Cheryl's brother Matt made this little guy and gave him to her for Christmas. I am just slow posting the picture. His name is Rustican. I thought it was very creative and we enjoy him as part of our family.

Yesterday Cheryl and I had a very enjoyable time together. She got up and weeded in the garden while I slept in. I have a hard time sleeping at night so she is patient with me while I catch up during the day. Cheryl looked at me and said she wanted to do something adventurous so we went fishing. (Her choice) When we arrived at the lake the rain was coming down quite hard so we just sat there and enjoyed listening to it pound on the pickup roof. We could see fish jumping but we didn't want to get out in the rain. The pelicans were flying around like big dive bombers on a mission. When we finally ventured out we had absolutely no luck at fishing but we sat there talking and giggling like a couple of kids. Then we finished up the night by watching a movie called "Catch Me If You Can" which turned out to be a very good movie.

I know this doesn't mean much to anyone else but we sure had an enjoyable time.

Breakfast is waiting and the cook is threatening.

Have a nice day everyone.

This spring we had an unexpected snowfall and this was the picture from out deck. I think it is very pretty myself. Now the snow is all gone, except for the mountains, we have had a lot of rain which is great, and everything is like Ireland... shades a green everywhere. Cheryl and I took a couple of trips to check out different campgrounds and the mountains are so beautiful. Luscious greens everywhere and the flowers of yellow, pink, white and blue are like icing on a cake, the best part. We seen animals in their natural habitat and they look so good. Too bad man is in such a hurry to pollute.

Not much to say this fine morning. I thought I would surely get a comment from Foam about the smores but she must be off doing her thing. Pamela has been very quiet also. I have a friend who claims she is going to start reading my blogs but time will tell on that. Her name is Rebecca but I call her Bubbles and she is a hoot.

Guess I will close. Nobody loves me, everybody hates me, guess I'll go eat worms.

Have a nice day everyone.

Since I really have nothing to say I will continue posting pictures. These pictures are of the gang that hangs around our house and eats, eats, eats. I wish this was a better picture because some of them are finches but two are a bird we have not seen before. We think they are grosbeaks.





A table full of finches. The yellow ones have left for parts unknown but they sure were pretty.

Have a nice day everyone.

This blog is dedicated to the Nielsen family from Tulsa, Oklahoma who came to visit us.


Here we have from left to right, Brandon, Kimberly, Jeremy, Robin and Amber


The first thing Grandpa does is put them to work. Heh, heh, heh.



Amber "Butt crack" Nielsen who is a very good worker for a two year old.


Yes folks the butt crack was very evident that day.



The supervisor who didn't realize how dirty he was but liked the job he had.



Awwwwww, the results of hard work. Hot dogs and marshmallows.

Have a nice day everyone.

This posting is by Rylie Patching, my granddaughter so bear with us all.


Dad, Mom, Rylie, Grandma, Ruby and Major. The gang out camping.



Mom, Dad and Rylie fishing. (Grandma loose with the camera.)

The best Grandma in the whole wide world. (Subject to personal opinion)


Oh Foam, take it from me. Smores and Vodka just don't mix too well.



Just give me the bag and I will take it from there. Much too slow to roast them.

Have a nice day everyone.

Whew!!! Just got the parents from Oklahoma out the door, listened to a two year old cry her heart out because they were leaving, Grandma is in the kitchen cleaning up from breakfast and I have disappeared to the computer area for quiet and solace. It has been an enjoyable visit though... just noisy. Grandma and I realize we live a life of quiet and sometimes it is hard to adjust to the clamor and bustling life style of a young family. However many memories came flooding back as we watched the kids teasing each other, agitating each other and loving each other.

I hope to start posting some pictures fairly soon. Cheryl has mentioned that every time I download her pictures onto the computer I seem to lose some of them. Now being the perfect person that I am I reminded her that it is not I who has the problem but SHE thought she had taken some pictures which she did not. Me making a mistake. Hah, it just does not happen.

Took a ride on the ATV's yesterday up into the mountains that surround us. The mountains are so lovely and green with black eyed susan's all over the place. The choke cherry trees look like they are going to really produce this year. YUM, YUM, YUM. Nothing like chokecherry syrup on waffles unless it is native cherry syrup then it is YUM, YUM, YUM all over again.

