In Loving Memory of Jon's Dad

 

 

 

 

 

Bhaji and Amelia in December 1998

We have lost someone special to us and it doesn't seem very fair right now.

  We weren't done with him here on earth God.

spring break!

I'm going on spring break from this space.

There's lots to do in the next few weeks like, wrapping up homeschool co-op, planting my garden, spring cleaning and purging, thinking and planning for summer, road tripping to San Francisco to pick up Amelia and giving myself a break from the computer.  Besides, I feel like I'm boring you all lately.  I have to admit, I am feeling bored lately.  I need to find my spark and I know it's not going to come from the computer or anything outside myself.  It's got to come from me.

I'll see you on the 1st of June! 

xo

all the boys

 

Last week Amelia took her first plane ride by herself to visit my dad in Florida.  She's there right now having the time of her life.  I've been asked so many times whether I miss her.  And the answer is YES, of course.  But, I know I can't keep her to myself forever.  There's going to come a time when she moves out of the house and goes to college and it's going to be hard for me to let her go.  Opportunities like this are so valuable in order to take baby steps towards the future.  I have to tell you though, when I saw that plane taxi off to the runway, it felt like a great big giant step.  And what I've learned is that time is not slipping by too quickly.  Amelia has taught me that.  She gives me the courage to know that she is completely capable of grown up things.  Thank goodness for that.  We are exactly where we need to by right now.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, life goes on as usual.  This time though, it's just me and the boys.  Without the hens,  the gender scale at my house would weighs heavily on the boy side.  But, even though I'm surrounded by boys, on mother's day mama rules.  And what could be better than a day in the outdoors with my boys and some friends of ours that love hiking just as much as we do. 

Of course, the boys and I wanted to go to the same place we went last time.  This time with friends, we went a little further than before.  We discovered some wildflowers that must have just started blooming and a creek to explore.   

I hope you were made special on mother's day in just the right way.  Whether it was a hug and a kiss or a special homemade gift.  Whatever it was for you, I hope it was a good day.

happy mother's day ♥

I love any day where I get breakfast made for me, cards and art presented to me and maybe a nap in the afternoon.  happy mother's day to you!

may day hike

{Edit to add:  I don't know what's going on with intensedebate but comments are just disappearing.  I'm leaving it on so they can figure out the problem.  Arggg.}

One of our teachers at the homeschool co-op mentioned this place in passing and I was intrigued.  Possibly seeing bald eagles and geese nesting on spires?  What would be cooler than that?  We just had to find this place. {for the locals ~ She said it was in Washoe Valley, on a dirt road right after the guardrail ends on the down side of Washoe Hill going southbound.  So, any chance I had to drive that way I would look for the turn off.}  On Sunday, we headed out on our adventure.

My husband, the obsessive hiker, knows where all the great places are even though he's only lived here since 2003 and I've practically lived here my whole life.  I was jacked up knowing that I  (little 'ol me) could surprise him.  As we were driving down the hill, he was getting confused about where I was taking him.  "Don't worry Honey,  I know what I'm doing," I said to him.

Well, it's now my newest favorite place of all time.  At least for a nice Spring hike.  We have to head up to the mountains when it gets really hot in the valley.

What did we smell:  Sagebrush!  Lots of Sagebrush.
What did we hear: Quail, Geese, Red-Winged Blackbirds and other various small birds
We Felt:  Cool at first but we warmed up.  There was a nice breeze.

What did we see:

great climbing rocks

kids having fun

desert peach

brothers helping each other

old V & T railroad bridge and stone work.

geese nesting

old pelt from a coyote maybe?  poked it with a stick.

maybe a muskrat lodge?

teeth marks

lots of lizards

old animals bones, maybe cow?

caves, smiling husbands

owl pellets

lots of bones from owl pellets

bird nests

::

We never saw our eagle but we'll come back again to try.