tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21155154115207302782024-03-14T11:59:51.372-06:00Can't Wait to Get Home to the Cabin!In North American culture, the cabin holds a unique place in our collective consciousness. Enshrined in the best traditions of grass-rooted nostalgia, the cabin symbolizes those bedrock frontier virtues of self-reliance, sturdiness, simplicity, humility and--by inference--honesty. By its very lack of pretension, the cabin connotes a purity of life whose loss we yearn to recall. ~Don Metz~Nanci Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815969592455760751noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115515411520730278.post-20832422396211712722011-08-28T12:45:00.006-06:002011-08-28T13:08:50.174-06:00Happy Anniversary<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcUi_ZP0Gqrf_a8DR97Rd4a7V01Dp1Ztk13DKzOdTwMhi2YAI90wDbt-WdKOG6LOdvz7rCrmUPlVAggtL3Zl9zhEI0aX95PcTo7WoKP4tc7ydurY6IQVrXYeKHAdTZifig4S5pWHmpSgw/s1600/DSC01346.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center; "><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: center; "><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 204, 255); ">August 27, 2006<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: center; "><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 204, 255); ">~Our Wedding Day~</span></p></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7iT7h-eg_-bEXMvDgxkk6sexgHiPZKIIDnMIK6KULBN97M1xnane6CwFfgszinz2A3FXevrC9C9j16ENkq7zpVdzJacoo6i4Oi3UIBhWIVTEebrRqcGjUjnFdaCDjbKYQlhOo8-o4X4w/s1600/213587-R1-02-23.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7iT7h-eg_-bEXMvDgxkk6sexgHiPZKIIDnMIK6KULBN97M1xnane6CwFfgszinz2A3FXevrC9C9j16ENkq7zpVdzJacoo6i4Oi3UIBhWIVTEebrRqcGjUjnFdaCDjbKYQlhOo8-o4X4w/s200/213587-R1-02-23.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645983512791287154" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 135px; height: 200px; " /></a><div style="text-align: center; "><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: center; "><st1:place st="on"><st1:placetype st="on"><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 204, 255); ">Through the years...</span></st1:placetype></st1:place></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: center; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcUi_ZP0Gqrf_a8DR97Rd4a7V01Dp1Ztk13DKzOdTwMhi2YAI90wDbt-WdKOG6LOdvz7rCrmUPlVAggtL3Zl9zhEI0aX95PcTo7WoKP4tc7ydurY6IQVrXYeKHAdTZifig4S5pWHmpSgw/s1600/DSC01346.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcUi_ZP0Gqrf_a8DR97Rd4a7V01Dp1Ztk13DKzOdTwMhi2YAI90wDbt-WdKOG6LOdvz7rCrmUPlVAggtL3Zl9zhEI0aX95PcTo7WoKP4tc7ydurY6IQVrXYeKHAdTZifig4S5pWHmpSgw/s200/DSC01346.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645982502423015058" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 99px; " /></a></p></div><div style="text-align: center; "><st1:placetype st="on"><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 204, 255); ">Lake</span></st1:placetype><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 204, 255); "> <st1:placename st="on">Powell</st1:placename></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKTPSZI50IoBRcnMtRvlQjtgsD6QIS8vg7x2n3JXFpKcycA5qKaNFoIIY66-YA9gKrTBs2KCVVcASL_eOviPdFlkJIQ2YEB2aQZBTcxWeEU_bedV1of2kbjbV0xCv_djAoXHKqa4PBjaw/s1600/DSC01711.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKTPSZI50IoBRcnMtRvlQjtgsD6QIS8vg7x2n3JXFpKcycA5qKaNFoIIY66-YA9gKrTBs2KCVVcASL_eOviPdFlkJIQ2YEB2aQZBTcxWeEU_bedV1of2kbjbV0xCv_djAoXHKqa4PBjaw/s200/DSC01711.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645982500918157538" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; " /></a><div style="text-align: center; "><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: center; "><st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on"><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 204, 255); ">Jefferson</span></st1:placename><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 204, 255); "> <st1:placetype st="on">Lake</st1:placetype></span></st1:place><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 204, 255); "><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWd_FACVKEyctZcaY5nE_yqM9aZ7dgq82zP7S5vOBI4KPBceXR-KgMufmUTBvViRzi-TtXBRHruBuUgxksNd9aC6924kvWaUTwl-sUfp1HWpoiTO7amC5h0yhXgw-WGpNa3kAPcu7exTc/s1600/DSC01715.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWd_FACVKEyctZcaY5nE_yqM9aZ7dgq82zP7S5vOBI4KPBceXR-KgMufmUTBvViRzi-TtXBRHruBuUgxksNd9aC6924kvWaUTwl-sUfp1HWpoiTO7amC5h0yhXgw-WGpNa3kAPcu7exTc/s200/DSC01715.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645982489127865746" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; " /></a><div style="text-align: center; "><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: center; "><st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on"><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 204, 255); ">Jefferson</span></st1:placename><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 204, 255); "> <st1:placetype st="on">Lake</st1:placetype></span></st1:place><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 204, 255); "><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMW6aVe3e1-60nNocRIWPrTRIJitK9l_jbRypp6rzUl0oh-Q74GJXI86lB5PrdFiKF5UpmSKbnxzGiAwGn2Sm2amlaRNzl7Uk-jAa3mxUPgyUJGLHge8XyILGA_WBEFnbIAzt0uye5bmo/s1600/100_5594.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMW6aVe3e1-60nNocRIWPrTRIJitK9l_jbRypp6rzUl0oh-Q74GJXI86lB5PrdFiKF5UpmSKbnxzGiAwGn2Sm2amlaRNzl7Uk-jAa3mxUPgyUJGLHge8XyILGA_WBEFnbIAzt0uye5bmo/s200/100_5594.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645981639353186610" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; " /></a><div style="text-align: center; "><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: center; "><st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 204, 255); ">Alaska</span></st1:place></st1:state><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 204, 255); "><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGNj4oLJ4nefG_oxaTKbIAt_1Kegn4vJVOWKMQ4i8PHuYDt3kazCxf64Q2I0DDQdLLD21FCLRr7aYfRxx-NQ6Bz_neQgc7KUcMBqf9HKe3XVLP-0arxB2EErfaxtKsZrW-AlBsxrkR4Z8/s1600/100_5555.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGNj4oLJ4nefG_oxaTKbIAt_1Kegn4vJVOWKMQ4i8PHuYDt3kazCxf64Q2I0DDQdLLD21FCLRr7aYfRxx-NQ6Bz_neQgc7KUcMBqf9HKe3XVLP-0arxB2EErfaxtKsZrW-AlBsxrkR4Z8/s200/100_5555.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645981636024577330" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; " /></a><div style="text-align: center; "><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: center; "><st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 204, 255); ">Alaska, again!!</span></st1:place></st1:state><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 204, 255); "><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_ufiAW_33-eGupCUYVsT8AtL_1CAIsFry1FyV0o2xqjL8FxzQtjjyVhuSyZfWiHi9kIdpInkGoADGTvTy2k3wyATcs_5ITrQk8TFj_XqQMwOQKTjEHbv1hEwPy27-iZCNId4wqgBuaw/s1600/DSC00093.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_ufiAW_33-eGupCUYVsT8AtL_1CAIsFry1FyV0o2xqjL8FxzQtjjyVhuSyZfWiHi9kIdpInkGoADGTvTy2k3wyATcs_5ITrQk8TFj_XqQMwOQKTjEHbv1hEwPy27-iZCNId4wqgBuaw/s200/DSC00093.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645981628183378834" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px; " /></a><div style="text-align: center; "><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: center; "><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 204, 255); ">Easter Morning Brunch<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFWXqHFw9pXsHQNKBtlv01okwf43cSBSe8tH-Ki_JjbNMoBnVUK5lTMSHMhDbX6jWZnhsfCgvCwlmNVn6Z8XKorQlrxid12rx2hyCB5QnDWC8dAUT8WHj3CPSX8yDpD3z6xEFNm7_bv-k/s1600/DSC00360.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFWXqHFw9pXsHQNKBtlv01okwf43cSBSe8tH-Ki_JjbNMoBnVUK5lTMSHMhDbX6jWZnhsfCgvCwlmNVn6Z8XKorQlrxid12rx2hyCB5QnDWC8dAUT8WHj3CPSX8yDpD3z6xEFNm7_bv-k/s200/DSC00360.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645981621989345858" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; " /></a><div style="text-align: center; "><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: center; "><st1:place st="on"><st1:placetype st="on"><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 204, 255); ">Lake</span></st1:placetype><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 204, 255); "> <st1:placename st="on">Granby, 2006</st1:placename></span></st1:place><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 204, 255); "><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXz5NthJZHZ80LlRU8Jc8HdyoEJIoAz9EaMqbWOu3_k-BeRvxuOpa7R47s6RBQDQ2ymxVe2UQM_Eyn2eVmHnX0jvNtQp2EY3ClY19LvATAldSjOWeuQUml_0stKlaxvpT_TuSrt-tfqV4/s1600/2005%252C+07-04+Breckenridge.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXz5NthJZHZ80LlRU8Jc8HdyoEJIoAz9EaMqbWOu3_k-BeRvxuOpa7R47s6RBQDQ2ymxVe2UQM_Eyn2eVmHnX0jvNtQp2EY3ClY19LvATAldSjOWeuQUml_0stKlaxvpT_TuSrt-tfqV4/s200/2005%252C+07-04+Breckenridge.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645981614430590866" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; " /></a><div style="text-align: center; "><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: center; "><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 204, 255); ">Breckenridge</span></p></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpJKNgWrrz3zI2COMBNn88l3yL3IlkVVidyUxPBm24arilSCNqTkVzX6O0lP-IuoHU9HS7mWLa7jhlSr8xEKl8qjxvlrZ2_Zm4WkPy3c6bG1bErr9RZTM2mBjj7zbCqyfA8hAQ_eJfRVk/s200/DSC00046.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645980861367959090" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px; " /><div style="text-align: center; "><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 204, 255); ">“20+ Flavors” in <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Grand</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Lake</st1:placetype></st1:place></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 204, 255); "><st1:place st="on"><st1:placetype st="on">
<br /></st1:placetype></st1:place></span></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEPWgI9tp1WVa0tTX0ytvdPiGFsle70Sv-L_eJKd98dYSBJHcSH6__RCExvaQ3MOZER10XJ7GVzlc-KKFlGlbUp4wHTM6-7DV3C42O-lIEgJhYR-jKwxXebCVBnupwvALsDpbpR3gHV-M/s200/DSC00045.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645980859388856626" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; " /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255); font-family: Georgia; font-size: 21px; "><div style="text-align: center; ">“20+ Flavors” in <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Grand</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Lake</st1:placetype></st1:place></div></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiyMolbNtoM72BVDEtfgOcjiGkCg6oUK3-RgJkhOBBYK9JfmKIxNEPKl4_xO3ZvqqLnV8i5HyJhbgLCmlGx0HRTaie425bTX-Lvp3-SobRS9l2zV0msiyJmdjHFhafdBcp95qRYrfdpuQ/s200/DSC00003.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645980850147333378" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: center; "><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 204, 255); ">~a little spin around <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Granby</st1:place></st1:city> on our anniversary morning~</span></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiREqvaHYPq47TDDCb5LtnovbnExzkkZAZB7QtY_QSQVApeEaHBrFb1OwcTu6mDNrGhG3hEyrdAnM0veFHI-K5NagPvggJQbglXoaVyNidEnfKQ-SspteMmomvxDHD1x6py-CeuEamNuOY/s200/DSC00004.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645980843530602034" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px; " /><div style="text-align: center; "><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: center; "><span style="font-size: 16pt; font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(0, 204, 255); "><span> </span>~Dick and Nanci at <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Grand</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Lake</st1:placetype></st1:place>~</span></p></div></div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrJAo0A1V1dw0JKU_nLYNHX3k9maFc_GdNxKezScsMMvSEdoFvYgIFu8RZwk3gKRGjfnwSpfR2go5HBoNB7moniXLx1CAdDJjn-62Q1BOMs_PC3_BFL7pp1VdasJHUx8b_GfHuR8j-GLI/s200/DSC00044.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645980872525971954" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px; " /><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 204, 255); font-family: Georgia; font-size: 21px; ">~Love you My Sweetie~</span></div><div style="text-align: center; "> <span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Georgia;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">
