Fall Break- Monday

Monday was a busy day. The weather was perfect so the boys were outside all day long. Here's the things they accomplished, plus a hot tub dip (that I didn't get photographed).


Lizards seem to be easily tormented. This one got a ride on Dil's hat!


Now there are THREE swings.


Even Dev figured out how to pump that swing.

Play dough time- building boats.

Logan is really getting into emailing!

All three fishing poles were getting a workout on the blacktop.

Walking "around the world"- carrying their fishing poles. (I don't get it.)

Playing in the sandbox for hours.

Tasting pinion nuts from the pine cones and learning about the different trees.

And finally it's time to eat dinner and Dev is shoveling it in...like there is no tomorrow!

The evening was spent watching the Vikings lose! What a busy day!

Fall Break 2010 begins

Fall break has begun. Beth and all of the boys came up Friday. Before they got here, JB spotted a chipmunk go into a secret hiding place on the roof.

He is going to kill that varmint! I can tell you there were several shots but no confirmation that there was one less chipper in the world!

Saturday morning.

Saturday morning in the 100 degree hot tub with the outside temp at 40!

We heard from the dining room window---"Look there is a PELICAN in the tree!" Ya, right. Well, it looked like a pelican but actually was an egret. Pretty weird!

Here's the little dish washer helper. Oh, what a mess!

Out to the forest we went to sight in some guns and get some squirrels. Logan is shooting his new gun.

Dil shooting.

JB and Logan trying out the new scope that was just installed on a gun that JB bought in the mid-60's. I think Logan just inherited an antique!

Look at this character on the right- a horned lizard- that the boys found meandering around in the forest. He got hold of Dil's finger and held on for while. Then he got placed back into the bushes for safe keeping.

Enough of this practicing. Time to hit the road to look for some squirrelies. I have no pictures, since I spent my time running after them and looking for them hiding in the trees. It took an hour to get the first one but it was ridiculous the number of shots that were fired! The end result were 2 that came home for the freezer. I wonder when we are going to have a squirrel feast!


Now onto Sunday, which was 10/10/10. A very lucky day for Tony, as he was the big winner at Fontana. Did you hear me yelling?

I wanted to have Dev lay down for quiet time during the race, since he was a little cranky. He didn't want to cooperate so I told him he was going to stay home with me when JB and the boys went out to collect some rocks to put into the new rock tumbler. I held true to my word and he didn't get to go. He really was a happy camper then. After they left, I turned the Smurfs on and a few minutes later he was out for a 2 hour nap!

A new Facebook profile picture!

A favorite place- sitting inside the coffee table with the glass broken out (a previous Dev adventure).

Ice cream tongue!

"Grammy, I pooped in my pants!" Oh, lovely!

Something I have wanted to do for several months is to teach Logan how to send us an email. The boys have their own email address so I think it's about time they start emailing us. The first email was sent to their mom....with no response back. That was pretty lame of her! It's not like she doesn't have the iPhone in her hand every minute.

The angels were in bed by 9, well after JB.

Projects for Monday--

1. Do something about alleviating the fighting over the one swing!

2. Go to park.

3. Get Logan's password so he can send emails under his name and get his contacts set up!

Busy last week of September

What a busy week!

Monday- We received a call from a MN friend at 7:30 AM saying he got an email from JB in London. and to send money. He had responded to the email and got an email back saying he was really in need of money. Gary thought it was fishy so he called us. Yep! JB's email address had been high jacked and the dude was trying to extort money. We did get several calls and emails of concern and smart ass remarks. Most thought it was just a joke and laughed it off. Turns out that I had signed JB up for Facebook a few days before, cuz I was sick of him commenting under my name. We think the hijacking came about when he was on FB looking for "friends". FB and Google do not make it easy to find out how to report such an issue but we did finally figure it out. After a couple of days, they responded and all is well now. Apparently, this is a common issue, as we have found out, but it sure is a pain in the neck. Monday I changed all of our passwords and security questions on our accounts just in case the yahoo got places he wasn't suppose to get.

Tuesday- We took the boat to Willow Springs for a little fishing action. Woman-2, Man-0. (He didn't have the yellow bug I had).

Wednesday- We drove to Fountain Hills for a funeral of one of my former employees who died of lung cancer and was only 57. Not very many Mayo people there so we were glad we went. Then we drove to Beth's and stayed overnight. Took the opportunity to do some shopping. It was good to see the boys since it had been well over a month since we'd seen them. It was still over 100 degrees. What's the deal?

