E in New Orleans

My cousin's precious, newly minted 3 year old! It is funny, my cousin is 10 years younger than me and her daughter is 10 years younger than my son. Things work out nicely.

 

The two cousins! Conor on the left, E in the center. 

 

Lunch happily sitting with Dad! The pigtails did not last long.

 

Beautiful Mom holding beautiful E.

 

What is that?  

 

Hello there!

 

Cousins (neither likes to pose - can you tell?)

 

Here I am!

 

Touched it :)

 

Ooooh! Now it is talking to me.  

 

My big bug!

 

Chillin' with the coy.

 

 

 

And that, my friends, was a lovely day. 

Bird in an airport!

We just got back from Colorado. Holy cow do I miss mountains! So what does bird in an airport have to do with that trip? Conor and I were waiting for our plane in the Denver airport and the cutest little sparrow suddenly swooped down and sat across from us. Conor and I watched it and it begged for food. It then calmly preened itself and looked happy. I realized that NO ONE was paying attention! Finally, a 3 year old saw it, squawked happily to him mother, who ignored him. It finally flew off and passed within a couple of feet of a man's head, who did not notice it.

It is kind of sad that in this busy world no one would enjoy a bird in an airport. Well, we did.

Picture time!

The three amigos. We have been friends for 40 years! I am in the middle, they were kind to crouch down a bit, I am 5'1", they are 5'11" and 6'. 

Here we are with our boys. Three are 13 years old and one is 11 years old.  

Photo bomb! 

 Conor in the snow! He is still in his air cast but managed well.  

More to come. I am off to see my cousin and her precious 3 year old! 

Moon Phases

Conor came up with a really cool idea for his science project on the phases on the moon. A 3D model where the moon spins around the earth and the sun really lights up. I wish my picture taking skills were better but here it is a dark room:

He took 2 battery operated push lights that we got at Walmart (they were on sale, $4 for 2 including the batteries!), spray painted them yellow, created a moving lever so the moon could circle the earth and put the moon phases below it. It looks so much better in person but I am proud of all the time he put into this. It was supposed to be geared for a 3rd grader that he is supposed to demo it for so this is simple and elegant. Total cost of the project: $12. Gotta love the boy!

How does this relate to animals? Try keeping 4 cats away from it! I had pieces of it drying in the oven, the pantry, etc. I am glad we decided to make it in pieces for transportation and hiding purposes.

Happy week-end everyone! And don't forget to hug your horse (imaginary or real)!

Something a little different

I am still working on my photography skills and just am not making the progress I hoped to make - most of that due to time constraints. The inspiration for this blog was reading other blogs so I decided I would list the blogs I follow.

In alphabetical order:

Brown Eyed Cowgirl http://browneyedcowgirls.blogspot.com: Really wonderful information on riding and how to handle horses. I have enjoyed following BEC as she develops her horses as well as her other adventures.

Fern Valley Appaloosas http://fernvalley01.blogspot.com: Awesome writing and a very inspirational read. Her pictures are wonderful and the narration brings everything to life. I have followed her for a very long time and often reread favorite posts for inspiration when I need an additional nudge.

Green n Green = Blank n Blue http://www.wildponybeast.com: The last time I rode seriously I was in my late teens so I am green. This was the first blog I started to follow and boy was I enthralled. She is so open and a talented writer. She is currently occupied and not riding but I continue to check in on this blog.

Laughing Orca Ranch http://laughingorcaranch.blogspot.com: This is what I wish I was doing. In my heart, I am a country girl, but fate has me working in the city with computers. I love my life but part of me wishes I had stayed true to my country nature. But then again, I would not have my son and husband so, no, there are no regrets. My hope is that when my son graduates from college, hubby and I can move away from the city and have some nice riding adventures. The photography is amazing!

Project Runaway: The Uncatchable Number 257 http://uncatchablenumber257.blogspot.com: No words can express how much I a moved by this young lady's dedication to this pearl of a horse. Sometime I wonder if she things I am a stalker but she really is inspirational in her connection to Imogen.

Restoring Joy http://helpingjoy.blogspot.com: This blogger's quirky sense of humor won me over immediately. I enjoy following her updates on these beasties that are her children.

The Adventures of Jack & Jill http://stonegatefarm-adventuresofjackjill.blogspot.com: While she does not post any more and uses Facebook, the posts are incredibly witty and absolutely hysterical. I still go back from time to time for a smile.

The Continental Drift: A Piece of a Heart Horse Comes Home http://the-continental-drift.blogspot.com: This is Imogen's mom who had an incredible adventure bringing Pangea home. Pangea appears more in Imogen's blog as these two girls have become best friends.

Wyvern Oaks http://pieceofheaven1951.blogspot.com: I just started following this blog and am already hooked. I am still reading backwards but look forward to additional adventures here.

I often wonder if you are really aware of how many unknown masses you really touch. Thank you for sharing pieces of yourself so freely on the interewebs.

Princess Ashley

I love this cat. She is temperamental but sweet and has the loudest purr. She is also the one of the four that will hiss and spit with the most drama. This is my favorite photo, I think he show her 'tude quite well. She was getting very tired of me taking pictures of her - come on mom, STOP IT!

There can be peace!

In an effort to get back to animal posts, I took a picture of the two prima donnas of the house napping together. If THEY can be relaxed in close proximity, I am confident there can be peace elsewhere.

I give you Mini, Queen of All There Is and Ashley, a.k.a Princess Ashley Pants:

NEVER would I have thought these two would ever nap together :). Ashley is the long haired kitty in the front.

May there be peace and purrs in your household as well!

Holy cow, WOW!

Is this a war zone? Hmmm, it looks kind of familiar.

More army guys, wonder if they are friendly?

They are!

Some people wonder why I am so affected by hurricanes - the pictures above were of where I work one week after Katrina. So many wonderful soldiers protected our hospital. So many wonderful men and women helped rescue and house the vulnerable. Yes, they set up camp in our parking lots and open space. They were very welcomed there.

I was asked to go in a little over a week after the hurricane to retrieve research samples that were in CO2 tanks. Some of the cell lines were 20+ years old and back then, they were not anywhere else. It was a grueling 18 hour day driving in from Baton Rouge escorted by the National Guard for our protection. I ran across these pictures and thought about the people I met and how I saw so much more good than bad. My faith in humanity was restored in those weeks as my son and I were taken in by strangers and I had the Guard and commandos watching over me that day. The Lord sent angels in fatigue to make sure I made it back safely.

Oh, and here is me with the commandos! It is a good thing pictures cannot emit odors ..we were very, very smelly that day!

Say a prayers for all those who put themselves on the line for us each and every single day.