The Times and Travels of Steve and Nancy O'Bosky

Sites on the Way to Buck Rock Lookout

2009-11-21T12:44:00.001-08:00

Gotta love the view of the backcountry! And the still blooming wildflowers.

The lookout sits atop Buck Rock as a sentinel on watch.

Hmmm, bovine roadblock!

Mooooooove out of the way!

I never tire of the shades of green that one find in the forests and hills…Here is a meadow of “skunk cabbage.”

On the Lookout!!!

2009-06-07T07:19:00.001-07:00

Spent the day here in training for fire lookout detection at Delilah Lookout, elevation 5,156 ft. and about 80 stairs! What a view!!! I learned about 100 landmark features! (or so it seemed) and got to practice with the Osborne fire finder and learning more of the ropes of being a volunteer fire lookout! It was great!

Here I practice taking the wind and temperature reading with a cool instrument called a Kestrel. It was briskly blowing that day. As you can see bye the cloudy sky there was a storm approaching.

Here you see the Osborne fire finder where the azimuth in degrees and minutes can be determined (sometimes, if you can see the base of the fire!) A lookout must be just that always on the lookout and continually watching.

Another important aspect of the duties of a fire lookout are to keep other lookouts informed of what has happened when you were on watch. A detailed record log of traffic and fires and other observations is made in addition to a daily journal of events. In this way hopefully there will be no repeat reporting of a fire that has already been seen. As you can see, some spend the night here…I think that would be awesome to see the evening fade and the night stars from the lookout and the coming of the dawn the next day. Sign me up! LOL

The Beauty of Buckeyes!

2009-05-26T08:27:00.001-07:00

Glorious Buckeyes are in bloom! These crazy trees only grow about four months of the year. Such stunning green they give in the early spring! Next the spires begin to grow and fill until….

They blossom in this incredible show of beauty for a few short weeks. The lower in altitude the earlier the show so we get to enjoy them longer as we travel up and down the mountain.

The white blobs are everywhere on the hillsides…This doesn’t last long until the leaves dry up and turn a rusty brown and the tree is dormant till next spring! Then we see blobs of dead looking rusty colored trees on the hillsides! LOL

2009-05-23T16:03:00.000-07:00

Check out our Mountain Adventure Walk!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Visit at Grandma and Grandpa's house!

2009-04-11T21:29:00.001-07:00

Fun times with Jaden and Grandpa!

Reed knows that bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios will always be ready for him when he visits!

Never is a visit complete without a ride on the cart with faithful chauffeur, Grandpa! Up the hill they go!

Gosh, can't believe that Reed is almost five and Jaden is nearing two! Where does the time go?

Spring, Garden Tour and Metal Art!

2009-04-10T16:46:00.001-07:00

Oh happy spring! I just have to add this one!

Poppies cover the hillside!

Here is our "uphill" church!

Baby blue eyes sparkle in the sun!

Amazing...metal art!

LOL, I told you we lived in the hills!

Probably at least a mile of this kind of fence greeted us at the Metcalf Ranch.

Here is the artist of all this metal art.... Lyell Metcalf

No kidding...this is Lyell's outdoor shower!

Another Metcalf original creation!

Thanks for the great delight of seeing "patina" at its best!

Great Spring Pics

2009-04-10T16:08:00.001-07:00

Spring comes and goes quickly in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada's. At the end of March poppies are seen across the valley here but some grass is already starting to turn brown.

Redsmom and I at the nature trail behind the Bear Mountain Library. What a beautiful flowering tree!

Such beautiful pines in bloom?

Lovely flowering crabapple!

Perennial lupine bushes cover the mountainside.

Poppies and lupine and popcorn flowers.e

2009-04-10T15:55:00.001-07:00

I'm long overdue in getting these pics on the blog! On Friday, March 27th I was blessed to have Redsmom from the chat room join me for a whirlwind two days! We had SO much fun!

Here you see Redsmom as she sees snow for the first time in her life! How fun to be there to see her amazed at how cold it felt and see her eyes light up when she saw it so white. God was gracious and kept all this snow safe and sound for her almost a week in Icebox Canyon.

On Saturday we took the day to tour the Squaw Valley Garden Tour. It was so beautiful. This place had flowers and the most amazing metal work I've ever seen.

Redsmom could not believe our acorn filled pine tree compliments of the woodpeckers. Here she points at all the thousands of acorns poked in the millions of holes they have pecked in this tall pine tree up on our mountain. Thanks for coming Redsmom! Come again soon!

2009-02-09T17:23:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you! Enjoy what we did today! Take time to love your family! Our son and daughter-in-law do such a great job of that very thing! Hope you love these pics of the Valentine Snowman!

Make a Smilebox greeting

Snow Much Fun!

2009-02-09T16:55:00.001-08:00

Jaden and Reed, too cute, wait for time to go out and play in the snow. An up close of these precious exuberant faces.

Lisa and Ray enjoy the snow, too. Lisa had last night off, Yeah! And we all waited for the snow. Ray woke me up at 12:30 to tell me it had begun! He's still a kid at heart!

Little Jaden sure has a bad cold...and didn't feel good at all. This was about as excited as she got today in the snow and spent most of the time on mom's lap.

Ray and Reed having a snow hug!

Boy and dog enjoy the big rock in the meadow!

Snow fun all done, time for hot spiced apple cider. Tye leads them in from the meadow!

Grandkids...so much fun!

2009-02-09T16:39:00.001-08:00

Wow...Jaden at 18 months and Reed at 4 1/2....time flies!

On the Rhodes again...our friends Glen and Irela head out.

2009-02-09T16:34:00.001-08:00

Glen and Irela headed out a day before we did. This year they had a new to them rig...and are hopeful to make it up the mountain by themselves to see us! Last year Steve drove down Pete and hauled up their bigger heavier trailer.

Tye says good-bye. He thought Glen was the best! Each day Glen would take him for a bike ride...Well actually Glen rode and Tye ran!

Hmmm, Grandma here said she needed a grandkid "fix" but Grandpa sure looks like he's enjoying himself. Gotta love the sheets hangin' over the windows. That's the way we keep warm in the cold mountain air along with hay bales around the bottom of the rig.

More Arizona Fun

2009-02-09T16:24:00.001-08:00

We visited the tank display near Yuma Proving Grounds. Here is our friend, Irela from Canada enjoying the briskly breezy day!

We took a day trip to see

the Imperial Dam and ate lunch in a little park by a best dam site.

Irela, Ruth and me watching the men sitting on the couch!

And here they are, Steve, and Glen (who goes with Irela) and Tom (who goes with Ruth)...such fun to spend time with our dear Canadian friends! Tom and Ruth brought to me such delicacies as Tim Horton's decaf coffee, Canadian flour and A&W Diet root beer!

