The Kentucky Horse Park

This past Saturday, as we were stuck in Lexington, KY with no where to go, I asked Malcolm to drop me off at the Kentucky Horse Park. He wasn't interested in walking around in the heat and its really more my thing than his, so for the first time ever I went to a museum/park all by myself...and loved it! I had always shyed away from going to places alone, but not anymore. It was kind of nice to go through at my own pace and not have to take anyone elses interests into consideration, or worry about others having a good time., It was just me, and all the horses I could soak in in a days time.

 We took a chance that we could squeeze into the parking area for horse trailers, but as it turned out, there was a huge empty parking lot not being used. And, though I felt slightly guilty over this, I think they thought we were making a delivery because they waved us through the gate and didnt' charge us the parking fee of $5. I at first felt like I was stealing, but then I decided they were stealing too since they charge $5 to park and then another $20/person to go in the park. Maybe I should have spoken up, but its too late now. Anyway, we parked in that huge open lot in the shade and no one ever said anything so that is where Malcolm spent the day, in the AC, while I tromped around horse lovers heaven in the extreme southern summer heat. I don't regret it at all!

The Kentucky Horse Park was started in the 1970's and is a treat to the horse lovers soul. I went as a pre-teen on a family vacation and have wanted to return ever since. I'm glad I didn't pass up the opportunity. It was so hot that many of the horses, they have at least 40 breeds there at the park, were turned out. But I was fortunate enough to show up on the weekend that the park was hosting Breyerfest, and so there were TONS of horses there with their owners. It was SO MUCH FUN!

I went a little camera happy. What horse person can help doing that when you are surrounded by so many horses and buried in a horse environment. So, I'm going to try and limit words, so as to post pictures and not keep you here all day. I narrowed my 513 pictures (I told you I got camera happy) down to 60. I just can't get it any fewer than that! So...get comfortable. Here we go!

The first thing I did was admire the beautiful sculptures that are near the visitor center.

Below is Man O' War's grave site. Normally surrounded by a fountain, but it was under construction. Still, I was impressed with the memorial to this great horse!

The Morgan Horse Sculpture

and a non-breed specific sculpture

Because the majority of the people had gone to Breyerfest, I had the rest of the park practically all to myself! I hit the Draft Barn first hoping to get to watch them harnessing up for trolley rides. Unfortunately it was so hot, they were actually UN-harnessing a team, and the rest of the day they used a tractor. But I was still one of the only people in the Draft Barn, and so I got to visit with the handlers and the barn manager while they worked.

This gentle giant is a Suffolk Punch. He was ready to do some major socializing provided he could stay close to his fan. They all had a fan strapped to their stall railings and several of them had stationed themselves in a position to optimize the breeze.

After the Draft Barn I made my way to the Hall of Champions.

Not an over statement. This barn really does house 4-6 champions. For example....

Cigar

Some of you may remember this 20 year old Thoroughbred Stallion, a son of Seattle Slew. Cigar was voted horse of the year 2 years in a row and horse of the decade in the 1990's. His career earnings total $9,999,815.  That is one fine race horse!

This guy, the most social in the barn, is CH Gypsey Supreme.

He is a five gaited American Saddlebred, with a number of World Champion and Grand Champion titles under his belt, including Gaited Horse of the Decade for the 1990's.

From the Hall of Champions I made my way to the Breed Barn because it was almost time for the Parade of Breeds.

The park puts on two shows a day in which they feature 5-6 different breeds of horses, and a different group in each show. This time they were also featuring different disciplines and equine sports to promote the upcoming FEI World Equestrian Games which are being held at the park this year.

During the breeds shows, the horse and rider do a demo/prance around the arena, while the speaker tells about the history and features of the breed.

The show was begun by the American Paint proudly carrying the flag for the national anthem. (look, he's got blue eyes like Sky!)

the Palamino

the Andalusian

the Connemara Pony

the Arabian

 a new one for me...the Knabstrutter...is marked like the American Appaloosa but is actually an European breed.

the Fresian

some type of French Draft, but I forgot the breed name (and failed to take in pen and paper, ugh!)

and I forgot this one's name as well, but he was very patient. He was in is first month of training.

and last, the "Kentucky favorite," the Thoroughbred

A neat feature of the park is that pretty much everything is open to the public. The horses are not kept out of arms reach. So after the Parade of Breeds, the riders take their horses to the fence and the crowd is invited down to pet the horses, and talk to the riders, ask questions, etc.

