Guess the Word of the Day

The past few weeks have been lovely. Really lovely. The weather, the various road trips, the company, the food, the decorations, the presents. Everything has been a real treat. Except for the cement pole that I ran into at McDonalds while getting my $1 32 oz. Diet Coke. End cost: $4800. B says that amounts to a lifetime supply of DC for me.

We went to San Diego where D had a great game although the team lost. We went to Phoenix and enjoyed the warmth there. 2 team wins also helped. Some biking friends came for a visit and I was able to somewhat join them for one ride. L (who by the way is 5 1/2 months along) rode like a demon and left me in her wake. My only excuse was I was waiting for the dogs. Sure, waiting for the dogs. That's what I use next time too.

We played every day and enjoyed our Baby D. He's 18 months old now and talking like crazy. He calls me Grammy and I love it. It was fun to hang with L & R & B & D. We went shopping a few times, we went to dinner a few times, we gave the dogs their daily walk either up Webb Hill or down by the river or in the Gap at Green Valley, we went to see movies (two thumbs up for Puss N' Boots and one thumb up for Footloose), we played Boggle where I learned some new tricks, and we did yard work together. It was fun to be together. Together: word of the day!

As for books:

The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht. I read it the first time and didn't quite get it so am doing a scholarly reading of it now and am really enjoying it.

Wendell Berry's books Hannah Coulter and The Memory of Old Jack and loved both of them. There were sections in each that made me cry, some just for how pretty the words came together and some because the words moved me.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. It is a book you will never forget. So much to think about in this one. It is an incredible true story.

John Adams by David McCullough again. It never stops amazing me how much those men put themselves on the line and how much they were willing to do to see America come into its own.

I got 3 cook books for Christmas. Are they hinting or something? I am looking forward to reading each one: Our Best Bites by Sara Wells and Kate Jones, The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond, and Worldwide Ward Cookbook by Deanna Buxton.

Another Book Post

These are some well-known facts.

1. I am always looking for something good to read

2. I am always reading something.

3. Books can be read more than once.

4. Really great books come around once in while.

5. I wish I had more time to read.

6. Sometimes I fall asleep with the book in my hands and the light on.

7. There is a plethora of bad books out there.

8. Books can be enjoyed on the Kindle.

9. Libraries are a great place to go especially if you are exceeding your book budget.

10. I've always loved to read.

This week I read a book by Wallace Stegner, one of my favorite authors.

Angle of Repose is his Pulitzer Prize winning

and one of my all-time favorites.

However, the book I read was Crossing To Safety.

It is right up there on my favorites list

along with any of the Ivan Doig books.

I read The Eleventh Man, by Ivan Doig. Ex-cell-ent!

I went to our local library today and

checked out some promising books by authors that I like.

Tracy Chevalier

The Virgin Blue

Falling Angels

I've read Remarkable Creatures and really liked it.

Michael Crichton

Pirate Latitudes

This one was found as full text after his death.

Alexander McCall Smith

Corduroy Mansions

The Dog Who Came In From The Cold

Both had pictures of a Jack Russell on their cover.

They are not from the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series.

I really liked La's Orchestra Saves the World

as well as the above mentioned series.

Babysitting

I am watching a friend's dogs while she is on vacation.

She has watched our dogs so many times

that we were happy to have

Iggy and Max over to our home!

Iggy is our dog's littermate (Buster).

I remember going to the hospital

to see the two little pups in their kennel.

One of B's associates at the hospital was the owner.

We had recently lost our Holly dog so we were looking.

My sister went with me and

we oohed and aahed over the two little guys,

finally deciding on the smaller one

who became our Buster.

Our friend, AJ, took the bigger one

who became Iggy,

which is short for Ignatius.

Our other dog is Buddy.

He is Buster and Iggy's older brother.

It is interesting to watch the three brothers together;

you can tell they are related.

