July 21, 1984...and more current events

At times, even to myself, I sound like a broken record. But, I just can't say it enough I guess. And I'm saying it again...time goes so stinkin' fast! It is frankly, quite unbelievable to me, and is a little unnerving how one day just slips into another and another and another. That old saying that we've all heard about making the most of each day rings true. We should fill our days with enjoyment and praise and thankfulness because time stops for no one, and is meant to be savored. Rejoice in the day that the Lord hath made. Life is good...is it not?

So, 25 years ago today I was exactly 24 and a half years old. I was young, vibrant, filled with hope and expectations...and exceedingly happy. It was my wedding day. The day that most young girls dream about and anticipate. We were married in a tiny little church in my hometown and all my family and a few good friends were there to witness the union and share in our happiness. We had the reception at my parent's home where we danced and ate and celebrated until we were exhausted. It was a good day. We honeymooned at the beach, and yes, my groom did carry me over the threshold of our hotel room. It was wonderful and looking back, I wouldn't want to change a single thing about that day. I even have pictures of my dad in a tuxedo, and to this day it brings tears to my eyes. My mom looked beautiful in her silvery blue dress and in our pictures she is brimming with happiness. Good memories that I will cherish always.

We've definitely had our ups and downs, but we're still together and we still love each other. Marriage is an ever evolving condition of growth. We all change as we mature, but the key to a good marriage is to accept the fact that it won't always be easy and to remember your vows of committment to each other. There are tribulations in life, as well as joyous times. Mutual respect, friendship and love will keep you together. If we're blessed, we'll have many more years together. I'm ready to take it one day at a time.

Happy Anniversary honey!!!! You're still the one!!!!

And now for the current events. Early Saturday morning we watched the field next to our house being mowed. We were fortunate to see a momma eagle and her two youngsters hunting in the newly mowed hay. My hubby took a couple of shots of them. The momma eagle even snatched one of our swallows in midair. That was a little shocking, but if you're going to hassle an eagle, I guess you're at risk of running into some trouble.

I wish we could have gotten some better pictures of them, but they are quick and a little difficult to photograph. Very cool though.

Mid morning we decided to head out on our weekend roadtrip. We travelled south to a little town called Sweet Home where we stopped at a farmer's market and got a few goodies for the ride. We drove past Green Peter Reservoir and Foster Lake, and then up into the mountains on a road that followed the McKenzie River. It's a beautiful river and we decided to stop for a while and let Annie go for a swim.

The water was cool and inviting, but I was satisfied to take a few pictures and watch Annie enjoying herself.

She was a little timid about jumping off the rocks at first, but it didn't take long and she was diving in and fetching the stick that my hubby was throwing in the water for her.

Refreshed and a whole lot cooler, we headed back to resume our journey through the mountains.

It was a warm summer day and the possibilities were endless.

The smell of warm fir trees was heavy in the air and the forest stretched out in all its' glory. A perfect day for a leisurely drive.


We stopped again and took a hike through the woods into an old growth forest. Some of the trees were enormous, but the pictures really don't do them justice. They are truly majestic!

A little further east we headed south again a few miles shy of the Hoodoo Ski area towards the old scenic byway that goes over the McKenzie Pass. This stretch of road climbs to an elevation of about 7500 ft. and is a narrow and winding two lane road that is always closed throughout the fall and winter months due to snow and treacherous driving conditions. Below is a picture of an ancient lava flow. They are very difficult to see in the picture, but in the distance is the Three Sisters, named Faith, Hope and Love.

Another shot of the lava flow. The entire area is a volcanic caldron. Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Washington, The Three Sisters and 3-Fingered Jack are all ancient and now inactive volcanoes. The evidence of their past erruptions are everywhere in this mountainous area. Hot springs are a fairly common occurrence as well.

You definitely wouldn't want to try walking on these rocks barefoot. They are extremely jagged and treacherous.

Below is a picture of a summer seasonal lake. One of the many Clear Lakes in the area. It is formed by a stream that overwhelms the valley in the winter and creates a mountainous lake, but in the dry summer months it dries out and only the creek remains.

Back in the car again, we continue our trek southeast to yet another lake. I forget the name of this one, but it has a resort and rental cabins complete with a restaurant and row boats that you can rent. There were a lot of people here on this hot day.

The color of this lake is absolutely gorgeous. The pictures don't really do it justice, but the color varies from a deep, intense blue to varying shades of teals and green, depending upon the depth I presume. It is so clear that in places you can actually see the lakes' bottom.


No motorized boats are allowed, only rowboats.



This is a picture of a group picnic area. I thought the log architecture was beautiful. Wouldn't it be cool to have a cabin built like this up in the mountains beside a lake or a stream? That is a dream of mine. I'm hoping someday to have one, with just enough land to keep a couple of horses and spend whole summers there. Sounds wonderful doesn't it?

