WALLA WALLA

LAST WEEK JEFF AND I WENT TO SEE BEN AND MICHELLE IN WALLA WALLA.  THEY LIVE IN SUCH A NICE TOWN.  WE ARRIVED ON MY BIRTHDAY AND BEN AND MICHELLE  HAD A CUTE BIRTHDAY GREETING AT THE FRONT DOOR WHEN WE ARRIVED.

EVERY DAY WE DID SOMETHING FUN...ON FRIDAY WE WENT TO PALOUSE  FALLS FOR A HIKE.  IT WAS A REALLY INTERESTING AREA, WITH A LAVA ROCK FORMATIONS AND A HUGE WATERFALL ALL IN A HIGH DESERT PLAIN SOMETHING  YOU WOULDN'T EXPECT TO SEE UP THERE CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT  THERE IS SO MUCH FARM LAND, ROLLING GREEN HILLS AND VINEYARDS THERE.

WHILE WE WER HIKING AROUND THE FALLS BEN COULDN'T RESIST DROPPING HIS LINE IN THE RIVER AND CAUGHT HIMSELF A LITTLE FISH.

AFTER THE FALLS WE WENT THE LAVENDAR FARMS AND MICHELLE AND I PICKED LAVENDAR. (WHEN I SEE A PLACE LIKE THIS  I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO LIVE IN THE COUNTRY  AND HAVE  A  LOT OF WORK... WAIT! WHAT AM I THINKING?  NO I GUESS I REALLY DON'T WANT TO HAVE MORE WORK TO DO EVEN THOUGH IT DOES LOOK LIKE FUN).  THE FARM IS AT SOMEONES HOUSE WITH ROWS AND ROWS OF LAVENDAR TO CUT.  A GIFT SHOP AND IF YOU HAD TIME TO STAY YOU COULD MAKE A WREATH OR SOME KIND OF LAVENDAR CRAFT. IT WAS REALLY FUN TO CUT OUR OWN BUNCH TO TAKE HOME AND OH THE SMELL... IT IS SO GOOD. THEY HAD COMPLIMENTARY LAVENDAR LEMONADE, BUT I HAVE TO ADMIT I WAS NOT A FAN.

MICHELLE AND I ALWAYS LIKE TO CRAFT TOGETHER SO WE MADE 4TH OF JULY BANNERS WHILE WE WERE THERE.   I DIDN'T GET MINE DONE BUT SHE DID AND IT TURNED OUT SO CUTE.

WE ARE SO HAPPY TO SEE THAT BEN AND MICHELLE ARE ADAPTING WELL TO THIER NEW HOME.   WE HAD A GREAT TIME WITH THEM AND CAN'T WAIT TO VISIT THEM AGAIN. 

A HIKING WE GO....

WELL I WAS HOPING FOR A FUN WEEKEND IN JACKSON ON A VERY ANTICIPATED REPELLING TRIP FOR OUR ANNIVERSARY INSTEAD, I SPENT THE WEEK BEFORE THE TRIP  DEALING WITH BENIGN POSITIONAL VERTIGO...SOMETHING THAT DOESNT GO WELL WITH CLIMBING AND REPELLING OFF THE EDGE OF A MOUNTAIN.  SO VERY SAD TO SAY WE HAD TO CANCEL THAT TRIP BUT  AFTER A FEW VISITS TO THE DR. MY VERTIGO IS GONE AND WE WENT ON A HIKE TO LOWER PALISADES LAKE WITH OUR FRIENDS DAVE AND SHARON. WE HAVE LIVED IN IDAHO FOR MANY YEARS AND THERE ARE ALOT OF PLACES THAT JEFF AND I HAVE NEVER BEEN AND THIS HIKE WAS ONE OF THEM.

THE SCENERY WAS SO PRETTY AND THE MORNING TEMPERATURES WERE SO NICE. IT WAS FUNNY HOW MANY PEOPLE WE KNOW ALONG THE WAY. 

