Snakes in the Trees

We have two wonderful Honey Locust trees in the front yard.  They were planted probably 20 years ago. When they were young, one of the trees looked dead.  So Mike decided to cut it down, even though I felt like it was going to be okay.  It grew back and is now as tall at the other.  The problem is, when it came back, it came back as either a male or female - whichever one grows large seed pods.  So every fall, we have hundreds of these that drop to the ground, and have to be picked up! (From that tree only, of course.)

A Box is a Box

The old adage that kids will have fun playing with something not intended to be a toy is still true today.  Some of the grandkids dropped by last night.  I took the large oven cardboard box outside along with my camera.  For about an hour we all played with that box; dropping from the trees into the box, rolling down the grassy slope with the kids taking turns being inside...what fun! 

Dinner - Fast Food From Home

A lot of meals in the last six weeks have been prepared hastily, and eaten standing up while working on the kitchen between bites. They are ususally cold, quickly prepared in the microwave, or picked up somewhere.  A tomato and avocado sandwich on whole wheat is one of my favorites, and very filling!  I love chocolate soy milk.

My Keen Travelin' Shoes

The word "keen," in the 1950's, was slang for "wonderful, delightful, marvelous.  My Keen shoes are all that and more. They are my most favorite and most comfortable.  I bought my Keens right after I ran the Moab Half-Marathon in 2007. My travelin' shoes have taken me to many places - most recently to the beaches of Oregon.  Because I can throw them in the washing machine, I never worry about where they may take me. They have been in sea water, mud, sand, and lots more "stuff."  I've hiked the slot canyons of Antelope Canyon, trudged to the top of the largest Coral Pink Sand Dune, hiked around Bryce Canyon, tip-toed through California tide pools, and explored Colorado's Mesa Verde. And that's just this past year! Pretty much every photo excursion, near and far, includes my Keens.

Under the Trees

Out in the backyard again...These seed pods are all over a large (big as a tree) backyard bush.
 

I love to see the multiple colors of autumn leaves as they change.

Glowing Light

Sometimes I look out my kitchen window in the evening and I swear the light is glowing. I grab my camera and head outside, as it only lasts a few minutes.  Here's what I saw last night. The wind was blowing hard, but each time it took a breath, I shot a few pics.

My Friend, Renee

My dear friend, Renee Barker and I went to lunch today.  Paradise Bakery in Bountiful is always a good place to eat, plus you get a free cookie. I met Renee years ago when her college-age daughter, Alyssa, was probably about five years old and they moved into the ward.  Later Alyssa was in my SEM classes at Clinton Elementary and so fun to be around, just like her mom.  When our ward split, the Barkers ended up in another ward, but we recently served together in the Stake YW Presidency.  What fun we had at camp!  We were the two instigators for many pranks, including sneaking into the stake camp director's tent and hiding her prized and expensive mattress pad on the roof of the restroom.