Boys and dog…. rarely parted. But last Thursday right after school, my boys went to Camp Navaho Army Base for Leadership Training and did not come home until Saturday afternoon. Belle went to Dr. Moore on Friday to be spayed and to have a microchip implanted. So she had time to recoup from surgery before they came home.
Remember this 6 pound cutie?
Now, I have this gorgeous 55 pound sweetheart
Now…….. on to The Force of My Future
The boys really really liked the camp… they didn’t want to come home. Most all of the people (boys, girls and adults!) did not want to go home.
The officers kept everyone so busy. They would have leadership, drug free, esteem building and many other classes between playing games and campfires. They got to “work” a fire engine, marched, played volleyball, dodgeball, dressed up the sgt as a woman, raised the flag and many more fun things. They, also, got to sleep in REAL barracks! This was way too cool for both of the boys, since they are big military fans… Luke of the Marines and Leavi likes the Army. The kids were given nicknames – Luke was the “Godfather” because he won the game of Mafia Wars and Leavi was “Indie” because he was indecisive! Perfect names for both of them! LOL
The officers had a slide show Saturday for the parents… the kids enjoyed seeing themselves, too … of all of the activities over the session. At the end, the kids were called up one by one and given a certificate of graduation. My two standing at attention and yelling YES SIR! My eyes watered up… I don’t see how much they are growing physically, emotionally or mentally since I am too close to them. But this is one of those moments when the reality of their growth slaps me in the heart! I am so over joyed to watch them learn and grow but it is very bittersweet for me to have to leave their youth behind – them and ME!
Pic that the camp took of them with their unit. (Those are the San Francisco Peaks behind them)
Last Saturday was our school’s last soccer game. Leavi played a pretty good game! But to get there – Seligman – we had to drive on I-40 through Williams. The Twin Fire was at its height. Clear to the interstate. 64 homes, schools and some businesses had been evacuated. All is good now. Businesses are open, school is in session and people were allowed back into their homes.
Our trip to the fair was fun. Leavi felt better after a 3 hr nap and the storms made a parting in the sky for the fairgrounds. It rained all around us! We opted out on the Demolition Derby because we got such a late start. I got a few pics with my camera when the full battery died… time to go buy another. The boys took off with their friends and, for the first time, I went wandering by myself. I have always enjoyed watching people and found lots of entertainment!
The Tall Man was very colorful~
I followed this little number around for a while
Then I stopped to watch the Magic Show~
I went to check on the Little Man while he was waiting in line for a ride..
Went off of my diet for a Philly Cheese (oooH it was sooo GOOD!) and an ice cream. While I ate my ice cream, I was entertained by this guy~
But I think my favorite part was the 4-H Livestock Auction. I had many friends from “home” who were there to sell their projects -- chickens, rabbits, a turkey, cattle and pigs. This was the Grand Champion steer. His size put my Arabian to shame!! Sorry for the lousy shot -- I only had one chance to get this.
The auctioneer man was VERY entertaining -- you will need sound ~on~ for this.. again, sorry for the video quality -- it was my phone… but I really wanted to share the audio part.
I could have stayed until closing but I had to get home and feed the critters that I own!
Leavi and I are off to the Coconino County Fair today. Luke went with a friend and I am hoping to be able to catch up with him at the fair… I, also, want to see the Demolition Derby. We shall see…. the rain has been coming down almost constant with a few brief moments of sun. We are under a Flash Flood Watch now. But the fair only comes once a year! I will be most thankful, I think, for the exhibit buildings! And Leavi does not feel the best… allergies. But we are going to make an honest try for the fair and to have lots of fun! Will have pics tonight or tomorrow to share with you.
EVENING UPDATE
The fair was fun! The camera took a dump – but a got few before it died (full battery) and took afew with my phone camera. And it didn’t rain! More tomorrow….
Yesterday I was gifted by a good friend with my favorite coffee. Flagstaff does not have a Trader Joe’s but this good friend finds Joe in whatever city she is in. She just returned from the California Bay Area and brought me my favorite coffee. THANK YOU, N! I LOVE this coffee… but not as much as I love you!
Then today Leavi and I went to the Health Dept Health Fair…. for his 2 required immunizations for school. After waiting in line for a half hour, then sitting in a hard plastic chair for an hour, it was finally our turn. The required shots were a Tetnus booster and the new Meningitis Meningococcal. The clinic would not give those two to him…. you have to be 11 and he won’t be 11 until Aug 22. School starts the 13th here, so I do not know what they are going to do. The school told me that the clinic WOULD give them to him and that he had to have them for school. The clinic DID give him HepA and the Chickenpox one. (Leavi was such a trooper.. not a fuss at all and when the nurse was done, he asked if that was it!) But the school did not require them – go figure… if it is time for them, too, then why aren’t they required? They are just as communicable as the other one. Any way… we are done there for a few weeks. I will find out this Monday what the school intends to do about it.