It is truly an educational experience and I loved watching all the children wrapped up in delight and excitement, getting exposed to SO much horse education!

Once the breed show was over they had a break and then did a "Mare and Foal" show in which they talked about gestation, growth and development, and general information about horses. The park does not breed horses, but local owners sometimes loan their mares and foals for the park to raise and display. Currently they only have these two pairs of mini's.

one of which was ready for a nap. She didn't believe in the old saying "the show must go on."

in fact, she was ready for a serious nap. And I don't think this was staged either.

After the Mare and Foal show I made my way over towards the big arena to see what Breyerfest was all about.  The first thing I encountered were lots and lots of booths set up, almost like a craft show or fair, but it was all Breyer stuff, or horse crafts! I didn't buy anything, but it was fun looking.

This went on around the walkway in the arena, while on the arena floor, Breyer was displaying various breeds and disciplines in the horse world. Some of these were the actual Breyer models.

Some of the 4-H girls on their way to the arena for a demo. Don't they looks grand?!

Just made my heart swell with pride!

I said earlier that because of the heat, many of the park horses were turned out, but that I lucked out in being there for Breyerfest! This is because, though the arena did not draw me much, the barns were open to the public, and they were FULL of horses and owners and handlers getting ready for their turn in the arena. There was grooming, bathing, hitching up, all sorts of things going on!

I posted the above picture on Facebook and a girl I knew in high school commented that that is her car mirror on the left. She was there with the Fresian people, showing, and we never recognized each other! Small world!

This gentleman saw me with my camera and generously took the time to get his 3 year old Fresian to pose for me.

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nd of course I had to visit with the not so little Fresian foal that was determined to get out of his stall and do his own exploring.

I visited a bit with this guy, a Gypsy Horse.

and after much searching high and low, I finally ran across the Bluegrass Morgan Horse Association and their horses. They were, by far, the friendliest of all the people there, including the park staff, and I spent a good half hour of more visiting with them and learning what I could from them about Morgans.

This is Aspen, who was tired of socializing.

and Snoopy who couldn't get enough of the company!

There were still others to see. These guys were getting ready to go on.

and this 4-H'er was having a "discussion" with her horse over who was really in charge.

One of the star performances was William Shatner with his horse All Glory.

and inside the museum, Priscilla Presley was autographing Breyer horses as part of the press conference to announce the Elvis Presley Graceland Stable exhibit coming to the park soon.

I didn't want to stand in line for (or pay) so I just took a picture. It was free.

After all that outside touring, I was HOT, so I hit the museum. They have a special exhibit running through October that features the Arabian and its history along with many artifacts. It was very good.

 And the main part of the museum that is up all the time, was really neat. It covers horse history from prehistoric to current events. Once you cover the prehistoric history, you enter a wide winding hallway that moves in an upward direction and acts as a timeline of horse history. Featuring when certain breeds were developed, important roles horses played in history, etc. It was a neat design and a wonderful display. You arrive on the second floor and a gallery of modern horse accomplishments.

By this time I was worn out, starving, and just done! So I headed to the truck and we hit the road. I left the Kentucky Horse Park with the same feeling of elation that I took with me as a kid on that vacation! It is definitely worth the drive and the $20 admission price! My only word of advice really is that I think I'd wait till Spring or Fall as you'll be much more comfortable and there will likely be more horses present and up close. Or, brave the heat and go to Breyerfest! That was so cool. I think I'll have to go back again sometime.

Sunday Stills: Rule of Thirds

This weeks Sunday Stills challenge was "Rule of Thirds." 

"The rule states that an image should be imagined as divided into nine equal parts by two equally-spaced horizontal lines and two equally-spaced vertical lines, and that important compositional elements should be placed along these lines or their intersections." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_thirds)

An Idaho Wheat Field

My favorite wild flower, Queen Ann's Lace, in an Iowa field.

A sneak peak at what I did this weekend:

More to come on this adventure of mine...a whole day in horse lovers heaven!  To see more Sunday Stills, check out this link.

Have a great week!

Turning Out the Lights

Tonight we just finished unloading ground limestone in Lexington, KY at this place.

This is GE Kentucky Glass. You ought to recognize at least part of that name. GE Kentucky Glass is part of General Electic Corp., which is known nationally, and probably globally, for its production and sale of light bulbs. Walk around your house and see how many GE bulbs are in your light sockets. I bet you have at least one!

