Did Ya See Da 30 Pointer??

Our Cabin in the Woods....(okay Rich & Lisa own it now but I still call it Ours....)

Cabin, originally uploaded by pieceofheaven.

Well it has officially begun......When I woke up this morning to Da Yoopers singing The Second Week of Deer Camp, I knew that Deer hunting season is now upon us....


I myself am not a hunter....for many reasons.....


Reason # 1 being - if they would possibly make the season in June when I didn't have to wear 14 layers of clothing to stay warm I might consider it.


Reason # 2 - I can't sit still (the ADD ya know...(the ya know was said in a Canadian accent for effect...lol...) and with that one you can add that I like to talk......uummm yeah.......


Reason # 3 - The last time I held anything resembling a gun I was playing Lazer Tag in my sister Debbie's backyard in the early 90's. And I most likely was killed early on so not alot of experience......


Reason #4 -.......Ummmmm Bambi......Duh!!!!....


Reason # 5 - I have run out of wall space for deer heads in my house....


Reason # 6 - No matter what you do to cook it I can't pretend that venison is beef...it's Not!!!


Even though I am not a hunter my boys are. Every year Rob's cousins come and stay at our cabin in the woods. They live on the Illinois border but luckily they are on the Wisconsin side.....I don't think you could make it through Deer Camp in Wisconsin if you are officially from Illinois - the harassment might be unbearable.


When Larry and his crew get here on Friday night Hunting Season can truly begin.....Rob of course will be getting his license tonight (last minute) at the Boaz Country Store. Then he will head back to take part in the festivities....


I know alot of women have a hard time with this season but I personally Love it....

* I love pulling out of my driveway and knowing that Adam is the one sitting in the tree stand across the field. Then looking up towards the house seeing a glimpse of Rob in his orange and knowing that if I dare honked to say good morning it might send him into convulsions......LOL.....

*I love driving into town seeing all the guys along the way like little orange dots in the woods and then crank up my heat.

*I love that Saturday mornings (opening day of hunting) is the day that the town is filled with Craft Fairs for the women. I spent many years having my own booth and now I started the tradition of going with my friend Nichole just to enjoy.....

*I love nights like last night - Rob and D bustling around the house getting everything together.....talking nonstop.....

*I love the updates throughout the day hearing who has seen what and who the lucky one is that already got one....

*I love hearing the words...."we are headed out for a Drive!!" That means that they all get to work together and I know they have so much fun.....

*I love that D gets to hang out with his cousin Randy - riding 4 wheelers and being boys......

*I love when they come back from the Cabin telling about how stuffed they are from all the amazing food that Teresa sent along.

*I sort of love....driving to Boaz to see the Wall of photos of everyone with their deer....okay - not that one so much....I like getting a Diet Mountain Dew at the Boaz store....


*But most of all I LOVE to see Rob doing something that he enjoys....He does so much for our family and works so hard and very seldom takes time for himself. I know there are times that he thinks that he is just going to "skip it this year...." But I don't want him to....He needs to be one of the guys and tell stupid jokes and share this all with his son.....It sounds crazy and doesn't make sense at all to me but I know he needs it....Just as much as I need to drive to Madison with my computer and a book and sit in a chair at Barnes and Nobles doing the exact same thing I could be doing sitting in my own house (except no one is making a caramal macciato at my house...) He needs "guy time"....


So.....starting this evening I bid him farewell and then go rent some movies. And then I lay in bed at night warming up his ice cold feet while listening to all his stories of the day....(and Hopefully there are stories...it won't be good if there aren't - that's a whole other side of hunting......) And I know it's only for a short time....


So as I started out that this morning I heard the one song but tomorrow will be the Official Day....When I wake up to Phil playing......Did Ya See Da Thirty Pointer....It's like the bell toll.......Silly Silly Life.....


Here are a few videos for you if you are totally bored.....or if you should be working and you don't want to.....


The first one is one my sister Debbie told me about this morning....Bill Engvall talking about taking his wife deer hunting...Sooo funny - but be warned - you will probably end up watching several of his if you start.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zTFd93oAiA


And for those of you who have never had the pleasure of hearing Da Yoopers...I will apologize up front for the total waste of your life but it is just a part of our life "up Nort..."