Here is a shot of the scuba divers that were there. There were several vehicles with scuba diving ads painted on them, so I'm thinking this must be a hotspot for lessons or something. Judging from the clarity of the water, this would be an exceptional spot for underwater viewing. That would be fun too!

Well, that's all the photos I've chosen for today's post. I have many, many more and will continue with our little roadtrip on another day. We've not even reached the halfway point yet, so there's plenty more of this adventure to come...stay tuned.

In the meantime, enjoy God's blessings of summer, long days, warm nights and endless choices of bounty.

Cingspots

Rodeo is another name for summer

We haven't gone to a rodeo for several years, but this year we attended the St. Paul Rodeo over the fourth of July weekend. We were seated in the nosebleed section. Second to the top row and as far as possible away from the chutes. We were under the covered section and were'nt able to see the fireworks display. Hmmm, interesting why they would charge the most for these particular seats. Live and learn friends, live and learn.

So, in no particular order since for some reason blogger will not allow me to rearrange my pictures today, here goes...

This is one of the pick-up cowboys. His horse was one of my favorites.

And this little gal should by now be familiar to you all - my little poochie, Annie. From last week on our noontime walk in the park.

One of the bareback bronc riders...

Here is a shot of some of the rodeo stock horses. Big-boned and fat. They know they're the stars of the show.

I think they're beautiful.

And my favorite event of them all...the bulls. I love the bull riding!

Open the gate, and don't make me say it again...cow boy...

Don't ya just love their attitude?

Yeee hawwww!!!! I love this shot - all four off of the ground!! Ride'em cowboy!!! Like I said before - we were as far away from the action as one could possibly get, but my little camera still did alright. Gotta love the zoom zoom zoom!

Here's a shot of the pick-up crew. My favorite little horse is the grey second in from the right. So cute!! I also like the bay horse on the right. That's always been my most favorite color of horse - the bay. I've never had a bay, yet... but Ladde's daddy was a beautiful mahogany bay with a big blanket on his rump. Gorgeous!! And in case you're wondering - Ladde's white. Go figure!!

Look at this adorable little horse doing his job for all he's worth!! Atta boy!!

I am one of those people who always worries about the little calves when they get jerked by the cowboy's rope...that's gotta hurt. That's probably why the bullriding is my favorite event. Those big old boys can take care of themselves...no worries! I figure the cowboys are there of their own choice. They can worry about themselves.

This is the picture of the crowd with the cheap seats. You know, the ones just to the side of the chutes. Like I said before - go figure!! Next time, I'm buying tickets in the cheap section too!

And, if silly old blogger would have let me arrange my photos how I wanted, this would have been the introduction picture. Very patriotic shot with "Old Glory" in the foreground there.

This was the halftime entertainment. My favorite part of the show all night. This guy calls himself the One Arm Bandit. For obvious reasons. His cute little paint pony was totally awesome. He'd jump up on the truckbed and then climb on up to the top of the trailer. So did the buffalo. The guy must be a heck of a trainer to get those buffalo to cooperate like that. They rode on top while the truck was pulling the trailer around the arena...and they dismounted while being towed too. Kind of scary because his horse had a bit of a misstep and almost went down on his nose while dismounting from the truckbed. Hopefully, in the future maybe he'll remove that part of the show for the safety of his loyal and trusting little steed. The buffalo were fun to watch. All around the arena, they had arborvitae plants in the dirt, and the buffalo did their very best to uproot and destroy all the vegetation. Too funny!!

Sorry for the blurred photo, but these buffalo are dismounting while the truck and trailer are in motion.

Let'r buck!!

Our weather has taken a cooling trend the last couple of days. We actually had a rain storm last night, complete with booming thunder. Totally awesome!! It was a nice little watering that the plants and gardens sure did appreciate. Today our skies are overcast and our high temps are supposed to be in the upper 70's. It feels quite nice for a change.

This past weekend we pretty much layed low. Stayed home all weekend and worked on projects around the house, yard and fencing. My hubby rode his horse Shad for a little while, but I chose to observe from the sidelines and give my horses a break. I even did a little reading. It was cool enough that a blanket over my lap felt mighty good. We even brought the horses inside the barn for the night last evening. They appreciated a good night's sleep and seemed to enjoy listening to the rain falling on the metal roof rather than on their heads. A little comfort was appreciated by each and every one. And, I slept soundly knowing that the horses were safe and sound in the barn. A lovely change of pace all around.

Blessings from cingspots.

Daydreamin'

Wow - I still have a hard time believing that it's actually summertime. It seems like I live my whole life in anticipation of summer and all the wonderful, wistful memories that it conjures up for me. Sometimes I think I spend way too much time in my head. I'm always daydreaming of all the lovely things I want to do, you know, when the sun comes out and the days are long and lazy and carefree. The trouble is they never seem to be long enough, and definitely never carefree.

