Welcome to the farm

More babies leaving the nest

2012-01-26T12:22:00.001-07:00

After today we will only have 2 puppies left, by the end of the weekend, probably none. We are so fortunate that we have found good homes and great families for them. I feel really good about where everyone has gone and have gotten pictures and updates back from almost everyone. Here is the latest departures

Our Red Boy chillaxing with Bruce right before...

His new owners picked him up. He is going to live in Nebraska with Walker, shes' a student at University of Nebraska in Lincoln. Mom is on the right, her dad used to be my Doctor in Kiowa.

And today Pinky Tuscadero will become Molly Brown and move to Larkspur, CO. Such a joy to have them in my home for a short while .

"Molly"

Fun with my sister

2012-01-20T22:23:00.000-07:00

My heart is always happy when my big sis comes to visit for a few days. It always seems like we will have so much time but the time goes by so quickly. We spent a lot of time with the puppies, going to the vet getting them ready to go to new homes, putting me back together when I would totally fall apart, loving and playing with them. I know she thinks she's not a dog person, but I beg to differ. Animals instinctively know good people and they loved her.

Two of my favorites!

We went to the National Western Stock Show where I think Karen was astounded at the cows being bathed, combed, clipped, puffed and prepared for show. It's quite the operation and something to ponder...these cows are pampered like movie stars at a spa, crazy!

Chilling in the cow barn

Look close at the cows tail, they tease the end and spray it, kind of looks like cotton candy and the bigger the poof, the better. We stayed until the people got so thick we couldn't move through the aisles. We only touch a fraction of what was there to see.

We finished this awesome project too. I had an old frame in the garage that we cleaned up. We went to Home Depot and bought a full big smooth board (can't remember what the heck it was called" they sawed it into smaller pieces for me so out of one board I got 5 big pieces. Next we painted the board with chalk board paint and then glued it to the framed and hung it. It turned out so great and now I still have the other boards that we painted that I can either use in other places like my office and my hangar, but you could cut smaller pieces, use smaller frames and use them for gifts or classrooms, kitchens, you name it. We were both happy with how it all turned out. Just a hint that garage sales and thrift stores are great places for cheap frames.

Of course we made jewelry, Karen is a machine when it comes to stringing and she made some really pretty pieces that we didn't take pictures of, maybe she will and post them on her blog. It was a really fun few days and I just love having that kind of one on one time with my soul sista. Love you Karen!

Bitter Sweet Times

2012-01-20T21:52:00.001-07:00

The past few days have been just that, bitter sweet. Our puppies have been finding their way into great families and while I am happy and grateful for that, each one takes a piece of my heart. Our Blue Boy and our Orange Boy are now gone. Here are the really happy new families

Orange Boy who has been renamed Bacchus

Blue Boy who has been renamed Boston

Our congratulations to the new "parents" I'll post updated pictures of them in the near future. I like the Winnie the Pooh quote that fits so well..."I will carry your heart in my heart, forever"

Fun in the snow

2012-01-16T13:26:00.000-07:00

Very fun taking the puppies for a walk with Hoss, I'm not sure who enjoys it more!

Full Moon over the Plains

2012-01-10T07:45:00.002-07:00

Caught this as I was driving home a couple of nights ago, it makes you stop in your tracks and watch in awe, the miracle of the place we call home.

Coming up over the rise

Another shot over the trees

I wish I had my real camera and not my phone, these would have been a lot clearer, but you get the idea.

Mellow Yellow's New Family

2012-01-07T20:16:00.001-07:00

The Reinhardt's came out today to select their new puppy. They seem to be a great family who lost their German Shepherd a few months back. It was both fun and gut wrenching to watch the selection process, they were so torn between all the puppies. They wanted a female so that narrowed it to 5, and I had sent pictures to them a couple days before so they thought they were going to pick the light green girl with the long coat. After a long discussion between mom, dad and the 2 teen age daughters, we started to eliminate choices to help make it easier. In the end Yellow Girl actually picked them and it was a match made in Heaven. Being a little psychic, I actually knew somehow that Yellow would be leaving us today. I was sad and happy at the same time. She is going to a good home in Evergreen, CO and with any luck we will get to see pictures of her every now and again. Happy Trails and good sniffing Wellow, Wellow!

I love the smiles, they are so happy to have a new family member and called when they got home to let us know they had all made it ok. Here's to wishing them a restful night's sleep :-)

New Digs

2011-12-31T15:08:00.002-07:00

Yesterday we moved all 9 puppies to a stall in the barn. They are getting so big and their space in the basement was getting too small. It was a hard day, I'd like to say it was hard on them because they are so attached to me, but the truth is it is the other way around. I cried a bunch and worried a lot, I worked myself into a real tizzy and by the end of the day I was physically sick, yep puking and everything. After the first bout with the porcelain throne around 10:30 pm, I went out to the barn to check on them and make sure they were warm enough. We had set it up so they were corralled with hay bales under the heat lamp, but the little poops had found a hole in the hay and were all bunched up outside the corral next to the stall door...I was heartsick. So I got everyone back under the light, fixed the bales and then laid down in the straw and paper shavings with them, they all piled on top of me in a real dog pile, it was nice and I cried again. We stayed that way for probably a half hour or so and then the urge to purge took over again, so I carefully unpiled everyone and headed for the house. To say the least, I was a total mess, puking, crying, worrying and all for nothing. This morning everyone was fine and happy to see me. I just miss hearing them and knowing they are right downstairs. And yes, it is time for them to start leaving for new homes, so I will have to find a good way to detach, but it ain't going to be easy.

7 Weeks and the count down begins

2011-12-26T12:39:00.002-07:00

Yesterday, yes on Christmas day, we spent a rowdy time taking pictures of the puppies. They are looking more like litle dogs now and the size of the ears on some of them should be a little tell-tale sign of how big they might get, as well as some of the paws. I want to do a new shoot since for me the light is too bright and there is too much distracting crap in the backgrounds on some of the pictures, but my hubby loves his bedroom, so to get his help, I have to concede something. Anyway, enjoy and pick your favorite. We are hoping to solidify buyers in the next couple of weeks so they will be leaving the nest shortly.

Little Boy Blue

Brown Girl (Stretch)

Yellow Girl and friend Rocky

My Little Red Boy

Purple Girl, her ears kill me!

Pinky Tuscadero

My Sweet Orange Boy, he is the sweetest puppy ever!

Light Green (Spring) Alpha Female

Dark Green female (second sweetest, but tied with Pinky)

Cha Cha Cha Changes...

2011-12-22T20:58:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted updated pictures for a few days, but my life has been filled with, feeding, cleaning, playing, feeding and so on. They are growing fast and are topping out at about 13 lbs as of today. Dira weaned them at 5 weeks which was the 10th, so keeping a feeding schedule and keeping them happy is a full time job. I brought a couple of them upstairs to get Bruce to help me and they promptly dog piled on him biting his ears, they are quick and the teeth are sharp as heck. I wish this shot would have been a little sharper, but you get an idea of how big they are getting. This is Spring, the light green female, the Alpha dog and the biggest of the litter.

The Alpha in the pack, surprising since you would think it would be a male. She is also most likely going to be a plushie, long coat like her mom.

This is the dark green male, he's a little smaller by maybe 8 oz. and a slick coat like his dad. He was so intent and interested in the TV. Just like his master, Bruce.

Watching Fox News like he knows what's going on. It was the only time he held still, too funny!

Me and the dark green male, so sweet when you have them solo, they just cuddle up, but put them with the other siblings and all heck breaks loose. I really love these little critters, it has been such a blessing to have them in my home. I wish I could bottle the sweetness that is puppy love. It will be a sad day, or maybe just a bitter sweet day when they leave us.

5 Weeks goes by too quickly

2011-12-10T17:50:00.001-07:00

It's 5 weeks and I can't believe it has been that long, seems like a blur really. A couple days ago we moved the puppies to their new crib in the basement, lots more room to run and poop. They are right under our bedroom so I can hear them at night, mostly when they are playing or barking at each other. They are really developing personalities and the play is non-stop, but of course so is the growling and the barking. There is always someone being dragged around by a tail, ear, leg or something. I am loving every second of it and drinking it all in as they will begin to leave the nest in 3 short weeks. Here are the 5 week solo shots. Pick your favorite!

Blue Male

Brown Female (Stretch)

Dark Green Female

Light Green Female (Spring)

Orange Male

Pinky Tuscadero - Female

Purple - Female

Red - Male

Yellow - Female

4 Weeks and growing like weeds

2011-12-05T07:36:00.001-07:00

We tried to take offical pictures yesterday, but our subjects were a little unruly. It was fun but we will need to try again. Hard to keep them all in check, not let anyone fall off the bed and try to keep as much of my hands and head out of the picture. Hope these make you smile.

Makin' a break for it!

2011-12-03T17:34:00.001-07:00

The mupsters will be 4 week old tomorrow, I can't believe how quickly they are growing! We've graduated to milk replacer with rice pudding to keep their little (big) bellies full inbetween nursing on poor mom. They are also big enough that most of them can shimmy their way over the barricade now, not sure what the next move will need to be, stay tuned!

Cute little farts

dito!

One of my favorite things

2011-12-02T20:15:00.001-07:00

Need I say more?

3 weeks old!

2011-11-29T23:05:00.001-07:00

Its so hard to get good pictures because if they are not sacked out, they are constantly moving. They are growling, playing, barking (a lot), peeing (a lot) and driving their momma crazy. I've spoiled her a bit because I will go in and rub her while she is feeding them, which sometimes is the only way to get her in there and it is out of desperation on my part because they start barking and crying and carrying on and it gets pretty loud and heart breaking, so I take 15 and go sit with them, rewarding for me though, it is very serene and the puppies all come lay on me for a few minutes after they get done eating. It also provides some comic relief, they are on a mission when they are trying to find something to eat and since there are 9 of them there is always one that is not getting a dinner plate so the competition is fierce! I'll try to get a video but Dira hates the camera so when I bring it out she gets up and leaves...

Turkey Day

2011-11-29T22:52:00.001-07:00

Started with a picture of me and one of my puppies...