Here is Thirty Point Buck

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Utt_XgcWv8


And The 2nd Week of Deer Camp....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kb9yhhflmvY


Well wasn't this special.....LOL.....So today I dream for you........Laughter at stupid stuff.....I say that because I have spent most of my morning listening to Da Yoopers and watching Bill Engvall videos and laughing the whole time....And I just realized I am still borderline grounded from my Internet. They said that I wasn't suppose to be watching videos for 30 days to get my usage down and I now probably ruined it with Da Yoopers.....**shaking head**....Oh Well......

Have a good day my friends......

Early morning drive....

A Beautiful Wisconsin View

What to make with my apples......hhmmmm

This morning my sweet husband woke me from a sound sleep in my nice warm bed at 5:30 am to remind me that I promised  that I would drive him to a job he was working on that was an hour away.....
"Really???  Are you sure???.....Did I know what time I would have to get up????"

So I drug myself out of bed......more like hobbled.....(I am still recovering from a horrible pain in my right calf muscle....so no one is mistaking my name for Grace lately....) got dressed and we were on our way. Usually long drives are some of mine and Rob's favorite times together. I haven't seen him for days so I was catching him up on everything that he has been missing....some talks that Dustin had with his band director (which of course led to me telling Rob how Mrs. Holt - my HS band director - asked me to try out for Drum Major, which I did make but that meant I didn't get to ever be a Baton Twirler....dang it....) I told him how I have had an idea for an invention that I was sure would make us Millionaires....I have been telling the kids and D thought it was a great idea....Here is the CRAZY part....it had to do with computers and as I told Rob he says....."oh, they already have that...." HUH???? EXCUSE ME.....I mean it doesn't surprise me that it is not a new idea - but HOW did Rob know it existed???? - He can't turn on a computer.....) There were a few more stories and I noticed Rob hadn't said a word since we left the house and so I asked him if I was boring him....He said No... because the last few mornings he actually had to pull over and get out to walk around to stay awake and this morning there was no chance of dozing off with me in the car (then he looked at me and winked...)......hhhmmm....I will take it as Gratefulness.....

We got to the bridge that he was working on and Dave (our employee) was already there working. We said goodbye and I was on my way back home. The job was over towards the River which is always a beautiful drive. As I started home the sun was just coming over the horizon. The colors in the sky were simply amazing.....the purples and pinks and blues.....beautiful!!!

One of the downfalls of living in the hills is not being able to enjoy sunrises and sunsets like we do in West Texas.....There you can get a great view just about from Anywhere you stand!!! But here, the best place I have found is up on the ridge....So as I drove along the ridge the sun got higher and higher and the colors got brighter and brighter....I finally saw the tip of the sun as I started into the valley.

The road I take on the way home is lined with apple orchards for as far as you can see....Throughout the years it has easily become one of my favorite drives...The rolling hills and the straight lines of trees remind me of a photo out of a magazine....

So it made me think that today is going to be a baking day.....Rob brought me a big bag of apples home the other day.....(I think he was hinting....) so I am looking forward to filling my house with the smell of fresh baked apple something or other.....

When I spoke at Grandma's funeral one of my memories was of the year that Rich and Lisa and then Rob and I had at least 5 apple pies in our freezer at all times.....Whoever thought you would get tired of apple pie but let me tell you that you can get mighty close..... But Grandma loved making them, so as long as we kept bringing her bags of apples she would keep making them. We would take them home, freeze them and when you needed a new one - take one out - thaw it in the microwave then bake....Yummy!!.....We couldn't make a trip to town without Grandma calling telling us to bring back the pie pans and more apples so she could make more....Well the guys were happy to accommodate!!.....sigh.....just missin' her........

Well, I better get busy....Becca and a friend are coming home for the weekend and get here tonight!!!!!!!!Yippee!!! Lots going on but I am so excited! She and Dustin are planning on having a Ton of kids over Friday night for a campfire and then just hanging out.....Will be so good to hear my house filled with teenagers again....I miss that......

So....today I dream for you.....hhhhmmm what direction should I go???? How about today I dream for you a moment to remember your favorite dessert when you were a kid......who made it???? Why is it a great memory????........

Mine was a cake that Momma use to make that was a white cake that she put in the fridge.....it had pineapple and an amazing frosting.....funny that I can't even remember much about it except picturing myself thinking that it was Wonderful......Oh I am sure there are MANY others too.....but I will leave you with that...

Have a great day my friends........

the wind......

Yes I do realize that this photo does not capture the power of the winds
that are upon us....But what am I suppose to do? If nothing
else you can see some of the trees that I worry will
fall on my house......LOL!!

