Heading out

to hike and camp and will be back Monday! Yeah, I'll take lots of pics! Have a good weekend! We have 4 new inches of snow, it's 9 degrees and got the flannels packed!

Last Sunday's Adventure

We decided to pack up a lunch and find someplace to hike! So, I made chicken salad wraps, grabbed some apples, yogurt, broccoli and peppers...with a little thermos of coffee and dried fruit for snacks :o)
We drove about 50 some miles, found a BLM road, meandered until we found another road closed to vehicles, but good for hiking. We were hoping for something interesting to look at!

Blue sky, some interesting rocks in view and a great dog to show us where to go!

It's always interesting when there is sagebrush taller than me! And in the near distance...there looks like some GREAT rocks!
Scott sees them too!

WOW! Almost a small taste of the gorgeous desert Rubye and Anna Jo get to enjoy! And look how cute that tree is on the right side!


It amazes me how adaptive these Junipers are to live in very little dirt/lots of rock foundation! But the colors are starting to give us a taste and a yearning for that southern desert!


The trail got pretty interesting!


...as did the rocks!

And like that fabulous desert, we even found some giant yucca plants!


Ahhh, that hint of red rock...we were hoping to find some petroglyphs, but to no avail...

But how cool is this...marks from the fractures of the rock...

And the rocks just kept getting bigger and better!


There's nothing like a man and his dog!

Here's looking back at where we came from. We hiked about 3 miles, not that far, but gorgeous country that makes us yearn for that southern red rock!

This weekend, we are going back up the Bear Trap Wilderness area to hike just a bit further (6 miles) and scope out the "kitchen sink". The BIG rapid on the Madison that is rated a "4". (I think that's pretty big in rapid rating terms!)

So...have a fantablous Friday and make it a good weekend!

Thrilling THursday!

Today and tomorrow and then SPRING BREAK! WOOHOO!

A special shout out to my spoiled niece!

Make it a good day!

17 years ago today...

I started a new life of sobriety :o)

Sleep in Sunday?

Well, no, but it's still a wonderful day! Here's why; yesterday was packed with music, sports and relaxation...

1. Music Festival was a great success yesterday! 30 of my students have been working solos or small ensembles with me once a week (before or after school or lunchtime) since our concert last December. We practiced the music, performance etiquette, and introductions until we were blue in the face! (Well, almost, but the judges did tell my my kids were the most prepared students there!) Anyway, from 10 yesterday morning until 5 in the early evening, I sat at the piano and accompanied my students as they performed and received critical feedback from the judges. Sometimes they had an audience of other students, parents and those from other schools, sometimes not. They learned a lot, and I did too! It was most successful!
2. We came home and quickly changed out of our dress clothes and walked to the college (close by) to watch Scott's niece play in her district's basketball championship. It was an ugly game, it was a nail biter, but they won! Now off to Divisionals next weekend!
3. Next we headed to dinner (@ Red Robin) and wanted to go to the show. However, "Slum Dog Millionaire" wasn't showing until 9:45, so we popped into Barnes and Noble, grabbed a cup of coffee and sat on their comfy chairs and started reading...and reading...and becoming more and more relaxed...Finally I looked at Scott and said, "We don't HAVE to go to the show, we can just sit here and read for a while longer and..."
   

"...and head to bed?"

"uhhh, yeah."
But of course...the coffee interfered with IMMEDIATE sleep! lol TT was glad.

So this morning, I woke at 6:15 after the best night's sleep I had had in a while. I got my weekly and midterm grades done. Finished a couple dishes in the kitchen, and enjoyed my coffee as I made cinnamon swirl coffee cake. It's in the oven and the aroma smells yum-yum-yummy! Time to read the paper. We're going for a nice hike after a bit. Sunny and 20 degrees out. I know, dress warm and wear sun screen!

Hope your day is peaceful and (un)eventful!

Oh, Lolly, you are right...the book is a fast read, and soooooo good!!

FANTABULOUS FRIDAY!

Scott was excited to see "light" coming through the shades this morning...Spring is coming! Well, yes. And when it's springtime in the Rockies...

Light comes from the snow!
I had a really cute video I tried to upload but it took forever and I gave up. How does everyone else upload videos? Can they be compressed to smaller files? Do you have to go through UTube?

