More Pictures From My Camera...

Today was Memorial Day.  Just a few miles away, flags are planted in the "Field of Honor."  I love seeing it every year as it reminds me of what today is really about...

Later, the women's Exergy Tour came through Hidden Springs.  The race is a qualifier for the Olympics.  We were lucky to have it here in Idaho for the last 4 days, and really lucky to have it so close to home today.  These gals are FAST!

A few days ago, I watched as a crop duster dropped a few loads on a field just across Dry Creek.  I think it was dropping on the organic farm - does that mean it was dropping lady bugs???

And, a field of poppies belonging to the neighbors just a little above Jacob Springs.  I look forward to seeing them bloom every year - aren't they beautiful!

The wild rose in an old grove of trees just above Jacob Springs.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend as well. 

STUCK! Part Deux...

It's only more fun if a big-ass piece of equipment is involved.  Thankfully, we just happened to have one still at Jacob Springs and good old Elliott came up and helped out - along with our builder/good friend Tad...

Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, I'm free at last! 

Next is the Rhino...

Lots of people driving by slowed down to watch.  One guy was pulling a big trailer, stopped right in the middle of the road and finally pulled away.  He must have gone up to find a place to turn around, because a few minutes later, much to Ival's chagrin, he came back the other way, pulled off the side of the road, and sat and watched a while.  I wouldn't have missed this for anything!

 And then I saw this beautiful Blue Heron on the way home. 

One Vehicle, Two Vehicles, Three Vehicles, STUCK!

So last night Ival called from Jacob Springs...

"Can you come up here and help me with something?"
"Ok.  What are you doing?"

silence.

"I'm stuck."

silence.

"Do you have a rope up there, or a chain?"
"No, call Tad.  He has a chain."
"Well, Tad would probably be more help, why don't you just call him?"
"I'm too embarrassed."

Sigh.

So I ran to Tad's house and borrowed his chain.  Didn't even have to tell him what it was for, he knew - and was laughing as he loaded the chain in my truck.

"He's stuck again isn't he?"
"Yep."
"Why didn't Ival call me?"
"Too embarrassed."
"Ok, call me if you can't get it out."

I got to Jacob Springs and looked over the road to see the 4 wheeler and Ival's work truck down below.  He had taken the 4 wheeler into the bog to "check the fence."  What that really means is "I got all my watering done, wasn't ready to come home, so I decided to take a drive, to where I know is, and has always been, a big deep bog."

Here is how the evening unfolded.

ONE VEHICLE, TWO VEHICLES, THREE VEHICLES - STUCK!

At this point, we could smell the tires burning and we could hear the radiator boiling.

I asked Ival to shut all the windows while we were trying to get Goldie unstuck, but nooooooo.

So this is how we started, and how we left things last night.  Except that now Goldies front end shimmies so we have to take it down and get the tires rotated to see if that will fix her.  It's been raining all day.  Ival may not get his truck back until July when the bog dries up.  If men had brains that worked more like a woman's, we wouldn't have problems like this now would we?

Pictures From My Camera...

The Cougar on the Greenbelt...

was shot and killed by Boise Police last night. They evidently found it eating out of a dumpster 200 yards from BSU. Sad that this poor cat was hungry enough that he made his way into town. Sad that he had to die.

Unfortunately, people will be really mad at BPD for shooting the cat.  The thing they don't understand is that if the cat had been treed, they would have had time to call Fish and Game.  They also don't understand that most Fish and Game OFFICERS aren't trained with tranquilizer guns and aren't allowed to use them.  They usually have to call in a biologist.

With the cat on the ground, I'm sure the BPD officer knew he had a hard decision to make.  Call in a biologist from as far away as Nampa and hope the cat would continue eating out of the dumpster, or realize that the cat was probably going to take off back to the river and could potentially hurt someone (or more than likely, scare the beegeeziz out of someone).  So, in all reality, that officer made the only decision he could.

So, for the next few day, both BPD and Fish and Game will be taking a lot of heat - until something more worthy of the publics wrath comes along.  Bummer for all involved.

Graduation Vacation...

Adam is done with his Boise High class tomorrow.  Next week is his finals for IDVA.  I couldn't be happier!  I never wanted to be a teacher, and I'm not a good one.  It's been a very looooong 4 years.  In fact, now that I think about it, I'm the one that should be going on the little getaway!

But, it's over.  Because Adam and his best friend are joining the military, we (Ben's parents and us) decided to send them on a trip for graduation.  After all, we didn't have to pay for senior pictures, graduation announcement, etc.  (this is justification to my 2 older kids who didn't get trips for graduation.  Yes, I feel very guilty.)

So Adam and Ben are going to Costa Rica to stay at the Mountain Paradise Resort. 

We found a really good deal.  5 nights including airfare for $1,200.  Amazing birds, monkeys, volcano, zip lines, and jungle exploration.  And, you only have to be 18 to drink.  Now that scares me.  But they'll have 4 days to explore.

I might add, I have always wanted to go to Costa Rica.  And for prices like this, I just may do that someday.

Just FYI, we used "Bookit" and it was so easy and I thought the prices were even better than Orbitz and a few others that I've used before.  If you're looking for a vaca, check them out!

The Floodlight...

I stole this from my friend Casey who found it on Pinterest.  Be sure to read it all 'cause dang, it's funny!  I'd love to have this Australian as my neighbor.

http://themetapicture.com/australian-troll/

Do You Have ANY Idea How Hard It's Been to Maintain My Sunny Disposition?

Ok, moving along.  So if you think we've been building and just not posting about it, you would be wrong.  Remember about 6 weeks ago when we put the septic in and I posted this picture?



Well, this is what the property looks like now.



Yep exactly the same!  About 9 weeks ago we started working with US Bank on our loan and here's how things have gone.

Apply for loan
Bank says all looks good
Order appraisal
Appraiser has a hard time finding comps
Appraiser finds comps
Appraiser gives comps to bank
Bank's underwriter doesn't like appraiser's comps
Bank lowers amount we can borrow
We say "fine."
Appraiser says if they lower amount they loan, he's afraid we will build an "inferior" product
We say "No we won't"
Appraiser says, "I'm pulling my appraisal."
We say, "No wait.  Please don't do that.  This has already taken 9 weeks."
Appraiser says, "Tough shit."
     Ok, he didn't really say that.
Builder is trying to reason with appraiser.

Sigh.

If we don't have something by Tuesday, I'm going to the bank, getting all of our loan paperwork back and heading out to find someone more reasonable. 

Shoot, this has been so much fun, let's start all over again!

Attachment Parenting Gone Too Far vs The SCAR Project?

The mother was breast fed until the age of 6 - SCHOOL age!  I'm sorry, but I just don't get it.  I don't even know what to say.  I know, everyone has to make their own choices, but somehow this just doesn't seem right to me.  Get that kid drinking real (organic) milk!

I always think about how women in the SCAR project are so brave to "bear it all."  I wish I could do this.  I also wish this woman (soldier) were on the cover of Time Magazine instead...

Which do YOU think deserves the cover of Time?  You can read about this brave soldier here.

Something to Make You Smile!