Meet O'Rylee!

My husband has been staring at me lately in utter disbelief. "Who is this woman?" I can hear going through his head.

I had pretty much given up on the idea that I was a dog person. Jack (our border collie) and I have a less-than-ideal relationship, and I thought I just didn't like dogs. But my daughter brought home her little Australian Shepherd, about 1/2 the size of Jack, and I have fallen in love.

All of a sudden I love having a dog in my lap. I play with him, and let Kevin discipline him... it is a total switch of roles for Kevin and I. I am getting a kick out of it, and Kevin is befuddled that the rules have changed. So is Jack. Rylee is really good for him, in spite of the fact that Jack is a little grumpy and growls to Rylee on occasion to back off. But Jack is up moving around more than he has in a long time, and gets the run of the house again.

The cats are getting used to this energetic little tornado, but still have maintained their distance and hiss as he gets too close. Juggernaut hid under our bed for the first few days Rylee was here. But now he freely roams the house and has figured out that he is the boss and simply swats Rylee when he gets too close.

I know all of you that know me as the "resident bitch" when it comes to Jack are probably just shaking your heads in confusion. It is a real surprise to me, too. I have waited to make this announcement just in case the newness wears off...

So we enter a new year with one more family member... sigh.

As opposed to green...

Idaho is all white. It is as if a large, thick blanket has covered us up. I am watching these big, fat snowflakes falling outside my window re-covering the weeping willow that had been washed clean by the rain yesterday.

Yes, we had rain all day yesterday. Maegan and I went out to scrape the driveway clean of the heavy, wet snow and ice so that when it froze again last night, we wouldn't have an instant ice rink.

With all the talk about going south for the winter, the snow this year reminds me how much I love it. Except when it gets wet and messy then freezes solid. But when it stays cold, it is truly a white winter wonderland.

I have no doubt I will be sick of it soon enough and start my whining about heading south to Florida again. But today, I am just enjoying its silent and unpretentious beauty.

Fifty years young...

My good friend was born fifty years ago today. She doesn't look much over thirty to me... but then neither do I. 

We met up today while shopping and had a cup of coffee together. It was all I could do not to stand up in Starbucks and make the general announcement that we were celebrating her today. 1. I didn't want to embarrass her, and 2. I wasn't sure that the folks in the Target Starbucks would be as excited as I was... so I managed to refrain (which I know is going to surprise a few people reading this).

Tonight, we are going out to dinner at her favorite restaurant (which just happens to be one of my favorites, too)... Chef in the Forest, out on Hauser Lake. One of these days I will post why it is my fav, but today this is all about Lynne.

Last week we had a surprise birthday party for her. I think she really enjoyed herself and all the attention from her millions of girlfriends. To know Lynne is to love her... Anyway, I sent out a questionaire to everyone, and here are some highlights:

"The funniest thing I ever saw Lynne do was watching her eat crab with the crab butter dripping down her chin."

"The dumbest thing I ever saw Lynne do was when she does the Lizard!"

"My favorite thing about Lynne is that she is always smiling and laughing."

"My most memorable time with Lynne was when we were sipping champagne in the castle in Ireland on Halloween."

If you are reading this and have a glass of something handy, raise your glass to fun-loving, charming, loyal, generous, happy-go-lucky, good-friend Lynne. I love you.

Snow removal Idaho-style

We have gotten many suggestions to go out and buy a snowblower... I just wanted you all to see what snow removal looks like here in serious snow country!

Kevin just uses any excuse to go out and plow. Once he got his bobcat uncovered (he had left it on the job site), he has been plowing any little mound of snow he can find. I think he is in snow heaven!

We set a lot of records here yesterday. Our snow dump totaled 30 inches... up to 54 inches out-of-town. I think our friends Kent and Becki are relieved to not be living in Spirit Lake right now.

But today the sun is out, and it is gorgeous outside. Maegan's second attempt to get home should prove successful. I am on my way to the airport now.

I hope you all are warm and snuggled in...

A winter wonderland?

It started snowing yesterday morning and has not stopped since. We had a light dusting of snow left over from last week... now we have about 30 inches. It is crazy!

