Tonight the rain just poured out of the sky. When it slowed down we saw a full double rainbow in the sky.  Since I was busy making dinner, (yes sometimes I cook), Abby went outside to take some photos for me.  I think she did a pretty amazing job.  You can just see a faint rainbow on the outside of the bright one.  I also thought it was pretty awesome how the sky was darker outside the bow.  We couldn't get the full bow in a photo, but both bows were complete arcs. 

When my cat destroyed my plant I thought it was going to die.  Over the days I watched  the 3 remaining leaves wither, go limp, and die.  Yesterday I looked at the last one drooping over the side of the pot and thought, "I might as well throw it away."

As this plant had given me so much pleasure over the years I was a little sad.  I delayed throwing it away until today. 

So, this morning I went to dump the plant and found this!

     I'm so excited.  It just may live after all.

     And who knew a plant could throw up a shoot that big in 1 night? 

     I guess all you have to do it threaten it a little.

My cat and dog have a very odd relationship.  When they're tired they cuddle, Mr. Burns, the cat, seems to love Oscar.  He is always trying to get as close as he can when it's nap time. Oscar tolerates it.  You can tell he doesn't really like it, but he puts up with it.  Sometimes you just gotta do what you don't wanna do for the sake of the friendship.  Besides, as in all relationships your time to get what you want will come later.

So, when Mr. Burns wants to cuddle, Oscar submits,  When Mr. Burns needs a pillow, Oscar magnanimously offers his butt.

And then, Oscar's time comes.  Every evening just as the sun is setting Oscar finally gets his payback. 

And boy, is it fun!

Game time over, it's now time for another cuddle.

It always amazes me that I can take my camera and go walk the same places that I've always walked and find new things to photograph.  The lighting is different, the angles are different and sometimes something that looked boring yesterday is fascinating today.  That's what I did tonight, took my camera on my golf course walk.  Here are some of my more favorite shots.

Mountains to the east.

Late golfers on the driving range as the moon rises.

Down the fairway after the golfers have gone home for the night.

Just an interesting growth of sagebrush.

Another shot of sagebrush.

The light is almost gone and its time to go home.

I'm off to work today after taking a month long break.  I put in a few hours here and there, but starting today I am to be there on my regular schedule of 10 to 3 every day.  I love my hours, love my job, ......and have loved having a month to do anything I wanted.  I know I'm lucky.  Many people hate their jobs.  Still....I can't help but be a little melancholy about not being able to take off hiking when I want. 

This weekend I was able to visit with my youngest brother.  He was here with his two older kids. It was very good to see him.  I hope his kids enjoyed the splash park.  A couple of my other brother, Storyteller's, kids drove from Utah yesterday to visit with my Mom and Dad.  Sadly, they missed the freeway exit and ended up almost 4 hours away on the other side of the state. They had to turn around and go back.  I was sorry they weren't able to come.  To be fair, that exit is an easy one to miss.  My husband Mike once did it when driving home from Utah.  I hope they will be able to make the trip again sometime in the future.

I hope everyone has a good Monday at work.  Even those of you who HATE Mondays, (and you know who you are).  Here's a little gift from my camera, taken on Saturday evening.

Sad puppy.  He knows starting Monday he's going to be home alone all day.

THE RULES OF THE TAG ARE:

Each person posts the rules before their list, then list 8  new things

about themselves.

At the end of the post, that person tags 8 other people, or more

 letting them

know that they have been tagged, and to come and read the post,

so they know what they have to do.

HERE IS MY LIST:

1. I was born in Idaho, and have lived here all my life except for one year in Provo Utah, and one year in Corvallis, Oregon.

2. My Birthday is in November and I'm turning 50 this year

3. I grew up on an egg farm.

4. I used to teach preschool.

5. I used to teach piano lessons.

6. I'm afraid of horses.

7. I am fascinated with all things supernatural.

8. I feel closer to many of my friends on spaces than I do to many people whom I've known my entire life.

I tag 

Joisey, The Great Pretender, Weimie, April, Meg, ylatigre, Jennifer, Catherine,

and anyone that is reading this.