Then it was off to the Anderson/Cantrell home for dinner. This is Josh and his new fiance Kristen, they live together in a great old home in downtown Denver. They are getting married in June and she is a great addition to the family, I LIKE her!

The 2 love birds cooked most of the turkey dinner. There was a slight snaffu with the stove not working, but Josh came through (executed and all) and got it fixed.

Here is the Josh man carving the bird, nice job on the cooking and the carving! I have to say I was impressed which isn't an easy thing....

Our lovely hostess, Kristen preparing the table, she also painted the picture above the fireplace.

The booger eaters...aka the grandsons. You'll have to trust me on the rest because this is where the picture taking ended. It was a fabulous dinner, I wish I had gotten a picture of everyone. Kirsten's mom and sister were also there and they are very cool as well. Since the boys were there you have to surmise that Mike and Heather were also there along with Bruce who came with me. All in all a great day.

The Gingerbread Challenge

2011-11-27T16:32:00.001-07:00

Getting to be a tradition to have the contest at Thanksgiving. This year was a little easier because it happened a couple days later and the houses were already assembled. I think our sweet street turned out pretty darn good.

Me and Bruce collaborated on the one on the right hand side.

Some of the design crew, I guess I could have smiled....

Josh with one of the puppies, they are 3 weeks old today! I gotta say that Josh found a pretty neat gal to marry, she has already made a lot of difference in the dynamics and I really had fun this year. He is marrying Kristen Cantrell in June of 2012. I'll load some turkey day pictures up later so you can see her too. I really like her mom and sister, good people and she makes Josh so much more open and fun to be around, i say YEA for Kristen!

Great Movie

2011-11-23T22:00:00.001-07:00

Just watched this movie, it was awesome, gave me a lot to think about. I highly recommend it to everyone, including kids. Don't miss the deleted scenes at the end, it will touch you in ways you didn't know were possible. See more at www.buckthemovie.com

Puppy Pod

2011-11-22T07:50:00.001-07:00

Birthday Parties

2011-11-21T22:25:00.001-07:00

This weekend marked the birthdays of 2 of my favorite guys. First Bruce, aka Skid turned 64! Not sure why I couldn't get a clear picture, but this one is pretty good of the birthday boy and his daughter.

Earlier in the day we celebrated with 150 of Joe's closest friends at his 70th birthday! How cool is it to have a P-51 Mustang as a party decoration? Joe is the tall cowboy with the light blue shirt.

Happy birthday guys!

Puppy Love

2011-11-19T08:22:00.001-07:00

Sharing some of the most precious pictures this morning. They are starting to open their eyes and their legs are getting long enough that they can walk (like drunk sailors) instead of scooting. This is Pinky Tuscadero.

Check out the little eye! She was the first to look at the world.

Little purple girl in full howl!

Yellow in chill mode

Gives you an idea of how much they have grown in 13 days

They are all good size, but there are a couple of gals that are bigger than the rest, this is Stretch

Momma Dira, she's such a good mom. It's hard to get everyone fed at once, they are just getting to big.

The whole crew, this is how we roll!

Oh Hurricane High!

2011-11-18T07:14:00.001-07:00

Go...Big Red...Fight, Uh Huh! Go Big Red, Fight Big Black, Do it Do it, Alright ALRIGHT! They Came they played and they conquered! Hurricane is the State Champ 3A Football team, wow am I proud to be from Hurricane right now! Congratulations to the Tigers! Long live the RED and BLACK!

Fav Pics of the Day

2011-11-15T11:36:00.001-07:00

A couple Anne Geddes moments...

One of the boys

napping at it's best!

Purple girl

The whole gang after I changed their bedding, they love the soft blanket, I guess it feels like mom.

Big roar!

They gravitate to puppy pods, most likely to keep warm and feel safe, they are so cute and cuddly when they are sleeping, but boy does it get noisy when it's time to eat!

A side note today, Sadie is at the vet having stupid porcupine quills pulled from her back leg. Last night when I let her and Hoss out of the kennel to bring them into the garage, they took off down the pasture like they usually do to finish up their business before they go to bed, they were only gone a couple of minutes, but Sadie came limping back. I think they must have caught the scent but in their excitement I'm guessing that Sadie didn't see it quick enough and tried to jump over it. I've never seen them in the back legs and not in the snout. She did have one impaled in her tongue, looked like that one really hurt. Thanks goodness the vet is near by, I tried pulling some last night, got about 30 before she had just had enough. There were probably another 50 or more in her leg and it looked to be from a young one because the quills weren't very big. Dang stupid porcupines!

One week and growing like weeds

2011-11-13T17:59:00.001-07:00

For all of you who wondered whether I climbed into the box to snuggle the puppies....

...well, duh! Wouldn't you?

Pure contentment!

Love those little paws and faces!

yep, just enough room for the 11 of us!

11.11.11

2011-11-11T06:14:00.001-07:00

Precious packages

2011-11-10T12:20:00.001-07:00

The pictures say it all....

Puppy Update

2011-11-09T10:55:00.004-07:00

This morning started really early, 4:15 a.m. which is really uncivilized. I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep so I got up and took Dira out for a walk. She was very grateful, I think she gets tired just laying in there all day and all night, plus her need to hunt for cats and other small creatures has returned. So a quick walk with Dira, then she's back with the mupsters, next is Tessie, Sadie and Hoss while I feed horses. It was still too dark for the first walk, so I went back in for a quick nap, a little work and then back out with Dira for another walk, then back in with the mupsters, then back out for the morning walk with the 3 musketeers. It is still only about 15 degrees but the sun is coming up finally so it will start to warm up. Now everyone is happy, walked, fed, rubbed, grubbed and in their individual spots.

Another half hour or so of email, another quick nap, breakfast, a shower and it still was just barely hitting 9:00 a.m. Time for the first conference call (that didn't happen) so I can finish drying my hair and think about taking Dira out one more time before I run to the post office and Walmart (need yarn to replace the ribbons on the puppies, they are already getting tight). Later today I need to finish module #3 of gem identification which means looking through the refractometer, hopefully a stop at the chiropractor and finishing up the advertising campaign for the high school seniors. Should be a good day.

The mupsters are growing and they move so fast and so much it is hard to get a good picture. I tried holding one but he was squirming and yelping so that won't work. But at least you can start to see the shapes taking form and the markings coming out on them.

The one with the blue ribbon is a boy, and a chunk, needless to say they are eating well!

Hannah is happy because I fixed it so she can get in my office again so she comes in and torments me and the plants. She's pretty curious about all the sounds coming from the laundry room, speaking of those sounds, they are pretty sweet.

On another note, Bruce got home last night and was so excited to see the puppies that he tripped stepping over the gate and on his way down he grabbed onto the door frame and cut his hand on the striker plate. As he hit the floor he let out a bad word or two but he is going to be ok. And it needs to be said that when I was up at 4:30 taking care of dogs, cats and horses, he was still snoozing, this is something that will need to be rectified.

Passing the critical time

2011-11-08T11:55:00.000-07:00

It's day 3 and everything seems to be going well. Puppies are eating, moving around a lot, making funny noises, pooping and growing. So I am starting to relax a little bit feeling that everything is going the way it should. Bruce has been gone for the past week and will be home tonight, I am excited for him to see the new additions. One big surprise is the unbelievable amount of laundry! I have been changing the bedding to keep it clean and dry, this morning I hacked up a mattress topper made of memory foam to line the bottom of the bed and I think everyone is much happier. But still it takes a ton of towels to keep these critters clean and dry and smelling sweet.

And have I mentioned the balancing act keeping Hannah from being eaten by Dira while they are both in the house? I have to keep a gate up even though it probably wouldn't stop Dira for even a second. This morning I caught Hannah perched on the back of the couch so she could watch over the top of the gate to see what all the commotion is about, not a very safe thing to do. Also, when I take Dira outside, all the other dogs must be contained, it is just too scary at this point and I don't need any mishaps. So I start planning first thing in the morning, around 5:30, Dira goes out first and comes back in, then Hoss and Sadie can go out and Tessie too if she wants. Before I can take Dira out again mid morning, Hoss, Sadie and Tess must be kenneled or in the garage, even though Dira can only stand to be away from her puppies for 2 minutes, max! It's cold here too so I have to get all bundled in my snow suit with my gloves, hat and shoes on before I hook Dira to the leash and head out, yesterday I didn't have time and couldn't find my gloves, so ended up doing chores without them, the girl cannot wait once she's ready to go to the bathroom.

Day 2

2011-11-07T10:17:00.003-07:00

The happy momma, she's such a good girl and she is stellar as a new mom. Everyone made it through the night and are growing already, the ribbons correspond to the birth order. Seems I need to get to the store and stock up, they will outgrow the ones they have on shortly.

I believe this is where the term "belly up to the bar" came from. These guys can eat! So you can gauge the size, that is her paw in the forground, they are all good sized, about a lb. at birth, no runts and pretty uniform in size and color. The last 2 were probably the biggest, at least they looked bigger, we are calling the last girl born, Stretch, she resembled a weiner dog, but she's already filled out her long skinny body. She went right to the trough and made up for lost time.

Dira Delivers to the 9's!

2011-11-06T22:56:00.002-07:00

Wow what a day! Dira delivered 9 beautiful puppies in about 3 1/2 hours. All are healthy and mom is doing great! The miracle of new life and all that goes with the birth of animals is pretty incredible. How do they know to do the things they need to do? I was so grateful that Dira's instinct kicked in right from the start, I wouldn't have known to do everything that need to be done, but she did. 3 boys and 6 girls, not bad for a days work. So grateful for miracles and so grateful to be a witness to such a spiritual event, what a way to spend a Sunday! Congratulations Dira and your new family!

The nap after the last one was delivered, whew!

Who are all these strange little creatures and why do they keep calling me momma?

Puppy Update

2011-11-05T20:44:00.000-06:00

Mom, here's the Hannah "Special Delivery" picture. She's not at all happy about having a dog camping out in the laundry room.....

We have reached the "safe to deliver" time, so I am grateful for that. Dira is due, huge and uncomfortable. Hoping for a safe and uneventful delivery. I haven't really ever midwived puppies, so I hope I can at least help and not get in the way. Fingers crossed, I will post pictures when the puppies are safely here.