Buddy is very tall in the legs,

Buster has an incredibly short tail,

and Iggy can sit on his hind quarters, so they are unique too.

Max is an older dog; I think he's about 10 years old.

Max is short for Maximus

He is all white with black eyes.

And he loves food,

especially human food!

Since we couldn't really have all four dogs in our bed

(I don't know how AJ does it)

we have them sleep in a big blanket nest

together in the laundry room.

They are pretty cute

and it has been fun to have a sleepover with the dogs.

Interesting

While I was at the cabin I read two books:

The Bounty: The True Story of the Mutiny on the Bounty

by Caroline Alexander

and

A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World

by Tony Horwitz

Both are books that I've read several times.

I knew some of the history of the Mutiny, but the big question still is:

Why did Fletcher Christian do it?

What was his motivation?

I've seen the 1962 Marlon Brando movie version

as well as

the 1984 Anthony Hopkins and Mel Gibson version entitled The Bounty.

(In light of recent events, it is a little difficult to admit

Mel Gibson is my favorite actor

and the movie The Year of Living Dangerously

is one of my all-time favorite movies,

but his personal life may be what makes him a great actor)

In The Bounty, his love for his Tahitian wife

seems to be the outward motivation

but there is something deeper going on.

The straight-laced dutiful English society

vs the laid-back devil may care Island-time society of Tahiti

are at odds.

There are two amazing endings to the story:

Bligh made it the 47 days and over 3600 hundred miles

from the middle of the Pacific to the Dutch East Indies in a 23-foot boat with his crew

and

there was a little surviving community on Pitcairn Island where

Christian and the other mutineers made their final destination

(albeit mostly women and children and only 1 man)

I guess that is the whole point:

it was almost too incredible to be true.

When I got home, I started reading The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

mainly because I had recently viewed

La Jaconda (otherwise known as the Mona Lisa)

at the Louvre.

And Madonna on The Rocks.

Book o' the Week

This week's book was The Eleventh Man by Ivan Doig.

It was wonderfully written, had a great storyline,

and was an all-round terrific book.

I purchased it twice and got great deals both times!

First, I bought it for my Kindle for $1.24.

And then I bought the real deal at Doc's Book Loft for $0.89.

Am I a bargain hunter or what??

To be honest, I would suggest everything

and anything written by Ivan Doig.

He is an incredible writer who speaks my language.

All of his novels,

as well as his non-fiction,

have been gripping, intriguing, interesting, and well worth the time.

I've read (multiple times) the following:

The Sea Runners

English Creek

Dancing at the Rascal Fair

Ride with Me, Mariah Montana

Bucking the Sun

Mountain Time

The Whistling Season

Work Song

This House of Sky

Heart Earth

I can't honestly say how I found the first book

of his that I read (The Whistling Season)

but truly fell in love with this author.

There were several copies of books at Doc's Book Loft

and I almost bought repeats to have at the cabin.

They would totally be worth it!

I just finished up with Cub Scouts.

We made bean bags and played various bean bag games.

It was a lot of fun.

Jelly Roll Quilt

For L's birthday, I wanted to surprise her with a hand-done quilt.

I've made her other quilts but they'd been machine-quilted.

The quilt top was completed at the beginning of May, and so I had about 5 weeks to finish it,

She received the "mostly finished" quilt on her birthday

and was gracious enough to let me have another week to get the binding done.

It was completed using a jelly roll with added borders.

The inner border and binding were the same fabric.

Some Quilts

L sent me some pictures of quilts to add to my Quilt Diary.

The pictures reminded me of the fun I had making them and the fun she's had in having them.

T-Shirt Quilt from high school t-shirts, and bike jerseys. I think they were 5 inch squares with a few double sized blocks. The backing is flannel. M. Bundy machine-quilted it. This quilt was made for Christmas 2007.

