Eating Pho :)

This was my first chance at eating Pho. It was really good! Especially with Schracha . The really fun part today was all the folks from the comic book conferance wandering around. Man they are all REALLY pale.

La Fontana Sicilian :) we've had a day of walking, exploring, music, conference, and food... we only stop to eat most of the time. otherwise, we're walking miles every day.

At La Fontana for dinner. Scilian food. Starting with a Tuscan Sangiovise and burshetta. Then fancy pastas and a long hike to the hotel :)

"Added later" This was our fancy fancy dinner out for the trip. We usually get one fancy, decadant dinner in. Crys* set this one up by way of a groupon a good while before the trip. Guess it's time to start on Houston now.......

Blue C Sushi. It was fab!

This is that really fun kinda place with the food that cycles around on the belt and you grab what you want as it goes by. This was breakfast and it was wonderful.

On the monorail loading platform looking toward the Experience Music Project

The Nirvana exibit was great. And the space on the movie Avatar was really fun too. The coolest was the whole room where kids get to play with guitars and drums and stuff.

It was raining so hard when we got done that we took the momorail downtown. Nice dry warm ride. And it ends at a mall!

Got some time to kill? Go to Gameworks in downtown Seattle. Right by the conference center :)

Pike Pub, second beer after 5 week fat shredder for us :D his is a Kilt Lifter (scotch ale) and mine is Pike Monk's Uncle (trippel)... yummmmmmmmmm!!!

Candy apple heaven

We didn't get any today. Too many good things want to get in our bellies!!!!

Indian food buffet for lunch. Mango mousse for desert

The calm before the storm

It's warming up a bit, days in the 60's and such. The first blush of green is starting to show through the browns and tans. Things are bowing and waving in the breezes, different from the harsh, brittle stand against the cold winter winds that blow. Traffic to the Natural Arch is picking up along with trailers towing 4 Wheelers and dirt bikes. No RV's yet, it's still a bit brisk for the tow behind homeowners.

We're getting our spring supplies ready. .... shears for the goats and Llama, research on ICF building supplies, bee information, gardening supplies for the high, dry altitude. We're also readying our bodies for the long, tough demands of a summer building and growing.

It all feels hopeful and good, like we're blooming along with the first buds of Spring.

Bee hive all assembled :D That happened yesterday, today Crys* already has it painted and it's just about ready for May when we get our bees from Grampa's Honey. Now we're thinking about hive number 2.......

It's a day early but I am SO Irish!!!

That was fun :D Crys* helped me with the green hair spray. Folks enjoyed it throughout the day. Our really tough decision is that since it's now actually St. Patties day, and we're going to Alamosa today..... do we throw down some Irish Car Bombs.... or continue to be good......

Arrivals...

Bee stuff is in. Assembly required. Slightly newer RV on the way, pictures as they become available

Hazel :) our mama llama

It's been an interesting weekend so far, and even included a bit of a rodeo. Crys* took off Friday night to see her Nana, so I tended the critters and home. I did a bit of cleaning, a bit of workout, some cooking.....

And on Saturday morning I decided it was time to put the halter on Hazel. I got my fancy new lasso and blissfully wandered out to the pen without a freakin clue. :D It took me quite a while to get a rope on her and she did NOT like it not a single little bit. By the time I got that far she was pretty excited and upset so I changed their water while I had her tied off to the shed. This helped her realize that not pulling against the rope was a good idea. And at this point I realized that if I didn't get the halter on getting the rope off was gonna be a chore all by itself. :D

She finally calmed down and when I let the tension off and just held the rope softly she stood all right and I got ahold of her and slipped the halter on. Now when we catch her for foot trimming and shearing it won't be quite as much of a chore. Also we'll try to get a little corral up before then and a shearing stand made for the goats.

The bee stuff hasn't arrived for construction yet. I'm wanting it, 'cause I just like doing that kinda crap.

And this week we will embark on the adventure of pressure cooker cooking. I have a fancy new kindle edition cookbook and we're gonna go nuts! And lots of other ingredients!

Crystal has started a group on the beachbody.com site for the valley. It's called Fitness with Altitude. Join up and sweat with us!

Enjoy the journey as Tony says........

Treats... Auntie and Uncle Dave came out. We had her homemade pickles and my mini Caprese snacks. We shot guns and crossbows. It was a very relaxing afternoon!
Recipe Here

getting geared up for Spring

Yesterday we started preparing for spring. Our new workout is 2 weeks old and my buddy Brad came over. Brad brought his goat stand and that is where the fun started. You see, one needs to trim goats hooves regularly or they have trouble getting around. We hadn't trimmed Stanley or Choco's foots since they got here last October. Stanley started the day by escaping the pen so he got harnessed and roped up first. Choco took 3 of us to corner him, and a tackle.

Their feet were in bad shape. We are so glad Brad taught us how to care for them. He started on Choco's back hooves. And I took over when we got to the front. Crys* kept them calm, did some grooming and trimmed out their faces. I took almost an inch off Stanley's back feet! Now they're both trimmed up and happier and we'll do it on a regular schedule.

The bee materials are all.ordered from Mann Lake bees as well. I sat down last weekend and custom made a package for us because the pre-assembled ones didn't really do it. We need some extra stuff for our cold winters and our climate and altitude and someof the parts in the ready made kits weren't ....... as nice. We plan to take an organic approach and I wanted to start with good stuff and not have to re-buy things later on. The bees will arrive in May so we have between now and then to build, site and paint stuff.

Should be fun!