A Walk with Preston

Lost in Thought

Almost Home

Preston joined me for my walk to the aspen today. We talked about him starting school this fall, a frog he recently caught, and his choice to be happy or sad.

I have some great kids!

Photos Taken: June 30, 2007

Photogenic Girls

A Blast From the Past Extra!

Melissa

This photo was taken in our home in Fallon Nevada on Harrigan Road. The date has to be about 1996?

Going through all our old photos we found that Liss has enjoyed this pose for years!

Melissa

This photo was taken in our home on Rio Vista Drive in Fallon Nevada. Has to be 1993 or eary 1994.

Ashley and Melissa

Trying to teach her little sister the proper technique! Melissa has it down!

Photos are scanned images

Last Game of the Season

Some pics from the season finally!

Photos Taken: June 25, 2007 by Angela

Wildfires Around the Valley

Fire to the South

This fire is burning somewhere south of Star Valley. I haven't been able to find out much about it yet. I heard that it is in Idaho, but that is speculation at this point.

Horse Creek Fire

This fire is on the east side of the Wyoming Range. The mountain range in the picture is the Salt River Range. The Wyoming Range is the next range to the east. Last report has this fire at 2200 acres. You can check the Bridger Teton National Forest fire page for the latest. Heidi Whitlach, who lives across the street from us, maybe the ranger in charge if the fire tops the ridge line. It then will be in her district.

These pictures were taken about 8:15 this evening. The Horse Creek fire was roiling between 4:00 and 7:00 pm. It seems to have calmed down a little as the evening temprature has dropped.

I have also heard about the fire in South Lake Tahoe. My prayers go out to those who have lost homes there.

Photos Taken: June 25, 2007

Play Ball

Spencer

Preston

The 2007 season came to a close tonight! The boys played their final game. Ruby finished her season last Friday!

Photos are scanned images of photos by Lasting Impression Photography of Afton

Play with the Kids

Weekly Habit # 6

Play with the Kids

I spend a lot of time with my kids. But what I am talking about here is going out in the yard or to the park and getting physical. Playing ball, running threw the water, tag, and the like. Something that gets the blood pumping. At first my goal is once a week, and then we may try to increase it.

How are we doing?

#1 Take the Stairs - Habit! Pat myself on the back for this one.

#2 Eat my Own Lunch - Great the last couple of weeks.

#3 A Walk to the Aspen - Need to do a little better here. Not bad, but can improve.

#4 Finish My Own Dinner - Not to bad; Until last night. Oops. We will get better.

#5 Floss the Chops - Did a great job. I had to go to the dentist again today, and I was able to tell them that I have flossed every day since my cleaning.

Photo Taken; June 25, 2007

To Pokey and Back!

Sheep and Herder on Diamond Creek

Diamond Creek and Lanes Creek join near this point to form the Blackfoot River.

Blackfoot River

Garter Snake

Mule Deer on the Blackfoot

Litter from the Past

Photos Taken June 23, 2007

100 Geese and a Pelican

On the Shore

Hurry!

And They're Off!

The Pelican is a Little Slow

These pictures are MUCH better expanded!

My job has been keeping me extremely busy as of late. But it's not all bad. Often I get to travel, and many times it is on back roads, and through the mountains. Yesterday was such a day. I traveled from Star Valley to Pocatello Idaho by following the Black Foot River, which is dirt road the entire way. I saw an abundance of wildlife. Deer, elk, grouse, a garter snake, hawks, bald eagles, a coyote and badger fighting each other, and 100 geese and a pelican. These birds are on the Black Foot Reservoir.

This trip may get another post.

Photos Taken: June 23, 2007

Angels in the Outfield!

Angels?

One more week of ball games! Whew! For the past 5 weeks or so it has been ball games 4 nights a week and practice on the fifth. It is a lot of fun, but it does get hectic. There isn't going to be much of a reprieve. Soccer is just around the corner.

