Alicia's Ramblings

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2016-03-07T09:47:00.001-08:00

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Wednesday June 6 Yellowstone

2012-06-06T20:59:00.000-07:00

We had planned to get up early, but didn't. The heat from the day before had changed drastically overnight and it was freezing and very windy outside. Thus sleeping in and working was to be the first order of the day.

We drove from Mammoth to Lamar Valley through Roosevelt and Tower, over Dunraven Pass, past Canyon, down to Hayden Valley and back again to Canyon and found absolutely nothing. We decided to go to West Yellowstone and do some t-shirt shopping and lunch. We drove from Canyon to Madison via Norris and then half way between Madison and West Yellowstone, we finally spot some wild life. Buffalo. Yay.... I'm being sarcastic here.

Actually though, it was pretty cool; a large herd picked up some speed crossing a stream and then they swam through the Madison River and crossed the road. They were running, jumping, grunting and shaking off the cold water. The calves were extremely spry, kicking and jumping around. So very cute!!

We continue onto West Yellowstone and I search for a pair of eagles that frequent the area. They use to keep a nest close to the road and we've seen a few set of eaglets over the years, but they haven't nested here in a couple of years now. But I did spot one in a bare tree and got her photo.

And that was it. Nothing more to write about except for a nice visit with a husband and wife shop owner. They run a t-shirt business and were made me two t-shirts in which I choose the design and color of shirt. After talking with them, we discovered we could benefit one another in business. I hope to be able to design a logo and graphic for their t-shirt. So that was pretty cool.

Tuesday June 5 Yellowstone

2012-06-05T18:20:00.000-07:00

We started the day late, which means bear and wolf sightings were not likely. However, history has proven that we typically find something else worth observing. Today was no different.

Before even entering the park, we found a mother pronghorn with two babies! We had heard about her but hadn’t seen her until now. She and her babes posed perfectly for me.

About 9:30, Rick spots a quick moving fox headed straight for us. She has something in her mouth - breakfast! A closer look reveals she has a ground squirrel. We try our best to photograph her but she is moving too quickly and soon scurried up the hill.

We mosey down the road and watch as hundreds of bison make their way through Lamar Valley. I would say there were 500, maybe more as they dotted the valley and ridges beyond. The little red doggies were either sleeping or bothering mom for breakfast. That’s what lil’ doggies do!

As we watch the bison, Rick’s eye catches something moving through the bushes just in front of us. "A badger," he exclaims! I whip my camera around and try to get this guy in full frame but he is too fast. We follow a bit on foot but all we are getting are butt shots. So we move down a bit to get in front of the badger, get set up and sure enough, he crosses the road, runs up a hill out of sight!

We stop at a picnic area close to the east entrance in hopes to find a weasel. Instead we found several ground squirrels. This one put on a show for me.

After a quick run through Hayden Valley were nothing has come to life, we drove down to Sedge Bay which is on the north shore of Lake Yellowstone. Looking for otter and grizzly, we find nothing. Just as we turn around to head back home, I spot a male deer. I got a great shot of him. I’ve never seen deer that close to Lake Yellowstone and this year we have seen three dozen or so. More than we have ever seen in our visits.

Nothing catches our eye as we head back home except for the two mating black bear. They are further out but we took photos anyway since they were out in the wide open, unlike the day before when they hid behind fallen trees and brush. Lol

We stayed in for the rest of the evening due to heavy winds. Using the long lenses we have do not produce good results in overcast skies and heavy wind. So, with three more days left, we hope to find a grizzly or two!!

Monday June 4 Yellowstone

2012-06-05T18:03:00.001-07:00

Monday June 4

Rick and I rose early hoping go find wolf or grizzly but came up short. We passed people watching a black bear but we didn't take photos because she was some distance away. Yes, we have purposefully become picky: 1) we now have professional equipment so we better start acting like professionals, and 2) do you know how long it takes to go through 4,500 photos?? A long time!

On to Tower to see if we can find the black bear mom and two cubs we tried to get the day before. No luck so on to Lamar Valley. There we find a good sized traffic jam near the Yellowstone River and there is the mom with her brood. They traveled a bit of distance over the night. The cubs had been put it bed in a lodge pole pine, but finally came down and tumbled and played while mom ate grass and bugs. The problem was there was absolutely no clear shot of any of them.

We took photos for "prosperity" and chatted with other people who do what we do. Jim and Deb from Indiana are pro photographers, while Dick and Maureen from New York are hobbyists. We fall somewhere in between. I doubt I will ever get one of my shots on the cover of a magazine like Jim but I will have fun doing it!!