I have been out shoveling 4 times today, and the snow is still coming down.

Maegan is supposed to fly in tonight, but flights are getting cancelled all over the place... she just wants to come home, and I just want her here safe. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

The close of day

The sky is brilliant tonight signaling the gorgeous end to a really beautiful day. Today was crisp and mostly clear. We went out to the now indoor farmer's market in town this morning, and drove around running some errands. People were everywhere with big grins on their faces... there is just something about that ole' sunshine that lightens folks up.

We made a quick trip to Costco to load up in anticipation of the arrival of all the kids... I am so looking forward to tonight... my favorite of nights when I know all the kids are home in their beds. I can only describe my contentment as that. With them off on their own adventures, I seem to appreciate the times they are home so much more.

Thanksgiving is the holiday my family seems to love the best. There is no pressure to purchase gifts... or entertain at all. It is just a time to be together with family and friends, share, and be thankful for all we have. I am thankful for this day and this beautiful end to it.

A busy day...

I love cats. I love the way they are consumed with a toy, and the way they completely relax when they are tired. 

Christian, or "Baby" as we often call him, is almost 13 years old. He was born on our living room floor on May 16. I remember that day because Kevin and I had been at his softball game and the neighbor was babysitting while our cat went into labor. We got home and Christian squirted out on the floor. I have always thought it was good for kids to see animals being born. Cats or dogs seems the likeliest opportunities.

This cat has complete trust in us. I remember we had a special relationship with the kittens born in our house when I was a kid, too. I am not sure exactly what the difference is, but it always amazes me when he snuggles up with my arm over him and just zonks out. He will stay tucked under my arm for hours.

My favorite thing about Christian is when he goes ape for catnip. We have liquid catnip that we spray in his cathouse. He will go into the little house and roll around in it, then hang his head out the hole with his bloodshot eyes. It is hilarious.

When we got Maegan's kitten, Juggernaut, a couple of years ago, Christian got a little bent out of shape. He still doesn't like Jugs, but is not so mad at us anymore for bringing him home. For the first year Jugs came to live with us Christian would come in our bedroom, jump on us and growl.

Jugs, on the other hand, loves Christian and seems to get a perverse pleasure from torturing him. He will sneak up and pounce on him, sending Christian into his angry hissing fits. We applaud when Christian does the rare stand-up-for-himself-and-fight-back.

Sunset on the mountain

Over the prairie and through the woods to Donny and Lynne's we go...

Our friends live directly across the prairie on the side of Rathdrum Mountain. The view from their home is spectacular.

It's like Christmas all year long with the accumulation of lights over the last 11 years they have lived up here.

The hot tub is right in front of the house, and when we sit in it in the evening this is the view we see.

Amazing Idaho. Today was a gorgeous day, 54° and mostly sunny. I savor days like this. We all feel winter coming... makes us appreciate days like this even more.

My son, the goofball...

You gotta love someone who is completely obsessed with himself!

Conor, loves to have his photo taken, whether by me, or himself... and he loves to mug... wonder where he gets that? Family photos have always been difficult because he can't seem to just smile for the camera, he has to make a face.

Last night he organized a group of his buddies to meet him at Jack in the Box for a mass taco feed. Tacos were on sale 2 for $1, and they decided to make a pile of 200 and eat them all! I will keep you posted on how that went.

Conor wanted to look like a bandido, so he decided to shave. He made me take photos of each step. Then decided his mustache wasn't dark enough, so he used a little mascara to make it stand out. When he left, he was wearing a sombrero.

I know, it isn't halloween anymore... Conor seems blissfully unaware.

I just want to celebrate!

I don't think it is any secret to anyone who knows me that I am an Obama supporter. There was a time when there were only about 10 democrats in the entire state, but that is no longer the case. And although Idaho was one of the red states, he still made a good showing here. Last night was a pretty exciting election.

I think Mr. Obama is, and will prove to be, a great man. If I had the chance to talk to him, after the congratulations, I would caution him not to let all this go to his head. Great men have made stupid choices because they started to believe they had the power. We have seen it happen before.

Thank you Mr. McCain for that gracious speech last night, showing us again why this was a tough race.

