Monday, April 16, 2012

April Madness


Wood Cutting in Garner Valley


Those rounds are huge! We needed to split them into quarters to be able to handle them and even then, they are HEAVY!












Like my stack?






Afternoon walk









Let me into my doggie yard!












Our first dinner on the ranch. We did not prep for it too well. No matches, no plates, no forks, no napkins. No problem. We have a welding torch to start the fire with, bucket lids to use for plates, fingers to eat with and shop towel for being neat.








We even have helpers to watch the food.












Doggies Birthday Month.

These babies are officially seniors. Buck is 10 and Spitz is 8.

Old dogs have new tricks. They like to sleep close to us these days.

Spitz has a big pillow next to my side of the bed, and Buck got a new inside bed, next to Mark's side of the bed, for his birthday. Spitz is breaking it in for him here.






















Spitzers bed




















Buck's bed












Crashed out
































My little Blind Boone










Easter Weekend



















The house in summer fashion






















Pretty cold to be summer yet. Even Buck hugs up the hot tiles.













Snowed in again















































































Orange County Ragfest
We start out with John Reed-Torres


















The Palmer gang joined us for this fun Sunday afternoon. Stephen and Ruth with Bea. Yeah. That's me.
























Vincent Johnson invites a new, young ragtime talent, Ryan to join his set.











Cousin Karen enjoyed the sunshine and the Ragtime with us.
























Andrew Barrett on piano, with Evans and Rogers in a Vaudeville performance. Awesome!!!!!!














Shopping for a Ragtime car.

























With Vincent Johnson. He plays Novelty Rags. If it's not Novelty, he will not play it. He is also a composer.






















John is shopping for a new car too. He is a Scott Joplin incarnate. He loves James Scott's music also and he composes fantastic rags about his hometown Los Angeles.








This is my new 4WD. It matches my tractor.
















Here is the gang minus Karen.














Sunday, March 18, 2012

Birthday Weekend







My delicious birthday dinner by Annamarie Padula.










Porkfat rules!



















































My cake!



The best cake in the world! I love the hard chocolate layer on top and the mocca flavor in the frosting.
Plenty energy for snow walking.









































Sunday morning doggie walk to Pine Cove Park.







































Baby face is chilly.
























Monday, February 27, 2012

Señor y la Señora Palmer

Ruth and Stephen forever!
Congratulations!!!!
They are a sweet couple, perfect for each-other.

Having a little fun with the rings.





Ruth is giving her promisses. Stephen is lucky, because he doesn't understand Spanish. Most husbands would give an extra ring for not understanding the wife. :)







The 3 amigos: Paul, Stephen and Mark.







The Palmers:
Nicholas, Anna, Jeanette, Uncle Revier in the back and Paul.








We had a wonderful time! It was great to see a lot of the family members. I am short on pictures, because I was too busy dancing. Play Latin and Caribbean music and I will stay on the dance floor all night. This was about the first time Mark and I really danced.


Thank you Ruth for the good tunes!



Anyone would like to donate pictures from the wedding, please email them to Mark & Bea.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Happy Birthday Annamarie!








Birthday dinner with best friends.

From left: Lou, Sally, Nancy, Annamarie and Mark.





Nancy made this beautiful cake.









I can't believe we ruined it by eating it.









Nancy, Bea and Annamarie










Will you share your cake, please?

No, Buck! I will not!














Nancy loves to play in the cake.















Relaxing after the big dinner. Spitz goes to Uncle Lou for a scratch.











Monday, January 16, 2012

January Activities
























Mommy gave a bath to Buck. That tired him out good. He can sleep while standing.
















Spitzers needs both Mommy and Daddy for a bath and we are the ones that get tired and scratched up.



















Ranching: Mark is splitting, I am stacking.




















Spitz wants to come out of the doggie yard.


















Buck would rather be running free also.


















Logging: Bea with the girly chainsaw




































Mark with the big man chainsaw


































Spitz is yelling: Let me off the rope!




















Buck is giving up


















Oh no! We got to load in all these logs!

















Watching the fire fighter taking buckets to the Black Mountain fire

















He is flying right over the yard.

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Ten years ago today,

ten days in New York City, ten thousand dollars out the window :)
















The site of the Twin Towers 3 months after 9-11.


Click on the title to see our Christmas 2001/ New Year 2002 vacation page on our website.


Happy New Year!!!!

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

A Christmas Card

This is a beautiful story rather than a card. The music was written by Martin Spitznagel, ragtime pianist friend. No. It's not a ragtime card :(
Click the title to view and
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!