Thanksgiving Tasties

Our babies are so abused.

Daddy gives them peanut butter which sticks to the top of their mouth so they keep licking it and licking it. They get some turkey and ham bites as a reward for entertaining their parents.

Texas Week

The new solar field testing trip began with a family mini vacation.
We always wanted to see Tombstone and we ran right into it on our way to New Mexico.

Friendly town!

Let's step inside.

No, we did not take the ride.

This is Lili. She is walking around and showing off her little western outfit made by her mommy and collecting donations for the animal shelter.

My doggies go: Looook at Youuuu! How much do they pay you to wear that silly outfit?

Before the gunfight.

Buck and Spitz did not like the gunfight act. They tried to hide and to run away.

Scene from Tombstone.

This is the wagon I would like for my front yard. It's not for sale, neither do I have room on my front yard. Oh well....sigh.....

Wonder if the substitute teachers are still allowed to carry guns into school?

Our short old west vacation ended with a long drive to El Paso, Texas.

The first night, we got smoked out of the La Quinta Inn and escaped to the smoke free Residence Inn Marriott. It was a difficult decision to make that move especially for me.

Hanging out all day for 4 days in the clean and beautiful Marriott was a hardship and we all suffered so much.

Buck was looking out the window every night after dark thinking: It's time for daddy to come home.

I spent the mornings in the fitness room and in the swimming pool, while Spitzers and Buck got bored watching Animal Planet and took their beauty nap.

The boys are cuddled in for the night. Where do I sleep? Floor or sofa? Hmmmm...

Mark's office in south-west New Mexico. He took the family to see how he spent his days out on the sun, getting a tan, in the sand dunes and lovely but thorny bushes, playing on a tractor....

Doooon't go there!

They should keep these fields in Iraq. That's where they need them. No?

Spitz is looking for excitement and would like to explore the White Sand area, so I keep him on the leash.

Buck is running around on the solar field site not wanting to blow up.

Boys day out

I left early this morning to visit my favorit stores today. Winco for food, so I can have my weekend cooking shows, and JoAnn's for more projects of course.

Mark was up bright and early and was ready for a boys alone day.
Buck and Spitz were excited to see what daddy has planned for them.

Needless to say, the boys got into the Jeep and took off as soon as the sun came up.
They were on a firewood hunting trip driving on a dirt, logging road on the mountain side. Buck and Spitz were in the back enjoying the ride in the cool, fall, morning breeze until Buck decided that he needed more space, so he pushed on Spitzers with his nose until the poor little pup fell overboard. The little doggie flew out of the Jeep and rolled behind it for a bit. Lucky they didn't go too fast, or so tells the story I hear ...They stopped to gather up Spitzers. He got up groggy and staggered back to the Jeep. Mark put him into the front seat, where he was much safer from big brother's pestering.

Buck is turning into a typical older brother.
Another example:
The other day we had a rain storm. Spitz does not like rain AT ALL.
Buck was laying inside the shed, blocking the doggie door, locking Spitzers out.
Spitz was yep yep yeping out there and getting all soaked when we finally went out to see what's going on.

Hmmm . No pictures this time.

Mark is Playing Again

Another solar field site inland from the central coast;
east of San Luis Obispo and west of Bakersfield.

Diggin' it

















You can see how much he suffers out there on the hot sun playing with the tractor.

Bringing the loadframe for some testing.

That's how he spent last week, slaving from sunrise to sunset each day.

Almost as fun as being a farmer.

Last Days of Summer?

The last rose in bloom this summer. My garden is slowly fading out.
Year around summer doesn't sound too bad to me.



















Buck would rather have year around winter.



















Spitz likes the warm sunshine, but he grew his thick, winter coat just in case.

Better watch out I'm tellin' you why, 'cause Anabel is coming to toooown.

That's right!
Anabel made her debut in Pine Cove this weekend to visit the leader of her fan club.

























Grandpa drove her all the way from Mesa to have dinner with us.

We were all amused watching Anabel posing and having fun with the camera.

Her mommy told her to "make a cute face" ..........

right..... like she could make one that's not cute?

After Anabel got too sleepy to deal with the rest of us,

we had a late night talk show with the Dopps. Really late!

Saturday morning, Anabel is playing a piano duet with grandma.

We all had to take a morning stroll with the doggies.

Snuggling with mom is soooooo cozy.

Buck thinks Anabel is so cute and yummy looking, he sure would like to, at least,

give her a doggie kiss.

...and there he goes.....

We drove up to Lancaster with everyone to visit grandma Joyce for the rest of Saturday.

Anniversary Week Chapter VI

Last stop: St. George



















The town grew and changed so much since I lived here, I can't find anything.
Twice we could not find the antique shop I loved years ago.
The red rocks are still here and we need to pay even if we want to look at them.
Hiking in the canyons is out of question. We can't afford to drive through Zion it costs so much
AND no pets allowed.



















The trees and the creek is still there in Pine Valley and it is affordable to visit them. For a $2.00 fee we were all able to walk around, dogs and all...What a bargain!
























Running out of daylight, we stayed in St. George and did a little swimming and soaking in the hot tub.

Next morning, we loaded up the tummy with a logger's breakfast to carry us through the long drive.

For our anniversary dinner on Wednesday, September 9th, Mark took me to our favorit Thai restaurant in Banning.

The End