The Last of Fall

2011-11-02T20:53:00.002-06:00

I'm mourning the end of Fall today. It snowed almost a foot last night and it's pretty darn cold out there tonight. So enjoy some shots from around the Elizabeth and Frantown areas from a couple weeks ago.

Elizabeth Creek

The bridge at Castlewood Canyon

Castlewood Canyon

A friend joining me for the picture taking session

A cool cruiser at Centennial. So long Fall!

The Steel City

2011-10-29T18:13:00.000-06:00

Well, as my journeys continue, I was in Pittsburgh this past week and delightfully surprised. I guess I though it would be all ugly factories and stuff but at least the parts I saw, were nothing like I had pictured in my mind. I was there for a work conference so I didn't get to poke around as much as I would have liked, but did get some great shots of places around the hotel where I stayed at Station Square.

This is an old part of a steam engine, kind of cool with the city skyline in the background. Right behind the engine was the train tracks and I gotta say, I love the sound of trains.

This is the end of the bridge leading across the river. I loved the columns and the ivy growing on the front, very story book looking.

Well, it's not the Belagio fountains but it was pretty cool and instead of Sinatra it was set to classic rock, hello Guns and Roses! I sat and watched for a long time, the night time temperature was perfect and just behind me is the Hard Rock Cafe, perfect for a little hot chocolate and people watching.

The bridge at night was pretty spectacular!

I hoofed it across the bridge to get a picture looking back at Station Square. If you look to the left of the picture you will see 2 rows of blue lights going vertical. That is the famous Incline. It is a rail car that basically goes straight up the mountain behind the lights and then you see the row of lights (homes and businesses) along the top of the hill. Of course we had to ride the Incline, it would have been unPittsburgian not too.

The city from the top of the Incline

These pictures are inside the old train station, it was incredible! The stained glass was so amazing, the pictures just don't do it justice.

3 Rivers Stadium where the Pittsburgh Steelers play (ok it's now called PNC Park, whatever!)

I loved the lights reflecting off the water, we were on a big boat motoring up the river. This was the best part of the conference, by far!

The Eagle has Landed

2011-10-18T18:50:00.001-06:00

From my recent Minnesota trip, finally able to edit some photos. I was flying the Cub and we had to dodge him as he came in for a landing in the tree. We took several passes to get the pictures and it didn't seem to bother him, he just watched from his perch. Tom is flying I am snapping the shots.

Dresden, OH

2011-10-16T18:26:00.001-06:00

The home of the Longeberger Basket Company. This place was nuts for baskets, I didn't really understand why the ladies were so crazy for the baskets and why they are so expensive but I'm hoping Patty GB sees this and sheds a little light. The town was very quaint, I got there with about 1hour before the stores all closed and too late for a tour of the actual factory, so will have to go back again and get my basket on!

One of the basket shops

and another one that had retired baskets

Inside one of the shops...

That's one big picnic basket!

It would have been a lot of fun and very interesting to get to go on a tour, I just didn't know about this place even though I had heard of the baskets. For sure this will be on my list of places to visit. Anyone want to go?

Fall in Ohio

2011-10-15T20:00:00.001-06:00

I Have been so lucky to have experienced at least 3 Falls this year, Colorado's came and went pretty fast, but I also got to see Minnesota and now here are pictures from my trip last week to Ohio. I flew into Columbus and drove east for and hour to Zanesville. These are pictures along the way.

The window of the church was incredible

The whole church

A very cool headstone in the cemetary next to the church

The long and winding road...

Loved the barns!

A cool surprise in the high school parking lot that I just happened to pull into to turn around, who knew?

I love the reflection in the water, very cool!

Another surprise, these were just sitting in a field - wish I knew the story. Check out the deer to the left of the chopper.

I would love to do some shots on tracks like this, I love trains and this was a fun photo stop.

The Veterans Memorial in Zanesville

The City Building in Zanesville

Something that reaaly struck me in this small city was all the different churches. I drove around looking at them and can't believe that I don't have one stinkin' picture. Next time! Another thing I discovered was the Bob Evan's restaurant. I have seen them in my travels but never stopped at one. s starving and decided to stop for breakfast, I had french toast with blueberries, it was INCREDIBLE! I'll be stopping in there again for sure.

Another shot

2011-10-10T20:16:00.001-06:00

Since we all liked that last picture, here's another one. I think Bruce was shocked!

A Rare Thing

2011-10-08T21:12:00.001-06:00

I just like this picture, wish life was just this simple....

We're expecting!

2011-10-06T22:31:00.003-06:00

Well, if all works out...Dira should be expecting puppies around November 9! So exciting and something good to look forward too. No Hoss is not the dad, he's still maturing and has all the moves but just doesn't quite get the connections made, maybe next time around. Dad is a beautiful male named Vito.

Should be gorgeous puppies, I'm already trying to prepare myself so I won't want to keep all of them, but it will be tough!

Vito

Leave it to Beaver

2011-10-02T17:55:00.000-06:00

When I first thought about flying float planes, I found this plane and its owner on the web. Until last week, we had talked and emailed, I was surprised to run into John and the Beaver at the end of my flying day. This is a gorgeous plane with a long history. It is a 1957 DeHavilland Beaver, they don't make them any more so you are very lucky if you get to own one. They sound even better than they look. When John finished flying for the day it was just getting dusk, he asked me if I wanted to go up for a quick flight, you don't have to ask me twice, I was in the right seat so fast his head was spinning. After we took off, he handed the plane over to me and I flew for a bit, what a great experience and the perfect end to an already incredible day.

Getting ready to put her in the water.

Taxiing out to the channel

Beautiful in the sun streaks

In flight against the setting sun

On final approach

We have a successful touchdown

A very proud and excited papa! Watching John watch his plane and seeing the sheer joy he had at hearing the engine, seeing it come in for a landing or any minute part of his plane's existance was contageous. He was giddy with excitement and it made us all giggle and remember why we like flying and being around flying so much.

My turn at the controls, check out the grin...

Bringing her in for the night

John said that flying the Beaver was almost better than sex...he is almost right. Me and the guys, the smiles say it all.

Flying the Northland

2011-10-01T12:52:00.000-06:00

Another picture perfect day flying float planes off Lake Superior in Duluth, MN. I wish I was closer so I could do it more often. I flew twice on Wednesday and the morning was the best ever. Some shots from the cockpit.

This is before the first take off of the day on a seriously calm lake. This is what is referred to as glassy water. Very difficult to land on it simply because it is hard to gauge where the water actually is in relation to the plane without waves. It is deceptive because it is so calm and so clear.

Me and my instructor, Tom Sullivan. I lucked on to flying with him, he's kind of a rock star in the world of flying and float flying. He's been a great instructor and I like him a lot as a friend.

First pass over the landing spot on the lake making sure I know where the sand bars, boats, islands and rocks are. Glassy water and check out the changing fall colors, simply beautiful!

I practiced cross wind landings around this point taking off and landing on one float. It was a lot of fun and I got pretty good at it. Check out the house in the background.

Here's the close up. Pretty nice place, this might need to go on my vision board. What an awesome place to get away too. With the economy in the toilet these homes are pretty inexpensive, so who knows, I guess you can never say never...

On to the next lake and landing spot, as you can see the lakes are just one right after the next. So beautiful and this is one of my favorite shots from the day. Yes I am flying and have one hand on the stick!

This guy or gal has the right idea! Check out the plane at the end of the dock.

The shadow is me flying in the Cub, very serene.

The bald eagle sitting in this tree didn't seem to bothered by us making several passes for pictures. We saw a handful of bald eagles and for me it was pretty exciting. From what Tom said, they are the only bird that holds their ground and does not get out of the way of the plane so you have to be watching, guess someone told them they are protected!

Another shadow shot of the Cub as we prepare to head back to Lake Superior. What an awesome flight! I could have stayed up much longer, but the rest of the learning has to get done in the time I have.

Heading back across the farms to finish up before lunch. I feel so grateful for the opportunities I have to travel and experience so many great places. Both times I have been in Duluth it has been spectacular as far as the weather. After lunch we headed back to the plane to finish getting me ready for my check ride which is scheduled for 7:00 am the next morning. After a great morning, I SUCK in the afternoon. The only thing that went right was my emergency landings. I was getting tired I guess, it takes a lot of strength, especially in the right arm to continually take off and land the Cub. By the end of the day I have probably done 35 or so take offs and landings. On the last one, I just could not physically hold the stick back, so Tom took over and we just did some fun flying. He showed me some maneuvers he does as practice and I must say that practice makes perfect.

Next post I'll put up some pictures from the late day fun flight in the Beaver. But to wrap this post up, in the middle of the night the rain started, the wind was howling and it was pretty evident that I would not be doing my check ride on this trip. Part of me was grateful for that because I was so tired from all the flying the day before. It also creates the necessity to go back to Duluth at least one more time to finish up and hang out with the guys up there, which I enjoyed immensely.

My new countertops!

2011-09-25T18:14:00.001-06:00

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...

2011-09-20T18:34:00.000-06:00

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

2011-09-15T22:43:00.001-06:00

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

2011-09-15T22:16:00.001-06:00

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

2011-09-11T13:56:00.000-06:00

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

2011-09-07T15:05:00.000-06:00

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

Okoboji

2011-09-02T22:04:00.000-06:00

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....

What my dad really thinks about shopping....

2011-07-09T16:53:00.001-06:00

A picture is worth a 1000 words...

A Real Fly-In Experience

2011-07-09T16:21:00.012-06:00

The annual Kelly Airpark fly-in was this morning, but because of the wind and heat we decided to just drive over. Dad made some yummy cinnamon rolls last night that we took with us and they were devoured in like 15 seconds! It was fun to walk around and see all the great and different airplanes, this was the favorite, a Howard. There are only 6-8 of these left in the world, this is a $2mm airplane, YIKES!

This beautiful yellow machine is a T-6 (at least I think) We watched him take off and it was thrilling to hear and feel the rumble of the big engines.

And one more, you Hurricane Tigers will love the black and red. I loved this plane just because of the paint job, it was beautiful!

And a shot down the flight line just so you get an idea of how many people show up. Guess I should have taken a picture of the 100 people eating pancakes in the hangar...

