Climbing Trees

Song - My Father's Eyes by Eric Clapton

I know I have been absent for awhile but I have found this new "obsession".

It is actually an old obsession that I just picked up again in the last few weeks.

When Mr. B and I were first married, I was fascinated to do some research on both of our family trees.  I interviewed all of the relatives and began combining notes and bits of papers with information written down. 

But back then everything was by "snail mail" and it would take forever to get birth certificates, census reports, etc.

Guess what?





You will be amazed........there is this new thing called "THE INTERNET"!!!









It is so incredible to find family members.....FAST!

The St. Paul - the ship my dad's family took from England to Canada

You can Google map homes your relatives lived in because their address is on the Census report or birth certificate.

My dad's parents lived here when he was born.

Or you can find photos of the church your grandparents were married in, or little country towns that they worked in the fields as farmers.

St. Jude's Church in Montreal, Canada where my dad's parents were married

Santa Maria in Cloz, Italy where my mothers family was from

It is just absolutely amazing.



I think I have a tiny problem because I can't seem to stop....even for meals....Mr. B has to cook and clean and do the laundry now!

Crowcombe, Somerset, England where the family were farmers

You travel through different countries and history.

England

Census Report

 
Sometimes a little detective work is needed to make sure everything links up.

And sometimes it's difficult to decipher old handwriting. 

BUT.......sometimes there is a surprise in your tree......

This little guy with a smirk on his face is my dad.

This woman was his grandmother, Sarah.........

So even though the Crawford Castle is in ruins.....(sorry dad), we still can say that we spent a little time in 1474 building this......

Take a bow!

A Summer Walk

Song - For the Summer by Ray LaMontagne

"If we had a keen vision of all that is ordinary in human life, it would be like hearing the grass grow or the squirrel's heart beat, and we should die of that roar which is the other side of silence." - George Eliot

This morning my friend, Jill texted me to see if I wanted to go for a walk.

Since it wasn't 106 degrees and wasn't rainy or windy....I had no excuse.

It was rather dry for this time of year.

Actually it was just perfect weather for walking.

But this is JILL....jill-the-pill!  And that name comes with her for a good reason! BEWARE!

You know the kind.... she is the one that sees a "NO TRESPASSING" sign and to her that's just a tease. Come along and see if you can get caught.  Oh look, there is a "Don't Walk" sign....let's run!

So I texted her back and said "A STROLL and no hills!"

I have not been exercising for a long time and I didn't want her to be responsible for my heart attack in the middle of nowhere!

Morning mist on a Thistle blossom.

We drove to a nearby park-cow-pastureland - "Briones Park". (Remember Gwen?)

And for two hours we strolled and I photographed (that was my excuse for pausing) and we visited and we enjoyed the bliss of quiet solitude.

We came to a "watering hole" and found absolutely no wildlife!


Not a frog or Red-Winged Blackbird.

Just lime green water.

And cow footprints in the mud.

We did find a Blue Jay feather and a Hawk feather as well as spotting a blue bird, who flew away before I could photograph him.

Then as we rounded a corner we ran into these vicious beasts and I decided that it was time to return to the safety of the car.

You can just see how these two are talking about how to plan their attack on us????

Time to get out of Dodge!

On the path home we saw a lot of ground squirrels but there was one who thought he was a statue.

"If I stay very still maybe she won't notice me"

 

 "Well, I have to peek out of one eye."

 Oh my, she is taking my photograph!  Is this my good side?

Maybe I should try a front view?

No I think a side view is best....but which side?

Maybe I should go underground until the paparazzi has left the park.

Well, maybe one more for my fans.  Gosh it's a beautiful day for a stroll!

And if you haven't seen this British Video of Animals Talking  - please watch - it will make you laugh.....I promise Alan!

 

Faded Treasures

 Song - Chug-a-lug by Roger Miller

While looking through my portfolio of "blog ideas", I came across the realization (place a light bulb over my head)..... that my family history is one of coal miners, saloon keepers, bootleggers and actually that's just on my mom's side!   (Sorry mom - you are still a sweetheart!)

AND Mr. B's family came from the South and they were sheriff's and moonshine smashers.

A Saloon in Starkville, Colorado but not my great-grandfathers.

My background......above.

Mr B's grandfather was the sheriff - second from right

His background....above.


(That's were the light bulb went off.)

They also shot people like "Billy the Kid".....ever hear of Pat Garrett?  Well, that would be Mr. B's great-great uncle! (maybe one more great in there?) Yes sir.

Larkin Randolf Lay and Margaret Garrett (Pat Garret's sister)

Imagine bringing that story into Kindergarten for "show and tell"

OK.....so we both have an interesting supporting cast of characters in our closets.

How the heck did we ever get together?

Times were tough during our grandparents days and they did what they had to do to survive. Whether it was making moonshine or destroying it.

When Mr. B and I were first married (bc - "before children"), I had some time to do some genealogy work and to interview older family members.  I found it fascinating to hear the stories of how they came to be. 

I spent days interviewing my maternal grandparents, with the clock ticking in the background and their canary singing in the kitchen. 

Grandma would tell of having to ride on a horse drawn buggy going over the Raton Pass to get Moonshine from New Mexico to bring into Colorado. She spoke about having to clean out the saloon early in the morning as girls were not allowed inside. 


Grandpa would tell of life as a coal miner and rarely seeing the light of day and of nailing my grandmothers skirt (with her in it) to the top of the dog house "because she just talked too much!" as children living in Starkville, Colorado. He also spoke of the Mother Jones meetings that his father took him to.

Starkville, Colorado

Mr. B's grandmother came to visit from Louisiana when we were first married and told us stories about going on a date in a horse drawn buggy. She was so......Southern and sweet and was delighted to be offered a bourbon-on-the-rocks, with a splash of "branch water".

...a little "branch water" please.

I started going through my genealogy files today to collect some photo's and information.  I began doing research in the 80's......a-hem....before email and internet.  I have receipts for a $4 check sent to England for a birth certificate.  Now, it is probably incredible what you can find online.

Anyway, it got my juices flowing again to do some research in the near future.

My great grandparents Lucia & Pietro and my grandfather is on the far right.

"My address is like my shoes. It travels with me. I abide where there is a fight against wrong." -- Mother Jones

Independence Day

Song - This Land is Your Land by Bruce Springsteen Hope you have a safe and fun fourth!    I am putting in a new front walkway garden..... And Mr. B is making his family's famous Macaroni Salad - the old fashioned way! "Life without liberty is like a body without spirit" - Kahlil Gibran And if you have not seen this video of Red Skelton yet, it is a heartfelt piece of work.