Yellowstone Critters

The black bear was too far away and the wolves were in hiding!!

work break in Yellowstone National Park

So, after all the excess work with disposing of tree branches, we took a break to the Yellowstone for a day. This first blog is going to show some of the scenery we ran into on the trip; with the next showing some animals we ran across!! In this blog the two mountain scenes are illustrating how snowy it is yet in the mountains - considering that it is the third month of June. Also note how green the hillsides are this year!! All of Wyoming has remained green way into the hot summer months; unlike the usual few weeks in the spring. The rock cliff in one photo is an outcrop above the Yellowstone River that is quite fascinating. And the river shot is of the overflowing Yellowstone River this year - we've had a very wet snow melt this spring.

Home Critters

Wanted to do another post to see if the alignment has straightened out now.  I don't understand what happened with the last post.  My text was just going off in one long line as I wrote it and I had to insert returns to get it to fit the page.  When I finally posted it, it was really in a mess.  (Sorry!) If anyone out there can tell me what happened, I would appreciate it.  I am just going to include a few pictures I have taken around the house with this post.  These photos include the two twin does that we got to watch as fawns last year and one photo of one of the three young bucks that are coming around to visit.  Needless to say, I am starting to plant my yard in shrubs and flowers that deer find unpalatable!!!  The other picture is of a night hawk sitting on the fence.  I love it when the night hawks show up for the summer! Night hawks have a helter skelter flight pattern, and are fascinating to watch.  They have one broad white line on each of their wing tip areas, and somehow remind me of a boomerang that my sister once owned.  Maybe that is why I love to watch their jogging little dance through the sky in the summer's evening.  I have been told they are called bull bats in the South.

The Home Front

Finally finished up the fourth truck load of tree branches

from our disaster of June snow on the 7th.

The process of removing branches was delayed by

continual rains and other chores that required our

attention. Wanted to put in a few pictures of activities

around the house, before showing you some photos

into Yellowstone on Tuesday, June 23rd. We just had to celebrate the last

load of branches from the day before!! The branches set us back enough

from the regular early summer activities that we decided to do a few

short trips, rather than going camping.

Snow in June???

So we made it home from our trip to New Mexico and had a week preparation to take Ashley down to the University of Wyoming Summer High School Institute.  It is a special three week course that was offered to gifted and talented Sophomore students throughout the state of Wyoming.  Ashley was one of five students selected from Cody, Wyoming.  Yes, I am a proud parent; please forgive me!! 

 Anyway, the morning that we had to get Ashley down to Laramie was Sunday, June 7th.  We woke up to 3-4 inches of very wet snow, with snow still falling as we went out to feed the horses before we had to get on the road at 7 a.m.  Our cottonwoods and willows were all leafed out, and the weight of this snow caused branches to snap and come crashing down all around our property.  The sound of it was heart wrenching and it really had the horses stirred up.  I took these few photos of the mess before we had to get on the road.  Since Dick and I have returned from taking Ashley to Laramie that day, we have taken three truckloads of broken branches to the dump, and have at least one more to go.  The trees have enough other leafed out branches to hide the damage, but you can pick out a few naked branches pointing out in a few places.  Just like pinching a house plant, I know the trees will become stronger from this process, but it sure has been devastating to live through!!

Our New Family

Here are a few last pictures of our trip to New Mexico.  They were taken at Anne's house on the night of Avery's graduation party.  They are special pictures because they include Eli and Tomas, the newest members of our family.  This trip gave us more opportunity to get to know both Eli and Tomas, and it was great.

The Walker Family

 Annie, Grandma Ruth, and Katie(Laura) (with Dick, too).

Here is Katie (Laura), with her sister, Annie, and brother, Johnnie.

Del and Renee

Wow!!! sorry that I haven't posted anything lately; we have been very busy getting our summer chores done around here; we have had such rain, that it has been difficult to get everything done and by nightfall we both are exhausted!  I wanted to include some pictures of Laura's side of the family, which we got to visit on the way down to New Mexico and then on the way back.  We got to stay with Grandma Ruth on both trips, but also got to have meals with my sister, Annie.  It was great to have Johnny and Virginia, Rosanne and her kids - Irene and Ian, and Renee and Alex there on our Saturday drive back to Wyoming.

Avery's Graduation

Our Main reason for the trip to New Mexico was to participate in the high school graduation of our granddaughter, Avery. We are so proud of her accomplishments!! 

Prior to the graduation, we got to have our traditional breakfast at the La Fonda French Pastry Shoppe on Wednesday morning and checked out a few shops in Sante Fe.  The ceremony itself was Thursday afternoon, and held in the auditorium of the Santa Fe Art Museum.  It was neat to have the mariachi music at the end of the program - so Santa Fe!!  The best picture I got was of her dad, Ken, being a proud father!!  

Grand kids

I wouldn't be a good grandma if I didn't share these photos of the grandkids!!  Aaron and Eleanor have a very sweet couple of kids, they are good parents!!

New Mexico Trip

We had so much fun in New Mexico this time!!  Our first two days were spent with my son, Aaron, and his little family.  In the pictures you will see Aaron, his wife, Eleanor, and their two little ones - Elliot (6y rs) and Olivia (19 mns).  Of course others in the pictures ar Dick and Ashley.  Our first visit, down at his home in Albuquerque (the first photo); then roaming the streets of Santa Fe; and finally, in the little town of Madrid, for a late lunch.  We had a good visit!!  It was so good to see each of them!!!

State Track Meet

Ashley, again, participated in the Wyoming State Track Meet this year.  It was held May 21,22, and 23 in Casper, Wyoming.  Fortunate for us, she did all her running on the first day and we added the next days to our trip to New Mexico.  Did not place as she did last year, but did run the 3200 meter (2 Mile) in 14:04.96.  A good run considering the battle she has had in shin splints this year.  Her only other race was a 4X8 Girl's Relay.  It is a race where each of four girls runs 800 meters and hands the baton off to the next girl to run 800 meters.  Her team was holding a solid 4th place, which Ashley, as third runner, helped extend their lead by 100 meters.  Unfortunately, their fourth runner lost all of the gained lead and threw her arms out at 2 meters before the finish line, impeding an oncoming runner, and getting her team disqualified.  It was a major bummer for Ashley and the other girls on the team.  She still enjoys her running, and I guess that is the most important thing!!

Last Bus Ride

Well, had to get in these pictures of a memorable event in our family - Ashley took her last school bus trip on May 19, 2009 and these are a few shots of that day.  She has had her learner's permit for some time now and has driven us for the alloted number of hours before she becomes licensed to drive in the state of Wyoming in July.  We will no longer get to wait out at the end of our driveway, visit and goof off as a family, while we wait for that late bus @ 7:15 on cold winter mornings.  It will be a bittersweet memory for each of us.