This quilt definitely made me smile. It was actually "made" twice. The first time was when L was a senior in high-school circa 2003. After all these years of loving it to death, the backing was pilling and dingy. I unstitched the yarn ties and restitched the seams for reinforcement. T. Robertson machine-quilted it using a light blue minkee backing. It was also bound in minkee. It was completed in 2010.

The 3rd quilt is a Levi & Flannel that I made for R prior to his mission in 2004. I used extra thick batting so it is really lofty. It has a blue plaid backing and was tied with yarn. I still have a large supply of Levi's and should probably get making some more. They make terrific car quilts.

Bayeux and Beaches of Normandy

This is a picture of a window in Mont St. Michel that I thought was pretty.

We got to Bayeux in the afternoon and our first order of the day was to do some laundry. We did that and walked around the city for a while. We went to the Trou Normond for dinner. The tables were inside halved-cider barrels. We had interesting entrees (the appetizer), not really sure what they were, but they were tasty. Mine was in a pastry with Camembert sauce. Our plats (main course) were mignon de porc (pork tenderloin), and a fish that was out of this world. They served the potatoes sliced thin like my Mom used to make. Creme brulee and apple tart was dessert.

The next day, we went to see the Bayeux Tapestry. It dates from the 1077 and depicts the Battle of Hastings, where William the Conquerer beat out Edward for control of England and Normandy. I thought it would be like a huge wall hanging but it is more like an incredibly long table runner.

We also went to the Cathedral.

The next day we went to the Beaches of Normandy and the American Cemetery. 6 June 1944 otherwise known as D-Day was when the American, Canadian, British and other forces landed on French soil to stop the Germans. It was very awe-inspiring and really made me appreciate what our military does for us. Omaha Beach, Pont du Hoc, and Utah Beach were especially sacred. The cemetery is incredible. B and I have visited Arlington Cemetery, the Punchbowl in Hawaii, and now this. Even as I write, tears come to my eyes as I think about being there.

For dinner, we traveled into Bayeux for dinner on the Rue de Cuisiniers at the le Pommier Restaurant. Wow and Yum barely touch what we ate for dinner. Again we had a pork and fish dinner with entrees of farmer's salad with goat cheese in pastry and pate de foie gras. The fish was two different fish loins braided together in a yummy sauce. The pork was in a gravy and was so tender it melted in your mouth. Dessert was Chocolate 3 Ways: Hot, Cold, and Frozen and Apple Pie a la mode. It was Apple Heaven more like it. And the chocolate was a hot cake with hot melted fudge inside with chocolate mousse sauce and ice cream. We were very happy.

Today our drive took us back into Paris to the airport. Nothing spectacular to report. We fly home tomorrow. We are very grateful we made the trip, B is grateful to have finished his ride, and we are looking forward to heading home. We miss our children and our dogs.

Brittany and Normandy

From Paris, B and I traveled to Chartres to see the Cathedral. It was very beautiful and is famous for its stained glass windows, in particular, the blue color. Our trusty Lola (GPS Tomtom) navigated us to the parking area without much trouble.

They are currently working on some renovations and cleaning and it is amazing the difference between the cleaned ceilings and the regular ones. I guess 1000 years of candles can do that to a cathedral.

Our next destination was Fougéres which was one of the control stops for B's ride. He thought the castle, the cathedral, and walled city was very beautiful and wanted me to see it. the earliest sections date from the 800's but most of the castle was built by the Normans during the 11th and 12th centuries.

While we were in Fougeres, B was troubled with the flu. We slept in and enjoyed the quite day. We ate crepes at the creperie and then had dinner at our hotel. The next day, we drove to the Abbaye du Mont St. Michel. It is essentially out on an island, with a causeway that has been built for tourists. It has very steep and narrow streets, and dates to the 9th century.

Our next stop was Bayeaux which was one of the first French towns liberated by the Americans after D-Day (6 June 1944).

We will always have Paris

B and I came to Paris to do a few things:

sightsee, eat good food,

and for B, to ride 1200k in the Paris-Brest-Paris 2011 Randonneur

(about 125 miles per 200k so about 750 miles).