I would love to spend a summer in a remote little town, maybe somewhere near the ocean, in a quaint little cottage where there are no schedules, no deadlines and no people. Well, some people would be nice, but definitely no crowds. I'd definitely take my dog, and would love to have my horse, but otherwise just me and some good books, good music, chilled wine and endless hours of nothing but time. Time to rest and rejuvinate; body, mind and spirit. Time to explore the possibilities. I cannot remember a day when I've awakened and had nothing but time ahead of me. Time to do whatever comes to mind. To be able to wile a whole day away if that's how I felt. The pure, unadulterated luxury of having time to oneself must be an awesome blessing. And, not to experience the guilt that always accompanies idle time. My mom instilled the very subconscious thought that one must always be doing something. Otherwise, that time was somehow wasted and was of no use. I wholeheartedly disagree. But alas, the seed was planted a long time ago and if I do take time for myself and do nothing if that's what I choose; I always feel guilty. I feel lazy and useless. Sure wish I could get past that, but I don't begin to know how. It's ingrained in the very marrow of my being to accomplish, to hurry and to do. At any cost. I am a human doing, not a human being. And...I am so jealous of people who have what I conceive to be more personal time than what I have. Silly, I know...but true nonetheless.

My hubby and I took our two horses and went riding last weekend. We camped in the Coast Range mountains for 2 nights and rode both days. The horses were very good. No competitiveness and no spooking. They were quiet and relaxed. My horse felt solid and true beneath me. It felt good. I'm not nearly as fearless of a rider as I once was, but I still love time spent on my horse. We even got to watch a fireworks display up there in the mountains. Apparently, a group of people across the river from us were having a celebration. They brought all kinds of amazing fireworks and even had a water tanker on standby - just in case. Even the horses seemed to enjoy the fireworks display. Annie, not so much. She went into the horsetrailer and got up on our bed. You know, where it was a little safer - and quieter. The days were long and very, very hot, but even so, the time seemed to slip by ever so quickly.

My tomatoes are growing really well. In fact, they may be conspiring to take over the world. The berries are all doing equally well. My horses do create good gardening soil. Must give credit where credit is due. I won't get many berries this year, probably not a lot next summer either, but I'm told by year three - I should have bunches of the sweet, juicy lovelies. Yum!! Here's another summertime memory - my mom's homemade boysenberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream. Oh my!! Words just cannot describe how utterly delicious my mom's pies were!! Even her cobblers were really just extra large, deep dish pies. With all that homemade, flakey crust that she whipped up without using a single measuring device...we would have promised the world to get her to make one. They were simply to die for!! I make my piecrust just like my momma did, but they still don't taste nearly as good as hers did. Never will.

I miss those summer evenings where we used to just sit out on the porch sipping a cool drink and talking and laughing. Time spent with family and friends are good times. It just seems like everyone is so busy with their own lives now to get together and just spend time. I guess it's so very true what my grandma used to say..."good or bad, nothing stays the same". That's both a blessing and a curse. I guess it just means that we need to enjoy life no matter what. Things just are the way they are, and the key to being happy and content is just to live in the moment. Squeeze every little drop out of life that we can, make a conscious decision to be happy. I do believe that happiness is a decision. We can and need to make the most out of the life, the circumstances that we find ourselves in at any given moment. For, in the blink of an eye - everything can change.

I haven't talked to my sister for maybe a month now. I've tried to call her numerous times, but she never answers her phone. And, she rarely calls me. She does, however send me countless e-mail messages that are forwards. You know, those endless jokes and religious messages meant to inspire that good feeling deep inside. Not that I have anything against those. I enjoy them sometimes, and then sometimes they make me emotional. But, if she has the time to do that, why can't she ever just take a minute to call me and talk to me? Or, even for that matter, send me a little personal note via e-mail? It doesn't have to be a book. Could be just a one-liner saying hello or asking what's up? She also disagrees with me politically. I couldn't possibly care less what she thinks about politics. But, I don't appreciate getting spam e-mails about how rotten our president is. Or, how much damage he has done, or will do to our economy and our healthcare system and the price of underwear. Hell, if you believe all that they say in those stupid propaganda political things floating around out there in e-mail land - it's O'Bama's fault for the declining moral fiber of society...and he's a Nazi too. Good grief!! I've politely requested time after time after time that she please stop sending me those kinds of messages. I don't like them, and I think they do nothing but stir up hate and feelings of discontent. Basically, you become a part of the problem rather than part of the solution. So...yesterday I receive another onslaught of forwards from dear old sis, and one in particular sent me over the edge. I responded with a big old message of my own pointing out everything in particular that I didn't appreciate about "said" message and asked her for the umpteenth time to please just stop!!! Now, she's mad at me. Oh well, guess she won't be calling me anytime soon. *sigh*

I need a vacation.

Remember what Carly Simon said..."these are the good old days".

Hoping we can all make the most of 'em...

Cingspots