I sit sipping my tea.. 5 am. I just spent an hour managing emails and other light household business while waking up and typically Id be working out.. and not just my fingers..  but I thought Id sit this morning instead and bend your ear or better and more correctly whitewash your eyeballs in a wall of words.  (You ready for words bro?! Lots of words?!).

I miss being at the keyboard. It seems a rare  pleasure when I can sit down these days and turn myself inward long enough to hear myself think with any depth. Ahhh... 

And why have I not been at the keyboard? Cause I am back in the saddle baby! And internet access has been cut short to data allotment limits (No streaming for the house anymore), slower speeds and other inconveniences of "country living." Not that it is an inconvienience. It is just different.

The last few weeks have been moving quite quickly with the trip to Carson, the settling into the routine of school, and the form of our immediate future taking some more shape and such.

Our trip to Carson was fabulous. How wonderful to be home..  to see my family.. all of them! My nieces astound me with the polarity of their personalities and offer a reflection of Billy and I when we were of the same age. Feel the Love!  It warms my heart!

We were up to celebrate the Grandparent's 65 Anniversary. What an accomplishment! Feel the Love! Warms my Heart! What an amazing accomplishment! I asked Grandma what advice she had to offer to "a young man or woman that's living this life." She said, "I was hoping no one would ask since I don't know what the hell happened." And we laughed. We laughed the whole time.  The entire weekend was full of fun and festivities. We all met up and caught the steam train that makes its way between CC and VC. We got in a old time family portrait .. from the looks of it we are a shameful lot.. then explored the city while waiting to depart. Afterwards there was dinner at El Charro (service sucked and I would have been bothered by it if we were not wrapped up in celebration)  and then we topped it off with some golf (next time i will be kicking my brothers butt!! just be prepared bro!) before heading home.  I have not sorted picts just yet and will be sending a link to my cache for those that were there to my cache soon but here are a quick few. Coming home was hard even Greg got a bit of the shakes and the sense that something important was missing. I could go on and on and linger in those memories...Written permanently on my heart but alas I would just be avoiding the work I have on my plate at the moment. Eeks!!






School!
The bell rings hearlding in a new day, a new routine and new friends. Willow was so excited the night before school that she went to bed and was asleep by 7:00. Connor on the other hand lay awake.. his nerves alight with anticipation. The first day was not as intimidating as either thought it would be. Willow, my quiet introvert with high expectations of individuals (to the point where she generally distains them) was not smiling on her way out the door in her uniform.( I love the uniforms. There is comfort in making the clothes routine..) But she came home excited to have made not 1 not 2 but 9 friends. She fits right in. And Connor, well, he is happy to explore any new social situation and he came home quite happy. He has made one really good friend who lives relatively close. SHe sounds very sweet too. His class keeps a blog and if you are interested in keeping up from afar send me an message and I will get you the link I know he is going to do really well there to. Long story short school is off to a great start. We have two hours of homework a night now and their introduction to fencing begin last night. Connor loved it and will likely continue. Willow was not as thrilled with the  conditioning part of the experience but in actuality she exhibited great form and focus. Whew .. and it is only just starting to ramp up.

And what I have been doing with the new found time alloteed to me? Writing and reading Researching, strategizing and bulking up on knowledge and reconnecting with my world. The lazy hazy days of summer are over. It seems like it has been summer since I started homeschooling. Long enough for me to thoroughly recharge my batteries. Ready to throw myself once again entirely at the world, It feels good to be back in the saddle. Homeschooling was good but it took me away from the broader experience of life. I feel good to be popping up again. I have been making some rounds, checking out beaches, meeting fisherman, and reconnecting with old friends before heading to spend the majority of my time at the library. Preparing the way to tell a story... Reading some Jack London for inspiration.. More as it develops.

Good things happen in the dark.. Like mushrooms! Willow thought I was going to say something else.. do do do do do do do.. (She understands the reference and Im sure she is glowering at me!) 

That period of homeschooling was somewhat oppressive. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes you need to pull back.. go under ground.. Into the dark... until its time to Fruit. What's all this about Mushrooms?  I am spending the rest of my time at the library researching mushroom cultivation as we are going to establish a mushroom production business. It is fascinating and as I look closer at this huge domain of creatures I am astounded  to be reminded that all things are interconnected.. From the microcosm to the macro. The patterns and  ebb and flow of the universe revealing a glimpse of themselves. I am super excited to be connecting to and taking on this endeavor. We have a couple acres of oak grove to use to get established which will provide some of the material to inoculate. And we have perfect growing weather. I aim to specialize in some of the harder to grow varieties which are prized by the local Asian populations for medicinal and culinary uses.. but perhaps I will get my foot in the door with Shitaki as I learn the processes involved. This weekend we will determine what we are going to prune and use and then we will get started.  

