Wascally Wabbits

 Isn't it so cute creeping out from my boarder of greens?  This little ferule rabbit is sweet and soft, and didn't look like it was missing any meals.

 I just watched it twitch its nose and ears, cautious of its surroundings.

It clearly had no idea that Elmer Fudd was just around the corner...

  
 OK, you got me.  This is actually the second rabbit in as many days that has met its demise in our yard.  I seem to be the spotter while Pat grabs his lever-action .44 (which is super fun to shoot!) and takes out after the 'vermin' while Rowdy whines with all his power, going berserk when he hears the shots.  Do you see Rowdy's rapt attention below?!

So, wanna come over for dinner?!

November Thankfulness

I'd like to start by being thankful for my scarf.  And my hat.  And hair.  

It was really cold and my breath was condensing on my eyelashes and freezing them shut!

My hair is often frozen on walks.  

Also thankful for my coat, snow pants, snow boots, gloves, and wool!

 Thankful for a church body who has embraced us and invited us to spend Thanksgiving with them.

Thankful for Pat who can play "Race-horse" with little ones!

 Thankful for Pat's art skills!  He uses it to help us and others!

 Thankful for a dog with active reading skills.  

 Thankful for the fact that this bear is not a real representative of our experiences.

Thankful to have seen this baby moose exploring without getting closer!

Thankful for so many experiences that we have had!

Rainbows, Hiking, and Trailers (normal stuff, you know!)

 It seems to be raining a lot lately.  I hadn't noticed as much, but our Pastor who moved here from central California noticed!  With all the rain come spectacular rainbows!  There have been many lately, and most don't last too long.  One morning I went for a walk with Rowdy in the drizzle and saw the most brilliant full rainbow with a half double, similar to the one above.  If it never rains, you never see all this beauty!

 On a much more clear day, Pat and I took a familiar hike up Skyline Trail.  It's a mile trek up to a saddle and another 1/3 up to the top of the peak.  The fall colors weren't in full change like they are now, but Skyline is always a beautiful place to be.  It was such a clear day, we could see Denali off in the distance!  (We are pretty sure)

 Rowdy had a fantastic time on the hike!  He gets a little arthritic, but with a bit of assistance in the pill form, you'd never know it!  It keeps him out and active, and now with Bella gone, it's nice to keep him with us!

Now to the summer project finale: Pat's 16' trailer.  It has been carefully crafted and meticulously made to do whatever we need it to do.  And it's pretty!

 Note the inset eye-bolts for sturdy strapping, yet not in the way of the load.

Backing up...

Back before Marc and Katy came to visit, Pat and I took a little trip to Hidden Lake.  We headed out a bit late, on a whim, but took our chances and our canoe out.  It was rather late when we arrived.  We had a fairly long trek to canoe, so we parked the car where we thought we could (later finding a note indicating where we were supposed to park), and began our paddling.  It was a lovely evening, so our rapid paddling took us relatively quickly to the island where we hoped to camp.  We took the first campsite we came upon.  It wasn't too bad really!

The next day, we decided to hike around and take in the views.  We camped near a cliff, which we climbed, much to my protestations since I despise steep descents.  The climb did have some spectacular views, and I found myself thankful for the "encouragement" of my husband to push me beyond my comfort zones.

Our camp from above:

 Looking back from where we came.  It was a really lovely lake with rock cliffs and smooth waters (that day).

 Upon our investigation of the island, we discovered multiple other camping sites as well as this fabulous swing!  Since we both get motion sick, we didn't go too high, and we didn't feel like testing one of the lifeless branches that held the top ropes!

As the summer wanes, my flowers are in full bloom!  I'm loving the color flush!