Thursday- Got up and found these two lazy animals on the kitchen floor.



I walked the boys to school and then I had a little embroidery lesson. Did some more shopping and were home by early afternoon...in a much cooler climate.

Friday- Jim did a little painting and then we went squirrel hunting on the quads. I thought that was kind of weird. It worked out OK but it's a little difficult to try to run after a squirrel with a helmet and goggles on, let alone walk through the forest. We saw 5 squirrels, shot 3 times and brought 1 of those guys home.



I can't believe how smart they are. It seems they either have their escape plan ready to execute or they know where the tallest, densest pine tree is. Oh well, there will be another day...probably next week.

While we were in the forest and stopped one time, we noticed that I had missed two texts from my sister. She had sold my 3 hand embroidered panels that I had made for the girls to sell in their quilt shop. The panels get sewn into a quilt but most quilters don't bother to take the time to embroider. While I was home I had made a set for the girls so they could make the quilt and display it (then I will be the recipient of the quilt when they are sick of it). I thought it might be interesting to see if anyone would actually buy a completed set and by golly, they did. I'll probably have to make some more sets but Beth and I are signing up for 2 craft shows this fall. How am I suppose to find enough time to get all of this crafting done?

Saturday- I spent 4 hours embroidering on 2 shirts. No picture yet, because they are a surprise!!

Forecast for the coming week is rain every day and getting much cooler. Next Sunday we will pick up the boys to stay with us for their fall break. Guess fall will be in the air!! I'm sure we'll have lots to report on after that week!

Cinders and more cinders

JB figured that he would need 22 yards of cinders to cover the desired ground. He could get a "deal" if he could take the BIG truck, with a minimum of 25 yards. After the company came to inspect the driveway, it was decided that the BIG truck could get up the driveway but a waiver had to be signed (no responsibility for wrecking the black top). Last Friday, Sept 17 was the

delivery date, between 7 and 9 AM.

Here comes the truck.

This is the spot.

Dump pile # 1.

Pile #1. There's more?

There he goes down the driveway.


He's hooking up and sliding the second trailer into the dump truck. It was cool to see. (The darn camera was full so I missed some of the action pictures that I wanted for posterity!)

Second load dumped!

This is looking at the new shed and all of this area is going to get covered with cinders.


Another pic showing the larger area! So Mr. B. get busy!

After 3 days of covering the planned areas, this pile is what is LEFTOVER! So where the heck is all of this going to go?

Looks good!

One of many rest breaks!

Some of the leftover cinders got placed around the fire pit...

And now there is a nice walkway to the fire pit so no one trips! (NOTE: the grass on the right!)

While JB moved the cinders, I worked on the other side of the driveway making a yard for wonderful grass. I picked up rocks and twigs and pine needles and weeds....all part of the forest floor that has had no attention since we've been here since 1990. Hey, that's 20 years! Oh, my aching back!!!

My August planted flower garden is not lookin' too bad.

So our major yard work for this summer is about completed. We're hoping that the elk and deer will stop in for a bite of the green grass. Then all of the hard work will be well worth it!

Fire, elk and fish

Tuesday I spent the day watching these smoke plumes from a controlled burn near Forest Lakes, about 15 miles away.

This is the sun setting, not flames on the horizon!

Bad pic but as were leaving for our Thursday fishin trip this morning, I noticed 5 elk eating grass in a yard, less than a mile from our house.

So we were at Willow Springs by 7:30 this morning.

The water was like glass.

I caught this stick, which had been caught previously. The hint was all of the tangled fishing line.

Speaking of fishing line, when my BIG fish was getting unhooked, JB somehow lost his bait (cowbells and green/yellow cricket hopper). He had reeled it in. One minute it was there and the next second, his baitless fishing line was flapping in the breeze. Where the heck did it go? He suggested that a big whopper jumped up and cut the line! Yah, right! I made the smart-ass comment that maybe it was in the prop! Well, guess what? It was!!!

Oh, and "How do I get more water in that darn live well?"

Here is an eagle surveying the situation. The second I took this, he pooped and took off!

Woman-2, man-2. Mine are the two on the right. I can now admit that I have finally caught fish while trolling. There's a first time for everything.

We get home and the boat has to be parked in a new temporary place, as a load of cinders will be delivered tomorrow. The pick up just couldn't do the correct turn radius. I'll have to say the quad IS good for something!!

Tomorrow- a look at the cinders project!