Sounds like my friend Foam had a good time on her camping trip. I would like to be a squirrel in a tree listening to that silly bunch of women especially when they started nipping on the spirits.

Pam is on Facebook now. I must admit I don't know much about Facebook and am too lazy to find out. My daughter in Nevada introduced me to Facebook but that was about as far as it got.

Well, the boring person from Idaho has rambled enough so will close.

Have a nice day everyone.

Good morning everyone!! Happy Memorial Day to all of you and I hope it is a safe one. Just a comment about Memorial Day. I am so grateful for those who gave their lives for the freedoms that I enjoy. Thank you men and women of the armed forces.

I have my children from Tulsa, OK visiting this week and it has been enjoyable although Grandpa is not used to having little ones under foot all the time. Cheryl and I worried terribly about these kids moving to OK but it has been all for the best and they seem happier than we have seen them in a long time. I know from reading blogs (Pam's mainly) that there are those who think their grandchildren are the cutest and the brightest but my "blondie" tops them all. She already knows that if she gives that cute smile she will get her way. Hmmmmm, must be a female thing.

Sounds like breakfast is ready so this will be short. Having biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs and bacon. Wish those kids would visit more often so I can get fed better.:))

I hope everyone has a flag in their yard or on their house to remind us of this great country we live in. Problems? Oh yeah, but still the best there is.

Have a nice day everyone.

Whew!! I am finally home from a four day trip to Boise with the track and field team. I enjoyed watching our kids compete but the overall experience of watching track and field is as exciting as watching cars rust. BORRRRRRRRINNNNGGGG. It appears that I am finished for this school year. I now have a full time job ducking and dodging Cheryl and all her honey do projects.

My friend Foam posted 10 things about herself that were interesting and eye opening. I thought I would give it a try about my 10 things.

1. Turn Offs:
Loud talking people, male or female.
People who seem to have no concern about their appearance.
Uncourteous people in stores and etc.

2. Turn On or Pleasing To Me:
Soft Music.
Mountains in the springtime.
Cheryl's laughter.

3. I love to tease and it gets me into lots of trouble.

4. I enjoy large equipment like trucks, buses, trains, airplanes. No boats though since I am slightly afraid of water.

5. I enjoy most animals. I really like horses, cattle, dogs (friendly ones), cats and the list continues with deer, elk, moose, bear, mountain lions. Just about any mountain animals in the northwest.

6. I am not romantic. I don't need a special day or time to get my wife a gift. Everyday she is a gift to me and she is my best friend as well as my lover and wife.

7. I like creating friendships to a point. I truly dislike it when others start to take advantage of our friendship. I like to flirt but if anyone truly made an advance on me I would run like a scared jackrabbit. However on the down side I have a very hard time trusting anyone. I keep wondering when they will do me dirt.

8. I do like guns and using them. Being raised with one was as natural as drinking water.

9. I enjoy movies and even an occasional chick flick.

10. I love living in Idaho with it's beautiful mountains, streams, fairly clean air and the freedoms I get to enjoy. I love the USA and am proud to be called an American.

So there you have a little something about me. I guess I should include that I am boring, boring, boring.

Guess I better close and get something done today. Cheryl is off to the cannery where she is volunteering her time making chicken soup for those who struggle. I just took a percocet to help with the pain and now am feeling sleepy so that will be the first project I will tackle.

Jeralee, I don't know if you read my drivel or not but we have Russian records that we are indexing and could sure use anyone who can read them. Hint, hint, hint.

Have a nice day everyone.

I cannot believe that I never wished all mother's out there a very happy Mother's Day. I am truly sorry.


Happy Mother's Day!!!

My computer developed a problem some time ago and I still have not worked all the bugs out. I wanted to post a picture of two but have not recovered them, soooooooooo no pictures.

Yep, I have been very busy traveling and it looks like it will continue at least for another week. It is amazing how many trips the schools have right before shutting down for the summer. Our track team qualified 21 for the state meet which is next week, our girl's softball team qualified for the state tournament which is next week plus who knows what else. I will either be in Boise or Post Falls, ID which is in the panhandle in very beautiful country.