Today the wind is horrendous....50-60 mph winds...The skies are dark and we keep having rain on and off. Not my favorite kind of weather... at all. I don't consider myself a worrier in most cases but when it comes to weather I make up for it. A while back I blogged about my fear of tornadoes. Growing up in West Texas tornadoes are just part of daily life. So when we moved to Wisconsin I was so happy that I would finally be able to sleep soundly during the months of March through July.....aahhh... Well for the most part we really don't have to deal with them.... except for a few here and there... some of which have been devastating... nothing like when I was in Texas. But I don't think it matters where I am when the wind kicks up my heart always starts to beat a little faster and I get a little jittery.

I now live in the woods so of course the thought goes through my mind of a tree falling on my house in a wind storm...wouldn't it occur to everyone???? What if one hits our room while we are sleeping? What if Rob is pinned and I can't get him out? What if both of us are killed and Dustin is left all alone? Will Becca have to quit school and come home to be with Dustin and give up her dream of being a photographer? Do they know where all of the important papers are if something happens to us? I knew I should have finished my bookwork because now the accountant is going to have to look through my stuff and see what a mess I have and she is really going to be confused....If the house is damaged then where will the kids live while it is getting fixed? Will they want to live in the house where their parents died??? If not how the heck are they going to sell this house with this driveway - I knew we should have blacktopped it!!!

Well you get the idea. Me and bad weather do not go well together. They say to expect the high winds for the next 48 hours....oh boy! My plan for the day is to stay in the basement doing bookwork and ironing...(just in case...lol...) I am trying to find positives in all of this......like hopefully I will burn a few more calories with my elevated heart rate over the next few days...... and now I don't have to take care of those piles of leaves in the yard seeing as how they are now in Yuba!!! Oh and my favorite positive in it....we may have 50-60mph winds but there is NO sand with it, so if I have to go outside it won't feel like my face is being rubbed raw by sandpaper and I won't have to pick grit out of my teeth when I come back inside....(oh....West Texas Sand Storms....)

This had to be a short post today....I know you are probably shocked....but my Internet keeps going on and off so I thought I just needed to get something out so this is what you get...

I tell you what though - trying to figure out a photo to go with the wind is pretty tough.

And one other tidbit of info....I checked Becca's facebook this morning and she said that they are under a tornado watch in Milwaukee.....Oh boy!! That sets off a WHOLE new set of stories in my vivid imagination....

Today I dream for you....beautiful weather!! Sunny skies and warm temperatures....aahhhhh - heavenly....

Have a wonderful day my friend....

canning season........

This is my storage area...and it is even before the kids have taken down all the tomato stuff from Sundays canning session - I'll admit I'm pretty proud...We should be good for the Winter....

Today I dream of being done with canning. Well that isn't all true because I actually enjoy it once I get started but it is alot of work and takes alot of time.

Saturday morning Rob woke me up with a kiss and said "I was just wondering..." then I grabbed my pillow and covered my head and kept telling him that I couldn't hear him. I knew what was coming..and then I heard the words.."do you want to do some canning today?" For him it means a winter full of chips and salsa. But for me it means piles of pots and pans and hands that smell like onions. Rob complaining that his hands are on fire because he refuses to wear plastic gloves to cut the jalapenos. It means all of us asking why it is that out of 20 knives not one is sharp enough to cut through a tomato. It means standing at the stove for hours upon hours waiting for pots to warm up - or cool down - and constantly forgetting to set the timer. But probably my biggest pet peeve is the tomato splatters EVERYWHERE. I just resolve myself to the fact that my stove will be a mess and I will deal with it at the end. But as I stand there watching red drops bounce onto my cupboards and the floor and the white wall behind my stove it just means More Work...

This year has been the absolute worst year for our garden. You would think if I said we had so much rain and sun that it would have been great for it. In actuality I think it destroyed it. Our tomato plants got late blight and I haven't had one tomato that was a perfect round and red. They are misshaped and have black cracked tops. We ended up using what we could and got some from the neighbors. Theirs had struggled too though. Our cucumbers did crazy things. They never got big around, they just grew long and narrow. I thought maybe we messed up and got the wrong seed but one of my friends said hers did the same thing. Our onions never got very big at all. They would make great cocktail onions...LOL..They came up and then the tops all died off. I told Rob that Honestly, next year we really really just need to cut back and when it's time to can just go to the Amish and get everything we need for the day. Less stress and guilt - I would be a much happier gardener...