Arizona- The Little Chapel near Yuma

2009-02-09T16:10:00.001-08:00

Here is our friend, Tom, about 6 foot 4 in the doorway of a little chapel near Yuma. You can see how tiny it is inside. There was room for about 10 to sit comfortably in the single pew on each side.

Here is a great pic to show you how tiny it is! Tom walks toward Glen and Irela's truck.

2008-12-31T12:54:00.001-08:00

Enjoy our year in pics!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

2008-12-16T15:51:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone. Our Christmas greetings for you....humming, I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas!

Make a Smilebox photobook

Grand Delight!

2008-12-10T17:43:00.001-08:00

Now, I'm thinkin' this is one awesome picture! Yippee! Thanks to some dear friends who gave me their old camera when mine broke, I am now back in the picture taking business! Reed looks out the window at morning! "The sun is up!" he says!

It is so much fun watching Tye and the kids play. He loves them and they love him as this picture shows.

Spaghetti at Grandma's! Yum!

It is so fun to slurp up spaghetti and then giggle!

Reed does some Kung Fu Panda moves after filling his tummy with spaghetti.

Jaden lays next to Tye.

Now he gets a kiss from her.

Tye and Jaden explore down by the creek. I have a bird's-eye view of them from the RV.

Deer in the Meadow

2008-12-10T17:18:00.001-08:00

We had 10 deer in the meadow this afternoon. 8 does and 2 bucks. They were "frolicking" in the meadow!

This forked-horned buck came right up outside the window!

And then he just kept coming closer!

Finally, he took off across the yard heading for the apple tree and the rest of his herd.

Death Valley Views

2008-12-08T23:21:00.001-08:00

Death Valley in the late afternoon sun...after the stormy morning.

Yes, that is snow on the top of the mountains!!!

The colors are so vibrant after a storm....and such contrast between Death Valley floor and the top of the mountains thousands of miles high!

The afternoon sun shines through the clouds and lights up the mountain tops.

On our way home we visited the Boron Museum. One of the greatest things we saw was the 20 mule team complete with harnesses and wagons. Of course the mules were not real! But they were complete with bells on the lead mules and one horse at the back of the mule teams.

I know...it looks a bit unimpressive! But here is The Wolf...our home away from our home on wheels! Our wheels are still turning with The Wolf in tow. I can legally drive it...if Steve will let me get behind the wheel!

China Ranch Date Farm

2008-12-08T23:07:00.001-08:00

This is one of our favorite places and a trip to Death Valley is never complete without taking a drive to get a date shake!

The girls enjoy the surroundings while Corky and Ed digest their date shake.

Here's a better view with their smiling faces!

This year even the date trees near the gift shop were "dressed."

The dates are covered each year to keep the birds from eating them. We love to drive through the date grove and see the different materials used to cover the huge clumps of dates.

This bunch of dates was dressed in men's pajamas! I laughed so hard when I saw this. Don't ya just love the dates coming out of the sleeves?

Just a lovely day at China Ranch....

Death Valley 2008

2008-12-08T22:56:00.001-08:00

We were able to go to Death Valley for 10 days. This year accompanying us were two 11 year olds from our church and long time friends! In fact, they were some of Duke's babies that he raised. Now, they helped to train Tye! We certainly enjoyed having them. Here, they had made birthday cards with poems for our dear friend, Corky, who celebrated her 92nd birthday at Death Valley. We had a great birthday celebration for Corky complete with carrot cake! It was great seeing our RV buddies again. It rained 3 days out of the 10 days were were there..and had 71 mph winds one morning as a storm approached.

Tye certainly enjoyed his first trip to Death Valley! Unfortunately, my knee kept me from walking as I had planned!

The girls helped for two hours on the composite artist's picture. It auctioned for $125. They also competed in the gold panning where the sweet one there on the right won first place!!

I had a special treat as my favorite cowboy artist, Dave Stamey, was one of the performers this year at Death Valley. Don't ever miss a chance to see him!

Over 70 riders made the 120 mile 6 day ride from Ridgecrest to Death Valley. Wednesday was their longest ride....32 miles.

Sierra Nevada Mountains and The Point

2008-09-05T22:54:00.001-07:00

Elevation 8500 feet is Buck Rock Lookout. This is about a mile above where we camp at the Point...oh yes, a mile, and a trail and 172 stairs!

It's up all the way...lol...and these are the "not so steep" stairs!

But the view from there is stupendous on a clear day!

The lookout volunteers even take care of the hummingbirds....carrying up their food from the bottom and sharing the view with them!

Wow! I actually got in a picture! Thanks Pennie for taking this one of me and the high back country of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Wildlife alert! Here is a marmot sitting on a big rock just downhill from the lookout.

All hands to the fire pit as it takes three of us to get out Pennie's delicious Dutch oven pizza!

Ah, what a way to begin the day...remembering His mercies are new and fresh for us each morning! Great is His steadfast love! Great IS His faithfulness...morning by morning new mercies I see. All that I needeth His hand has provided...Great is His faithfulness, mercy and love! My favorite time and my favorite place... I was the only one up to see this gorgeous sunrise,

Our wonderful stay at The Point was highlighted by viewing God's amazing creation of the universe through Dr. John's and Beth's telescope. What a special thing to see...star clusters, galaxies, double stars, star globules!

The trees were so happy this year as it has rained in the back country here several times. I simply love looking at the branches of the Douglas Fir trees...So beautiful!

This was our "maiden" voyage in our "new to us" old RV. We are calling it The Wolf...you know...Peter(r) and The Wolf!

Chatter's Luncheon

2008-09-05T22:07:00.001-07:00

Can you believe this? It's so incredible how you can know someone and never have met them in person....this is Beams all the way from New Zealand on her way to UK by the way of Washington state and Canada next week! It was a privilege indeed to meet my sister in the Lord after talking so very many times in the chat room at www.christianwomentoday.com

This wonderful gathering of chatters was hosted by linda. (I am going to be in so much trouble when she sees how I gave her some bunny ears!) The house and yard were lovely, the food delicious and such comfortable surroundings, my shoes couldn't help but want to come off! Thanks linda, you are the best!

Here are Tee, Sonett and beams. Sonett cried tears of joy only moments earlier to finally meet her online friend, Tee. Now she is all smiles! Sonett will host Tee and her family for a few days near San Diego before Tee heads back toward West Virginia with her family.

Tee smiles as her daughter, the Queen (Brittany) is so excited to see us all. Tee's mom and dad accompanied them from West Virginia...across the USA, through Gustav and its refugees all the way to the Inland Empire in Southern California in four days! Beams and Tee have a hug. More than halfway around the world they came to meet each other and yet so connected because of their belief and faith in Jesus and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that binds believers together. So, here's the shoe story! LOL For those of you who don't know, Tee's "signature" is her six inch heels that she wears everywhere! mrk, on the left, just arrived bringing Tee her "California footwear"...gold bedazzled flip flops!

