a Little of this and that`

While not having quite the excitement of the carltons, life goes on in Duncan.

Here is a motley assortment of varous machinery that was working on the railroad.  They put little flags on them to dress them up a bit. 

Remi in his new bed

I am not sure how to feel about this, but this fellow lives in my yard, I think under the cooler. 

These birds remind me so much of the Dark crystal they kinda creep me out.  Even though it looks like he is raisng an army of the dead, he is just warming his wings. 

Kingbird

Take me out to the ball game!

About once a year we take the whole family to Major League Baseball game and watch our beloved local team the Arizona diamondbacks. We try to get the most bang for our buck and usually go when they handout bobble heads to first 15,000 fans. Tonight was the special randy Johnson retirement bobble head which Eddy really wanted. 

Before the game they have some really fun things for kids to do. Of course the bigger boys like to do the pitching machine and get feedback from a real dbacks coach. Quinton hit every pitch and the coach told him, "nice rip."

          Quinton doing pitching machine

I have always been a bit scared of heights and dbacks stadium has very steep seats especially in the cheap seats.     Eddy told me we weren't very high up but when I saw our seats I gulped a bit and had to gird my loins just a bit. Despite our altitude we have a great view of the game right behind home plate half a mile straight up. 

                              Our view

             Quinton and Declan 

         McCoy, Eddy and Zany, Archy is wearing no.1 on back

        Not actually our assigned seats

The game is so much fun might have to take kids out to the ballgame more often. That would probably mean the cheaper even higher seats.  On second thought once  a year is good any higher I might get high altitude sickness!

          Kiss from the coach

What They Wore-it's back

After a couple Sundays spent out of town on vacation, we were all ready to get to church early today.  I tried to get Eddy to take photos before church but he didn't so it is another after church photo.  Luckily they hadn't shed their church clothes on the way home like they usually do.  We had a missionary farewell in our ward of a kid who is a friend of Quinton.  It made me think of how few years we have left before he goes into the wide world.  Gulp!

Summer monsoon season is going really well this year which means we are getting rain. Hurrah!  I love  a summer rain.  Our lovely desert is very green just now.

Zany (in smocked dress, I adore smocking), Quinton, Declan, McCoy and Archer in front

Declan enjoys carrying a briefcase to church with all kinds of things he might need at church.  Including a package of kleenex in case one of the primary leaders sheds a few tears during primary and then he can give her a much needed kleenex.

On my mission to Michigan I was introduced to Pierogies.  Little bundles of pasta like dough stuffed with creamy mashed potatoes.  They are so tasty.  When I was at Costco they had pierogies for a tasting sample and so I bought a big bag.  We had them for dinner and the kids had them for the first time.  Everyone liked them except Archy who refused to even try them.  We also had corn on the cob which is absolutely Zany's favorite food in the world right now. She ate two whole cobs

We used to eat corn with the traditional butter and salt.  Once we tried the corn Mexican style we decided that was the way for us.  We roast the corn in the shuck in the oven for  30 minutes at 350*.  Then we pull off the shuck and corn hair lather it up with some mayo and sprinkle on some Tajin (lime/chili seasonings found in the produce section of the grocery store) and salt.  Man, it is like summer in your mouth.

As evidenced by Zany it is best eaten by just diving in and getting all over your cheeks and face.  

                                     

Tasty!

Reigniting the Blogging Fire

Having taken a bit of a hiatus from blogging to due a lovely long vacation and also some general summer laziness.  I was determined to blog today.  The slight problem is that with Eddy's new iphone, that came along with his new job, all the photos taken lately have been on it and I can't quite figure out how to access them from here (my computer).  Eddy is a great IT guy but he went to a Diamondbacks (MLB baseball) and so is not here to help.  

For some reason I was able to access this short video Eddy took on our vacation.  I was kinda baffled why the crowds of people watched this volcano (guess where we went?) on their phones as they recorded it rather than just actually watching the volcano.  It was way more impressive watching it live.  Really what are you going to do with a recording of the volcano show anyway.  I told (read kindly suggested)  Eddy not to record it and just watch it (he did get a few moments as depicted by this brief video above).  We were so close you could feel the heat almost singe off your arm hair.  Once I can get into the photos I will do a proper post highlighting all the vacation/summer fun.  It will almost be like a slideshow that people used to do of their vacations back in the 1950's and 1960's.  

In other news, this summer has flown by faster than any other before it.  We only have about three weeks left before school starts--eek!  I really thought my whole house would have been cleaned out by now (my summer goal).  I have been trying to not be so uptight this summer and take more lazy summer days of swimming, napping, late movies and general laid backness.  Downside to lazy summer days  is projects just don't get done as quickly.  I haven't even crafted at all or worked on my sewing projects this whole summer.  I have a lot to cram in these last three weeks.  Don't worry I will make sure to include blogging on my to do list!  

blogging is for the Birds!!

I can remember a time,  not so long ago, when a dear sister of mine would bug me mercilessliy if I did not have a blog up on time. Oh how the mighty has fallen. Any way here is another bird post for all to enjoy!

Turkey Vulture

Vermillion Flycatcher. Always ready to strike a pose

A more elusive fellow, the blue grosbeak

A quail, with two top hats

maybe a warbler? Snacking on a mulberry

"What you looking at?" says our resident cardinal

Black throated sparrow

Phainopepla bird, with its evil red eye