Another Supid Idea of Mine

The walls really did need to be painted. This is my new mantra. I repeat it to myself at least hourly. Sometimes I repeat it minute by minute. The fact is, painting looks great when it is done but is a horrific mess while in progress. We are in the "in progress" step right now. I am sick of spackling, blue painters' tape, brushes, paint cans, newspaper, drop clothes, and that is all that surrounds me right now. The kitchen and living room are a disaster area (and yes, I am the disaster). Whose idea was it? Mine. Stupid, stupid me.

The walls will need two coats of paint (at least). I curse the builder and the buyer who thought vaulted ceilings were cool. Sometimes I just want to curse. However, I am painting. Little by little, bit by bit. I keep telling myself that at some point in the future (however distant) it will be done, it will look nice, and I will be glad I undertook this project. Yeah, right.

Crazy Caribou

Our American Eskimo mix, Caribou, is crazy. As you have seen in past blogs, he tends to get into strange adventures involving fiber fill. He also has been know to steal zucchini from the deck and chow down on it. Well, I don't know how much he ingests - but he does seem to enjoy tearing "zucchini bats" to pieces.

His latest adventure involved one of our resident water snakes from Little Sand Creek, which runs behind our house. Most of the family is repulsed by the creatures, but I appreciate their help in keeping garden pests down - and Bailee finds them quite intriguing. Caribou, however, sees them as vile intruders on HIS territory. This young pup is really territorial, and also resents the presence of joggers and people fetching their mail from the box in front of our house (which is why this story - while funny - also fills me with a certain degree of trepidation).

Caribou discovered a water snake in the yard, and promptly gave chase, while doing what I believe is the canine equivalent of a cussing out. He and the snake cut a crazy path across the yard, but Caribou finally caught up. This is where I expected bloodshed and all manner of grossness that I would have to clean up (while listening to Diana and Mom scream).

Instead, Caribou promptly raised his leg and peed on the snake ... then watched the snake crawl under the fence into the front yard with a "so there" expression on his face. Like I said - Caribou is crazy!

And, in reference to our joggers and mail gatherers, consider this a warning. As for me - I don't know whether to put up a sign that says "Beware of Dog" or "Beware of Bladder."

The Heat is On!

Our temperatures have finally hit the 90s (much to our dismay), so that means that the younger set is keeping cool by frolicking in the water. It's fun to see them having a good time doing the things we remember from our childhood. Wading pools and running through the sprinkler have not lost their allure! We are also thankful for our pool here in Ammon. What a lifesaver! The prices are reasonable, it's well kept, and there are plenty of lifeguards. What a jewel! Bailee has been having a great time with next door neighbors Abby and Bree.

We cashed in some of our Amazon Reward Points this week for some Corelle dishes, books, and shoes (yes, we've been saving up for some time). The shipment arrived packed in bubble wrap, which still is a source of wild excitement to Bales. She took it upon herself to craft a bubble wrap ensemble. It doesn't look TOO much different from what we now see on the red carpet at Hollywood premiers! Is that scary or what? The best part was when she rolled all over the house trying to pop the dress. It was hilarious! The animal members of the house thought she was insane, and Hadlee retreated in terror under the furniture.

Despite the heat, Bailee was determined to make and frost her first layer cake. She had a great time, and developed an interested lavender frosting. It was quite the intense scientific process. I think she did pretty well for a beginner! Like her grandmother, she loves to cook.

Holiday Weekend

Despite an attack of allergies, we managed to celebrate the 4th in fine style. We made beef and chicken kabobs, corn on the cob, pasta salad, and had a vegetable tray for our feast. This was followed by the annual fireworks. This year we garnered quite an audience of children from the neighborhood. I think everyone enjoyed the show.

We ended the evening by sitting around our firepit and roasting marshmallows and eating s'mores. Marsha had never had a s'more before, so this was a first for her. Our neighbors were all shooting off their huge illegal fireworks, and we all commented that our neighborhood display beat out the fireworks show they used to do in our hometown (Livingston, Montana). There's an integrity issue here of course, but we enjoyed our neighbors' moral lapse just the same.