Have a great Sunday

Tonight Abby and I drove over to Jackson Hole and met Lisa and Tyler.  We went to a little Tai restaurant and had some great food and then we went to the newly renovated Walk Hall for a performance of the Grand Teton Music Festival.  Lisa was extremely lucky to be asked to play with this group of highly professional musicians.  Everyone had their name and picture in the playbill stating where they were from and how many years they have played with the festival.  There were artists from all the major symphonies across the US.  There credentials read like a Who's Who in American Musicians.  Most of them had come to Jackson for many many years, from 23 to 1.  Lisa was the one with a 1 year next to her name. 

Why did she get the invitation?  According to the music coordinator, "It's very hard to find a violist out in the middle of nowhere."

Lisa was in the right place in the right time.  She knew a few people in the music industry from her contacts at the Aspen Music Fesitval and her name was  bandied about.  When a regular professional violists had to cancel out for a week here or there, then Lisa was given the opportunity to step in and fill the seat.  It was such a great opportunity for her.  She's always been very blessed with musical opportunities that have come her way.

Anyway, so tonight they played three pieces.  The second piece only required a few violists, so Lisa and many others went backstage to wait.  There was a computer back there, and she remembered our discussion over dinner about my blog and what each member of our family would likely end up if they were to go to Hogwarts.  So, in the middle of the concert she did a little blogwalking, saw that I had indeed assigned her to Ravenclaw (she was worried I would tag her a Hufflepuff), and was finished in time to come out for the final number.  I guess there was also a mouse backstage that made the blogwalking not quite as relaxing as she wished it to be.

As I was driving home from the concert I started to think about tomorrow.  Tomorrow marks the anniversary of a very big day for me. 

27 years ago tomorrow I became a mother.

I remember being so uncomfortably hot all month.  I would take a cool shower twice a day.  I felt like I was as big as a house, and just couldn't wait for the baby to be born.  The due date was the 19th.  When that day came and went I began to think I was misdiagnosed.  "Maybe it's just a giant tumor."  I couldn't wait for the pregnancy to be over, and at the same time I was terrified of the labor and delivery.  I had terrible pain with every period for the last 5 years.  It was so bad that the doctor would give me a shot of Demoral every month.  I just kept thinking if my periods were that bad I didn't think I could stand labor.  I just wasn't too good at pain.

As the days past my due date kept ticking off, and still no baby, I began to get advice from everyone.

"Go for a ride on a bumpy road."

"Drink Castor Oil"

"Jump on the trampoline."

It turns out my mother had the best suggestion.  She told me that the reason I hadn't had the baby was because I hadn't put it on my "to do" list.  I religiously made a to do list every day.    I thought about that for the rest of the day, and when evening came and I started making my August 25th "to do" list.  It said:

1. Doctor Appointment 10:00

2. Go to the bank and grocery store.

3. Bottle honey.

4. Pick beans.

5. and Have the baby.

The next morning I went to the doctor who told me I would probably go another week.  I then went to the bank, did my grocery shopping, and bottled the honey.  Then I went down to my mother's garden and helped her pick beans in the afternoon.  As we worked down the row, every few minutes I would stop picking and pull a face.  Mom finally said, are you having contractions?  I told her no, that it just hurt a little.  She said it seemed to be hurting a little on a pretty regular schedule of every few minutes.  I dismissed her assessment and we finished picking the beans.  Mike got home from teaching school about 4:00.  When he got there I told him I might be in labor, but I didn't think so because it didn't hurt very much.  At 5:00 we decided to go to the hospital just to be checked.  We got in our brand new, hot off the assembly line, Camaro Z28 and started to drive the 3 miles to the hospital.  About 2 miles later my water broke all over the car seat.  To Mikes credit, he did not even seem to care. 

 I cared.  A LOT!!! Not about the car.  I cared that my dress was soaking wet!  I was not going to walk into the hospital looking like I couldn't make it to the bathroom.  I made Mike turn around and go home so I could change.  By the time we made the change and arrived back at the hospital I had to admit that my minor pains were getting a lot worse.  I still didn't believe I was in labor because it was no where near as painful as my periods were.

A couple of hours later the pain became much worse.  I was very grateful that I didn't have to endure 36 hours of hard labor.  I only had about 3. 

David was born at 11:02pm.  Having the baby was the last thing I did that day.  True to my list.  Never underestimate the power of list making.

So, Happy Birthday David.  You've been an awesome son.  I've been so grateful to be your mother.  I hope the mistakes I made didn't hurt you too bad.  Your successes have been my successes, and your pain is my pain.  I hope Nathan gives you as much joy as you've given me.

