Highlights - Spring 2013

Spring thaw came and found us offering once again to buy a piece of farmland just south of where we live now.  We were hoping the seller had softened as much as the ground, and we could finalize a deal.

*It took a few months, but we finally sealed the deal!  Standing on the property here:

 We spent a very rejuvenating weekend on Lake Coeur d'Alene when it was still chilly enough to keep the crowds away and make the hot tub a real treat.  Our friend needed to build a few model rockets for a science experiment with elementary school kids, so she and I spent hours building, taping off, and painting them while the guys were out fishing and turkey hunting.  We took advantage of a warmish afternoon to throw horseshoes, had some amazing bbq'd meals and lazed around by the fire.  Sometimes just two days can stretch out to feel like a vacation!

We got to tour a local car collector's shop with the club, and it was pretty incredible how many rare/original cars he has kept and cared for for years.  He used to own a car dealership and he used to race cars as well, so he has always been into the value, history, and power of a vehicle.  And, he takes better care of these rarely-driven cars than most people do of their daily drivers!  His grandsons were hanging around while we toured, and you can tell he's passing his passion right along to them.

 The afternoon before my birthday, Andy and I had just returned from buying my bicycle.  I was working on the computer and Andy was out in the shop.  There was a knock on the door, and when I answered, there stood Chad and Suzie!  Complete disbelief happened right there.  I'm trying to figure out how they just appeared without a sound from miles and miles away, wondering if Andy knows they are here, where are the dogs, are they really here for me...It took me a minute to invite them in!  What a great surprise!

Suzie obliged my wish for a birthday hike and we took off to Kamiak Butte.  When we returned, Dave and Marie had arrived too and well, my birthday was awesome.  I've got a thing for surprises :)

 We have a few frogs in our little pond again this year, and they were way more vocal about mating season this year than we can ever remember!  You know that lovely sound of frogs on a warm evening?  I've loved that sound (along with crickets) my whole life.  Well, it turns out that it's one of those things best loved from a distance.  When these fellows are excited 2 feet outside your window, it is deafening!  Holy smokes.

Margaret and Greg came for a springtime visit too!  We had great food and game time, the weather was perfect, and they even brought some photography tools to play around with.

 The reason for the tools was dear Bether's wedding!  I got to shadow their photographer and have some fun capturing their happy occasion.

 This also meant bonus family time while the bride and groom drove off into the sunset or whichever direction they were headed.

 Speaking of driving, springtime is also the start of car show season!  For the first show, Chipman Taylor in Pullman, we didn't have a vehicle put together to take so Andy got to drive Marc's 1952 Hudson.  Shifting it was a new adventure, and finding the stereo when it came on too loud to hear the transmission. :)  It was a great cruising car with tons of room inside and those head-turning body lines of a Hudson.

 Our car club's show at the beginning of June turned out awesome!  The weather was perfect, we had record turn-out, and the Dodge made it there for its first show as a painted show-off.

One of the main goals for having it at the show was to get Ybarra to pinstripe it.  The man has skills, and those fine lines really made Andy's scallops pop!  

Of course, another highlight of our car show are the derby dames and their bout with any Knuckleskraper  brave enough to try.  Here's Luke taking a spill.  I love this photo because of the spectator's face expressions.  This guy is resilient, and brave to get in the mix with these dames!