Ok back to work with me! Muaw!

I feel as though I have a years worth of pics and stories to tell that have  accumulated over the last few week. It makes me feel a bit out of contact and not caught up. Like heaps of stuff piling on my plate. I don't care for it  so I plan to start posting a quick "daily vibe". Save myself the build up of anxiety :)



Back at the old homestead

An old and dear friend named Kitty passed away yesterday. She was 90 years old. She had been born and raised on some mean streets and (unlike the that 70's show character by the same name and with many commonalities) she avoided the bottle. She had seen its wild effects on her mother and rather than walk in the same feral footfalls, she nipped at life through other indulgences like music and literature. This doesn't mean that she didn't sport a little tamelessness. She was feisty and silver tongued. With her love of seafood coupled with her regular use of profanity one could truly say she had the mouth of a sailor. And from an early age she could be found on the back of a motorcycle. She was amazing and radiated warmth. There wasn't a soul who knew her that didn't love her and I personally treasure having had the opportunity to experience her presence in my life.  May she dwell forever with the ancestors. Long Live Kitty!

Well in other news.. a run away horse.. I don't intend to have THAT happen again. Up until now I have related to the horse as gentle and maybe even docile. That's not to say that I have not seen the horses galloping in the distance and not recognized their power and speed but I have gotten caught up in the sheer grace and beauty to not let the other reality weigh in as much as it should. Well fool me once but never again. I caught on pretty quick when one escaped. So it goes like this.. The tool shed needed a little repair on the wall which is located in the horse pasture. A board had come loose and needed a screw or two to reinforce it. The job went smooth and then I went to clean up. I dropped the ladder. about 5 feet from the gate to open it. In the meantime, the horses (there are five of them in the pasture) had slowly and quite quietly made their way near and were grazing contentedly. I thought nothing of it. So I opened the gate, picked up the ladder, walked back through the gate, put the ladder down just on the other side of the gate and when I turned to close it  one of the horses sauntered through.

 In a matter of mere seconds. Had the cattle guard been closed the situation would have been remedied much easier. As it was she went down the street. A neighbor whose business is horse helped us out and we quickly got her reigned in. The neighbor heavily reinforced (aka gently scolded me)  about the "Law of the West" which is about always closing your gates. Turns out a gate can be more about keeping things in than out and a closed gate isn't a sign of inhospitality and an open door.

I know I have been keeping posted on vacations and travel but much has been going on in and around the ranch. Our little Chicks are growing up and we finished up their pen (still needs a little work) just in time for the little roos to begin their first feeble attempts at crowing. The sound of those weak hesitant and croaky voices tell me we have reached bird adolescents.


After

Before

  Did I say roos? We don't want a lot of those... which means.. my research has begun on how to properly choke the chicken. Not as fun as it sounds however it is a fact of ranch life and we have to learn to cull. But not quite yet. I am just mentally preparing in advance. Anyway their new coup is up and fenced and they are thankful to have more leg room. Did you know that clipping a birds wings is not painful. That was another thing we have had to learn to do. It is quite easy by the idea was intimidating. Both Greg and I had originally thought it had to do with severing a tendon. Turns out you cut some feathers which do not have nerves.

We moved the Geese to the goat pen! Doing so has been a tremendous relief. Notice the exclamation point? The seven geese had been sharing the backyard with Lord Stanley and the Ladies since we moved in. Well as anyone who has ever been to a goose pond knows, geese are territorial and a little bit mean. I however get along with them quite well and have been allowed to waddle at the end of the line with them a time or two.  (One of Us) And if you watch and get a feel for their personalities.. they actually have a funny sense of humor. But still.. they tormented Splash and terrorized the chickens. We discovered that they were even guilty of eating the chickens eggs. (One of the hens is broody which means she wants to hatch and this was particularly traumatic to her.). Additionally, do you have any idea how much a goose poops? Its a lot. Tons. And it was all over the porch which resulted in a huge daily chore. Now no more! Additionally,  any movement in the house would set them to barking as they are very good watchdogs. The move has also been a pleasant and happy accepted one by the geese as they now have more direct contact with the horses. They get along and visit with each other daily. They seem quite content for now.

Ivan says What?!