A couple of weeks ago I put up a bird feeder on my back deck.  I was afraid no birds would come due to the fact that 4 cats and a dog frequently hang out there.  I was delighted to see this little friend this morning.  I hope he brings his buddies back, and I hope none of them end up being instead of getting dinner.

By now a lot of the hoopla about Harry Potter has settled into a low simmer.  Most of the questions are answered and there is not a lot of reason for further conjecture.  Book number 8 or, in the mode of Star Wars, any pre-quil are most likely not going to exist in the foreseeable future.

That has not stopped certain Hogwartish discussions here at the Mitchowl household.  Most of our discussions revolve around the four houses students were divided into at that grand old wizarding school of Hogwarts. 

As you will recall, if you are familiar with the Rowling coup, every new student upon arriving at the school was sorted into one of the houses.  Each house represented the main "aura" of their character.

Gryffindor was for the brave.  Of course Harry ended up here, although he did have a scary moment when he thought he might not.

Gryffindor

"You might belong in Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart, their daring, nerve and chivalry set Gryffindors apart.."

Then there was Ravenclaw.  All brainiacs were destined for this house.  In fact to even enter their living quarters all Ravenclaws were required to solve a riddle each and every time.

Ravenclaw

"Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, if you've a ready mind, where those of wit and learning, will always find their kind."

Slytherin was the house to produce the dark wizards.  I think all schoolyard bullies and probably a few politicians probably ended up here, too.

Slytherin

"Or perhaps in Slytherin, you'll make your real friends, those cunning folk use any means, to achieve their ends."

And then we come to Hufflepuff.  If you aren't particularly brave, not particulary smart, or not particularly bad, you ended up in good old Hufflepuff.

Hufflepuff

"You might belong in Hufflepuff, where those are just and loyal, those patient Hufflepuff's are true and unafraid of toil."

                                                                               House shields were copied from www.mugglenet.com

And so our discussions revolve around these houses.  The question that is all pervasive is this. 

Which house do you think I belong to?

The characters of each member of our family has been scrutinized and analyzed. 

David. 

     Definitely Gryffindor.  Anyone who would enter a triathlon without training first is definitely brave.  Anyone who moved his family 100 miles away from his job "hoping" to get accepted into grad school is definitely brave.  Either that or stupid, but there was no house for stupid.  Anyway, his bravery paid off.  He secured a better job within 1/2 mile of his new house and was accepted into grad school.  Good job David.

Lisa.

     Ravenclaw. with a bit of a Hufflepuff bent.  Lisa is smart.  And she's driven.  She graduated with her bachelors at 21 and her masters at 23.  She has figured out how to pursue her doctorate while teaching full time.  Go girl.  She's also not afraid of working hard, thus the Hufflepuffness.  She's now got her website up and mostly running.  Check it out.  www.lisamcniven.com

Joni.

     She keeps trying to persuade me that she's Slytherin, but I know better.  She's a definite Ravenclaw.  Joni graduated from high school with a 4.0 taking advanced placement and honors classes.  She did this while also playing varsity basketball and volleyball for 4 years.  Sports editors would comment on her smart play.  It also helped that she was 6' tall, but she had the smarts to really make a difference.  So far after 2 years of college taking chemistry, biology, and other difficult classes in the nursing program she still has a 3.97.  And she's got a bit of a Slytherin leaning.  If she wasn't so smart, she would probably get herself into a lot of trouble. 

Abby.

     Ravenclaw.  Another smartie.  She was reading at the 12 grade level in the 5th grade.  Her grades have always been stellar.  She's smart enough to always be on top of everything.  She also stresses out about everything.  I think this must be a Ravenclaw quality as Joni does this too.  Maybe ignorance really is bliss.

Andy.

     Hufflepuff.  My girls laugh when they say Andy is a definite Hufflepuff.  Andy is one of the hardest working people I know.  During the summer he had 4 jobs.  Now that school is back in session he is only going to work 2 jobs.  He gets good grades, does what I ask him to do, and is the most laid back person I know.  Not too much rattles him, except when his mother beats him twice in a row in ping pong. 

I think Hufflepuffers have an image problem.  They are almost the "left-over" house.  I think most people I know would be a Hufflepuff.  Nothing wrong with that.  In fact, I'm a Hufflepuff and proud of it. 