Mr. Obama, I have hope that you will unite this country and hold fast to the ideals that you inspired me with. I think today is a new day for all of us.

Hope...

Twas the night before the election

And all through the US

The politician's were bustling

To get us to say "yes"

To their ideas, their battles

stategies and promise...

Who will get the win

we can only guess.

But there is hope for tomorrow

out amongst the weeds...

An energy ready to burst

...if only my guy succeeds.

We are ready for the end of tomorrow

Whichever way the pendulum swings

Because it means the end of persistent ads

and the ugliness politics brings.

Unexpected surprise!

I was just reveling in my newly made enchilada soup, when I heard someone come running in the front door. I turn, and my little Maegan comes running in the kitchen to give me a very big hug.

SURPRISE!

She brought her friend, Kirsti, with her. They were still wearing their halloween outfits that they wore to a party at the University of Idaho last night. After a quick shower and change, they are now relaxing and watching a movie before they go out and visit some friends tonight.

I've gotta go... I need to get in a little snuggle with my baby girl while I have the chance.

Homemade enchilada soup

The other day, Becki and I were at Costco, and a man was demonstrating the VitaMix. Having basically only used mine for smoothies, I was fascinated to see all the creations one could make in it, and we stood and watched for about 15 minutes while this guy made smoothies, soup, fruit sorbet as creamy as ice cream (and done in less than 5 minutes), and margaritas with fresh, whole limes (no tequila unfortunately). I learned a lot, and Becki bought me the dry blender attachment so I can grind my own flour.

Anyway, I just made the absolute best enchilada soup I have ever had in just 10 minutes (it would have been shorter, but I had to cook the brown rice I added). It has kale and cilantro from my garden, a half a carrot, a tomato, 1/2 of a purple pepper we got at the farmer's market last week, garlic, onion, and a few black bean chips. Oh man, I am going back for more! I LOVE this machine.

Happy Halloween all you ghouls and goblins

Whooohoooohooohooow.... Whooohooohooohooow...

(Just in case you don't recognize that, it is supposed to be the creepy laugh of Dr. Evil from Austin Powers)

Dang, I do look a little scary don't I? I scared Kevin this morning... I am actually kind of scaring myself. I really thought I would scare Jack, the dog, but I think he is too blind. The cats just kind of looked at me and kept walking. 

Not bad for first thing in the morning, or maybe that's why I look so scary...

Whenever I think of Halloween, I remember trick or treating in my old neighborhood as a young teenager and one of the boys broke an egg on my head and ruined my new leather coat. (FYI: Jimmy Lillard)

My favorite story of Halloween is when I was even younger and went trick or treating in that same neighborhood with my brothers and sister. On our way home, we decided to trick or treat our own home and surprise mom and dad. We knocked on the door, and slowly the door began to open with nobody there. We watched and waited, and when the door was open, we saw the ghostly creature approaching us from the foyer. As we were entirely rapt by this, my dad jumps out from the sliding doors off to the side, also wrapped in a sheet, and scared the beejeezus out of us. It was a rare moment that my parents actually worked together (although I am not sure there was a great deal of planning). I have always wondered if they knew it was us, or they just scared all the kids in the neighborhood that night. Some of our old friends might still be in therapy for this...

Prom night

The "When in Rome" Masquerade Ball was this last weekend, and it felt like we were getting ready for the prom. I have to admit that the most fun of the evening was getting ready. 

Kayla, my neighbor Jill's daughter, came over to complete my costume with a greek goddess hairdo. That was fun. I love getting my hair done, especially when the hair stylist comes to my house and works on my "do" in my own bathroom... very convenient.

Kevin may not look like a greek god, but he does look like a god in that tux. I think he got more compliments than me Saturday night.

Tubbs Hill in photos...

Photos only... words are not necessary.

You will just have to visualize this one...

I stupidly opted not to bring my camera on what proved to be an absolutely gorgeous walk around Tubbs Hill yesterday. I hope not to make that mistake again. 

