Three weeks and a walk in the woods

I have stopped reading the Robbins book and started the Animal, Vegetable, Miracle book by Barbara Kingsolver. I have three weeks before it is due back at the library. So far I love it. My mother in law was right when she said it was right up my alley. I am excited to finally start digging into this book! I will post a few excerpts that really touched me a little later.

Both the mutts are home and doing well. You would have never guessed Holly just had a full hysterectomy by the amount of energy she has had this past week. Keeping her calm while she recovers has been a challenge, to say the least. Luckily she hasn't been licking at the incision or shown any signs of infection.

Rocky is back home from grandma's. We took the kidimals for a hike Sunday afternoon. The mountains are not very high in this part of the country. We drove to a trailhead near the top of a mountain just south of us and the elevation was just under 4,200 ft. I am really looking forward to July when Casey and I visit the Tetons and do some real backpacking.

We have checked our gear inventory and started a list of any odds and ends we will need to purchase in time for our honeymoon. Additionally, we are researching hotels and resorts in Jackson Hole to see where we will spend our last night. We have also made a pact to do our best to get in better shape before our trip. We're going to need it!

Below are a few pictures from our mini adventure:

Rocky and Holly love "going for a ride". Like a lot of dogs, Rocky loves the wind in his face! Holly isn't quite tall enough, but she's getting there.

Immediately after being let out of the truck, the pups went to business sniffing EVERYTHING as quickly as possible and then running around like crazy hooligans.


We were kind of disappointed to see that spring hasn't quite reached the tops of the mountains just yet. There were some signs, as you will see in the latter photos, but for the most past, as you can see in these photos the trees were still bare and what Casey and I lovingly call "the color of death". Gray and brown. The weather was also cooler than had been expected. Clouds moved in and made our spring day look like winter. Luckily we had pants and long sleeves to slip into.

Signs of spring at 4200 ft.

I call this the Camelot centipede. My elementary school colors were black and gold. Apparently this centipede went to the same school.

The unfurling leaves of a tree bud.


I don't know what these guys are. All I know is that they were bursting from the soil saying "Here we are! Look at us! We are so happy it is finally spring and we can come out." So I made their portrait and bid them adieu.




I find pleasure in the small details and that is what my camera and I look for when we are out and about lost in the woods and my imagination. As a wedding gift to each other, Casey and I will be purchasing a higher quality digital/manual camera for our Teton trip. We are hoping to come home with a few treasures for our wall.


Rhodendrum bud. I love these trees. Casey and I are thinking of planting a couple in one of the corners of our backyard.


Slugs. I enjoy these slimey little creatures, as long as they are not wreaking havoc on my garden, in that event I feed them beer, at which point they slug off and die. When I was young I used to enjoy going to my great grandmother's house and collecting all the slugs I could find in a coffee can. Then I would let them crawl all over my arms and legs. I envy their nomadic lifestyle. They just strap their little home to their back and go where ever the wind blows. This little guy wasn't very little at all. He was about 3 inches in diameter. The picture really doesn't do it justice.


Yellow flower buds. Nature can be violent at times, but I find it to be mostly subtle and graceful. The shape of these pretty buds reflects that, I think.

Hanging moss. Delicate. Another adjective I might use to describe nature. Like this moss, so delicate and easily overlooked.

This is the stuff that fairy tales and nursery rhymes are made of. I would like to know what these tiny buds turn into and what tiny winged and barefoot creature uses these delicate chimes to make beautiful music.



Mom and her kids.

Time to go home.