Animal House

 In Florida we have really cute bats and ducks.

Some ducks can even drive.  They love to, in fact.  (How about you, Myra?)

Some of the bats here are not nocturnal.

 Some cows seem to have hollow legs ... and stomachs.

 What do you call a horse with no arms or legs?  Bob?  Art?  Skippy?  Matt?

 Have you ever seen a cuter cow bum?

 This is Penny cow.  She also has a stomach that cannot be filled.

 Here are some chickens and our cute friend, Madden.

 We have too many 'buggies' for Mom's liking.  Lincoln could probably handle more though.

 We found this little beast crawling around last week.

 Did you know it was colder in Florida (Gainesville) than in Idaho (Boise) the other day?  We decided to let the animals come inside and wear their snuggliest jammies.  

GPS

As from the previous post you may wonder why someone may wander around the western USA the way my father does.  Let me relate this little ditty:

5:30 am Sunday October 21:  My dad ranting about how annoying it is that everyone gave him crap about not having a GPS for his car.  "You don't have a GPS?  Scoff!  I can't believe you don't have a GPS!  Here, borrow my GPS."  He admits he will probably breakdown and buy one, but the banter has really annoyed him.  

5:55 am Sunday October 21:  "Where is the airport.  I must have missed the sign!  Let's turn around."

Smart Alec Me: Hey Dad, did you see how many states and miles you did in the past week?  Maybe you should buy a GPS (at least to get me to the airport on time). 

Riddle Me This:

 

1. What goes from Boise, Idaho to Utah to Arizona to Nevada to Arizona to Nevada to Arizona to Nevada to Arizona, and then while in Arizona; to Phoenix to Tucson to Phoenix to Tucson to Phoenix to Sedona to Page, then to Kanab, Utah to Zion National Park to Salt Lake City to Boise, Idaho? Goes over mountains, across dams and bridges, through mountains, across deserts, not to the Wave, in 2,900 miles and 7 days?

 

 

 

 

 

2. What goes from 55 degrees and cloudy to 95 degrees and sunny to 35 degrees and snowing in a week?

3. What goes from Phoenix to Boise in 2 hours?

4. What goes from Florida to Phoenix to Tucson to Phoenix to Tucson to Phoenix to Florida in 72 hours with no kids?

5. What goes from San Diego to Phoenix to Tucson to Phoenix to San Diego in 30 hours and wipes frosting off a rental car?

6. What went from single to hitched last Saturday?

 

 

 

Answers:

1. The Rogue

2. The weather between Boise and Tucson (snow in SLC Tuesday night)

3. Heaton

4.  Katie

 

5. Kelly

6. Lindsey and Nate

 

 

 

A bit of explanation for question #1:  The interstate from SLC to Las Vegas goes through the corner of Arizona before going into Nevada. After leaving Las Vegas we crossed into Arizona right by Hoover Dam. The river is the border. We decided we needed to see Hoover Dam but the entrance to the visitor’s area is back in Nevada. We turned around and went back to Nevada and to Hoover Dam. We drove across the dam into Arizona but the road ends there on the AZ side. We had to go back across the dam to Nevada to get back on the interstate to Arizona.  So ID, UT, AZ, NV, AZ,NV,AZ,NV,AZ to Phoenix.

 

Advice from the Dog

 

Hi Katie, it's me, Ruby Doo. I'm in charge of this week's post as everyone else is busy getting ready to abandon me for a few days. I guess the old guy is coming by to feed and water me and the chickens. Anyway, I hear that where you're going there may be a lot of cameras. I also heard that some people, like you and Sue, are camera shy and can't seem to keep there eyes open. Well, here's my advice. When you're in front of the camera concentrate on keeping your eyes open. I mean, how hard can it be? I've had lots of experience with it. Cameras aren't that scary. Here's a picture of me on a recent hike.

 

 

Hey, knuckle head owner. That's not the picture you were supposed to post. What are you trying to do to me?  How can I start me own advice column with you always goofing around trying to make me look bad? If only I had an opposable thumb...

Exciting Things Out in the Yard

 

 

 

There have been some really exciting things going on in the yard

since Lincoln and Porter left. 

 

 

 

 First of all, someone named Grape Vine has been playing in the sand box a lot.

 

He's trying to drive the front end loader here.

 

 

And here he is reaching for a shovel. Pretty exciting Huh?

 

 

 



 

Next, there were some plums and a chair jumping on the tramp. I made them

stop because the chair almost fell off and he kept stealing the plums bounce.

 

 

There's a huge line of leaves waiting to go down the slide. The spiders were charging

 them to use their web to get to the top.

 

There's even a line to go through the tunnel.

 

 

The apples got pretty excited one day also. Some of them started falling out of the tree.

 

 

And just look at all the exciting things going on around the pool!

 

 

 

 
Even the boat has been doing some exciting things. Here you can see that it is busy catching leaves and acorns from the oak tree.

 

 

  

Last but not least is this amazing picture of a pumpkin party. They were jumping all around on the table just before I came out to take this picture.

 

 

Well, as you can see. There are a lot of things happening in the yard around here. There hasn't been a dull minute since Lincoln and Porter moved for Florida. We'll try to break away from this excitement sometimes and Skype in and see what new with you.

 

 

Book Reading

     For those of you out of the area, there have been a few book readings in our area worth attending recently.  I took some notes so you won't be left out.  When I read to Lincoln I sometimes say the author.  He says the author of every NO DAVID book is 'No David Shannon.'  Cute, right?  Today he was reading a truck book from the library and he said the title then 'by No David Shannon.'  From the other room I said, 'David Shannon didn't write that one,'  Lincoln replies, 'Oh, by Sally Sutton.'  I think I have only read her name a couple of times.  We have only had the book a week.  What a brilliant boy.

Praying For Lunch, Mantis That Is

I was sitting at home eating my lunch when Sue walked in and started telling me something. She went on for a while and then screamed. I started to say "Yes, I am listening" but she interupted me and yelled "What is that?"  I looked and saw something big but couldn't tell just what it was. We both went over and looked closer and found that a Praying Mantis had joined us for lunch. He was in the house on the step to the family room.

Sue, being a good host brought him in the kitchem and gave him the newspaper to read while we tried to figure out what to do with our guest.

He read the paper awhile and then started walking around on it looking at the pictures. We decided an outdoor picnic might be the best thing for Mr. Mantis.

Sue and I sat at the table while Manty looked at the flowers and made himself comfortable.

I decided that we might be impolite by not offering our guest something to eat. I went out in the yard and looked around while Sue entertained our guest.

I played a quick game of badminton with a wasp and he lost. I put the wasp on a flower by Praying.

 

 

Soon Mr. Mantis was happily eating his lunch. He was a little messy so it's a good thing we were outside having a picnic.

 

 

 

 



He even came back the next day and we had great time reminicing about old times. He had a bee for lunch this time.

 

 

It turns out we really didn't know each other that well. I think Mr. Mantis is actually Mrs. Mantis and is looking for a place to lay her eggs.

 

 

 

Next time we're going to explore all the exciting things going on in the yard.