And last, but not least, Tye attended the get together as well, from a special request from beams..that she would get to meet him. He was such a gentleman and thoroughly enjoyed romping in linda's back yard.

Jaden is ONE!

2008-08-05T14:38:00.001-07:00

Tye and Jaden love each other! She is always sitting down next to him and he always makes sure he knows just where she is. He did come around the corner the other day and was so excited he sort of body slammed her and she hit her noggin on the floor!

Jaden is one year old! So many gifts for this little lady. She was excited to take a sneak preview of them.

OK...every beauty has to have a shower picture! And here she is having a great time in Grandma's shower!

Red Letter Day! No more baby teeth!

2008-07-16T22:12:00.001-07:00

Hip Hip Hooray! No more sharp razor baby teeth for Tye! He now has official canine choppers! Delaney captured this great shot of him. He has sure been busy taking care of the six kids we've had here the past two days.

Tail up and head down Tye always has his nose ready! If he didn't display so many Queensland characteristics, I'd swear he was a bird dog! As we took a walk in the circle meadow, Evie, Payton and Maddy inspect the spiny gooseberries. We cut one open and we sure wonder how anyone gets enough "filling" out of them to make a pie. They were mostly seeds inside!

Remember the Unknown Comic?

2008-07-16T22:03:00.001-07:00

Well, here is that Tye dog playing the part of the unknown comic! He absolutely loved the oatmeal container...for days! LOL The last several he would jam his head in it and then shake it for all it was worth! Delaney caught this version of the unknown comic routine!

2008-06-14T21:33:00.001-07:00

It was a long awaited day as our son graduated from UC Santa Cruz with his B.S. He has worked long and hard and we are so proud of him. Here are a few of today's highlights!

Here comes the graduate complete with sunflower that each graduate gets.

Proud sister, Karen, was able to be there to see her baby brother graduate!

It surely was an accomplishment to graduate and be a husband and dad!

Dad and mom are proud, too!

Grandma's favorite picture of the day....little Reed tries on Dad's mortar board. I told him I'd be there for his graduation!

Double birthdays = Double fun

2008-06-06T20:40:00.001-07:00

Reed is now "officially" four! His birthday party was a bit delayed this year due to the move into the new house and Dad being gone to school.

And....it was a double birthday as Ray's birthday was in a few days, Lisa planned a double celebration. There new back yard worked perfect for a summer afternoon party!!

Ah, one of my highlights of the day was holding Miss Jaden....who, by they way, loves her grandma! She is such a sweetie!

Mountain Flowers!

2008-06-06T10:48:00.001-07:00

A few weeks back this gorgeous yellow flower began cascading down the mountains on our drive down the hill . (which we have made many times lately!) It only grew at a certain elevation and direction. I must say it was a stunning drapery of yellow gold! Hmmm, keep eyes on road, not on flowers, is not an easy lesson.

But, I wasn't driving when I took these photos. This is the amazing buckeye tree. It only grows about four months out of the year. It gets leaves, which are the most incredibly brilliant green when they appear. It grows for a short time then these spires begin to grow. Soon they bloom in this amazingly showy way.

And...then the very first sign of any heat (we had several days of close to 100 at this elevation) the leaves turn yellow, then brown and cling to the tree which now appears dead. Next spring the cycle will begin again!

I hope you can see this in the photo. The hillside is just teeming with the spires of the buckeye. I'll try to get a shot when the hillside is dotted with summer dormant buckeyes as summer progresses.

Tye 3 months-How to Cuddle Lesson

2008-06-06T10:33:00.001-07:00

Tye is learning that every time Steve gets down on the floor, it is time for a Tye hug! He's a quick learner, I must say!

This lesson is a bit more challenging....to lay next to Steve and control his rambunctiousness (that's an O'Reilly word for ya!) and not to use those razor sharp puppy teeth. He is doing much better at this. We thought you might like to see how big he is getting as you compare him to Steve's size.

2008-05-17T21:55:00.000-07:00

This is Tye's favorite toy...two milk jugs tied together. He really gets them going as he runs along banging them together and shaking them like crazy!

2008-05-12T16:34:00.000-07:00

These are some of my favorite wildflowers ever! They are called "five spots" and you most likely can guess why! LOL. Hope you enjoy them! They are just outside of our door and to the left of where we park Pete. Just this week the oak trees have begun to get green with leaves. The little creek is running but just barely and parts of the waterway are sliming up with algae. Each night I can hear the bullfrogs croak at the upper pond and someone up the way has peacocks that scream. At four am the rooster across the street and up the hill begins to crow...then at before daybreak the air is absolutely filled with the songs of so many birds!!

2008-05-10T07:04:00.000-07:00

Tye Romps in the Spring Grass Video LOL...I'm just learning how to remember to use the video on my camera to catch moments. I really have to with Tye as he zooms so quickly and is often out of the picture completely before I can even catch a glimpse of him in the lens. Yesterday we spent a little while down by the creek and Tye enjoyed a spring romp in the green grass. Hope it makes you smile. He is sure good at bringing lots of happy ones to Steve and I!

Got dirty dog?

2008-05-08T12:10:00.001-07:00

Here is what happens when a 10 week old puppy gets over exuberrant with his helping skills and missteps into the pool and goes for a swim, then finds lots of good old farm dirt to roll in!

It was a traumatic morning, especially after getting so cold from the pool water and then being taken into the shower and held there until clean! He was a good sport through it all but he shivered for quite a while and then slept for 7 hours!!!

Today, he is once again his bouncy, mouthy self! LOL

Tye's Story-A Spot of Beauty in a Challenging Time

2008-05-05T08:39:00.001-07:00

Prov. 11:25 A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

My friend and I were making breakfast, with my laptop on the counter searching for names for our new addition, a puppy! He had had three names in just as many days with many suggestions by friends and family who were delighted for us to get this new little guy. Scanning through thousands of names while we tried really hard not to burn the pancakes, we came across several we found interesting. We tried each out loud, it was a lot of fun seeing how they sounded. As we scrolled through the T's, at the very bottom, at the same time, we both saw Tye. We bantered back and forth. "That's not bad.” “I like how it sounds.” “Pretty good name!" we both called out.

Immediately, my heart settled into a remembrance of an oasis-like setting in the throes of West Texas barrenness. Let me explain that a bit more! We travel in our RV, and coming across West Texas is usually not one of the prettier drives. Our often used phrase is, "There ain't nothin' in West Texas!" On our first time traveling from east to west, a

long day's travel time found us in the little bit of a spot in the road called Tye, Texas. We

would have not stopped here at all except there is a truck stop located there where we

fueled up and we had a discount at the local RV campground

there. As we pulled into the campground, trust me on this, there wasn't anything special

about it. Some pull thru sites of gravel with dead grass and trash cans at the end of each

row of sites. In a few minutes, we were set up and as good as it gets with the AC going full blast and the satellite going up for internet service.