Notable was that we saw 3, count em' 3 planes land a foot or two short of the paved runway, what's so hard about making that last foot with a strong cross wind and a bazillion people watching? Pretty astonishing, something I've never seen before at one of these, lucky there were any mishaps...

As soon as we got back, some of us decided a nap was in order. Hannah, ever the joiner was happy to have napping buddies. Tonight - Mexican food!

Happy Independence Month!

2011-07-04T09:14:00.001-06:00

If we just contain it to a day, I will miss it, so celebrating all month long! I think a lot lately about the state of affairs we find ourselves in as a nation, first let me say that I am still grateful and proud to be an American. I do find it pretty distressing though that our country as a whole has dimished in stature, self respect and overall goodness. This past week I was traveling through Illinois again and took a few pictures that I will share in a later post, but this one made me smile. It is what the old Dairy Freeze in Hurricane used to be, a place to hang out in the evening for kids and families. This drive in was in Effingham, IL it smelled heavenly and had I not just eaten some healthy salad down the road, I would have loved to have dinner and a little slice of nostaglia here...next time!

Mountain Meadows

2011-06-14T18:47:00.003-06:00

One thing that has been on my list to see and experience is the site of the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Mom and Dad were gracious about taking us out there even though it was an unusually cold day. The pictures are from the momument at the site. Something like 140 people lost their lives there and it is still controversial about what happened. You have to grieve fo those who died and also for those who followed orders to take their lives. I'm sure this will all get sorted out somewhere but it does make you stop and think.

Next we headed over the mountain on a dirt road, we stopped at this historical farm, the Baker Place which was cool. Getting back in Big Red to continue down the road we realized very quickly that we had a problem with out brakes and that we probably wasn't going anywhere. A very nice guy and his wife stopped to help us (probably the one and only other truck on the road that day) and we limped it into the outskirts of Cedar City where the brakes completely locked up ON THE RAILROAD TRACKS! We were able to get it moved thanks to the masterful driving of my hubby, and thank goodness Karen and Len had made it back from SLC and could come and rescue us. What a day, it reminded me of being a kid when everytime we set out the car broke down. I still get queazy thinking about drinking warm Dr. Pepper....

Scenes from a Western Adventure

2011-06-14T18:36:00.004-06:00

Since, I am so lame at posting lately I'll upload a bunch of photos from the last trip to Hurricane. Dan and Jill took us on a 4 wheeler trip that pretty much lasted all day. We went south from our house WAY past the Honeymoon trail to the Temple trail. Then looped up the mesa and had lunch. Next we were off to find Antelope Cave. Lucky for us that someone was already inside, so we climbed down in there too. I had heard about this cave all my life so it was great to finally see it. It's very large even though part of the roof had caved in and it went back in for a long ways. We didn't have flash lights so we stuck close to the entrance.

Next it was down over the mesa on the Honeymoon trail, that is one scary piece of road. They say that in the heyday they used to walk down the trail and tie a pair of horses or oxen both to the front of the wagons and on the rear. I'm thinking that if I had been alive back in those days, I would have wanted to be married and had that marriage consumated before risking my life getting down the mountain, but what do I know...The view was spectacular but I didn't get a decent shot so I guess I'll just have to go again next time.

Enjoy the pictures!

This place is 4 sale!

2011-05-22T20:21:00.004-06:00

This old church is in a small town in Wisconsin. I had all kinds of thoughts about what to do with a groovy old bulding like this. Too bad it is in Wisconsin, I couldn't take the humidity, but what a fun place for gals and pals, weddings and shindigs!

The will to win

2011-05-15T16:41:00.003-06:00

Yesterday as the snow started to melt out of the gardens and the fear of what it had done to my budding irises became apparent, I picked out a stem of buds that had been broken off by the weight of the snow and put it in a glass on the cupboard, I didn't think it would survive, but here is a picture of it in full bloom this afternoon, a gift and a lesson that we can become magnificent against any obstacle brought down upon us.

Springfield, IL - Land of Lincoln

2011-05-11T12:41:00.000-06:00

My job has been taking me out to Springfield, IL the past couple of weeks. I do a 2 hour presentation each day and then have some time to explore. It's kind of a neat place and it is filled with tons of history since it is the home of Abraham Lincoln. I got to tour his home and the neighbor he and his family lived in before he was president.
Lincoln's Home

Me on the front steps

The Sitting Room

Hard to imagine the President sitting in an outhouse...

The Shutt home, located just down the street

I also toured the Lincoln Museum which was pretty cool. The best part was the documentary on Lincoln's presidency. He was on mid-40's as the President but accomplished more in the several short years than most of us in a lifetime. It was remarkable to see the aging process that the strain had on him. He probably aged 10-20 years during his presidency. Here is a picture from inside the museum. The lighting wasn't great, but this was very realistic.

The last part of the day took me to the cemetery and the Lincoln tomb. It was very impressive and I had a cool experience as I was one of the last people out for the day so the lady watching over the tomb entrance gave me a history lesson and told me things about Lincoln and the burial that I would have never known. He was intombed 10 feet below the groun and cemented over inside the family tomb to keep grave robbers from stealing his body, seems crazy, but there are crazy people out there.

This is a street view of the capital building in Springfield, very beautiful limestone building.

Then dinner at Saputos, 2 nights in a row actually, the place rocked! Best Italian food I've had in a while.

And last but not least, I flew out of St. Louis, so this is a picture of damage the tornado did to the windows a couple of weeks ago. There were 6 large arches of window like this and all of them were boarded up, that must have been one mean twister!

Until next time, keep living life one adventure at a time!

Catching Up

2011-05-02T22:48:00.004-06:00

Can't believe it's been a month! I don't feel so bad though when I see people that still have Christmas posts up... Lots going on, but tonight just a quick post in memoriam of a friend that lost his life a week ago in a plane crash. The pictures I took from another friend, and they really tell a story of a life cut short.

I didn't know Pete Vinton super good, I had met him a couple of times, toured his hangar and had him show me the plane he was building. He took me on a demo flight of the Carbon Cub SS that he was the sales rep for (and the one he lost his life in)lst summer. It struck me that he was a veteran of Desert Storm, a military pilot, a no nonsense kind of guy that loved his country, his family and flying. He was straight to the point, and made an impression on me. I have talked about that flight in the Cub for almost a year now, even the morning he passed away, I was talking about it. There are a few jackasses that built their homes around the private airpark that Pete managed, they put up stupid signs along the road (that I take to get to DIA) protesting the airpark. Its ticks me off everytime I drive by so I asked Pete about it and his reply was, "it's ironic that I fought for my country to give people the right to free speech, essentially the right for those people to protest my right to fly" his language was a little more colorful, but you get the point.

Anyway, I just wanted to write about Pete and share a couple of pictures. This is partly why I love to fly, the feeling, the experience, the joy. These pictures were taken last summer on a flight from Alaska to Washington.

Blue skies, tail winds, soft landings...RIP Pete Vinton

The 3rd of April

2011-04-03T18:34:00.003-06:00

Last night the wind was blowing so hard it ripped a section of our barn roof off, I haven't gotten a picture yet because it's hard to hang on and snap a picture at the same time, maybe tomorrow, the section of roofing is about 50 feet away...

Here's the scene to the west, Pikes Peak is normally out there on the horizon...

And to the east out the front door, gee I can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring!

A little "light" reading

2011-03-27T10:22:00.004-06:00

I get the opportunity to talk with a lot of people from different backgrounds, which is interesting and thought provoking for me. Recently I was asked about polygamy and challenged to read a book titled "Under the Banner of Heaven" by Jon Krakauer who also wrote "Into the Wild" and Into Thin Air". I bought the book and it has been difficult to put down.

The book starts out detailing the gruesome murder of Brenda Lafferty and her young daughter in Utah a few year back by her husband's brothers who believe that the execution order was given to them in a revelation from God. The book traces the roots of the LDS church through Joseph Smith to Brigham Young through the separation of the Fundamentalists through the Mountain Meadows Massacre and back to the murders and the trial. What has surprised me the most is that all of the names in the book are very familiar, the places are places I know, the history is part of my history and most shocking is the stories (documented in foot notes) of the details behind each of the events. It has caused me to really stop and think about what I have thought I knew all my life. It has also peaked my interested to study more of my history and not just take stories I've heard at face value. I've always been fascinated with Mormon history, loved The Work and the Glory series, read tons on Porter Rockwell, but never really though about it much past the surface.

In the trial chapters of the book the Defense team thought about using the insanity defense for the Lafferty Brothers, but there is a whole issue around trying to prove that someone is insane because they pray to and receive guidance from God...don't we all?

It has brought up a lot of great questions in my mind and I am looking forward to more reading and researching, discussions and deliberations. The more I learn, the more I want to know. I am fascinated with the story of John D. Lee. I never connected that Lee's Ferry on Lake Powell was named for him and that he was bannished there by Brigham Young after the massacre. He was excommunicated along with a couple of church leaders from Cedar City and in the end given up as the scapegoat for the tragic massacre and executed at Mountain Meadows. That is a whole story I want to study. I'll also be making a trip up to the Mountains Meadows next time I'm in Hurricane. If you want to read an article put out a couple years ago by the Church, google the Mountain Meadows Massacre.

And one last thing that I want to study more is the Dream Mine that is located in the mountains above Salem, UT. We've all seen it from a distance, but there is a whole other story that weaves into LDS history about the mine and all the gold that is supposed to be buried there.

2 Other recommended reads that are on my list are The Mountain Meadows Massacre by Juanita Brooks of St. George and Blood of the Prophets.

A week of Sun, Sand and Sorrow

2011-03-20T16:09:00.008-06:00

This past week I have been pretty well laid up with a viral infection, and since it is now starting to depart my poor fatigued body, I wanted to catch up on the week before I was sick and got to spend some time in Hurricane withe friends and family.

Mom picked me and Brucer up at the Las Vegas airport on Sunday afternoon, we had decided to fly commercially which ended up being a very decision even though weather during the week was just about perfect. We stopped on our way out of Las Vegas as we usually do at a small grocery store off the Cheyenne exit for authentic Mexican cuisine. The place is called Marianne's, it's in a strip mall south of the exit, it's phenomenal! Of course some of you will wonder why we risk the neighborhood, but just take a stroll around the store and you'll get it pretty fast. The bakery, the meat counter, the fresh produce and the cafe, unbelievable. Yes, we are the only white faces in there, but WHO CARES, the food rocks!