Well here at GE Kentucky Glass, they produce 1 million light bulbs a day, operating around the clock. Or perhaps I should say they did produce 1 million a day.

We pulled in the gate around 6:00 and one of the forman met us there, and hitched a ride on our running board around back to where we were unloading. Along the way he informed us that we were the last load the plant was receiving.

After 64 years of production, having started operations in 1946, GE is shutting this plant down on Saturday and moving operations to...you guessed it...China!

The two gentleman who were in charge of our unloading have worked here for 50+ years combined. They said there were around 130 people who will be finding themselves jobless after tomorrow.

So we say farewell to another company, another employer, who has chosen to become a traitor to the US for the sake of a dollar.  I think I just bought my last GE light bulb.

An Introduction and An Annoucement

I got four very special gifts for my birthday last month. Malcolm bought me a Pandora bracelet, something I've been wanting for several months now. Mom bought me two charms to go on my bracelet, and she and I went together to get them so it was extra special. Malcolm's mom and dad bought me a purse that I had admired in the store but not allowed myself to buy. My mother-in-law snuck back and bought it for me along with the matching wallet and a few other gems to go with it. I was so surprised!

The fourth special gift I got was from my sister-in-law. Remember this little guy I introduced you to at branding?

Rachelle knew I'd been aching for a horse for the longest time, and that I was in love with the stud that had fathered this little jewel. So she gifted him to me. I was shocked, and I have to admit that I didn't take her seriously for quite sometime, wanting to make sure she was sure she wanted to give him away. But she has assured me numerous times that this is what she wants. And so, I am happy to introduce you to my new baby, Sky.

I'm calling him Sky because he has sky blue eyes, and also because Rachelle believes he is going to color out like the stud, who reminds me of a cloudy sky with his gray and white markings.

Sky's going to have a lot to learn before I can climb on him, and a lot of growing to do to. But in the mean time, I'm happy to just look at the picture and think, "hey! I have a horse."

Its kind of sad knowing I won't be seeing him much, but there is one piece of news that makes my heart sing and also means I'll see more of Sky than you would think, at least when we're home. 

If you remember a few blog posts back, I hinted that there might be another move in our future. After much consideration, we have made the decision to follow through on that idea. I love my house in Billings, but my house is about the only thing I love about being in Billings. I have never felt happy, settled, or belonging in that place. Not completely. And our reasons for being there no longer exist. The whole purpose was to work with a trucking company that was going to get us home on a weekly basis, something that was marvelous while it lasted, but really lasted such a short time. Only the first few months we were there!

The more we considered, the fewer reasons we could find to stay and the more reasons we came up with to go. And so, I am happy to announce officially that we are returning to the ranch near Baker. I could not be more excited and thrilled. Sure its less convenient in many ways, but the blessings of being there far outweigh the inconveniences of being so far from everything (we will be roughly 45 miles from town and at least 2 hours from the closest Wal-mart, but quite frankly, by the time I get to go home, I don't WANT to go anywhere!).

Knowing we are really going to do this is making it extremely hard to stay out on the road working. We need to work at least 4 more weeks before taking another break, and there are things to be done in Billings before we can pack up and go. The ceiling and wall need fixed in the basement from the water damage it received after that last big storm. And there is tons of packing, organizing, cleaning and such to be done before we will let the realtor show the place. Aside from that overwhelming job, I am anticipating it still. There are really only two places I'd like to live. Either close to my family, or close to Malcolm's. We can't do both because they live far from each other, but at least we can be close to one again! And my brief existence at the ranch was one of the happiest times of my life! 

Now we just have to make things happen so that we can be there more often!

Covering Ground in the Mid-West

We have covered a lot of ground this week. Still, by tonight when we reach Burley, ID, we'll only have driven a little above the average we shoot for. We'll have almost 4300 miles under our belt since leaving Chattanooga last Sunday. But we've followed a diverse trail across the country, traveling from the most southern tip of Texas to the northern parts of the mid-west, and then across to the edge of the Rocky Mountains.

