i got wood :)

Dave got back a day later than planned due to unfavorable flying weather. He brought me home a piece of really old barn wood.

There is my wood - tucked in the back of Steve's plane.

The highlight of his trip was getting lost in this cave. Four hours of walking around in circles and crawling in and out of tight spaces. It was cold and dark, muddy and slippery - and there were bats. He didn't have drinking water but he was proud he had the camera and extra flashlight batteries. At least this way, he could take a picture of himself in a flashlight-lit path - dying from thirst ;)

spilt beer

Just what do you do with a broken bottle of imperial stout?

Why, enjoy it of course ;)
Dave is going to go up some mountains with his buddies on Friday. He wont be back 'til late Monday night. Three full nights away...same number of nights we ever spent apart in the thirteen years we've been together.
I am so excited to miss him. I get the giggles thinking about our hug when he gets back -- although he'll probably be smelling like dead bunnies and spilt beer.

say cheese ^.^

A nifty little gadget. It clamps to almost anything.
I bought it immediately after my friend told me about it.

It's a tripod. I got it so I can take more photographs of myself.

And all I've done is take photographs of it.

i'm back

It has been a week of reunions, picnics and surprises. Snow brought home roses from a boy last Friday- I almost died. Last saturday we drove 70 miles to see friends. Four days later, four of my many relatives from California were in Florida for a cruise and drove 230 miles to see us.

My mom's oldest brother (she has seven) and the best-looking 69-year-old I have ever met. :)
I miss family. Makes me wonder what I am doing here in Florida - well, right now missing them is more manageable than the thought of moving someplace else.

it's a flat world

It all started with Zicke, Snow's first sewing project. Now there is a book and the whole family is here as well.

Here is Zicke, towering over his parents. In his mother's arms is his brand new baby sister. And to his right is his petite blue-headed grandmother, who is just a wee bit taller than their family pet, Peek.
I found them hanging about Flat Map Park this morning, a perfect opportunity for a photograph. When Snow got home from school she led them across the river to Mushroom Restaurant where they had early dinner reservations.

not quite quiet

Spring break is over and it is quiet in the house again. For a whole week, life was all fun and games. We had a lot of outside fun, I got rid of my farmer's tan and now have the worst tan line ever - sunglasses tan. I never thought I'd end up with reverse-raccoon eyes but I guess there is a first time for everything.

And since I am in the topic of raccoons, we were awakened (again) last night by their squealing. They mate quite viciously. It is almost the end of their mating season and almost the end of our season of sleeping with windows wide open so I say that was a pretty good finale.

amused

...on how the sky changed into different shades of blue as the night progressed

...on my numerous attempts to get a shot of my family on the giant swing and end up with photos of strangers - swinging happily :)

...(and horrified) on how expensive everything was.

teddy bears and picnics

if you go down to the woods today...you're sure of a big surprise...

BOO!
Snow bought a teddy bear with her birthday money and called it Luna. She asked me to make a baby sling; a sling and not a toy stroller. Seeing her brother grow up strapped to me, not some bulky baby gadget, influenced her way of playing mommy. I am hoping this will carry on to her motherhood as well.

Later she asked me to make her pretend boobies. But, you see, Luna is a bear, she can only get bear's milk from a bear or a bottle. So now we have to get bottles. I have an empty sake bottle we can use. I wonder what the moms in the playground will say about that, a bear in a sling, drinking sake.

Speaking of moms, I have two new mommy friends. One is a homeschooling mother of three, a hottie with a fashionable Eastern European accent. The other is from Costa Rica, tall and tan, with beautiful wavy hair and toned abs and, of course, a sexy accent. If this isn't inspiration enough to get back into shape then I don't know what is.

We are having a picnic at the waterpark. The camera will stay home as I will be fully engaged in some worry-free splashing and sliding. I hope Maku is tall enough to go down the big slides.

snow's birthday

canoeing at 10
lose flip flops at 11
find surprise picnic
unwrap presents - the little cash bag with the spriggy thingy (bottom right) was a favorite
get attacked by bugs
run home
celebrate some more

birthday cheers

hooray! hooray! hooray! it's dave's 34th birthday!