After dinner, I took Duke, our beloved dog for a walk to stretch his legs from the long

ride. Not far from our site, I saw a well worn path and a "Fishing by permit only" sign.

That piqued my curiosity and I wondered, "What in the world would fish be doing in this

nothing part of West Texas?" Only 100 feet more, I saw the most amazing sight! Acres of pond teeming with birds, and the most incredibly huge lily pads I'd ever seen, with willows hanging over the edge reflecting their wisps of golden yellow leaves across the

water. I took a huge breath and could sense the Lord just speaking, "Take this in, the

beauty of My creation, be refreshed and renewed in this place after a hard day." I

could sense him smiling on me as I walked out to the dock

setting my camera up for a shot of an enormous lily pad.

The twilight was spent there, enjoying the evening sunset over the pond with the sound of bullfrogs croaking, birds shouting their calls and fish breaking water adding to the

beauty of the acres of water in the desert. I visited again the next morning at daybreak as I prayed and thanked the Lord for His love and provisions along the roads of life.

This past fall found us once again heading from east to west. This time, though, with

heavy hearts as our dear dog, Duke, was dying of cancer. We knew though, that the oasis of the pond at Tye, Texas awaited us. A place where we could stop overnight. I couldn't wait to see the water again, to feel God's hand of assurance as I took Duke for a short walk to the edge and gaze at the beauty of the lily pads and sunset and

experience the sounds of nature there.

It was a bittersweet time. With tears streaming down my face, and yet at the same time

taking in the sense of peace from the majesty of nature that God provided after a long day

of travel on life's road. God's oases are there in our hard travels in life. He provides

us places to find refuge in Him.

I have shared with you all of this to describe the thoughts that come to mind when

I hear the word, Tye...a spot of beauty in a challenging time.

This little puppy is like that to us. He is a gift, an oasis in an often stressful time and

season of challenge, bringing joy and happiness and wonder in each day as he becomes locked to our heart. And so, his name means more than just a sound that is easy to say and gets his attention. Tye is to me a place of wondering awe at God's provisions in the desert wasteland of our trials and journey in this fallen earth. Tye, our buddy, has been God's provision planned for us even while we were releasing Duke from our lives with such sadness. God knew that Tye would become a spot of beauty to lift our hearts and bring joy to us and so many others.

I am so very reminded that God cares so deeply for us. He is our Provider. He has chosen to call us His own and that He has plans for us...even plans for us to be spots

of His beauty and comfort to others in their trials and challenging times. Be that

spot of beauty for Jesus to a person in their challenging time.

Went to a branding

2008-05-04T23:37:00.001-07:00

The fellow in the Black Hat is the owner of the ranch and all the live stock. The guy on the left is the one who branded all the calves.

This guy is one of the biggest cattlemen in this county.

I am glad I am not that bull. Or should I say ex BULL !

This is the head Cowboy on the ranch. His Name is Nano. The Branding lasted about 7 hours with two calves down at a time. There was about twenty Cowboys and Girls. They came from all over the state to help. I found that they all help each other out at Branding Boy what a good BBQ they put on to feed all these people.

2008-04-29T21:45:00.000-07:00

Here is Tye in the early morning sleeping as I am on the computer. He stays all night in his crate and does really well with only one potty break in the middle of the night. LOL..sure glad it is late spring and summer for those midnight walks!

His ears have started to stand up. Only now the one on the left is flopped down a bit...so we don't know if it will stand up like the other one or not.....time will tell!

2008-04-28T07:58:00.000-07:00

Ya got to love this pic. Tye taking a nap after playing with his Charley Bear. Boy is he all puppy. We have to shove something in his mouth at all times he is awake or he will chew everything in sight.

2008-04-19T17:37:00.000-07:00

We've had a great day with our new pup! He has definitely learned to follow me everywhere! He has successfully gone potty in his potty place every time! We are crate training him and he'll sure be glad to have a bigger crate come tomorrow when we visit PetSmart.
He has actually played like a puppy this afternoon with a teddy bear, a little dog pillow, a nd two chew toys. Here his is just out like a light! He was playing one minute and out the next!
Oh...such sleepy eyes! His eyes aren't the normal brown...they are slate grayish green. I don't know if they will change color or not. This guy still has no name!!! We're bantering about....Scamp, Petey, Buck or Bucky, Rex, Hawk (that was Reed's suggestion LOL!) , Sam, D.J. (for Duke Jr.) , Rocky and Chip. Do comment if you like one of these. King and Bandit are out as we have had dogs of that name in the past. Thanks for your help!

2008-04-18T20:11:00.000-07:00

Here is the new member of our family! This afternoon we went over the mountain to see a litter of nine puppies. This little guy caught our eye and stole our heart! The ride home was great even though over an hour, with very little whimpering and he slept the last 20 minutes. As of now, he doesn't have a name! Any suggestions? Do send a comment! He is just eight weeks old, born Feb. 21. We met both the mom and dad and they very sweet and well mannered, gentle dogs. He is a Queensland McNab cross.

2008-03-23T21:21:00.000-07:00

Popcorn flowers...up close. The early spring rains came at just the right time to create a thick carpet of these tiny white flowers.
A lovely Central California foothill view.
Here are popped at the top of a hill...such brilliant color!
Fiddleneck...although so very showy, so very itchy if you would have to walk through them!

2008-03-23T21:16:00.000-07:00

Jaden takes a first close look at dirt. What is thsi stuff?? She promptly lifted her hand and crawled onto the carpet! LOL
The lupin on the drive down to the valley is simply spectacular this spring! Enjoy its beauty in this picture taken on the Hills Valley Road.
We took a back road "home" after Easter Sunday church today...up Sand Creek Road and such volumes of wildflowers we had never seen! Here you see acres of fiddleneck and popcorn flowers and wild mustard.
A herd of cattle dot the countryside of snow like popcorn flower! An amazing display!

2008-03-23T21:06:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, I found one! Reed enjoys an Easter egg hunt in the big yard in Miramonte while Aunt Karen, Jaden and Dad and Mom look on.
Aunt Karen holds Jaden....who is enjoying shaking the rattling egg filled with candy.
Wohooo!!! A family picture! This is the first one since December of 04 when Reed was a baby. Soon I will print this up and put it on the wall in the Draggin'.
I was taking pics of our two adult children as I hadn't had one in a long time...The others were good...LOL....but this one......priceless!

2008-03-16T17:00:00.001-07:00

Make a free ecard - it's easy!

2008-03-13T12:24:00.000-07:00

Jaden at 7 1/2 months is just beginning to stand!

She has got her crawling down pat! She can be under your feet in no time!

Here she goes....trying to stand!

This is really hard work!!!