Tuesday we loaded sunflower seed in southern Texas, near Mccook. It was an all day process as they were dumping it on trucks straight out of the combine, there was a truck in front of us in line, and the combine kept having trouble. We didn't get out of the field and on the road till nearly 9:00 that evening. Sunflower fields aren't pretty once they are ready to harvest. They look pretty much like a bunch of dead weeds, like the crop has been lost, baked away in the sun. But truth is, the seeds have to dry out on the head of the sunflower. Still, though the idea of sitting in a sunflower field sounds like a wonderful way to spend the day, realistically, its kind of ugly scenery. The sunflowers seeds went to a mill in western Minnesota. On the way there, we ran into a rather nasty storm in northwest Iowa. Rained so hard I couldn't see anything, creeping along the roadway, hoping the other cars had the sense to turn on their lights. Lots of lightening, strong wind, and hard hard rain. When we finally came out the other side of it, the clouds were beautiful, though threatening. I used to know the proper name for these clouds. I've since forgotten, but I know as pretty and neat as they are, they are foreboding of dangerous weather.

Delivered the sunflower seed, and loaded barley nearby. That was delivered in Aurora, NE and then we loaded DDG (dried distilled grain) near Aurora. That's what we have now. DDG, if you've forgotten, is the bi-product of making ethanol. Its mostly used as cattle feed, and this load, as many do, is headed for a dairy.

Its not a great load. Nine hundred miles and three days to do it in. So needless to say, we're dragging our feet and looking for any bit of entertainment we can find. We stopped in Sidney, NE for a while yesterday morning and Malcolm went to Cabelas again. I've been in so many times I can't count them, so the girls and I stayed in the truck, fiddled on the computer, gave the girls pedicures and Ella a much needed haircut.

And enjoyed watching the very tame geese that make the Cabelas pond their home. There are probably a hundred or more, but I only saw one pair that had goslings, which I thought rather odd. I'd have expected more. Still, it was fun to watch these three and their mom and dad taking a stroll.

And then, since Cabelas had this really great grassy field that they keep mowed and its just behind the truck parking, I took the girls out to run. We've adopted this field as one of our favorite play grounds and we always go running when we're there.Well, the two run, and Paris as usual snoops from the comfort of the concrete. I discovered shortly after this picture that she was actually partaking of a Goose Poop Buffet. So we had to go back to the truck. Besides, the mosquitoes were eating me alive. After a week and a half in the southern states and only receiving one mosquito bite, I've been surprised to find that I'm apparently supplying the entire mosquito population of the mid-west with a blood bank. They've been after me from Texas all the way to Wyoming. Maybe I drank too much sweet tea down south?

We stopped at a scenic spot between Cheyenne and Laramie, WY so that I could share this with you. We've stopped here multiple times, but usually the wind is blasting this area so I keep the camera inside. This time it was unusually calm in eastern Wyoming, so we stopped to kill time and get these pictures. Between the east and west bound lanes of I-80 stands a tree that is growing out of a rock. Its been there a long time, since the railroad came through, and it was unique enough that they diverted the railroad to go by it, and then later the road went around it.The story has it that the trains use to stop here to show tourists, the workers getting out to water the tree from the trains water supply. For the full story, you can read the plaque below. I think you can click to enlarge it. Kind of interesting and proof of how the climate affects things in this part of the country. Its not very large for a tree that's over 100 years old. We just stopped in Evanston, WY. That's on the very western edge of the state, before crossing into Utah. We have less than 300 miles to drive today so I'm going to do a little Wal-mart shopping. Hope you enjoy the rest of the weekend and have a great start to your week.

Soul Food in the South

Southern roots...that's what I have and I'm proud of them! If there is one thing being raised in the south taught me, its to appreciate good food. The south is known for its tasty cooking, food for the soul.

You'll find that in particular, we southerners seem to have a fetish for Barbeque. There are plenty of places with signs out front sporting their claims to fame for "world famous" barbeque.

Most of you know by now that my dad has a barbeque restaurant and that I eat there every chance I get. It is, in my opinion, and that of many locals, one of the best barbeque places under the sun!

What many people don't realize, because most people can't travel as extensively as our job allows us to travel, is that barbeque varies a great deal by region, and sometimes even within a region. There is "north carolina style" bbq, which my mother's family is big on being from that state. It is pulled, un-sauced, and served with a mustard based bbq sauce. Yummy stuff!

Some regions "pull" it, some slice it thick, some sauce it up, some leave it dry. There's tangy BBQ, smoky BBQ, sweet BBQ...you name it...its served somewhere. We love to try different bbq's from different regions. Its fun!


Dining on the road is a challenge at times, and we generally end up, sadly, at fast food joints. Its mainly a matter of parking that limits us to where we can go. But on occasion we spy little treasures with convenient truck parking, whether planned that way or not. Such was the case on Monday afternoon in western Mississippi.