If it weren't for us Hufflepuffs there would not be anyone to impress with your bravery, wow with your smarts, or pull practical jokes on.  I think Hufflepuffs should be elevated to an elite status.  For without us there would be no Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, or Slytherins.

HOTWU - Hufflepuffs Of The World Unite!!!

 

tri·ath·lon (trī-ăth'lən, -lŏn') n.  An athletic contest in which participants compete without stopping in three successive events, usually long-distance swimming, bicycling, and running.

A triathlon is a grueling event.  Athletes of all abilities and ages enter for the chance to swim, bike, and run until they can't even stand up straight.

  Lisa and David did the  sprint version, which was one half each distance, still way beyond most of us.

Our town sponsors a triathlon every August.  Our family has been involved in it from the beginning in way way or another.  Since Mike works for city recreation during the summer when he's not teaching, he works to produce it.  He's done everything from planning the route,  painting the roads, building and setting up bike racks to dismantling the whole thing when it's over.  One of the jobs he seems to get every year is to be the tail.

As the final swimmer leaves the water Mike gets on a gator and discreetly follows along, trying not to put too much pressure on the one athlete that will have the distinction of being the last.  As that last biker transitions to running Mike will be there, following along, making sure that every competitor is accounted for.

Last year my oldest son David competed.  He's a pretty good athlete and thought, "why not?"  He loves and does a lot of mountain biking. He learned how to swim when he was younger and played soccer throughout high school and college, so thought it would be fun.  He did okay. 

~Lisa, my next oldest, watched her brother last year and decided she really wanted to try it.  Since January Lisa has trained very hard.  She worked out for 2 hours a day running and lifting weights. When the weather turned warmer she biked and drove many times to the closest lake to practice swimming in open water.  Since her dad helped design the route, Lisa practiced doing the exact path she would later race on. 

She was very driven, putting her all into it, just like she does in life.

Her grades.

Her music.

Everything is planned for, worked for, and her goals are reached.

Her goal for this triathlon was to not come in last.  She reached her goal. She crossed the finish line,

not first,

not in the first half.

But she crossed it in the late middle of the pack and reached her goal and was happy.

~David is an engaging "fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants" kind of guy.  As I previously mentioned David is a pretty good athlete.  But he is not driven.  His training included taking a mountain biking trip about once a week - for the last couple of weeks.  He did play soccer, but the last time was about a year ago.  He hasn't run all summer.  And the last time he swam?  Last year at the triathlon.  The time before that?  Maybe when he was 14.

He has goals, and works toward them, but he never lets his goals get in the way of having a good time. 

His goal for this triathlon was to come in ahead of Lisa.  He reached his goal.  He beat her by about 10 minutes.  His natural athletic ability carried him through.

So, today I got in my Explorer with the rest of the family and we drove to the lake where we watched them swim.

Then we drove alongside the bike route, cheering our support out open windows. 

As we stood waiting for them to run up the last steep incline it began to rain, so we got back in the car to avoid getting wet.  

And then we drove to the finish line. 

4 ways - 1 destination. 

- Work hard, do all you can do, reach your goal the best way you are able.

- Show up, do your best, but stop and smell the flowers along the way, and if a friend calls, or a mountain trail is calling your name, answer it.

- Take the easy way.  Ride along on someone else's power. Observe, but don't participate. You will arrive at the same destination, but your experience won't be as rich or rewarding.

- Bring up the rear.  Wait for everyone else to get there first.

Just like life.  We are all born, we live, and then we will all die.    The difference is in how we get there.   What kind of journey are you taking.  I think I need to learn from Lisa, and work a little harder.  I need to do all I can to realize my goals and reach as many of them as I can.

And I need to learn  from David.  If a friend calls, or a grandson visits, I need to enjoy those precious moments that may only come once.  I need to let go of the feeling that time not actively in persuit of the bottom line is wasted.  Time spent on relationships is never wasted.  I need to get out of my comfortable Explorer a little more, and even if I can't be first, or best, at least I can enjoy the journey a little more.  And if I fall behind I'll bet I can always hitch a ride with that guy on the gator. 

David and Lisa (center) waiting to begin the swim.

The horn sounds and they are off.

David leaves the water and runs for the bike

Lisa is right behind him. 

The bike route goes up a steep hill.  There are many ups and downs along the entire path.

