Rompin' in the snow

It's snowing!  We have had a dry month or so with none of the white stuff on the ground... which isn't  a bad thing, just unexpected.  Roger took the boys out for a potty break, and the neighborhood kids came over to visit and play for a bit.

Dogs are funny.  I often wonder what they are thinking. I am sure the one thing they are thinking this morning is 'Oh Boy!  It's snowing!  Let's have some fun!!'

This is Gunner.  He lives three doors down. I sometimes call him Marley... he has the longest legs I have seen on a labrador. He is a sweet dog.  He loves to come and play with the boys whenever he can get out of his yard... this morning, he and Tink were racing around the yard dodging each other and pouncing.  It is really fun to watch... Bandit, being blind, can only use his remaining senses to try and keep up ( poor thing), but I am sure he is saying 'Hey... hold still!  I want to come over and play too ! '

Griz, our next-door neighbor dog, is in the blue t-shirt.  We have an extra visitor this morning, too.  Not sure where he lives, but he wanted to join in the fun as well.

Tink and Bandit haven't met this fellow before, so they thought they would check out the little guy.He jumped right into the action and proved himself a worthy playmate! Conga line!    ....of course, Bandit isn't too sure he wants to be a part of it....  I imagine he is thinking ' I am not one to be doing the conga with!'Oh what a fun morning!  Good friends, snowfall, and a human to watch over us!  After this, a good long winter nap !!! 

.......It's great being a dog!

A different view of winter

I have always enjoyed looking at photos that show the snow on the red sandstone in the Bryce Canyon and Zions National Park areas... of course, the professionals that take those pictures are able to be in the right place at the right time it seems.  I have wanted to take pictures like that for as long as I can remember.

One weekend, I got an urge to do just that.  So, I asked Mom if she would like to join me, and off we went.  We drove down to Bryce Canyon and got there just about sunset... of course, it being as late as it was, the light just wasn't what I wanted, so we stayed the night at Ruby's Inn.  It has been around since the early 1900's... very nice hotel.  Mom and I were able to spend some quality time together and admire some of God's greatest work yet !

I thought this looked alot like a temple... spires and all !

This was taken near sunrise the next morning... I would've liked to have had a little more sunlight, but you get what you can get, right?

On the way back home coming through Red Canyon, I spied these interesting tracks.... I am not sure, but they look to be bunny tracks.... what do you think?

On another note, as I was browsing thru the images on my CF card, I came across this one of my little nephew munching on popcorn and watching a movie as Katie and I were packing up her house for the big move to Roosevelt... and, as I have said many many times before, isn't he just the cutest li'l guy you've ever seen??  :O)

Jack Frost nipping at our nose....

Woke up this morning with a fog covering Mona.  After it cleared a bit, we were left with a heavy frost, so Mom, Allison and I headed out to go on a photo mission to capture the beauty of the frost left behind.  Here are just a few of the pretty scenes we were able to capture!

Do you feel warm and toasty now?.............or perhaps maybe you feel you need to curl up with a nice warm fleece blanket and a hot cup of cocoa !  I know I did after we came back home!

Please come home for Christmas

Christmas, 2009... the end of another decade.  Seems like we just turned the century and here we are so close to 2010.  Lots of changes this year.  Roger and I made a big move coming to Utah after so many years in Georgia.  Mom having two surgeries within 3 months. I learned to can and preserve some fruit and vegies from the garden... ( I also learned that using insecticide doesn't just affect the grasshoppers...it can also make humans VERY sick ...ie.... nausea and vomiting for nearly 24 hours straight!!!)   The changes in the seasons here in Utah can be swift and sometimes uninvited, too!  Me getting a job... Roger still not getting a job :O(   Anyhow, for all the ups and downs, we ended the year on a good note.  Natalie and Amanda came up from Arizona to spend Christmas with the family.... together again after some 20 odd years... maybe longer if my calculations are correct.   So I thought I would post some of our Christmas to share with you... enjoy!

Natalie is attached to Pistol... as if you couldn't tellJohnny with his Grandma and Grandpa PackOne of Johnny's presents was this monkey... he was trying to feed it swedish fish.  He later saw the fish in the monkey's mouth and took it out and ate it himself!"Okay, Son, you need to be real careful when pulling that trigger there!"

JD is the baby, yet he seems to tower over all three of his big sisters! 

It isn't the biggest family gathering for sure, but at least most all of the family is here for a Christmas together ( that hasn't happened in over 20 years!)

Here is li'l John with some of his Christmas Loot.... a sled just his size, a cookie monster puppet, a sit-n-spin, and a monkey in the background.... who says when your little, you don't need much from Santa????Don't know how this photo got on my camera, but I had to post it !!!  Hi Natalie!  :O)

Hello Amanda.... earth to Amanda... are you in there? Uh oh... looks like we've lost her to the "Seventeen" magazine!   It was either that or the constant text messaging that kept her attention all weekend!  Of course, when you allow non-living things to keep your focus, you get pictures taken of you and they end up on your Auntie's blog!  Hahaha!

Katie, Jd, and the cutest little guy I know!

Here's to a hopeful New Year full of fun times, family and hopefully job prospects!  Yay new decade!

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas... even in Vegas!

Merry Christmas! 

We just got back from a long weekend down in Las Vegas to visit with Roger's brother and his family.  It was lots of fun...we went to the Bellagio to look at the Christmas scene in the Conservatory... amazing!  Thought I would share a few pics with ya!

These ornaments are easily 15 feet tall !

What a sweet polar bear.... he was made with white carnations!This is a huge postcard made from flowers and pinecones and evergreen branches... it was really cool !

Well, I need to hit the sack..gotta get up early to help Mom decorate some more!  Sweet dreams!

Kitty kitty Chickenshit AKA "Boone"

I would like to introduce you to the world's most timid and shy cat. He was a stray when my parents found him in California before they moved back home to Utah. He was very skinny and scraggly looking when they found him and took him under their wings... his hair was coing out in clumps and he did not look well at all.  After packing up the house and doing the final clean up before Mom and Dad moved to Utah, Dad was able to get Boone into a carrier and Dad transported him in his truck with Boone yeowling the entire way!  Here  is a picture of my parents' quirky cat, Boone.  I have not met a cat quite like him... ever!  He lives in the garage and doesn't go outside much unless Dad is out in the garden.  When he is out with Dad, he is much braver than usual. Strangely, this summer, he has kind of come out of his shell, so to speak, and at one point, actually came out onto the back deck when my dog, Tinker was out there as well.  As timid as Boone is, he walked right past Tink and laid down on the deck not 3 or 4 feet from where Tinker was laying... he was watching Tinker like a hawk, but as long as he didn't move, Boone was fairly comfortable to hang outside with us all !

Boone is quite good at giving dirty looks, too, as this picture shows!

He does love to get his treats and get a good head rub daily too!

Halloween deco

One thing I have really enjoyed since being back home in Utah is all the fun ways the folks here decorate for the holidays... not that people in Georgia don't do a fantastic job too, but I have seen some really cute ideas in yards and front porches here!
Simple, but very cute, find branches and put blackbirds on them!

I have seen "crashing witches" for years done all different ways, but they always seem to be the same for some reason. Today, I came across this witch in Mona (Mom's town), and just loved her cape!






This bear is quite the festive fellow... apparently, he dresses up for nearly every holiday ( so I've heard ). In July, he looks alot like Uncle Sam... :O)






Last, but not least, I found this idea at a house in Nephi... I am trying to convince Mom that she needs one of these bikes in her yard, too! I think these people did an amazing job with this yard decoration!

I have GOT to get into a house... I need to decorate for holidays too!