May activities, a potpourri made possible by Spring

In the spring we all come back to life and the winter cold is mostly forgotten.  I have been busy with getting the MGs and Humber ready for peak driving weather.  A project MGA is back on track, just taking longer than expected.  Paint prep is ongoing and a very slow process as I have no experience with it.

We were able to get steers this year, beef on the hoof is pricey just like in the store.

About 450 pounds now, hopefully more than 1000
in the fall.  

Josh's brother Jon Iverson came for a visit, he was here to train for a new helicopter pilot job with Lifeflight.  He will be based in Oregon.  Levi liked to see the helicopter up close.

Spring is also the time to release the mud turtles into the big pond.  Cindy keeps hatchlings in an aquarium.  They grow too big and are replaced, the big ones go into our irrigation pond.

These last pictures are a mixture of our recent routine activities:

Cindy's flowers outside our door.

Morgan and Liz at Jack in the Box, before
a movie.

Greenbelt walk with knife practice.

Squirt, about 9 years old.

Memorial Day flags help us remember the sacrifice of others.

We weren't there but the Horne and Sookhoo cousins got
together in Philadelphia for a visit. Doing our part to
enrich the gene pool.

Laura and Eric attended the Survivor finale in California.
Play where's Waldo and find them. 

Duvall and the Hornes 7-11 May 2015

Cindy and I had a quick trip to see how the Hornes survived the winter in Duvall, WA.  They have had a nice spring and we were lucky to have sunny, warm, days as we visited.  We were able to use the inflatable water-slide and take a nice walk near their house.

Eric made Maggie a wonderful fairy house.  She hopes that some will move in this spring, much like a bird house.

We surprised Amos and Maggie at the bus stop,
they saw us from the bus and came a running.

Amos waiting for the bus.

Hollow log Fairy house.

Leaky pen disaster.

Happy face Audrey

Maggie in her private tree get away.

Minecraft lesson with Amos and a neighbor boy.

Art room.

Wardie candid

Wardie sees the camera.

Strawberry short-stuff.

Grandpa went and said "no".

Making Mother's day notes for Mom.

Hydro slide kids in action.

Mother's Day:  Breakfast in bed, chocolate fountain in Relief Society and then barbecue feast by Eric.

Resting after a morning's work.

Too bright to keep your eyes open.

Mother's Day hero chef.

Spring preparations at home and around the Valley.

We have been busy cleaning up and preparing for summer.  We had an unusual fall last year, it was warm and green until a sudden snowstorm in November froze everything.  The trees and bushes suffered from that, some are looking rough and some are dead, dead, dead.

Irrigation water is fun to play with, keeping the pond and sprinklers ready to go. We have also been out to the Parma ponds, they are looking good.  We will see if the aerators there help keep the water clear and help the bass and good fish do better.

We opened the pond early, thankfully the weather has
 cooperated and the kids are having fun already. The green turned blue
with some filtering and chlorine. 

Cleaning the pond bottom, the pump appreciates less work,
the water is really flying out the sprinklers this year.

Survivor bullfrog.

Carp at the Parma pond inflow ditch.

Re-coating the asphalt drive way.

I just missed catching Oscar jumping off the shed roof.  

Beatles tribute bands:

Last night we went with some other Idaho British Car Club members
to a dinner theater that was having two Beatles tribute bands. They
had invited us to give a British atmosphere,  we had fun, though
we have heard better bands. 

Our ZB Magnette, Liz and Josh were along too.