David stays ahead of Lisa, but not by a lot.

Here Lisa is making the transition to the run,

and starts running.

David has already gone by. 

This steep incline is close to the end of the run.  More people walked than ran up this last part.

Including Lisa

And David.

David crosses the finish line.

Followed by Lisa.

During the rain its sometimes hard to think about anything but getting wet. 

This afternoon we finally had a thunderstorm.  It's been a very dry summer.  As it is my job to do the weather readings I am only too painfully aware of how little rain we've received.  Day after day I have entered a zero in the precipitation column.  Night after night we go about our routines.  Joni takes her 4 mile walk, Andy goes to work at the golf course, I mow the back lawn.  And then the rain clouds move in. 

Kind of reflective of my mood.

For a couple of days now things have not been flowing.  My life seems to keep hitting bumps and running into obstacles.

One example:

I have a plant that was given to me 10 years ago.  From the day I received it until yesterday morning it had been in continual bloom.  Then Spike decided it was time to lay it to rest.

I've tried to save it, buy I don't have high hopes.  One incident after another has reared it's ugly head.  $1,000 car repair bill, another car blew a tire, my body hurts from the fall.  It's easy to see the storm clouds when you aren't feeling whole.

Every so often the clouds would part and I would see the light.  Good friends, visits with Mom and Dad, the tinkling of the bell around my neck. Then an oppressive cloud cover again.  Septic problems, moody family, and on and on.

So, tonight as I mow, Joni walks, and Andy works the clouds gather and then burst.  Rain is hurled downward in sheets.  Lightning crackles through the air, followed closely by loud sonic booms as the thunder reaches us. I escape into the house where Abby tells me that Joni is out walking.  "Please go rescue her." She does, and also comes home with Andy, who was stranded on the road after his tire went flat. 

I watch the water fall off the roof as thickly as if buckets were being emptied.  It is satisfying to see.  The parched lawn is getting a drink, the reservoirs are being aided and I can almost hear the aquifer sigh with relief.  Within 30 minutes the storm passes.  I go out with my camera.  There is an interesting mix of storm clouds and cumulus, cirrus and sky. 

Even as I watch they shift and move.  The storm clouds grow dimmer until they are spent and gone, and the sky tames and becomes peaceable and calm. 

Just like my life will be, maybe tomorrow.

Yesterday morning I took two of my daughters on a hike.  We drove to a trial I'd hiked many years ago called Cave Falls. To get to the trailhead we had to go quite a few miles on a dirt road that was pretty wash-boardy at times.  We reached the Bechler Ranger Station where I remembered the trail began.  We stopped the car, got out and proceeded to prepare for the hike.  There was a guy standing there kind of watching us as we pulled out our backpacks, water bottles, and other paraphernalia and loaded them on. We weren't really sure where to go, but spotted a bathroom and decided that would be a good place to start.  We trekked across the little complex, down a little bark covered trail to the bathroom.  There was a bird's nest built on it that had cute little wildflowers hanging down.  I took off my backpack, took out my camera and snapped a picture.  They guy in the center of the complex was talking on his cell phone and watching us out of the corner of his eye.

When we were finished with the rest room we all put on our backpacks and took off toward what looked like the office.  When we got there we noticed a sign on the door stating that the ranger was out patrolling the road and would be back shortly.  So we continued our little trek, down the little bark-covered trail, circling the compound looking for the trailhead.  We found one about half way around.  It had a sign stating the trail destination.  Cave Falls was not on it, so we opted not to take it.  We kept on trekking around the compound jauntily looking for the right trail until we had made a complete circuit ending back up at the car.  We decided our directions were a little off and that we needed to drive another 3 miles to the correct spot, so we all took off our backpacks, loaded them up into the car, got in and drove away.  I'm sure the guy watching us was thinking "city slickers" and that we had taken our little hike and were now leaving. 

We drove up the road another 3 miles and found a falls.  There was another guy standing there looking at them, so we thought for sure we were in the right spot. We all got out and went over to check it out.  The information we brought with us said that it was a pretty wide falls, but only about 20 feet tall. We were looking at it and thinking it was okay.  Nothing to write home about, but kind of fun anyway.

We had some fun, snapping a few photos, when the guy standing there starting talking to us. 

"These aren't the falls, there up there a ways."

