All Tuckered Out

I am talking mostly about the little punk, not about myself. However, that said.... have you ever carried one of these infant backpacks on a hike. Wowsers.. talk about heavy. The little guy only weighs 17 pounds but it felt like 170 by the end of the hike. I felt like a pack mule - Hey now, be kind and considerate with your comments! It was really great to get out for that first hike with him. I think he enjoyed himself.... that is, while he was awake!
I'm sorry, but does that even look comfortable? I guess it must be. What does that one t-shirt say? Life is good Yup, that's the shirt for my little punk for sure!

Hands of Time

The Hands of Time seem so slow when you're young and then it just seems to hit fast forward. Do you have enough time in the day? Enough time to get the work and chores done, play with kids, take time for a breather? Missed hubby's hands on this one, I will take it again with him in it next time. His hands will dwarf all of us. Ah, but that is a good thing.
I love looking at this picture of my lineman's hands. So big and strong and yet they are so gentle with our children. How did I get so lucky? Oh, I better snap out of this sentimental state before he reads this and rolls his eyes.
Our oldest punk... a new sport. Yup, I think I know where a lot of our time will be spent for the next month.

Frantic in the morning

And no, I am not talking about running around getting ready for the school bus, though we do that, too. Okay, I am going to tell you a little secret: I am not really a morning person. Well, I am but I'm not. Confused yet? I can wake up in the morning, it just takes me a little while to get going. Maybe getting three kids ready for the day has something to do with it too? I might have to ponder all of this in therapy.

So, the real reason for a frantic morning is this... My little punk woke up early the other day in desperate need for a bottle. Speaking of the bottle maybe he is the one who needs therapy. Maybe even a 12 step program. Fine, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, since he is only six months old. Okay, back to being frantic. I strolled into the kitchen to make a bottle for my little morning bird. I look out the sliding glass door and saw the most beautiful sight, this was after I rubbed my eyes for 7 minutes to make them function. There on the other side of the valley, setting behind some mountains was a beautiful full moon. I grabbed for my camera and learned that it is not possible to take a shot with baby in your arms, way to much camera shake. I got out the tripod and hoped my little punk wouldn't wake anyone up with his crying while I snapped pictures of the moon setting. And let me tell you, it sets fast. Doesn't the earth revolve at 35 miles per hour? I can't remember, 4th grade was too long ago. None the less I managed to get a few good pictures of the moon very early that morning.

Lastly, thanks going out to my little punk for waking me up when the rest of Wyoming was sleeping so I could get this shot.

Workin' Boys

With all the work that is required to get this garage finished it was apparent an extra hand is needed. My oldest punk fit the bill just right. He loves helping his Dad anyway so this was a great opportunity for them to work together. My oldest boy grabbed for his motocross gloves and crawled right up in the lift. He was running the controls of the lift like an expert. Half the time when I ran the control I went the opposite way I had planned. I wanted to go forward but went backward. Then I would want to go backward and I'd go forward. Apparently there is no need for me to give lessons to my boy on this.
He just jumps right in there, helping his Dad.
Boards for the soffits, nails, run the equipment.... no problem for this boy.
Hey, Dad, are you sure thats the right angle for the board you're placing. Maybe you want me to show you how to do it? If you want to hold this piece of wood I could go ahead and get that part done. Oh, hand me the nailer while you're at it.
Oh, okay, I guess I'll just hold this wood for you instead. But hey, I'm right here for ya Dad. Hey, lets put the shingles and siding on while were at it......

I'm Smiling Now

I just love this time of year. I love when the first antelope start making their migration back towards our home. I love when the new green grass starts peeking out from the winter browns. I love when the birds return! This has been a great spring for the Goldfinches here at our home. Last year I think there was only about 4 pair that came to visit......... What a difference a year made. I guess they all went south and told all their friends! They are everywhere this year. I am going through feed pretty quick, apparently they aren't on any type of diet. Click on the picture to enlarge so you can see just how gorgeous these little guys are!

Wild Weather!

