This time maybe you could...

So, this is it. At the end of today, I get the next two weeks off work. Combinding 3 paid holidays with 5 vacation days and 1 personal day. It was a use it or loose it situation so I don't feel too bad. And things should be pretty slow anyway... Don't know what I will do with myself. Probably watch too many travel shows on PBS and wish I was someplace else. I guess I probably won't be on here much for the next bit...

Ava and Santa

Washed your car

So I woke up this morning with a vivid memory of the dream I was having...

I was swimming in dark water. So dark you couldn't see thru it. There was all kinds of stuff in the water in floating island clumps of mud, peat and debris. an old brown glove made an appearance. The whole time the water was being described like in a discovery channel show. Blah Blah Blah "the bodies in here"... Blah Blah "is called Draytch or Burly water"

And then I woke up.

Later addition
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dreich
Perhaps I misspelled it...

Just for the night

So, a freight company dumped $1200.00 worth of product I was sending to one of my customers... right on the loading dock. Half in the truck and half out the truck when he was picking it up today. To top it off it was special cut stock we order sheeted from the mill specificaly for this customer. 8,500 sheets. Damn.

Scalping

So I had a dream I was being scalped... I was a Native American.

The dream began with me being pinned to the ground by a man. I could feel one knee on my chest and the other on my left arm. He was holding my right arm down with his left. I felt he wanted me to be afraid like my fear would be something he could consume/eat. I told myself I would not scream. And I knew I would be o.k. I could feel the knife scrape its way around the top of my head in about a 5 inch circle directly above my spine. When the hair did not instantly release he slid the knife in between my scalp and my skull from the front to the back and started digging at it in an attempt to remove it. The feeling of the knife scraping against the bone of my skull is something I dont think I will ever forget. Even in the dream it felt very real. He must have taken his trophy or got bored because soon after he just disappeared. I was proud of the fact that I had not showed fear or screamed.

I have had dreams were I was someone else for a years now. I have been male, female, a native american, black, white and several guys that don't look like me. I always somehow feel it is still me. I have even shifted from one appearance to another in the same dream almost like it was a mask or a disguise and I changed appearance to hide.

Can't shake this feeling

You know how sometimes your heart tells you one thing and your brain tells you another? Maybe that is just me but I really hate the confusion it brings. The rational mind says this is the right thing to do. The emotional side tells you it sucks. Who do you listen to? I have recently been part of that decision making process. It was largely dictated by the rational side while coming to some sort of resolution. Now, I just cant shake this nagging feeling that I made the wrong decision. I just doesn't feel right. Somehow I listened to the wrong part of me and made the "right" choice. That it is best for everyone involved, but only strictly on a intellectual level.

moments

I feel like my life is a string of moments. Somehow unique and seperated from one another yet tied together. These moments inexorably slip away. Passing me by. Leaving only space for new moments. I am saddened by the fact that so rarely do my moments actually match up with someone elses. I find myself located in one and them located in another. No common goal or desire and when mine does catch up they have moved on to a new and different space. Some trully feel like missed chances. Others more like regretable mistakes made in an unguarded moment.

What a Sweet Little Girl

Thanksgiving

So, Thanksgiving got all messed up. Plans were changed, rearranged canceled remade and shuffled. So, I will not be going out of town for t-day but in the end I suppose that is alright. I will not see my G.B.s but have plans for that later. All in all I think it will work out o.k. Just got to roll with the punches.

Everyone needs a bumbo

Little Halloween Bumblebee

Soon

There is a possibility I may get to see both grandbabies at once on turkey day. That would be amazing. I hope they will both be there and if not I understand. trips over the pass can be difficult during the season...

Getting ready to play outside!

Pho'

It is cold and windy and snowy here now. Tonight will be a great night to get Pho' before the blizzard hits. Now the question is just which one. I am thinking rare beef... oh and should it be 3 sisters or vien dong. Decisions decisions.

Pounds

Weighed myself today. I am down 12 or so lbs. Funny I guess because I am not doing anything. People keep asking me if I am loosing weight and I am. Weird.

Phones

So I got my new phone on saturday... Of course it doesn't work. So more frustration with the staying in contact side of things. I am mad at the situation.

Nostalgic

Kinda makes me nostalgic for when I made Beautiful babies too.

Super baby

So clean and happy!

Baby loves bathtime

Dream

I had a dream I caught a fish. Strangest looking fish I have ever seen. Watched it sitting there fins moving. The water was very clear I could see what looked like a wine barrel and cast out to it. I hooked a flower pot and reeled in this crazy fish. when I pulled it out of the water and set it on top of the wine barrel it didn't flip all around like most fish. It just sat there calmly and appeared to be breathing.

Strange.

I also had one about Raelynn but can't remember what it was about...

Trader Joes

Trader Joes is coming. It has been confirmed. Yay! it sucks that it is on the south hill and I still have to wait a year but Yay none the less. At least that is what the news says.