So far, we've seen eaten some great food ("Marie, the baguettes").

We've eaten at La Marina twice and

had creme brulee both times.

The first time, I had the spaghetti bolognese,

and B had the penne with chicken.

The next time, I had the spaghetti bolognese

and B had the bouef something or other.

I am pretty much in love with the jabon de Paris sandwich

(ham -- simple but so tasty).

For breakfast, we've had yogurt with fruit,

soft boiled eggs (make your own),

hot chocolat (Note to self: watch the movie Chocolat again)

fromages, plain croissants,

chocolat croissants, and more.

We've seen some incredible sights:

Eiffel Tower

Cathedral Notre Dame de Paris

Notice the flying buttresses architecture.

I've always wanted to see a flying buttress!

One of the rose stained-glass windows.

About 5000 people are riding in the Randonneur.

We've met people from New Jersey, Seattle, Boston, Tokyo, Philippines, Ohio, and Florida.

This is the 6 pm Start Time.

Not the best picture but lots and lots of bikes.

B left at 9 pm Sunday.

He will ride to Loudeac, France

where he will rest

and then will continue on to Brest,

return to Loudeac where he will rest again,

and then back to Paris.

I expect him sometime on Thursday.

Sisters

The Gallegos Girls

(also known as Mrs. Brown's lovely daughters)

M: oldest, full of wisdom and love, shopper extraordinaire

M: next oldest, smart, strong, an excellent teacher

M: middle sis, funny, full of love and sunshine, very insightful

B: one up from the youngest, very organized, talented, sophisticated, caring

C: youngest, appreciative for her family, looks up to her sisters' examples, happy

We are so different and yet, in so many ways, the same.

We have wonderful parents

and wonderful families of our own.

We've tried really hard to stay connected

and in this busy world, it is not always easy to do.

I think we have been supportive of each other

in happy times

and in times of trial,

and I know there will be more

happy times

and trials

in the coming days.

The best thing about having great sisters

is knowing there is always a friend

to help or to talk to or to have fun with.

We have other friends in our lives,

but I'm always grateful I have my sisters.

New Month = New Books

Remember when I said I got a "bag-o-books?"

Well, the reading has been happening and so far, so good.

Last two that I read:

Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry

(again to get ready for Book Club)

and

The Known World by Edward P. Jones

(not quite finished but enjoying it thus far)

Others on the List:

The Furies by John Jakes (no)

Ship Fever by Andrea Barrett (okay)

Hope is the Thing With Feathers by Christopher Cokinos (educational)

The Billionaire's Vinegar by Benjamin Wallace (interesting)

I have been trying to "get back in shape."

It seems to be my never-ending quest.

I will do really well by walking the dogs everyday and riding my bike three times a week and then ride in a 50-miler or go on a big ride with Bob and then . . .

nothing for a few weeks.

I did walk the dogs up north but it wasn't quite the same as going up The Hill.

I started back on The Hill

(Webb Hill for those who might not know its more benevolent name)

this week.

It is hard especially because it is almost 100 degrees by 8:00 am.

Tried getting up earlier but not doing so well on that.

Buddy and Buster have been good companions

as my other walking partner is out of town.

I had to carry Buster part of the way today because he was hot.

There was a high school cross-country team working out on The Hill,

by running up to the gate and back 4 or 6 times.

And did I say running?

Ya, they quickly passed by me.

I did continue past them at the gate, and headed to the top

where I have started doing

some mild (emphasis on mild)

weight lifting:

sit-ups,

and various arm lifts

to work the bicep, tricep, and shoulders using rocks as weights.

It also gives Bud and Bus some time to rest in the shade.

I've worked on laundry, weeding, fertilizing, spraying weeds,

more laundry, visiting, writing,

transcribing, grocery shopping, cleaning,

quilting, more quilting, and reading.

It has been a nice week of getting things done.

