WHAT AN EXCITING EVENING ! ! !

ABOUT 6:OO IN THE EVENING I STEPPED OUT THIS DOOR WHICH LEADS FROM OUR MASTER BEDROOM SUITE TO OUR SIDE PATIO AREA TO FEED FELIX OUR CAT.

I REACHED DOWN AND PICKED UP THIS FOOD DISH TO KNOCK THE ANTS OUT OF IT. I PICKED THE DISH UP TOWARDS ME (WHICH IS WHAT ENDED UP GIVING ME PROTECTION) AND BANGED IT ON THE GROUND ABOUT THREE TIMES, THEN OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY EYE I NOTICED A RATTLE SNAKE COILED AND READY TO STRIKE, (APPARENTLY IT HAD BEEN SLEEPING UNDER THERE, AND I HAD DISTURBED IT, OOPS) I EVER SO QUICKLY DROPPED THAT FOOD DISH RIGHT BACK OVER THE TOP OF IT, JUMPED BACK IN THE HOUSE AND SHUT THE DOOR.

I WENT AND TOLD NICK ABOUT MY CLOSE ENCOUNTER. HE QUICKLY LOCKED THE DOG UP IN THE BACK YARD AND THE CAT IN THE HOUSE FOR ME, SO THEY WOULD NOT GO OVER THERE AND BE IN DANGER.

NICK THEN WENT AROUND THROUGH A SIDE GATE TO SEE IF THE SNAKE WAS STILL THERE, HE THREW A FEW ROCKS AT IT, THEN TURNED THE HOSE ON IT AND YEP, SURE ENOUGH THE SNAKE WAS STILL UNDER THE FOOD DISH. SO I WENT AND GRABBED A SHOVEL, HOE AND RAKE AND THE HUNT WAS ON. I KNEW WHAT OUR MISSION WAS, I WASN'T HAPPY ABOUT IT, BUT IT HAD TO BE DONE.

IF I LET IT SLITHER OFF OUR ANIMALS, US, OR SOMEONE ELSE, COULD BE IN FUTURE DANGER. HOW WOULD I DO THIS THOUGH AND KEEP MYSELF SAFE?

I HAD NICK STAND READY AS MY WING MAN TO HIT IT WITH A SPRAY OF WATER FROM THE HOSE SHOULD IT MAKE A MOVE TOWARDS ME. "COVER ME, I'M GOING IN".

THE "PLAN" I WOULD TAKE THE RAKE AND PULL THE DISH OFF AND AWAY FROM THE SNAKE, THEN GRAB THE HOE QUICKLY AND MAKE A LONG REACH AND A FAST CHOP.

I KNEW I HAD TO CHOP AS CLOSE TO HIS HEAD AS POSSIBLE. AS WE WERE GETTING OUR PLAN TOGETHER HE STUCK HIS HEAD OUT FROM UNDER THE DISH AND OPENED UP HIS MOUTH WIDE, I GUESS AS SOME TYPE OF WARNING. YIKES ! ! !

OK READY ! ! !

GRAB RAKE, MOVE DISH, GRAB HOE, ONE QUICK SWIFT CHOP . . . . . . . .
THEN DO A LITTLE NERVOUS GROSS OUT DANCE, COMPOSE MY SELF, HIGH FIVE NICK, AND . . . . . . .

AFTER IT'S BODY STOPPED MOVING AROUND I SCOOPED IT INTO THE SHOVEL, PLACED IT ON THIS TRASH CAN LID, SO OF COURSE I COULD PROUDLY TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT MY KILL. THEN I DUMPED IT INTO THE TRASH. YUCK ! ! !

A BABY RATTLER, PROBABLY A LITTLE OVER A FOOT LONG, AND ONLY ONE LITTLE RATTLE.

STILL MAKES MY SKIN CRAWL !

MY FIRST RATTLE SNAKE KILL EVER AND FIRST SIGHTING OF A RATTLER HERE AT THIS HOUSE.

HOWEVER, NOT MY FIRST RATTLE SNAKE ENCOUNTER.

BUT..... I'LL SAVE THOSE STORIES FOR ANOTHER POST.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KK !

FIVE THINGS WE LOVE ABOUT CAIDEN


5. WHEN YOU GET THAT COQUETTISH TWINKLE IN YOUR EYE
4. YOUR IMPISH LITTLE SMILE
3. YOUR AWESOME SENSE OF HUMOR
2. YOUR SWEET LOVABLE NATURE
1. THE WAY YOU TEASE


HAPPY 5TH BIRTHDAY DUDE, WE LOVE YOU !!!

BAPA & BAMA

CHRISTMAS 2008

ONLY 130 MORE DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS !

THAT MIGHT SEEM LIKE A LOT, BUT I KNOW HOW FAST IT WILL GO.


THE THEME FOR THIS YEAR.


CHANGE - PREPARE - SIMPLIFY


IT CAN BE INDIVIDUAL OR FAMILY/COUPLE GIFTS. HAVE FUN WITH IT, I KNOW YOU WILL ALL GET CREATIVE.

HERE IS YOUR BRAIN TEASE FOR THE DAY!

MATCH GAME

MATCH A NUMBER TO A LETTER - USE EACH JUST ONCE

1. SHEEP’S HORNS
2. CEREAL BOWL
3. NOVICE
4. TANGENT
5. TAXERS


A. SUN-LOVING GUY
B. THEIRS
C. RAMPART
D. BRANDISH
E. VIRTUE

THE EYE SEES ONLY WHAT THE MIND IS PREPARED TO COMPREHEND!
HENRI BERGSON

BLISS LIST !

TIME FOR A BLISS LIST !

THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

A LITTLE MONSOON ROLLING IN
THE SOUND OF THE WIND RUSTLING THROUGH OUR BIG OLD TREES
BIG HUGE RAINDROPS SLOWLY HITTING THE GROUND
LOUD ROLLING THUNDER WITH A CRACK HERE AND THERE
A BOLT OF LIGHTNING ACROSS THE SKY
A SHORT DOWN POUR
THE TEMP DOWN TO ABOUT 80 @ 7:00 P.M.
THAT JUST RAINED SMELL IN THE AIR
GOING OUTSIDE TO PLAY IN THE RAIN
MY BIG SILLY DOG, WHO WILL NOT GO OUT IN THAT RAIN, EVEN FOR HIS FAVORITE BONE
ENJOYING THIS BEAUTIFUL SHOW NATURE IS PUTTING ON ALL COZY FROM MY BACK PORCH.

ALL THIS MADE FOR A BLISSFUL EVENING, HOPE YOURS WAS TOO!

CHILDHOOD RE-VISITED!

RECENTLY I ENJOYED SOMETHINGS THAT FELT REMINISCENT OF MY CHILDHOOD. IT BROUGHT TO MIND A FLOOD OF HAPPY CHILDHOOD MEMORIES. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN, I HAVE DECIDED THAT I SHOULD RE-VISIT MY CHILDHOOD MUCH MORE OFTEN.

WE FOUND OURSELVES DRAWN TO THE POPSICLE SECTION IN THE FROZEN FOODS ISLE. LOOKING FOR BIGSTICKS, WE COULDN'T FIND ANY, BUT DID RUN ACROSS CREMESICLE'S. MMMM YUMMY!

WHEN WE ATE LUNCH OUT ONE AFTERNOON, I FOUND MY SELF MIXING MY DRINK, FANTA ORANGE AND SQUIRT, WHY DOES THAT MAKE ME FEEL LIKE SUCH A KID.

WE HAD SLOPPY JOES FOR DINNER.

THEN ONE AFTERNOON, AFTER WORKING AROUND THE HOUSE AND THE YARD, I FOUND MYSELF SOAKED AND HAVING A BLAST PLAYING WITH THE HOSE, OUTSIDE. IT WAS HOT, WE WERE HOT, WE DON'T HAVE A POOL, OR GRASS (WE LIVE IN THE DESERT) SO THE HOSE WAS THE NEXT BEST THING, IT'S LIKE A BIG SUPER BLASTER!

ONE NIGHT AS WE SETTLED IN FRONT OF THE BIG SCREEN TO WATCH A MOVIE, WITH POPCORN AND HOT TAMALES, I FOUND MY SELF WISHING FOR SOME JUJUBES, LEMONHEADS, JAWBREAKERS, EVEN A BIG HUNK OR NIK-L-NIP'S, AND A GRAPE OR ORANGE SODA TO DRINK.

ALL IN ALL IT MADE ME REALIZE THAT CHILDHOOD WAS SUCH A WONDERFUL, AND MAGICAL TIME. WE GROW UP, WAY TOO FAST, AND THEN FOR SOME STRANGE REASON BELIEVE WE ARE EITHER TOO COOL OR TOO OLD TO RE-VISIT IT. WELL, I'M HERE TO SAY, I AM NEITHER. AT TIMES THERE IS NO GREATER JOY, THAN TO JUST CUT LOOSE AND BE A "KID", FOR A WHILE. ENJOY LIFE, AND ALL THE SIMPLE THINGS IT HAS TO OFFER.

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU "RE-VISITED" YOUR CHILDHOOD?

WHAT SIMPLE PLEASURES IN LIFE MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE A "KID" AGAIN?