Today is a calm day after two consecutive days of wild weather. Thursday and Friday there were numerous tornadoes that touched down in this area. The closest one was about 3-5 miles north of us. This picture below is one that is in our newspaper.

Click here to read more about the tornadoes.

Might as well Jump

Yes, blogging has been a long time coming! Family is visiting and somehow we seem to be taking thousands of pictures and I haven't gotten a single one up here. Oh, you don't think we can take that many? Now you have done it, I will post them all! Oh, just kidding already. We have only taken about 20 pictures so far. Oh, I mean 20 times 50. Yup, still on that thousand thing. Okay, on to the pictures. The boys had a blast on the tramp, as usual.

My oldest catching some good air on the trampoline.
Caleb, getting some air.....
My middle punk, showing some unique form here.....
And my baby, what..... no pictures of him on the trampoline... Okay, I better put one of him on here, too. Thanks Papa for giving him a hand! Do you see that look in his eyes, the way he is looking at his brothers? Oh boy, I could be in trouble if he learns anything from them. Actually, now that I look at his look again it is more like he is thinking "what in the world are they doing? Just go get me my bottle." What do you think my little guy is thinking?

There's No Stopping Him

Here is my middle punk. Are you asking why in the world does he have all of his motocross gear on for just a bike? It's pretty simple really. He refuses to stop going. The only time he stops going is when he is asleep in his bed. I couldn't even say he quits going when his head hits the pillow, because he doesn't. He'll sneek in a book and get out his flashlight. Or talk to all of his 78 animals in bed with him. Anything to avoid actually having to go to sleep. This would be painful for him, to realize that he isn't going anymore. But at some point exhaustion from the day finally closes his eyes. Oh, but don't think it's over there either. Almost every night I can hear him YELL out in his dreams. Usually having an argument with his older brother or calling for me. But you go in and check on him and he is sound asleep.

Oh, where was I? Going..... Hmmm, going, oh yes, he never stops going, that's why he still has his motorcycle gear on. He has really taken to his motorcycle, in fact it could become an issue but we'll talk about that another time. So, I had been watching him ride and I wanted to work on my own bike. I told him to come park his so I could go get some parts for mine and I would be right back. Off I went and came back with my parts about 4 minutes later. He absolutely could not stand the thought of actually waiting he hopped on his bike and made a few laps. As soon as he saw me return he was all over me. Mom, can I ride now? Mom, can I go now? Please, Mom? Oh, he pulls out the please.... this is serious. So, I helped him get his motorcycle going and he was off, never once looking back.

Oh, and a side note: Green Grass Alert here!

P.T.

Party Time? Popular Tot? May-be, but it is actually Physical Therapy time.

Bode has been in P.T. now for a couple of months. He had a ball today - no pun intended. His crooked neck has pretty much been corrected and we have been working on other things as well. He is now 5 1/2 months and could really care less about the whole rolling over thing. I have heard that rolling over is really over rated anyhow. There are bigger and better things to be doing, right? Like riding a motorcycle. Woah there cowboy, not so fast! You just try staying on this ball for now. If we start learning new things maybe we will start with washing the clothes, cleaning your room. Awwww, just forget it, let's just go cuddle some more.

I Love Birds

Yes, I do. I especially love to sit and watch them feed at the feeders. We don't get a lot of company as far as birds are concerned but I treasure the ones we do get.

Last week we had a Western Kingbird stop by briefly. Then there were the large flocks of Bluebirds that only made us a pit stop on their way to all our relatives in Montana. The House Finches have been frequenting our feeders for about two weeks now. My second favorite feeder visitor came just yesterday, the Goldfinch. I just love their color. We usually get about 5 pair so I am ready for the others to get here. But my favorite feeder visitor that we get is the tiny Hummingbird. Don't let their size fool you, hang out when they are feeding and they can make you plum nervous with all their zooming around. I always think one is going to fly into me with that long beak of theirs. I go to bed and night and have nightmares of those things! But I just keep feeding them, oh, and I feed them on window feeders. You can stand right next to them and even watch that microscopic tongues lap up the nectar, it really is a sight.

