DUH...I forgot the pictures!

APRIL 15TH TEA PARTY

Better late than never. Can you believe that Cody, Wyoming really had it's very own Tea Party???? Even in the snow. There were about 500 people that came out to protest high taxes and the bailouts and all that kind of stuff. I don't usually post political stuff, but, this is just going to far. People have to blame other people and everyone is "pushing the buck" and it's just getting really bad. The fore fathers of our country could never have seen what was going to happen on down the line. Especially when they sacrificed so much leaving "their country" to come here to begin a "Free" country. Wow, it is just mind boggling. Ok, enough of the soap box...

It's been so long since I blogged, I wrote a note about all the things we have done and what I needed to tell you, but, I have lost the note. So, here I sit, trying to rack my brain. Really, we have been busy...Part of the busy schedule has had to do with me and my neck, and "the city" worker's comp claim for me. It's a long story, so I won't bore you with all the cwap we have been dealing with. Suffice to say, my neck has been bothering me, so I made a follow-up appointment to see the doctor. In order to see the doc, we had to go have 2 MRIs one on the cervical spine and one for the thorasic spine. My cervical is getting worse. They fused discs 5 & 6 to 7 now, 3 & 4 have gotten worse. First I need to have physical therapy (which I detest) then I'm supposed to get another epidural. Well, phone call after phone call, fax after fax...we are still waiting for "the powers that be" to "allow" this to happen...I just wish one of "the powers that be" would understand how hurting is so debilitating; and, that time means something.

Uh oh, I think I published before I was done...maybe that was a hint...oh well, I guess I should go. It is snowing again, you know, I think this April has been snowyer than any month this winter, er, um, spring? Oh well, I love the snow it keeps the temperature down...lol.

With Spring starting, the ditch has been turned on, so the Ol' Coyote is back to the irrigation ditch work again. His busy season is beginning. The lawn maintenance and he is going to be planting another area of grass, plus working on the pipes and getting all the equipment ready.

Oh, I know one of the reasons we have been busy, we are becoming CERTS...no, not the candy, it's a part of Homeland Security. I gotta go for now, but I will follow up on this topic next blog....stay healthy, happy and outa trouble....ciao

SPRING IN CODY

This is what spring in Cody looks like...here it is the 9th of April and we got about 4" of snow, and still coming down...I'm sorry, but I love it!!! Usually to be sure we will not have another freeze and kill all the pretty flowers, we don't plant until after the first week of June...crazy, huh. It's really not that cold right now, it's 32. Usually it's in the teens.

Wow, two months since I posted, my bad...We just got back from our annual Oklahoma trip and I must say, I really hated to leave. We had so much fun!!! Here in Cody, you forget what it's like to really play. We had so much fun going to the malls, eating at real restaurants, like P.F. Changes and he Cheesecake Factory and going to Sams.....oh, so much fun. We played by day and enjoyed our trinkets by night....and Ms. OK fixes the best food, we had chicken and dumplings, breakfast burritos...and we bought shrimp and steak that she and bob fixed....best dinner anywhere....oh man, I'm slobbering just thinking about all that great food...lol. They had fixed their house different from the last time we were there and it looked so much bigger. Bob built a deck off the kitchen that is really great...great for bbqing and just sitting and watching the world go by. Ms. OK got a dinning room set from her mom that was so nice, it really looked great. And the front room was all different, looking really smart. But, the best place was MWH's bedroom. Poor thing, she always allows us to use her bedroom. They had completely re-done her room from the paint to the windows, to the bed and curtains. It looks like a (young adult) princess lives there. Anyway, we were way comfortable. And, even Bob had some new digs. He now has a huge shop. He can park the atvs and the truck plus have plenty of room to work on them in the same bldg.

The time is ticking and I have many more things to accomplish today, so I better leave it at this and just be more diciplined and blog more often, then I don't have to rack my brain at things I should have done...it's funny tho, I will be doing something or seeing something and I think, oh I will have to blog about that..then, by time I get to the computer, it's gone...I forgot what it was that was so exciting or fun....I think I have "oldtimers"...gotta work on that....Have a great day while I stay warm and enjoy my falling snow....ciao