2008-03-11T08:38:00.000-07:00

Farewell Dear Duke.....This picture was taken in Arkansas just a few days after we found out he had cancer in September of 07. It reminded me of him looking down from up above with such a smile of love on his face. With help of two wonderful vets, Dr. Mary Klein in Tucson, AZ and Dr. John Grafton-Cardwell from Visalia, CA, he was in the best of care and his life was extended 5 and 1/2 months. We said good-bye to him on Sunday as he went to sleep in his favorite place, the bed in the truck with his truck duck and Steve and I and our son, Ray with him. It is terribly lonesome without him...and yet God sends us grace with grandchildren to love and Steve's mother who needs some extra help. So we are both occupied and stay quite busy. But it sure is empty not having that faithful eye upon us. We have had SO many of you share our sorrow and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. One sure thing, there will never be another Duke like this one! Now..go and love those dear to you for we are not guaranteed our next breath. It surely does come down to love. As so many of you who knew him would agree, Duke sure knew how to do just that!

Last Days With Duke

2008-03-03T08:52:00.001-08:00

Duke was able to go with us on a walk last week! He so enjoyed being with us and climbing the hills. We have given him his last dose of chemo. His liver enzymes are elevated, his nodes are enlarging and there are no "easy" options left. It's a hard decision to make...when he will take his last truck ride with us. You can pray for us for wisdom. Constant companion, faithful friend, trusting beyond measure...we'll miss you SO much Duke!

Water Fall

2008-03-01T23:07:00.001-08:00

Behind where we are parked is a beautiful water fall just a short walk up the hill.

2008-02-15T16:34:00.000-08:00

I got unstuck !!!!

This is where the Draggin' is supposed to Be.
First two pics are of our Great site.

The third is from the rear of the rig.

The fourth is out the Dining room window.

2008-02-14T10:04:00.000-08:00

Wow...what a cute face with chocolate ice cream on it!
Here is Reed with his picture of a cowboy, cactus, horse and sun!
Jaden in her saucer as she does "throw it in the oven" for Grandma from the Patta Cake poem!
Hello Pa!!! We both miss you and love you! Happy Valentine's Day!!!!! XXXX and OOO (and from Grandma, too!!!!)

2008-02-05T16:40:00.000-08:00

2008-02-05T15:31:00.000-08:00

yep, Duke is having so much fun just being with Jaden....
He is doing pretty well. He is soon to have his next round of chemo
Kisses for Jaden while Reed looks on!
Here are these two cuties! Jaden 6 months and Reed 3 3/4 years

2008-02-05T15:21:00.000-08:00

Even though we are stuck, you can see the lovely surroundings. Just behind the Draggin' is a stream.
I have been hugging these two cuties for a few days now. Grandpa is sure sad to miss seeing them! Jaden is six months now and doing SO much!
She is one cutie and loves to laugh...just like her Grandma! LOL
Reed helped by taking this picture. Duke is sure enjoying being there with them again. He is holding his own.

2008-02-01T15:54:00.001-08:00

Well, we made it up to Steve's mom's in Miramonte...LOL..now we're really stuck here!

But...looking on the "sunny side"..we're safe, we're off the road and thank you, Lord, the rig is level while we wait for the ground to dry up and for a tractor to come and pull us out. That may be awhile since a foot of snow is expected with this next storm. I'll miss it (darn) as tomorrow I go hug grandkids!

This is Palm Canyon about 12 miles south of Quartzsite. I went with our friends Tom Earle from Alberta and Emily Martel from Maine. It was a nice 1/2 mile hike up to see the palms. They are tucked in between two rock cliffs and we arrived at the best time of the day to see them..when the sun is right overhead. These are the only native palm trees in Arizona.

Here you see our friend, Tom Earle, who with his old long farm legs had fairly leaped across the wash and up the canyon to get a closer look. Emily and I gladly stayed where we were in order to take a picture of him. Notice that at the same time I am taking a picture of him, he is taking a picture of us!

2008-01-04T08:34:00.000-08:00

Jan and Dodie on the trail to see the arch. The vista in this canyon was breath taking!

Hope you can see this little sign on the left...Steep rocky grades ahead...Well, we continued on them for awhile! Scary!!!

Another gorgeous desert view near Ajo, AZ

The grandaddy of all Organ Pipe Cactus...This is one amazing specimen that Jan is standing near.

2008-01-04T08:13:00.000-08:00

Christmas on the desert! Here, the host of the BLM land has decorated a creosote bush to bring Christmas cheer.

Duke had a great Christmas as well after spending a month kissing grandbabies, we headed out to the desert. Duke has enjoyed being with everyone and basking in the warm desert sun and checking the ground for tidbits left behind. He was spoiled by all...as you can see from Dale here talking reindeer to Duke as they both don their reindeer antlers. Duke continues to hold his own and we enjoy him each day he is with us.

After Christmas our friends Dave and Jan Douglass arrived and one of the Christian Fellowship RVers, Dodie and Jan and I all took a ride up Ajp Mountain Drive in the Organ Pipes National Monument and went for a hike up the Arch Mountain trail. Here you can see the arch, actually a double one with a teensy one over the larger one. the bottom of the larger arch spans 720 feet!

2008-01-04T08:07:00.000-08:00

Steve and I spent Christmas with a group of Christian Fellowship BOF RVers out on the desert near Why, AZ...why? you might ask. To receive the gift of Jesus at Christmas and have a Christ-centered Christmas, which is was indeed! 14 of us together putting our hearts on the awesome gift of Jesus that God sent us. Here, though, we feast on pancakes and scrambled eggs at our group breakfast.

2007-12-08T11:12:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas....Rejoice, for unto us a Savior is born..He is Christ, the Lord!
The O'Bosky's bring you Christmas greetings! It has been a year filled with tall mountains of abounding joy and deep valleys of heartache but in it all...the Glory of the Lord has shone...we pray that you seek His face while there is still time, know of His abounding love and are filled with His glorious hope this Christmas season. And now..for your Christmas enjoyment we share with you Steve, Nancy and Duke like you've never seen them before! Click here

2007-12-06T09:25:00.000-08:00

2007-12-04T12:11:00.000-08:00

We wish you a Merry Christmas! We wish you a Merry Christmas! We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Duke and Reed enjoy a "reindeer moment."

2007-12-04T10:22:00.001-08:00

2007-12-04T08:50:00.000-08:00

Pa and Reed look way way down to where we are parked.
Here is a closer view of Pete and Pete's Draggin. The countryside is lovely. We are not far from a very busy highway during the day. But the area is all fenced and not many people so Duke can enjoy a stroll without his leash.
Yeah Jaden!!! She is just now four months and gave a go at sitting up on her own last night! She did pretty well!
And in case you'd like to see a close-up of Jaden (LOL) her brother's photography skills are seen here! Great picture Reed!