The Oregon Mini's (one is part Sebastopol)

Check out this sunset!

We have gophers.. Lots of gophers.. Millions of them. I picked up some of these stakes which emit a vibration to chase them away from the apple tree and some other plants. They appear to be working but just because they are not right there doesn't mean they are gone. I will have to do some serious pest control soon, or find ways to gopher proof my garden such as raised beds with wire mesh bottoms. Its something that needs looking into.

Another recent adventure involved our plumbing. We had a partial clog which I was able to clear before the maintenance man arrived.  However, we checked out the system to be sure which included a trip under the house to locate the cleanouts. I feel like Im prepared to handle a larger problem now and enjoyed the adventure. It was a lot like spelunking.

Plumbs! The plumb tree has given us some delicious fruit and Wil had a good time harvesting them with me the other day.

Connor had his first cut at a real "Barber Shop" The place even had a pool table. Nice. Im thinking it might be time to get mine styled and am debating going short. hmmm..

If a tree falls in the woods.. while at Disneyland, I put aside all work and concern about what course to plot and which path to cut. But coming home, my thoughts once again turned towards what I want to take on. So many possibilities, raced through my mind as we walked the property that first night back. Then there was a loud crack and our attention was turned toward the Oak Grove. A giant branch fell. What timing that it would fall at that moment.  That we would be there to witness it. Hmmmmm..

Car talk.. You may recall that back in August of last year Greg traded his Hyabusa (sport motorcycle) for a sporty little Mitsubishi GT3000 (sports car) which promptly threw a rod through the engine and out the oil pan. It destroyed the engine. At the time we explored our options and chose to seek out another vehicle and bought a truck. Only it failed smog. Fortunately we were able to return it to the previous owner without much trouble. At that point we decided to just take care of the sport car and get her running again. It has been a drawn out and expensive process and Greg and I have been sharing the Subaru between us. But that is all over now. One big challenge off the list and just in time for the start of the school commute to begin. Very timely.

I can't believe that school is right around the corner. It starts next week. Preparations are well underway. Uniforms are in the mail, supplies are purchased. The school require parent volunteer hours. I intend to offer up my mornings after dropping the kids off which will get me to the library in time to see it open. I plan to use my days to read, write and research Speaking of writing.. I may have an actual project on the horizon. I look forward to seeing how that unfolds and will keep you posted.

Now it is time to be off and on our way to Celebrate our Grandparents 65th Anniversary. Quite an accomplishment. More on that later. First I have to go beat up my brother.... With Hugs!! ;)

Oh and one last thing.. I came across this article and video and found them to be worth mentioning..
http://www.knowledgeformen.com/10-reasons-why-no-one-knows-what-theyre-doing-in-their-20s/

On the Road Again...

Dreams Memories and Heaven .. oh and don't forget the Sunshine

We loaded up and headed out on a cool foggy morning. First stop the organic Castoro Winery. (Castoro means Beaver in Italian!) It was a perfect place to stop for a picnic lunch of fruits, crackers and cheeses. The adults also enjoyed some wine tasting. Castoro's Cabernet is their signature wine and makes a palatable appearance in most of their mixes. We ended up picking up a few bottles and a case of grape juice. Yum!

After that it was relatively smooth sailing into LA. Our roommate had suggested the phone app called Waze. It is a navigation application and it worked exceptionally well in routing us around backed up traffic conditions. By the time the trip was said and done we had found our way on 8 different freeways rather than just sit on the 5 .. waiting. Excellent Ap... it even tells you where cops are hiding. Not that we needed it. Greg was driving (I fell down some stairs before we left and tweaked my knee and so in an effort to minimize my discomfort Greg took the wheel)  and in an attempt save on gas mileage he drove very nicely. Its just a cool notable feature of the app. which I was able to play with being the Navigator. Anyway, we arrived at our hotel unscathed but road weary and took a break at the pool while the last of our group gathered up with us. I was not at all expecting the water to offer up such a unique reflection... Several years ago Greg, the kids and I had been at Disneyland. I had not realized that I had booked the adjacent hotel to the one we had last time. In fact they share the same pool. This was a very pleasant surprise and left me reflecting over the ground we have covered in the last few years. Its been a ride for sure! Additional we knew our way around which made navigating easy. The "where to find dinner" question was not really a question. So with the lot of us in tow .. we went ..

Walking in LA..

(Not the link/song you thought is was!) and landed at Johnny Rockets for a pleasant dinner that the majority of us could agree on. Some of the music selections in the Jukebox were bizarre. Tommy Tutone (they sang 8675309) and Hall and Oats just don't fall into my idea of malt shop melodies. I was checking out the playlist but now I see the profile.... You know what they say about noses! Anyway...