So on Saturday Rob's mom came and helped core tomatoes and cut onions and peppers. The first day we just did salsa all day. On Sunday we worked on Tomatoes, Peppers and Onions - I use those for chili and stuff like that. As we got part way into Sunday's batch Rob started panicking that we needed more tomatoes. He began calling around but had no luck. So as I had my last batch in and the dishes done and counters cleaned a friend called and said the she had scored us more tomatoes. Rob was thrilled. Me and the kids - not so much. So, everything back out and did some more stuff.

At final count for the weekends canning session.
52 Quarts Salsa
19 Quarts Stewed Tomatoes
4 Quarts Spaghetti Sauce
4 Quarts Chili Sauce

And now I keep looking at my canning book and seeing if there a few more things I want to get to before the end of the season. I haven't decided just yet. First I have to get my kitchen back in order before I can start a new mess.

Today I dream for you splatter free walls and that your house doesn't smell of onions like mine does!! LOL!

Have a wonderful day friends!

a Sunrise..........the Risen Son....

A West Texas sunrise - beautiful!!
I dream of a sunrise....Across the world I know that people all have a similar feeling when they see the sun rise. There is something peaceful and energizing to see that big ball of light rise up on the horizon.

About 16 years ago Rob and I were in Colorado and took a few days to stay in a little cabin in the woods. We had decided that the one morning we would get up very early and head up to a mountaintop in Estes Park to watch the sun rise. So when we woke up we grabbed the muffins and juice that we had bought the night before and set out on our adventure. As we drove the curvy mountain roads lined with huge Pine trees the stillness was evident. It felt like as if we were the only ones in the world. But as we reached the summit we could see the other cars with people who had the same idea as us. We grabbed our little picnic and sat and waited. We noticed that as we found a place to sit the ground was covered in moisture from the night. I was very aware that as the sun rose and took it's place in the morning sky that moisture was soon be dried and covered with warmth. First from the deep darkness came a little glow in the sky and we knew it wouldn't be long now. Soon we began to see the outline of the greatness yet to come. There was such a mixture of excitement and peace along with the knowledge that this was a moment that I would never forget. As the beautiful creation came into clear view we were both quiet and just held each other. We admired it's grandness and beauty and neither of us at the time understanding the gift that we were truly being given that morning.

What is it that would make people leave their comfy beds to drive for miles to experience a moment like this? Honestly aren't we all searching. Searching for a way to be free from the darkness. Seeking to find a glimmer of light that will allow us to feel hope again. Searching for something to give us warmth once again. To dry the moisture that has been flowing from our eyes throughout the cold, dark night.

Is it any accident years ago the main point of reference for travelers was the sun? People wandering, trying to find their way from the place they were at to the place they wanted to be. Is it an accident that the name for the brightness that guides our steps in the morning and puts us to rest in the evening after watching us throughout our day is named the Sun.....any resemblance to Son??? Or should I say - the Risen Son????

Our world is full of visuals of the lessons that God is trying to teach us. Ways of knowing more fully who He is and the Love that he has for us. Some people think that He is a secretive God that has left us here to just survive until his return. That is so the opposite of who God is. He is seen in the flowers that share their grand beauty beginning from a tiny seed. He is seen in the face of a child as they wrap their arms around your neck proclaiming their love for you when you may feel the most unlovable.

At the beginning I stated that there are people all over the world that understand the awesomeness of a sunrise and yet at the same time it is sad that there are just as many that go from day to day not giving the sun a thought. With the exception of cursing the heat it gives or the glare of brightness that bothers their eyes. Or they complain that it has left and grumble at it to return. My heart breaks for those. Those are the people that the sun continues to rise for. The Bible states that God is not slow in His coming because He is not willing that any will perish...Our prayer is that one morning someone that we love that has not grasped the Love of the Son will see the Sun on the horizon and their days will be forever changed.

**To add a little side note to this story and knowing full well that if my children read this they will wince. But it was 9 months later that God blessed us with a beautiful baby boy. Our son has brought us joys and trials and yet I look at him and I have complete and absolute LOVE for him. He is the most amazing young man I have ever met and I thank God each and every day for allowing me to be able to hear him call me Mom....Thank You Thank You Thank You LORD!!!