<br /><!--[endif]--></span></div></div></div>Nanci Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815969592455760751noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115515411520730278.post-42928244040601282802011-08-17T17:13:00.004-06:002011-08-17T17:23:06.343-06:00Put me in, Coach!<div style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b><span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:#990033">Put me in, Coach!<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></b></span></p><p></p></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilp_x-ttaEp6sVvlk0P2vV4BJRa_ha66mXyWDgMjAQW-V3e8aIy6T-SmGlFjh1sdv0szM8lXewVIsu6m0GxEEe5k2W6q3OpYzK7vweEchnO4lyp2hWN8fknhokRN7TqaaBhkXStXNs4ns/s1600/baseball-photo1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilp_x-ttaEp6sVvlk0P2vV4BJRa_ha66mXyWDgMjAQW-V3e8aIy6T-SmGlFjh1sdv0szM8lXewVIsu6m0GxEEe5k2W6q3OpYzK7vweEchnO4lyp2hWN8fknhokRN7TqaaBhkXStXNs4ns/s200/baseball-photo1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641966132718716402" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;font-family:Georgia;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#990033;mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">As I was driving into <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Bergen</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Park</st1:placetype></st1:place> yesterday I spied the unusual baseball team in the outfield.</span></span></span></div><div>
<br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmvjER7w3ME6gyILRA-VxkAaLCqopjr0Z1r5GMmFCMSWlk6jCdPmlRgGL66GPC7Qilm7l0-0qEr8ANfe_RdhdOrHCyCqNLoZn_1QkWLWABy2aHE_1G76rUeUX1w2gNnBEsB_5BQvvPE94/s1600/DSC00021.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmvjER7w3ME6gyILRA-VxkAaLCqopjr0Z1r5GMmFCMSWlk6jCdPmlRgGL66GPC7Qilm7l0-0qEr8ANfe_RdhdOrHCyCqNLoZn_1QkWLWABy2aHE_1G76rUeUX1w2gNnBEsB_5BQvvPE94/s200/DSC00021.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641964533036423954" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:#990033;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">A huge herd of elk appeared to be more interested in grazing than fielding balls.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:#990033;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">
<br /></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9baGJno0tPQ4GZA7mCEYK6yNwdmafyoW6irIaOCGW0n6emIA_tD75GYrirRdE4wED6MaaWDYW1ZXIrKEoGAbmoG_F3ldJcPz-cTHarrtI5Q7KjpCySxPKKhe_yWdGCvOVA4Py6kVNGhU/s1600/DSC00024.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9baGJno0tPQ4GZA7mCEYK6yNwdmafyoW6irIaOCGW0n6emIA_tD75GYrirRdE4wED6MaaWDYW1ZXIrKEoGAbmoG_F3ldJcPz-cTHarrtI5Q7KjpCySxPKKhe_yWdGCvOVA4Py6kVNGhU/s200/DSC00024.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641964522026599858" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;font-family:Georgia;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#990033;mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">Unfortunately, by the time I got the car into position to take photos, the game was over.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;font-family:Georgia;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#990033;mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">
<br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;font-family:Georgia;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#990033;mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA"><span> </span></span></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcPz73iuRrEmSQn33cUeMofJOwXKHMAbiCMwcS2vemjy__v11gQv-dmr3p3gzFyoQFSE9LpuzzS6dtOpb1Y4CSFr65bgh89gf1dfasyZMwBBpJG7uf4PCLfKbP0WRsLVeaY0jjDyA3gTI/s1600/DSC00025.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcPz73iuRrEmSQn33cUeMofJOwXKHMAbiCMwcS2vemjy__v11gQv-dmr3p3gzFyoQFSE9LpuzzS6dtOpb1Y4CSFr65bgh89gf1dfasyZMwBBpJG7uf4PCLfKbP0WRsLVeaY0jjDyA3gTI/s200/DSC00025.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641964514823745410" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" ></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:#990033">I suspect that the other team won as these guys really didn’t seem to have their heads in the game.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p></p></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIMfv8DZNDWFNZ3iK65uyZVsWT_4nlFUx_oGKrLUiHXcUxOtK2IVliyPPUm_Z3h9eJ1NKdM9VZ2nNGYLzRxzF7PngnaXCbLzSvTT6x3850F-o5BpW-vWdKvYFidNpY2kfECy7o2mrouGo/s1600/DSC00027.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIMfv8DZNDWFNZ3iK65uyZVsWT_4nlFUx_oGKrLUiHXcUxOtK2IVliyPPUm_Z3h9eJ1NKdM9VZ2nNGYLzRxzF7PngnaXCbLzSvTT6x3850F-o5BpW-vWdKvYFidNpY2kfECy7o2mrouGo/s200/DSC00027.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641964502941718226" /></a>
<br />Nanci Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815969592455760751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115515411520730278.post-13980017144505231292011-08-12T08:45:00.003-06:002011-08-12T09:36:13.927-06:00My House Finch: A Biblical Moment<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6VQwVNs9wA1b1ndHMbNvej2Wyu7honJeh5-ZSWtf2MEPsWMgSooTXWi5DXuBRS2CVANQ7Ye53z5s8ioY0d6kHbmTfgpPtxBrcI_NgzXKzxAGIJ5iq6GgYDzHIKF_UAWsA_cPsEWZmHuE/s1600/House_Finch%252CI_LHT81.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 158px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6VQwVNs9wA1b1ndHMbNvej2Wyu7honJeh5-ZSWtf2MEPsWMgSooTXWi5DXuBRS2CVANQ7Ye53z5s8ioY0d6kHbmTfgpPtxBrcI_NgzXKzxAGIJ5iq6GgYDzHIKF_UAWsA_cPsEWZmHuE/s200/House_Finch%252CI_LHT81.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639980720139475778" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">Early this morning I was out watering my garden and thankfully I looked down before stepping on a little finch that was on the ground.<span style=""> </span>He appeared to either be a baby or a sick adult because his feathers were fluffed up.<span style=""> </span></span> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">I easily cupped him in my hands and in a comforting way, began to talk to him in a soothing voice while trying to figure out what was wrong.<span style=""> </span>Had he fallen from a nest?<span style=""> </span>Was he sick?<span style=""> </span>Obviously something was amiss and I so wanted to help him.<span style=""> </span>Here I was at six in the morning, trying to run through my <i style="">extremely</i> limited knowledge of how to take care of a sick bird.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">With the finch in one hand, I lowered my bird feeder with the other so that I could get a few seeds to feed him.<span style=""> </span>Meanwhile I called to my husband asking him to find an eye dropper so that we could get liquid into him.<span style=""> </span>Gosh, I just didn’t know what to do and was grasping for whatever solution I could come up with.<span style=""> </span>Could I find him a worm and mash it up? <span style=""> </span>Would he eat it?<span style=""> </span>Would he drink water from the eye dropper????<span style=""> </span>I just didn’t know what to do. <span style=""> </span>In the meantime, we discovered something wrong with his beak so my husband took the tweezers to dislodge whatever seemed to be gluing his beak together.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">And with that, my sweet little finch, took a few rapid, frightened breaths and died in my cupped hands.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">This sounds so silly but it seemed like a Biblical moment.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span style="font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">Matthew 10:29</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">With the sweet finch in my hands, I talked to God and asked him if he had taken the little finch home.<span style=""> </span>And in my heart, I knew the answer was “yes”.</span></p>
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<br />Nanci Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815969592455760751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115515411520730278.post-55422739520886087172011-08-10T19:14:00.007-06:002011-08-11T08:12:06.348-06:00Laundry Day<div style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:red;" ><span class="Apple-style-span">Laundry Day in Them Backwoods</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhob0anHHLNCdyyZIipjA_cFT536tcvVP3LeyhwKDAJDBEyE3MknI_sCFzz0WH-e4VgelBscbF87IjqCXYFPOU-NuwCUQMUBZS0dMj4IkT_fcvXxolaKBwEuP55rIGljciKkxD5L7fjR-U/s1600/drying+laundry+in+woods+small.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhob0anHHLNCdyyZIipjA_cFT536tcvVP3LeyhwKDAJDBEyE3MknI_sCFzz0WH-e4VgelBscbF87IjqCXYFPOU-NuwCUQMUBZS0dMj4IkT_fcvXxolaKBwEuP55rIGljciKkxD5L7fjR-U/s200/drying+laundry+in+woods+small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639400640927513730" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:red;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>O.M.G.</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:red;" >Living in a small house has many positives.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:red;" >Living in a small house with my husband has many positives too!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:red;" ><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>However…</i></span></b><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:red;" >His version of doing laundry differs from mine.<span> </span>Greatly!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:red;" ></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:red;" >I came home from work today to freshly-washed laundry strewn all over the mudroom.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:red;" >Yes, “undergarments”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:red;" >And all.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:red;" >And of course, this is the day that my dear neighbor, Sara, decided to return a couple of bowls to me.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:red;" >>>>>>>Inside of the laundry room<<<<<<<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:red;" >With the laundry hanging up all over the place.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:red;" >"Undergarments"</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:red;" >And all.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:red;" ><b><span class="Apple-style-span">Mortification</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:red;" >Well it is understandable that on a hot day, the guy didn’t want to heat up our little place with the dryer but still…<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:red;" >The timing could have been better!!</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:red;" > </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:red;" >I am now going to go looking for my dignity.</span><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:red;" ><span> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:red;" ><span></span>Maybe it's here underneath his boxers.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:red;" >In the mud room.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p></p><p></p><p></p></div>Nanci Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815969592455760751noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115515411520730278.post-63684727868701007262011-08-09T08:40:00.001-06:002011-08-09T08:45:12.912-06:00Don't Quit<div style="text-align: center;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy"; color: rgb(0, 51, 0);">~God must have been listening this morning because I found this when I arrived at work and it so met my needs for today~</span>
<br />
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsuCdClvt7DrjpIMpqyOh0wBcR8iAaiB5NFrjCACBbr2QxrUzABvFu4UpU6uXRg-pPMi2BDi2fkXWB8OZzyKxMcBq2Z-cvsjALGPgUg2eW93CjNZ31ZN5qHk-MElb3Uo6WdUGuzKU7s7g/s1600/DSC05163.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 199px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsuCdClvt7DrjpIMpqyOh0wBcR8iAaiB5NFrjCACBbr2QxrUzABvFu4UpU6uXRg-pPMi2BDi2fkXWB8OZzyKxMcBq2Z-cvsjALGPgUg2eW93CjNZ31ZN5qHk-MElb3Uo6WdUGuzKU7s7g/s200/DSC05163.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638866744347407810" border="0" /></a><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Lucida Calligraphy"; color: rgb(0, 51, 0);">When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
<br />When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,
<br />When the funds are low and the debts are high,
<br />And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
<br />When care is pressing you down a bit,
<br />Rest! if you must; but don't you quit.
<br />
<br />Life is queer with its twists and turns,
<br />As everyone of us sometimes learns,
<br />And many a failure turns about
<br />When he might have won had he stuck it out;
<br />Don't give up, though the pace seems slow;
<br />You might succeed with another blow.
<br />
<br /><span id="fullpost">Often the goal is nearer than
<br />It seems to a faint and faltering man,
<br />Often the struggler has given up
<br />When he might have captured the victor's cup.
<br />And he learned too late, when the night slipped down,
<br />How close he was to the golden crown.