Cheryl and I are doing fine. She is busy planting raspberry's and other gardening delights while I set around and watch. My back is so bad that I have a very difficult time walking 100 yards. The only thing that does not seem to bother it (as much) is driving.

Cheryl is a happy woman right now. She just had the floor replaced in the kitchen and it turned out lovely. When she first started the kitchen project I just groaned but now that it is almost finished I must admit it is very nice. It scares me what she will want to do next. She is already talking about designing some exercises that will help me supposedly. It made my back start to ache just to listen to her.

Pam, I do enjoy your blog. You are so darned creative. I really enjoyed the pictures and post about your family. It has been a long time since I have seen chickens being fed that way and it brought back memories of my feeding chickens. The one thing about chickens that I will never forget is cleaning the coop. Now there is a job that every young person should get to experience.
Of course there is also the springtime when old hens must be butchered which means the chopping block, the bouncing bodies, the blood squirting all over the place, the boiling them in hot water so the feathers can be plucked and last but certainly not least, the taking care of the feathers so they can be used in pillows. Ugh and double UGH, UGH.

Foam why do you hide your beauty? You are a pretty lady.

Yesterday I treated Cheryl to her Mother's Day present which was dinner and a movie. Why yesterday you might ask? Because Sunday might not allow us to have the day to ourselves. We ate at the Texas Roadhouse (yum, yum but expensive) and watched the movie "Star Trek" since my wife is a trekky fan. It was pretty good and I will add it to our home library of movies. We came home so she could watch "Ghost Whisperer" ( I can't stand the show anymore it is so mushy gushy), and then watched the movie "Bedtime Stories". I am not an Adam Sandler fan of any kind but this movie was fairly good and we will add it to our home library as well.

Guess that is all the blarney for today. Oh, Sarah. I do read your emails but like everything else I don't make many comments. I am just a quiet, bashful, reserved, humble person full of Irish blood.

Have a nice day everyone.

Today is a beautiful day and I awoke with feelings of ambition and great expectations. Since I have not been home too much this past week I had to catch up the bank account that Cheryl has been using quite liberally purchasing shrubs, trees and etc for the yard. Now my feelings of ambition and great expectations have been overtaken by feelings of depression and despair. I think I need to rest a while and rethink my priorities.

Can you believe it snowed here yesterday? I would say "CRAP" but that wouldn't be too nice so I won't.

In catching up on my email I found someone had sent me an e-card and it was sooooo funny. It had a couple of old, maybe I should say elderly, people doing a Mexican hat dance. Actually they were quite good and the expressions on their faces never changed. Cheryl and I got quite a kick out of it. Thank you old people for sending that too me.

I took the track team to a meet last week and it rained all the time they were out there. The temperature had to be close to 40 degrees with a wind blowing. Again I felt so bad that I stayed on the bus and kept it warm for them, but my heart was with them in their suffering............. NOT!!

The following day I took the girl's softball team to a game and it was sooooooooooooo cold. A north wind was blowing and I tried to sit out in the elements and watch the game. I finally broke down and asked one of the girls who was playing if I could borrow her blanket to keep warm. All season long I have waited for a foul ball to be hit my direction so I could show off my skills. Low and behold one came to me, it was perfect, and I dropped it. Talk about embarrassed. Me, an old baseball player dropping the ball. I felt so bad that I went and sat on the warm bus.

I guess I had better go and rest. All this typing just wears me out and I am a delicate old person. Cheryl is off to a class about learning how to not fall down or something like that. She can really use that since she has a hard time with her Parkinson. I will close with this bit of wisdom.

If you take a worm and turn it inside out, and a bird comes along, eats that worm, in reality the worm thinks it is eating the bird. (Now how is that for some great Irish wisdom?)

Have a nice day everyone.

Cheryl and I just got back from a two day trip with the baseball team. Beautiful weather even though our team lost all four games. Two of our games were in Hailey, ID right next to Sun Valley and it was exciting watching the boys play against the mountain backdrop.

Cheryl and I have re-introduced a forgotten method into our conversations. It is called talking to the hand and I am sure most of you know what that is. She was trying to listen to her book on tape and I was just talking, mainly to myself, about the game, the players, the good looking mothers (oops... hmmmmmm) and etc. Anyway Cheryl got peeved because I was interrupting her activity so I started acting like my hands were she and I. Got her to laugh.

