Afton and Jack took Grampa to the Tree House the other day.  First time I had been there.  Quite a place with lots to do.  Jack and Afton check out all the fun things to do.  Jack dressed himself up as a fire man.  Good job. 

Jack and Afton tried to hide themselves by standing in front of this painting.  Almost worked. 

Afton having fun at Albanys birthday party. 

Ever wonder what happens when Grampa tends Grand Kids.  These two pictures tell the story.

I do play with them, sometimes. 

We have the privilege of tending Sara's kids one day a week.  They all do such cute things and keep their grandma laughing all day.  Albany loves to open the stove drawer and crawl in and play.  I think it is so cute.

Yesterday the kids celebrated my birthday.  Liz, Sara and Teleana brought dinner.  It was so yummy and then of course we had to have ice cream and cake.  Thanks kids. It was the best birthday ever.

We also had the annual pumpkin carving day.  I think we are very talented.  Happy Halloween. (Teleana and her kids are friends of Sara. They are part of the family now)

Canoes at our base camp at Boundry Waters at the top of Minnesota.

One of the larger lakes I believe this is lake two. 

Chris waiting for a ride off his small island.   Most of the lakes have rocks sticking out of the water or just below the surface so the front rower has to be on the look out for them. 

Boyd and Dave hanging out.

We took a two mile hike to see a another beautiful lake.  We ate lunch and took naps and fished a little and just enjoyed each other and hung out.

Ethan doing a little clif diving.  Ethan almost caught a fish off this point.

Alien life in the woods.  Chris showing off. 

Three men and a canoe.  The guy in the middle showed the other two how its done. 

Every thing is so perfect here.

The stakes was to high for me.

We was well fed, thanks to Jason.  The pizza was the best everyone said.

Every thing is so beautiful.

Chris and Fred roughing it in the wild.

Fred, Ethan, Boyd, Jason, Dave, Chris.  The Gang

We decided to celebrate Jason's birthday even though he is far away.  We made cupcakes so every one could blow out a candle.  Off we go to the table singing happy birthday to Jason.

We had great time with cake and ice cream.  We did enjoy chocolate ice cream because that is Jason's favorite

I have never been able to pass up a pretty face.  Over the years I've taken many pictures of flowers.  Maybe one day I'll put a bunch of them togather in a slide show.  I am always amazed at how perfect each one is.

As I mowed the yard I noticed this Killdeer in the grass beside the road.  She would never let me walk up to her but if I rode up to her on the mower she let me get with in a few feet of her.  Maybe because the cars pass by with in feet doing fifty miles an hour and that doesn't bother her. 

While I made friends with her it all changed after I found her nest.  They are hard to find.  One laid her nest out in the open in the gravel and even if you were looking right at the next you still might miss it. 

After finding the nest she would always put on a show for me.  She would only go a few feet away and then put on that she was hurt and it would be easy to catch her.  You notice her back is toward me and her eye never leaves me and the moment I make a move she move's just a little bit further away hopping I'll follow her away from her nest and if I do follow when we get far enough away she just flies off. 

The other night the news said to look at the moon.  We were on our way to bed, but I grabbed the camera and went and sat on the porch and took this picture.  I love a full moon.  I aways have the feeling that it's watching over me and that makes me feel good knowing that he helps light my way when sometimes it's dark.

About a month ago I had 12 pictures printed and mounted. I choose a print shop the prints as a regular photo print and not an ink jet print which makes them last longer.  All my pictures are not photo shopped or cropped.   I also have them sprayed and UV protected.  Three weeks ago we went to St George where Tuachan has a Farmers Market.  We didn't sell any pictures since everything there for sale was less than twenty dollars.  It was just a craft show.  I did have five professional photographers come by and talk with me.  All liked my work.  One told patsy that when I find the right market I would sell all I have.  Another one came back at clossing and asked Patsy if we would like to come and stay at his home.  We concider it a success because of the feed back we got. 