Have a great TGIF!

TWO-FER Tuesday!

IT'S JUST

ANOTHER MANIC MONDAY!

Here's My VD!

Hello Sister Eleanor!

This is our Have a Happy VD wish!

We were all set to send you some VD loot...

But Frieda got a hold of it first...

What a party fiend!

Oh, but she paid for it...

Hopefully, after a dose of Pepto and strategic use of

The Barf Bag she’ll feel like her old self.

We tried to “aid” in her recovery...

ANYWAY~


HAPPY VD TO A REAL SWEETHEART!


Love,

Sadie & Jill

a.k.a. The Fa-Sol-La Sisters

Thank you, sisters!
I'm so glad you are thinking of me and VD at the same time!
SO, are you having Frog legs for your VD dinner?

How SUPER are you?

What super hero are you? Find out on CHEWY'S blog!

Feb. Camping...Saturday...

We arrived at the Bear Trap camping area Friday evening...as you can see, it was getting late but not too cold!

In the morning, my eyes were pleasured with the beautiful Madison River.

Looking downstream, you can see the canyon withe the highway on the left of the river and Ted Turner's land on the right of the road where we are camped.

We camped in this particular spot because it is close to a great hiking trail. This summer, we plan on floating this river in the raft. (The lower part is float-able on tubes!) This particular wilderness area, as the sign explains, is the 1st BLM wilderness area in the United States...no bikes or any sort of motor vehicle. It's pristine land.


Here I am...ready to go! Warm enough for just sleeves, but I have a coat (which I put on later) in my day pack...along with my pepper spray, snacks, water, mittons and swiss army knife!

And here is husband, with his camera in hand!

Scott made fun of me for wearing my snow packs...but I knew I had made a good decision...this is the FIRST of MANY places we trapesed through the snow! Gus had a great time, too...running up and down the trail several times.


As we walked along the river, I spotted this beaver lodge...so cool, huh?

Here's husband finding a kleenex for me (the only thing I forgot besides matches, sun screen and ...oh, never mind, lol.)


The trail was not always easy walking...and we walked much further than we had anticipated...
But it sure was worth it to see this gorgeous part of the river!

We stopped for a little while so Scott could figure out exactly where he would put the raft when floating through...
It looks like total fun-filled for floating, huh? This was 2 1/2 hours of hiking up...

AND...after a total of 5 hours, we were SO TIRED and sore and my feet were KILLING me. Even little Gus Bob was tired! We met up with Ellen and Derek at Norris Hot Springs and soaked in the natural hot mineral water for a couple of hours under the moonlight and live music! What a great way to end the day!
Finally, went to bed...and here's what the clock and thermometer read when we got up!

Good thing the camper has such a great heater!
Blog on "Sunday Meandering" to come!

And for Scott's rendition and a preview of my post about SUNDAY...go HERE!

Headed for a

weekend of camping! I'll take lots of pics!

Have a super fantabulous friday!

Hand Painted in Thailand!

Here is my absolute GORGEOUS set of salt and pepper shakers Ed and Cathy brought me from Thailand. (pics are blurred because i had to take the flash off...)
The little plate they sit on is beautifully gold trimmed...





I also received some Bali silver earrings with abilone shell. Thanks you 2! They are super duper fantabulous!

Welcome Home, Ed and Cathy!

We decided to celebrate Ed's birthday AND welcome he and Cathy home from their 6 week adventure in Bali!
And we served fresh veggies and fresh pineapple for snacks...and (of course) chips and chipotle salsa.


We had yum yum fresh, hot biscuits and pumpkin pie desert (for the birthday cake).

It went very well with this yummy homemade soup!
Ed decided to pose like he did when he was wearing his pumpkin suit (can be seen on a previous post!)

And Cathy was just her cute little dah-dah self!



We had a nice visit with them and a great time watching a dvd of Ed scuba diving! And we saw lots of pics of the mosaic temples they saw. Also, Ed showed us pics of the elephant park they went to, (elephants painting pictures, throwing darts, riding bicycles, lol) and oodles of really cool things. Welcome home, Ed and Cathy! Love you!