Hoss is coming to the Ponderosa

On Wednesday 5/5 Hoss will be rounding out the bunkhouse here at the Ponderosa. Some of you probably think we are crazy, and I've got to admit, I wonder myself...it is already a bit of a circus around here. Dira went into her first heat cycle a couple of days ago, so we have been shuffling dogs between the kennels and the garage to keep her separated from Booner. Anyone who knows Booner, knows he is too old to father puppies, but he is determined to keep trying and he is very vocal! We know one of the gals is cycling when Booner starts the moaning and carrying on. It is almost painful to listen to him, ya gotta love the big lug.

Today was a trip to the vet with Dira and Sadie, Dira got her microchip and Sadie got her shots. Both were a little unsure about the car ride and way too curious about all the smells in the vet's office. But they did great. Sadie weighed in at 67 lbs and Dira right behind her at 64 lbs.

Back to Hoss, he was born about 8 weeks ago in Kalispell, MT. He will be flying to us (big trip for the little guy) on Wednesday. We are excited about having him come to live with us, it will be exciting and a lot more work to have such a young fella, but I'm guessing he will fit right in. And now instead of 6 walks a day, there could be more or at least some wrastling (yes wrastling) to help him with the energy levels. Stay turned, more pictures to come.

My new job

I spent time in Sioux Falls, SD this week with my new team. We decided to take the opportunity to explore just alittle bit (well mostly the exploring was for me) They took me to the falls for which the city is named. I had no idea (guess I should have figured with the name, duh!) that the falls would be so beautiful and huge. As you can see from the pictures, spring run off is in full force. The building across the river is the old Queen Bee Mill, they thought at one point that they could harness the power of the falls to run the mill, that was in the spring, by the fall the water is just a trickle. The ruins are what is left of the mill, pretty cool place to spend the evening.

I am really loving my new job, it is a lot of work and a lot of learning, but this week it has really taken off, so it is getting fun. My team has been great to work with and I enjoy spending time with them, you gotta love the folks from this area and the "you betchas" I even slip sometimes. So in the picture from left to right are Pam, Jean, Jon (my boss) Dick and me. I figure I will be spending a fair amount of time in the upper midwest, so I better figure out everything thing I need to see and explore while I'm there.

Thoughts...

I have been struck lately by the resiliency of some people who are facing down life changing events. It makes me think about events in my own world and how they might not be as big a deal as I make them. I was looking through my box of positive affirmations today looking for something that would change my perspective a bit. It is sometimes difficult for me to stay on the positive side of the street, so I take all the help I can get (reminds me I need to down a couple of St. John's yet today...) anyway, here is the affirmation for today. If it fits, take it, if it doesn't well, keep moving along little doggy.

"I speak and think positively" "I listen to what I say. If I hear myself using negative or limiting words, I stop myself and change them"

She's here!

Dira made the long flight from Slovakia to Denver last week arriving, safe sound and happy to be in her new home. She is a great addition, after a little bit of growling and eyeing each other up, Dira and Sadie are best of friends. As you can see from the pictures, the one thing they definitely have in common is a love for orange balls and chasing after them. Our daily walks have increased from 2 to 4 or more, yes I have even lost a couple of pounds so far. I swear they would both run until they died. Yesterday we took them all for a long walk in the middle of the day, it was pretty warm, so as soon as they caught wind of the water, they were gone. Booner is the swimmer in the picture, but trust me, they were all in.

Dira is amazingly smart, she's a beautiful shiny black and about 11 months old. Sadie is a 2 year old sable and incredibly quick and athletic, I don't think I've ever seen a dog run as hard and as fast as she does. I looked out the window today to see Dira and Sadie wrestling on the front lawn, I'm glad they are such great friends already and Dira is so smart, she's bi-lingual!

All animals understand love. Welcome to the Sleepy Turtle Ranch Dira!

Happy Birthday Kary Berry Bean Blossom!

The most fun, hang around, take a few pictures, tour Europe, eat ice cream, bawl our eyes out, laughing, silliest, bestest sister around. Happy Birthday Karen!

Pink Popcorn

Bird and Monk Doo Doo

Way back when...seems like yesterday but a life time has passed. I had the opportunity to go to lunch with some old friends, I wish I had taken pictures of everyone. Paulette, Patty, Patty me and Teresa.