OHHHH, thank you, we'll just be on our way, then.

There were indeed better falls just around the corner.

We parked the car and prepared to hike the trail leading past these falls.  There was a lady there who told us we really need to be careful. 

"There are a lot of bears around here."

Yea we know.

"This is where they drop off all the problem bears from Yellowstone Park."

That we DIDN'T know.  Thanks for the warning.  We weren't spooked enough to cancel the hike even though there were signs all over warning you about the bear hazards.

It was a beautiful day, slightly overcast, which I find to be ideal for hiking.  We took off up the trail, making sure we made a lot of noise along the way.  Bears will generally avoid you as long as they know you're there.  It's the ones who are caught off guard that cause you problems. So we sang, and played guessing games and did a terrible job at imitating animal sounds that any bear lurking nearby might find intimidating.

This hike is listed as fairly easy. It was perfect.  Not too long, a lot of variety, and just pretty fun.

We passed this interesting tree.  I'm not sure what made it bend like that, as tree trunks generally are not flexible. 

This last photo shows the point where two rivers flow into one.  A confluence.

We hiked up to the Bechler Falls and then went back to Cave Falls.  It was only about a mile and a half each way.

We decided to hike down to the base of the falls and see the cave.

It almost looks man made because of how flat the bottom of the rock is.  The clouds had cleared off by now and the weather was turning hot.  I was glad we hiked early.

  We wanted to take our photo in front of the falls, so we climbed out on the rock in the above photo and mugged for the camera.  Well, I mugged for the camera and reached out and snapped a photo.  My daughters look great.  I look goofy.  Oh well.

It was a fun hike.  We got back home by 1:00 after stopping at our favorite grocery store in Ashton where they sell you huge homemade ice cream cones in a variety of flavors (like huckleberry) for kiddie cone prices. 

I had time to go read the weather station, visit my Mom and Dad and swing by Walmart for some essential household items, like TP! My Dad was not feeling very well. His hip was hurting him pretty badly.  This is the week of chemo and Tuesday was the double whammy day; 1 chemo for bone marrow and 1 chemo for lymphoma.  After my visit I went to Walmart and parked the car.  As I was walking up to the door I reached into my pocket for my list and didn't see the step.  I went down hard.  I landed on both knees and hands.  For about 5/1,000,000 of a second all I could think about was the pain.  Then all I could think about was "did anyone see me".  For the rest of the day, and today I am reminded of my error every time I move. 

I went home and Mike called me. 

"how are you doing?"

I proceeded to tell him about my fall, and hurts and aches and pains, and all he said was, "oh, I'm sorry.  That's too bad. Is Andy there?"

He talked to Andy for a minute and then hung up.  Andy immediately started getting a bottle full of ice water, a spray bottle and a gatorade and left in the car.  I guess Mike had worked so hard in the hot sun (it was 98) that he was suffering.  He was not tracking mentally, and couldn't move.  Andy told me that when he got there Mike was laying on the ground in the shade beside his pickup.  He looked up at Andy and said in a weak voice, "did you bring water?"  What a stubborn man.  He still thinks he's 25 years old, refuses to admit that he might need help.  He drank all the water, and then WENT BACK TO WORK!!!  What can you do with a guy like that?

He came home a couple of hours later and was pretty exhausted.  He'd promised Andy that he would go golfing with him, but I did manage to talk him out of that.  He sat in the cool basement with me for about an hour.  I talked him into playing a game of Scrabble with Joisey. (Thanks Joisey!) That game more than anything seemed to get him back to normal.  The day ended pretty good. 

So with all these ups and downs I feel like I've been on a ride. 

Today hasn't been the best.  So far a lot of downs and no ups. I know the ups are out there.  I just hope I find one or two of them before this day ends.

My husband is a grass junkie.  He really wants to turn our yard into a park.  It's his hobby.  I don't mind, except when I have to water it myself if he's tied up.  We don't have an automatic sprinkler system, so it can be a lot of work.  Tonight he was out happily mowing away and he stopped long enough to tell me to grab my camera.  I'm starting to get the whole family trained.  When they see a good photo op, they make sure I know about it. We took Oscar and my camera, and walked out into the wheat field across the road.  We only had to wait about 5 minutes to see the sun sink out of sight.  Then we went for a walk.  It was very pleasant.  No mosquitos. *smile*                                                                                                                                                                             

I caught sight of just a few wispy orange tinged clouds out my back window.  Hmmmm

I'd better go around and check out the front view.