A week ago Sara told us that RC Willey's was holding a Farmers Market so we stopped by but they wanted to see my work so Monday I took some pictures out  and then came back Thursday.  When I  walked in everyone new who I was.  Saturday we set up but it turned out a lot like Tkuachan being more a craft show.  I had a tent full of people the whole time.  I did end up selling two pictures.  One very well dressed lady told me her husband was opening a marriage counceling clinic and asked me if I would do a special print of a Sego Lilly flower for the clinic.  She said she would get with me later in the week.  Patsy deserted me and went to the booth next to us and spent the day.  She said it was cooler there. 

Jason ask Mom if I would put the one I sold on the blog so here is the picture.  It was taken the day before Thanksgiving a couple of years ago.  We stayed at Sunvalley Lodge and took this picture of the outlet of Redfish Lake near Stanley Idaho.  It was a twenty by thirty print and I had priced it sixty dollars under what it should have been.  At Tuachan not a lot of people said anything about it, but Saturday it got a lot of attention.  I'm now looking for Artist shows and have decided on several.  Prices range from fifty to hundreds of dollars.  Think I'll stick with with the cheap one.  Doing the two shows helped me a lot since they were so positive.  I really needed that.  I really like being with the people and talking with them.  Many had been to these places and I would always have them tell me about it. 

Last night was fire works night.  The kids had a lot of fun.  Jack and Lincoln showing off their stuff.  Ben had bought a couple of packs worth.  Kinda scared Albany a little each time a big bang went off.

Ben put on a good show.  Didn't know he had that much talent. 

Savanna and Lincoln rode their bikes in the prade.  Liz and Lincoln did a great job decorating Lincoln's bike and Sara helped Savanna on hers.

We were at the tail end of the parade and the candy was getting thin, but candy diving was still a great sport with the family.  The spectators were all willing to help eat the goodies.

This is the second year that Ben had driven his jeep.  Alot of people along the prade route made coments about it.  Were thinking he should enter it in the car show next year.  He would most likely win first prize in that devision.  Great job Ben.

Jack has a nice catch there.  Way to go Jack.  Lincoln, Savanna and Afton caught a fish too.  

First toss Chris nails the target and the man gets dunked.  What an arm.

Chris gets in Jake Childs face, take him down Chris!



Were not sure what happened to Jake here, but Ben looks happy.

Ben socks it to Jake again.

Jake's revenge, toss's Ben out of the ring. 

Jack and Licoln love taking Grampa's lawn tractor and trailer for a spin around the pasture on the different trails cut into the grass to keep them on course.  As you can see the grass is taller than the kids heads and high enough to hide Ben's jeep in some places. 

Liz & Jake take a ride in Ben's jeep Lincoln and friend following.

Lincoln with a load of kids heading for the course.  The tractor has a hydrostactic transmission so there's just one lever to move to go forward or reverse and stop.  They all are the best drivers and handle it very well and safe.

I'm not sure what's going on here, but I think their playing a game.  Our family comes here on Sundays and we sure enjoy having them come. We are a blessed family.

It's been a great spring and begining of summer so far.  I've done a lot of work on the yard trying to make improvements.  I've done a lot of weed control in the pasture and the front yard which was mostly yellow but now is under control.  The garden is coming along great.  We were a little late getting it in because of the rain and the cold weather.   Mom has done a great job shampooing all the carpets in the house with Dave & Megs shampooer.   Mom and I keep busy with the grand kids by going to ball games, school plays, soccor games, riding to Salt Lake to the library and to Lagoon for a day of fun.  There is always something going on with the family. 

We have a small strawberry patch.  We have had it for a couple of years now.  It hasn't done to much but I noticed it loved the rain this year.  I took a small bowl out and Jack and I started picking.  Needless to say we had to get a bigger bowl.  This is the first picking and there are alot of soon to be ripe ones out there.  MMMM they sure taste good.  I can see pie , short cake and smoothies this year.  Both Lincoln and Jack love strawsberries.