After high school, me and Teresa, aka Monk Doo Doo, worked together at Zions Bank in St. George, we had not seen each other since we both got married almost 30 years ago. What an awesome reunion for us. It seemed like almost no time had passed, although we have both lived many adventures and lifetimes. Very special, I love her tons.

Kicking off the day I got to spend a couple hours with Patty GB and what a treat to be able to wander through her old homestead, such great memories came flooding back as some things sparked times or memories and brought back pieces of childhood and growing up in the innocence of a small town. She probably doesn't realize how much I love and admire her, it was a treat to spend such great time, thanks Patty!

And Paulette, how do you stay so young looking????

Done!

With my part at least...now it's the tax guy's turn. It feels good to have this part done and with a couple of weeks to spare. The problem with having so many ideas all the time, is that it becomes a nightmare for me at tax time. Annie's Baskets, Strapped4Cash, Ann Anderson Consulting, Sleepy Turtle Ranch, yada yada yada! Back to having some fun!

Jetsetting Dira

On April 7th we will be going to the airport to pick up one kennel full of precious cargo. Dira is coming to the Sleepy Turtle Ranch to join Booner, Tessie and Sadie! We figured as long as the economy is the way it is and home prices are the way they are and the likihood of being able to sell the rest of the horses and the ranch is not great, we'd take advantage of staying here a little longer and convert our chicken condo into a 4 star dog kennel.

Dira is 19 months old, she is a papered German Shepherd, she was born and has been raised in Slovakia, so she speaks Slovakian, yikes! (that might be tough, because we don't!) she's super smart, and is just a couple months younger than Sadie who will turn 2 on April 2.

We are super excited to have her join our family. We will also be adding a male in the next couple of months. It is confirmed that Booner is a grandpa and too old to sire puppies, so his job (and he's the best at it) will be to nanny the puppies when they eventually come along.

There are videos of Dira on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYWgQPoIER0 and also at the website www.eurosportk9.com

Blog Surfing

I was bored last night, so just started hitting the "next blog" link at the top of the page. There were some good ones and some boring ones. This one was pretty funny http://badfrigginhair.blogspot.com I feel a little like a voyeur, but it is an interesting way to pass a little time. Try it, you might like it. Be sure to pass on any good blogs you come across.

Feeling Sick Today

Typically I keep my political views to myself, but today I just can't. I feel nauseous at the passing of the "health care bill" mostly because it is more about egos, socialism, loss of freedom and imposition of a change to my life that I DID NOT want. This sweeping bill has little to do with health care, although that will certainly change (and not for the better) and more about increased government control in our everyday lives.

I'm wondering if so many people are out of work, where will the money come from to pay for this stuff and why isn't there at least as much focus on creating jobs and putting people back to work. I'm sure that our illustrious political boneheads are busy slapping each other on the backs this morning and I cannot look at one more smug shot of obama or one more silly teary eyed shot of bidden. Their work is just beginning, the bill is apparently so bad that it will take a truck load of "fixes" to even get it close to what people thought they were voting on and what about all the back room deals, what is that going to cost me???? And what will they focus in on now...the people who didn't vote with them, will they be crucified now? I guess the over 50% of us who thought this was a bad idea don't really count....

Attached to the bill was also the government take over of the student lending industry forcing schools and students to now borrow directly from the national treasury, that's another $60+ billion (bet you didn't see or hear about that)and another hit to the education system in this country... But more than that, it is my (and your) tax dollars again on the line. I have recently started back to work and I am less than enthusiastic knowing that a bigger chunk will be coming out of my paycheck to subsidize all this "stuff" that is being passed. I am sick to death of subsidizing people who refuse to work, refuse to step up and take care of themselves and who continually bottom feed through life. I know I should be looking for the positive spin on things (and I will eventually get there) but right now I am so MAD I can barely stand being in the same room with myself. What is wrong with us that we are not doing more to stop this and what the HECK is wrong with our country? If I wanted socialized medicine I would move to Canada, if I wanted the government to run every aspect of my life I could move to Russia. I don't believe that having everything, including health care is a right...it's something you have the priviledge to work for and provide for yourself (or not). In fairness, I do understand things like pre-existing conditions, I'm not saying we shouldn't fix things, I'm just saying it's not the job of the federal government to dictate (hello Hitler!) it to us.

