Life is Good !

   And..... the amazing weather continues !   A bit of rain on Wednesday and Thursday ......and now back to sunny and warm.  I've taken advantage of this and had some adventure, some  homebody time and some wonderful times with Jim.
   A week or so ago, my mom, Seth and I headed up to spend the day with Tess and Bryn at their cabin.  It was so beautiful up there and Tessy has done such a wonderful job in fixing up their little place and making it a warm and welcoming home.  Anyhow, after taking in the sights around her home .....and some play time with Bryn....we decided to go down the road to Peterson Corner for lunch.  Awesome roadhouse type place......not a poser roadhouse ....a REAL roadhouse started in the 1800's, complete with plenty of characters in the bar.  Since we had Bryn with us we were very warmly welcomed......he had big, brawny men melting over his baby charisma.   We enjoyed an awesome lunch ......I highly recommend the place if ever you're out in the middle of nowhere !     After lunch we drove back up the road to check out Tess' nearest grocery store.......Mother Truckers !!   A step back in time to the sixties......I loved it and if I lived there I would find an excuse to go everyday !   It had everything the folks of rural Nevada County could want......natural foods , fresh produce and rolling papers!  
   Next adventure.....Jim and I headed down the hill to become among the elite......RV owners !!   So exciting, although we haven't opened it up since we got it home since the weather was a little damp for a few days and we didn't want the canvas to get wet.  Sure looking forward to some time soon to try it out on a little overnighter.
   Last week Jim found some folks to play music with and seemed to really have a blast.  They meet a couple of times a month.....I'm going down with him next time.....I'll report back with pictures !

    Yesterday Tess and Bryn came over for the day......I was in heaven !  Brynny plays and plays......amazing ability to entertain himself.  He got tired and Tess was tied up on the phone for work so I loaded him up in the wheelbarrow and off we went.  He was asleep within 10 minutes and slept outside under a tree for several hours.
   Today Molls and I met my mom for lunch and Molly got herself some new shoes at REI.  I got some groceries for tomorrow.....Dan and Anna are coming up for the day and hopefully stay for dinner.....really looking forward to seeing them.


 

Lovely, lovely.......!

Yep, it's been simply lovely up here the past few days.   It was around 70 degrees today and everywhere I look I see soft Spring green.  The birds are slowly coming back for the Summer and the air is full of their chatter from sunup to sundown.  Callie's frisbee skills are shaping up, my violets are blooming and I can't seem to stay inside for more than a few minutes at a time......I never think that I'm really a "Spring person", but I may have to reevaluate my thinking !

   Jim's been busy constructing a "boat house" for the canoe and kayaks......I think he's been enjoying it.....although he has certainly experienced a little frustration here and there !  It sure will be nice to get the boats out of the direct sun and we're likely to use them more often if we don't have to check for snakes underneath them !

    My daffodils are in full bloom on the front hillside.....a sight to behold.   They amaze me with their cheery yellow and open "faces".
   Tomorrow my mom and I are headed up to Tess' house.  Just a quick visit to say "Hi" and  to get a little Bryn time.  I am so, so glad she lives close enough for quick, no fuss visits......I can hardly wait to get some big , juicy smiles from my boy.

 Friday!   We pick up our new camper on Friday !   Very exciting.....we may "camp" in it on Friday night........in the driveway !!

Maybe Spring Has........Sprung !!

    What ????? Seventy -eight degrees by next Wednesday ?  Daylight savings, daffodils, lazy dogs in the sun.......sounds like Spring to me !  I'm headed down to the used book store to pick up a few.......good weather for sitting in the sun with a so-so book in hand.
  This past week Jim and I were "touring" Northern California hunting for a deal on Craigslist for a used tent trailer.  Two days on the road......nothing panned out......and then......we remembered a little one we'd looked at in Loomis about a month ago at a dealer.  After a quick call to make sure it was still available we drove from Napa to Loomis and bought ourselves a 1995 Rockwood Freedom tent trailer !! We pick it up next Friday ......just in time for our anniversary!  It'll be a great little "overnighter" and a wonderful guest house while parked on the driveway.  Well, you'll see.......photos coming next week !
     Most current "news" around here is that Amanda was accepted into the UC Santa Barbara PHD program and she and Seth will be moving down there around the middle of August.  So proud of Amanda and thrilled for their new adventure.   Seth just called for a visit and he was telling me he thought he would join AmeriCorps for a year down there.   They pay a modest salary, health and dental insurance, plus will pretty much pay off his student loan.  As I understand it he'll be working with disadvantaged students......great experience since he's considering getting his teaching certificate.   Exciting times !!

   Waffle morning tomorrow......Matt and Molly probably joining us.....maybe a little exploration trip to some obscure nearby place...and then a kickoff Spring rib barbecue.......soundin' good !

Babies, Skunks and Rock and Roll !