Jeralee.... You need an attitude adjustment! Didn't your Mother teach you that we are to be kind, loving, benevolent, and all that stuff? What kind of family did you come from? Cheryl and I thought a refreshing visit for your uncle would be just the ticket to recovery. Ha,ha,ha.

Pam, unfortunately yes, we have those in our family as well. Cheryl's family has half on one side and half on the other and they don't see eye to eye most of the time. Me? I am so full of love that I just sit on the sidelines and smile. Yes, I said LOVE, not BULL.

Got company coming so must close. Looks like another week of run, run, run but it will all end very soon.

Have a nice day everyone.

Good morning and Merry Christmas. Yep, we have 2 inches of new snow this morning and some of us were foolish enough to think spring had arrived. Thank all of you for your comments on my last post. Pam, you made me a little envious about your plantings. Just when we think we are going to be able to plant along comes another snow storm. Foam did you know that beer is good for plants? Yep, you pour some beer in with your new plants or seeds and they come up out of the ground with a big happy face. Avery, Cheryl did just fine with her solo. Great vibrato from being scared to death. By the way did your Mom tell you about the phone calls she and Cheryl received from "YOUR" Uncle Aaron? He is looking for a place to stay so I suggested 1., your Mom, 2., your place, 3., Jeralee's, 4., Tiffany's, 5., Jason's, (are you seeing a trend here?) We suddenly developed an acute, very contagious sickness and would not recommend anyone being here, especially them in their weak condition.

I took a group of golfers to a tournament this week and felt sorry for them all day long. It started raining then snowing when their tournament began and never stopped. Those poor kids were soaked to the bone, cold and just plain miserable. It really bothered me that I remained on the bus with the heater on and listened to music all day. I must repent of my attitude.

Not much else to say. Cheryl and I are just lazing about by the warmth of the heater.

Have a nice day everyone.

Okay, okay, okay!!! So I have been extremely lazy, extremely busy, (yeah right), and again extremely lazy. I have not blogged for a while because, and I cannot believe anyone with Irish blood would say this, I could not think of anything to say. Plus my computer went on the fritz and I am slowly getting it back to its original working condition. Nope I will not admit that I might have had something to do with it wiping everything out. Then of course there is the proverbial springtime flu bug that managed to keep me down and out for a while. I am back to being my normal, ornery self now so beware.

Hope everyone had a great Easter. Cheryl and I sang in an Easter Cantata on Saturday night and it was enjoyable, hot but enjoyable. Cheryl even had a solo part in it. I was so nervous about doing my part right that I missed her singing completely. That did not make for pleasant feelings when I was quizzed about how she sounded.

I just got back from spending most of the week in Twin Falls, ID where I took a bus load of FFA students for a convention. I had a little bit of excitement going to Twin in that a twister touched down for about 5 minutes. I only knew that the bus was all over the road at one point and then I ran into 2-3 inches of pure hail and lots of water everywhere. Being the excellent driver that I am (snort) I managed all difficulties with ease.

Time to plant the peas here. The other day Cheryl ran into a friend of ours and this is how she greeted the man. "Bob. I took one look at you and thought instantly of manure." Oh, that wife of mine. So what did she get out of that conversation? A truck load of manure delivered to our garden.

Okay, I will quit now. I will try and do better about posting but make no promises. I have also lost all blogs that I was following so now I have to wait until Pam, Foam, Tigersue, LOWA, oh all of you guys. I miss you.

Have a nice day everyone.

YEEEEE HAWWWWWW!! The taxes are done and I didn't have to pay. Of course I wasn't worried about that part anyway since I don't make enough to worry about paying. It is just a relief to know they are done for another year.