Photo is a scanned image of a photo by Lasting Impressions Photography of Afton, Wyoming

A Night at the Park

Spencer, Ruby, Preston

We have a tradition in our family. Whenever it is somebody's birthday, they get to choose dinner. Until now it has always been a home cooked meal and eaten at home. This year however; Ruby asked if we could go to the 'Red Baron' and eat at the park. So tonight we did just that. We enjoyed our meal at Canyon View Park. It is a very nice park, right in town, that has a creek running through it. It is very quiet and very nice. And it is right next to the ball fields. Which is good, since the boys had a game tonight!

Spencer Playing Catcher

Preston Sprints for Home!

Photos Taken: June 19, 2007

Eight is Great!

Ruby

Ruby is checking out a present she received from Mom and Dad. It is a butterfly chain made for a bookmark.

Ruby and Jamie

Enjoying cupcakes that Mom made, along with some 'Brownies on the Moon' ice cream.

Blowing out her Candle

Hey! That's not fair! One candle to blow out! What happened to eight?

Ruby turned eight years old today! Where has the time gone? Doesn't seem like eight years have passed since first laying my eyes on her!

Ruby invited 10 friends over for her party. Some how we ended up with 15 kids here! We had a great time. Ruby had wanted to have a 'water' party. She has been planning it for the last month! The weather has been great! Upper 70's for the last couple of weeks. Tomorrow the forcast calls for mid 70's and then the rest of the week should be near 80! But today the high at our house reached 61.7 degrees! Not bad, but a little cold for playing in the water. But all the kids showed up with bathing suits, so the water slide, sprinklers, and most importantly the water balloon fight was on! The kids would all get wet and then head for the concrete slab in front of our garage to lay in the sun and warm up. They had a great time! Mom and Dad are worn out, but the kids had a great time.

Photos Taken: June 18, 2007

Star Amoung All Valleys

Star of All Valleys

This sign is located in the 'narrows' between Upper and Lower Star Valley. Much of the early history of Star Valley revolves around Mormon Pioneers who first settled the Valley in the 1870's. An Apostle of the church visited the valley to dedicate it for the habitation of the 'saints'. In his dedicatory prayer, he proclaimed the valley a star amoung all valleys, and thus the name.

If you would like to read more about the history of Star Valley, click here.

Photo Taken: March 18, 2007

Angela Catches Lightening!

Front Porch Lightening

The last couple of days Angela has been trying to catch a lightening blot. Early, I mean EARLY, this morning we had one heck of a strom start rumbling. Angela got out of bed grabbed the camera and headed for the front porch. A short while later she came back in excited. She finally got one! The picture is a bit blurry, but well worth a post, just because of all the effort alone!

Photo Taken by Angela: June 16, 2007

Buzz Cuts

Ruby, Spencer and Preston

Dad gave the boys their summer hair cuts! Good thing I took this picture! I missed above Spencers left ear! Mom does a better job!

Notice that nice green luscious lawn? Here's the plug, Simplot fertilizer made with phosphate from Smokey Canyon Mine. Simplot manufactures a variety of fertilizer products for home and farm. They make BEST® brand. Check them out here.

Sun Block

I have been practicing taking silhouettes. I haven't mastered it yet. But they are fun.

Photos taken: June 15, 2007

Early Morning Pow-Wow

Dump here! No Dump there! Over here, over here!

This is one of those photos that is much better when expanded.

Photo Taken: May 4, 2005

Stormy Afternoon

Late Spring Rain

We had a couple of lighting storms rumble threw the valley yesterday, in the late afternoon. Angela was trying to 'catch' a lighting bolt from our front porch. She didn't get the lighting, but I still like her picture of the storm.

Photo taken by Angela: June 11, 2007

Brother Wins Lotto!

