, the kids (babies) that will never see a parent, the people calling loved ones to tell them good bye and one lone tree that survived the towers coming down around it.  The tree was taken to a park in NJ and nursed back to health, during the recovery, it was also hit by a bolt of lightning, it is now growing at ground zero, one side scarred, and one side full and beautiful a memorial in itself to the resilience of the human spirit.

Hoss

One last attempt at getting both ears to stand up straight....tried and failed, love you floppy Hossie!

Okoboji

Time to try and get caught up! This is Okoboji Iowa, I was a little nervous about a resort in the corn fields of Iowa, but hey (or hay), it was where my conference season for work was kicking off, so who am I to question? This is a picture from the amusement park on Lake Okoboji.


Just a couple of blocks from the hotel was the local airport, or airstrip. Only in Iowa would you see the big bails of hay sitting on the side, pretty funny and very Midwest.

Sunset over Lake Okoboji was spectacular!

Sunset over the corn field wasn't bad either except that its was SO HUMID! I about died after climbing out of the air conditioning in the car to take a couple shots from the roadside, the air was so thick it hung like fog and quickly fogged the camera lens. Both pictures are along the road outside of town.


The most amazing thing about the Midwest is the fireflies, to me they are so magical. I tried hard to get a picture, but I couldn't get a good one, plus I was so mesmerized that I just put the camera down and watched. That is one of the coolest things I think I've ever seen! And one last shot from the patio of my hotel room. The week I was there they had gotten 8 inches of rain. I thought for the first day or two that this lake was supposed to be there, until I realized that the trees probably shouldn't have been growing in the middle, I know, very observant on my part....