Still Riding at 90

The other day when I was driving down the road when I saw something up ahead that caused me to slow down. Heifers and calves were being moved from one pasture to another, and doing it by himself was Lee, the 90 year old cowboy.
The new heifers and calves wandered over to visit the ones that had been moved previously. They also spent some time chasing Henry. He chased the cows for awhile, and then they started chasing him and he ran as fast as he could. It's quite humorous to watch.
Meanwhile, Lee was putting the gate up and getting ready to go home. Lee really wishes he was much younger and could do what he used to, but he can still ride better than me!

I'm always impressed with how much Lee has done, and how he's managed to keep doing what he likes best. I hope I can do what I enjoy when I'm 90.

Winter--or is it spring--wonderland

We woke yesterday morning to gorgeous winter scenery. We were happy for the moisture, but the cold temperatures weren't so appreciated, especially because it was April.

The plants have started greening up, although it was a bit hard to tell under all the snow. The forecast was for warming temperatures throughout the day, so I figured the snow wouldn't last for long.

And I was right. On the way back from town, most of the desert snow had melted off.

I was amazed to see so much water in Sevier Lake. Usually this is a dry lakebed, with only the appearance of water from desert mirages under the broiling heat of the sun. I nearly got stuck trying to get this photo, as the sides of the road were very mushy from all the snowmelt. Oops. Fortunately I got back on the pavement after doing a little spinning.

Storm clouds started building on the way home, and we even got another squall with more snow. Fortunately it's supposed to be nice weather for Easter weekend.

Now that I've give you the weather report, are you ready for the traffic report?

Here it is: No delays expected.

Now we've seen it all

Before this big snowstorm blew in and buried us in several inches of snow, we had some beautiful weather and were able to get out and even do a little hiking. There have been a lot of signs of spring: frogs laying eggs, birds returning from their winter vacations, and animals munching away on the green grasses that are popping up through the earth. We spend a lot of time looking at animals, and Desert Boy even has some little binoculars to discover the world around him (never mind that he usually holds them upside down). We keep going on adventure hikes to explore the world around us, and lately we've been going all over the meadows. Anyway, I was finally able to see an animal that I've been wanting to check off my list: the jackalope.This jackalope was quite the beauty, with a beautiful, thick coat of hair, and a good rack. It hopped away before I could get really close, but fortunately an 18x zoom and post-processing cropping left me with a rather good image that I can share with you. If you haven't ever seen a jackalope in the wild, it is a magical experience. I sure hope I can see another one some time, although they're quite rare. My husband, who grew up out here, still has never seen one. I guess I'm just lucky.

Catching Up

Two weekends ago we were happy to visit with some friends who used to live out here, Ryan and Sarah and their cutie Troy. Desert Boy enjoyed playing with one-year old Troy, but he enjoyed playing with his mom and dad even more. They were good sports, playing with his train, reading him books, and trying out his unique version of hide-n-seek. The game goes something like this:

Desert Boy: I'm going to go hide in the closet. Count and then come find me.

Sarah: Okay. One, two, three..(she rarely got above three)

Desert Boy: I'm ready, come find me.

Ten seconds later:

Desert Boy: You found me! Okay, you hide under the blanket and I'll count and find you.

The hiding in a secret spot and staying quiet concept hasn't really gotten through yet. That's okay with me!

Eventually Sarah got some down time and looks pretty comfortable holding Desert Girl while she reads to Troy a book about the desert southwest. (See, you can handle two just fine!)

Ryan, Sarah, & Troy: It was great seeing you!

Doctor's Visit

Anyone who comes to visit us has to be prepared for a doctor's checkup. Desert Boy carries his doctor tools around in a Cars lunch box. I'm just telling you this so you can be forewarned. Most people don't expect to get a checkup when a Cars lunch box is opened.

The checkup begins with Dr. Desert Boy dumping all his supplies out of the lunch box. Then he proceeds to check your ears, tap your knees, give you medicine orally, give you an injection in some random part of your body, comb your hair, listen to your heart and say thump-thump, and blow air on you with a bulb syringe (which is better than the alternative, wouldn't you agree?). Sometimes the order is switched around a little, and if we resupply his kit with notepaper and a crayon he writes down his report. Once in awhile we even sneak a bandaid in there, and that makes for some real excitement.

Desert Boy was in a very good mood when he let his friend Elizabeth give him a checkup. He not only held the stethoscope to his chest, but also provided the thump-thump noises so she would be sure to hear his heart.

It obviously takes a lot of concentration and practice to be a doctor. And it definitely helps to have a neat Cars lunch box.