 The temps were in the high 80's (Lovely weather for the trip) and the sky was slightly overcast.. Or was that smog?? As I watched the sun rise in the morning, I was reminded of the poor air quality. This looked like a sun rise in Phoenix.  Layers of the horizon glowing in sick yellows, oranges and greens and the sun almost shining red as its rays penetrated the atmosphere. Freshening up later that night revealed a black smudge on the washcloth where my face had been. I may have been down on Heather and others for their use of lotions and potions but when your skin is under constant attack like it is in the urban sprawl, I can understand the need to pamper your skin. I can understand how it ages quickly. Contextually it all makes a certain sense. 

Also I was wrong. I admit it now. I jumped to quickly to a conclusion based on pure conjuncture. I expected the worst and what I got was the "Happiest Place on Earth." Seriously, Disneyland was not the assault on my senses that I had anticipated. I was amazed by everything. It was spotless. The background noise was tolerable and even programed to make you happy. The rides themselves.. well..  The detail to attention and the clockwork precision that went into creating them... All of them.. from  the oldest "Its a small world" to the newest "Tower of Terror"... amazing. Utterly amazing.

We split up at the front gates. It was a snap decision based on a months hearing of complaints and plans and weighing course. For the most part, I don't think it mattered to any of us what the plan was or which way we went first.. just as long as we had fun.. and we all did ..  But it mattered to one. One who needed the two week break from her roommate to start at the front gates.

Two week break?! Yes. Well that's its own story right there. Its a story of young love. Irie's boyfriend of a year, Chance, joined us at Disneyland. He lives in Palm Springs and their relationship for the most part is carried out over the internet, gaming and through music.  His family and hers have known each other and gone camping with each other for years and after the park she left to spend two weeks vacationing with his family.  Not many boys would have my blessing but Chance does. After the fireworks and the gates of the magic kingdom closed, Chance offered her a promise ring. We knew it was coming but it still makes me weepy. Even now a couple days later.. just thinking about it and still Im crying.

Anyway.. let me dry my eyes and carry on.. We also got in a few social visits. A person can not do everything in the parks in two days. Its just not practical. And you have to eat sometime to so.. in the spirit of making the most.. we slipped out of the park on Friday and joined up with our pal Liem at Roys Hawaiian Fusion Café. Some how or another I was going to work Hawaii into my vacation this year and what a way to do it! The roll of easy laughter and conversation! the delicious drinks! the food! the food! the food!... mmmm sushi!...  and Waaaarm Hugs! Liem is good company.

Saturday morning before heading out, Heather joined us for brunch with her son, Hunter. The place was great.. very accommodating.. especially to all of Heathers commands, requirements and requests. She is every bit the California actress and she makes me laugh. I could not picture her anywhere else in the world. In fact if we were anywhere else in the world, she'd come off a bit as a pre-Madonna. But not in LA. Again .. it is all in context. It is nice to know my childhood friend is she is right were she belongs. While we chowed down on our we shared toothpick tricks and jokes and reveled in the details of our trip. During brunch a guy came up to our table wanting to sell us water guns (stolen?) ..  I didn't realize at first that we were being assaulted by consumerism and went to strike up a conversation. Heather quickly cut me off and sent him on his way. When I looked at her quizzically.. she just said.. "Oh No!" shook her head... put up her hand... and I realize LA is a different world. One it may be best not to talk to strangers in. At least once you are out of the parks... contemplating  the juxtaposition of the World of Dreams and the reality of the city that surrounds it could easily turn into a huge research paper which I am not going to attempt at the moment. Anyway.. that is where we wrapped up things up and hit the road home where a clean cool breeze and light rains greeted us.

All told it was an outstanding trip. To see the slide show for the winery... Click here

To see the pics of our time at the park.. Click here.

I didn't get any pictures of our time with friends but those memories are etched on my heart and not so easily forgotten!

Salt on my lips and sand in my hair

"I must be a mermaid. I have no fear of depths and a great fear of shallow living." Anais Nin

I just love that quote.. Anyway...

When last I wrote, it had slipped my mind that we were headed out to our first social school event for the new school on Saturday. It was a meet and greet swim party at Carmel Valley Pool. The afternoon was gorgeous and the water was warm. There are not a lot of pools around anymore (at least not the ones I have been too) that boast a diving board. The kids had a fantastic time.