<br />
<br />Success is failure turned inside out;
<br />The silver tint of the clouds of doubt;
<br />And you never can tell how close you are,
<br />It may be near when it seems afar;
<br />So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit;
<br />It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit.<i>-anonymous</i></span></span></p> </div>Nanci Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815969592455760751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115515411520730278.post-13655042518724859112011-08-08T18:58:00.019-06:002011-08-08T20:21:09.670-06:00Mountain Mailboxes<div style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;text-align:center"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><b><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:maroon">~I’ll choose mountain mailboxes every time~</span></b><span style="color:maroon"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span"><b> <u1:p></u1:p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:maroon">~Now if you saw these in the city, you might think<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>run down</i>~</span></b><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:maroon"><o:p></o:p></span></p></b></span><p></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia; ">
<br /></span></b></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRmhjS90jtBeRQkghXhFwh7U3rIowu9wqE4hVwFapYat4hY_LEXYVAYU6EbO1Ihgw7WyWNV1fFhPjFsG1DoQKkb_lkATtCYoqO9WaxsOn7EOpeqGFE2V_sG_eeVK1hJvdwr2Mbi_AwQ5M/s1600/DSC00029.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRmhjS90jtBeRQkghXhFwh7U3rIowu9wqE4hVwFapYat4hY_LEXYVAYU6EbO1Ihgw7WyWNV1fFhPjFsG1DoQKkb_lkATtCYoqO9WaxsOn7EOpeqGFE2V_sG_eeVK1hJvdwr2Mbi_AwQ5M/s200/DSC00029.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638666742111677218" /></span></b></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:maroon">~But in the mountains you would think~</span></b></span></p></b></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhapyq2NpmJBlQkoaL19VhlJe7smfbOtmC8du908dk7nB2O4YCdnK09dgE4Aasp9fQkcM4e3r-FytwVY9sHgorgkwKdz1dyPunRCWx9JblwTSUi0Cw9OFRJiDIR5p8UAzLkDA-IP728P6I/s1600/DSC00022.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhapyq2NpmJBlQkoaL19VhlJe7smfbOtmC8du908dk7nB2O4YCdnK09dgE4Aasp9fQkcM4e3r-FytwVY9sHgorgkwKdz1dyPunRCWx9JblwTSUi0Cw9OFRJiDIR5p8UAzLkDA-IP728P6I/s200/DSC00022.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638666287423505650" /></span></b></a><div style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: center; font-weight: 800;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia; color: maroon; ">~One of a kind!~</span></b></span></p><p></p></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNLK_qb-Vi63tyPnThHmXvhukK432mSMH8Yct5rY_dTLdy6C66eKGC4aOY1Jr-lzvBn80EAWICwOAVpBg5ury7v8GXTrU4kA_6-2u41VDTCpCv7dzxkusMZwwsoU1sY0UhG8Vz7fif5IY/s1600/DSC00011.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNLK_qb-Vi63tyPnThHmXvhukK432mSMH8Yct5rY_dTLdy6C66eKGC4aOY1Jr-lzvBn80EAWICwOAVpBg5ury7v8GXTrU4kA_6-2u41VDTCpCv7dzxkusMZwwsoU1sY0UhG8Vz7fif5IY/s200/DSC00011.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638655592321180370" /></span></b></a><div style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: 900;"><span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia; color: maroon; ">~Unique!~</span></b></span></span></span></p></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIpaK1sQGB24yQSgtmCJRT93kDxwoAVPLHsc8qRmL3ncMhSSu7h1X_6kjtnmiLC7V6miE9OloUKzoLqmPX6sorNasM8OGFzryBlt6GbBilnvottEFCugOOrGp651BoUtaE7ONHjDdtJZ0/s1600/DSC00021.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIpaK1sQGB24yQSgtmCJRT93kDxwoAVPLHsc8qRmL3ncMhSSu7h1X_6kjtnmiLC7V6miE9OloUKzoLqmPX6sorNasM8OGFzryBlt6GbBilnvottEFCugOOrGp651BoUtaE7ONHjDdtJZ0/s200/DSC00021.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638655581164396882" /></span></b></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: 800;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:maroon">~Eclectic!~</span></b></span></p></span></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-aAPTpvjECRb1OBL-oVoSpdrQX677xexXl0Mn9PBodvCifvcItyK04Ji12sE3nonCB6VdMMiKDv5Tf2mRr6yz2xxTfzpOu6QVs09Ir85oqlWX5I9VJmF6ebT8myJ2wetq8SOmeJwItqM/s1600/DSC00024.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-aAPTpvjECRb1OBL-oVoSpdrQX677xexXl0Mn9PBodvCifvcItyK04Ji12sE3nonCB6VdMMiKDv5Tf2mRr6yz2xxTfzpOu6QVs09Ir85oqlWX5I9VJmF6ebT8myJ2wetq8SOmeJwItqM/s200/DSC00024.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638655562783740306" /></span></b></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span class="apple-style-span"><b><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:maroon">~When can I move there?!~</span></b></span></p></b></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikmwfi7yV_qKHNxy1Q1y6GRA-gDUF_VRbXOrWAExvkERa3AyhyphenhyphenobQxeDglG5a4LYY1prcBithPwDcvzk3XU5x1Y9A5UymlvmYuRxcDFdfYVonEp7tdYy9_ym6depgZjVg26E_Eg4-e5M8/s1600/DSC00005.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikmwfi7yV_qKHNxy1Q1y6GRA-gDUF_VRbXOrWAExvkERa3AyhyphenhyphenobQxeDglG5a4LYY1prcBithPwDcvzk3XU5x1Y9A5UymlvmYuRxcDFdfYVonEp7tdYy9_ym6depgZjVg26E_Eg4-e5M8/s200/DSC00005.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638655552315132418" /></span></b></a><div style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;text-align:center"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><b><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:maroon">~Whoa Baby!~</span></b><span style="color:maroon"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;text-align:center"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:maroon">~Bee-utiful!~</span></b><span style="color:maroon"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;text-align:center"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:maroon">~What a view!!~</span></b><span style="color:maroon"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <span class="Apple-style-span"><u1:p></u1:p> </span><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:maroon">~I'm packing my bags and moving on up!!!~</span></b><span style="color:maroon"><o:p></o:p></span></p></b></span><p></p></div>Nanci Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815969592455760751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115515411520730278.post-64191191044270165572011-08-07T08:34:00.004-06:002011-08-07T08:43:14.326-06:00Lazy Sunday Morning<div style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:green">Out for an early-morning bike ride.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>One mile coasting down the mountain and then one mile struggling to get up the mountain.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:green">Phew, I’m outta shape!<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYSxkufdpnNznvsvXJBQK1H6vR-pjKb_sEmO5UlfkIxdONDNMGjMk594_G57N7TRAxkHLFTr9A__n59R0430yeW0ExfIvUom9Sa25ek_jG9gZc9v-LNRhD_lSHWTs6n1kMosKnoZNZwa0/s1600/DSC00033.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYSxkufdpnNznvsvXJBQK1H6vR-pjKb_sEmO5UlfkIxdONDNMGjMk594_G57N7TRAxkHLFTr9A__n59R0430yeW0ExfIvUom9Sa25ek_jG9gZc9v-LNRhD_lSHWTs6n1kMosKnoZNZwa0/s200/DSC00033.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638123297144589042" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:green">Of course I had to stop along the way to snap a few photos.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp8X4uu_pHC04SI8WZufUn9BsRDE5RxH8ZFMvSM_XkgRU2UwbAQ2-WdQ6JpS4g7eZkhwqhJm6b4oqyVNCVpKACv1gD7jq5G3MtjH2B_gO-dB1EmXDrC0hV42Ry2hRso9_piifNCEVXbjU/s1600/DSC00035.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp8X4uu_pHC04SI8WZufUn9BsRDE5RxH8ZFMvSM_XkgRU2UwbAQ2-WdQ6JpS4g7eZkhwqhJm6b4oqyVNCVpKACv1gD7jq5G3MtjH2B_gO-dB1EmXDrC0hV42Ry2hRso9_piifNCEVXbjU/s200/DSC00035.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638123287560180626" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:green">~I never seem to run out of photo ops~<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7aNHxsA2JzcROq-OwZ5qvzTI4ocWSDw1tihzML2lEb1N-8Vi2diH9g-Hs_v3moa1wti2vVMVno6XUrEhS5DolPBZsQ9N_pNVWK_NFIGV8odfLc3XXTHFYYD0t3XV-96x82OT68tdHAyI/s1600/DSC00008.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7aNHxsA2JzcROq-OwZ5qvzTI4ocWSDw1tihzML2lEb1N-8Vi2diH9g-Hs_v3moa1wti2vVMVno6XUrEhS5DolPBZsQ9N_pNVWK_NFIGV8odfLc3XXTHFYYD0t3XV-96x82OT68tdHAyI/s200/DSC00008.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638123280245466114" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Georgia;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:green;mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">~<st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Good</st1:placename> <st1:placename st="on">Morning</st1:placename> My Lovely <st1:placename st="on">Bergen</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Park</st1:placetype></st1:place>~</span></b></div>Nanci Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815969592455760751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115515411520730278.post-57261302279507693372011-08-06T08:41:00.005-06:002011-08-06T18:25:34.494-06:00Good Morning, Beautiful<div style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:#663300"><b><span class="Apple-style-span">Good Morning, Beautiful!</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW6leMzcMoLL4nDj3ltqReyXNLStnjz3UMd4mPRE-TVpMDiZVTPbWZnz39wafBqGTCI9WxCzaWUDkkqqQ2m6_iF77N8iN2yQfNSNd0gjTPAlOBxXiKcyTIwRfr-2_xKOwKW7BkSRTn0B8/s1600/DSC00007.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW6leMzcMoLL4nDj3ltqReyXNLStnjz3UMd4mPRE-TVpMDiZVTPbWZnz39wafBqGTCI9WxCzaWUDkkqqQ2m6_iF77N8iN2yQfNSNd0gjTPAlOBxXiKcyTIwRfr-2_xKOwKW7BkSRTn0B8/s200/DSC00007.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637753871606348818" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:#663300;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">Out for an early-morning bike ride and taking in the beauty of a summer sunrise in the mountains.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Rounded the corner and came upon this young buck that was enjoying his breakfast of lush, green grass.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:#663300;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><br /></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-AJ7CWiDGrKjwr53Xh-DQS1I7THHNB8wlaAMf3aUisVp6dLT8NlsydU0ADPR4uM-eVJhEuG_fxw4bC3xMwLWN0ZjI7TO-vfxzOmshT_PLzRR5VI6OOrTqP0VeRGqeTqv4I3UyLEfxfY/s1600/DSC00008.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-AJ7CWiDGrKjwr53Xh-DQS1I7THHNB8wlaAMf3aUisVp6dLT8NlsydU0ADPR4uM-eVJhEuG_fxw4bC3xMwLWN0ZjI7TO-vfxzOmshT_PLzRR5VI6OOrTqP0VeRGqeTqv4I3UyLEfxfY/s200/DSC00008.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637753861861263250" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:#663300;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">Without a doubt he was aware that I was there but apparently not going to cause him any harm so he returned to his munching.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:#663300;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><br /></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAtHFm2s7YKsO7GtwK5G5qYWqJpgiAXGaGe8w52C3xqlEBSOgpY5G_9SIg6zZfCCJBN_io0i8eMOfr3bbN1BOR18vm68xQi0CD-OLCmTwXlyjh6FO-2WcCBZF9vPTxvK7WPuq1t65U9II/s1600/DSC00009.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAtHFm2s7YKsO7GtwK5G5qYWqJpgiAXGaGe8w52C3xqlEBSOgpY5G_9SIg6zZfCCJBN_io0i8eMOfr3bbN1BOR18vm68xQi0CD-OLCmTwXlyjh6FO-2WcCBZF9vPTxvK7WPuq1t65U9II/s200/DSC00009.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637753851946869202" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:#663300"><span class="Apple-style-span">Farewell Handsome!</span><o:p></o:p></span></p></div>Nanci Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815969592455760751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115515411520730278.post-83376181542949639632011-08-04T19:20:00.007-06:002011-08-05T12:50:01.820-06:00It's A Baby Bird in my Disney Forest!!<span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQTGXeU89hmy4USPaCZDmRfXfeMHN1Gb2TSEIvpItp2JtwruQJgSDJw9yW8uDcJuPo9EiDEHomfMF0p1TJ_KKDy9KZwMyn_cXcCqJ76B2uUWqT_CP3d7fsu9llCGIAIvSbB_GbuYAW3AU/s1600/bmgd1737-disney-snow-white-forest-friends-12-x-16-10-00.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQTGXeU89hmy4USPaCZDmRfXfeMHN1Gb2TSEIvpItp2JtwruQJgSDJw9yW8uDcJuPo9EiDEHomfMF0p1TJ_KKDy9KZwMyn_cXcCqJ76B2uUWqT_CP3d7fsu9llCGIAIvSbB_GbuYAW3AU/s200/bmgd1737-disney-snow-white-forest-friends-12-x-16-10-00.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637374346853893602" border="0" /></a></span><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;color:blue;" >My husband, R, thinks I live in a Disneyesque World of Wonder and maybe he is right!<span style=""> </span>I envision myself surrounded by the adorable critters of the forest and imagine one of my beloved birds lighting on my extended finger as the other birds flock about us.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;color:blue;" > <span style="font-style: italic;">“With a smile and a song,</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Life is just like a bright sunny day</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Your cares fade away, and your heart is young...”