Some of the high and low lights of the week were: hanging out with my brother Dan and learning to milk his nanny goat. His wifey Jill has been growing a herd out there and they have some really cute babies (kids).

Jill's been making cheese from the milk and is getting ready to do soap and lotions, I'm in line for that stuff! Right after we headed back to the house, Jill was hiding from the baby goat so it wouldn't follow her to the house, she got leveled by the dogs in her hiding place, I thought it was kind of funny (the same kind of thing happens to me regularly) until the next day....

I thought I would run from the house to the hangar on the rock path, bad idea! I tripped on a rock and went down hard! Skinned knee, gravel in my hands and a few days of feeling like I was 90! Sorry Jill, I shouldn't have laughed!

That night I was sitting in the living room when I noticed the ambulance lights at our neighbor's home. Jen and Pat McCarroll live across the taxiway behind us and Pat has been battling bone cancer for as long as we've known him. He lost his fight that night and it was a really sad scene. RIP Pat!

The better part of the week came on Thursday when Dan took us out to the desert for some 4 wheeling sight seeing dog roasting fun. We broke in our new side by side and had a great time, I can't wait to go out again and just explore, it was incredible!

And a picture of my silly beautiful sister Karen

Then the big rib smoke with Dan, Jill, Karen and Leonard. If you haven't had meat that Dan has smoked topped with his special barbecue sauce, you are totally missing it. He caters events too, so give him a call, his food in INCREDIBLE and the ribs ROCKED!

About this point in the week I had a sore throat and was in the beginning stages of the crude that has had me down all week. Great trip, but I wish I could have left the crude there!

I loved my trip to Utah this time and I am looking forward to the next one...soon!

Who would believe it?

2011-03-13T16:29:00.001-06:00

See, I did milk a goat!

2 Short Years...

2011-02-25T19:30:00.003-07:00

ago tonight, my girlfriend lost her battle with lung cancer. Still doesn't seem real, cuz I think of her all the time and sometimes pick up the phone to call or hear her voice in my head or see the crazy faces and expressions that she used to give me when I did something boneheaded. Miss ya Suze!

What to do with all my stuff!

2011-02-12T20:56:00.001-07:00

Well lately I've started thinking more about trying to get moved to Hurricane. There are pros and cons of course and you are welcome to weigh in. Here are the PROS!

Closer to my family, especially my sister Karen
Warmer winters and earlier springs
It's where my roots are
The colors of the desert
Friends
The runway right outside my door
Zion

And here are the cons...
Going from 63 acres to 1 acre
Neighbors too close and too political
Leaving Centennial airport and all of my flying buddies
What to do with the horses (8 of them)
What to do about the barn cats (they're not likely part of the move)
20 year of stuff in my house, it just won't all be able to come with me
Leaving my new craft room
2 hours at least to catch a commercial flight (job)
Family drama

These are 2 short lists, I can guarantee there are many more points for each list. When I was little I swore I would be a hermit when I grew up and although I don't like being lonely, I do love the solitude. I'm about as close to being a hermit as I need to be where I am and it scares me or at least makes me anxious to think about the feeling of confinement I get when I do go to Hurricane, I hate to go outside my house because someone is always there, even if they are in their own yards minding their own business, they are still there and it makes me crazy. Where I live now, I can't see anyone else and no one else can see me and thats a good thing. I guess I could learn how to be a little more social, when I actually do engage, I really do like it, it's just the "getting engaged" that is hard for me.

I wonder a lot about how I would fit my life into my Hurricane house, it is about the same size as the Kiowa house but just different. I'm thinking I would end up with my office and my craft room in the hangar, which isn't all bad. And speaking of my office, when I do move I don't want to be working at my job like I am now, but that's another blog entry, just suffice it to say that I am really starting to feel like I need to find something else to do, like enjoy my life and stop giving my time away to a career.

So any tips or suggestions that might help me move this process along would be welcome. I need a push or a shove or something, but I know I need to make a plan and put it in motion, one way or the other.

Random Pictures

2011-01-31T13:51:00.004-07:00

End of January, should be the end of the gloom. It's a blazing 6 degrees outside and that should be about the high for the next couple of days...not sure how we make it through sometimes. So I'm throwing in a picture from Maui

and a picture of Hannah which depicts the way I feel today.
Happy end of January!

Blog worthy

2011-01-27T22:58:00.003-07:00

So, I got a nudge today via text. Here goes nothing... Holidays are alwasy a little hard for me, then my birthday and aging which isn't going over very well with me either, then the dreaded January gloom usually sets in and live just feels a little boring for awhile. So that's the last 3 weeks in a nutshell, but here are the highlights:

It's been unusually warm for January, despite a couple wimpy snow falls, the sun has been shining and it's supposed to hit 60 tomorrow! YEA!

My brother Dan got a job, a good job and even though it is away from his family out in Kansas, the pluses are - he has a good job with bennies, he gets to stop in here coming and going so I get to see him (I love that part) and you can see a little of the pressure being relieved. He's coming through next Thursday and I think I'm going to hitch a ride with him to Hurricane for the weekend, 10 hours with my big brother...sweet!

Speaking of Hurricane, I got a new great nephew. Welcome to the world Elijah! What a studly little stunner he is. I think he looks a lot like another nephew, Andy, but there's still a little bit of his dad in there so its all good! Congrats Tricia, Ryan and Brecken! Can't wait to see you guys again!

I've been flying every week and spending quality time with my pilot pose down at KAPA. That is always a good thing.

Indian Market and Pow Wow at the Denver Mart, I love going and seeing everything. I love the costumes and no, I didn't get any pictures (what the heck is wrong with me? Oh yeah, January Gloom) and I didn't buy anything, well except for some jerky and CowTown Corn Relish, which doesn't count. Amazing, but I didn't come away with one single shiny piece of silver or turquoise...I really need to have a talk with myself.

Work, work, work. Grateful for a job, but I hate working for a living, it really interfers with everything else I want to do.

Despite many tried and failed attempts, Hoss' ear is still flopping, resolution...love him anyway, floppy ear and all.

And finally, making good on the goals of getting back to feeling like me. Working on conquering the headaches (some days I'm winning, some days...NOT)today was a great day! I'm out walking again, and ending everyday with Yoga, which is awesome! Shortly I will start adding in some pilates and light weights but for now, I really love getting the stretching and flexibility going, it makes me sleep like a baby.

Well, I warned you, nothing earth shattering going on here, just life and happily looking at the end of the January Gloom. Really, I am in a good place, happy, healthy, resolved, hopeful, grateful and in control of my destiny. It's a beautiful thing. Bring on February and the hint of Spring!

Hoss' Ear Dilema

2010-12-18T20:03:00.003-07:00

Our puppy Hoss is now just over 9 months old, he's a big boy and still growing. One small concern has been that he has a floppy ear. This is probably partly because he is still growing but also because some German Shepherd have floppy ears, even though the preference is for pointed ears that stand straight up. Now just a disclaimer, I love him no matter what his ear look like, he is such a sweet guy and we have bonded very tightly, so whatever the outcome I will love him the same. That being said, every week when we go to our dog training class, the trainer always talks to us about the ears as does the vet tech that is there and everyone else. So this week, I went to the breeders website and found out that although they breed for the stand up ears, 1 in 75 dogs end up with the flops. They had remedies but they are only successful if done early in the development. Month 9 is the break point, so we are trying to do everything we can to help Hoss have perfect ears. The remedies are as follows:

The problem seems to stem from the fact that when dogs are growing, calcium is pulled from places like the ears to other places, like teeth and bones. It affect large breeds mostly and large males. You can almost watch Hoss grow. So we start with...

1. Beef bones, real ones. We get these from our local butcher and he loves them.
2. Good (aka expensive) dog food formulated especially for large breed dogs.
3. Calcium supplements, I drove all over looking for Knox gelatin capsules only to learn they don't make them any more, so tonight we disguised Tums and fed him a few, they are high in calcium.
4. This is where it gets interesting, bonding pipe insulation (the stuff they put around your plumbing to keep it from freezing) to the inside of his ears with surgical glue.

This is what it looked like at our house tonight and believe me, he wasn't happy as you can tell from the last picture, don't know whether he was ignoring me or if he was just tuckered from chewing his big bone to shreds. Either way, he looks like a man tonight, think Rin Tin Tin. I'll keep ya posted on whether we can keep the dang stuff glued to his ears long enough (at least 10 days) to give him an ear up.

The reward, a big cow bone!

The "bad" stuff, the adhesive and the stuff that sticks to the inside of his ears.

Pretty much done with me, I hope he will forgive me for this...

New Orleans, Again!

2010-12-15T12:41:00.004-07:00

On my walk this morning...2 great places...

The corner of Royal and Saint Ann (love that!), this is where I found the great fortune teller a few years back, she's still here, so I will probably pay her another visit while I'm in town. She was amazingly accurate, and where better than the Voodoo capital...

This seemed like a great little place for a fun business, I would love to have the experience of living in the French Quarter for just a little while, Karen, are you up for it?

Stay tuned, more to come...

The "Dad" Adventure

2010-12-13T13:30:00.002-07:00

Last weekend was pretty intense, Dad had been building a workshop with the help of friends, relatives and neighbors. On Thursday he was getting ready to put some boards up so he could finish the roof. My big bro Dan had just been by and told dad to call when he was ready so Dan could come and help him...famous last words - "we can do this" and attempt to do it they did...Dad and his neighbor Kent decided to just climb up the ladders with the board and somewhere in that plan something went horribly wrong. The board shifted, the ladders wriggled and they both fell. Dad got the worst of it hitting the concrete, the ladder falling on top of him and the board hitting him in the forehead. 30 something stitches later....

The call I got was that dad was in an ambulance, possible broken neck, almost decapitated, not looking good. I dusted off my frequent flier miles, hoped a United flight and got to Las Vegas and then Hurricane as quick as I could. Along the way, the news got better, no broken bones, no concussion, sending him home to heal. I arrived around 9:00 p.m. to an exhausted and worried mom, an ashen and pretty lifeless pa.