We have work to do so we head back to the trailer. After working we decide to check out Hayden Valley. It is a long drive so we leave early. Just before Roosevelt at Elk Creek, we see a decent jam. Since our Jeep can go just about anywhere, Rick throws it up and over a bar ditch. Hard to see at first, but two black bear are in a valley behind brush; one is bigger than the other.

We set up our equipment and soon discover the two are in “love!” She flirts with him but he feigns interest by lying down. They nudge each other and he gets up to wrestle. Now it is her turn to act disinterested as he chases her around for a bit. They dine on grasses and bugs, then another round of wrestling.

A storm was coming so we hit the road. Strong winds brought down trees into the road way. It was lightening and rain fell sideways. It was a side of Yellowstone we had not seen.

Later that evening, we took a short ride to find quad mom. She and her two cubs were nowhere in sight. Down the road a bit, I saw a perfect opportunity to photograph a group of elk and bison. The cool thing is I believe I took the perfect shot for the cover of my book "Beyond the Bison." The book will showcase our photography and be about the wildlife of Yellowstone National Park.

We headed back home and on the way spotted a cinnamon colored black bear with two cubs. They were too fast and too deep in the woods to photograph so we took one for prosperity. Hoping we find something interesting tomorrow! I am sure we will.

Sunday June 3 Yellowstone

2012-06-03T22:18:00.002-07:00

Sunday June 3

It was just Rick and I today and we made our way to Quad Mom’s haunts. She was way off in the distance so we worked our way to a group that was perched on top of a hill. Apparently, a wolf pack had made a kill the night before and we missed them feeding. But we did get one gray wolf walking off into the woods; not a great pic, though. I do not know which pack this was; could be Blacktail or Quadrant but I was told there was a total of five spotted that morning. This was our second wolf in three days.

Since it began to rain, we packed our gear and headed towards tower to try to get a glimpse of the black bear mom with two cubs at Tower. A glimpse is pretty much all we got as she herded her kids up a tree, not to be seen again, as she grazed behind thick brush. This is all I got of one of the cubs and mom. I really hope we get to spend some time with this family again with better photographing conditions.

So we decide to visit Hayden Valley and see what’s going on there and we couldn’t believe it, but another gray wolf from the Canyon Pack was just a couple hundred yards out. There are eight members of the Canyon Pack. We took photographs of our third wolf in as many days. We were pretty excited!

On our way through the park, just after Floating Island, I spot a group of tourists watching a small black bear going behind some sage. Just around the corner is a larger group of people and there is a big black bear in a tree! We stop and just after setting up the bear comes down the tree and just below us. We snap off a couple of shots before being told to move. We hang around some more and get to spend time with the b lack bear. Apparently, this bear was scared up the tree by the other black bear. We were 10 minutes to late. That is one thing about the park, you can miss an entire episode or incident by mere minutes.

Later in the evening, we spotted a coyote mousing, but she didn’t hang around long enough for us to catch her. She was fat though, so we suspect she will be having kids soon. Maybe tomorrow we will be lucky enough to see the dad!

Friday/Saturday June 1/2 2012 Yellowstone

2012-06-02T21:13:00.002-07:00

Friday June 1

After our first trip to Yellowstone, we talked about our adventures with so much enthusiasm, other people wanted to visit and enjoy those experiences for themselves, such as my mom and dad and good friends of ours from Wylie, Earl and Carol Sue Newsom. The Newsoms visit the park every year now and we spend one to two days together finding treasures of the park.

Today was no different. We found a lot of wonderful wildlife opportunities. Just as we entered the park, we spotted an osprey looking for breakfast over the Gardner River. We tried to photograph him but he was not being cooperative as we followed him from one pullout to another. I was the lucky one, however. Staying in the car and hand holding my camera, I got great shots of him taking off from a tree. Great photos, and can’t wait to share them when I process the photos.

We then found a cinnamon colored black bear. He walked through the tall grass taking a bite here and there.

After he slipped into the heavy woods, we moved on to see what else we could stir up. In Lamar Valley, We briefly watched a whitish-colored wolf walking towards the river and then out of sight. He was very far away but we could see him so we count it as a wolf sighting, though we would have preferred him to be a bit closer!

Now you have to realize, there are elk, pronghorn, and bison throughout the park, and I fail to mention sightings of them because they are so common. However, we did find a large group of bison crossing the river and that was spectacular to watch. Even though they were a good distance away, it was fun watching them cross to the other side, including the little red doggies (baby bison) swimming through the cold, clear water.