We had just loaded and were heading west on a route we drove a few weeks ago. From our previous experience, we knew there wasn't anything out there really, except the Subway we'd stopped at the time before, parking in a grocery parking lot and hiking down the road to eat.


This time I was on the lookout for something, so we'd at least have an option maybe. As we pulled into Indianola, MS I spied a Wendy's up ahead. I'm not the biggest fan, but I just wasn't feeling like Subway. So I started looking for some place to park, and immediately located a dirt lot with two trucks parked in it across the road. As we slowly passed it, discussing whether we should turn around and go there, I saw that the trucks were parked next to this little jewel...

Hit the brakes honey! We're having BBQ for lunch!


This is Q-Balls Restaurant, in their new location at 1109 Highway 82 East in Indionola, MS. We were greeted at the door by a charming southern lady with a marvelous southern accent. They had just opened up so we pretty much had the place to ourselves, which always creates the atmosphere for visiting, as the owners/employees aren't too terribly busy just yet.
Through conversation we learned that our hostess and her husband started the restaurant in 1969, and that its still family run. We met a couple other family members, including her son who came out to say hi. I had mentioned my Dad's place near Chattanooga, and as it turned out, he remembered a recent customer who happened to be the owner of another local BBQ place in Chattanooga. Small world isn't it?


Malcolm and I both had the daily special which was a BBQ sandwich, fries, baked beans and drink for $7.50. I substituted potato salad for fries though. Their menu called it "Delta Style" BBQ. I've not had that type before, to my knowledge, but it was very yummy! Take a look at the picture below and see if you don't feel like rummaging around in your kitchen for something to nibble. Bet you won't find anything like this!

It was just the right start to a long drive through Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas. I love getting to try new places, especially when they are small, locally owned, and family run. Most people drive by local establishments for the old safe familiar places when they are traveling. Can I strongly recommend that you take a chance on the little roadside, off the beaten track type eateries? I promise 9 times out of 10, you'll find real treasures! Trust me, I know! I was raised on one!

I couldn't find a web site, but I did run across their facebook page. Here's a link.

So, if you happen to be in western Mississippi, anywhere near Indianola, drive on over and give Q-Ball a try. Good food and good company found here!

We are now sitting in southern Texas, waiting our turn to get loaded up with sunflower seeds. Is there a theme this week? We loaded in Sunflower, MS on the last load, and now we're loading actual sunflower seeds?

Anyway, we're about 20 miles from Mexico, and its HOT! We're about as far south as you can go in the US without leaving the country! We'll be delivering in Minnesota on Thursday morning. I hope they get to us soon. Its been a long afternoon, and we're hungry, especially after looking at those pictures! Sure could use a glass of cold sweet tea and a BBQ! Hey, Q-Balls! Do you deliver in southern Texas by any chance?

The Rest of Our Tennessee Vacation

Back on the road after a week and a half with family in Tennessee. I have to say despite the heat (it went up to 99 while we were there) and the humidity (which we are no longer used to) it was a delightful time. We just made sure we stayed indoors in the AC when it was miserable outside, except for the hottest day when the AC (to all our horror) quite working. That's the day Mom and I hit the stores. Well we certainly weren't going to "chill" at home!



My sister took this picture of the girls and I love it! She is such a talented photographer! She is a teacher by trade but an aspiring photographer and has done some amazing work with her friends and their kids. Check out her blog sometime when you get a chance. I love reading about her adventures in the Nashville area.

On two different days, my aunt came over and we had a blast playing Scrabble, Boggle, laughing, and eating yummy stuff Mom created in her kitchen, including the chocolate covered peanut butter rice krispy treats we were enjoying in this picture. I love playing games, but usually don't have anyone to play with, as you generally need more then two people. We did quite a bit of this the first few days we were there, since Meagan was there too. I'm not into sitting by the pool when alone, but my sister is a water bug, so when she was there, we planted ourselves in the lounge chairs, and others tended to migrate our way. I got to meet my new niece, Kensley Alane. She is 6 weeks old now. Another of Meagan's photos, shortly after Kensley was born. Meagan said she was actually fussing, but doesn't it make a great smiley picture? I love her name. She is named after my brother, Kenneth Allan, and I thought this was a very creative and beautiful way to name a child after the father. Speaking of my brother, we of course ate many many meals at my Dad's BBQ place, where my brother is also nearly always hard at work. On this particular night in the middle of dinner, I suddenly realized that here we were...my parents and three siblings, alone at dinner with out our significant others or children present. Of course we missed the extras presence, but how often does this happen? NEVER! So we had to get a picture. Lucky me, it happened to be "bbq night" which meant Dad and Ken had been cooking all day since 6:00 that morning. They cook the meat the same way its been done since 1946, in a brick pit over hickory wood, turning and basting the meat every hour. By the end of dinner it was time to take the meat off the fire and put it in the cooler. So we "helped" but mostly got in the way while we watched and cracked jokes, and absorbed the delicious aromas.