Great Balls of Fire!

What a FUN day! I got up early, got my walk in, had PANCAKES, then headed out to the airport. I ran into my old flying buddies out there who were heading down to Pueblo for lunch. They invited me to fly along, but they were ready to go and I was just getting there, so I decided to not go this time and just fly around the city. I taxi'd down to the self serve pumps for some jet fuel, topped off the tanks and then waited in line with everyone else for my take off sequence. Finally....373WD cleared for take off 1-7-left. A nice take off into the plane dotted sky and the Springtime bumps....

After I landed, I was getting ready to push my plane back into the hangar when a voice behind me about scared the doo out of me. It was my hangar neighbor, Joe. I hadn't seen him for awhile either so after he helped my push my plane in, he asked if I wanted to go flying with him...in his WW2 Sea Fury!!! I didn't hesitate, I said yes so fast it made him laugh....Strapped in, parachutes on, headsets working, briefing on what to do in an emergency...check!

And we are off! It was SO AWESOME! We were looking for a friend's grass landing strip south of Elbert. When he would turn we'd be at a 90 degree angle to the ground...YIKES! We heard his friend on the radio and he guided us to the landing strip where we did some low flyovers...I'm talking 10-15 feet off the ground. At the end of one of low passes, we went into a roll! I did the YEE HAW and felt pure exhilaration! He asked if I wanted to do some more rolls, ABSOLUTELY! So we got clearance in the air space and flew some loops, rolls and point rolls. LOVED IT!

When we landed (which was much too soon for me) he invited me to tag along back to the friends place with a few other pilots, including his son, JP. I went and it was a really fun afternoon. I had to leave about the time the chicken and Brats were coming off the grill, I hadn't planned this adventure and needed to get home to cook dinner there. What a fun day, I am still smiling....Life IS Good!

Tribute

I've put off writing this entry for a couple of weeks, partly because it is so personal to me and partly because it makes things that much more real. February 25th marked the 1 year anniversary of Susan's passing. Today while I was out for my morning walk, I knew it was time to do this. I loved Susan as my friend for a lot of reasons, amongst them:

She kept me honest
She was completely different in many ways from me, but we still had deep common ground
She was as stubborn as she was compassionate
We shared a "secret box"
She would always be there for me, even during the times I wasn't there for her
We shared the longing for...and the pain of not having...children of our own.
We also shared incredible relationships with our nieces
She understood why I was always doing something...trying to fill a hole that can never be filled
She let me be me and I her, we respected the differences and the quirks and the boundaries


Most people thought we were an odd friendship, but most didn't understand the bond that we had and still have.

I still see her rolling her eyes at me and I miss her...

This is how we roll

Out on a walk, with Sebastian in tow. He follows on the ground a lot but he likes to hitch a ride as well. For some reason it is always my left shoulder. Guess that leaves my right arm free to throw the ball for Sadie, an activity that doesn't seem to affect Sebastian in the least. Crazy Cat, Crazy Gal.

Seb and Tessie taking a break.

Still awhile until Spring

For us we still have a few weeks left, but it doesn't keep me from getting a little bit of Spring fever. It is a balmy 52 degrees here today and a little overcast. Seems like a year since Hawaii...

The good news is we will be in Hurricane for a week at the end of the month, YEA!!

North Shore Oahu and the Temple

The Hawaii Temple was closed for renovations, so we just wandered the grounds and took pictures. The beach is the start of the pipeline on the North Shore. The movie "Soul Surfer" about the young girl who lost her arm to a shark while surfing was being filmed. We couldn't get real close, but understood that Carrie Underwood is in the film. It was a fun day cruising around the island.

