A Little Life

"Mommy?"

...Duncan gave me a stern look through his space helmet.

"Yes."  I answered, taking special care to look him in the eye through the glint of his visor.

"I'm here to save the world."

"Oh.  That's a pretty big job."

"Uh-huh." He agreed as he raced off to take care of some enemies.

Eventually, spacemen do get hungry -- I mean, saving the world takes a lot out of a boy!  And, when their parents are out shopping for a dresser, it is possible that spacemen will be seen eating in the Ikea dinning hall.

Ikea is one of Duncan's very favorite places to go to look around.  He asks to go and then visits every display, sharing his dreams of it:  "Mommy, look!  You could work on the computer there while I slept in this bed here."  Or, "Mommy, this sure is a cool table.  I like that sink over there, too.  I could help you do dishes and make dinner in a kitchen like this one.  Then, Daddy could sit over there.  We'd make cookies, too."

Gardening at HP

Here's my little helper posing for a photo with the first zukes from our plot (we're sharing with a friend).  Duncan enjoys playing in the dirt while I weed and water.  Sometimes, there is a little sampling of the soil -- to be sure it is of the finest quality.

Digi In Deep with Jessica

I'm at it again. I'm taking another digital scrapbook class from Jessica Sprague. And, I'm just so jazzed to be learning more about Photoshop!  Makes it so much easier to do things and have fun.

Chomsky, Fishing, and Mono Lake

On Saturday, we said goodbye to our cat Chomsky.  Since then, it's been hard to figure out what to do next.  She was a huge part of our routine and a good friend for 15 years.  I'm so grateful to have had her in our lives and though it goes without saying, I really miss her.

To make it a little easier to transition from how it was to how it is now, I'm going to continue blogging about our vacation and move on to other things going on in our lives.  So without further ado, some more vacation photos...

The first photo is of Duncan at Virginia Lakes (Blue Lake, actually).  He enjoyed fishing quite a bit this year and caught his first fish in the river in my parent's yard.  But, we were fishing with barb-less hooks and it got away.  (Only four years old and he already has a story about the one that got away!)

The next photo is one that Erik took at Mono Lake.  Mono Lake is an amazing place and one of my favorite haunts when I go home for a visit!

The Mines II

While in Bridgeport, Erik rode his bike around to explore the surrounding area.  One day, Joe (my little brother) went with him.  During the ride they encountered some old mining equipment that they'd never seen before -- which is saying a lot since they both spend a lot of time out there!  Here are two shots:  One of the equipment and another of an abandoned mine.

Walk About

After we settled in a bit, we went in a variety of directions, taking in all that we could while in Bridgeport.  Erik went out with Joe to investigate more mines (those photos tomorrow) and I went looking for some family records at the County Court House and the local museum.  Then, Mom, Joe, Malinda, and I went for a little hike in the Bodie Hills.

Below, Mom and Joe are standing under a grove of aspen trees on one of the pieces of land my parents own in the hills.  Wild onions, sage, and even mushrooms grow all over in this spot.  They're fed by underground spring that creates an oasis of sorts in the high desert.  It's just so beautiful there!

Helping Joe and the Mines

The next few days of our vacation were spent recovering from our drive and settling into a new routine.  However, Duncan and Erik did get out with Uncle Joe (my brother) and his pups to work on some head-gates on the river.

Besides his own welding business, Joe is employed by a group (I'm not sure if they are private or public ) to control the flow of the river.  Joe operates the local dam and various head-gates to enable irrigation and other uses downstream.  Duncan and Erik had a blast "helping" Joe make his rounds.

In addition, Erik head out via his motorcycle to get a much needed break from it all and explore some old roads and ghost-towns.  He was gone most of the day, snapping various photos of abandoned mines as he made his way out of California, into Nevada, and then back again.  I just love this photo he shot because the tracks are present and so obvious -- not something very common in these old mines.

Thanks and First Stop...

Before I get to the first stop on our recent vacation, I wanted to thank my friend Christina for awarding my blog the Brillante Weblog Premio 2008!  As you know, I never seem to be able to limit my choices to pass these things on.  And, this award is no different.  Nevertheless, I am honored to be listed!  Thanks again Christina -- I really enjoy your blog, too.

-------------------------------

Now, on to the first stop in our vacation...

We drove for twelve long hours.  When we reached Placerville I jumped out of the car and wished Duncan and Erik a safe trip on to Bridgeport.  I would meet them the next evening.  Then, I visited with my parents at the hotel and made ready for my niece's wedding the next day.  (Yes, I let Erik off the hook for the wedding since he drove the entire way.  Plus, he'd agreed to watch Duncan all the next day -- pretty sweet deal, if you ask me!)

Needless to say, the wedding (and bride) were beautiful.  (And, yes, I did shed a few tears of joy and disbelief -- when did she grow up?)  However, I'm surprised that none of the wedding party passed out (or seemed impacted) from the heat.  It was a sweltering 100 degrees inside the church; daunting conditions for my Northwest sensibilities.

Er...uh...now for a confession:  I was carrying around both cameras (SLR and snapshot) because I didn't want to miss anything.  And, I was hanging out with Sarah (my youngest sister) who carries her SLR everywhere, too (snapping is a sickness that Kathy, Sarah, and I share).  At one point, we were approached by some of the family (groom's side) and asked if we were with the photographers.  Maybe we were a little too snap-happy?

Good Morning!

I'll share vacation details over the next few days.  But, first things first:  I hope that you all had a great Fourth and that this week is off to an awesome start!

Next, I just had to share this photo of the Nixi Clock Erik is in the process of building (with Nixi tubes for the hours, minutes, and seconds).  I think it is very cool (and intriguing).  There is such an awesome handmade quality to it with a splash of nostalgia for different times, I think.  I've suggested giving it a Steampunk treatment, but Erik has other plans.  (Well, it is his hobby.  So, I guess he can do what he wants.  I guess.  Heh-heh.)

I can't wait to see it when he's finished!

It's That Time of Year Again...

Time for a little mouse break. Catch up to you again, soon!