I hung back to some degree and observed the parents and the students and got a feel for the social environment we are headed towards. So far I have no complaints. But I don't expect that I will.  Essentially you have a group of people which have actively sought to be in the school and the families of which are expected/required to be participatory as parents must volunteer a certain number of hours every week to the school in some capacity. The parents ALL appeared to be loving and attentive to their children, not just one or two which you might be lucky to observe in a typical public school event. I think the kids will do exceptionally well there. I did get to talking to a few parents and one mother mentioned that the students at the school were a little sheltered compared to  public school students. I think that is rather marvelous! They create a small bubble but from everything I have seen they fill that bubble up with as much "wealth" as possible. School will be good this year. I feel we are very blessed to have won lottery placements for both Willow and Connor.

Sunday afternoon after attending to chores..
( btw.. vinegar sprayed on weeds makes for an excellent, cheap and healthy way to get rid of them.) 

Jump Jump

 we went to Manresa Beach which is just outside of Watsonville. We had camped there some years ago and enjoyed it and now it is one of the closest beaches that boasts a large sandy shelf suitable for swimming and splashing. The swim lessons and membership to the rec center have paid off. My kids are strong good swimmers and Connor has recently turned into a dolphin and has taken on body surfing. The conditions were choppy and not the best for surfing so we broke out the boogie board, played in the break,  jumping waves, splashing each other, and avoiding being crushed by a wall of foamy froth by simply slipping beneath the waves into a moment of blue tranquility. It might have only been a relatively short while but I have missed playing in the ocean immensely. Bathing in the salty brine seems to wash my spirit clean. Frolicking about like so refreshes reenergizes and renews me. It was a mighty fine weekend.

Preperation

H.
No .. wait.. that's another blog. Stop. Rewind. Preparations are well under way for our next big summer travelling adventure and Greg's week of Summer Vacation has begun. WooHoo!

I had been planning on a trip to Hawaii this summer only to adapt those plans when we took on roommates so that we could celebrate a special 16th birthday at Disneyland (She has never been) .. mom close your ears.. Which I do not think is the most fun place on earth. .. shock!.. Its not that it is horrible. Its not that it bad. But being in crowded loud places overwhelms my senses. Take me off the street and put me in a restaurant or shop with the same and I lose my mind. Literally. I am at a loss in all decision making. Conversely take me off the street and put me at a concert, I still lose my mind but generally I am in heaven. So back to Disneyland..  Come to think of it.. I don't feel that way on Tom Sawyers Island... or really on any of the rides where my attention is focused so entirely on the experience. This just happens along the Midway. And so I am going to try something new this year and tune out the din with earphones. I may not have much in the way of internet out at the house but I can stream Pandora on my phone all day long (as long as the battery stays charged!) and I intend to see if that doesn't alleviate the worst of my dysfunction. I will pretend I am at a concert. Greg .. don't be alarmed if I hip check you! It might not be Hawaii but it might just be Almost Paradise. :p No.. I don't know what I am going to be listening to.. but the soundtrack from footloose probably isn't it. I am looking forward to checking out California Adventure for the first time too. It should be fun plus there is a chance we may get a chance to catch up with some friends and family while down that way: the perfect icing on my slice of this birthday cake.

Vacation isn't here yet so with that Im headed off into this cold foggy grey Saturday Morning to pick up feed, slug and bug stuff, gopher traps and the like.  Tomorrow we are going to take a few hours to go surfing! I am looking forward to getting in the water a bit. Its been too long!

Pine, Sage (maybe next time?! ) and Stone

I sit along the Truckee submitting myself to the elements.

nice view from the campsite

 

Kids and dad up the stream. Floating down. I wait to shoot them. I am groggy. Having slept until noon. The nights sleep restless. The ground hard and the temps a tad chillier than I was hoping and then the rising sun making things warm and snuggly. I had slept in the car nearly the entire way here. Seriously this surprises me even now and I know it happened without a doubt. But I suppose I can blame my near comatose state on a very welcome visit with Heather the night before.  Our visit began at 11pm and stretched well into the pre dawn hour. We talked spiders and divinations, life and living, new age philosophies, fairies, glass working and craft projects,  tea.. speaking of check the fantastic gift she made for me! Its a clip to keep your teabag string weighted down so it doesn't slip into your drink.

The conversations slid into addictions, old acquaintances and new, shared history, wine aerators (wow they are interesting), movies and movie making. And what sleep over isn't complete with a facial... yes. That is right. I let her have her way with her abundance of products and my face. Skin pulled tight and plump the whole time camping. Heather might come from the land of superficiality but she has got brass, moxie and smarts and is built for speed. Gotta love her despite her preoccupation with "beauty".