A few more as I round the house........

And I'm not disappointed.  It was a pretty nice Sunday. 

.....I'm going away with my friend"

Spaces is all about friends.  For someone who has been so caught up in the raising of five children I have been shamefully neglecting this part of my life. 

Then, I began blogging.  My life is indeed richer than it's been for a long time.  Who knew there were people out there who could connect to me in such a way.

People around me notice the change.  Not only do they have to beat me to the computer more often, they have noticed a lightness in my step, an underlying smile in my heart and a deeper contentment with my life.

Joisey.    My buddy.  My friend.  I look forward to the daily e-mails, IM sessions, and texting.  We just seem to be on the same page about so many things, but there are enough differences to make life interesting.  A couple of days ago while IMing her I burst out laughing.  My kids perked right up and wanted to know what was so funny.  Inside joke, you had to be there.  Then yesterday, during another round of IMing, Joisey said she was laughing so hard she was snorting.  Her family wanted to know what was so funny.  And on and on it goes.  And I don't mind one little bit being known as the "dingleberry lady" to her kids.

Lisa.  What a beautiful person.  She inspires me to be my best self.  I was in awe of her photos, and still am.  I lingered on the outskirts of her space for a long time before venturing a comment here and there. Then it seemed like overnight we had a wonderful relationship going.  I keep learning more and more about how insightful, talented, funny, and beautiful she is, on the inside and the out.  We have nicknames for each other.  Every time I read mine I smile. It comes from her and makes it all the more special.  Every time I use hers I hope beyond hope that she understands how seriously I think that nickname fits her.  I feel a real connection to her, and I hope it never ends.

The Great Pretender.  I wish I was as caring as she is.  She prays for more people than anyone I know.  I wish I could come up with a post as funny as the ones she writes.  She just has a way of bringing people together.  Her games posted every week are a highlight.  Her messages to me in private have been cherished.

Weimie.  I knew we would be friends the moment I told her she looked like a big ugly dog and she laughed so hard she snorted coffee all over her keyboard.  She is priceless.  I can't go a day without my Weimie fix. 

There are many many more people who have touched me in ways I wouldn't have dreamed of a year ago.  Jennifer, Paula, ylatigre, April, Patrick, and the list goes on and on.  I know there are a lot more people waiting in the wings.  I've been blessed to meet some of them, and and wait to meet a few more.

Gorgeous colors throughout the clouds, near and far.

I'm always looking up.  Maybe it's my optimistic personality, or maybe it's because I have a crick in my neck.  Whatever the reason, I find myself several times a day staring at the sky.  It always amazes me that so many people never see the sunsets that are so gorgeous around here.  Where are they looking, at dirt? at bills? at the million and one things they need to get done? 

I really think it's a good thing to stop and look up at least 3 times a day. 

There are wondrous things in the sky.  In the morning (the few times I've been up to witness it) sunrises can be amazing.  Sunrises have a different flavor than sunsets.  They are cooler. Not hipper, .... cooler. As in the temperature.  They seem fresher somehow. When storms are brewing the sky can look menacing and scary, or during those dog days of summer you can almost see a tint of yellow trying to stretch it's way through the wide expanse of pale blue cloudless sky.

Sunsets are like Autumn.  Rich in hot vibrant color, and yet marks the start of the cooler phase to come. It's not a surprise that Autumn is my favorite season of the year, as sunsets are my favorite time of the day. 

And then there is night.  Who hasn't lain on the grass staring up at the stars. If you haven't done that for a while, you really should.  My favorite time to exercise is at about 11:00 p.m.  I go out walking.  I live on a pretty deserted cul-de-sac about 3 miles from town.  There aren't a lot of lights to detract from the stars.  I've been blessed to see some amazing sights on those late night walks, shooting stars, asteroids, and slow-moving comet with it's glowing tail falling to earth right across my view.

I really think I could make two coffee table books, one of sunsets, and one of clouds. Clouds can have a infinite variety of shapes and colors. 

In one sky, many formations.  Yesterday's gift from heaven.

A couple of days ago my Dad was in the hospital getting more transfusions.  My niece took her kids to visit and they got this picture.  If a picture ever showed his good attitude and spirit through this whole ordeal, this one did.  You really can't keep a good man down.  At least not for long.