2007-12-04T08:42:00.000-08:00

Ray and Reed and Duke and I walked up, and I mean up to the top of the mountain above where we are parked here near Santa Cruz at a private campground. Steve drove Jaden up in the car so we could all be together.
At the top of the mountain it is flat and level and used for parking during summer camps. Someone has made the coolest swing there. Reed enjoyed it!
Wow..this is the miracle picture! Reed actually looked at the camera! Isn't he just the handsomest young man? He has moved on from Cute Boy!
And here is Duke! He is looking pretty good! He has completed seven weeks of chemo and has some strength back. He has made it to the top of the big hill twice now...slow and steady is the trick with lots of rest afterwards. His nodes are down and he is in remission. We take each day as it comes and love him for as long as we are fortunate to have him.

2007-11-23T13:26:00.000-08:00

Family Disneyland picture at the end of our day at Disneyland. I am certain I am too old for this! I was SO tired!

2007-11-23T13:17:00.000-08:00

Karen holds Reed and Jaden. We arrived at Karen's after a very long 8 hour drive and slept a few hours and off to Disneyland we went.
Here at Disneyland.....Mika, Karen's friend, Karen, Lisa's mom and stepdad, her brother and stepsister...all show off their wet bodies from Splash Mountain. This grandma stayed behind to hold Jaden and visit with Ray.
After lunch, we went shopping and tried on ears for Jaden. This one was cute but...
The little red bow with black fuzzy ears was difinitely more her type.

2007-11-19T07:36:00.000-08:00

LOL...here is what has been keeping me busy these past few days. I "corralled" them in the laundry basket while I started up the washing machine. They are such darling kiddoes!
I know this picture is out of order! I have been having trouble uploading images lately. Don't know if it is my brain or what! Anyway, thought I'd share this cute one with you all. I always try to have my camera at the ready when we go down the road..in case I see a "make us laugh" picture that we'd like to share with you all. This is the Cram-Alot-Inn. Our fellow RVers are bound to get a huge laugh out of this!
Duke continues to be with us...He is starting his sixth week of chemo today. His blood work is still stable and he still enjoys our company although he is much slower these days. Here he is enjoying play time with Reed.
What a cutie! Jaden sure is a talker and she is rarely still! She is a really easy baby and loves to just be involved with all that is going on. She got lots of Duke kisses these past days.

2007-10-31T14:37:00.000-07:00

Duke felt good enough today to go for an ATV ride! Sandy and I loaded up his bed and put up his ramp and aways we went!
He still had his happy smile a few miles later after we had gone over some rough roads. We turned around and headed back to the wash and finished our trip on smoother ground.
Wow! Incredible desert beauty! The blossoms on this plant looked just like mini feather dusters! Not sure what it was but down in the wash, this plant got plenty of water this summer during the monsoons that passed through Arizona.
Ran through the bushes..and we ran through the brambles..and the mesquite and ironwood...whew! Duke got covered with leaves and sticks..and so did Sandy and I!

2007-10-31T14:18:00.000-07:00

Look closely! That is an insect!!! A walking stick! It was on the rim of our RV and just wanted to go for a ride. I said, "No!" and redirected it! LOL
We are parked here in Oklahoma waiting for my brother and sister in law to arrive. It was a very nice setting but I can't tell you how many crickets I saw that afternoon! There were full hook-ups out back but we decided not to use them as all the wiring and circuit breaker boxes were full of crickets!!
Here is my busy hubby. I dropped my computer a few weeks ago and completely severed the conection and so we bought a new one. Here he is talking on both phones to Dell about the shipment of it.
Duke the Wonderdog! To all the blog readers...we have to share with you that our precious Duke has lymphoma cancer. It was quite a shock..and to know that it is quite quick acting, usually 30 days to live after diagnosis. After traveling from Oklahoma to Tucson, AZ to see an oncology vet, we have begun treatement with oral chemo drugs. He is now in his third week...they have reduced the size of them but they have not gone down to normal but we continue to treat him. Our hope is to get him back to see the kids and grandkids. We have cried buckets of tears...He is, as most of you know, one incredibly special dog!

2007-10-26T08:49:00.000-07:00

Arkansas and a visit with zoe! We stayed at a nice campground and rested here for a day.
Got to meet Aleth in Tennessee! What a joy to have her smile and hug!
While in Tennesses we got to be a part of a coon hunt. Steve took this shot of one of the booths! :)
Randy Tollison....thought of you when I saw this shirt!

2007-10-26T08:39:00.000-07:00

Here is a shot of some lovely Mississippi countryside....not far from
My friend...Missy from Mississippi. We stopped here to see them as we headed west.

2007-10-26T08:31:00.000-07:00

OH, I can't wait to snuggle up with this cutie pie!
Look at this big grin!!!!!

2007-10-07T20:07:00.000-07:00

These pictures should have been posted earlier. We had the awesome opportunity to visit Gadsby's Tavern in Alexandria, Virginia. It was a lovely place to have lunch with just the best company, our good friends Fred and Judy.
Gadsby's Tavern...George Washington ate here!
Here are Judy and Fred...so much fun being with them. We also enjoyed homemade strawberry ice cream as Fred makes the best in the world!
About Gadsby's Tavern

2007-10-07T20:00:00.000-07:00

The coon hunters gather for last minute directions and an invocation before the hunt begins.
Coon Hunters overalls hanging to dry! Must have been a muddy wet hunt the night before!
OK...loved this shirt ...thought of you, Mr. Randy Tollison! LOL
Now..we heard that this was Chance...the best coon dog at the hunt. We didn't find out if he was the dog who treed the coon first. Just an FYI, the racoon is not killed but only treed.

2007-10-07T19:55:00.000-07:00

Aleth and I in Tennessee!
While we visited Tennessee we parked at a Coon Hunt! We thought this was a neat group!
Wow..can you find Pete and Pete's Draggin? It is rather lost in the sea of trucks and cars at the Coon Hunt.
The police cars line up to stop traffic as the hunters begin the evening hunt for the coon!

2007-10-07T19:50:00.000-07:00

In Northern Indiana the Amish buggies are everywhere...so much so that the road is worn in a rut from the horse hooves.
Here is one of my latest plastic bag rugs. They are sure fun to make as we go down the road.
Got to meet Miss Missy from Mississippi!
A beautiful Northern Mississippi view!

2007-10-07T19:44:00.000-07:00

Back at trying to update the blog. Here we are in Goshen, Indiana in September representing Chapter 31 of the Escapees RV Club. Duke sure liked wearing his Chapter 31 vest!
While in Indiana I had the chance to click this photo of the Amish harvesting their corn. It was really awesome to watch those horses work. The corn went up a small conveyor after being cut and by armloads was loaded on the trailer.
Hmm, not exactly your normal Amish buggy. LOL, I'm not really sure what it was but it was pretty cool with bucket seats and an ice chest in the back. Everywhere there in Northern Indiana are hitching rails. Even at the Wal-Marts there are hitching rails and sheds to allow the horses to stay out of the weather while their owners shop!
It was just a lovely morning and here is apic of a big Indiana farm.