ANIMAL LOVERS

Watching animals really cracks me up. There are some people who are stricktly dog lovers and some who are stricktly cat lovers. Or, there are those who only like birds, or only fish, etc. Actually I am just a plain animal lover, I love them all. Living here in Wyoming, you get to see all kinds of animals and they are all beautiful in their own right. The Ol' Coyote thinks the Canadian Geese are mixed up because they seem to be flying west instead of going south, but who knows. Maybe they know something we don't. We have so many geese and ducks and birds around here. The ducks are really funny in the lakes. When the lake is frozen, there are very few freezing their little feather covered butts. But, when the lake starts to thaw, it's hysterical. There are hundreds of ducks scrunched up together trying to get into the water. It just amazes me that they don't freeze to death out there in that freezing cold water and ice. It's like the horses, I feel badly when some of the owners just leave them out in the snow and don't put blankets on them, or bring them in to the barn, or at least in a lean-to. But, I guess it doesn't bother them too much, but then why do some people do it and others don't, hummmm, makes you wonder. the deer and antelope don't get special treatment, they are left to survive on their own, so I guess nature just takes it's course. But, you should see the Buffalo...they are really mangy looking. Their coats are half molting, then the snow...yuck, it's gross. But they still survive. Beside the snow, the winds out here are really strong. You have to make peace with the wind or it will drive you nuts. The Ol' Coyote is not partial to the wind.
Well, the reason I began this rambling is because, I just love animals. We have a rottwieller named daysee and a 4 month old kitty named nosee. They are so funny alone, and even funnier together. Nosee plays coy and like she doesn't want Daysee to play with her. Then while Daysee is sleeping, Nosee comes up and sniffs her paws, bites her ears and licks her head. Daysee is not allowed on a certain part of the rug and Nosee knows just where that line is. She stretches out and preens herself, daring Daysee to "cross that line". Sometimes, she does, even if she gets yelled at, it's sooooo worth it. They are starting to play together longer and more, so we are hoping that they will become very close...we think they will. I included some of the latest pictures to show the progress...

HAPPY NEW YEAR (a little late)

Gosh, I can't believe it's been since December 15th that I blogged. HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Have things changed for you? hummmm, not much change around here. The wind is still blowing I mean, like a gale ( except for today). This is the first day in the last two weeks that it didn't sound like a freight train going thru the front yard. We got snow Sunday night, so it was beautiful when we got up this morning. It's so funny when it snows. Our property looks like a road map. With all the bunny prints all over the place. They hop in every direction.

Can you believe that it is 2009??? geeeze, where does the time go. Did you make any resolutions? Not me...I have goals that I want to accomplish, but no "resolutions".

I watched the Golden Globes last night and was really sad about some of the winners. I didn't see slumdogs and I have no desire to see it, but, I felt that some of the awards it got should have been given to others. I was really pleased that Heath Ledger got the best supporting actor award. I think that was my highlight. I still have some of the shows to see, before the Academy Awards.

This Saturday (the 17th) we have a "Murder Mystery" to attend and be part of. I'm really excited. It's called a night of mystery in Deadwood. The site is
www.nightofmystery.com/deadwood_extras.htm
The Coyote and I are Montgomery Money and Elizabeth Money and we have a debutant daughter named Minnie Money. We have info about each of us and then when we get to the "Saloon" we will get an envelope with more clues and then later in the evening, we will get another envelope and the murder and the victim will find out who they will be. I'll have to let you know how this turns out. I don't want to get to excited about it because, on Halloween, we were invited to a murder mystery at one of the big hotels here and it was a real bust. So, I have to think positive and not get too excited.

Other than the above, my kitty "nosee" is doing well, she is sooooooooo funny, I have to get some pictures of her playing with Daysee (our rottweiller), they are getting close. When Daysee gets put out in the morning, Nosee sits at the glass door and watches her and tries to talk to her....it's really cute.

At the beginning of this new year, already I have sad news and good news. My sad news is about Jane Watanabe. She is a really sweet, wonderful woman who passed away in Glendora, CA on Jan 2. I will miss her. The happy news is that one of my friends who lives in Oregon, I call her "Manda Jane", is expecting. I don't remember when she is due, but I'm so excited for her and Dom, her husband. The other good news is that my friend Sandie got engaged!!!! Yaaaa, I'm so excited for her and Matthew. They set their date for the 6th of March at the Manti, Utah LDS Temple. What a way to begin the new year....

I hope you all had great experiences over Christmas and New Years . It is my wish that this year will find us all, healthy, happy and full of new adventures....

Brrrrrrr

I feel like Nanook of the North. We don't usually have this cold of weather this early. It got down to 20 below last night and it didn't get above -5 all day. The snow is still on the ground. Being from California, there are many things to discover about the snow and the cold. First off, you don't go out the front door barefooted with no sweater or jacket. That's a biggie. The first thing the ol Coyote noticed (now this may be gross to some of you, others will just consider the source and laugh)BUT....I guess you just have to go with the "redneck" - you can tell how cold it is by how fast your nose hairs freeze...no comment.

The snow up here is gorgeous. It is very dry, so it actually looks like styrofoam but sparkles. Today I was looking out the window and it looked like sparkle dust flying thru the air. It's beautiful. Also, because it's so cold and dry, when you walk on the snow it sounds like you are walking on broken glass. And if you walk on a "welcome mat" it feels like you are walking on wood, not something that is soft. It's really neat to find new things. The lakes are all frozen over; we were surprised that there were no ice fisherman out. That's another site I had not seen before we moved up here. It's funny to see little tents sitting on top of a frozen lake.