I've done some swimming too. Will probably do it again today. :)

Summer Reading

Every Summer while we are staying at the cabin, we go in to the Evanston Library. It is wonderful. They always have a good Book Sale going on and I usually get a sack or two of books. This year I got a sackful to read at the cabin. I also went to Deseret Industries and got another sackful. And to top it off, I stopped in on Doc's Book Loft and got yet another sackful. This isn't counting all the great free classics I loaded up on the Kindle. So, I should be up to my ears in reading books. And I am loving it. I'm not loving all of the books, some are just ok, but some are really terrific.

Top Reads

Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry

Mudbound by Hillary Jordan

Other ones that were ok

Love and Hate in Jamestown: John Smith, Pocahontas, and the Start of a New Nation

by David A. Price

Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez

Sandra Dallas books (Whiter Than Snow, The Chili Queen, The Bride's House, Tallgrass)

[I LOVED Prayers for Sale and The Persian Pickle Club]

Enemy Women by Paulette Jiles

While I was staying with L and babysitting Baby D, I re-read some of my favorites:

My Life in France by Julia Child and Alex Prud'homme

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Currently reading:

Over The Edge of the World by Laurence Bergreen

This book is about Magellan's circumnavigation of the Earth with the Armada de Molucca. I've read this book several times and it never fails. In my youth, I always thought Magellan had just one ship that went around the Earth, but they started out with five. There were several mutinees, and I'm to the point in reading where one ship has turned around in hopes of returning to Spain while another has been shipwrecked, leaving only three ships as they head out into the Pacific having found the Strait at the tip of South America. He has also just left two of the mutineers on a small island somewhere at the south end of South America after sentencing several others to horrendous deaths. I remember from my previous reading (and previous history classes) that only one ship makes it back with everyone about starved and Magellan is killed somewhere in the Indonesian islands. It is an incredible journey.

So far, I have traveled over 1000 miles this summer. Up north and back for the Little Red, north again for Baby D's birthday, to the cabin, and then home. To the Romero Family Reunion, north yet again to L's, to the cabin, a stop at Bear Lake at the Villa, again another north trip, to the cabin, and then home. We will be heading to the cabin for another visit soon, and then at the end of August we are going to Paris [not the city in Idaho].

My Girl turns 26!

She was born at about 10 pm after 5 long days of false labor. As a end-of-the-year fun trip, our school went to Lagoon (Friday), and I went as a chaperone. None of the rides would let me go, except for the Log Flume, and it was fun to get a little wet on such a hot day. About lunch time, I started feeling strange pains in my back and my principal sent me home. Along the freeway, I stopped 3 or 4 times as the pains became difficult to bear. We waited the appropriate time to go to the hospital but upon arrival was told they were just false labor pains. We went back 2 other times over the weekend with the same results. B had finals and he had to study so we made me as comfortable as possible. On Tuesday, he had a two or three finals, and I stayed home from school. In the afternoon, the pains were getting very uncomfortable and I was just rolling back and forth on the floor trying to deal with it. Becky and Mona came over to check on me, and made me get in the shower, and then they took me to the hospital. They stayed until B finished his finals, and then stayed longer until she came into the world. The midwife did a great job, but I was so tired and actually quite hungry because I hadn't eaten in 4 or 5 days. She came without any anesthetic; everyone said I "went somewhere" to deal with the pain, probably deep within my own soul. It is a joy to remember that day because even though I was hurting, there was a delightful present waiting for me at the end!

These are some of my favorite pictures of my girl.

She is as beautiful today as she was the day she was born.

Bright-eyed, just minutes after being born at Holy Cross Hospital.

2 months old, in a park along the 17-Mile Drive in California. I liked putting bonnets on her.

1 year old with her dolly, Kewpie. Susie would eventually replace Kewpie.

This has always been one of my favorite pictures. She's 2 years old.

Listening to Daddy's heartbeat with a real stethoscope.