We drove through tower were a black bear and two cubs have been regularly spotted but the traffic was crazy and photography opportunities limited so we moved onto Hayden Valley. Here we found a coyote that was being conditioned to humans, unfortunately. He was eating something off the ground and people had positioned themselves within feet of him and he wasn’t scared. It’s a sad sight to see because human habituation can be lethal to a wild animal.Fortunately, a ranger came by and scared off the coyote and lectured the people. He was excellent at his job and I thanked him for it.

We traveled onward and at a junction we found a red fox trotting along. She was a bit scraggly but definitely on the hunt for dinner. We had some nice opportunities with her before she slipped behind the trees.

Our last sighting of the day really excited Carol Sue and Earl. We stopped at a spot that is known for a Horned Owl nest in Mammoth Springs. Sure enough, the two owlets were trying out their new wings moving from the nest onto nearby branches. Mom was inches away watching her brood. Mom grew tired of the awkward pair and popped over to a roof top, allowing us better viewing of her. She is a beautiful owl and we were so blessed to see her and her family before calling it a day.

Oh, but one more sighting occurred at the trailer. A nice woodpecker came by and tried out the fence post right in front of the trailer. The cats had their eye on him!

Saturday June 2

It was the Newsom’s last day, and we had promised Carol Sue we would find her a grizzly. Ever since they joined us in 2007, they could not find grizzly sightings without a scope or binoculars. After breakfast and five years later, we found her one. And not just one but THREE!

This grizzly has been in the area for the last three years now, caring for her cubs. She gave birth to three cubs in spring 2010 and adopted a fourth one. Appropriately named Quad Mom, Rick and I saw her at a great distance with all four. In 2011, she had lost two of the cubs over the winter but we spotted her, once again at a great distance, with her two yearlings. Now in 2012, we get to see her one more time before she will release her two cubs to set out on their own. It was a great sighting for all.

We drove around some more and found a flicker bird who has made his home in a sign post. Took a few shots of him and then called it a day. Tomorrow, it will be just Rick and I and I can't wait to see what we find!

Ah, but just before going to bed, Rick takes bailey Mae out for a walk but calls for me just as he steps out the trailer. A female elk had bedded down not 15 feet from our door. She was HUGE and not startled by us at all. Bailey Mae didn't go on her nightly walk after all. :)

Wednesday/Thursday May 30/31 Yellowstone

2012-05-31T20:29:00.002-07:00

Wednesday May 30

We started the morning out once again looking for #610, but again no luck. We decided to take photos of the juvenile grizzly, this time in the sun with green grass instead of drizzle and snow.

It was a very slow day so we headed up north to find some landscape shots, but with the dreary, cloudy skies, that didn’t pan out either. So before the light began to fade, we made one more pass through the park, again looking for #610. We ended up on Moose Wilson road and we looked for the bedded down pregnant moose but she had moved on, so did we. At the beaver lodge, we found a Great Blue Heron who was fishing. He had been perfectly still until all of the sudden he lunged forward and came up with a nice size fish in his long beak. I did not get a good shot of him but Rick did all right.

Soon after he took off with to eat his dinner, a beaver came out of the lodge and was in a perfect position for photos. No twigs, no grasses in the way.

We also spotted another female moose not too far away and took some nice shots of her.

The night was fast approaching, so we left for the trailer and called it a night.

Thursday May 31

Being our last day, we knew we had only a couple of hours to find something. And we did. Along Cattleman’s Bridge, a dirt road that leads you through thick woods to the Snake River, I spotted an eagle. He was sitting high in the trees across the river. Really just a speck, but our lenses are long so we took the opportunity to photograph him. We set up waiting for him to take off as it was our goal to catch him in flight, like Rick did last fall.

Soon, a raven swooped in, screeching, flying towards him. The eagle chirps. The raven makes another pass in front of him and then lands in the same tree just a couple of feet above him. He is flapping his wings, cawing at the eagle and the eagle responds in kind. It was an interesting display of harassment, for sure! Finally, the eagle grows tired of the ravens hassles and takes off with the raven close behind. They fly down the river out of sight, and we look at each other with huge smiles on our face. What a treat!!

One last trip down Moose Wilson Road, the only wildlife was this cute little ground squirrel putting on a show. He stretched and rolled over onto his back showing me his belly, like little Callie does for me when she wants a tummy rub.

It was time to go and pack up the trailer to move onto Yellowstone. Just as we round the corner about a mile from the RV park, I ask Rick if we can go down this dirt road because “you never know if there is a fox or coyote there.” He says no, we do not have time. Seconds later, just as we pass the dirt road, you won’t believe it, we spot a coyote! We followed him with other curious visitors and got a few shots. She wasn’t moussing, but she answered my wishes, and for that I feel blessed.

Stay tuned. Yellowstone is sure to bring more joy and wonders...

