Unique

Wow, it has almost been a month since my last post! I think Facebook was a distraction to me... perhaps that should be avoided by me.

Anyhow, I continue to learn from my garden. This photo tells a lot. How can one pepper grow so big and another one grow so small?! They started as seeds from the same packet, were planted in the same soil, were watered and cared for the same, had the same sun shining down on them, but... turned out very different.

So I can't help but relate this to children from the same family(parents). Even though they have many similarities, they end up being quite unique. They are raised in the same environment, have the same basic family rules and values, are loved and nurtured the same, but... they turn out very different. I love the uniqueness of all my children! It's makes them very special.

Abandoned Homestead

We call it "Early Mormon Architecture" - it's definitely a fixer-up-er! Whenever John & I travel west, we look for old abandoned places such as shown in this picture. Then we imagine the family that use to live there... what they did, how they survived, why they left, etc. It's great entertainment to pass the time away, and it leads us to other very interesting discussions about our past, present, and future.

Out For a Walk

Just for kicks, John & I decided to tour the very small western town of Malad, Idaho. We weren't expecting anything super, but we saw a treasure! On the sidewalk a boy (about the age of 9) was riding his bike. Walking along side him was his sister (about age 5). She was holding a leash to a sheep! It was the cutest sight to behold. We stopped the car and asked if we could take their picture. They were happy to pose... the boy got off his bike and the little girl just beamed! They told us they were taking the sheep to a fair in a couple weeks, and they walked it twice a day - morning and night. I sure hope they get a purple ribbon for their dedication!!

Road Trip Memories

I wish I could say our last road trip was uneventful, but that would be a lie. Our family trips usually bring about memories that last a lifetime, or more! This trip was no exception, for it provided the making of the "Venison Vaporizer". While very disheartening at the time (we didn't know if our car was repairable and we had a difficult time securing a rental car to proceed with our vacation), we now have quite a few laughs over the whole incident.


So how was the Venison Vaporizer born?


1) Ignore certain road signs.




2) Find a victim and introduce it to your car, up close and personal!



3) After all the hysteria, take the next exit that named their town after you.

There is no picture of the deer, because according to a nice young man who stopped to see if we were alright... he said, "Hey dude, you totally vaporized it"!

So there you have it, the making of a Venison Vaporizer.... And memories to last us forever!

Rocks & Water Together

I love the look of rugged rocks...

but add water to rugged rocks and (for me) it is breathtaking!!

The sounds of water rushing over rocks, or slowly rippling over stones, brings me great peace and calmness. Lewis & Clark were excited to hear the sound of water rushing over rock too. Not only did this confirm they were on the correct river, they found joy in the picturesque view. Lewis' journal called the great falls a "truly magnificent and sublimely grand object which has from the commencement of time been concealed from the view of civilized man." I can only imagine what it must have been like to see the falls for the first time, without the power dams in place. I will have to settle for reading about these experiences, because I would not have made a good explorer!!

Great Falls

Great Falls, Montana... The Lewis & Clark Expedition spent a month here because they had to portage around 5 waterfalls. These falls are awesome (except one is now underwater). Tawnya, John and I had a great time exploring these falls and looking at the rugged terrain in this area. It's beautiful and impressive. Sure nice to see some different landscape for a change. We walked across a suspension bridge to see the largest falls... that made my stomach churn a little as the swaying in the center was rather pronounced!

Peonys at Braham Cemetery

Last Sunday John and I made our annual pilgrimage to the Rice Lake Cemetery in Braham, MN. This cemetery has hundreds of peony bushes planted throughout. It is absolutely gorgeous when they are in full bloom! Here is what I captured with my camera eye...