summer snaps

Before summer gets wound any tighter, some snapshots from summer so far.

:: Rhubarb pie and how we spent Father's Day.

First painted nails.  He has always claimed to be the pro.

:: Her style.

:: Garden gnomes.  (Garden update coming soon....)

:: Hiking fools.  (Once we moved past the scariness of the "wind".  BAH!  More on that later.)  

:: Mountain Days, our local festival.  *This* is the kick-off to our almost-daily "Indian dancing" that prances well into winter.

:: We've been meeting with a few other families for nature-education activities.  Wetland bug collecting, netting and observing fish at a warm springs, hiking.

:: Home projects.  My man's been a busy beaver: gnawing, cutting, fitting things together.  He's made one coop and a chicken tractor, with just a few finishing touches needed.  Below, Juniper inspects the windows above the nest boxes.

She also pretends to lay eggs and has me collect them.  

If she's gone missing, I generally know where to find her.

The Beaver rented equipment to start moving a mountain of gravel.  His assistant was at the ready.

:: Wearing the tourist hat.  Sometimes I forget about all the activities in our neighboring resort town.  After too many days pegged at home with a small contagion, we found ourselves with a free-day and 90(!) degrees.  What to do?  We headed up the mountain.  (Juniper has been reading a book involving a gondola, making this trip extra awesome.)

On the way up we spotted more arrowleaf balsamroot, which has been done in the lowlands for a few weeks now.  Juniper was so excited! about everything, she said (loudly), "Wow, Mama!  There are so many flowers on this big round earth!"    

We didn't stay long at the top or do any hiking (thanks to the effing "wind"), but it was fun and not 90 degrees.  At the bottom, we ate ice-cream cones.  Later that night I snuggled Juniper in bed and, as usual, asked what her favorite part of the day was: "Eating ice-cream cones."  It's always the small stuff.  I should have known.  

:: Hazel's favorite: catching bubbles in the yard.

:: My man always works well into the night of July 4th.  I had grand plans to take the kids to a (free!) Old Crow Medicine Show concert in said resort town, followed by a brilliant fireworks display.  I had been looking forward to it for weeks.  The concert was for me, the fireworks for us, followed by a late-night drive home.  I had the evening perfectly choreographed in my mind, but everything hinged on the kids taking a good, long, afternoon nap.  Juniper didn't nap a wink.  I bailed.  I hate bailing.  Wyoming Public Radio broadcast the event live, so I listened between outdoor chores and drawing the kids' bath.  Juniper caught me in a reverie--listening--on the mudroom steps.  It was early in the show and they were playing a fantastic instrumental.  I was sitting on the steps envisioning myself there, surrounded by that energetic buzz.  Juniper asked, "Mama, do you like listening to this big round world?"  "Yes, baby, I do."  I said.  "Awwwwe.  That's sweet."  She said.       

Sweet, indeed.  In the end, the night unfolded exactly as it was meant to.  The kids bathed, brushed teeth, zipped into pajamas, and then BAM!  POP!  ZING!  "Okay kids!  Let's go!  Get your boots on!  Quick!  In the car!  Go, go, go!"  They didn't dilly-dally.  They nearly knocked themselves over getting shoes on and into their carseats.  We drove a mile down the road, parked next to the river alongside a casual gathering of townsfolk and watched the blasts from the other side.  Turns out, our puny little town is like a little dog with a loud bark.  It was quite the show.  

Hazel clapped and cheered with each explosion.  Juniper snuggled into the blankets with a grin on her face as I yelled into her earmuffs... WE'RE... CELEBRATING... THE... INDEPENDENCE... OF... OUR... NATION!  ISN'T... THIS... AWESOME?  Old Crow Medicine Show sang live from my car speakers and we rocked the night together, like a Wagon Wheel.  

     

(^You tube video of Wagon Wheel.  E-mail subscribers, I think you have to go to my website to view.  Anyway, no Darius Rucker at our show, but you get the idea.^)

Cheers.