Back to the fish

This is really where I spent the most time. I loved every minute on the water. A couple of facts about whales... these guys are all Humpbacks. They migrate between Mexico and Alaska. They stop in Hawaii anywhere between November and May to do 2 things, have their babies and breed. There isn't any food for them in Hawaii, so they basically live off their fat storage. Whales don't mate for life, in fact they are solitary animals, they do not have pods or families that they hang out with, the exception is that female whales stay with their babies for the first year, then they both go their separate ways. When you see whales together, generally this time of year you see 3, a mom a baby and a male escort. The male is there protecting but also waiting for the female to go into heat. When that happens, she may be pursued by upto 30 males at one time. We saw some of this behavior and it was very aggressive and a little violent. Males can weigh up to 80 tons, so that is a lot of fire power in the water. The babies are about the size of a Ford Explorer, just so you get an idea of the massive size of these mamals.

One more fact, the tail or fluke is as individual as a finger print. Marine biologists in Hawaii catalogue pictures of the tails to identify returning whales. When you see the fluke come up, usually the whale is diving deep and can stay under water for up to an hour. The slapping, breaching and jumping appears to be communication, but no one really knows for sure.

New Tattoo

As with all my adventures, this one had it's moments. If you look close you will see a map of the Hawaiian islands most likely permanently scarred on my cheek and forehead. So here's what happens when a rookie tries the boogey board in the waves for the first time (who needs stinkin' lessons!) I was riding a wave like the big Kahuna, until it rolled me and rubbed my face in the sand. I left a huge chunk of my DNA in the surf at Kihei. The blessing is that I didn't break my neck or come out of it a parapalegic. I hit my head so hard I can still hear the ocean in my ears. But other than a headache and a deflated ego, I will survive to surf (or just sit on the beach) another day.

Kohola

I took these pictures yesterday. It was simply amazing! More to come but the jetlag is kicking my can tonight...

Hawaii Bound

My annual pilgrimage to Hawaii is this week and I am so ready! It is snowing today and cold. I spent this past week in Minnesota and South Dakota, freezing my tail end off. The week before in Minnesota, and the week before in Colorado in the snow. I do love winter and don't mind the cold but when you have the sunny beaches of Maui calling, it's hard not to start feeling a little homesick for Aloha.

I'll be headed first to Oahu for a few days in Honolulu, then Saturday the 20th I head to Kahalui, Maui. We stay right off the beach at KiHei. I'm going again this year with my girlfriend, Linda. Just 2 girls looking to relax, unwind and have a ton of fun. Snorkeling, swimming, whale watching, flying and taking the adventures where we can find them. I am so EXCITED!

Aloha!

Never been eaten

It's kind of funny how some things come full circle or that something said doesn't mean anything to you until you get down the road a little further. I was out walking with the dogs and Sebastian this morning when we stumbled onto a fox that had been killed, probably the night before. I wandered around looking and listening for any signs of possible pups, just in case someone needed rescuing. Not finding anything, we headed back to the house. I plan to head back out there in a little while without the dogs for some CSI work, but I've thought about it almost non-stop for the past couple of hours.

Which brings me to the full circle part....


A couple years ago after becoming "retired" I was doing a road trip with a couple of gal pals. In a suburb of Seattle we came across a physic and decided it might be fun to stop in and have her read our auras for us. She called it right on when she said it seemed like I was out of gas and a virtual "wet blanket" at that point in my life I was scraping the bottom of the bucket. She told me that she sensed a huge change in my life and stress attached to it, which would subside after an extended period of time. She also told me to take time to re-boot myself and to not worry so much about the "money" side of life and then she said...."you have always eaten and never been eaten" it made me laugh and scratch my head back then, but it struck me with the fox that a lot of others, whether they are 2 legs or 4, whether they are smarter or faster, get eaten in this world.

I have been struggling just a little bit with my decision to go back to work, but this week has made a lot of difference in how I feel about it now. I spent some time in face to face sales calls. I also got to practice and use my coaching skills with the rep I was traveling with. I realized it put me right back in the part of the work world that I love and all at once I knew that I was 100% excited to get back after it. So I know now that I won't be eaten anytime soon, and that is a good thing to know.

I am grateful.....

Sebastian

Just a quick post this morning. Lately Sebastian has been a constant outside companion. He goes on every walk with me and the dogs and is basically my shadow while I'm outside. The thing he does that makes me laugh is run up the trees like he's some kind of mountain lion or something. I'm glad he does it, with all the coyotes and preditors out here, it is a great skill to have. Anyway, just a couple of "Sebastian" shots from our walk yesterday.