Today I dream for you the ability to see the Son in a way that will bless your day...
Have a beautiful day my friends.....

fresh cut flowers

I dream of fresh cut flowers....One of the funny things that I notice about tv shows is how the people always seem to have fresh flowers all over their house. I mean in every room, including the bathrooms. One of the perks about helping out at a flower shop is getting to enjoy them while I am there. And one of the perks of being friends with the girls I work with is when there are flowers that they can't sell they call me. The other day they had some roses that were to old to sell and they told me to stop by. Of course they don't last as long but hey the price is right....

I remember a few years ago Rob and I stayed at the Venetian in Las Vegas. The place was Incredible!! But one of the things we still talk about were the flowers. When you walked in they had about 4 HUUUUUGE containers Filled with all kinds of fresh flowers. And then the same kind behind the check-in desk. We kept saying that there was no way that they could be real but we went up to them and sure enough they were.
I guess I have married a man that is so practical that it has rubbed off on me. My first thought is that those flowers in Vegas were definately beautiful but then I think that for the amount of money they spent they could have fed a small villiage for the price it must have cost for 1 of those vases of flowers.

But I also think that the same practical man has been the one to make me appreciate the beauty of flowers the way I do. I think he loves flowers as much or even more than I do. He does occassionally stop by the flower shop and bring me my favorites (which it helps that "the girls" know me so well there) But he also is constantly bringing me bokays of wild flowers that he picks where he is working or stops along the side of the road. When they are sitting on the counter he can't pass them without smelling them or checking on their water (which works out great for me).

There is something truly inspiring about flowers. The way something so simple can make someone smile. For me I am just in awe of the wonder of God's creation. To look at how incredibly detailed and precise each petal is and how the fragrance makes you close your eyes and breath deeply...

My dream for you today is to take a moment to enjoy a Gift from your Heavenly Father...although I can't send you a bokay I dream that you will take time to see God's simple beauty in many forms all around you..that you will close your eyes and breath in deeply the wonder that he created just for you...

retirement

this is Jason's boat that we went out on...


I dream of retirement....I realize we have a few more years until we reach that age but this weekend we did a whole lot of dreaming about what that would look like.

We have some friends on Lake Michigan that have a small yacht (okay not good enough friends that we don't still have to pay them for our charter fishing trip - but friends just the same.) We met Captain Vern a few years ago when we went with Rich and Lisa on a charter fishing trip on the Lake. He is a great guy and wrote us each year asking us back. When we decided to go back this year he told us he had retired but he had someone that he highly recommended. But on one condition - he could come along.

We got to Port Washington on Saturday and they were having a festival (imagine that..) and there were tents all along the streets and music playing on the lake. Rob and I decided to walk through the produce which was Incredible and Rich and Lisa went into one building for a wine tasting from a local vineyard.. .Just a perfect day. We got checked into our hotel and headed over to find Jason and Captain Vern. We commented what a beautiful boat it was as we hopped inside. As we headed out we realized the waters were pretty rough. Jason said that when he took a group out that morning the waters were terrible but Captain Vern assured us they were suppose to "lay down" soon. The further out we got the worse I started to feel. As Jason and his ship mate began to put all 17 poles out in the water he noticed I didn't look so good. So he opened up the top of the boat so I could sit up there and get a good breeze. I have to say it was beautiful up there but the sickness really didn't subside. I stayed there for about an hour and a half and then headed down. I layed on the couch and Jason brought me a pillow and that is where I spent the remainder of my fishing excursion.



this is where I spent my day on the boat...

It was fun to watch them fish though. The first time we heard that reel whiz everyone's heart went crazy...Let the fun begin. Rob caught the first one and it was a nice Salmon. It was fun to watch him get so excited. He absolutely LOVES fishing. It doesn't' matter if it's in a big boat or sitting in the middle of nowhere in a canoe he just LOVES fishing. As the day went on Jason was telling us that he wanted to sell his boat. When he told us his price we were shocked $20,000. The four of us looked at each other with eyebrows raised. But we all new the reality - besides the fact that none of us had $20,000 just lying around we don't have the time. Summers are our busy season and we were thankful to get this one weekend together. What are the chances that we would be able to drive 3 hours enough times during the summer to make it worth the investment. And back to the money thing right now we have 1 child going into college and a teenage boy to feed...



Rob with his first salmon of the day....one happy guy...

Once we got back to shore and I got back on dry land and was able to stand upright we went with Captain Vern to a small restaurant on the Lake. We had such a nice visit listening to him tell stories about the things that he and his wife have done since he has retired. The next morning the four of us had breakfast at this adorable little deli that overlooked the marina when Captain Vern called up and wanted to stop by. He brought us some more fish that he had in his freezer that he uses for a fish boil that he does every summer. It was all cut up and deboned and ready to go. He and his wife were off for the day for a motorcycle ride....we all just sighed...



me and Lisa with Captain Vern....