ON THE TRAIL I ALSO NOTICED A LOT OF BUTTERFLIES, I REALIZED IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I HAD SEEN SO MANY MONARCHS AT ONE TIME. WE WENT THROUGH SEVERAL HATCHES OF BUTTERFILES, ALL DIFFERENT COLORS. I DON'T THINK I HAVE EVER SEEN BLUE ONES BEFORE SO I TRIED TO CATCH A PICTURE OF THEM, HOWEVER WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR GLASSES ON SOMETIMES THE PICTURE ISNT EXACTLY WHAT YOU HOPED TO GET.

I SET MY GPS TRACKER ON THE WAY BACK DOWN SO WE COULD SEE HOW FAR AND HOW LONG THE HIKE TOOK...

RETURN TRIP: 4.94 MILES... TOTAL ROUND TRIP NEARLY 10 MILES

2.02 HOURS...ROUND TRIP 4 HOURS....

AND ENOUGH CALORIES BURNED TO EARN AN ICE CREAM FORM THE SQUARE ICE CREAM STORE ON THE WAY HOME.

HIKING WITH MY FAVORITE PERSON....THE PERFECT DAY. FYI HIKE TO UPPER PALISAIDES THIS FALL WHEN THE LEAVES ARE TURNING IS ON THE AGENDA.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A WEEK MAKES

Last weekend was totally rotten, lately we have had some really crazy temperature swings,  but today is such a beautiful day the sun is shining and it feels great to be outside.  I however, didn't do a lot today,  I've felt a little lazy compared to others in my family, ie.. Ben who rode a century ride (100 miles) on his Bike in Walla Walla and Brandon who ran yet another Ragnar,  3 legs of the Wasatch Back from Logan to Park City which takes 2 days and Jeff who work most of the day building a railroad tie wall.   Now you understand.  But I did get some flower pots planted, my laundry and grocery shopping done, ok now I feel better, I did do something although much less significant.

You might wonder about my blog title....let me share with you the weather from last weekend. Jeff and I went up to Grand Teton National Park and decided to do the hike around Jennys lake. It's not really a hike because there is not much elevation change but we experienced many changes in the weather in three hours we were out.

When we started out it was heavy clouds but we could see the other side of the lake.  However, as we continued around the lake the clouds became more and more ominous.

 We got rained on, snowed on and then every once in awhile the clouds would lift and we would be able to see  across the lake again.  It was so much fun I am glad Jeff made me get out of the car and go even in the sketchy weather.  We were soaked when we got through, but so much fun.

 I have a great hiking buddy and he is going to take me back to the park in a couple of weeks to do something I have never done, but have

always wanted to do. We are going repelling off the rocks at the top of hidden waterfall on the other side of Jennys Lake. I can't wait. Stay tuned!

Still landscaping

We are anticipating a wedding in our backyard this summer and so we have been trying to complete some of the spaces that didn't get completed last year. Here is a look at some of OUR progress.....

We didnt finish the stone wall last year because we weren't sure what we wanted.  So we finished the wall and planted some quakies and a cute little pine tree.

I wanted to plant something that after it has grown some would soften the rock wall and fill in the bare space so I chose a snowball bush because I think they are so pretty.  Little did I know that my mom has fond memories of the snowball bush that grew at Grandma Craguns house.

We had a corner in the upper part of the yard that we were wavering on... Plants or water feature?  Well as you can see the plants won out.  We had to take the fence down for a few weeks for some repair and while it was out we had a huge rock hauled in and found a cute weeping tree, but for the life of me I can't remember its name, but it is cute.  I also planted some carpet roses, the only kind of roses that I feel I am capable of taking care of.

I am lucky to have the best landscaper in town.   He loves working in the yard as much as I do.

Things are starting to bloom and the yard is looking great.  We have a couple more projects that need to be completed.  We will see how it goes.  If we work as hard at the yard as Jessica is on her wedding plans then neither one of them is going to get done on time.