Friday - Abby and I drove to Pocatello to stay the night with David, Emily, and Nathan.  We were set to hike the next morning.  We received an awesome gift along the way.

I love the rays coming out the top of these dark clouds when  the sky  looked so red and stormy underneath.

Nathan was so excited to see us when we got there.  It was so fun to see his progress.  He crawls everywhere, pulls himself up to standing and looks like he's about to take off walking.  I was glad he hadn't forgotten his grandma.

Saturday - Our goal was to hike the Mink Creek trail.  Mike hiked it years ago and loved it.  He strongly recommended it to me because of the shade, easy slope and relaxing enjoyment.  Mike is not what I would consider a strong hiker, so I thought it would be a good relaxing hike.  I haven't felt 100 % since last weekend so I thought this would be a "soft" hike.  When we got there and started up the trail I looked and looked for all this shade he talked about.  There was hardly any.  (We later found out we were on a different trail.)

We worried about Nathan getting sunburned, so one of us held an umbrella over him the entire time.  He was in a backpack on David's back half way, and then Emily's.  He got a little bit tired on the way back.

I kept looking for the easy trail Mike promised, but almost from the very beginning it was a steady climb.  The trail was narrow and the incline steep.  At times I could hear and feel my heart beating so fast and loud that I knew I had to slow down.  I had at least 20 years on David, Emily, and Abby so finally got over my pride issue and told them I needed to take it a little slower.   

We hiked the steady incline for almost 1 and 3/4 miles.  We hadn't reached the gate that Mike talked about, and it definitely didn't look like the abondoned road that he said it was, so we turned around and hiked back down.  Going down was a lot more enjoyable than going up.

Sunday - A day with church and family.  I teach the 3 year olds at church. It is called the Sunbeam class.  I used to teach preschool, so I have a lot of resources that I can take to keep them interested and engaged.  There are 5 little girls in my class.  They are a lively, girly, blond-haired, wear pink bunch of little cuties. 

And they wear me out.

As soon as they asked me to teach the Sunbeam class I thought about this little story I read a while back.

"I work part time as a teacher of family doctors.  This program provides training on psychiatric disorders and emphasizes the importance of emotional support.  The new doctors are given plenty of time in clinic to visit with their patients and learn about their challenges.  One of our interns who had never lived in Utah and knows nothing about Mormons is still struggling to understand the cultural climate here. Last week he was interviewing a new patient and stumbled upon what he thought was a raging psychosis.

Doctor: "Well, Mrs. Olsen, we've talked about your high blood pressure and your medications.  Are you experiencing any particular stress in your life?"

Patient: "Oh, yes!  It's the Sunbeams.  They're driving me crazy."

Doctor: (Very surprised) "The sunbeams."

Patient: "Yes.  I've never had trouble with them before, but this group won't sit still.  They bounce all over the room, and run out the door and down the hall."

Doctor: (Reaching for a pen) "Have you told anyone about this?"

Patient: "Of course.  I told the president."

Doctor: "Really!  What did the President tell you?

Patient: "She said Sunbeams are like that.  I'm just going to have to learn to deal with them."

Doctor: (Concerned that he may be missing something)  "I know people who are sensitive to sunbeams.  Do they cause you to rash or anything?"

Patient: (Confused) "A rash? No."

Doctor: "What's the biggest problem they're creating?"

Patient: "It's the noise.  They just won't quit talking."

Doctor: (Astonished) "The sunbeams are talking to you?"

Patient: "Well, yes.  But mostly to each other."

Doctor (Scribbling furiously in the chart) "I see.  Can anyone else hear them talking?"

Patient: (After a moment of stunned silence)  "You're not LDS, are you?""

So, yes, I teach the Sunbeams, and they haven't quite driven me crazy yet.

This afternoon was nice and quiet. We were all sitting around talking when we looked over and saw Mr. Burns and Oscar. 

I guess if you let someone use your butt for a pillow, you really are friends after all.

Thank you for everyone who has expressed concern about my Dad.  He was doing pretty well today, although he is not able to eat anything very well.  His CAT scan is Tuesday morning and we'll find out the results on Thursday.  His spirits are pretty up.  My brother was trying to take a picture of him yesterday and he wouldn't stop pulling faces at the camera.  Now I know where I get that little trait from.