I spent the night and I don't think any of us slept much, every time dad made a sound, we were right there checking on him. It was miraculous though how quickly he bounced back. By the time I left on Sunday, he was up and around, eating, joking and pretty much being dad.

The blessings were that he wasn't hurt more than he was, that the neighbor wasn't hurt and is also doing well. That all 3 of my brothers plus some neighbors came together and finished the roof and that I got to spend some time just me and my pa, talking about life in general and what should be important. I am one grateful daughter for blessings that continue to be poured out on my parents of health and well being. Cats have nothing on my dad. And yes, I totally rocked his cinnamon roll recipe for him!

Funnest Week Ever!

2010-11-18T19:47:00.004-07:00

Karen came to visit last Friday and it has been the most fun few days I've had in a really long time. Everyday was packed with stuff to do, starting bright and early on Saturday and everyday with long walks and picture taking excursions. Saturday we headed to Elbert for the annual Holiday Boutique and the secret recipe world famous baked apples. That night Karen treated me to a Murder Mystery Theatre and dinner in Denver. We had the best time, it was so fun! I don't know who thw guy in th red shirt is, just some drunk guy who jumped in the picture!

The rest of the days were filled with shopping, beauty makeovers, walks, talks, crafts and jewelry making - don't forget the FOOD!

We even celebrated Bruce's birthday by making a big dinner complete with a yummy carrot cake. It was such a fun time, just every single minute. I loved having her here with me. It was so HARD to take her to the airport and drive away today. I'm so grateful for you Karen, you are by best friend and my best sister. I love you so much and I am so grateful for the positive influence you are in my life, I am so happy that you came and spent some time with me, you filled me up and made me smile and made my heart sing and my spirit happy. You need to come back!

Lafayette, LA

2010-10-30T20:43:00.005-06:00

That's pronounced Laugh-fee-et, ya'll. What a fun couple of days in the deep, hot, humid swamps of the southland! I flew into New Orleans and drove 2 hours west to Lafayette for a conference. I just loved how everyone called me Miss Ann, they are so polite there and I could listen to them talk forever! I must have some southern belle in my blood cuz I love that whole gentile way the south works, I love the way the ladies talk, the way the men take care of the ladies and the fact that fried chicken and biscuits is a daily meal.

One afternoon after the meetings were over I headed south to Avery Island, home of Tabasco sauce. Of course I was more interested in alligators, so I took a drive through the park there winding through the lagoons and gardens alongside the river and boy did I see alligators, I screamed every time I saw one, the hair on the back of my neck was at full attention.

While I was keeping a close eye on the gators, I took some pictures of the great oak trees covered in moss, I was walking backwards in the one picture and stepped on a piece of moss that I thought was a gator. Good thing I was the only one in the park because I let out a scream like I was dying! Talk about being a nervous wreck!

Further into the drive I came across this serene garden and the budda. The story of the budda is that it was stolen from a palace in Tibet and years later sold on the black market. Someone bought it as a gift for Mr. Avery, the Tobasco mogul and it has rested peacefully in the garden ever since. It was a very beautiful place and had it not been for the gators in the water, I would have stayed and meditated, but frankly I had a rough time closing my eyes and letting it all go while I was worrying about loosing a leg or something!

I wish I had more sunlight and a little more time to explore the area, I stayed until it couldn't see anything else and by then it was too late to get pictures of the Tabasco factory (it's just a big building anyway!) But I took this on the ramp at bird city just as I was leaving the island.

Fun trip and one of the gals I met at the conference offered to take me out on their boat into the swamps and the Gulf next time down, so that is one adventure I will be looking forward to and planning for, maybe in December!

F-18 Hornet

2010-10-25T11:20:00.002-06:00

Hard to tell which one is the kid here. Me and my airport shadow, Ryan, got an impromtu tour "up close and personal" of an F-18 fighter jet yesterday. The pilot was awesome and took about 45 minutes just walking us around and through the jet answering all kinds of questions, it was a really fun experience capping off a nice flight over the tail end of the changing Fall colors.

Cavalia

2010-10-23T19:24:00.004-06:00

Wow! It was an incredible show and an experience I will not forget. The horses were beautiful and amazing, and in true Cirque du Solei fashion you almost forget you are actually looking at real people and real animals performing on stage, it was just beautiful from start to finish. It started out with 2 babies (5 month old horses) walking the length of the stage (which was covered in sand). The lights were dim, and they just meandered across the stage like we weren't there at all, while a lady sang a haunting tune. From there the horse with long manes and tails, the beautiful costumes, then the thundering riders at breakneck speeds trick riding all the while the acrobats were swinging and tumbling from the rafters, WOW doesn't do it justice. We were 3 rows from the front, you could feel the wind and we definitely had sand in our hair by the end. It was incredible and even though you couldn't take pictures during the show, I did manage a couple.

Great Read

2010-10-16T15:06:00.005-06:00

I really loved this book. It was especially timely for me since I just lost Booner. I finished it in the Doctor's office and had to wait to get outside before totally losing it, but it made me feel so much better about how everything turned out that day that Booner slipped away. Guaranteed if you are a lover of animals or if you just like a great story, you will like this book.

dedicated to my boonie moon dogger, may he be running free through the fields of flowers and tall grass.

The Big Easy

2010-10-10T21:12:00.006-06:00

A few days in New Orleans is an experience no one should miss. The Beniets at Cafe De Monde, the Muffaleta's at Franks, pralines, Hurricanes, beads, and all the crazies on Bourbon Street. It was a blast!

If you're easily offended, weak stomached or "not quite jaded" Bourbon Street and the French Quarter probably aren't the place for you, at least not after dark. The music is incredible though and really, you can dance, stand, eat, or just people watch everywhere.

We took a break from all the voodoo and debauchery, caught a street rail and took a tour through the garden district. The homes were so incredible and right in the middle of it all is Loyola and Tulane Universities. Awesome! The home bathed in pink is a beautiful white mansion that went pink while we were standing there in support of breast cancer research, very cool!

The City has recovered nicely since I was there right after Katrina, I didn't get to go see the hard hit areas this time so I am hoping that they are recovering as well. It is such a unique and vibrant city, just totally fun and delightfult every where you go. And yes Tricia, the hot lead singer was still rockin' the joint! Even saw the dude with the pony tail.

This is the sun coming up this morning as I made my way home. I get to go back in December for a couple of days and I have my sites set on other areas to explore. But no doubt another trip to the Garden district mansions all decorated for Christmas will be on the top of my list!

The Sunset tonight

2010-10-02T21:03:00.002-06:00

Was amazing!

The Spoon Bracelets

2010-10-02T20:57:00.002-06:00

Karen helped me with the bracelets, this is the one I kept and she has one that is similar. We made some very cool ones for her Primary Presidents, but I didn't take pictures, so Karen you need to do that and put them on your blog! Anyway this was the result of a stop at an antique barn in Minnesota. Now I am on the hunt for more cool spoons or utensils to continue bending and creating. Who knew?

Crafty Place

2010-09-29T21:15:00.002-06:00

I decided if I waited to blog about my craft room until it was completely finished, it would never happen, so here are pictures of the work so far. I love the table! But as you can see even at 8x4 feet, it's probably still not big enough for all my stuff! I bought the chairs for $20 at a garage sale and repainted them, YEA! The next phase is a Magnetic chalk board on the wall along with a framed jewelry hangar like I made last year. I also want to do shades to cover the front of the shelves at the back of the room, so I am hunting for the right fabric. I hope you enjoy and please send ideas if something sparks you!

Booner Moon Doggie 1/15/99 ~ 9/21/10

2010-09-22T21:36:00.004-06:00

I lost my best buddy yesterday after a stroke that sent him spiraling downhill. I love this dog like most people cannot understand, he was a constant protector and companion, a big ray of sunshine, a sloppy wet kiss, a motivator, a loving friend, a special soul and a gentle giant. It is all very surreal as I cannot yet come to grips with him being gone. I just wanted to share some of my favorite Booner pictures. He is and always will be, simply the best...rest easy my sweet boy...

The Road is long...

2010-09-18T12:35:00.002-06:00

with many winding curves, that leads us to who knows where, who knows where....

Last week we drove from Sioux Falls to Forest City Iowa to see a client, along the way we drove through Blue Earth -sounds like a hippy commune, right? Actually it is the home of....

Who knew there was an actual place?

Creative Connection

2010-09-17T21:07:00.002-06:00

Well, I've been slacking for awhile now so thought I'd at least post about the last fun thing. Then over the next few days I'll get the bloggy blog caught up. I've been in Minneapolis the last couple of days for work but happened to be staying at the hotel where the Creative Connection event for women was being held. I popped into the market place today to see what was going on and got to meet Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman Cooks lady. She was very cool. Here are some pictures from the show and of Miss Ree. Sorry they are a little fuzzy, guess I was shaking with excitement!

My Big Sister

2010-08-24T20:08:00.003-06:00

I have the best big sister in the world. She has been my best friend for as long as I can possibly remember. Well except for when she was in high school and had to share her bedroom with me, but even then, she was always good to me.

We've had some of the greatest times over the years, shopping in Prague, touring the tulips and the red light district in Amsterdam, eating strawberries under the Eiffel Tower, wandering the alley ways in Venice, bawling our eyes out after touring the concentration camps, lace and nutcracker collecting in Germany, chocolate and the salt mines in Austria, yodeling in the Swiss Alps....we have had some adventures. And let's not forget the great times (minus our crazy driver) discovering the small walled villages throughout Italy. So many things we have done and experienced together. She shares her life, her family, her church calling, her heart and soul with me and I love you Hippie Hippie dippy Karey Beary Bean Blossom!

Now is the challenge and adventure of a lifetime, she is fighting a brain thinger bobber that she has named Ned. It is nerve wracking as we wait to find out what course of action she has to get rid of the stupid thing, but I have no doubt that she will get rid of it. It may be a tough road, but there is so much love and support in her corner and I know that Heavenly Father is watching over her. So here is my good riddance to Ned diddy...

I hate that you have a name, and that you're even here at all,
Really, who invited you and what is your purpose for showing up now?
Why do you think that you have power to stay
and what is your plan at the end of the day?