On the way home we stopped for lunch at the Original Culvers in Sauk City and then we pulled into the Harley Davidson store. The guys drooled over all the bikes as Lisa and laughed while she tried on leather coats and doo rags. As we headed for home the guys were dreaming about the real possibilities of buying bikes and riding on the weekends. Although honestly that hasn't ever really interested me. I told them my dream is for Rob to fix up the 1968 convertible Firebird he bought when we were in the Air Force, now that would be fun. I would gladly take that across the country. It was fun to see everyone just getting excited about possibilities.

But then once again back to reality. All that would be nice but right now our priorities are working and our families. Rob puts in long days and so when he comes home there is not really time to go for a ride. We have a garden to hoe or bills to work on. "Free" time is spent going to events for the kids or an evening with friends or the various other responsibilities that we have.

I wouldn't trade my life for anything and I tell my kids that very often. This is the stage we are in right now and, like I have posted before, it goes much to fast. Too soon there will come a day when our home is empty and work has slowed down. We will both reminisce about these times in our lives. One of my big prayers is that we will be those grandparents that are on the go. That we will have the energy and ambition to take the grand kids on trips while their parents have to work...heehee...
I just reminding myself that everything has a season and we are to enjoy the season we are in and not be to quick to go on to the next....

My dream for you today is to live in your season...it is good to dream of the possibilities of the next but don't wish this one away to fast..

Have a wonderful day friends...

a not so normal day in the life of a nature photographer....

Yesterday made me question the idea of being a nature photographer. I was planning on going for a run but I changed my mind and grabbed my camera to go for a hike through the trails. Actually it wasn't quite as simple as that. First, a trip back to get a backpack with supplies - my other lense, water bottles, trail mix for me and treats for pup. Off again and realize I was already getting eaten by mosquitos - so home again, spray myself and decide to leave Pup home, he already looked exhausted.

The sun was bright but it was overhead which is awesome for light in the woods. First some photos of berries which are Everywhere right now. It is truly wonderful but berries cause me so much guilt. I should be doing something with the tons that are out there. I always look forward to them coming and then have a few handfulls, take some pictures and then I am sad when they are gone.



Next I head into the woods. In one spot I found about 8 different kinds of mushrooms. I think they are the most amazing and beautiful things. But photographing mushrooms is quite a dirty job. I have to get right down there and try not to think about what I am laying on or what might be crawling on me. I love looking for ones that God puts in just the perfect lighting for me. I feel like when I am doing nature photography I talk to God the whole time. Thanking him or asking him to show me something. He hasn't dissapointed me yet...:-)





Next I head to a spot that Rob and I had been to last week on the 4 wheeler. I had to go up this really steep part and through weeds (that as I looked down were complete nettles and some other vicious looking plant...but I was already this far...)So, I got to where I wanted to be. You see for the past 6 months or so Rob and D have been talking about this Grouse that they kept seeing - it was just crazy!! (I come to find out that statement may be truer than I thought) Dustin found her first. One day he was riding his 4 wheeler on a track that he had built. He said that this Grouse came and followed him the whole way around the track. It continued every time he went out there. And a few weeks ago Rob was out for a ride when we got a sudden downpour. As he sat under some bushes she came up and sat beside him. So the other day we went out and sure enough she came to meet us. She just walked around but never close enough to really touch.

So as I was getting closer I began to call for her and finally I just sat down with my water and trail mix to see if she showed up. And sure enough I here her walking through the trees. As she comes out of the brush I as tickled pink. I grab my camera and started snapping photos. But she evidently had not taken many modeling classes. If you have ever watched a bird's head it is moving ALL the time. So 95% of my photos were great of the body with this fuzzy head. I tried sharing my trail mix and talking to her but she had no interest. As I sat there at eye level watching her circle me I started to get a little worried - okay, I'll admit it - ALOT worried. This bird was staring me down. My heart started racing. What happened if she attacked? I KNEW I should have packed my cell phone. I was scared what might happen to me. I may have been young but I had seen Attack Of The Birds!!!!!!!!! Finally I got up so she atleast wouldn't peck my eyes out (you do remember about my Vivid Imagination don't you - sometimes it doesn't bode well for me..) I took a few more photos, grabbed my stuff and told her "fine, I'll leave you alone..." I headed up the hill and I turn and look - she wouldn't quit following me. So finally I looked at her and shouted.."I'll just go home are you Happy??" So, instead of finishing the shoot that I wanted to do I went the back way and headed home...So, yes - I got ran out of my own woods by a Stupid Bird.