Technology

Do you ever feel like all these things that are supposed to make our lives easier are holding us back? Perhaps technology is even conspiring against us? Do you remember when people used to actually speak on the phone? Now it is all txts email and the lot. Missed txts are creating no end of frustration at the moment.

Little Did I Know
(Bergquist/Detweiler)

Little did I know
That I almost let you go
Until I caught a glimpse of life
without you
Little did I know
How deep these roots had grown
Until I felt the earth quake here
without you
And this ache is gonna break me love
Until you come back home
Right or wrong
There is no home without you
And these eyes are never gonna dry
I never knew how I could cry
Until I thought I'd really lost you
Little did I know that I almost let you go
Until I caught a glimpse of life
without you

Wedding Dress
Been feeling very lonely lately.

Latter Days
(Bergquist/Detweiler)

What a beautiful piece of heartache this has all turned out to be.
Lord knows we've learned the hard way all about healthy apathy.
And I use these words pretty loosely.
There's so much more to life than words.

There is a me you would not recognize, dear. Call it the shadow of myself.
And if the music starts before I get there dance without me. You dance so gracefully.
I really think I'll be o.k. They've taken their toll these latter days.

Nothin' like sleepin' on a bed of nails. Nothin' much here but our broken dreams.
Ah, but baby if all else fails, nothin' is ever quite what it seems.
And I'm dyin' inside to leave you with more than just cliches.

There is a me you would not recognize, dear. Call it the shadow of myself.
And if the music starts before I get there dance without me. You dance so gracefully.
I really think I'll be o.k. They've taken their toll these latter days.

But tell them it's real. Tell them it's really real.
I just don't have much left to say.
They've taken their toll these latter days.
They've taken their toll these latter days.

Spiritual
“Follow your heart, but be quiet for a while first. Ask questions, then feel the answer. Learn to trust your heart.” - Unknown

Just Relaxin

My fish don't fit in that bag

No spur of the moment random lake adventure in late October is complete without a stop at the Falls Inn.

We got there just in time. It was empty. The world series was on. It was nice to sit and watch the game. The Sandwiches and Pizza were excellent as always.

View of the falls from the bar.

Then on to the lake house for a nice fire.

The final target... Lake Muskegon and those beautiful Trout. I got mine... (well one of them anyway) A beautiful 16" Cutthroat. Rainy. Cold. Wet. All in all a beautiful day. Jim was on crutches... FJ. It was an adventure.

Boredom

The incredible balancing egg

Looks like it is that time again

Carving pumpkins with Lucas and Ethan

Hello again Pumpkin Head.

All lit up...

Avalynn

First smile on camera

Guess whats for dinner

I've got Matsutake.

I stole this picture

From my sister...

Ashley and Avalynn

Avalynn

I know, I know. More pics of my beautiful Grandbaby #2

Avalynn

arrived healthy and happy coming in at 7lbs 2ozs and 20inches long. No one can give me a time yet. For the last hour everyone has been saying "within the last hour".

Grandbaby #2

Is on the way.

Babysitting

Perhaps this would be better titled "Naptime".

Sunrise

Rays First Macinaw

Son in Law Ray and his first Macinaw.

Sunset

What a way to kick off the weekend.

Family

I believe only 4 people are missing from this shot of immediate family.

Crazy I tell you.

Vanessa visits Grandpa

Route of the Hiawatha Bike Trail

I talked about this for years and I am sorry I put it off. Chris, Becky, Kady and I made it out and it was beautiful. Don't put it off, get out there and support the trail.

Go to Lookout Pass and buy your trail pass and shuttle pass.

they also offer rental bikes, helmets and lights.

Helmets and light are both required.

http://www.skilookout.com/hiawatha/

Enter here for your first 1.8 miles in the dark. The Taft tunnel is a quite a surprise. It is dark, wet and rather cold.
Care should be taken as it can be somewhat disorienting. I saw several people crash into the wall. So if this is you please get off your bike and walk until you get your bearings...

About half way thru, if you look for it you will find the Montana Idaho state line marker. I suppose the state line is way up above you somewhere.

A shot of the rock wall. Not sure anyone wants to ride into that in the dark.

The light at the end of the tunnel. I stopped about 100 feet short to get my eyes to adjust so I wasn't blinded when I rode out.

Just outside a beautiful waterfall.

Looking back where I came from. At the end of the day you have to ride back thru to get back to your car. I must say I really enjoyed this tunnel. All told there are 10 tunnels and 7 high trestles to wind your way thru as well as over.

One of the old train trestles in the distance. That is where we are going.

The highest one is 220' up .

And again.

Now we are on top of it.

It is quite a long way down as well as a little disorienting when you look over the edge.

Amazing structures.

Almost to the end.

Brother Chris after loading his bike. Waiting to board the shuttle back to the top.

I think riding this in the fall at the end of the season would be amazing.

Maybe I will have to do it again.