Tiger Sue, which blog do you use for people like me to visit? I know you have told me but tell me again and maybe this time it will sink in. Just ME, it is good to hear from you once in a while. Is the hubby still working in the oil fields out there in lovely Wamsutter, WY? Wamsutter what a lovely place. The nearest tree is at least 50 miles away and the roads are made of clay so that if a drop of rain hits them they are instantly slicker than snot. Of course I don't go around testing snot to see how slick it is so someone must have told me that. Yep, Wamsutter a place to plan for your vacations if you are looking for a relaxing time, no phones, no food, no service, you get the picture. There was a Mexican lady that opened her home to serving meals to the oil field people. It was not a pretty place and kids ran amuck when you entered but, mercy, could that woman serve a great meal. I ordered a glass of milk to go with my meal and she served almost a half of a gallon. Oh yeah, Wamsutter is a lovely place. Miles and mile of nothing in any direction you want to go. I always said that when God got through with creation and he had the Southwest corner of Wyoming left to do he just molded up a patch of mud, threw it down and said, "There it is finished and I am tired." There are places that one does not see from the highway that are so ugly and desolate even the crows won't go there. Yep, Wyoming where men are men and sheep are nervous.

I just watched the Spiderwick Chronicles and really enjoyed it. Reminded me a lot of the book Fablehaven. Yes, I read those kind of books. In fact I am reading the last book of the Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher and I really like these books. War, romance, war, sissy stuff, and more war. What more could a man wish for. However, for those who might read this I need suggestions of authors and titles of books that might be on tape that we can order. Due to Cheryl's illness she has the talking book service from the State of Idaho but we have a hard time figuring out which books have clean language and no sexual descriptions of any kind. That is what I like about Louis L'Amour. Always clean, always romance between the cowboy and his horse, always good action in many canyons and draws, many bars, many streets... awwww Louie why did you pass away.

Do you know the tv shows Cheryl and I like the most nowadays? Of course you don't so I will tell you since I am in a gabby mood. We like Chuck on Mondays, NCIS and The Mentalist on Tuesdays, Cheryl likes Night Rider on Wednesdays but I am so so with it. Then we have Life on Wednesdays, Thursday is Bones and Burn Notice, Friday is Ghost Whisperer although it is getting too much kissy kissy lovey dovey any more. That just about does our week in. The other days, Saturday and Sunday, we watch movies we have here at home or that we rent. I think we have over 300 movies here at home.

Okay then, got that out of my system. Have a nice day everyone.

A short post for today so everyone knows I am still alive and kicking. After today I might not be since this is the day for suicide. Why, you might ask? Today is the day I decide to do something I have put off for a while. Something I don't like to do. Something that I am beginning to wonder if it really is worth it. Something that I feel is totally unappreciated. Something that is as much fun as a really bad dose of the flu. What could be that bad you ask?

TODAY IS THE DAY I DO MY TAXES!!!!! HELP ME, HELP ME, HELP ME.

Have a nice day everyone cause I won't.

My word. I really had not realized how long it has been since I last posted. I am like Foam in that sometimes I just don't know what to write about. I do know that I have been extremely busy the past few weeks taking high school students to their very many basketball games. Both the girls and the boys lost out in their district tournaments which means no trips to state this year. In a way I breathed a sigh of relief.

Cheryl is feeling under the weather right now. She caught a cold virus from someone very dear to her and is now paying the price for being so loving. (heh, heh, heh) She is prowling around the house like an old grizzly bear with a sore tooth. She even had the nerve to ask me to fix breakfast this morning and serve her in bed. I THINK NOT!! Does she pamper me when I am down. No!!! It is get up you lazy man and do this and do that. Oh no, no sympathy at all.

I have not taken the time to read blogs, emails or anything like that although I did skim through Pam and Foam's blogs. Speaking of Pam's blog, I seen the picture of the hawk and it was beautiful. The past few weeks we have had golden eagles and bald eagles hanging around and they look so majestic. The mice have been coming out lately and the eagles and hawks are going crazy catching them.

This for Sarah. I am sorry I have not posted more but we are doing fine. I actually thought I would get a chance to work on the Lewis line but so far... no time. I really want to take a trip to Dedham and look around for myself. I just have this feeling that some of those Delaney's are relatives.

Got to go. Have a nice day everyone.

Cheryl and I visited our daughter in Provo, UT and the following pictures are what "THIS" Grandpa had to deal with. Our granddaughter, Rylie, with the desk we gave her. Now she can work just like her mother.















Showing Grandpa how everything works on her new desk.












The desk has been checked out and now it is time for Grandpa to get his physical by Dr. Rylie. She really did a double take at my hearing aids in my ears. I wish the camera could capture the intensity of her eyes.











No doctor visit is complete without a shot for good measure. Sometimes even a dozen of them are even better.















