Important Milestones

Song - Dances with Wolves by John Barry


Seldom in life do things go as planned but I just returned home from a wonderful birthday trip for both me and my son, Andy who also had a milestone birthday this month.  Oh yeah, and just for fun we brought along Mr. B and Andy's girlfriend (so darling and funny) Ashley!

Now, Ashley and I are not happy fliers but we enjoy where those crazy airplanes can take us....

...especially after we have our Breakfast of Champions!  A double Bloody Mary for Ashley and a double Gin & Tonic for me.  It gets us right on that tarmac!

We arrived at Salt Lake City and then took a little puddle jumper to Idaho Falls.  Jumping in our rental car we take off for Victor, Idaho.  On the way there the guys spot a Mama Moose with her Baby as well as a Bald Eagle.  Two points for the guys and zero for the girls.  Don't worry we do catch up!

 After a day of touring and relaxing at Teaton Springs, we have a reservation for a fly fishing float trip down the Snake River.  The guides split us up with Mr. B and Andy in one boat, while Ashley and I head down the river in another boat with a different guide.  Ashley is a first time fisherwoman and I am just taking photo's and painting on the front end of the boat.  As Ashley is being taught how to cast, she actually catches a fish.  Go Ashley!

Ashley must of caught 20 plus fish on her first day of fishing.  She actually could of caught 30-40 fish but she got so excited that she forgot to set her hook.  It was all catch and release so it was all good fun.....well, maybe not so for the fish.

Our three person fishing boat.

Tanner, our guide and Ashley

Ashley's first Cutthroat Trout

The next day we head on to Jackson Hole, Wyoming for two days.  Unfortunately Andy and I got food poisoning and are in bed for two days.  But Mr. B and Ashely enjoy the town.

No one we know but a great shot of the Antler Arch in the town square.

On Tuesday we head off to the Teaton National Park and Yellowstone National Park. 

That would be a Glacier in the middle of the shot.

 

 

We headed North to Old Faithful ( see photo above) and the Old Faithful Inn (below).

What an amazing place, you kinda feel like you are on another planet with the ground bubbling and changing colors beneath you.

While heading North towards Livingston, Montana we encountered a tremendous amount of beauty.

We even picnicked near some.....

"Hey, what's in that picnic basket BooBoo?" - Yogi Bear

As we found our way up to our next destination, Chico Hot Springs, Montana and we realized that we had crossed the Continental Divide three times.  That's were the water decides if it will flow East or West.

As we headed into our last days in Chico Hot Springs, Pray, Montana, I meditated on the joy of this trip.  

The four of us in a car for 8 days and not sure if we would still be speaking near the end, but instead we got to know one another just a little bit better and found we can have fun together! 

A lot of beauty, laughter, great meals, lightening storms, heat waves and celebration.  

Being together.

Thank you Mr. B and Ashley for a wonderful birthday celebration!

"There is certainly something in fishing that tends to produce a gentleness of spirit, a pure serenity of mind."

Washington Irvin

Timber's

Just guess who gets to put another candle on his birthday cake?


My little brother Tim!

Timmy in his younger years.



You can see he has always been a little cutie!

Bet you didn't know that he spoke a secret language for years that only his sister (yep, that would be me) knew how to interpret. I had to go with him everywhere - like to the neighbors across the street - so I could interpret his needs. "He would like for both of us to have an ice cream cone please, make mine a double". I'm just here helping out and that's what my baby brother needs today, thank you very much!

He was always just the right amount of mischievous and sweet.

And he could pull it off too.

One month he would be getting into trouble for breaking into our grammar school during the summer and the next month he would be the alter boy looking like he was angel.

Happy Birthday Tim - Enjoy your day & year - And thanks for all of the fun times!

Love your sister - the one who watched out for you in your younger years, the one who was your second mom. Just remember that as we get into our golden years!

"May happiness touch your life today as warmly as you have touched the lives of others."    Rebecca Forsythe

Put Another Candle on that Cake!

It was my dear friend, Jill's birthday this week and we set today aside to have lunch and celebrate. 

First I gave her three choices of where she would like to spend the day.....the city (SF - Air Show), the country (Napa modern art gallery & lunch in Sonoma) or on the coast (Nick's cove right on the water).



She chose The City.  So we drove to San Francisco then discussed the crowds at the Embarcadero and decided to cross the Golden Gate Bridge and head to Murray Circle restaurant at Cavallo Point.  It's an old military base that has been turned into a wonderful Spa/Lodge/Restaurant.

We sat out on the front porch and watched the show while dining on some very yummy food & wine.

See how low they are?  Some even went under the Bay Bridge!!

Later we walked out to Horseshoe Bay Pier and watched the rest of the show from right under the bridge

It had been raining (at times pouring) in the Bay Area for the last few days.  Today was beautiful as you can see!  I ordered it all for my bud Jill!

"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count.  It's the life in your years" 

---  Abraham Lincoln

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