</span></span></p> <span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3KHsOS22PXoKHWBXd3Hvcplj_yMqhP2iGZqQFLVEznvi3WyaLX50Om16UjrbtKmWxB_O-m664-wub3pCWK12XbLQEDocsuUIEMwalmr_jMUVTaXQNyZBRfnxfgIL3CxSsRSFFFYrWx9U/s1600/DSC00056.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3KHsOS22PXoKHWBXd3Hvcplj_yMqhP2iGZqQFLVEznvi3WyaLX50Om16UjrbtKmWxB_O-m664-wub3pCWK12XbLQEDocsuUIEMwalmr_jMUVTaXQNyZBRfnxfgIL3CxSsRSFFFYrWx9U/s200/DSC00056.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637176364105079698" border="0" /></a></span><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;color:blue;" >So you can imagine my delight when I spotted this little baby finch dining at my bird feeder (cue the music!).<span style=""> </span>I’m practically clapping my hands in excitement and squealing in delight.<span style=""> </span><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;color:blue;" >STOP rolling your eyes.<span style=""> </span>This is <i style="">my</i> Disney movie!</span></p> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJtsPh8MUhgmGND87OhCZwSn9Nt6NTvpVYldg_jAYit7XCha6ZZhjW17-wEyymW7ds3AHpHcfhpz7-Sqdi2JxDRt-97umkkSuJ2pG_YvtqG3RTIGuesG3q4oTnW0qe5GBPgyqkTS_nbs/s1600/DSC00067.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJtsPh8MUhgmGND87OhCZwSn9Nt6NTvpVYldg_jAYit7XCha6ZZhjW17-wEyymW7ds3AHpHcfhpz7-Sqdi2JxDRt-97umkkSuJ2pG_YvtqG3RTIGuesG3q4oTnW0qe5GBPgyqkTS_nbs/s200/DSC00067.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637176357176483234" border="0" /></a></span><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;color:blue;" >What a precious addition to my backyard slice of heaven!<span style=""> </span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9lAN36safLKix59r_WvyrI1QJKDnSxnqr0cfWJ6DhkpZu7QidxoYZs8B4vgIzSNTtE0CL6OX_Bqu7BcYafL0ERf1FXyvzUFzAdIr2RnLBgBmvfZo_gHDAyOZ3cN_JlWLhAHZ_p80iHQU/s1600/DSC00074.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9lAN36safLKix59r_WvyrI1QJKDnSxnqr0cfWJ6DhkpZu7QidxoYZs8B4vgIzSNTtE0CL6OX_Bqu7BcYafL0ERf1FXyvzUFzAdIr2RnLBgBmvfZo_gHDAyOZ3cN_JlWLhAHZ_p80iHQU/s200/DSC00074.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637176351623806114" border="0" /></a></span><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;color:blue;" >Check out my other forest friends at the bird bath.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:100%;color:blue;" >The music swells, my heart is full, and we all lived happily ever after!</span><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;" align="center"><span style=";font-family:Georgia;color:blue;" >"A dream is a wish your heart makes<br />When you're fast asleep"</span></p> </div>Nanci Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815969592455760751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115515411520730278.post-24608847780501816332011-08-03T13:59:00.003-06:002011-08-03T14:05:47.543-06:00Grappling with False Pride<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJn9CtvDgQ_h47T2-ptGA0CK9SpGxIFWaY9Ef3U8BkiaL2mXit_EW4T-ElEq06_79Jzij76mp9UwpOJWJXHLhyDJPm8nV8igPsFwhiGDQNDWkc2WAanmo_LbannQq4LSNNHAkx5nXO9BM/s1600/fiddlehead-ferns-c2aad75172684828.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJn9CtvDgQ_h47T2-ptGA0CK9SpGxIFWaY9Ef3U8BkiaL2mXit_EW4T-ElEq06_79Jzij76mp9UwpOJWJXHLhyDJPm8nV8igPsFwhiGDQNDWkc2WAanmo_LbannQq4LSNNHAkx5nXO9BM/s200/fiddlehead-ferns-c2aad75172684828.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5636722004246553106" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:Georgia;" >“No one ever choked to death swallowing his pride”</span></div> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:Georgia;" >I won’t kid you.<span style=""> </span>Downsizing from a traditional house to a dinky cabin was hard on the pride.<span style=""> </span>I had to finally admit that the life of my parents (and many of my peers) was not going to be mine.<span style=""> </span>We had experimented with real estate (to limited success thanks to the economy), sold the large house, and <i style="">could</i> have stayed in the city in more conventional housing but…</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:Georgia;" >Who in their right mind <i style="">really </i>wants to go back to the shared walls of condo/townhouse/apartment living?<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:Georgia;" >And who in their right mind <i style="">prefers</i> the sounds of traffic and sirens over the wind in the trees and chirping birds in the morning?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:Georgia;" >Well maybe if you are from New York City, but I’m not!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:Georgia;" >But I’m going off point here.<span style=""> </span>It <i style="">did</i> hurt my pride to move into such “unusual” housing.<span style=""> </span>Even though I love nature, the great outdoors, and the more rustic lifestyle.<span style=""> </span>Even though I’m intrigued by the charm of yesteryear and I love to imagine what life was like long ago.<span style=""> </span>But dreaming about it is quite different from living it.<span style=""> </span>And again, feeling the need to defend our choice to friends and family meant that my pride took a hit.<span style=""> </span>It was announcing to the world that we were economically challenged.<span style=""> </span>We were announcing that we had embraced thriftiness and had become penny-pinchers.<span style=""> </span>And I have to admit that I swallowed my pride (and still do, in fact) when inviting others to our home.<span style=""> </span>I feel the need to explain.<span style=""> </span>Why is that?<span style=""> </span>False pride, rearing its ugly head.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:Georgia;" >But when I don’t have to pretend for others, I can go on and on and on and on ad nauseam about our wonderfully simple life.<span style=""> </span>We wake up to elk and deer on our property.<span style=""> </span>We have had bear on our property—including an adorable little cub just last year!<span style=""> </span>The meadow next to our home is full of wild roses and a variety of ferns and wildflowers.<span style=""> </span>I have numerous seed and hummingbird feeders all over the property.<span style=""> </span>Most importantly, we are a part of a neighborhood of wonderful and caring people who also have shunned city living—we have a neighborhood that is a throwback to days gone by.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:Georgia;" >Yes there are challenges--</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:Georgia;" >First of all, we don’t have a well.<span style=""> </span>Our water is delivered which means that we have to conserve water—short showers, washing dishes by hand, watering the garden with buckets of water rather than with a hose.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:Georgia;" >Secondly, our original source of heat was a wood-burning stove.<span style=""> </span>That meant bringing dusty logs into the house, getting up in the middle of the night to stoke the fire, not to mention the felling of trees, and stacking of wood.<span style=""> </span>No turning the thermostat up to a comfy 75 degrees.<span style=""> </span>Now we have propane but again, it is delivered so we have to monitor our usage.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:Georgia;" >Thirdly, our place is small.<span style=""> </span>There, I’ve said it.<span style=""> </span>It is compact for sure.<span style=""> </span>So when I shop, I can’t go nuts with my purchases because I have very limited storage.<span style=""> </span>I have to employ the wisdom of “when you buy something new, something else must be purged.”<span style=""> </span>I only surround myself with things I care about (my books, my sewing, family photos)—everything else is stored in our sheds.<span style=""> </span>But honestly, does one really need to pay for a house and the upkeep in order to fill it with meaningless junk?<span style=""> </span>Downsizing meant becoming an organizational wonder.<span style=""> </span>Finding creative ways to store the necessary stuff that one needs in the house.<span style=""> </span>I’m not saying that it was easy.<span style=""> </span>Nuh uh, not on your life.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);font-family:Georgia;" >So yes, my pride was wounded.<span style=""> </span>I was embarrassed to be in a tiny home.<span style=""> </span>But would I trade my new life for the old one?<span style=""> </span>Not on your life.<span style=""> </span>I abhor going into the city.<span style=""> </span>I’m quite content in my little dwelling.<span style=""> </span>This is living life the way it is meant to be lived!</span></p>Nanci Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815969592455760751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115515411520730278.post-8430596750889905372011-08-01T10:43:00.006-06:002011-08-01T12:49:13.967-06:00You Gotta Have a Sense of Humor…<div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:green">So our little weekend getaway was planned as a stress reliever after <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Quincy</st1:place></st1:city>’s illness and death.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We were both tense and sad and just needed to get away from it all.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 128, 0); font-family: Georgia; ">A weekend camping and boating at <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Grand</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Lake</st1:placetype></st1:place> would do the trick, right?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Less than 100 miles from home, this makes for a gorgeous and relaxing retreat.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 128, 0); font-family: Georgia; ">DEPARTURE: So we packed up the tent trailer, my husband “R” got a new bike rack for the back of said trailer and loaded up our bicycles, and off we went to our pleasant little getaway.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:green">HOWEVER…<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 128, 0); font-family: Georgia; ">The bumper of the tent trailer fell off in the driveway as we were pulling out.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:green">Okaaaaaay…a bit of a false start.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 128, 0); font-family: Georgia; ">Well we stopped to remove the bikes from the bumper and set it aside.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Rearranged camping supplies in the back of the truck so we could stuff the bikes inside.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And we were off again.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Just a little hiccup.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>No big deal.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 128, 0); font-family: Georgia; ">Arrived at the campground right at noon and it was hotter than HECK.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>That nasty little pine beetle has devastated the forest up there and acre upon acre of forest has been cut down so the pines don’t fall down and kill anybody.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>So no shade.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">BUT</i></b> we had the canopy on the tent trailer so we made our own shade!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Just another little hiccup but it won’t quash our fun!</span></p></div><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfpQKbqNBU58FQgNapAJFBOYxfwARU4Zx87pi3Pl_jTUY6ZCehtsCL86YUxG-a2yrug4PJNuXhf1pLC4_uLeJbpshGISvyX-MtaUPQ7GPL9VzlXIdO-aWZbip62COESffEYCEPQ-mXeow/s1600/DSC00050.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfpQKbqNBU58FQgNapAJFBOYxfwARU4Zx87pi3Pl_jTUY6ZCehtsCL86YUxG-a2yrug4PJNuXhf1pLC4_uLeJbpshGISvyX-MtaUPQ7GPL9VzlXIdO-aWZbip62COESffEYCEPQ-mXeow/s200/DSC00050.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635931026303165298" /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:green">Finally, finally, finally got out on the boat on Sunday morning, ready for a glorious day of sunshine and fishing and sunbathing and reading on the lake!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Whoo hoo!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Launched the boat, turned over the motor, and…….nothing.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 128, 0); font-family: Georgia; ">No go.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 128, 0); font-family: Georgia; ">So my handy husband “R” applied bit of mechanical wizardry and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">at last</i>—no the motor did not turn over—<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">finally</i> we got it back on the trailer and over to the mechanic. </span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg02eVB62ZjSkZkg1r9-p22MLEWex5KQxsdjcq13jitpI0KzkvWiGA0cZzJYQ-Wnjth2GMNsbgpDKDIbe5Cu8ux0bflntLyH_aDWgt1NB8lch5_ZQSeTV4zk8xF7VHjzT6drmVqgByhdo/s1600/DSC00045.