This is the finished product. Note the snow on the branches.

Even tho we live in the desert we still have the spirit. MERRY CHRISTMAS

Here is our tree with the lights and all the ornaments.

Full moon & storm clouds. How pretty is this.

Well bad as I hate to admit it I made a mistake in identifying the hawk in the last blog. After using the bird book we decided it was a "Cooper's" hawk. But, you have to admit it is still quiet exciting to have all this wild life in ones back courtyard, and I promise I will do more research nest time I see something like this.

Has been a while since blogged so I thought you might get a kick out of the Harris Hawk we had on the back wall. The big tree you see in the background is where we hang bird feeders for all the little birds, which we enjoy immensely. However, of late we have been seeing hawks in the neighborhood so they have discovered a very fertile hunting ground. When one of these guys show up all the other birds scatter and it becomes silent in the area. Gee, I wonder why. Anyway I hope you enjoy the pictures.

This is me, come enjoy the ride.-----Libra
If there's a banjo, chances are you're going to be strumming it. If there's a drum set, you're going to be banging on it (with the drum sticks, of course). If there's a synthesizer, you're going to be synthesizing. If there's a flute, you're going to use it to whistle a little tune. You are a creative person, and you love to make noise, especially if it's harmonic, beautiful and musical noise. Have fun!

Once again we have been enjoying the beautiful sunsets from the bridge near the house. It is so nice to take a glass of wine andwatch the last of the day slip by. I took these with my phone camera because it is always a spur of the moment thing and I didn't want to miss the light bygoing in to get a camera. I am very pleased with the quality of pictures I get from the camera in my phone. The light was fading fast, but, I hope you can once again see why I am so happy to be living here in Arizona. Come on down and enjoy with us.

Hugs to all.

I hope this shows up enough to see what a nice idea it is for something to brighten peoples lives.

As promised some more pictures of my flight over the valley. This is Arrow Rock . The one below is up the Snake river between Melba and Murphy. The bottom one is heading back to the aldwell airport. Of course all the pictures are through the window so hope you can get a decent idea of the day and the view.

I highly reccomend putting this on anyone's Bucket list.

Love to all.

Thought you might like a quick look at my flight that was on my "Bucket list". Sylvan took me on a lovely flight around the valley in his Kit Fox plane. It was a very nice day and the views were spectacular. We started out from Caldwell airport then up over the Bogus Basin ski resort. It is quite a complex, much larger than it appears from the ground. Then we headed on up to Idaho City where we had breakfast.
Who wouldn't enjoy a trip with a good looking pilot in a snappy plane like this. He took a route off around the east side of the valley and over Arrow Rock dam and Lucky Peak dam, then on around the Boise air space. We headed off across the desert toward Murphy and Reynolds Creek where we saw and chased a band of wild horses. Of course I was so excited I didn't get any pictures of the horses, duh.

It was a great day and I couldn't ask for anything more. Will try to get some of the other pics up.

As I know most of you know I got to spend a couple of weeks in Idaho with my family and what a treat that was. Westarted out with a family get together at Dawn's new home. It is a beautiful place where the whole famdamily can get together, however I don't know how much damage was done. Of course we don't get together without a lot of great food and this was no exception. With all the girls i the family it is a given.
Upstairs is what I think is called a great room or perhaps a family room, (at least there wa a lot of family in there) which served as a studio for pictures.
After much cajoling we managed to get all seven of Dawn's kids in a picture with various other in-laws and grandbabies in one picture.

It was a GREAT DAY

Hi all, Some of you may have heard I was going to go for a flight around the valley in a small plane, this is just one of the pictures. I will do some blogging when I get back to AZ. {veryone needs a "Bucket List" and this was on mine. Love to all.

These are some of the beautiful birds we feed, see and enjoy from our back courtyard. T one on the black bird feeder is a "lesser gold finch". The light colored one on the red feeder is a female "hooded oriole" and of course the more colorful acrobatic one is the male.

I thought, perhaps, some of you would be getting tired of all the flora so here is a sample of some of the fauna. The quail are in the hatching mode and the roadrunners are in the hunting mode. Nothing like baby quail for lunch. These quail are a little too big and fast for the roadrunners, but, we haven't seen any babies either.
All part of spring in the desert.

Please enjoy the hibiscus in the front courtyard. Don't you just love spring.

Just wanted to share the first "Peace" rose of spring. Love to all.

Just a few more pictures of the "crazy ladies" what a fun idea. The weather or the company could not have been better . Thanks again for a GREAT TME.

I know some of you know I have been indisposed for a few months and while I was in hospital my kids all came to help me over the rough spots. My wonderful freinds took them under their wings and adopted them. Today was Kathleen's birthday and the day she left to go home to her own family and job, etc. "The Legion Ladies" decided (on their own) to welcome me home and to send Kathleen off by having a "coffee klatch" at our house bright and early. Noone told me I could still be in m jammies. It was great fun having everyone show up in their jammies, bearing joy and goodies to go with the coffee. You can never have enough friends like these and I love them all.

I know it isn't nice to gloat, but, I just wanted to share with all of you in the cold north that warm weather really does exist. My friend Debbe and I are headed to the pool this morning, temp is 80 and has been for a few days. It will be dropping back to 60 starting tomorrow with rain in the mix, so we want to take advantage while we can. Have to get started on some tan for the races and of course the BIG DAY in June. It takes me a while, but, I plan to spend as much time at it as I can.

Love to all,
The Mom

Okay boys and girls it's time to get ready for the BIG SEASON. I know you all know I'm not talking about the Super Bowl, but, the start of NASCAR. Since a number of you are in fact heading to Las Vegas in a few weeks to catch the race I just want to say I can't wait. Bob and I will be heading that way on the 21st. just because we want to and I figure Pat can use a hand getting ready for one and all.
Just got my fantasy drivers picked and got Bob into it, too. Team name supposed to be Bobbycee, only somehow turned out to be bbbycee, will have to see if i can correct that, duh.
Anyway, here's to a great racing season.
See ya'll there.

I just wanted to share the last roses of the season. Bob cut these just before he trimmed the bushes in preperation for the coming summer. These are "Tropacana roses" and this picture does not do them justice but does provide a bright spot in the middle of winter to my friends and family in the cold. Love to you all.

See Mike is not the only one with a fire.

Quote of th day

So, then, to every man his chance -- to every man, regardless of his birth, his shining golden opportunity -- to every man his right to live, to work, to be himself, to become whatever his manhood and his vision can combine to make him -- this, seeker, is the promise of America.
- Thomas Wolfe

Just another reason to be in Arizona. Sitting outside in shirt sleeves on the 14th of Jan. watching humming birds. Also, another subject for my new camera. I'm trying to make you proud, Cookie.

Okay, so it is a little out of focus, that is just part of the learning phase I'm going through with the new camera. Wanted to catch the last of the sun on this bare tree.

Okay, here goes. Since I tried to show the moon at night and it didn't show so well, I thought I'd try to get a morning shot. This is taken at around 7 a.m. I should have been a little earlier when it wasn't quite as light. Since I have new camera you all will just have to suffer through my learning how to use it with me.