We also drove up to Swan Valley over the weekend. I have NEVER see Pallisades Lake so full. It was amazing; not to mention beautiful. We were even treated by sightings of Bald Eagles and Golden Eagles. Pretty special. We had a picnic at Blowout Campground and made the required stop at the Rainey Creek Store for square ice cream, then went on to complete the scenic loop going through Victor, Driggs, Tetonia, Newdale, Teton, Sugar City, and Rexburg. We made a stop at the site of the Teton Dam, which is always quite sobering and eerie. Even even 33 years later, the place gives you the shivers.

We had to make a stop for a photo-op at Driggs to show Marsha the famous spud at the Spud Drive-In. The scenery was so beautiful! I have never seen this area looking so lush and green. Fabulous! We also drove through a brief rain storm that smelled absolutely wonderful. I wish I could bottle that fabulous smell!

Marsha's Arrival

This is a picture of a very sad and embarrassed girl. A few minutes before we were supposed to leave to pick up Marsha at the airport, Bailee came downstairs with her comb firmly embedded in her hair. It was wound around it as tight as can be, and nothing I did seemed to help. As the clock ticked and our options evaporated, we finally decided to just cut the comb out of her hair. I used a wire cutter to cut out all the teeth and the end of the comb. I was then able to slide her hair off the comb. There was a pretty ugly tangle, but we were able to deal with it. This disaster averted, Diana walked into the kitchen to find water all over the floor. The fridge was leaking! Apparently we have a problem with our hose, and no repairmen can come until Monday afternoon. There is certainly never a dull moment around our house! At the airport, I drove into the wrong parking area and had to pay a dollar for my mistake. By this time I was looking around for the Keystone Cops! Thankfully, Marsha's plane was a little late - so we were okay.

And HERE'S MARSHA! She arrived on the 2nd of July and was captured by junior paparazzi member Bailee. She'd had a very bumpy landing at her stop in Sun Valley, but was in one piece and happy to be off the plane.

On Friday, Marsha, Diana, and Bailee went to the Stillwater Mansion for a "Titanic Tea." The costumes were courtesy of Tonya Burgess, the owner. They had a four course brunch that included fruits, cookies, mousse, and cucumber sandwiches. They also enjoyed the Stillwater's famous lavender lemonade. They learned all sorts of interesting facts about the Victorian Era and the Titanic during their visit. After ending their journey back to a more refined era, they went to see the Titanic exhibit at our local museum.

Today we are going off to the Farmers' Market to purchase fruits and vegetables. Then we will be jumping into our 4th of July celebration. What fun!

July? You have got to be kidding!

I guess I can say that the month went out with a bang. Last Friday my friend Dalene and I were caught in a severe storm while down in Pocatello. Thunder, pouring rain, and dime to nickel size hail. It lasted most of the afternoon, and southern Pocatello was flooded! What a mess!

When we got back to Idaho Falls, we got to experience the storm again. Thankfully, it was not as severe here. The hail certainly ripped up our vegetation though. My hostas are a wreck!

Summer Intensive is over, and it seems very strange not to be driving to Pocatello evey day. Bailee is especially melancholy about seeing it finish. She really had a good time. The photo was taken outside of Frasier Hall at ISU right before their recital. Her friend, Brianne, is showing off her first pair of pointe shoes. They are SO tiny! Cute! The performance was amazing, especially when you consider that everything they did was learned and perfected in a few weeks.

We have been trying to catch up on the yard and the house - both of which have suffered horribly in the past 1 to 2 months. The end of the school year, Summer Intensive, the relentless rain - they all combined to make a right proper mess (and we did). I don't see how I will ever catch up on the weeding in the garden, but I am going to try. If I have the courage - and am successful in my resolve, I may even include a before and after photo.

We'll start July with a visit from Marsha Perry, our friend from Washington. It has been fun planning for her visit. Bailee went nuts preparing a 4th of July Pyrotechnic Extravaganza for her. Now I just hope the weather cooperates! They're predicting wind for the 4th - wouldn't you know it!

My roses are in bloom right now. I was worried about them, as it was an awfully hard winter. They did suffer, but are slowly making a comeback. I wish I could say the same for the container plants. The excessive rain and the hailstorm of last Friday took its toll.