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg02eVB62ZjSkZkg1r9-p22MLEWex5KQxsdjcq13jitpI0KzkvWiGA0cZzJYQ-Wnjth2GMNsbgpDKDIbe5Cu8ux0bflntLyH_aDWgt1NB8lch5_ZQSeTV4zk8xF7VHjzT6drmVqgByhdo/s200/DSC00045.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635931014178015746" /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:green">But we are on vacation so I’m not gonna let this get me down!!!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The boat mechanic is on the outskirts of <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Grand</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Lake</st1:placetype></st1:place> so into town we went for lunch and some window shopping while Cap’n Andy works on the motor!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>“R” likes to refer to these gift shops as selling geegaws and doodads but I don’t let his negativity get me down.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Heck no!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I hit every shop including my absolute favorite—Humphrey’s Cabin Fever which has EVERYTHING a person might need (actually what a person might WANT) for decorating their cozy little house!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I could drop a fortune in there.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But I don’t have a fortune so I wander and lust after each chipmunk-inspired candle, moose and deer area rug, columbine glass plate, quirky handmade windchime, cabin hand towel.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Sigh.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhunQz-zLE-yWPM_FQr9jEXpJ-yqfAJcr0heRoydrjc8Ux18oeLjTUn1XG_sy27U5Ee2BUx6inFiDVNZ_qJpj_960O2O1JEYSt1by5Vh3mQh49VGt9tnXFqRserQ6j9KZxubwmILolBe1w/s1600/grand_lake_humphreys_gifts.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhunQz-zLE-yWPM_FQr9jEXpJ-yqfAJcr0heRoydrjc8Ux18oeLjTUn1XG_sy27U5Ee2BUx6inFiDVNZ_qJpj_960O2O1JEYSt1by5Vh3mQh49VGt9tnXFqRserQ6j9KZxubwmILolBe1w/s200/grand_lake_humphreys_gifts.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635930509413463330" /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:green">Dang, being broke has caused me to develop such restraint.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I simply cannot drop $40 on a brightly colored rug even if it does have a black Lab that would be a lovely reminder of our sweet Quincy Boy. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Shucks, I simply cannot do it.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I pick up two clearance t-shirts for “R” at some cheap touristy store instead.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Phooey.<o:p></o:p></span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinBkVSOQxOJ0Px-Raf4iDYmREwcsieYVZgzhmhcLQZWYTGPr2F3-WoR-RI39dEKn4PbSTTGx0b3NhajWL8y1YQrCjhrEZOEaC-80UuTESAreKVrJnylt52e-N08GRdt8zkZYbR5KF2dHQ/s1600/jell-labBallLg.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 124px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinBkVSOQxOJ0Px-Raf4iDYmREwcsieYVZgzhmhcLQZWYTGPr2F3-WoR-RI39dEKn4PbSTTGx0b3NhajWL8y1YQrCjhrEZOEaC-80UuTESAreKVrJnylt52e-N08GRdt8zkZYbR5KF2dHQ/s200/jell-labBallLg.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635930506405675394" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 128, 0); font-family: Georgia; ">Still no call from Cap’n Andy so we decided to head into Rocky Mountain Nat’l Park just for the heck of it.<span> </span>Wow, the pine beetle infestation has truly damaged this park.<span> </span>It is awful.<span> </span>Mile after mile there are downed trees that are piled up like haystacks.<span> </span>I wonder how long it will take this forest to come back from this catastrophe?<span> </span>Decades?<span> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 128, 0); font-family: Georgia; ">I simply do not know.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMR4jaiuTgPANo1Y3kzuwkUAW_kiWgR87QayIAUElsaGF7u-xbR8L9AAwgm7ksvRqN5gg5BTF7Vcg-x6JSSDRw_bbdwgdT-2lsN_Ci8g4TFUCTmL5yHvrz74wiCf9hJoKI0T9p4J4JJo/s1600/rmnp+pine+beetle.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMR4jaiuTgPANo1Y3kzuwkUAW_kiWgR87QayIAUElsaGF7u-xbR8L9AAwgm7ksvRqN5gg5BTF7Vcg-x6JSSDRw_bbdwgdT-2lsN_Ci8g4TFUCTmL5yHvrz74wiCf9hJoKI0T9p4J4JJo/s200/rmnp+pine+beetle.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635930508881672962" /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:green">Well we continued our drive and tried to see past the brown and dead trees.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>As we left the park, we were rewarded with a wonderful sight!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>A female moose (cow) was grazing next to a meandering stream.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Automobile drivers were pulling over like crazed paparazzi to get the photo op of the year!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And we were one of them!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFJYqOfOJG30jN23HMW6peVrmtSMsS7Hst7w_-DG5IzGlaYsgJUSsH3bmykMF92hy4N_NigauyzFQkw2ThQ-bcBuyTbMSPJXLvb9ax8RoJ5Tu1OPI4OLP1nejNUamHDMw9W1k3raQfWZA/s1600/DSC00038.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFJYqOfOJG30jN23HMW6peVrmtSMsS7Hst7w_-DG5IzGlaYsgJUSsH3bmykMF92hy4N_NigauyzFQkw2ThQ-bcBuyTbMSPJXLvb9ax8RoJ5Tu1OPI4OLP1nejNUamHDMw9W1k3raQfWZA/s200/DSC00038.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635930496825975074" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1PGqA0qBNxyjhHat4vGWz1P89LBA1IxdLjseIq0bcYIDL5Q1jfybihGvONOMrQ-bKV8dHT4OFDbImP3Ee7eUyIaLiFmMJcfHuwEwRZuFsNZB6fKwOQ98WuesXqEj5yPhpuUyhBwizdH0/s1600/DSC00032.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1PGqA0qBNxyjhHat4vGWz1P89LBA1IxdLjseIq0bcYIDL5Q1jfybihGvONOMrQ-bKV8dHT4OFDbImP3Ee7eUyIaLiFmMJcfHuwEwRZuFsNZB6fKwOQ98WuesXqEj5yPhpuUyhBwizdH0/s200/DSC00032.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5635930490715733794" /></a><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:green">We gazed at the gorgeous sight and reluctantly went back to the car to head back into town.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And after killing a bit more in town, we got a phone call from R’s youngest.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>His older brother had been in a bicycle crash and was in intensive care.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>His most severe injury was a ruptured spleen and he had internal bleeding.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 128, 0); font-family: Georgia; ">We rushed to get the boat from the mechanic, deliver it to storage, pack up the campsite and hit the road.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Got to the hospital in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Denver</st1:place></st1:city> about 8:30 in the evening where R’s son was in intensive care.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Cracked ribs, cuts and scrapes, and a morphine drip due to the injured spleen.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Doctors had to go up his femoral artery to stop the blood flow to the spleen which in turn would stop the flow of blood to his abdominal cavity.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But he was stabilized and doing much better by the time we arrived.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 128, 0); font-family: Georgia; ">ARRIVAL: 11pm and we were finally tucked into our bed and fast asleep both happily contented to have had a relaxing and stress-free weekend away from home.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 128, 0); font-family: Georgia; ">Except for those blasted hiccups.</span></p><p></p></div>Nanci Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815969592455760751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115515411520730278.post-21173101189182733422011-07-29T17:03:00.005-06:002011-07-29T19:58:06.845-06:00History of the Elk Meadow<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEVSgMeVJo-XbYwbLeloC_47_qWb0R6mXWxYlkIuQK1EeA6rdP0Z7TRiSukzGkxahqvcnx-_mng-1n0gJ6YeiBm1JYIB2a1Yfi14VZlTDijDKkor3d7qIokyAkOnSMMhzrfG4lHw6SUBQ/s1600/DSC00007.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEVSgMeVJo-XbYwbLeloC_47_qWb0R6mXWxYlkIuQK1EeA6rdP0Z7TRiSukzGkxahqvcnx-_mng-1n0gJ6YeiBm1JYIB2a1Yfi14VZlTDijDKkor3d7qIokyAkOnSMMhzrfG4lHw6SUBQ/s200/DSC00007.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634915015676182226" border="0" /></a></div><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 51);">How many times have you driven past the Elk Meadow and looked at those old buildings out there? Ever wondered the history behind them? Well <span style="font-style: italic;">I</span> have and I finally got on the Jefferson County Open Space web page and found out a bit about our lovely meadow!<br /><br />Long before this barn was built the meadow was visited by Utes, Cheyenne, and Arapahoe tribes who came through for summer hunting. They also found Lodgepole pine here and used them to make tepee supports.<br /><br />In 1858, Robert Strain built a hand-hewn log cabin on the land and in 1870 he filed for the 160 acres through the Homestead Act. Through later land sales the area was purchased by Ted Johnson in 1905. It is his barn that still stands in the Elk Meadow near Painter's Pause Trail.<br /><br />On a personal note, about the time our little cabin was built, Tulsa oilman Darst Buchanan bought the property that became Hiwan Ranch. Less than 10 miles apart, but representing two distinctly different lifestyles! The aristocratic Denver society of Hiwan and the modest, homesteading folk of my current neighborhood!</span></span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBYjchxdCF-oFNhGzxsOg592bX3ubWY18H2QeTeIVC12CeBUJJKye4ExIQ6BRNCkfSUuW8oxzHIR4H-Kj5ADY0x1QNv2yWVeM-8_RiTAOwkgilJp4bmf12_tTkqzfFyLa78mT_-pc65NI/s1600/DSC00006.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBYjchxdCF-oFNhGzxsOg592bX3ubWY18H2QeTeIVC12CeBUJJKye4ExIQ6BRNCkfSUuW8oxzHIR4H-Kj5ADY0x1QNv2yWVeM-8_RiTAOwkgilJp4bmf12_tTkqzfFyLa78mT_-pc65NI/s200/DSC00006.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634915011045145586" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 51);font-family:verdana;">So beyond the lovely and abundant elk herds that we see on an almost-daily basis, perhaps next time you drive by you can envision the acreage as it once was. Close your eyes (oh wait, pull over first and then close your eyes!). This land was once inhabited by Indians or Homesteaders. Can you see the tepees? Smell the campfires? Or envision the hay fields, ducks & turkeys, and all that would comprise a thriving ranch? I can!<br /><br />Then entire history can be found at: http://co.jefferson.co.us/jeffco/openspace_uploads/elk_meadow_park_historical_background.pdf. </span>Nanci Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815969592455760751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115515411520730278.post-12698786743273285922011-07-28T18:26:00.007-06:002011-07-28T18:42:36.664-06:00My Commute, Mountain Style<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0iktKbm6USwu9z3pNrPv7T1XyMfc2bI6ct9027cdK3jQDPRMY0xyyQw5gCSV-Nw71TF93eAiBdDs1GZryc4BLqXJxzBfkASYEbnFBtRR5wN0G6xOiE1gC0h_rWbdqTjmV9QB_i4AUS9w/s1600/DSC00010.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0iktKbm6USwu9z3pNrPv7T1XyMfc2bI6ct9027cdK3jQDPRMY0xyyQw5gCSV-Nw71TF93eAiBdDs1GZryc4BLqXJxzBfkASYEbnFBtRR5wN0G6xOiE1gC0h_rWbdqTjmV9QB_i4AUS9w/s200/DSC00010.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634564682674734050" /></span></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span">My commute does not include traffic jams, honking horns, or angry people.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span">After a peaceful drive home tonight, something caught my eye as I began to turn onto the dirt road leading to my place. Do you see it?!</span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgqHb_pM_cNm3CcDc7MWzM7eMjIgLSESym_d8z1H1A5vbQyRvxioN0ekCrx5EGUelfrxy6iriuP1kedLHz8CI2M_H8M_phq9Z7Qx7Go2b40UIw1vQX4kImQ8q65cb9KMTlF9isG4ByQ44/s1600/DSC00014.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgqHb_pM_cNm3CcDc7MWzM7eMjIgLSESym_d8z1H1A5vbQyRvxioN0ekCrx5EGUelfrxy6iriuP1kedLHz8CI2M_H8M_phq9Z7Qx7Go2b40UIw1vQX4kImQ8q65cb9KMTlF9isG4ByQ44/s200/DSC00014.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634564678684268178" /></span></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Oh yeah, there he is. Or rather, there <i>they</i> are as I found out after taking a closer look.</span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQcU9tLh3AWEhcC1IlzB1BA2DYtC8ZGF3Btrmd1vyo9Bf0h-ZXwvR43pKaKQ0fn6ZSttR-PLUgqcWn2QfKKxsgqF4bs_-IXR-P01o1Ud8Hkb9vqYbgPlyUK4ieJMJ8t6d0_Lvnt3RaxYw/s1600/DSC00017.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQcU9tLh3AWEhcC1IlzB1BA2DYtC8ZGF3Btrmd1vyo9Bf0h-ZXwvR43pKaKQ0fn6ZSttR-PLUgqcWn2QfKKxsgqF4bs_-IXR-P01o1Ud8Hkb9vqYbgPlyUK4ieJMJ8t6d0_Lvnt3RaxYw/s200/DSC00017.