I sat there in the yard pouring water on all my cuts on my legs and cleaning my knees of all the dirt. I began to wonder if going into the woods alone is really a smart thing to do. I mean - you know all those coyotes that I hear howling every night? Well they have to be somewhere around there. And if it is possible to have a crazy Grouse it is surely possible to have a crazy Coyote... I think I might just have to stick to photographing colored licorice unless Rob is home...Oh well, all in the day in the life of Me...

Rob has a dream...Really??.......

Last night Rob took me out onto the hill where we sat so that I could get a photo before the sun went down. It was in the middle of supper. We raced up the hill and I took 2 photos and my battery died....He just shook his head....<3



I have the most wonderful husband Ever but we do go through difficulties...(i know shocker, huh? Well, unless you have sat at the supper table or been on a car ride with us..lol..) Honestly one of the points of contention is about dreaming and setting goals. As you are well aware of, I Love to have Dreams and set Goals and make Lists about Everything. So you can imagine my frustration when, years ago,the 2 of us are lying on a blanket looking up at the sky and I ask my dearly beloved what kind of things he dreams about. He then gives me his reply..."I don't have dreams" .."Ummm excuse me - maybe you don't understand what I mean...What are your goals for the future?" - and again I am stunned when he replies with "Linda, I have no Goals."..Gasp.... We must be talking in different language and well, in fact we are. Rob has never understood my life as a dreamer. Sometimes he looks at me with blank stares and I know he hears nothing more that the language of Charlie Brown's teacher. And yet he has always let me dream as big as I wanted. He lets me talk and show him charts and magazine cutouts. He then basically kisses me and pats me on the head and tells me that he loves me then goes about his life.

But I can't say that I respect his stance as much....I mean a life without hopes and dreams? - I can't fathom...So, I go about trying to coax him into being a dreamer. I think if I bring it up in different situations or show different ways of looking at it then he will allow his mind to drift and see endless possibilities for his life....His response..."Linda - my dream is to get the next job and my goal is to get it done"....(pretty cut and dry)

Well, on Sunday evening he and I went for a 4 wheeler ride. We ended up on a hill on the other side of our property. Although we live on a hill now we are set in the woods and you can't see the landscape for most of the year. Yet on this hill we sat there on the 4 wheeler looking out for miles at the beauty of the tops of green trees and cornfields. We could see the next ridge with it's corn silos and barns. So, Rob started talking about how he would love to build a cabin up there. With a covered porch so he could sit in his rocking chair and watch the storms come in and enjoy the sunsets. He knows that in the backyard is the best fence row for finding morel mushrooms...(oops did I put that in print...yikes..). I watched him talk about it and then I sat completely still for fear that if I moved it would break the moment. And then finally I spoke...."see, you do dream....sigh..." So, we sat there for quite awhile thinking and planning knowing full well at the reality that it may not happen but enjoying it just the same. (For me it's probably not happening because it would would be a cabin with an outhouse and no internet....calm down...I'm just kidding - a little..)

There is a funny side note to all of this...as we sat there on our 4 wheeler looking out on the valley and dreaming about building there we both laughed. Almost 13 years ago we sat on a 4 wheeler in about the exact place I am sitting at this moment. The snow was falling and as this West Texas girl looked out over the beautiful scene through the barren trees I asked if there was any way possible to build a house on this hill. He looked around and said he thought it could happen. And so my sweet husband went about making yet another one of my dreams a reality. And this is where I have to say that although Rob may not be a dreamer he has pretty much benefitted off of mine. I tell him that without my dreams we would still be living in a 1971 mobile home and driving a brown AMC spirit!! LOL!! We balance each other perfectly. I am a dreamer but he is a follow thougher....Man I love that guy!!

a happy run.....