2007-09-26T20:14:00.000-07:00

Wow..this has been an incredibly full three weeks! It began as Steve and I were Row representatives for Chapter 31 of Escapees RV club in Goshen, IN. There is Duke with his Chapter 31 vest on! We talked to folks all day as they came by and stamped their game sheets for blackout Bingo. In the mornings each day at 7 am were the church services for Christian Fellowship group....busy week with the Rivoli Revue Gospel Service on Tuesday night and Fellowship Dinner on Thursday.
Here is Kay Rivoli belting out one of her songs at our first annual (God willing) Gospel Service at the Escapade.
Ron and Kay were a delight to work with and they put so much effort into all they did! It was such an evening of praise to our Lord.
And 300 did just that...with only two posters as advertisement and word of mouth and in two days time..this little room was almost filled! They delighted so in giving honor and praise to the Lord in worship and song!

2007-09-26T19:53:00.000-07:00

OK...second time posting! This is the Cumberland Gap.. a place I have wanted to see since my childhood.
We traveled through West Virginia and then across to the southern point of Ohio to the Big Bend of the Ohio River. You see West Virginia on the other side.
There was a huge power plant across from the campground and here it is in the evening sunset
On our way to Indiana we stopped for three days as I spoke on Sunday at this church in Frazeysburg, Ohio. We had a lovely time with Pastor Jeff and Debbie, his wife. The lovely lawn setting near the church was so nice!

2007-08-31T16:31:00.000-07:00

Strange picture isn't it? This is the map of the battle of Gettysburg. The electronic show depicts in lights where the battle lines were drawn and helps to tell the story of the battle of Gettysburg where 51, 000 Americans died in three days!! We stopped for a short time on our way to Virginia to see the electronic map and take a look at the Visitor's Center.
We were on our way to Virginia to do some visiting!! Here we are with Brent, who we were host parents for for 10 years while he was with a Christian music group in California. We had not met his mom or dad so this was really a special time!! We went to an early dinner and had a lovely time in the crazy roads of Virginia!
It was really good to see Brent again. He called our place "home" every three to four months for a break for quite a number of years.

2007-08-31T16:11:00.001-07:00

This is the John Alden House...He was my 12Ggrandfather, and one of the original Mayflower group that landed in Plymouth, MA in 1620. He was the only one of the crew to stay behind and was a cooper (barrel maker) He married Priscilla Alden in 1623 and moved 12 miles north of Plymouth in 1627 and built a house not far from this one.
This house was built by his son, Jonathan Alden. It is said that John Alden did pass away in this house. There have been Aldens on this property since then!
Pretty neat!
This appears now to be the back of the house but is really the front of the house. It faces the river along which was the original road. There is much history about the house over the years but none of the original artifacts remian except for those which were dug up from the original foundation when it was discovered in the 1960s.

2007-08-26T18:47:00.000-07:00

What cute cheeks! Here is Jaden at just almost a month old. Karen went to visit and she sent us these pictures.
The Reedster always has a great time when Aunt Karen is there! Here they show off their tongues that look alike!

2007-08-26T18:17:00.000-07:00

We visited the Plimoth Plantation and part of it was the Native People Village...Here is a cool log canoe and a "house" that they made from willows and wide bark strips.
Here is the inside of a very large one...assuming it was a lodge. It was quite roomy inside.
We headed over to the Plimoth town part which reenacted life in 1627. It was a "living history" town where its inhabitants were in character for that time period. They were very believable. I talked with this young man who was building a house for a good long time. He was glad to have a rest from building! On the other side was a man putting up siding and he had two young visitors helping him hammer.
This gal zoomed by us saying she needed to check for cucumbers in the garden.

2007-08-26T18:01:00.000-07:00

lo I know this is a crazy picture! I'm going to post these before I post what we have done this past week. This steel frame, several hundred pound sign was originally sitting at the left edge of this photo about 20 feet away....that is until a mini tornado zoomed through right where we were parked at the Elks Lodge in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. We had closed the window shades and got the gennies hooked up and a/c on just before the storm hit. Let me tell you the RV was rockin and rollin. The rain was hitting us sideways..and I pulled up the shade to look at it just in time to see this sign become airborne heading for the RV! It flipped over on the top and hit this metal box and was stopped. About that time the top of the slide out tipped IN! So Steve and I scrambled to "hold it in!" In a half a minute or so after the brunt of it had passed.
Later that night we thought we might walk across the street to get an ice cream..and this is what we saw at the back of the RV!!! Had the wind come at a different angle, the tree would have directly hit the RV. Just a few hours before I was sitting under it talking with a friend!
With all the wind, we didn't even hear the tree fall!
The tree that fell was the same size as the tree to the right in this picture. Wow..what a wild night!

2007-08-21T05:02:00.000-07:00

Here come the lobsters up and out of the pot they have been cooking in for 20 minutes.
Steaming hot with sea weed over the top. They will cool for a couple of minutes then go straight to the plate with a cup of melted butter. Yum!
Davena and Henry once again show their lobster finesse!
Hmmm, look at that plate of trash! Looks like Marsha has been busy. We finish up by eating corn on the cob!

2007-08-21T04:48:00.000-07:00

Here is a lobster just coming out of the pot!
This is a dear sweet lady named Esther who has been a SKP for years!! You can see she is all decked out in her lobster apron ready to chow down. 70 people in that room ate lobster in almost total silence!!! It was a hoot to hear how quiet they got considering how noisy they had been at other times!
The folks were simply so welcoming and kind here in Maine. All were "lobster experts" and we didn't have a clue as to what to do. So they made sure we had a trial lobster run the day before at Bar Harbor and then when it came time to eat..they made sure we had "official" lobster plates and the crackers to crack the hard shell lobster open. We ate inside the claw and even squoze the meat from the legs! But Steve and I did not eat the "tamale" inside which is the guts of the lobster! Yuck!
Here is someone's place all set. As you can see by the large channel locks there, they really get into their lobster!!! The big silver pan is for all the "trash" the lobster shells.

2007-08-19T20:29:00.000-07:00

When we arrived...there were no baby lobsters in the tank and 15 minutes later...thousands had hatched.
Each female lobster carries her eggs for two years under her tail. Here you see them all stuck to her! There were tens of thousands of them. In the wild, only one out of 1,000 would survive but there are thousands here that survive the first four weeks.
Here you see an official "lobster condo!" After the four weeks in the tanks in aeration, the lobsters get stronger than the force of the water and can manage to harm or eat each other. So, they put each individual one in a little "condo" until they can get them out to the ocean and released.
Now, what in the world is this picture you might ask? Good question! After the lobsters get transferred to the lobster condos...they are taken out to the ocean. To preven them from getting nibbled and consumed on their way to the ocean floor, a plastic hose is run from the boat down to the ocean floor. Then they are actually poured down the tube and arrive at the bottom of the ocean where they can quickly find hiding places under rocks, etc.