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634564670359825218" /></span></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span">A small herd of elk, all enjoy the lazy, late afternoon by grazing in the quiet meadow.</span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWdWCS5Gn8jTGsQzj0UpoiM-d0bWHyFg8S9lDkbBhoWwgOX35nQYNvTTErJ1nbL7DyH0ym87rxqX8gUYYxOOJZooWzfANvjFsbhpaq9DmbrF-Nv1ki1xAsEulGB0grKdD4-CkU0042QKE/s1600/DSC00025.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWdWCS5Gn8jTGsQzj0UpoiM-d0bWHyFg8S9lDkbBhoWwgOX35nQYNvTTErJ1nbL7DyH0ym87rxqX8gUYYxOOJZooWzfANvjFsbhpaq9DmbrF-Nv1ki1xAsEulGB0grKdD4-CkU0042QKE/s200/DSC00025.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634564658230444930" /></span></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Well <i>some</i> where grazing while others watched.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Do many folks get to experience this by living in tract housing? I truly doubt it!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Mountain living and cabin life are not for everyone. Not for those who crave excitement in the form of non-stop action in the loud city. However for those who are willing to take a chance by throwing away all that is familiar and take the leap, trust me, you won't be disappointed!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >"You're off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your Mountain is waiting. So... get on your way!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >~Dr. Seuss~</span></div>Nanci Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815969592455760751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115515411520730278.post-35570989548635044462011-07-28T13:22:00.013-06:002011-07-28T13:40:31.300-06:00What do Popeye and Ralph Lauren have in common?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9UluA3iFs74B0QpSd8taQew-N3_qlSfyvbyTMhVDTufbXuzYh14Enr8xUKlFX7NvCQjI2Jh7UP2eMHxHv1H2aragf-DpMXP28XJwE3RxuTE7fh8opuNIe6gEpxOzDYMpH4c09LM07150/s1600/3n43kf3m45V55Y35X0b7p9f916f11ae7c1963.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9UluA3iFs74B0QpSd8taQew-N3_qlSfyvbyTMhVDTufbXuzYh14Enr8xUKlFX7NvCQjI2Jh7UP2eMHxHv1H2aragf-DpMXP28XJwE3RxuTE7fh8opuNIe6gEpxOzDYMpH4c09LM07150/s200/3n43kf3m45V55Y35X0b7p9f916f11ae7c1963.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634485914837266706" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 0);">My husband, God love him, adores buying and selling used boats and motors. He began boating as a teenager and his love affair with being on the water has continued to this day. He found a motor that he just </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 0, 0);">had</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 0);"> to buy but the seller would only let it go as a package deal--boat </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 0, 0);">and </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 0);">motor</span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 0, 0);">.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">So he came home with Popeye and Olive Oil's boat.</span></span><br /><br />I have to admit that this little dinghy is precious but we have no use for it so he posted it on Craig's List. As an aside this is probably the <span style="font-style: italic;">only</span> part of technology that he has embraced. He can't get enough of Craig's List. But I digress....<br /><br />And here is where Ralph Lauren comes in.<br />Along comes a buyer today who purchased it for a Ralph Lauren storefront in Aspen!<br />How cool is that?!!<br /><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_qAtMMnkRWe45h0jqGFAxuqVpd6CVk4JC8gF0CttRzkap8Qs95sl1ntnv3jXJ9H1jUNn4uAjN1o35-Qbiw3D741LEcUm1FoXD2rB21XEdM9Lme7M_WyUIOgApPOw61EHHx40IMmladXc/s1600/Popeye.gif"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 126px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_qAtMMnkRWe45h0jqGFAxuqVpd6CVk4JC8gF0CttRzkap8Qs95sl1ntnv3jXJ9H1jUNn4uAjN1o35-Qbiw3D741LEcUm1FoXD2rB21XEdM9Lme7M_WyUIOgApPOw61EHHx40IMmladXc/s200/Popeye.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634487341079157490" border="0" /></a></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qtgvRpTZEA-Ww9e3ysG_PScmM3vRfJuez-Pcdva8d6KKUwIJhBcU-Qne0jDpGC6cHHjidtrpFUOZFqE5blmugUcWp60qtvWp9muE7w098AWjsf4hST9mgfeV10uJBxqfdBFg5jn-hbA/s1600/aspen.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qtgvRpTZEA-Ww9e3ysG_PScmM3vRfJuez-Pcdva8d6KKUwIJhBcU-Qne0jDpGC6cHHjidtrpFUOZFqE5blmugUcWp60qtvWp9muE7w098AWjsf4hST9mgfeV10uJBxqfdBFg5jn-hbA/s200/aspen.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634488367362875538" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">The moral of the story is this--never doubt a person who has passion and knowledge about an area of interest! They always seem to come out on top! That's my Honeybuns! </span></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></span></span></div>Nanci Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815969592455760751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115515411520730278.post-74661452611843546702011-07-27T18:23:00.006-06:002011-07-27T18:44:51.647-06:00Summer Rain (Deja Vu)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEqbrI76HtRFQcV_Yk3_EuQOdLjWsSGjuXVNZSQJnD1mZYDyGYluI4DskW_KENd4ZMvYpp-2DAXqAJl-jR8j6uQjoqfitgkwEFgeEgZA4QzeaPqNaNRzkDVPpyiabvE0VWTMe21eM09M0/s1600/Weather+Map.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 156px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEqbrI76HtRFQcV_Yk3_EuQOdLjWsSGjuXVNZSQJnD1mZYDyGYluI4DskW_KENd4ZMvYpp-2DAXqAJl-jR8j6uQjoqfitgkwEFgeEgZA4QzeaPqNaNRzkDVPpyiabvE0VWTMe21eM09M0/s200/Weather+Map.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634192903018098162" /></span></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span">I don’t know why I find the weather to be so fascinating.<span> </span>Perhaps having grown up in Southern California where the weather rarely changes, caused me to be drawn to the drama of watching four very different seasons!<span> </span>So I’m always on the 9News Interactive radar to see what is coming our way!</span></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin3zQlXzls-a_OdFFvEHECdYy6XyRjlfe_N0JjoJuNSIOlKDctLgsMZQM_kYL1CM9YoqlBTEKHzYEd56fC17PEldhvDmzIJYIxC-dIEbSiiq39jAhw0PC3FXP4IpOTgLCiObjgFW4csY0/s1600/DSC00012.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin3zQlXzls-a_OdFFvEHECdYy6XyRjlfe_N0JjoJuNSIOlKDctLgsMZQM_kYL1CM9YoqlBTEKHzYEd56fC17PEldhvDmzIJYIxC-dIEbSiiq39jAhw0PC3FXP4IpOTgLCiObjgFW4csY0/s200/DSC00012.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634192894547205730" /></span></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Last night is was torrential rain with it coming off our metal roof as though the heavenly spigots were fully open!<span> </span>That was accompanied by the flash of lightning and <i>immediate </i>C*R*A*C*K of thunder! <span> </span>Oh the spectacle!<span> </span>Of course I had to grab an umbrella to get myself out into the action!<span> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Who doesn’t love the sound of the pitter-patter of raindrops on an umbrella? </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span> </span>Of course in this case, it was more of a splash-splatter of rain on the ol’ umbrella.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span">This morning I stopped on the way to work and snapped a pic of the thoroughly-drenched Elk Meadow—sans elk (they are far too smart to be out there up to their um, ankles, in water)! <span> </span>So this pic is a mere 2.8 miles from home.<span> </span>Let me tell you how hard it is to go to work when I live in the paradise called the Rocky Mountains!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span">Forecast for this afternoon and evening—more rain!!!!!!</span></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaiqlPpDTCARlZaKIGYKv3JYynuFk-8iuvTh4_f0Gm5LxUPBNj2a3rKVdERlWuC5vMxyqG50W3Klh3DGXBdNxpyf3ZYxVJxZ22Bs9arCULwazM1v4Vohv_mAZsVRXDpuJ5CKdrkjL6drQ/s1600/DSC00010.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaiqlPpDTCARlZaKIGYKv3JYynuFk-8iuvTh4_f0Gm5LxUPBNj2a3rKVdERlWuC5vMxyqG50W3Klh3DGXBdNxpyf3ZYxVJxZ22Bs9arCULwazM1v4Vohv_mAZsVRXDpuJ5CKdrkjL6drQ/s200/DSC00010.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634192889292235346" /></span></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span">And so the weatherwoman (Kathy Sabine, of course!) was right! As I drove home tonight I watched off in the distance as the clouds parted and the rain shafts appeared. I watched the lightning run its frenzied path across the skies. And made it indoors just before the sky opened up again!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span">My poor xeriscape plants are wondering why the heck this gardener didn't read the instructions on the label! "Geesh, Woman! We are drowning here!"</span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8sVQooKMkCGFE-JAe33H9a0T2gsK_XdH1kmqnl3CsllOy2ScBcNruYmEMAVCKUXNgRrzPdndzYjT32EjYDcCxU2Mf8ycIc7s0vAoz7-VwY6NUWvOAjGkRpufWW7gDHp6cS_VcMdBYYeM/s1600/DSC00018.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8sVQooKMkCGFE-JAe33H9a0T2gsK_XdH1kmqnl3CsllOy2ScBcNruYmEMAVCKUXNgRrzPdndzYjT32EjYDcCxU2Mf8ycIc7s0vAoz7-VwY6NUWvOAjGkRpufWW7gDHp6cS_VcMdBYYeM/s200/DSC00018.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634192879116439538" /></span></a>Nanci Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815969592455760751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115515411520730278.post-59572303160132049572011-07-24T07:43:00.008-06:002011-07-24T18:32:34.460-06:00Fawn in the Morning<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG9-FLnJT2zPxHQhe7Awoj5xCuXTs_vYapNfcVOEjAzPgOire7L5gBbL42n1IGOktUa3iIMqajiOhefjn3B2JRxwmUWhnqzynt6hVVz856z0oLmL5obYUti38kKs0Mz44tvPOtBTG8Ibg/s1600/DSC05185.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG9-FLnJT2zPxHQhe7Awoj5xCuXTs_vYapNfcVOEjAzPgOire7L5gBbL42n1IGOktUa3iIMqajiOhefjn3B2JRxwmUWhnqzynt6hVVz856z0oLmL5obYUti38kKs0Mz44tvPOtBTG8Ibg/s200/DSC05185.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632951921837550610" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:#330000">Bambi and his mom were back this morning.</span><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:#330000">I just cannot get enough of this little one!</span><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9xtcPdwTUAzwKJItPCN_-lC9_ouE_tkhWHOBEpwo0bsAnFyPtrU5y89H82NHilIMwJg_I3itip2WPmrXqof53dH7y_MNIz8MNhdLmZw9mBI6v0zlNTKcFhDh1QMlr3PA07kFLfhxAJh8/s1600/DSC02938.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9xtcPdwTUAzwKJItPCN_-lC9_ouE_tkhWHOBEpwo0bsAnFyPtrU5y89H82NHilIMwJg_I3itip2WPmrXqof53dH7y_MNIz8MNhdLmZw9mBI6v0zlNTKcFhDh1QMlr3PA07kFLfhxAJh8/s200/DSC02938.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632951913431332722" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:#330000">My other little "fawn" loves to play on these very rocks!</span><span style="font-family:Georgia;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQyhZX96hzDNftYFmru_h9tJbgtiDHGfRGyo2lyWpv5HaTt3NSXeZhbGX6yr1nqspsm_g75-qGyUpFuKh5xgmxC599I4_TRWtdNzO0801A40B_5JONeDJWkzn29ReeS-bFLrkGMHdomi0/s1600/DSC05202.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQyhZX96hzDNftYFmru_h9tJbgtiDHGfRGyo2lyWpv5HaTt3NSXeZhbGX6yr1nqspsm_g75-qGyUpFuKh5xgmxC599I4_TRWtdNzO0801A40B_5JONeDJWkzn29ReeS-bFLrkGMHdomi0/s200/DSC05202.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632951897888075042" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:#330000">And as much as I love this year's baby deer...</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWtlc-wIhaohBU6n5uC3rETvC-UeWA8t80i8r_1TkWXKVCIAif74O0kH5y2Yh0j2o3m7d58nIPqNe-G9VeqBuTm0TcuQtcTUJCClOulnJepcHwhfsubl97Jxk6G3qFx7_tfKyznYp8uIY/s1600/DSC02940.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWtlc-wIhaohBU6n5uC3rETvC-UeWA8t80i8r_1TkWXKVCIAif74O0kH5y2Yh0j2o3m7d58nIPqNe-G9VeqBuTm0TcuQtcTUJCClOulnJepcHwhfsubl97Jxk6G3qFx7_tfKyznYp8uIY/s200/DSC02940.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632951891951291554" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:#330000;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">I have to admit that our little human dear captures my heart and soul like no other!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia; color: rgb(51, 0, 0); " >(yes I know, <i>terribly</i> corny, but I had to go with it!)</span></div>Nanci Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815969592455760751noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115515411520730278.post-50983815953823234462011-07-22T19:30:00.006-06:002011-07-26T20:55:01.963-06:00"Baby Huey" the Woodpecker and his Mom!<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" >So this evening I'm at my computer and look up</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" >to see yet another woodpecker on the suet feeder...</span></b></div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWUu0iJ9DHtgugZs6-Ph6rRhOONyKSz_azYS-gJtG9VMzS3gfl1eilKfM9C7lcJferrxq8Gms_Bt7Of7GDI_VLyofQnVgi61zbPtdFbbneAE0_OayxvyGaVKzrOz8XhIQuQ5ejnS_k-78/s200/DSC05177.