Long time, no blog

Stu and I on a Sunday hike. Annie (age 11) and Rosie (age 10) are still happy to go walking with us, if they appreciate 4 mile hikes now more than 6 or 10 mile hikes.

Back from Summer travel part 1: Kid travel. Quincy needed to be in Ashland in Late July, and Jake needed to return from Pullman (summer job) about the same time, so we did a grand circle up the west coast, east to Pullman, and down the Rockies to home. Long days in the car, but we had good conversations with the kids.

This weekend, Quincy and I head east for a visit to my dad and brother, then on to NYC for her graduation trip. We have a studio apartment about a block from Times Square, and it should be a good time. Stu will join us for a long weekend.

Then at the end of September, Quincy heads to college, and we officially become empty-nesters (although Annie and Rosie are hoping to step into the void).

Rains, again

What happens in a good rain year in an arroyo that has been a landing spot for spent pumpkins?

Jake, who loves the big splat, has long tossed old pumpkins off the roof into the arroyo north of the house. Add one good rain year, and watch for the pumpkins!

Rained a lot this morning. Lazy person that I am, Stu and I walked the dogs in the rain and wiped them down rather than give the dirty things a bath. What a deal!

And question of this post: Could this rattler actually have eaten this dove had I not rudely interrupted him?

The rattler chose to do this before people came over, otherwise I would have watched long enough to tell. Seemed like a gracious host thing (for human guests, not herptological guests) to move the rattly snake...

And I had the good fortune to watch a golden eagle over the Black Quartz Mountains today. Magnificent bird.