I walked with Melanie around Tubbs Hill, a beautiful, relatively untouched natural hill on the lake in Coeur d'Alene. I tried to go online to find a good photo and info on it, and while I found plenty of information, I couldn't find a good photo. I guess everyone else forgot their cameras, too.

So I will just try to describe the amazing feeling of sitting in the sun talking to Melanie about life on a rock overlooking the lake with crystal-clear water below us, and the bluest of blue fall skies above... no clouds. Warm, but not too warm. The trees on the hill behind us in various colors of red, orange, yellow, or brown. There was one part of the trail where the trees bowed overhead, and the yellow leaves had fallen on the path making a golden trail for us to follow.

We bounced on the suspended bridge... I almost pee-d my pants. We hiked up and down to the point where I wasn't sure where I was anymore. I have been on this hill before, but it has been awhile... and even I had not been to some of the places we went.

If you are ever in Coeur d'Alene and like walking at all, you must traipse around this gorgeous little piece of paradise stuck in the middle of a cool little town.

First frost...

It is 28° this very crisp morning, but the sun is peeking out over the horizon, and it is promising to be a beautiful day.

My gorgeous greens are looking a little droopy this morning. I am going to spray them with water before the sun hits them in the hopes of perking them up. I have invited my friend Nancy to dinner tonight, tempting her with marvelous steamed kale, and now I hope I can deliver. I remember hearing about this little trick... I will let you know if it works.

Gorgeous vibrant colors...

As I said recently, I love fall in Idaho. The sky is so blue as a backdrop to the brilliant reds, yellows and oranges of the changing leaves.

I thought I would be really sad to leave Florida... but I have to admit, there is no place like this part of the world. I thought I would have a hard time adjusting to the temperatures, the crisp, cool days and nights. But I realize now that it is a welcome relief to the hot and humid.

I am now formulating a plan that involves going south when the weather gets ridiculous, which is usually right around February. And as we saw earlier this year, actually didn't end until around July sometime. 

But the rest of the time, I think you might find me right here.

As Dorothy says, "There's no place like home."

Last day in florida

The last day is always sad... we are all leaving today. Ann and Allen are driving to Miami to catch their flight tonight, and Scott and Beth are taking Kevin and I to Orlando tonight and we catch our flight at the crack of dawn tomorrow morning.

I am not sure of the weather in Ireland, but I see that our lows in Idaho are in the high-twenties, with highs in the mid-fifties. BRRRR... I cannot even imagine what that will feel like after the 3 weeks here with hot and humid days and nights.

It seems like forever ago that I got here, and yet in a moment, the whole trip is done and time to go home and get back to work. On the other hand, I can't wait to sleep in our own bed and see Conor, Bec, Jack, Christian, and Jugs, not to mention all our friends that I have missed.

We have loads to share with anyone who wants to hear/see all we have done. Just let us know...

Apples to Apples

Last night we had a fabulous dinner made by Beth and Scott's friend, Robin, who drove up from St. Pete just to impress us with her amazing cooking skills. I ate my first conch fritters, made from the little animal that lives inside the conch shell.

But the main course for dinner was indescribably delicious: Thai crispy fried fish with pepper sauce using Red Snapper and Yellow Tail fishes. The presentation was pretty impressive, too... the heads were still on the fish, even their little teeth. Oh man, it was sooooooooo good. Scott is learning how to make it.

Apples to Apples is a funny little game that causes extreme laughter. We played last night and I won!... for, I think, the first time ever.

My matches:

Honorable: Redwood Forest

Chewy: Worms

Funky: Raggae Music

Inspirational: Feminists

Insane: Steve Martin

Selfish: Diamonds

Corrupt: Labor Unions

Thank you to my friends who picked my cards.

Ghost hunt in St. Augustine

Let me know if you see anything in these photos. We were told that we are usually not sensitive enough to see the ghosts with our eyes, but that they will appear in the photos as light flows, orbs, or full apparitions. I didn't see anything... maybe I am really insensitive.

I do think the tour was worth walking the downtown and listening to the marvelous storyteller.

I think I have pretty much caught everyone up on our adventures here so far... now that we are back in "internet-land".

Now... it is hot and I am going back to jump in the pool... jealous?

Photos from Castillo de San Marcos and the old city...