You really should exit the same way you came,
You are not welcome you big piece of nothing
Take a hike, a taxi a raft or yacht
how you exit Dodge I really care...NOT!

Why do things like this happen to such good people like Karen
She's never done wrong and she serves others willingly
I have a hard time figuring this thing out
One thing I know without any doubt

It just one more test in a long line of many
I pray for a great outcome and for an easy journey
but should the road get tough and you need me, I'm there
I'll help you and love you and shoulder my share

But I say to you, just get rid of that thinger
he's really not needed, so don't let him linger
Snuff out old Ned and send the creepy thing packing
we need to get back to our silly wise cracking!

So I'm no poet, but you get the message!

I love ya tons! And I am there for you!

I Need to be Here...

2010-08-14T08:10:00.009-06:00

February, Tahiti, going, check!

Doggie Updates

2010-08-07T08:58:00.007-06:00

Typically beautiful morning walk with the dogs and a great time to update pictures. As always, this is the 3 dog circus, Sadie with the ball, Dira barking at her and Hoss just happy to be chasing the girls!

The 3 Amigos in a quieter moment. L to R Dira, Sadie and Hoss

This is Dira our Slovakian girl. She's gone crazy chasing deer and cats and what ever else dares to move in her line of site. She's a total loving sweetheart. I still haven't gotten all the Slovakian commands down yet, but we do have Kume' or come and she understands tummy rubs!

And this is Hossie Von Goosie, compare the picture to the right. I weighed him a couple of weeks ago and he is already at 60 lbs. He's still a puppy, still growing, still loves to "try" to sit in my lap and have his belly rubbed. Seems hard to remember how small he was when we got him. I do love my Hossie Boy. He is all boy and worse, he is all adolescent boy, I fear for Sadie and Dira!

Tessie and Booner are getting older and it is hard for them to go the full walk. Tessie eventually makes it but she goes at her own pace. She's still a trooper though and goes every single time. She's getting up there, probably 12 or 13 years old now. I think about when we got her, in Tucson during Rockies spring training. We had to sneak her into the hotel room with us, she slept in the dip between the mattress and the headboard and she too was just a tiny thing. We took her in a small cat carrier on the plane and she rode most of the way inside my jacket, she was a sweetheart then and she is still a sweetheart now.

It's super hard for me to write about Booner without getting all choked up. He has been my companion for 12 years now and I love him more than most people love their kids. I took him to the vet yesterday because he has had a bit of pain in his shoulders and he has stopped going on the long walks with us. He usually makes a short circle in the field and heads back to the house now. The Doc said it's arthritis most likely and just the aging process. He said that is "admirable" that Booner looks and feels as good as he does for his age. I wanted to cry, but waited til I got to the car, I can't bear the thought of not having him with me forever. They gave him some pain relievers to help with the pain and increased the thyroid medicine to help keep the weight off. He did a lot better on the walk this morning, so I have my fingers crossed that if he starts feeling better, he will keep walking with me. xoxo Booner!

Trip to Minnesota wrap up

2010-08-05T21:54:00.006-06:00

Okay, so I did make it back from South Dakota and Minnesota but it was a LONG trip. The weather ended up being stormy so we had to drive 8 hours each way for a 2 hour meeting...that dang bank better sign the flippin' contracts! Any way, we did have a little fun along the way. This is my colleague Jon at the place we ate lunch in Fargo, ND - it was pretty good, you betcha!

On the road again...I was driving, fast like normal, defying the slow poke Minnesota farmers and country hillbillies, had a nice flow going when I saw a small sign at the side of the road that said ANTIQUES. Screeching tires and quick turn into the skinny drive way and we found this treasure.

Good thing we spotted this place, it was really cool and had a ton of things I would have loved to purchase. Super good thing we couldn't get stuff in the rental car, and I knew I couldn't get it in my plane, so I kept to the business of finding old spoons for my sista Bean Blossom. I asked the guy at the counter if he had any old spoons, he pulled out a huge box and told me to take my pick. A buck a piece for silver plated spoons...not bad, huh Karen? Here is a sampling of the what I got. Next time you see these, they will be shaped into bracelets.

We decided when we finally got to Grand Rapids that we deserved a nice dinner. $150 later we felt like we had achieved our goal. Great steak and hello, I've never had a popover before...it's a staple in these parts and I was a little torqued that I only got one.

Long story short, meeting with the bank went better than anticipated, but they still haven't signed the paper work, so I still have work to do. The trip back seemed to go faster, of course I drove most of it so that's probably why. We got back to Sioux Falls around 8:00 pm on Friday night, I checked into the hotel, walked the block to the grocery store, stocked up for my flight home in the morning, set a goal to get in bed by 10:00, everything is going according to plan except that I wake up every 2 hours to make sure I'm not over sleeping, man I hate that!

Up and at the airport by 6:30, YEA! Pre-flight, fueled up, loaded up and ready to go. There is fog on the ground from all the rain during the week. A lesser pilot wouldn have waited, me however, I was on a mission to get home before the thunderstorms built up in Denver. 373WD cleared for take off and take off I did. It was a nice flight home, smooth and quiet. I got to Denver safely and just before the thunderstorms started to build. It was a fun and confidence building trip for me. As always, I had a special co-pilot taking care of me.

Leg #3

2010-07-27T21:30:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was the flight from Lakeville to Sioux Falls. The flight should have been an easy 1 hour and 10 minues...right...it was a long, hot, sweaty, bumpy, slow because of head wind 2 hour flight. I didn't know I could sweat that much! It was so humid it was ridiculous. I was literally drenched when I finally landed, and it wasn't my best landing which made me unhappy. I was supposed to be on the ground long enough to pick up Jon (my colleague) and then head on up to Aberdeen. The weather wasn't supposed to get any better, so I hangared the Whiskey Girl in Sioux Falls and we drove 3 hours to Aberdeen, yuck! The best thing is that Jon is really interesting to talk too, we had a lot of business stuff to catch up on and there were some huge fields of sunflowers along the way.

Our meeting went really well with our business partners in Aberdeen, I was expecting a really hard day since we had just fired 3 people from their shop that they all seemed to really like. Well they got over it pretty fast and the day went better than expected. I wish I'd have known that so I wouldn't have tossed and turned and worried all night. I was pretty wiped after the meeting and the 3 hour ride back. When we got back to Sioux Falls, I walked across the parking from my hotel to the mall, got a massage and when I came out had to wait about 45 minutes for a beautiful lightening storm and then a torrential down pour of rain. The rain eased long enough for me to run back across the parking lot. I was drenched when I got back to my room. A hot shower, a little blogging, a funny half hour of Will and Grace then it will be good night Irene!

Tomorrow a day in the office catching up, Yee Haw!

First Stop - Lakeville Minnesota

2010-07-26T06:28:00.004-06:00

A beautiful flight into Lakeville yesterday. The young guy at the FBO at the airport let me take the crew car, an old Mitsubishi Gallant, for some exploring. I found the lake! I also went in search of the Mall of America but I guess I really didn't want to spend my time at the mall, cuz I never did find it.

Cross Country

2010-07-24T16:51:00.003-06:00

Tomorrow, bright and early, I launch into a week long cross country adventure in the Whiskey Girl. I will be flying to Lakeville, MN which is the airport circled on the map. It is just south of Minneapolis, the big yellow spot on the map. The first leg of the flight I will be stopping in Yankton, SD for fuel and a potty break, then on to Lakeville. The total flight should be about 4 1/2 hours. I am seeing a client who is very unhappy right now. In fact, the only way I have a shot at saving the deal is to be there in person on Monday morning....it's a huge deal, so I'm going. The rest of the week looks like this...

Lakeville to Sioux Falls, where I pick up 2 colleagues and then it is:
Sioux Falls to Aberdeen - Aberdeen back to Sioux Falls
Sioux Falls to Grand Rapids, MN - Grand Rapids back to Sioux Falls then next saturday
Sioux Falls to Denver

It will be about 15 hours of flying time for me, but otherwise it would have been triple that in a car. So I jumped at the opportunity to build some cross country time. The weather looks pretty good for the whole week so I am PUMPED!

I will take pictures and try to keep you updated as I go, 373WhiskeyDelta, cleared for take off!

The Camera Caper

2010-07-23T21:37:00.007-06:00

Last weekend I was at the airport, doing my flying thing and soaking in the jet fuel. I took these pictures while they were moving Joe's 2 planes around. The Red one is the Sea Fury and the yellow one is the Mustang. I love the bright colors on the planes almost as much as I love the planes themselves. Of course the beautiful blue one is my Whiskey Girl and she's #1 in my heart.

This is Ryan, his dad has a plane in the hangar next to Joe's. Whenever I am at the hangar and Ryan is around, he is my constant shadow. I took him flying one day and we both like rocks. He brought a bag full of rocks he had picked up to trade me, I'll have to get a picture of my cooga. He told me the other day that I'm the most fun girl he ever knew, he's 7. He's told me some other things that would make his dad turn green, but he's a little boy so what do you expect? So what does this all have to do with a camera?

We'll when I got home from the airport and went to download pictures, I couldn't find my camera. I torn my car apart, dumped out my flight bag and sent Bruce in to look around the hangar with no luck. I had gone back in to the hangar last night for one more fruitless search and was pretty devastated that I had lost all the pictures AND my camera when Joe pulled up to my hangar. He asked me if I had lost my camera, duh, yeah! Well someone had found it and given it to Joe. I assumed that I dropped it in front of my hangar or something. Joe gave me the phone number of the guy who had found it so I called him and left a message thanking him for getting it back to me. I guess they had turned it on and saw the pictures of Joe's plane, that's why they brought it to him.

Turns out the story has a bigger twist and a lot more luck to it. The guy who found it called me back today. He hangars a few rows over from me and happened to be driving home. He spotted the camera (in its case) laying in the middle of the road at a very busy intersection where I would have turn to leave the airport, probably a mile from my hangar. He stopped and picked it up. Of course my name or nothing was in the case so he had no idea, except for they recognized Joe's beautiful planes. The guy had never met Joe, just admired the planes from afar like a lot of people, you see, Joe is a legend at the airport. The restaurant is decorated with pictures and trophies and memorabilia of Joe's flying career. He's just a great guy that is very much admired. So taking the camera back created the opportunity for this guy to meet Joe, he was totally gobsmacked. After thanking him, I told him that both Joe and I would be at the hangars on Saturday this weekend and that he should come over and hang out for awhile, the guy was giddy...almost as giddy as me getting my lucky red camera back. And now you know the rest of the story!