Even at 3, she was very physically fit and fashionable.

Fishing with Daddy was always fun. It is a real fishy she caught, but it was too small to cook.

Happy 26th Birthday to my Girl! I love you -- always have and always will.

What I've Been Reading This Week

I received a Kindle for my Birthday and thought I'd better fire up the device and get reading. I decided to start with the free offerings from Amazon and as a result have read some great books. My first purchase was South Sea Tales by Jack London.

I also read The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (real book, not on Kindle). It took me a couple of tries but I finally got into it. It was an interesting read and you should be warned that there is some disturbing material in it, but I did find it intriguing and wanted to know the answers along with the main characters.

Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen, is now out as a movie. I had seen the book a few times at Costco and considered purchasing it. However, it became an accidental purchase on the Kindle when I pushed a button too many times. It was a good read although I didn't care for the sexual content. It is a story about love and the circus.

Two of my favorite reads lately are by the same author: Sandra Dallas. Prayers for Sale and The Persian Pickle Club are books that I would highly recommend for summer reading or for a Book Club. I can't wait to read them again, and again. My research job for the summer will be to find the quilt patterns for those mentioned in the books.

We had a fun celebration on L's Birthday. (Happy #26) Just for fun

we thought we'd ride 50 miles in the LRRH.

(Post Ride Picture of L, me, Becky, and BabyD -- borrowed picture from L's blog)

After spending the a few days in bed

(and a little out of my head),

I went up north and had a BLAST riding in

the Little Red Riding Hood Women-Only Ride

in Lewiston, UT (or is it ID?).

I rode with 5 incredible women

(Thanks again: Becky, Linds, Kris, Amber, and Tracy.

Thanks also to Patty for doing SAG for us).

I still had the cough and runny nose

and a little of the grumbly tummy,

but we finished the 50 miles all together at the end.

And thanks to our male support:

B, R D, R W, and Baby D.

Heard some sad news today.

My dear friend, Marion,

went the way of all the earth last Thursday.

In some ways I am happy for her to be reunited

with her beloved Ross and her sister Rebecca.

I am sad for me because I will miss her.

Luckily, I got to visit with her just prior and we had a good visit.

She is one of the most beautiful women I know

and I will always treasure our friendship.

So here's to beautiful Marion, my friend.

I will miss you.

What I Did on My Spring Break

Our whole family, including dogs, went to one of the prettiest places: The Wave.

It was quite an adventure getting the permit (see L's blog for details)

and took some logistics getting us all into one vehicle.

But it was ALL WORTH IT!

The place was beautiful.

Words can't even describe it all.

At one point, B said it looked like God took His finger

and just swirled it around to make the rocks.

It was a six mile hike with hills and sand.

We shared our Camelback water with the dogs, L, and Baby D.

L carried Baby D on the way in and the way out; she is AMAZING.

D & R loved running through the sand and up the hills.

R told us the flowers' Latin names.

D had fun giving Baby D a ride on those shoulders!

The pictures are from B's camera; he is an artist.

Thank you for sharing.

We had so much fun.

And it finished off with a drive along the Honeymoon Trail,

a stop at the Condor Viewing Area

(we will have to go back sometime for viewing),

past Jacob's Lake,

and dinner at Samurai 21.

What a wonderful day.

I love my family.

At the opening of the canyon.

The two side walls shown together.

What a cute tie-dye group!

"Sliding on the roller coaster" or Mom's idea of a cute picture

What forces of nature are at work?

How long did it take?

Truly a work of art.

And the last thought that comes to mind:

"and all things denote there is a God;

yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it,

yea, and its motions,

yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form

do witness that there is a Supreme Creator."