Anyway, so I am sitting, waiting, camera on the ready and in the meantime I observe. A family of fly fisherman quietly casting out, the residual burn of smoke in my eyes, cicadas battling for dominance in the sound game against the rolling rapids of the mucky Truckee but ultimately loosing. Drowned out. Hantavirus laden squirrel darting in and out camp, playing hide and seek with the shadows. I point,  bang and they run away.  When you have to yell to be heard, its easier to remain quiet. But then again, out here, next to the roar of the rapids, who needs to be talking anyway? There is so much to listen to. Speaking of being heard.. a holler as they hit a rapid.. here they come..

 

I even got in on the tubing fun.. And if its to small to see.. well.. to bad.

 

Later we made the quick trip in to town where we met my mother and her dear friend and we got in an archery lesson.

 

 

 It was a fun way to top off the birthday celebration. I don't think I mentioned that... Greg hit the big 40 this year. And he celebrated it in the best way possible for him. Quietly. Peacefully. Joyfully and with his family. He even got in some pleasure reading. Nearly devoured an entire novel. Called Ghost which paints an interesting and complex psychological profile of the main character. Its not a book recommended for most as the themes are quite adult. 

All of our meals pre prepped and super easy. It was deeply relaxing for all of us. 

 

 

 

And what about this campsite? We stayed at a place called Silvercreek. The pit toilets were super clean. The sites very spread out. I was quiet content with it and would return there over Whiskey Town any day. Not that Whiskey Town was bad. But it was like being at a "bring your own bed" outdoor hotel with no maid while boasting the luxury of having a goose poo filled pool. It fell short of the rustic peaceful experience I want to have when camping.

We returned home later and celebrated with Gregs favorite dinner and a spectacular and downright huge homemade birthday cake.

Anyway, I must digress.. I have a deep pile of bills and a handful of chores to attend to must get to doing. But I carry the tranquility gained in the sierra's with me as I step back into the life extraordinary.

 

 

 



Whacking, Weeding, Feeding and Mucking

just a few of the responsibilities I have been attending to. Do I mind it? Not in the least. Gets me in the sun. That's right... Sun! I had almost forgotten (with the exception of trips to lands of big sky)  that it existed! I love the feel of the sun on my skin.. not so much the burn. Remembering sun protection is a responsibility that needs to be attended to on a daily basis.

Im not one for lotions and creams. I wash my hair with baking soda and rinse it with vinegar.(Which, as it turns out, vinegar is a natural tick repellant!!)  I don't use lotion, makeup or any of that crap... ok I put on lip gloss, eyeliner and perfume on rare going out occasions but I don't make any kind of habit of it. And quite honestly I think my skin and over all health thanks me for it. So having to resort to sunscreen makes me squeamish. I know instinctively that sunscreen can be as cancer causing as the sun itself. (My opinions and actions with regards to beauty products are not merely some personal theory but are rooted in fact. For a more in depth look at the topic of harmful effects of beauty products I suggest you read No More Dirty Looks by Siobhan O'Connor and Alexandra Spunt.)  I think I better invest in some long sleeve work shirts.
So anyway.. I got a little side tracked there. Weeds weeds weeds be gone. Slowly but surely. In addition to yard work and BBQ/Poker/whiskey with friends (which reminded me that I am too old to be so over indulgent. Ugh!)  this weekend our pal Kiwi came out and helped Greg get the pond cleaned up and running. Not the goose pond.. that is still in the works.. but the koi pond out front.

The immediate grounds are pulling together, slowly but surely.

As to the birds. We have put the breaks on getting any more birds at the moment. 7 geese and 14 chickens (10 are chicks) are plenty to get familiar with and I have a yard of grass to get growing so we have grazing for the geese.. natural lawn mowers that they are. These are our a few of our new chicks.. which Greg surprised me with when I returned home from my quick trip to NV.

 

These are our new geese which we picked up on our way home from getting Greg at the airport on Friday.. Not the best picture but I am sure more will be taken!

 

They seem to get along with Lord Stanley and the Ladies quite nicely. Although integrating both groups of geese has been a process.

 

 

In  other news.. Willow lost her tooth. This is what she left for the tooth fairy.. Funny girl. 

 

I looking forward to my upcoming visit with Heather.. got to figure out what we are going to do! And then a long weekend of camping. Fun Fun.