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632355007866958530" /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia; " ><b>Okay, that's nice but then I see two of them and the one on the feeder keeps flying over to the trunk of the pine tree and gives food to its mate...</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia; " ><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia; " ><b><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHXipBf5jk6WBM_Ku1XNVPs8TSh8WHbKnxybGw62uDVv0lKT3y_JkktJcp3daMfWd0S7S8khOm7HgiVC0cX_-tl6K3QRVH4t97NwZUsyrasfuzn4HlgFABJDGNyHPr5fnuTZeO23N3DtI/s200/DSC05181.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632355024611470242" /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b>Yeah, well call me slow but whatever, it dawns on me that the BIGGER bird is actually a juvenile woodpecker being fed by its mom!</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTpGGern_vxjw__PwZbv2nH55itMLMauoOU4hYoJwumYyxtMrdy98YaI2SWzzEa3C8f5VTWAiLL5y_Yu9WgYx8Y8ypqLO07oPhPZFaMXC80yiQKkitgfSe6YbhbIH7Yqmdc8mkxaHjBGY/s200/DSC05180.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632355017326533506" /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia; " ><b>Try as I might I can't seem to get the two of them together </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia; " ><b>and get a decent snapshot...</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia; " ><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia; " ><b><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR5IdoT3bwAudxnAkOYGKlOVF3UBQbCwQWZ-QqQmvoo_QrSUO9Bf7OgwUbQ5hP0YYNEGGvsAC7SGwiWA9rwqNKzWMXS0ZEsThYze5yCYWQwSs4ChZzU6vWifKFZPL1SHah9h2n6dKjfkk/s200/DSC05184.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632355034329936258" /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia; " ><b>But then, HURRAY!!</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia; " ><b>The money shot!!</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia; " ><b>Baby Huey gets some delicious dinner thanks to Mama Woodpecker. </b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia; " ><b>How cute is that?!!!</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Nanci Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815969592455760751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115515411520730278.post-82481467490668216902011-07-22T08:51:00.011-06:002011-07-26T20:45:52.930-06:00Summer Morning<div style="text-align: center; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGYNvEyvShdiFoO-Mt-BgbwQ9qgkNE1p3Yrlf-CuoXwHv-8hIdExBHuJf9su0jdk6a6ED2pbZHGNdydStBtVK4MM3uWwdni2S9ydNpCw2noX0FpAyaZ5JJDOjfhuOWCxUi65TFd5H5nnY/s1600/DSC05160.JPG" style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0); " onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGYNvEyvShdiFoO-Mt-BgbwQ9qgkNE1p3Yrlf-CuoXwHv-8hIdExBHuJf9su0jdk6a6ED2pbZHGNdydStBtVK4MM3uWwdni2S9ydNpCw2noX0FpAyaZ5JJDOjfhuOWCxUi65TFd5H5nnY/s200/DSC05160.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632189758973543746" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span><span>Awake at 5:30 a.m. and </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; ">not</span><span> being a morning person, I stumble outside to </span></span><span>put up the bird feeders. But what a way to wake up! I dash inside to grab the camera to capture the beauty of the sunrise.</span><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkOU1YEaePozSZEAZHrWb_zD_SUWYUqgOCrogb3FogTiqwK1WtHN8WJzrDHdp2nMQOPp0bKGkpJx8NS3LGipOla_Q94oYhfYhsKPP2AkXBYnZBEaHNjxs6PxaU-_k4U9GwdV0PSdqoLns/s1600/DSC05162.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkOU1YEaePozSZEAZHrWb_zD_SUWYUqgOCrogb3FogTiqwK1WtHN8WJzrDHdp2nMQOPp0bKGkpJx8NS3LGipOla_Q94oYhfYhsKPP2AkXBYnZBEaHNjxs6PxaU-_k4U9GwdV0PSdqoLns/s200/DSC05162.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632191061621441826" border="0" /></a><br /><span>The sun is barely up</span><span> and the cool of the morning is deceptive as the temperatures are supposed to reach close to 100 degrees today! </span><br /><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center; "><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGy7ge_lpXNC5Q447lp9vfd2l2kklrXuez9TwOCHe9ab7777ORK_GwpvFxN1LkZ4hP8AtkrS8F2zzoPFv9vGqgoI9O2_MZIA9V9LfFMvPjhtNMjdEiwdpRmnDp1f0nXvUA9gco6VJgIu8/s1600/DSC05168.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGy7ge_lpXNC5Q447lp9vfd2l2kklrXuez9TwOCHe9ab7777ORK_GwpvFxN1LkZ4hP8AtkrS8F2zzoPFv9vGqgoI9O2_MZIA9V9LfFMvPjhtNMjdEiwdpRmnDp1f0nXvUA9gco6VJgIu8/s200/DSC05168.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5632191071064251122" border="0" /></span></a><span><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><span>But that is of no concern to me right now as I feel the gentle breeze that is delightfully cool and refreshing. The aspen leaves above me quiver slightly, the sunlight glistens off each and every leaf. And the sound that they make is like a lullaby. Wish I could stay out here instead of having to go back to get ready for a work day.</span><br /><br /><span>Is there any more peaceful way to live, I ask you? Each and every day seems like I'm on vacation.</span><br /><br /><span>My soul is alive and my heart is full.</span></span><br /></span></div></div>Nanci Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815969592455760751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115515411520730278.post-5680968127848158002011-07-21T10:55:00.005-06:002011-07-21T11:12:29.771-06:00The return of Bambi and his Mom!<div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 51, 0);"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhscgHVs0-cwQwmXCPDkBUjyKGjdZyaAzxD64ZHZkS5nZlBBdHmSMJqLZPGhDWIqJVOGOSvHlK6VTs5I9JoQCArh-ZT5cSruMFVLpnRh1BoPR3GMEyF3E6HLMOs7moG7VTF_nbrocj9uFE/s1600/DSC05156.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 228px; height: 172px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhscgHVs0-cwQwmXCPDkBUjyKGjdZyaAzxD64ZHZkS5nZlBBdHmSMJqLZPGhDWIqJVOGOSvHlK6VTs5I9JoQCArh-ZT5cSruMFVLpnRh1BoPR3GMEyF3E6HLMOs7moG7VTF_nbrocj9uFE/s200/DSC05156.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631852105285260738" border="0" /></a>A HUGE bonus to living in the mountains are the wildlife encounters! One week after the initial sighting of Bambi and his mom, I saw them again this morning!<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 51, 0);"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUGjGvlXOaZHNJhrsPrg6hNnauCz2dHrvM-p63z130EAbUL0vSXE0kzg1XngYTf3e20rpoOAg8-ClTX7bFVJKlTK9e8wFj2hIPhJEuCspkfbtiw3EUmz2svAa5RNuHnJZaGmSVYkvWVoA/s1600/DSC05150.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 243px; height: 183px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUGjGvlXOaZHNJhrsPrg6hNnauCz2dHrvM-p63z130EAbUL0vSXE0kzg1XngYTf3e20rpoOAg8-ClTX7bFVJKlTK9e8wFj2hIPhJEuCspkfbtiw3EUmz2svAa5RNuHnJZaGmSVYkvWVoA/s200/DSC05150.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631852082502109362" border="0" /></a>As you know, the bear took down two of our feeders on the night that we lost Quincy. So now I have to take the feeders down each night so we don't get another rampage! This morning at 6am, I stepped outside to put up the feeders and came upon this lovely scene!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 51, 0);"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA3U_8C766sV5z1sfoWek49EFBnEAeq8W8t1LJqZLgBFrpqK5HifUcW986A8Ddz7MtuAhXGfwWhVxvDoeYq41ngLX6DkiH0rEcmUehluBrjWnbkUHBhczYFx9IVKF4w8AiYDrpnADDBew/s1600/DSC05158.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 162px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA3U_8C766sV5z1sfoWek49EFBnEAeq8W8t1LJqZLgBFrpqK5HifUcW986A8Ddz7MtuAhXGfwWhVxvDoeYq41ngLX6DkiH0rEcmUehluBrjWnbkUHBhczYFx9IVKF4w8AiYDrpnADDBew/s200/DSC05158.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631852113683322562" border="0" /></a> Bambi and his mom were back! Is he the cutest thing EVER?!!! So little! And those spots! Good Golly, you can't help but smile when you see a little one like this!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 51, 0);"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaqkcBpmLiuq8YsdjbRYg4r2Mh_fWRZk6WwZyocQ6uAqIMGzetJrA4npWQrINx980OLgggszGmxYD7o6xXe9aZLvcAFRWOwRNfkCbiPAKKzU1HscEwWhNnr8651Mg-ZgsapLkrzwCZdU4/s1600/DSC05152.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 235px; height: 175px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaqkcBpmLiuq8YsdjbRYg4r2Mh_fWRZk6WwZyocQ6uAqIMGzetJrA4npWQrINx980OLgggszGmxYD7o6xXe9aZLvcAFRWOwRNfkCbiPAKKzU1HscEwWhNnr8651Mg-ZgsapLkrzwCZdU4/s200/DSC05152.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631852087536698450" border="0" /></a>After playing, yes literally, scampering around on the rock outcropping, he decided he had better rejoin mom...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXQxZp9riBimL00hp_ItjJY9UCioEygGQOmJwrzTCviz8ef7FR_RheWo_sbemamBdtYut-XGFBwIVm5WfFwH79KQiF2UQbSqqYa2AkXA8j5ob50_OfspzIAJBH7xln7g5BEPeQ564TTAE/s1600/DSC05153.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 205px; height: 147px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXQxZp9riBimL00hp_ItjJY9UCioEygGQOmJwrzTCviz8ef7FR_RheWo_sbemamBdtYut-XGFBwIVm5WfFwH79KQiF2UQbSqqYa2AkXA8j5ob50_OfspzIAJBH7xln7g5BEPeQ564TTAE/s200/DSC05153.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631852094289716530" border="0" /></a>So off he went in search of her!<br />PS: This is our little "meadow" where we sit on the glider and bench each evening.<br />Mountain living is paradise!!!<br /></div><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 51, 0);"><br /></div>Nanci Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815969592455760751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115515411520730278.post-22258402409202625862011-07-20T22:51:00.008-06:002011-07-25T21:38:34.822-06:00Quinny Boy<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN-CFVzTtCQO3I5ccDyHSlFmMObgsYMpbQxLdknT_3LK0yKFRHB4KEb4x91OqQAfqOSlXvVwiKauI-HyIV0yjNwg6Pu6e3gLigKW61_k3FqTLFdUKaI_2gUObVUeJwKfYop6eFXgwxY4Q/s1600/DSC01551.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN-CFVzTtCQO3I5ccDyHSlFmMObgsYMpbQxLdknT_3LK0yKFRHB4KEb4x91OqQAfqOSlXvVwiKauI-HyIV0yjNwg6Pu6e3gLigKW61_k3FqTLFdUKaI_2gUObVUeJwKfYop6eFXgwxY4Q/s200/DSC01551.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631663899999747682" border="0" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span">11pm and I've tried to go to sleep tonight but can't. I'm watching the flashes of lightning and listening to the low rumble of thunder. And I provide the rain in the form of tears that won't stop. I so miss my boy. I so miss him. I'm out of bed and carefully walking across the dark room so as not to step on my black pup who blends into the darkness at night. </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Won't need to worry about that anymore. </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Quince, are you up in heaven sleeping on a cloud? Are you happy now that you are free of the pain? What is it like up there? An endless supply of Milk Bones with the added bonus of never gaining that dratted Labrador weight? Do you miss me as much as I miss you? Whose feet are you sleeping on tonight? Did you collapse against someone else's feet and look up at her as lovingly as you did me?</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Did you run your legs off today? You certainly did while you were here on earth. Dashing to the end of the driveway with a quick look over your shoulder to acknowledge that you were indeed, being naughty but simply couldn't help yourself. "Bye! I'm off to make my "treat rounds" of the neighborhood. I'll be back after I've visited with my buddies!"</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">The house is far too silent, Quinny. I miss the sound of the dog door, of you slurping up your water one huge gulp after another, of you barking at the wildlife that I can't see or hear in the dark.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Thank you for your friendship, My Love. For your eager grin and wagging tail. Thank you for being my buddy who never picked a fight, never disappointed me, never delivered less than what I needed or expected. Thank you for being my goofy boy.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">I love you my Little Man.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">Mama</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div></div>Nanci Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815969592455760751noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115515411520730278.post-72475333232410973982011-07-20T06:20:00.003-06:002011-07-20T06:29:59.485-06:00'Nuff Said<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxOCRctBM0SIe5X6FKb1uck7wE4T1F-kx-F7TgyTg9jLErKxKt31kc0vDbjIWgRFZ_cx6Y3yBuQCqskltTzJ89K88LAJFY0py_eqdtvJ85Jb9aSiBquwhP4QxvAHx4tKhYXr1QNCfUSpk/s1600/Quincy.