2007-08-19T20:11:00.000-07:00

This is the view of Bar Harbor from Cadillac Mountain in the Acadia National Park.
This was just the most incredibly special stop. Here is where they actually raise baby lobsters up to 4 to 6 weeks of age and release them.
I loved this sign...just inside the oceanarium.
As soon as the baby lobsters are hatched...they are netted out of the water and put into these large tanks and then continually aerated so that they can't "get ahold of each other." They stay in this environment for about 4 weeks.

2007-08-19T19:58:00.000-07:00

This is the place where we ate lunch...a lobster place. See the buoys on the side of the building. That is how the fisherman keep track of their traps. Each fisherman has his own colors and stripes
Here is the harbor with the boats and lobster buoys scattered over the water. It was a beautiful day!
Here are our newest friends...Henry and Davena Szymt. They are from the Chapter 3 chapter and also drive a really really big truck!!!!
They were our guides in Bar Harbor and Acadia Park...Here Henry shows us the techniques of eating a lobster!

2007-08-19T19:36:00.000-07:00

We stopped in New York at this roadside stand and bought a dozen ears of bodacious corn. The most fun was to
While at a casino parking lot in New York for the night..the man ahead of us was from ONtario and a professional photographer. He loved the sunset background......and the truck! LOL
Bar Harbor, Maine...was really quite nice. Here is the bay and a town fountain.
A sailing ship and a cruise ship...pretty neat!

2007-08-16T18:41:00.000-07:00

Wow...here is Rosie!!! I serve with her in the chat room. How fun it was to finally meet her after talking weekly with her for two years...sometimes more often than that!
And....here is Shoshy, another chat hostess. It was so incredibly fun to meet them both!
We had a lovely dinner and such a nice evening. I miss you guys!!!

2007-08-13T18:49:00.000-07:00

Maid of the Mist boat approaches the center of the Horseshoe Falls with a rainbow at its bow.
Another view of the Cave of the Winds...platforms as they wind up to the Hurricane Deck.
Wow!!!! We held in this pattern with engines roaring against the current for several minutes...with the mist raining down upon us...Good thing we had our nifty blue raincoats on!!!

2007-08-13T18:42:00.000-07:00

One deck below the Hurricane Deck and SO much water! I love how rainbows just appear at different times and places in the falls.
This picture was taken from the Canadian side of the falls looking at the American Falls. You can see the Maid of the Mis boat in the water and also the beautiful Rainbow Bridge across the Niagara Gorge.
The volume of water going over the falls is amazing. And to think that it is 50% less than what naturally flows across due to volumes of water taken for power production. At night an additional 25% of the flow is taken from the Niagara River and sent in underground tunnels 7 miles downstream to the power plant and then returned to the flow of the river headed to the Atlantic Ocean.

2007-08-13T18:33:00.000-07:00

They have done a wonderful job of allowing folks to get up close and personal with the falls. The rails were filled constantly with thousands of people from every part of the world. It was truly a cultural experience...
Time to get right at the base of the falls on the Hurricane Deck. I didn't take the camera out there as the water was far too forceful.
It was really wet on the decks here so I put Steve's little camera in a zip lock back to keep it dry...these three pics were taken "in the bag!" LOL
So becoming these yellow rain coats! Hmmm, plastic raincoats...yep, you guessed it...I did keep them for rug material!

2007-08-13T18:23:00.000-07:00

The American Falls in the foreground and the Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side in the background.
Here is a view of the Canadian side of Niagara Falls and its skyline as we head to the landing to view the falls.
Wildflowers grow right at the edge of Bridal Veil Falls. We found out that at night the falls run 50% less volume as the power plant utilizes the water then turns the flow back on about 8 am each morning till after dark.
Another view of the Hurrican Deck below where I stood (Steve declined) within five feet of the falls. Wow...it was really like a hurricane!

2007-08-13T18:16:00.000-07:00

Here is one of the Maid of the Mist boats just coming out from the center of the Horseshoe Falls where we are headed.
After the boat ride...we went to a landing to view the falls..
I know...he is a crazy guy!!! Part of our tour was a 4-D movie. Here, Steve shows off his special glasses!

2007-08-13T18:08:00.000-07:00

Bridal Veil Falls on the right and the American Niagara Falls on the left from the boat, The Maid of the Mist....
In a few hours...we would be standing there on the right on what is known as the "Hurricane Deck"....
The beautiful American Side of Niagara Falls.....
We leave the Canadian Horseshoe Falls behind....with the mist floating high in the sky.

2007-08-13T18:01:00.000-07:00

We prudently decided to pull off the road when the sky ahead of us began to look like this!!! He hunkered down in a truck stop near Lodi, Ohio on Thursday afternoon. Steve hooked the two generators together and we opened one slide and closed the bedroom door so we could have a/c in the rig. Man, it was hot and muggy!! This picture was taken about five minutes before the heavens opened! We held Duke between us as the thundered rolled and the lightning flashed and the wind tossed the RV back and forth between the big rigs we were parked between. The rain just poured down and soon the parking lot was covered with water and it was running in torrents to the ditch behind us. We had quickly put down the satellite dish just before the storm hit. After the brunt of it passed we put the satellite back up and turned on Fox news...where we heard a tornado had crushed a barn with animals in Lodi, Ohio...which was four miles from where we were parked! Thank you Lord for protection! We were on the road headed toward Niagara Falls after experiencing Severe Thunderstorm warning #575!
Just as we arrived on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls with our Candadian friends Doug and Sandra Lindsay, serving with Wycliffe Bible translaters in Toronto, Ontario, an expansive rainbow arched across Horseshoe Falls!
The amount of water cascading over Niagara Falls is overwhelming! The mist rising and floating towards us in the wind made more pictures from this vantage point impossible and we quickly moved on down the rail to see the front of the falls.
Wow! Can't believe we actually got to see Niagara Falls!!! It was just the perfect day after two days of rain...the sun was shining brightly and the sky was so blue above the falls!

2007-08-03T08:28:00.000-07:00

At just a week old, Miss Jaden is a cute as she can be....that is when she is awake!!! She pretty much likes to eat, burp and sleep!

2007-08-01T11:28:00.000-07:00

Well, looks like Duke is happy staying in Ohio. Last night Reed said, "I want Dukie!" And I showed him that he was staying with Ed and Sandy and Max and he was ok with that!
Here she is...the dainty little princess with the bright eyes! Jaden Renee
This morning Reed laid very still while I took a picture to show size comparison between himself and his brand new sister!
Wow...what a beauty! She loves to look around and at everyone! This is her one week photo!

2007-08-01T06:44:00.000-07:00

Someone certainly has a sense of humor! Actually, the reason it is so funny is that is pretty close to the truth...and this would go for Ohio as well. We have arrived in California to see Miss Jaden Renee! She is so dainty and bright-eyed! I promise pics today....last night was for holding her and playing with Reed.