Updates

2010-07-16T20:34:00.002-06:00

Sorry, but I just haven't been much in the posting mood lately. It is hot here, not as hot as Hurricane, but in the 90's and we are a heck of a lot closer to the sun. In the evening when it cools off and you want to be outside the friggin' mosquitos eat you alive, so it makes me a little irritable. But the fun part of the day is turning the hose on and watching Hoss. He loves the water and he loves dragging the hose around, mostly with the water shooting into his mouth and up his nose, there is a lot of coughing and snorting, I guess I should get some pictures or videos, it's pretty entertaining, at least to someone who lives isolated on a farm and rarely sees another (talking) person.

Anyway, I am still alive an kicking. Working like a fool, loving the pay but hating the hours and the stress right now, did I mention that we let the 3 sales people go this week (lack of performance) and now I am pretty much the national sales force until I get some people hired, no pressure....I did sign a huge deal today, Yeah for me! Bruce even took me to dinner to celebrate, at the local steak house, filet mignon, yum!

Stay tuned, I'll get back on track here as soon as I cool off.

Spreadin' Their Wings

2010-07-06T20:43:00.007-06:00

It's an annual event at the Sleepy Turtle, a pair of peach birds feather the same nest next to our chimney, lay a few eggs, and then begin the daily trek to find enough food to feed everyone. If everything works out ok, the eggs hatch and soon we see the beaks of starving babies and hear the cry of the adults as they gather food for the chicks, they grow quickly and soon the babies are so big that they barely fit in the nest. By this time both parents are flying many trips each day to get food.

Then it happens, the day comes that it is time for the babies to spread their wings. You can tell by the sound the adults make that it is time. Today was the day, 3 baby birds were officially booted from their comfy nest. It is an all day ritual, first they boot them from the nest, usually to the windowsill. Then to the deck, the babies do everything they possibly can to avoid the inevitable, they hunker down in a corner together, try to fly back up to the windowsill, walk around and try to nap, they call to the parents because they are hungry, but the parents sit just far enough away to coax and prode and scold them into flying.

A stormy day for flying...

Cleared for take-off

The brave one

The solo pilot, with Sizzle in the background

And as the sun was setting...

The babies launched into a wobbly formation and flew off (finally) with their parents. What a beautiful thing to witness.

Happy Independence Day!

2010-07-04T21:08:00.004-06:00

It's the 4th of July, Happy Independence Day! Thanks to all those who have served and who are still serving. Out here on the plains it was a wild day. The weather was pretty severe with a tornado watch, then lightning and thunder, then the hail---the biggest hail we've seen in these here parts, some were the size of golf balls, bet our metal roofs look really good now...the garden is pretty sad-all the flowers and most of the veggies...gone.

These are pictures I took between waves of the storm (the colors are not re-touched). Lots of clouds, wind, fog, hail, rain, lightning and thunder. Our fireworks were compliments of Mother Nature, the best kind and the greatest blessing is all the rain.

Saturday's Adventure

2010-07-04T21:01:00.002-06:00

Saturday was garage sale day, I picked up 3 very old and very cool plates.

I also found 2 high stools and a cool old bright yellow step stool for my craft room. That will be a separate post after I get the painting done.

Next we headed on a drive to Elbert to check out the antique stores, that was a bust, but we found a garage sale sign that took us out through the country and we happened on a huge Alpaca farm. Probably at least 200 Alpacas, very cool especially with all the babies.

Then...driving down the road we found this...

Not even sure what to say about it except that it looked pretty real.

When we finally found the garage sale, it was a bust. The ride was great though and it was a fun adventure. A super fun day topped off with grilled hamburgers and the trimmings. Complete with strawberry shortcake for dessert.

Craft Room

2010-06-29T21:47:00.004-06:00

My visions of my craft room are beginning to take shape. Today my dad, with the assistance of my mom, built the center piece to the room, a 4x8 foot table that is 40 inches high.

Next I am going to frame up a sheet of peg board on the wall and then maybe finish the room off with a wall of shelves along the back wall. It needs some bright paint on the walls as well, but I am really happy with the table. I will post new pictures when I finish the table with a favorite poem in vinyl. I am super excited that it is finally taking shape.

Here are the builders after they finished all the hard work.

Pancake Fly-in

2010-06-26T19:19:00.004-06:00

Lately I've been hanging out at the airport a lot, flying, learning about the engine on my plane and soaking up all the knowledge and comraderie that I can. I am loving it as it feeds one of my passions. I've been introduced to a number of different pilots and planes and without a doubt, I am in my element. This is a part of me that flies solo (excuse the pun) and in the past I have resisted because I felt that it took a lot of time away from home, especially when I spend at least one full weekend day either flying or just hanging out, but it is something I need, so I am making that shift in my world. I work most week days, sometimes I blow off a friday to get my life done, but it hit me a couple of weeks ago when I was running through the grocery store at 9:45 p.m. trying to do a month's worth of shopping before the store closed at 10:00 that I need to balance life out better. So to that end, I am building in the time for me to do what I need to do in order to be happy and not feel like life is steam rolling over me. I must say, it is definitely working. That's not to say that everyone at home is happy, or that everything at home is getting done, but I think most everyone will find a way to adjust. There, I feel better....

Today, I got up at 4:30 a.m. ( so I could get a walk in with the dogs) in order to be at the airport by 7:00. This is the annual Kelly Airpark Pancake Breakfast fly-in. My buddy Joe (the guy with the WWII Planes) flew down with me. He had never been in my plane, so I was super excited to fly with him. We got to Kelly, a quick 25 minute flight and got in line to land with about 7 other planes, that was thrilling! As soon as I landed, I heard someone say over the radio (Rich, my friend at Kelly) "Nice Landing Ann" which made feel pretty darn good. Here is a picture of my plane on the flight line, yep its the pretty blue and white one N373WD.

I heard there were between 40 and 45 planes there, all different kinds, which means all different kinds of people, most of them looking at planes and talking about flying. I met up with Pete, the sales guy for the new carbon fiber Super Cub, it's the smaller yellow plane. He took me up for a test flight and it was SO MUCH FUN! Much different from my plane, it has big balloon tires so you can land it anywhere and we did, right out in a pasture in the middle of a bunch of cows. Then we turned around and took off the same way. How awesome is that to just land a plane anywhere? It would be too fun to have one of these to just tool around the desert in. The price is only a measley $163k...The big yellow beast on the right is a T-6, great plane and awesome to just look at.

I wish I would have taken a picture of Rich and Dana, the hosts of the breakfast, friends of mine and all around quality people. I fly with Rich, he's been my instructor for a few years now and this week we are going to be working on crosswind 1 wheel landings...woohoo! I can hardly wait.....

After we finished with breakfast, I got to show off my plane to people walking around looking at all the planes, I was a pretty proud gal to say the least. Then Joe and I hopped back in and flew with all the rest of the Saturday flying Yups back to Centennial. It was like flying in a beehive there were so many planes, not my idea of a great time, but it all worked out. Then we just hung out and tried to discover the true meaning of life...it was a beautiful morning.

Hossie is growing up!

2010-06-23T19:40:00.004-06:00

I can't believe how much he changes and grows everyday. I swear you can see him getting bigger. He loves his belly scratched so any time I sit down by him, he jumps in my lap(that's getting kind of comical) and lays on his back. He talks and groans a lot which makes it pretty entertaining for me. He also loves the water and loves to play with the hose while I'm watering. I guess it is kind of like kids, all of our dogs have different personalities, but Hoss is the character of the bunch and a ladies man!

Great Saying for Today

2010-06-17T15:23:00.005-06:00

"Life is tough...but it's much tougher when you're stupid."
John Wayne

Pretty much sums up my week....

The "real" highlight of the weekend

2010-06-15T22:08:00.004-06:00

I didn't know it until I got there but the weekend also brought a huge air show to town including the Blue Angels. Just my perfect luck that all the Blue Angels were staying in my hotel! I was diggin' it and hung in the lobby just to watch them walk on by. Fact, there is one chick pilot in the squadron, she is one sassy, lucky gal Wow! It was AWESOME!

And yes, I did talk to a couple of them....

Bead and Button Show

2010-06-14T12:32:00.004-06:00

This past weekend in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was a lot of fun. The show was a little overwhelming it was so big and my eyes were pretty much bugging out by the end of the first day. I also took some time to walk around in the city, there is beautiful architecture and history. Crazy me though, I didn't take my camera so no shots of the buildings.

So the 3 things I did suck into was something called Steam Punk, the pictures are a form of that called Steam Punkery and the key is bead punkery, all are mixed mediums of polymer clay or beads and crazy mechanical components. There we're a lot of different takes on this so these pictures are only a small sample, it was quite extravagant and whimsical.

I also bought a soldering gun for making my own framed charms and a metal punching/riveting ensemble. Once I do a couple of those, I will post the pictures.

All in all, I didn't spend as much as I surely could have. The classes ran from about $100 for the basics up to $1000 so I really just took in the free demos and asked a lot of questions. Would have been a fun thing to have some girlfriends at, but I ended up cruising it alone. I stayed until some guy started stalking me around the floor, then it was time to hit the city and take in the big air show. It was a really fun weekend!

Another Perfect Ending

2010-06-06T20:44:00.001-06:00

Unbelievable again tonight!

Sunset in Colorado

2010-06-05T21:06:00.002-06:00

After an awesome thunder shower, this was the sunset from our back deck tonight. The sunrises and sunset have been pretty spectacular for the past couple of weeks.

Memorial Weekend

2010-05-31T16:34:00.002-06:00

To all those who have served, are serving or are yet to serve...you are the best and deserve all our best. I am so grateful that there are people dedicated and willing to give up everything to keep us free. Extremely thankful to those family members and friends who are currently serving, be safe, be brave and come home soon.