Jackson and Kelsey Weekend

A few weeks ago Kelsey mentioned to Brian that she wanted to see YNP in May and visit the cabin with Jackson.  It doesn't take much for us to get excited to head north, so they put it together and off we went.  My camera battery died when we went into the park, so of course we had a great day and saw lots of bears and elk and bison.  Here are some pictures of us at the cabin and on a walk along the river, though.

My Dolly - Jackson. Almost 4 years old

Jackson wanted to take my picture

Two moose standing perfectly still, as if they thought if they didn't move they wouldn't be seen.

Jackson and Mommy, my other dolly

Looking at fish

Spring Break Trip

In April we made our only wintertime trip of the year to the cabin.  Our neighbors and friends, Katie and Ryan and children, braved the treacherous conditions with us.  Good thing, too.  Our ATV was no match for the soft snow and warming temperatures.  We got stuck on the second trip in from the trucks.  Lucky for us they brought 2 snowmobiles.  Sarah brought a friend, MaKayla, and we listened to General Conference together, skied, snowmobiled around, and just enjoyed the children in the snow.  Ryan and family left on Monday and we were left to fend for ourselves for the week.  On the next Saturday we began our trip back to the truck, in 12 inches of fresh snow.  Once again, luckily for us, our wonderful neighbors, Pam and  company, stopped by with their 2 snowmobiles and saved the day!  We are rethinking things for future wintertime trips...

Snow melting on bridge into river.

Warm temperatures even for April.

Stuck again.

Fox Sighting

Today I was washing dishes and turned around to clear the table when out of the corner of my eye I saw something orange go by the front door window.  I walked to the river view windows and saw a red fox checking out the corners of the chimney, looking for the squirrels and chipmunks.  He saw me but did not flinch.  I called to Brian and we sat eye to eye for about a minute with this beautiful creature.  Once he started off I found my camera and got this shot of him trotting off to the river.  What a thrill!

And Here We Have Idaho...

Yes, it rained our whole weekend up at the cabin.  I wasn't expecting much different.  May & June are the spring months in Idaho which means rain if it is a good year, snow if it isn't.  I giggled to myself every time I saw a sign warning about sudden weather changes.  Yep, that's Idaho for you.  Best to pack for whatever season you are going, plus the last one and and next one.  But it should be great weather next time we go up.

Friday we went to feed the fish in between rain showers.  Saturday we went to West Yellowstone.  Next time I go, someone please keep me out of that candy store - my wallet and waist were not protected.  Also the bead store - yes that is a fun place to explore and shop!  Church was very nice on Sunday.  And we went for a walk afterward and saw a moose.

We had a great time, and Helen even started to cry when she realized I had packed the car.  Poor girl.  We were inside a lot, so I didn't get the pictures I would have liked.  I did get a few pictures the first day when we went to feed the fish.  Can't wait to go back!

First trip into Yellowstone this year

We finally got to see baby buffalo, a baby elk, and a grizzly.  Our friends, Howard and Jeanette and Nathan, were with us.  The baby elk was the biggest treat for us.  S/he was hiding in the trees in the middle of a board walk around the geysers at Lake in the park.  Mom was close by, and would not leave the area, so that was our tip off to watch for more.  The baby could not have been more than a day or two old, with wobbly knees and all.  The grizzly was sighted later that day with Brian's scope, quite a distance from the road.  We also saw a moose and an elk at the cabin that week.  A good time was had by all.

Oh, hurry up, Summer!

Well, here we are at the cabin.  School is out, summer is supposed to be upon us, but alas, the cold rain and occasional snows are still here.  The highs are in the low 50s.  Plenty of dark clouds between thunderstorms and rain.  Lucky me again, I came with a gallon of primer and 2 gallons of paint!  Tonight I finished up the worst of the interior painting.  I have two spots that need attention with the brush, but no more roller and no more scaffolding - hooray!  I know I will be happy once the lovely weather hits and I don't have any painting left to do. 

Brian has been rewiring the breaker box and many of the outlets, lights, etc.  Today he hung a new light in the mudroom and added a baseboard heater in our bedroom, which has been the coldest room up to now.  Sarah repaired a dust ruffle, made dinner, loaded the dishwasher, rode the motorcycle around, did her facebook thing, and played guitar. 

Tomorrow Aimee and the girls will arrive.  A breath of fresh air!  We will be so ready for a break from the work.  They bring such smiles on our faces and in our hearts.  I have all the ingredients for sugar cookies to make with the darling animal cookie cutters they gave me for Mother's Day.  I also have the materials ready from their last visit to make sock puppets to go with the book, If You Give A Moose A Muffin.  We ran out of time then.  The cabin is really starting to take on a charm.  And it is beginning to feel like ours - finally!

April Spring Trip turned Winter

Linda, Sarah and I arrived late Thurs night. (April 1) . As we struggled to find the cabin in the dark we were surprised at how much snow was still there. Over two feet, everywhere. We brought the 4 wheeler and the sled and parked the car and trailer about 2.5 miles away at the warming hut. The trip back and forth to the cabin on the 4 wheeler was gorgeous when the sun came out.

It was conference weekend and that made it an even bigger treat.

We were there to work and we did. Painting (2 gallons of primer and 6 gallons of wall paint), internet service, lighting fixtures, kitchen faucet, water heater drain, toilet rebuild (again), dishwasher repair (yahoo!), mud room shelving, etc. Thank goodness for the lumber store (Island Park Builder's Supply). 

Good thing we had plenty of work to do. It snowed about 12 inches the first few days we were there. We only went out a few times. When we did it was very lovely. The large birds were visible in the good weather and there were some animal tracks to keep us guessing.