That poor soldier on duty... we made him play along for our photo. Several other tourists decided that when we were done, they wanted photos with him, too. They were lined up...

Damn trouble-makers us.

On the weekends, the cannons go off every hour. We went to the local pub to listen.

The sentry post is now manned by pigeons...

Addendum to St. Augustine post

After our Wednesday adventure in St. Augustine, we decided to make the "endless" drive down the coast to Daytona Beach in search of the largest Harley dealership in the states (obviously not for us girls, but we were not given a choice).

The fun part of the trip was the stop on the beach... it was a rainy, blustery afternoon, and the ocean was rough and fun. We stopped right by Marineland, where there were no homes, but there were lots of signs that cautioned anyone attempting to get into the water.

Then we moved on, Beth and I giving the guys loads of crap about being on this "long" journey. We finally made it to Daytona about 3 days later, and then had to search for the Harley place... we thought we found it (after, god forbid, the guys asked directions) but it was a sad second to the size (matters to guys) was not what they were hoping for.

I hope you are still following me here...

Anyway, we did finally find the giant Harley store, miles from Daytona as it turns out. Fortunately, there was a bar there were us girls got out to have a drink and we found they had free wi-fi. That is where I posted the Wednesday blog from.

Okay... so Scott, Kevin, and Allen weren't in the Harley place very long. I think it was a big disappointment. So they show up at the bar where we were to have a beer with us. Scott can't find his wallet...

Let's speed up here a bit. Scott lost his wallet. Beth had to get online to cancel his debit card. He is totally bummed. We decide to go back to look for it. We backtrack, and come to the place where he had stopped to get directions to the giant Harley place.

We pull up to this seedy gas station, and Scott gets out and immediately starts rummaging through their garbage bin. There was this grungy homeless guy on a bike just exiting the store with a beer can in a paper sack. He says to Scott "Nothing good, huh?" (as if he had already tried). Scott just grunts and goes inside. Meanwhile we watch Mr. Grunge go back to the garbage bin and take a quick look again. Then he comes to Kevin's driver's side window and says, "What a bummer! Probably one of those homeless sons-of-bitches!"

He proceeds to tell us of his hard luck story where 2 weeks ago his "yacht's" were stolen in the Keys. Beth and I are crackin' up in the back.

Scott comes out of the store victorious with his wallet in his hand! We all cheer! What a stroke of luck. Everything is in it but the cash. Whew...

So, Mr. Grunge comes around to give Scott a congratulatory hug?... no, he tried, but Scott got in the car... thank goodness. But the window was open, and his last words to us were "Ya know, I've been homeless for a couple of weeks, got any spare change?"

That homeless s.o.b. waved as we drove away... I am pretty sure that Scott's cash is what funded his little beer run in the store.

(disclaimer: I do not feel like homeless people are sons of bitches... just using his words.)

Forever young...

We have drank from the Ponce de Leon's Fountain of Youth, and we should all be good to go for the next 50 years (we have our reservations made at this great little bed and breakfast on St. George Street called Augustin Inn... just kidding, but if you are looking for a great place to stay here, it looks good).

This really is a gorgeous little tucked away historic spot, right in the middle of a funny little neighborhood. There are 15 acres with loads of birds, and lots to do. It is so easy to imagine yourself back in the 1600s.

Ponce de Leon came in search of this Fountain of Youth in the late 1500s because he was told of its existence, and he believed enough to finance his own adventure from Portugal. He made the trip on Columbus' second journey.

We all decided that the water from the fountain isn't the best tasting... it almost tastes a little salty, and seems full of minerals. But I am quite sure the effects will be obvious the moment you see us... I am pretty sure I looked younger in the mirror this morning, despite all the wine I have been drinking.

The grounds were wonderful to wonder around on. There were loads of peacocks around... friendly peacocks. (My Aunt Clara used to have peacocks, but they were mean.) The most interesting ones were the white ones. They aren't albino peacocks, but a breed that was produced in India... they wanted them to be pure.

