LITTLE BLACKFOOT RIVER MEADOWS

Another great find a short drive from our home. The 10.5 mile round trip hike to the Little Blackfoot River Meadows surrounded us with beauty, peace and harmony with nature. Our canines enjoyed the hike as much as we did, dipping themselves in the frigid waters of the river whenever they could.

The view at the turnaround spot, the subalpine Little Blackfoot Meadows. Doesn't get much better than this for lunch al fresco.

XAVIER (AND DANNY'S) VISIT

 At 22 months of age, Xavi is very active, witty and smart. He has an developed an extensive language, most of which we still have to decipher on the fly. "Abu", "Abi", "Tio" and "Tia" come out loud and clear. We hiked, played lots with rocks and water, and gave him lots of love and attention. Looking forward to seeing him and his parents soon.JIR  

BIRTHDAY TESTIMONIAL

BIRTHDAY TESTIMONIAL

As we get older we tend to dwell more on our past than in what lies ahead; what formed us, and has defined who we are today. My reflections today have been focused on a great sense of gratitude for the people who have impacted my life, and who helped form the backbone on my true self:

·         My mother, who nearly died giving birth to me 63 years ago

·         My beautiful (inside and out) life companion for 35 of those years, who has balanced and nurtured me, and raised our wonderful progeny

·         My parents, who instilled in me many of the values that have guided me, and still do

·         My grandparents and other family members, caring, loving, and skilled surrogates for my parents when they were absent

·         My (younger) sister, whose butt I wiped many times, but who despite that, has appreciated my life and my family

·         My high school classmates and friends, who jointly with me, formed a unique and everlasting bond of friendship

·         My children, their spouses, and our grandson, who have brought joy to my life, and shared with me their energy and enthusiasm to live life to its fullest

·          My friends and teachers through life, who have provided support, guidance and reassurance in all matters of life

·         My co-workers, who have acknowledged my professional skills, as well as my humanity 

XAVI, ABU AND ABI

What is life but  a journey, a collage of good and bad experiences, some preserved in our memory banks, others forgotten. Hopefully, when we look back at those experiences and how we have lived our life, we will be satisfied and at peace with ourselves. Such introspection will continue to fuel our drive to live life to its fullest, always preserving the good values we have learned from our family, or developed ourselves through the example and/or mentorship of others.

This past weekend's experience is one of those not to be forgotten. Our grandson recognized us instantly, and soon gave us the names he will call us for the rest of our lives, Abu and Abi. We played, walked, laughed, and were plain old silly. Soulful fuel for lots more experiences ahead. JIR   

HUMMERS ARE HERE

By popular demand, and after a star-studded Facebook appearance, I am blogging unique pictures of our first Calliope female hummingbird sighting, probably nesting nearby and getting plenty of nourishment from our feeders. JIR