City Girl celebrates Bday Country Style

Over the years I've spent so many bdays out camping with my family. At one point (I think it was my 16th bday) I silently wished I could have been born in a month when school was in so I could have my friends celebrate with me. I was at an age that I wanted more than just family around. When I met Walt he took me to places where there even less people around - the back country. Ugh at first. As time when on (and I grew up just a little), I looked forward to going out to the outback. Over the years I have celebrated with friends and family in the city, by myself in the city and with Walt in the outback.

This year was with friends in the outback. We were on the Big Smokey Creek in south central Idaho with friends Dave & Dusty Garner and Patrick & Christina Wartina.

Patrick, David & Dusty are loggers that were starting their current job near the Big Smokey Creek area. We missed having Keri Garner along to celebrate the beauty, but someone had to stay behind and mind the lumber yard. We missed having her there. We went with them to check out their current timber sale. It was perfect weather and even better friendship. There wasn't a cake , the only gift was someone else doing the cooking (Thanks David & Chris), but it was perfect.

Chris took Walt & I on our tour of the area where we saw lots of unique flowers,old trees,wildlife,

and miles and miles of priestine waters. It was hot enough that Chris & I got our feet wet but being that it is glacier waters, it was too cold other than to dip in and get out.

It was amazing to me how many butterflies were swarming around. They were beautiful.

The other flying things were mosquitos galore. We tried all kinds of dif repellants, but each one had different effects on each of us. No one was safe from the pests.

Met the Sibs

One of the things we did while being in Arco was visit with Dean's brother Dennis and their sister Becky. It was work party rather than a social call, but it ended up being a great visit.

The Cali Girls

I can hardly wait for pics from my sister or niece showing the visit of my Mom. Mom, Patty were spending the night at Erin's. How fun would that have been. Looking forward to the report.

Daniel in Bend

Daniel is in Bend, OR this weekend cycling his legs up and down hills in the heat of Eastern desert OREGON at the Cascade Classic. Best of wishes to him.

One of the Octogenarians in our Family

Yesterday was Dad's 81st bday. Stan's 3 kids, along with our sister Janet & took Dad to the pool for an afternoon swim. What a fun way for him to enjoy his grandchildren while Mom was out of town. I love my Dad so much. He's very active still - no moss growing under his rocker. I gave him a call to wish him my best and he'd just finished a TV dinner of his choice. He seemed to be ok with that and so I had to be as well.

Main Entry: oc·to·ge·nar·i·an
Pronunciation: "äk-t&-j&-'ner-E-&n
Function: noun: a person whose age is in the eighties —octogenarian adjective
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.

Precious Patty

This is one of my sisters - Patty. She has been working very hard at reshaping her body over the last 2 1/2 years. I am impressed with how she has had the discipline to keep at it. She is looking so very fine. Tomorrow she is going in for a cornea transplant on one of her eyes. Years ago she had radial keritonimy (sp) done and there was some serious scar tissued that formed ruining her vision. This is the only way to have that corrected. Our Mom has flown down from Seattle to be with her in CA. Mom is the best nurse in my book. She adapts to however you like to be treated when you are sick. Walt just wants to be holed up in his bed and sleep till he's better. I want to be fussed over. Mom was there when I had my eye surgeries and it is so comforting. I pray for an uneventful recovery for Patty and know that sight is such a blessed gift.

The high 90's has finally helped the fur fly at our house.

Louie

& KC

both are finally starting to shed their winter coats. With Louie scratching constantly and panting even in the flow of the swamp cooler, I showered him with love and oatmeal soap and gave him a bath. He was so appreciative that he laid by my feet all day. Ugh - sometimes it makes it hard to move around with him glued to my leg. But I know where he is anyway. He did feel much better afterwards though. Then a good brushing when he was dry relieved him of tons of fur - probably enough to make a pillow.

Red, White & Blue

This year has been very abundant for fruit crops for us. We harvested close to 10c of fresh, sweet yet tart strawberries. The plants were planted abt 4-5 years ago and this is the first time to get such a bumper crop. Of course, they didn't all come at once so eating them was the best option. Some on cereal, some in drinks, some just as candy and some in desserts. As the commercial says "I'm lovin it".
The next crop of fruit to come on was cherries. They are the neighbors tree, but a branch hung over in our yard and after talking to them, that branch was OURs to pick. YEAH. They aren't as sweet as I'd like but they were good anyway.
I am still working on eating all the blueberries that were picked last summer and am so looking forward to a new crop. Should be in late Aug or so. I love eating frozen blueberries the best. More healthy candy type fruits. For breakfast on the 4th of Jul, I have cereal with strawberries (red), blueberries (blue) and milk (white). That was the most colorful breakfast I've had in a long time. "I'm lovin it".

Summer reading for the genealogists

I love to read abt and research genealogy. A story abt what reading there is out there was published on Genealogy Today . It's always nice to have new titles to read.

Phones and Lists

Abt getting a new phone.... sometimes it's just easier to talk abt when Walt isn't around. hehehe He hates the idea of a cell phone in the first place so to buy a new one isn't important to him. Colleen is ready for a new phone next week. She & I have been studying lots of dif kinds. Want to get the best feeling one and the best one I can hear out of. When the time is right we will be getting a new one. We don't need it to have internet on it but do like the ones that you can get VZNavigator on (something you pay extra for - maps to places). That might be helpful in my job and our travels. Camera phones are nice, but it's easier for me to get pics off my camera to the computer than it would be from the phone to the computer. I keep looking at newer laptops than my antique, but so far nothing is out there that I can afford.
We (all of us) were laid low by the air pressure changing. We actually did little other than nap, eat, watch tv, water the container plants outside and read. We were in bed after the news. B & J had invited us up to their house for a BBQ and close proximity to Sugar House park for fireworks, but the idea of being around a drunk who is self centered was too much for us to deal with. We really didn't want to have to navigate thru hordes of traffic afterwards. So we just enjoyed the neighbors driveway festivities. Besides, at 102F, we don't do well outside.
I love lists... I make lots of them. And actually get lots more done that way. Don't forget to put "check emails" on your list...