Also got to spend some quality time with some of Malcolm's family. We went to his aunt and uncle's house and both their kids and their families were able to come as well. We haven't gotten together as an entire group since before we moved I believe! And I hadn't met Tiffany's two newest girls. We had a delightful time catching up, laughing, visiting, playing. Such precious people and a gift to our life! Tiffany and Jennifer both have blogs, filled with humorous stories about their families, the adventurous lives they live, and Godly inspirations.

This visit was especially special because Michael Paul and Jennifer, along with their precious girl Keziah are about to embark on a new adventure, moving to Ashville, NC. Tiffany and her family already love near Atlanta, and so with everyone so spread out, we knew it might be all the harder to make this gathering happen in the future. A family portrait was in order. Back over to my family...on the very hot day with no AC, when Mom and I went running around, I found several wonderful things, and made too many purchases. Now my upper bunk in the truck, the one I generally sleep on, is full of a box and two bags of stuff. SO inconvenient for sleeping. I hope we get back to MT soon so I can at least drop them off at the house on a drive by. After all that shopping, Mom and I felt that a reward for our hard work was in order. She'd been wanting to see what this place was all about.......and I never turn down something sweet! I was floored! The place was a feast for the eyes, if not the tummy!I had one of these. I'll recommend that you just feast your eyes and not your tummy on this flavor. I re-learned a valuable lesson. Beauty doesn't always mean the best. They didn't have a lot of flavor. Thankfully, Mom shared some of her Italian Cream cupcake (you can see them peaking around the right edge of the below photo) and those were delicious!The idea was to stay about 4 days and then hit the road, but we ended up putting the truck in the shop and staying longer. Then there weren't any good loads, so the trip got extended again.

As mentioned, Meagan had come down from Murfreesboro for the July4th weekend, but had left her man and his daughter, Lily, at home. Lily broke her arm several weeks ago, and they had already had one traumatic pool party where Lily's heart was broken b/c she couldn't participate. So Chris and Lily has missed out on the fun, and I had missed out on seeing them. SO...Mom and I did a little impromptu road trip to Murfreesboro to see Lily and Chris.

We had a mostly all girly day. Meagan and Lily took us to lunch at this place, whose name escapes me, but it was yummy!

Lily and I met last 4th of July and fell instantly in love with each other! But we haven't seen each other since then, just been exchanging postcards and pictures through the mail! It just never seems to fall into place for her to be with her Dad when I'm in town. So we were both thrilled to have this time to catch up with each other.We did a little shopping, hitting one of my new favorite stores...Charming Charlies! Billings, MT has GOT to get one of these!!! But the main event of the day was pottery painting...something Meagan does frequently, but I had yet to try. I've been wanting to go to the one in Billings, but just hadn't managed to make it happen. This was SO MUCH FUN! Except everyone finished before me and I'm sorry you girls had to wait on me. Its just so hard to decide what your going to do on your pottery piece!

Lots of fun, and I loved how my piece turned out. Sadly I don't' get to see it for a long time. It had to be fired and glazed, so Meagan has to pick it up for me and mail it to me later. Sigh...

After all that work, a little "hold me over" snack was in order. So the four of us found a bench and enjoyed a cookie from the American Cookie Company. Lily is a choco-holic. She fits right into our little group!

She has also been taking pointers from Meagan in photography apparently. This is a pretty darn good picture coming from a 6 year old!

The whole day was marvelous, falling right into the pattern for the whole vacation.

Leaving is bitter sweet. I was starting to feel anxious about needing to get back to work, but its also sad to leave because we enjoy spending time with all these precious people and it doesn't seem to happen nearly enough. But the road...and our checking account...were calling to us to get back to work. And now we're loading in Mississippi heading to Texas. And now that you are all caught up on what I've been up to for the past several days, I've got to get busy catching up on all your blogs. I took a peak earlier...and I've got a lot of reading to do. I better go get busy!