Eating sand in Australia

Sand boarding in Australia. His title is "About to eat sand"

It seems he is really having fun. Looks like it would be a blast!

Busy gardening, and lots of fishing, almost ready for a fish fry.

The last days of this school year are here. Kids are ready to be out, and we are ready too.

I am spending time wandering around the buildings, trying to retrieve library books.

Next photo, "Roos."

See ya!

Pretty in pink

David called; Kim has been accepted to law school!
She will start in the fall @ the same University Dave attends.

Next year after Dave graduates with a double masters, she wants to finish in Colorado. That will work for us; Denver is only a 20 hour drive!

I promise to post a current photo of Shelby tomorrow; this one is just pretty!
See you in the funny papers...or in cyberspace?

New Easter Frocks

Obviously it did not snow in Katie and Maddie’s part of the country. Pretty girls are sporting new frocks for Easter!

We will be busy replanting beans and other veggies the cold weather withered.
Shelby will come by to pick up her Easter goodie package and perhaps stay the night

Another Snowman

The old adage “If you don't like the weather, wait a few minutes!" seems to be true, snow in Texas in April. First snow in two years….and it killed the butter beans. This came after a week of unseasonably warm temperatures. It has been like May in March and now March in April. Wonder what May will be like, August or April? I read an article when I first moved to Texas; the author claimed God made August in Texas so Texans would have a reason to leave the state. I have always maintained that since I'm not a Texan, I should leave in July and August.While my family in Seattle was basking in balmy weather; we were huddled in front of the wood burning stove!
The other snowman, from a few posts ago, is in Kuwait; he will be on the water and heading towards Australia on the 16th. He loves Australia, he says they are so much like us, I would guess it comes from our ancestors fleeing England, and/or being sent to penal colonies; we have a shared past.

Aftermath of Hurricanes

Rita blew through and left us with uprooted trees, a few leaks and no electricity, we took Granny to bunk with Tate and Deb. The rest of us came over in the afternoons and stayed till our house had a chance to cool down. Not that it ever did! We were out of electricity for a week. We borrowed a generator and were able to keep the freezers on.

We ate well, Darrin came home for the hurricane, and here he is shredding chicken for his fantastic Enchiladas. Missy is so patient, I'll bet she got some chicken, right?
Kit had gone back to New Orleans for this hurricane; she did not stay long; things were much less damaged this far north.

Jeff and Stewart at Musselfest

We recently camped on Whidbey Island with our Winnebago group. We went there for the Musselfest celebration that is sponsored by Penn Cove Mussel Farm, the company that Stewart builds equipment for. We met up with Stewart and went out on a tour boat to see how mussels are raised and harvested. The farm manager who was leading the tour could not stop talking about what a great job Stewart does with their equipment. Here is a picture of the brothers on the tour boat.

Snow in Iraq?

This guy is really not this happy in Rutbah, An Bar Province, Iraq. The dumfounded look is because that is not sand, but snow!

His tour was extended for the third time. He was to leave 20 Jan. now it will be May or June. The boy just wants to come home and marry his sweetheart!

When he does come home he will move to another desert, and train all the few and proud who will be taking his place "over there".

Kit unloading the dishwasher and Sadie wanting to help, or hinder? That was her favorite spot in the kitchen (Sadie). Photo taken when the 'girls' were living with us. We sure miss them.

I will be holding a Book Fair this next week. That is always a long and tiring week! The open house evening is always very busy, and the goodnight and thankyou announcement is ignored in the Library, we have to keep reminding the parents to go home! But they do buy books!

Darrin seems to be in better humor this week. You guys e-mail him, he gets so lonely out there in El Anbar Province, Iraq.

Have tractor will work

Pet Rock is on winter break. Working harder most days. Tilling the soil for planting, both veggies and getting the flower beds ready to sow.

His work is easier with Mr. Long as daddy called the tractor.

This must be breaktime. That was the compost bed last season. Guess I will have to find another spot.

Kathy had an idea for the front entry bed, so we will put in a mound and reshape the walk in the courtyard. All this and looks like we need to go fish, Who is ready for a fish fry?

Skiing at Stevens

The Broke30 crew has been skiing at Steven's Pass every Saturday for the past 2 months, enjoying the great outdoors. Little Connor and Abbi took lessons; it was Connor's first time on skis. On the last day we had fresh snow and a wonderful time. His parents drove up and hiked up the hill to watch Connor compete in a little ski race, concluding his beginner class. After class we took Connor to the backside of the mountian; his first time to ski those chairs. It was a grand adventure.

Here is Dave and Kim at Boston Commons, July 2005.

Darrin says the DOD will not let him look, too bad since he and Janira were on the first post!

Mary, you Jeff and Sandi can join us here at Mutt's Mountain! What would you guys show us?

It will be fun, hope Kat and Nita climb aboard.

Kaitlyn and Madison @ Mardi Gras!

Get a load of the beads. Wonder where all the beads we caught wound up?

Remember the coins?

Kaitlyn takes after her Great Grandmother...she was Mardi Gras Queen too!

This is Katy and Maddie. These are Debbie's Grandbabies, makes the my GREAT grandbabies!

I had to swing by Tate and Deb's after work to send this out!

This is Mutt's Mountain.

This is where we will share the life and times and photographs of our families.

I just happen to have a photo of Darrin and Yanira taken last summer. So, I’ll go first!

I do not know what mountain they climbed, but they enjoy hiking.

I will add more photographs next time.

Let's have some fun!