So, our Hummers won't be here for several weeks due to our elevation but I am anxiously awaiting them. I found this neat video on YouTube I wanted to share. Now, we get about 4 pair here and they make me nervous so imagine yourself standing next to these feeders!

We'll Keep Him

It was about three and a half years ago when we drove to town in search of a dog that would be part of our family. Our boys at that time were 1 and 4, just the perfect age for a dog. We went to the shelter and walked down each isle. And there he was, Koda. Just our kind of dog, an Australian Shepherd but most important he had the eyes. You have to look deep into the eyes to know if they are right for your family. We brought him home that day and he was only one year old. We would soon discover the patience that he possessed. It wasn't long and our youngest punk crawled right up on him and laid right on top. Then he proceeded to grab and handful of hair and PULL. Koda winced a little, looked back at this kid piled on top of him and just laid his head on the ground. That was all it took, we knew it was meant to be. If Koda could handle what this little punk could dish out we new he could make it with the family.

Yesterday proved again why we'll keep him. Not that we would get rid of him anyway, but he does things unnatural to a dog that just amaze me. I was walking past the sliding glass door as I caught him looking at something. I stopped to see what it was. There, not 30 feet away from him was a small herd of antelope. He did not chase them nor did he bark. We had taught him early on not to chase them but always figured nature would not allow him to sit back. But here he was, sitting on the deck enjoying the view of wildlife passing through. Good grief, I think most grown men would have even grabbed for their rifle.

So yes, Koda is going to be with our family for a long time. But then again he doesn't realize we have added yet another boy to the mix here. He could be in packing his bags now!

Basketball Anyone?

How about a game of PIG or HORSE this morning? And what's this? No bluebirds this morning? Chickens. I called my Lineman this morning, he is working in his office today. He said they didn't have any power this morning. "Well that's funny" I said. He says "Yeah, well no. Well yeah. Well, we don't supply our own power here". Too funny I thought!

Trampoline Boys

I've spent some time this morning browsing through pictures of last summer. When the grass was green. The boys could wear t-shirts outside. Antelope wandered through the yard. We stayed outdoors late and had campfires and watched the Tiki torches light the night from the deck. Those times are soon to be here again. But, until they are here I'll enjoy these pictures of my boys. They love the trampoline and I love any chance I can get to take their pictures.

Are you kidding me?

That's exactly what the animals are saying today. It snowed again and all these guys wanted was to get into the house. I might let you in.... that is.... after I take your pictures.
What was the weather like for you this Saturday morning?

Drops of Jupiter

That song got stuck in my head as soon as I started photographing water droplets today.

This is one of my favorites. In the top portion you can see an inverted Hydranga plant.
Yes, I do love Photoshop but other than being cropped none of these images have been altered.
I thought this next one is unique. I had a slightly slower shutter speed.
Another one with slightly slower shutter speed produced the movement effect and still caught the droplet.
I thought this one was pretty cool too. Again, I did not photoshop any of these.
Leave me a comment and let me know which is YOUR favorite!

Tower of Power

Aren't kids just the best helpers? They love to pitch in and lend a hand. Of course they don't always do things exactly the way we would, do they?

Case in point: My middle punk said he wanted to put the tiolet paper away for me. You know that gigantic package from Sam's Club? He was using the package as some sort of wrestling competition. Pinning it to the ground, throwing it against the wall, showing it who was the boss. I thought the sooner it got put away the better.

I went to feed the Little Man his bottle and my middle punk went right to his work. May be I should have been concerned about his enthusiasm for this chore.

Why put it under the sink? Building a "Tower of Power" is much more fun!