****photo to come***

Yesterday was my absolute dream run and believe me it wasn't because I had my best time ever. Although I did shave a whole 3 seconds off of my goal time on my second mile...:-)

First of all it was great that the rain stopped for awhile so that I could even go. It felt so good to be out there again. The trees were green and the sky was so blue and it smelled just heavenly. My IPOD was fully charged (which is a miracle in itself) and I found myself just smiling as I looked around. As I got down the road I see my father in law on the tractor and I wave over to him and he gives me one of those Big Arm Waves...I smile again. I keep running (using the term Very loosely) and as I get to my first turn I see my sister n law and niece riding towards me on their bicycles..(Lisa is my sister n law but she has also been my friend since we were little. She stood up in our wedding in Texas in 1988 with Rob's brother. Long story short - they just celebrated 13 years of marriage on Saturday and live 2.5 miles from us...) and I smile again. So I run on and pass the King Farm which ALWAYS makes me smile. It is an old barn with no house but the people that own it come and mow every weekend. When I go by I almost always stop at the spring out in front. You can lay on your belly on a rock and reach down and get fresh water that has come right from the Earth not 5 seconds before...aahhh....So as I was running toward home a neighbor (who has been Rob's friend since they were young and was actually stationed in Lubbock where I grew up) passed and leaned out the window cheering for me and clapping like I was running a marathon...smile again...

Then as I pass my in laws house my husband pulls out of their drive in his big red diesel truck and and stops to give me a kiss...smile again...but then after all of this my favorite part happened. As I was getting close to the stream that crosses in front of our land I see my 18 year old daughter with a group of friends. They were carrying buckets (more like cups, totes and a pink plastic purse) across to an area that was previously dirt and making it into mud. I had to stop and see what they were doing. They all started using it like war paint and then laying in it and squeezing it between their fingers. They laughed and laughed and said they felt like little kids...I grabbed one of their camera's and snapped some photos...LOL!! So, as I left towards home I honestly could not stop smiling Huge....then Rob pulled up beside me as I ran the rest of the way he drove and cheered me on....

I can't imagine ever having such a perfect 3 mile run...and I love that it had nothing to with time but about enjoying the world around me. I realize that I am absolutely blessed that God has given me a running path like he has....:-)

my little birdies....

Yesterday I discussed with my kids my desire to give them new nicknames. B is now Birdie and D is Vulture Baby. Allow me to explain...

About 2 weeks ago I was walking by a small tree and noticed a birds nest that had three beautiful blue Robin eggs inside. I made a mental note that I really wanted to get back there soon to take photos of the eggs. A few days past and I grabbed my camera and set out to the woods again. As I peeked in I was surprised to see that one of the eggs had hatched. Well, if you have ever seen a brand new baby Robin you will understand my desire NOT to take the photo. Baby Robins are not that cute when they are first born.....(Let me just say this is not the reason for the renicknaming of my children just in case you are starting to get concerned, they were adorable babies....)

So a few days later I thought maybe I would try to get pictures of the 3 baby birds in the nest. As I looked into the nest there was only one bird and no eggs. It made me sad to think of the poor Robin mother. The mother that was making terrible noises above me and swooping down trying to get me away from her remaining baby. I looked at the baby bird and decided it still needed to "ripen" a bit. It was mainly beak with a few crazy feathers - not really photo material. I thought I would come back in a few days.

That night as I lay in bed I was thinking about that little bird. About how I looked in that nest and his beak was WIDE open. Just waiting for his mom to come feed him. For his mom to give him Everything he was in need of. I was thinking that that is how our children are when they are born. Totally dependant on us.....And then - I began to think....now wait a minute this is still how my kids look....hhhmm....So as I was explaining it to B I said she is still like that little bird - she needs things but she doesn't make much noise. She may not always say she appreciates it but I know she gets what she needs and is usually satisfied. But then I was telling D I thought he was more of a Vulture Baby...I don't even know what they are like but that was as grand as my head could think. He laughed and said that sadly to say I was pretty right. He constantly is Needing something from me. He doesn't have a license yet so he needs a ride here and then picked up from there. He needs money for a new guitar pedal or he makes that cute face and asks me for some kind of airsoft gun supplies that he plays with his friends. He needs 4 pizza's and mountain dew to take to Band Practice with the guys. As I dropped him off at band practice yesterday he hollard to me "I'll call you to pick me up when we are done..." I looked at him and threw my head back and opening my mouth huge - he got the picture...

In case you were wondering why the picture above is not my personal photo. Well, there was a sad ending to the baby Robin story. Yesterday morning I thought that I would go take a picture of the bushy little baby bird. When I peaked into the nest.....No Bird.... I know that is like the Worst way to end a blog post huh?? But hey kids - that is Life - get use to it!! Have a great day!!