This was the actual place that Ponce de Leon landed and lived for many years. He left and died of blood poisoning from an Indian's arrow that pierced his thigh. He believed so much that he had found this miracle water. I am surprised he ever left. Perhaps if he had stayed, he would still be alive today to tell us the story.

Out of this world!

Blast off! We saw the shuttle blast off into space...

Okay, just kidding... it was in 3D on the IMAX screen at Cape Canaveral where we all spent the day yesterday.

Kevin got to shake hands with an astronaut, and we all looked silly in the 3D glasses.

The most awesome thing was the Apollo center where we actually were in Command Control seeing the equipment and viewing the lift off on the screen of Apollo 8's mission.

Then we walked into the room where they had the honkin' engines of the Saturn 5 rocket. That is me circled in red to give you a little reference on just how honkin' that thing was.

Here's a note from Kevin: each of the five engines produces 1.5 million pounds of thrust. I am not sure what that means, but it sounds really big.

Just a short update... stay tuned for tomorrow's post... it will have lots of photos since we return to San Antonio and free wi-fi.

Today we are off again to St. Augustine... our favorite place this trip. More adventures in store for us... and a taste of the magic liquid from the Fountain of Youth.

St. Augustine is a really cool old city

I realize plenty of you have been anxiously awaiting the next posting. Unfortunately, the resort we moved into on Monday failed to come through with the promised wi-fi, so I have to run to Starbucks, and it is expensive.

Today, however, Ann, Beth and I are sitting in a pub while the guys are checking out the largest Harley Store in the entire world (something we are not remotely interested in). They happen to provide free wireless, so I thought I would catch you all up.

We are staying in a resort in Palm Coast that is old and needs some renovating. But it is okay since we aren't there much.

Last night, we went to the old city of St. Augustine, the oldest city in the United States. It is very cool. So cool, we went back today.

Last night was the fun "Haunted Walking Tour" of the city. A marvelous story teller took a group of about 30 of us throughout the city in search of ghosts and told us some great stories along the way. We ended up in the town cemetary. I did not see any ghosts, but we had fun finding little spots that looked like they might be "something" in our photos.

Today we went back and spent a lot of time in the fort, "Castillo de San Marcos" I will post photos tomorrow. Then we walked down the famous "St. George Street" which has original and renovated original buildings from the Spanish occupation in 1752. It started to pour down rain, and we just had to go check out a local pub on the street. We sat outside under cover and enjoyed some relief from the extreme humidity we were suffering through before the rain began.

Great day! Great fun! We will go back on Friday for a taste from the "Fountain of Youth". Tomorrow is our big day at Cape Canaveral.

A day in St. Pete

The last time I was in St. Petersburg was in 1972 when I was 13. My grandparents retired and moved here, and that was the last time we visited them.

After picking up Beth and Scott's very lively and animated friend, Robin, we headed out for a personal tour of the area, which began at Fort DeSoto. This is one of the top beaches in the US.

We spent some time splashing around in the water, looking for shells, fish, and sting rays. This time of year is shagging (mating) season for them, and we were instructed to shuffle our feet to ensure we didn't accidentally step on them. It was so incredibly hot out there, and the water was so warm and clear.

After wandering around on the beach for awhile, we worked up quite an appetite, and ended up at a local seafood restaurant. After completely stuffing ourselves, we exited the restaurant to discover it pouring down rain. And I am not kidding... it was raining so hard it was difficult to see where we were going.

The rain put a bit of a cramp in our plans, but we found the trolley system in St. Pete kept us pretty dry... we made our way to the pier with the shops and a small aquarium that we wandered around in.

While we were at the pier, we spotted this floating church. Pretty funny. It is a floating chapel that can be rented for weddings. We all think this could be a hit on Lake Coeur d'Alene.

I spoke to my Uncle Frank and got the address of my grandparents house to see if we could find it. I had a lot of happy memories there with both of them. They lived on this large pond that folks used to fish in. I caught my first fish there. There was supposed to be an alligator in it, but I never saw it.

We plugged the address in Maggie, our GPS unit, but apparently the house is gone and nothing looked at all like I remembered it. Sigh...

Tomorrow we travel to the east coast of Florida and the Atlantic Ocean. More beaches... don't you feel sorry for us?