Well, I haven't been doing too well at keeping up with this blog thing......I think about doing it...if that counts !   I can't really remember where I left off in my last post, guess it was a few weeks ago.  Nothing earth shattering has occurred since last you heard from me......a lot of sunny days, cold nights and smiling faces.....just the way I like it !
   The last couple of weekends were just such days.......one Saturday I met Tess and Bryn in Grass Valley .  Pacos Tacos and Goodwill thrift store......how awesome is that !?   I snapped a few pictures of Bryn while Tess was otherwise occupied........he thought it was a real lark and we shared a few belly laughs !   The next morning Matt.......Molly's boyfriend.....came over for what has become a tradition with him........to join us for Sunday morning waffles.  It 's wonderful to have him share the morning with us and then he and Molly usually take off for some grueling 10 mile hike !  
     This past Saturday Jim and I had dinner at our favorite Chinese restaurant and the we had tickets for some music at the funky Auburn Event Center.  It's like stepping back in time to the late 60's and so of  course we felt right at home !  We heard some awesome music.....danced with some awesome people.  The photo that I took there does not look that way because I was on acid......my camera was having technical difficulties .......but, it did kind of capture the evening !

   This photo of Callie Rose was taken after an unfortunate encounter with a skunk.  Need I say more......

Busy Week !

      Super busy and super fun week......just the way to end my 62nd year !  Saturday Molly and I met up with Tess and Bryn in Auburn to do some shopping for her new house up the road aways.  Bryn was, of course, his usual adorable self and Tess her usual entertaining self.  We had such a fun and productive day..........ending with a quiet dinner at home, just me and Jim.  Molly had a date with new beau, Matt.......who, by the way, we all think is a great guy.
   Sunday the crowd arrived for the Super Bowl and even though the 49ers ending up losing we had a fun day.......although poor Dan was feeling pretty sad when he and Anna left.   I hope the world looked sunnier when you woke up the next morning, Dan .......the 9ers will live on to fight again !

  Yesterday we had a surprise visit from Tess, Bryn and Boyce. They stayed for dinner and Molly and Matt also joined us.  Wonderful evening....we are so lucky!                                                                                                                  Today Jim and I headed into the wilds again for a brisk, long hike.  We wanted to get another one in before the supposed snow arrives here tomorrow......plus I'll be a year older tomorrow........I might not have been able to make it after today !!!
   So........63 looms tomorrow.....sure beats the alternative and I have a fun lunch planned with my mom and my wonderful friend , Belle.  I know it'll be a blast. 
 Pictures I'm posting today are all from various events this week......my "official" birthday party will be this Saturday....I'll snap a few then and share next week.......See you then !

Really ..........January ???

     So the last day of January.......some really cold weather, but almost always sunny this year.  We've tried to take advantage and get out there as often as possible for some wintertime hikes.  we've hit on some good ones and if the forecast is correct we'll have a few more hikes coming our way !  

     Today I spent with my mom ......we shared our usual salad at Chili's.....Caribbean Chicken, I highly recommend !   A quick trip to Target.....stopping at Raleys for some fresh crab for dinner.  It was pretty yummy !
    This weekend I'm helping Tess move into her new abode in North San Juan, Ca.   It's a very small gold rush town in the mountains of Nevada County......about 45 minutes away.  It's a pretty awesome community and I'm looking forward to getting to know it better.....as I know Tess is also !
    Sunday is , of course, the Super Bowl ......featuring our San Francisco 49er's !   Pretty excited !!!  Some of the kids are coming up for the festivities as well as my mom and......shocker.....my dad !
Tomorrow I'll be shopping for groceries for the big day.....nothing too fancy....probably a big pot of chili, maybe some wings.
    I finally figured out how to download photos from my phone to this computer so I promise to try and get more stuff posted......for instance photos of Bryn on Saturday.   How's that for a tease !!

What !!!! It's a New Year ?

  Wow...where has the time gone?  I can hardly believe it's already over a week into the new year.  I've just started to settle in, thinking I should post something and then this morning I got an email from a dear friend inquiring as to the state of my life since I haven't posted for so long.  Terry, all is good....changes occurring as always, but everything toward the positive !  I will try to be more diligent in the new year, I fear I've already lost 90% of my readers. Maybe they'll check in some slow day and see that I have resurfaced.
    I'll mostly blame Molly!  She had 2 weeks off and so we just seemed to find something to do almost everyday.....now she's back at work ,.....I guess it's a good thing !
   I'm back to my walking regime once again and it feels so good....I even got some real shoes to wear at Costco.  I have to admit they make a big difference.....so light and comfortable, I'm almost flying !   However, we'll see if I can handle have shoes on my feet come July when it's 92* out !!

  Jim harvested the beets today and so I spent the afternoon canning pickled beets......oh so good !!  He says he'll plant more next year because these came out so plump and beautiful.

   As you see in the photos my paperwhites are all planted and starting to sprout....my own little New Year tradition.  Soon the whole house will smell heavenly.

   We've been having beautiful weather, however, this afternoon a cold front blew in and the temps been dropping .  Snow by tonight.....not a lot, just enough to be pretty.  My little Callie Rose used to cold weather as an excuse to come in the house and lay next to me......such a sweet little girl.
    Well, hope to "talk" to you again soon......Happy 2013 !
         Darn!   Now something is not working right on Blogspot and so I can't load my photos !   Sorry.....I'll try again later !