BREAKING NEWS:

This just in; Randy Howes of Carlin Nevada has struck it big in this years Nevada Department of Wildlife Big Game Draw! Randy drew a coveted Mountain Goat tag for unit 101 (East Humbolt Range in Elko County)! The area is awarding only 4 in state tags this year. Last years draw odds were 236 to 1! Randy called his brother Craig this evening with the grand news! Craig reports that his brother is very excited and eager for the hunt. The hunt is nearly 2 full months, opening at sunrise on September 1st, and closing at sundown on October 30th.

We shall post more on this story at a later date, and will surely give you up to the minute details on scouting reports as they develop! now most important lets all keep this under are cap! No need for anyone else to find out!

Photo Aquired from the NEVADA DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE Website!

Floss the Chops

Weekly Habit # 5

Floss the Chops

I made one of my bi-yearly visits to the dental hygentist today for a teeth cleaning. So this is where I have drawn inspiration for my latest weekly habit!

Putting my dental hygiene habits on display for all the world to see, has taken some considerable thought on my part. It isn't that I am that bad at keeping my choppers clean, but there is always room for improvement. I do floss, but I must admit it hasn't been a 'daily' habit. So my habit this week is to floss the chops daily.

I have been very busy the last few weeks, so I did miss a week of posting a new habit. I thought about trying to catch up, but have decided instead to keep it to Mondays, and not worry to much if I miss a Monday now and then. I would rather work on quality, not quantity.

How are we doing?

#1 Take the Stairs - Habit!

#2 Eat My Own Lunch - Haven't reached perfection yet, but we have seen vast improvement!

# 3 A Walk to the Aspen - Doing good. If I haven't made it to the aspen, I have done exercise of equal value! The kids and cows joined me for this mornings walk!

Kids and Cows on the way there!

Kids and Cows on the way back!

It was really quite funny! The kids followed me and the cows followed the kids! All the way there and all the way back!

Some of the best moments I have with my kids is when I just listen to them. On our little hike today I was listening to the three of them talk. They had conversations about cows needing to learn to wipe their butts better and dry cow poop, wet cow poop, and shot at cow poop!

#4 Finish My Own Dinner - Again I am doing better, and again I haven't reached perfection. But I am happy, because it has been more forward than back!

Photos Taken: June 11, 2007

Across Nevada! (A Blast from the Past Extra)

In the summer of 2004 myself, Melissa, and Ashley made a trek across Nevada on our quads. We started at my parents house in Ruth Nevada and 3 days and 402 miles later we ended up at our doorstep in Fallon Nevada. Remarkable as it may seem, we only crossed one paved road! It was a very memorable trip that I will never forget! What a great way to spend some quality time with your daughters!

Myself and Melissa

Ashley

Photos Taken: July 2004

Cattle Call

Sarah, Preston, and Spencer

Preston and Spencer along with their friend Sarah were playing in the back yard when they drew the attention of cows that have been put out on their summer range. They came right up to our fence.

Ruby getting in on the fun!

When Ruby saw the cows giving the boys all the attention, she had to go out meet our bovine neighbors.

Photos Taken: June 5, 2007

Last Post of a Great Family Adventure!

Ruby Near the South Fork of the Payette River

Preston on the South Fork of the Payette River

Spencer Fighting the Wind at Crators of the Moon

Photos Taken: June 3, 20007

The Scenic Way Home!

On our way home from last weekends trip, Angela navigated and I drove. She picked the route home in its entirety. And I must admit it has to be one of, if not the most scenic drive I have ever taken. It took us 10 hours to get home, but we stopped several times along the way. We spent the day enjoying what god created.

Craters of the Moon National Monument

This picture was actually the last one I took in this series. The rest are in order from west to east.

North Fork of the Payette River

Trestle Over the North Fork of the Payette River

Sawtooth Mountains

Sawtooth Mountains

Boulder Mountains

I think this trip deserves one more post. And just for Grandpa Dave, the next one will include some shots of the kids!

Photos Taken: June 3, 2007