candles & fireplaces

Woke up this morning at 5:45 a.m. and it was 36 degrees of coldness! Guitar classes started again and yes, my little class showed up on time! I must confess, I love 'structure' and missed teaching - I think the 'retired' life is never going to happen for me! Anyway, as far as I can tell. Every day before lessons, I light up the candles - this morning reminded me of fall . . .BTW, this candle scent has become one of my favorites for summer.

Saturday, I was picking up around the house and grabbed the newspaper to throw it away - I totally dislike things laying around. As I reached for it I thought, "Hey, that picture looks familiar! SURPRISE . . . come to find out it was the picture I took last month on Poleline Road. Recently, I sent it in to our local newspaper and entered it into their photo contest! I had no idea they were running it in the paper! Really, I was shocked! It's the second pic on the page - it's the largest image they ran! Anyway - the photo contest are pictures of the upper valley. They are going to pick 12 of the best pictures (each person can only submit (1) and the winners will have their pictures made into a calendar! Sweet!

And . . . another 'guess-what' - I had to turn the fireplace on this morning and the heater on during lessons! It's COLD around 'these parts'! The sun is also disappearing earlier these days. We walk the dogs at night and I noticed it was getting much darker than even last week. I'm not sure I'm ready for this - fall!

r.u.s.h. triathlon

We were prepared for a terrible day - the forecast was showers and cold temps - highs in the 60's! It was cloudy but it was a beautiful morning - not too cold for 'us Idahoans' - it was actually a perfect day for a race, not too hot, not too cold. I hear the water temp was warmer than the outside temp! That's Idaho!

Well, I have to tell you about the beginning of the race. The second group into the water was Bob's group. One of the first out of the water was this guy, pictured in the top two pics. At first, I thought someone got hypothermia along the way and they were bringing him into shore in a boat. No! This dude (didn't get his name) swam towing this boat with a kid who had cerebral palsy and had to carry him to shore and put him in a wheel chair before he could go on to the next phase of the race. It was inspiring to watch.

Not long after, Bob and the next group climbed out of the water and his next task was getting dressed for the second phase of the race - biking. He said he liked the swim the best - it was the easiest! I guess those three swims a week (for a year!!!!!!) helped ease the pain of the whole thing!



The men took off twenty minutes before the women. This was Heather's first triathlon and she was worried! Brian said she didn't sleep all night due to nerves. But just look at her - she looks like a pro even though she hadn't been swimming in a long, long time - especially in an open body of water! Even though the swim wasn't her strongest event, she came out of the water well before most of the other women. When she hit the bike, she was feeling comfortable and made up some good time.

COME BACK TOMORROW FOR MORE PICTURES OF THE CONCLUSION OF THE RACE AND MEDALS! YES, MEDALS!



Brian just finished building a custom titanium road bike for a girl named Virginia (pictured) and she came from Colorado to pick it up and while she was here, she decided to do her first ever triathlon! She came out of the water almost last but made up time on the biking event - her strong event!

It was a VERY BUSY weekend taking pictures! Shhhhewwwwah!

just wonna talk

pictured: did you ever wonder where your canola oil comes from - I call this pic, "canola in the raw"!

I've been rushing and rushing for the past few weeks, I haven't been able to sit and just take a deep breath and chat!  I guess we could discuss the weather - it's feeling a bit 'springish' around these parts with a high of 68 degrees today and 63 degrees tomorrow.  We used our feather comforter last night to keep warm!  Ha!  We've also had some spectacular weather as well - lightening and thunder that dwarfs our 4th of July celebration, big-time.  Tornados have been spotted in nearby counties and high winds that have blown many 'tops of trees' completely out!   

It's been a fun an amazing week despite the travel and such. As we were zooming past the miles and miles of nothingness, I couldn't help but think how our ancestors had to walk past all those miles of nothingness - I couldn't help but ponder the hardships they endured so we could have what we have today.  

On our way home, we traveled a road that was new to us while we listened to a talk show describing 'zero population' and not leaving our 'carbon footprint' behind when we depart this earth.  I had to laugh because there were vast expanses of land stretching behind and ahead of us with no one in sight for hours in either direction!

This time of morning it's pretty quiet around here - Bob is off riding his bike for miles and miles!  His big race is next weekend, August 15th.  He hasn't missed a day of training in over a year - can you even wrap your head around that?!  I prefer my soft bed and pillow which has, by all rights, given me my soft stomach and butt - I must change my ways!  Three days a week he swims and three days a week he rides his bike.  He doesn't run as it's not good on his legs and hips (remember, he bionic!) but does that the day of the race!  I'll be there photo-journaling his adventure.

Be back in a minute!

BSM - Best Shot Monday - Playing "Mr. Shy-Guy"

Cooper is funny and 'smart' in front of the camera - do we have a future 'star' in the making?

Had a guitar class today since we had company last week, they came today! Ahhhhh, now I have a little break for the summer to do a few fun things! Oh what shall they be, pray-tell? I want to get some reading done, take some photos, do some visiting - blah, blah, blah - you get the picture.

Washed (3) dogs today! Amazing what you can accomplish when you have a little time on your hands!  I dabbled in a little laundry and cleaning here and there.  My brain has been nothing more than desiring sleep and rest - seems like when I sit down to blog-away, my brain shuts down and my eyes go into zombie-mode.  You would think with summer here, there would be a TON of stuff to talk about!  Basically, I'm pretty tired tonight and that's why 'the brain' is not functioning.  I'll go and get some ZZZZZzzzzzz's and then reevaluate this blog post!  

remember! GIVE-AWAY at berta's place!

Scroll down to see the GIVE-AWAY going on. Don't miss out!

PIONEER DAY:
It was OUR TURN to set the flags out again - even though we roll out of bed at 6 a.m. on a summer morning, I really love doing it.  If you notice the picture (left), our ward is really on the ball as all the flags are color coded as there are three routes that need to be done - works really well.  Each route is done within 30 minutes, give or take.  The kids are amazing, as always and it's always fun to be around happy, energetic people!  

Tonight, firecrackers are going off all over the neighborhood because it's Pioneer Day!  July 24th is set aside each year to remember the pioneers who crossed the plains to settle the west.  Many of our ancestors were 'those brave ones' who sacrificed so much so we could have what we have today!