I was so sick that I had to have an IV immediately!!










Checking the old pie hole. I told her there was no way she was putting on latex gloves for a further examination, especially lower down.














"Grandpa you have no heart!!!"











"Oh! There it is."






"Now about those teeth?" She is doctor and dentist rolled up into one. I stuck my lower denture out at her when she was examining so closely and scared her a good one. Then it REALLY was an examination of my teeth.






"Okay Grandpa. This doctor has concluded that you are a very sickly fellow and need lots of TLC from a cute granddaughter. Come back in a week or so for a another checkup. Here is a kiss to keep you going."

I just finished looking and reading Pamela's blog, http://thedustwillwait.blogspot.com/ and seeing the old sled in her picture reminded me of a happening a long, long time ago. (I don't know how to make a link to Pam's blog.) ( Pam, I did it, I think)

I was either 4 or 5 years old and had not been living with the people who adopted me very long. In the Teton Basin of Idaho there is plenty of snow to sled on and sledding was a favorite thing to do with the new friends I had made who lived just down the lane. At that time in history it was not uncommon to have snow anywhere from 6 to 10 feet deep. Down the road was an abandoned rock quarry that had been used to make gravel for the roads in the area. The sides were quite deep but there was one spot that provided great sledding.

One afternoon with my friends Dan and Irvin, we decided that all of us should take our sleds and have some fun at the rock quarry, and boy were we having fun. I had a sled similar to the one in Pam's picture however on one side of the steering bar the wood had been broken off leaving a rather pointed end. I took off on my sled for a fun run when all of a sudden it veered off the path and went down one of the steep sides of the quarry. Needless to say the bottom brought me to a very abrupt stop and a very painful one.

I knew my leg hurt quite badly but the pants weren't torn and all seemed well until I notice blood seeping through my pants and making quite a mess. Naturally that scared three little boys but thank goodness Irvin had enough presence of mind to remain calm. I couldn't walk due to pain so he laid me on the sled and drug me home.

My "new" parents first thought I had peed my pants and were furious with me. Then they realized it was blood and due to the pain I was in they couldn't get my overboots off nor my pants to see how bad things really were. Down to the local town to the doctor we went where the medical staff had to cut my boots off as well as my pants.

I had just barely missed the artery in my right leg but had torn a large chunk of meat out of my inner thigh. It took some doing for the doctor to patch me up and to this day I have a large scar on my right inner thigh about 4 inches long and about 1/2 to 3/4 inches wide. ( Sorry but no pictures allowed!)

It never stopped me from sledding when I healed and I managed to do many interesting things to my body in future years.

So there you have it. My story of sledding on a sled with metal runners, wooden slats for the hind end, and the mind impressing wooden steering bar. Thanks Pam for the picture and the memory.

Have a nice day everyone.

This will be short and to the point. Every day lately I kneel down and pray to God that he will nudge my boss so I can go back to work. Morning and night I do this and the reason why? That darned Cheryl has more honey do projects than a man can do in a lifetime let alone in a few days. Now she is stripping the wallpaper from the kitchen walls so she can paint them. Of course that means I have to be nearby so she can pester me with questions, get items for her, come and remove objects from the wall and the list goes on. Darla if I don't get to your genealogy as soon as I suspected I would... you now know the reason why. A phone call telling her to leave me alone would help.

Cheryl and I had a "Narnia" day last Sunday. We watched the "Prince Caspian" and had to go back and watch the "Witch, The Lion and The Wardrobe" so we could figure out some of the things in Prince Caspian. Needless to say we had a very enjoyable day. Following those two excellent movies we watched "Chainsaw Massacre" so we could top the day off on a good note. (Just kidding) I don't watch any horror movies at all. Now westerns are a different thing all together. Why am I mentioning this? Darned if I know.

I have decided the people in Washington and Canada are extremely jealous of Idahoans. Why, you ask? Well, they keep sending us the crappiest weather. First we have freezing rain, then we have snow, now we have bitter cold. It is their fault and that is my story.

Got to close. A friend of ours (yes, I have one or two friends... I think.) is taking us out to supper and we are having steak. Yum, yum.

Have a nice day everyone. (Yes, that includes those in North Carolina too. What has happened to those Tarheels anyway?)