Books I read this week:

Sonata for Miriam by Linda Olsson

The Spanish Frontier in North America by David J. Weber

Spanish Pathways: Readings in the History of Hispanic New Mexico by Marc Simmons

Key Lime Pie: A Culinary Mystery by Josi S. Kilpack (can't wait to try the recipe)

Dead Wrong by Clair M. Poulson

Back In the Saddle Again

Dwarf Bear Poppy

It has been some time since I have been mountain biking. Almost 3 years ago, I was riding with Lindsay on our road bikes. We wanted to see how long it would take to ride a bike to where she worked. We live in an area that uses irrigation and water runs through the deep gutters downtown. There was not only water in the gutter but also moss. I know better than to ride through a gutter full of water and moss. And I took it at an angle.

Down I went and hit hard. Hard enough to tear the rotator cuff and the long head of the bicep on my left arm. Not to mention scrapes and road rash in various places. I didn't do anything about it for 4 months, but I kept riding my bike. I rode in the ULCER (Utah Lake Century Epic Ride) for 65 miles. Sure it was sore and I couldn't lift my arm or tie an apron on, but I could still function. Then I went on a mountain bike ride on the Green Valley Loop. I barely made it back to the car. I couldn't lift or keep myself steady because of the shoulder. Surgery was the only option. My doctor did a great job. It took some rugged physical therapy but I finally could lift my arm. In the mean time, I stopped exercising because for some reason the big black bulky arm pillow that I had to wear made it so I couldn't balance. Crazy! I did get back on my bike and rode in several long distance rides -- the Mt. Laguna one with the Vermillions, the Little Red Riding Hood with my sis and friends, and I even tackled some of the harder hills around where I live. But they were all relatively safe road rides, no tricky moves other than keeping myself upright.

A year ago I finally got on the mountain bike again. It was a relatively easy ride; my daughter was 8 months pregnant and we had 3 dogs with us. She outclassed me even with her baby on board!

Fast forward to last weekend. I went with my 2 dogs on the Green Valley Loop. I'd been once or twice with limited success on some of the difficult parts. But this time, I felt the mojo and did a few what I considered the challenging spots. Other riders would probably laugh at what I considered challenging, but previously, I couldn't pull up hard enough or I didn't feel strong enough to balance. Well, last Saturday was a bit of a breakthrough. Maybe it was the Bear Poppy in bloom, but I felt great. My dogs were happy, and it was a beautiful day. When I got to the bottom, I ran into some friends and they invited me to ride with them. I'd parked in the shade so the dogs would be okay in their kennel. It was fun to ride with other people, and we rode a new part of the trail I had never been on before, and at the end, I received a great compliment on how well I did. The next day, I took B out to see the Bear Poppy and to ride a new part of the trail.

I went again today. It was a lot of fun.

The Bear Poppy are on the wane,

but there are others in various stages of bloom:

Prince's Plume, Fremont's Indigo Bush

(what I have previously been calling Purple Sage),

Globemallow (my all-time favorite),

Hedgehog Cactus, Paintbrush, Chuparosa,

Weak Stemmed Mariposa Lily (my next to all-time favorite),

and more.

It feels good to be back in the saddle again.

Desert Globemallow

Weak Stemmed Mariposa Lily

Current Books

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

(everyone says read it but some of the things about WWII I just don't want to know or have those images in my head -- sort of like when I read Flags of Our Fathers)

A Day at the Beach by Helen Schulman

(a look at one family during 9/11 attack in NYC)

I Don't Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson

(working woman who is not very kind to her husband

and thinks the world revolves around her. I think working women are able to juggle family and work, but have to be cooperative with their husband. They cannot be a witch that begins with a B to their husband, they just can't)

Vinegar Hill by A. Manette Ansay

(Okay read. The big question is how much to do put up with in life?)

Belongs to Me by Marisa de los Santos

(I enjoyed this even though the outcome was not at all what I expected. It was handled well. There were a lot of stories going on at the same time.)

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

("Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure"

It is full of fable, deep thoughts, symbolism, and love.)

I am currently reading

The Life of Pi by Yann Martel.

Even though I know the outcome, it is still thrilling to read.