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxOCRctBM0SIe5X6FKb1uck7wE4T1F-kx-F7TgyTg9jLErKxKt31kc0vDbjIWgRFZ_cx6Y3yBuQCqskltTzJ89K88LAJFY0py_eqdtvJ85Jb9aSiBquwhP4QxvAHx4tKhYXr1QNCfUSpk/s200/Quincy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631409293671011890" /></a>We lost our dear doggy yesterday to lymphoma. Last night we lost two bird feeders to a bear because our dear boy wasn't around to scare him off. Quincy, you are sorely missed for your <b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" >major</span></i></b> role as our friend and your very <span class="Apple-style-span" ><b><i>minor</i></b></span> role as our protector. Sigh.<div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJPwu4yAVyRS1oS0Z2GArEF4LdjXgWiXZLnMQp-Gx7jM5YzqwLQTpOi7D-c6ygQojIC8Y6xP5Zpia3TTU5wOYOq0dFNWuPDutd1sIVTQ21Bep0Ufuv7A4MnS2MyxX9g0coqX_4W9sZls/s1600/DSC05143.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJPwu4yAVyRS1oS0Z2GArEF4LdjXgWiXZLnMQp-Gx7jM5YzqwLQTpOi7D-c6ygQojIC8Y6xP5Zpia3TTU5wOYOq0dFNWuPDutd1sIVTQ21Bep0Ufuv7A4MnS2MyxX9g0coqX_4W9sZls/s200/DSC05143.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631408447439082882" /></a><br /><div>Mind you, these feeders were both 10 feet off the ground and strung between trees so this was one determined bear. All that effort for some sugar water and a bit of seed.</div><div><br /></div><div>Stoopid bear.</div></div>Nanci Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815969592455760751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115515411520730278.post-17209519530683831962011-07-19T19:06:00.003-06:002011-07-20T06:13:47.182-06:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVwNFh-7GkW6Y1iNMXRlp839BQfkdQjqyd3ZWEusXcd4kAgXi3_ZtFiQSL3YE3OojiQKFLWAbFlQnyLPIIOoOHhKh5XMNBQTqbjTB2YtzuxcpKWxtnG5vxY8f3PukMQaHN-nhmGgiH9Lk/s1600/DSC05134.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVwNFh-7GkW6Y1iNMXRlp839BQfkdQjqyd3ZWEusXcd4kAgXi3_ZtFiQSL3YE3OojiQKFLWAbFlQnyLPIIOoOHhKh5XMNBQTqbjTB2YtzuxcpKWxtnG5vxY8f3PukMQaHN-nhmGgiH9Lk/s200/DSC05134.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631235879685186818" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Above: A view from the "garden" (a work in progress)</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6V6_fvkmZf-vT5Wgs9VLhB-KnMpEtzOg1FHszSgpP1pHbAbeLeEIZkYpJJIYnjhgj1_KZC-d0YaKUsnac3b8rZl0Ron4UoNVCfx9ClhK3UYa-myQyEr40yUqbAoqNZppEPW-SonVQHrM/s1600/DSC05136.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6V6_fvkmZf-vT5Wgs9VLhB-KnMpEtzOg1FHszSgpP1pHbAbeLeEIZkYpJJIYnjhgj1_KZC-d0YaKUsnac3b8rZl0Ron4UoNVCfx9ClhK3UYa-myQyEr40yUqbAoqNZppEPW-SonVQHrM/s200/DSC05136.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631235870049945266" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Above: Come on in!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhab6owHeKJKclYT3sO_kGbb_ArwSC0ui3kPA7UwxW1cxVyvmExVMgqWXRgL0yOl7nT7bJER1zNaE58kS0zRAcL2aNxT6B0We5gaDfmhL0dnVKQ0PlKa2yCWH7vJdalKAoS4BlUFcoLI7o/s1600/DSC05141.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhab6owHeKJKclYT3sO_kGbb_ArwSC0ui3kPA7UwxW1cxVyvmExVMgqWXRgL0yOl7nT7bJER1zNaE58kS0zRAcL2aNxT6B0We5gaDfmhL0dnVKQ0PlKa2yCWH7vJdalKAoS4BlUFcoLI7o/s200/DSC05141.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631235290310825650" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Above: the office all decked out for summer!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgj9RfLlmvRhAj9Dh06m5-eaf8EuLvjPTUUBjHCP6GU9Hm-4it6Mk2vbYNu72KnK8iMUP1bewQm3cukLJurcA-SQVX0fO7vzPbwaE44aat6yZPTiKkzbsIPyF8U6a6_dwOAagqvhI7aNI/s1600/Kitchen.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgj9RfLlmvRhAj9Dh06m5-eaf8EuLvjPTUUBjHCP6GU9Hm-4it6Mk2vbYNu72KnK8iMUP1bewQm3cukLJurcA-SQVX0fO7vzPbwaE44aat6yZPTiKkzbsIPyF8U6a6_dwOAagqvhI7aNI/s200/Kitchen.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631235284279414370" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Another work in progress but far better than the olive green and harvest gold!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjarlUiHaLxQbZmo_aghQmIp2nXnKPeNd7FBGtc5DyC01k5A4ZraTDd-QffhM83VWGyzfbx04yE9DzIdgZ_gQtRQt3ON-EmWyhUBhuP9KhfpMoEQD_dDlKtKwzVEliAOTeiEv4sm3r_URM/s1600/Bathroom.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjarlUiHaLxQbZmo_aghQmIp2nXnKPeNd7FBGtc5DyC01k5A4ZraTDd-QffhM83VWGyzfbx04yE9DzIdgZ_gQtRQt3ON-EmWyhUBhuP9KhfpMoEQD_dDlKtKwzVEliAOTeiEv4sm3r_URM/s200/Bathroom.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631235278306130082" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Above: Yes, we have an outhouse but it is only "optional" seating :)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-pAM5p86oUdf3ytzBg4qwJykdx2t8VG8YxObEkMtSlNpKPwdRNLkO1YfLNDCeKSE6eizJ9D_3jtDerPHT6H81PVVfVtswn4aEIvlQwwsb4YSAVHIa5kRw3BPysuW9NUTqW0DtGA9f44/s1600/Bedroom.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-pAM5p86oUdf3ytzBg4qwJykdx2t8VG8YxObEkMtSlNpKPwdRNLkO1YfLNDCeKSE6eizJ9D_3jtDerPHT6H81PVVfVtswn4aEIvlQwwsb4YSAVHIa5kRw3BPysuW9NUTqW0DtGA9f44/s200/Bedroom.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631235272651286210" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Above: the master suite of our one-bedroom abode!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmHSDBek56WyGez1uGD69q9z0b0pAfJfoLuinulBpittJTO9DGxD4VyFjGTsDuaC8VGwRTomgqduBJMvHaFh13T6Z-rffx_WPq8JthcRjGCSDu6Vz83MgkXOM3uodWmUNCf80-NBibr1w/s1600/Cabin+Interior-1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmHSDBek56WyGez1uGD69q9z0b0pAfJfoLuinulBpittJTO9DGxD4VyFjGTsDuaC8VGwRTomgqduBJMvHaFh13T6Z-rffx_WPq8JthcRjGCSDu6Vz83MgkXOM3uodWmUNCf80-NBibr1w/s200/Cabin+Interior-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631235271800565234" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Above: a dated pic of the living room (a work in progress--I keep saying that don't I?!).</div>Nanci Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815969592455760751noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115515411520730278.post-44351876774501765282011-07-19T18:50:00.004-06:002011-07-26T20:26:44.704-06:00The Great Recession<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgag7naxhWjlPT0LS3K1kJENBOW9jJ1I3COKkodjcUr5Q0cnB_6Zk3yfiF2I_9Y4IFtb5fxwv1LxrXw822keTxhvv-AOIMyjpHs70Gup8xMxBkq-fjwyutoUx1BBkTj8USw1p9VhyphenhyphenWAGGE/s1600/DSC03210.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgag7naxhWjlPT0LS3K1kJENBOW9jJ1I3COKkodjcUr5Q0cnB_6Zk3yfiF2I_9Y4IFtb5fxwv1LxrXw822keTxhvv-AOIMyjpHs70Gup8xMxBkq-fjwyutoUx1BBkTj8USw1p9VhyphenhyphenWAGGE/s200/DSC03210.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631234309068130098" /></a><br />So how did we end up living in a 516 sq. ft cabin? Oh wait, that is an exaggeration. With the outbuilding that is our office we add another 100 sq feet!! Well we bought this as our rental property but then came the Great Recession of 2008 which left my husband taking "early retirement" and us holding the bag on a MUCH-larger house in a zip code that was quickly filling up with foreclosures. Exit stage right!! Sold the house and into the cabin we went. <div><br /></div><div>Talk about a transition. Yowsa. We downsized DRAMATICALLY. Had a very large garage sale and just closed our eyes to avoid the pain and horror of selling off all of our accumulated "stuff". Even after moving, we had to rid ourselves of more and more stuff. That was July, and then came our first winter! The two middle-aged downsizers were playing lumberjack by chopping down trees, splitting wood, and stacking said wood. Oh but wait, the great part is that we had to go out ALL WINTER LONG in the snow and ice to retrieve the wood!! Can you say "blizzard"?</div><div><br /></div><div>After our first winter and a spring that teased us with not-quite-yet-warm weather, we found out the true definition of "cabin fever". Argh, we had had quite enough of being stuck inside. </div><div><br /></div><div>But not to dissuade you from doing the same, fast forward three years and many modifications and a renovations and additions later. With a carport, deck, mud room, we can now spread out just a bit more. And most importantly, we have totally embraced our mountain home and neighborhood full of kind and generous folks. This ain't tract living! We have made more friends here than we ever did while living in the city.</div><div><br /></div><div>We traded quantity for quality--house size for fresh mountain air, elk, deer, birds of every variety, golden autumns, riotous springs, and everything that makes life worth living. We have a a laughable mortgage and the house cleans up in a jiffy allowing us to go out an play! </div><div><br /></div><div>Life is Good!</div>Nanci Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815969592455760751noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115515411520730278.post-5131916183720399812011-07-19T15:35:00.002-06:002011-07-19T15:42:19.457-06:00Elk in da 'hood!!We are so blessed to have numerous herds of elk in the neighborhood. This pic was taken just down the road (about 100 yards from the cabin) on my way to work. I think this was February of our first winter. This city girl was pretty impressed to be viewing wildlife on the way to work rather than cars in a traffic jam!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqfnOj8BPaNl3d8ZAHGXxjX747iW2zcEVMCxvqJZBJZbP3FR3L7cH3VrYpL6rL-n67SajIuz7Xou1WIiEWvYmfqyxv6u1z8lWUf8FWo4I26ofbH-BWeIiJ50PuMb0Qg_-28tVW0BLFtA4/s1600/PICT0001.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqfnOj8BPaNl3d8ZAHGXxjX747iW2zcEVMCxvqJZBJZbP3FR3L7cH3VrYpL6rL-n67SajIuz7Xou1WIiEWvYmfqyxv6u1z8lWUf8FWo4I26ofbH-BWeIiJ50PuMb0Qg_-28tVW0BLFtA4/s200/PICT0001.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631180742144033138" /></a>Nanci Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815969592455760751noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2115515411520730278.post-53551814523255942962011-07-19T15:24:00.004-06:002011-08-26T14:48:05.356-06:00First Glimpse of the Cabin!<div style="text-align: center;">Seriously? I mean really. Truly. Seriously? Well it <i>will be</i> our rental property, right? </div><div style="text-align: center;">We aren't going to live here, right?! Right?</div><div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0iqsZ18L_7nlO7qU-hb31Jbv42nACw_2Ho58upmODe-8uJ_OB1mCA8_ZyEE2kXDzTE_BOzEfW2dbsx9v-x9WOPiLTKH5QNtTNzYECR7Hi9R9Afg_pS0rLnqq9TQh0veKCLma1saR7NKQ/s1600/DSC01921.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0iqsZ18L_7nlO7qU-hb31Jbv42nACw_2Ho58upmODe-8uJ_OB1mCA8_ZyEE2kXDzTE_BOzEfW2dbsx9v-x9WOPiLTKH5QNtTNzYECR7Hi9R9Afg_pS0rLnqq9TQh0veKCLma1saR7NKQ/s200/DSC01921.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631178613605068402" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">The spacious living room complete with an ancient wood-burning stove. And brick flooring.</div><div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAx0HrJNFFLF4Sp_8fAuAi-wDIS1VSZTLVQEP9jRRjxtykljMPiJh8G4qu10gSWUoGQhmp6bbaWRFdZWzVR4x2E37bTXU_5vPxp6Z1ae6d84IYgBeNVJbfGxeKYVQvMNAnP5tgOvcU4ac/s1600/DSC01906.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAx0HrJNFFLF4Sp_8fAuAi-wDIS1VSZTLVQEP9jRRjxtykljMPiJh8G4qu10gSWUoGQhmp6bbaWRFdZWzVR4x2E37bTXU_5vPxp6Z1ae6d84IYgBeNVJbfGxeKYVQvMNAnP5tgOvcU4ac/s200/DSC01906.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631178604650200914" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">This is where 70's appliances came to die.</div><div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXNTC3-KH8SxqVxZhL6j03SiNv40eWGVueZvBzYSzxllaW1ZTVdZw1edjJFOIxi2mzatSgVSYbHr_DdqjLnk-ZTBnHw0lnmwfhh5mBfLsud7gEJ1ZL1J_qtCAHWiQgnuWRyIoElZO5QM/s1600/DSC01897.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXNTC3-KH8SxqVxZhL6j03SiNv40eWGVueZvBzYSzxllaW1ZTVdZw1edjJFOIxi2mzatSgVSYbHr_DdqjLnk-ZTBnHw0lnmwfhh5mBfLsud7gEJ1ZL1J_qtCAHWiQgnuWRyIoElZO5QM/s200/DSC01897.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631178599939613762" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">View from living room into the kitchen. Yes, that little room is the kitchen. </div><div style="text-align: center;">But again, this is our rental property, right?!</div><div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtoFLHycMD91Y6ygEgoBDqPuX5eIEEEsj1CDWDHzV-W8CNGZxu0UmujJu_p2uoUKCKcf2CcECvWjxbdWep__FiA-JQzcx5gX08O1Nw3FLi-gyhs2U58TJQ8yihJpZGRtTUaRP1womrsvo/s1600/DSC01894.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtoFLHycMD91Y6ygEgoBDqPuX5eIEEEsj1CDWDHzV-W8CNGZxu0UmujJu_p2uoUKCKcf2CcECvWjxbdWep__FiA-JQzcx5gX08O1Nw3FLi-gyhs2U58TJQ8yihJpZGRtTUaRP1womrsvo/s200/DSC01894.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631178591279071634" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">The cabin only a mother could love.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Could use a bit of HGTV magic. Correction, a WHOLE lot of HGTV magic!</div><div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgovtryu3P92vsQPBbyYqDnHCiqwq03ITfJKIBHExwlMxuqoHJHvHNuVItFW-OA9Oz8B2rsLMl1dItw25t1cTErRcxYMVTuKtVnh4PbS7mac9nf0AnjUvoBTr9jVASxZuEP5S7rz7ZuApQ/s1600/DSC01893.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgovtryu3P92vsQPBbyYqDnHCiqwq03ITfJKIBHExwlMxuqoHJHvHNuVItFW-OA9Oz8B2rsLMl1dItw25t1cTErRcxYMVTuKtVnh4PbS7mac9nf0AnjUvoBTr9jVASxZuEP5S7rz7ZuApQ/s200/DSC01893.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631178583863746770" border="0" /></a>Nanci Blisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815969592455760751noreply@blogger.com0