While we were at the Health Fair, I had my hearing tested and I did not pass and was told I could use a hearing aid – NOT! I am supposed to go in for a more extensive hearing test soon. I know I do not hear my phone ring more times than I would like to admit and I have troubles hearing the TV. I guess the rock concerts are taking their toll and I am only 55 yo. More on that after I go in for the testing. But I think that I am digressing…. the point of this post is that I am doubly spoiled. There was a man at the Health Fair who was running the hearing testing out of the same waiting room as the immunizations. He saw Leavi and I sitting there for so long. Need I speak of ALLLLLL of the kids running, screaming, crying and rolling on the floor? After I signed Leavi and I up for the hearing test, this kind man asked if we were hungry – when I said, “Yes”, he went to the employees lounge and brought us each 2 pieces of pizza. We really enjoyed the pizza and the act of kindness while we waited another hour for our turn there. The hilarious part is that he told me that he appreciated my patience!!! Well anyone that knows me, knows that patience is so NOT a word that describes me at all! But I walked into that clinic this morning knowing full well that it was going to be very trying on me…. yea! me!!
There will a total solar eclipse across Asia and India tomorrow. I have always had a love for anything astronomical and wish I could see it. “A total solar eclipse won’t cross the Americas until August 21, 2017, when the Moon’s umbra will sweep from Oregon to South Carolina.” Think I will still be around to see that one?
“The celestial spectacle on July 22, 2009, will darken major cities, densely populated countryside, and a vast expanse of tropical ocean. And the eclipse itself will be a monster, with totality lasting more than 6.6 minutes at maximum. That makes this the longest totality until 2132.”
This is the path that it will take
“The longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century begins at dawn near the west coast of India and crosses southern China before heading out into the Pacific Ocean. Red lines denote regions where a partial eclipse is visible. Blue lines indicate mideclipse in Universal Time. Click on the image for a larger version.”
Fred Espenak
The schedule for the live cast is here with live time! About 9 hours 15 min to go! To see the live webcast at University of North Dakota, click here
AP – An Oscar Meyer Wienermobile crashed into the home and outdoor deck of Nick Krupp in Racine, Wis. on Friday …
Fri Jul 17, 9:01 pm ET
MOUNT PLEASANT, Wis. – One southern Wisconsin homeowner is probably not in love with the Oscar Mayer wiener. The famed hot dog’s Wienermobile crashed Friday into the deck and garage of a home in Mount Pleasant, about 35 miles south of Milwaukee.
Police said the driver was trying to turn the Wienermobile around in the driveway and thought she was moving in reverse. But she instead went forward and hit the home. It sat in the driveway as if it were stuck in the garage Friday afternoon.
No one was home and no one was injured. No citations were immediately issued.
Both the home and vehicle suffered moderate damage, which Oscar Mayer spokeswoman Sydney Lindner says insurance will cover.
Police hadn’t been able to speak to the homeowner as of early Friday evening
___________
My note on this…
I saw this wienermobile in Flagstaff last November in front of the Safeway. For some odd reason I think this is the coolest vehicle. I would just LOVE to be able to drive it! There are six of these wienermobiles…. maybe they wouldn’t notice if only one was missing for a few hours
Here is my pic of it that day.
”Oh I wish I were an Oscar Mayer Wiener. That is what I truly like to be, because if I were an Oscar Mayer wiener, everyone would be in love with me!”
I grew up with Walter Cronkite. He took me through the Vietnam war, Kennedy’s assassination, the moonwalk, Watergate and I am sure much much more that I can not even remember at this time.
I have been fascinated by the Hoover Dam’s new bypass bridge for years! Whenever I go over the dam on my way to Vegas, I stare at the overpass bridge. This overpass will cut the trip by at least 30 min to an hour, I think. The tourists down on the road that goes over the actual dam and the lookie-loos really clog up the passing through people. And the terrorist inspection points 5 miles from either side of the dam will hold up traveling quite a bit, too. I posted this pic on an earlier post.
But, this one I took actually shows the overpass’s “fingers” and where it will join together.
When this oeverpass is finally finished, the view to Lake Mead should be awesome – much better than this pic, taken from the Nevada side while I was driving the car.
The new overpass will allow trucking to get to Vegas and points beyond faster, too, because they have to get there the long way around – the inspection points will not allow semi trucks.
So, about 5 yrs after the first bucket of dirt was moved, we will get a great new overpass. If you want to know more stats and specs about the overpass, check out Hoover Dam bypass bridge an epic marvel , by Sean Holstege – Jul. 17, 2009 12:00 AM The Arizona Republic
Today was the highlight of the convention for me….
I made my own video of this song but I couldn’t get it uploaded to utube…. so I used someone else’s.
His speech about defending our American Rights was very inspiring and I LOVED the music too!
Ted Nugent Playing National Anthem
Then we waited in line for a bit over 2 hours to get him to sign his book, “Ted, White & Blue”…. and I got to MEET him!!
This woman who looks as though she was melting off of the chair, tells just how tired everyone was… also, notice the nearly empty room… that is the same room where I took the first pic on Day 1.
… of all of the activities over the session. At the end, the kids were called up one by one and given a certificate of graduation. My two standing at attention and yelling YES SIR! My eyes watered up… I don’t see how much they are growing physically, emotionally or mentally since I am too close to them. But this is one of those moments when the reality of their growth slaps me in the heart! I am so over joyed to watch them learn and grow but it is very bittersweet for me to have to leave their youth behind – them and ME!
Nicole
Talina
Talina
yarmi74