Well, now for the not so happy things. The Ol Coyote had put up with Dish Network long enough. (It goes out constantly and we have all sorts of problems since they took away the east and west feeds and gave us the Billings stations, grrrrr, what a disaster). Soooo, since Direct TV was running a special, I caved and said ok to changing the companies. WELL...we had our Direct put in on Friday and Saturday morning we lost the signal...no tv...until... the soonest they can get someone out here will be this Thursday....AND, not only that, we don't get any of the network stations, i.e. ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, CW, PBS...are you ready for that????? And this is supposed to be better??? What is wrong with his brain....I'm convinced he is losing it. Sometimes he is such a loveable guy, but sometimes!!!! Now we are stuck in a two year contract with these people....I'm doomed. More movies, that's all....more movies. sheeesh! Today, the Ol Coyote went up on top of the shop roof to take the TWO dish network dishes down, so Thursday, when Direct shows up again, we can have the guy put the dish down lower so it is not sticking up at the roof top catching all the wind and snow....they grow them different out here...

Christmas in ten days, wow...how the time flies, I don't know where November went and soon we will be changing the year's calendar. We have been practicing for the Ward Christmas party, we have to sing the opening song, then we have to sing a little later in the program, after we have a nice ham dinner, then Santa will come....We are also practicing diligently for the Sunday Christmas program. So, we have been busy. I didn't make the cookie exchange or the ornament exchange, I just couldn't get into it this year. We won't be doing Christmas cards this year either, cutting back with the money situation. Being on a fixed income and hoping our retirement doesn't run out before we do can get really exciting.

Daysee got in trouble today, she broke her hook on her cable and ran out in front of a car (there was only one for miles) so Coyote got really upset with her. Then there's nosee, the cat. Daysee can't stand for her to be in the room without chasing her until she leaves the area for her safe house. With all the running over furniture, yelling, "Get off the table" "sit, Daysee" "I said, sit!" Oh it's so much fun around here. Sometimes I wish I was the deaf one...well, on that note, I guess I will sign off, we are going to see "The Day the Earth Stood Still" tonight, so gotta get ready...stay warm and happy....

CHRISTMAS IS COMING!!!

It's been a while since I have posted and not much has gone on. I was sick for 3 1/2 weeks and am finally feeling better. Out of the forest, but not in the clearing. I still have that hacky cough and sore throat. Yes...I did go to the doctor and was on antibiotics, thank you for your concern.

Night before last it snowed and the land is still covered with the snow. That is very unusual here as it is usually blowing so hard that our dry snow is gone the next day. It's really beautiful. It really gives you a sense of Christmas. The shoppers are all bundled up and carrying their packages and bustling to the next shop. It's so fun to watch. The lights are all up in the city and the homes are decorating one by one. I love Christmas time. The lights are so bright, they sparkle and remind me of all the stars in the sky. Can't you just imagine at the time of Jesus' birth, with no smog and no huge buildings to block the sky how bright the stars were....living in the country (well, maybe desert) where it's so dark, it is really beautiful seeing all the stars. I even got to see the Trident Triangle the other night, it was great.

This is also one of the busiest times of the year. Our church has so many things going on, you hardly have time to breathe. We have a womens Holiday luncheon/Ornament exchange, then we have a Christmas Cookie exchange, then we have the Ward Christmas party for the youth and the adults...this year they will even have a visit from Santa. Normally, we concentrate on the real Christmas values, with the birth of Christ. This activities chairwoman has decided that we will share both at the same party. This will be interesting, but fun for the children. Then there is the Christmas choir, we practice for the December 21st performance...whew, I hardly have time to vaccuum...

Speaking of which, I got a new vaccuum....I LOVE IT!!! I always thought the dyson guy was a bunch of hype and never considered it. We had a Hoover Wind Tunnel and it was crap. The belts kept sliding off and burning, uck, terrible smell, plus it was heavy and loud. We went vaccuum shopping (under duress from the ol' coyote) and we spent 2 hours looking at vaccuums...I hate shopping. Anyway, the sales lady convinced Mr. Coyote that the dyson was the best. She had - are you ready for this- 18 cats, all living inside the house...and a husband! Anyway, she just raved about this machine and how it sucked not only the carpet, but clear down thru the pad. Ok, Ok...fine, spend the money (gulp) get the stupid machine, let's just go...so of course we got "the animal" and brought it home. The Ol' coyote had to try it. so we had just vaccuumed with the wind tunnel, so now we put this thing together and start. We started in the bedroom, the path from the bathroom (where the cat has all her stuff) and went to the end of the bed. It was unbeliveable. It filled the canister!!! and, it's a big canister. Talk about amazing, I would definetly recommend the Dyson to anyone. We filled (ok, I'm embarrased to say) 6 canisters by time we were done with the house. Totally unbeliveable...

Ok, I guess I have bored you long enough, I'm starving, time for lunch...gotta go, hope your day is bright and shiney...TTFN