Personality

Personality. That is exactly what these two are. Personality. They are both the middle child and both full of life. I know my boy is quite ornery, too. A handful really. But caring, loving, carefree, fun loving... yup, all of those things too. And another thing, these two are pretty close friends. We don't get together with each other as much as we would like but these two always pick up right where they left off... On this day at the motorcycle track I kept my camera pretty close on these two. They are my favorite 4 and 5 year olds. I just can't keep my camera off of them.
Down on one knee. Just by chance I wonder?
A hug. Yes, they sure are great friends. Actually, he told me they got married. Um, a little young aren't you? And does she really want to put up with your orneriness?
Oh, she's rethinking it now. He is a nice boy, but I think I like just being friends.
What do you think? Just friends maybe?
Yeah, maybe just friends. We always were good at being friends. And so their friendship continues. As do the personalities.

Take a Break

The garage is completely sheeted now. I think he deserves a little break, don't you?

Tick, tock, tick, tock.... times up! Get back to work. Aw.... just kidding. That was a lot of hard work, you do deserve a little break. Great job and thanks again to our fabulous friends that lent a hand!

84 Miles Per Hour

It's official, the wind in our area was clocked at 84 MPH.

Click here to read about it. There were plenty of lineman fixing lines. Glad my lineman was right beside me, but then, maybe I wouldn't have hit my nose.....

The Storm has passed

Wow, what a windy three days! The garage withstood the incredible winds that tested it. We have a shed that lost shingles, but not all of them. One of our wonderful friends lost their whole roof, right down to the plywood. Their two neighbors also lost their roofs along with siding.

We had many calls from friends in the area wondering how our garage was doing. They all new the power in those winds. I haven't heard of any other damage, but I am sure there was plenty. I am heading into town this morning and will be looking around for damage in the area.

Today the sun is shining, not a cloud in the sky and it looks to be the beginning of a beautiful day!

High Wind Warning

This is copied from Weather Underground

Statement as of 4:17 AM MDT on May 02, 2008

... High Wind Warning remains in effect until 3 PM MDT this afternoon... Northwest winds of 30 to 40 mph with gusts t0 near 70 mph will continue this morning. Numerous wind gusts to over 60 mph have already been reported... including a gust to 67 mph at Cheyenne Airport early this morning. These strong winds will persist through early afternoon.A High Wind Warning means a hazardous high wind event is expected or occurring. Sustained wind speeds of at least 40 mph or gusts of 60 mph or more can lead to property damage. For specific Road and travel conditions in Wyoming and Nebraska... please dial 5 1 1.

I am so tired of this wind. I am tired of worrying about the garage. If we make it through today we should be good. I just want to go to town, go to the mall for the whole day, and not hear or feel the wind. I try to always be an upbeat person but this is getting ridiculous. This is day three of extreme wind.

I am a Wimp

There, I said it. I am a wimp.

The garage made it through the night just fine. This morning winds were calm but they picked up VERY strongly by about 9:00 a.m.. I got Bode to take a nap so I could go out and tell hubby he was crazy for working in this weather. It is in the 20's, light snow, and sustained wind speeds of 40 with gusts that I don't want to know their speed.

I ended up helping him get two rows of plywood on the lowest part of the roof. I have never been so scared. Actually, I have. This whole project has kept me in a perpetual state of fear because of the wind. Like I said, I am a wimp. The walls on the north wall are moving in and out. The wind wants to rip those sheets of plywood right out of your hands. But hubby said he wanted those two rows on to stiffen it up, so I was all for that, scared or not.

I was running around like a madwoman trying to gather nails, nail gun, plywood and throw them in the lift. I was in such a hurry that I jumped up to get into the lift and whacked myself on a metal bar on the lift. I nailed myself right on the bridge of the nose. I never even winced, just kept right on a workin'. Oh, who am I kidding. I curled myself up into those big strong arms, tucked my head into a warm Carhart coat, and whimpered while he held me. I was oblivious to the wind for a minute or so while we stood there. But then hubby said he had done the same thing yesterday, he hit the top of his head on that same bar. The bad thing is that I hit cartilage. There is now a big divot on the bridge of my nose. I can feel it and it still aches. The top of my teeth ache and I have a headache. My teeth will stop hurting. My headache will go away. But does anyone know..... will that bump fill back in or am I doomed to have a visible memory of building this garage forever?