Tuesday May 29 - Grand Tetons National Park

2012-05-29T21:26:00.001-07:00

Tuesday May 29

The weather was simply gorgeous. We could actually see the mountains today! For two days, the mountains played hide and seek behind the wintery mix. But today, the mountainside presented bright, white jagged edges covered in fresh snow with wisps of clouds swirling about the tips. It was a gorgeous day!

We were once again on the search for Grizzly Bear #610 and her cubs. We drove our regular route that included a stop at the old barn on Mormon Road. We then stopped at Blacktail Pond overlook and found a very pregnant moose grazing through the willows. The scene was very peaceful while the sun lit her big, gangly body against the bright, green grass in the valley.

Still on the hunt for #610, we took a dirt road that hovers above the Snake River. It was quite desolate but as we turned a bend we saw a large group of female elk running fast. We aren’t certain but we believe a black wolf caused the panic. Through binoculars I saw a short black furry mess as it chased two of the elk. There just wasn’t enough detail to be certain.

With our tummies growling, we headed back to the trailer with what was to be a quick stop at Pelican Creek for a landscape photo. However, I spied a fuzzy animal scurrying between sage brush about 100 yards away. I lose sight of her and tell Rick, "It’s smaller than a fox and bigger than a ground squirrel!" At 50 yards away, I see her scurrying by again, her tail just twitching like crazy. Finally, I spot her in a tree, still unsure exactly what this creature is. After several minutes of her watching me and me watching her, I finally learn she is a yellow bellied marmot. I take a few photos and she waves me off with her twitching tail. "Okay, Momma. I will leave you alone to your young ones." I can only imagine that is why she scurried across the distance of the meadow like that with a twitching tail to boot.

That afternoon, we make our way to Moose Wilson road, well on the other side of the park. We find ourselves looking down on another female moose. She grazes for a bit, and then beds down in the new growth surrounding the tall willows.

Soon after, a woman from England spots another moose across the creek in dead willow. He finally peeks out and it is a juvenile moose. Rick and I actually saw him earlier in the day crossing the road but he slipped into the woods as quickly as he came out so we did not attempt to take his photo. This time, however, we took plenty of shots of him eating and cruising through the creek. At one point he came too close to the female moose; she stood straight up and kept her eye on him, ready to defend her bed. He realized this and ran to the other end of the creek, finally slipping out of site.

We only had a couple of hours of light so we went down the road a bit to find beaver we had photographed last year. Sure enough an hour later, our patience prevailed and we watched a beaver swim out of her large hut into a clump of willows and chewed on a fresh branch. We moved our position several times because she was obscured by twigs and limbs. About twenty minutes later, to our surprise, another beaver made his way over to her. They rubbed noises as they greeted one another and then began to frolic around. They shared a twig, but soon parted. It was an awesome sight. Something we had never seen before

What a perfect ending to a gorgeous day!

Sunday/Monday May 27/28 - Grand Tetons National Park

2012-05-28T20:48:00.001-07:00

Greetings Family and Friends!

It is that time of year for our annual spring trip to the Grand Tetons Mountains and Yellowstone Park. We arrived in the Grand Tetons on May 26th Saturday afternoon and was promptly greeted with a wintery mix of rain and slushy snow. We braved the damp, dreary weather to find wildlife but found none. The weather is dreary our spirits are not. We will be here for five days and the weather forecasts a lovely time in the park.

Sunday, May 27
We woke up to a 1 inch of white, fluffy snow blanketing the ground. We drove through the magical wonderland now looking a little foreign to us with this white stuff clinging to the evergreens. The snow was still coming down and we made our way through the park. Obviously the animals were hunkered down so we headed back to the trailer for lunch and a long nap.

We got dressed and made our way through the park, and again, the animals were a no-show. Our tummies were growling so we stopped at Dornans and I had a delicious pizza while Rick ate a great burger. Had it not been for the heavy overcast, we would have had a terrific view of the snow covered mountains. Since the weather was not cooperating, we drove to the city of Jackson Hole and walked amongst other tourists, doing touristy stuff like shopping for shirts and maybe a jacket. My Yellowstone jacket is getting worn, so a new on is on order this trip.

On the way back, the skies were darkening quick and big snowflakes were coming down fast. We spotted a small traffic jam and sure enough a young grizzly cub was feeding on grubs and roots. This cub is the descendant of the famed Grizzly sow #399. We first saw 399 with three cubs in the spring of 2006 on our very first visit. She charmed tourists from across the world.

In 2011, she gave birth to another set of triplets. However, one was separated from the pack late last year and ended up with a sow who had two cubs of her own-#610, 399's daughter from 2006. And then just recently, a boar separated mom from her remaining two cubs. One cub went one way the other one stayed near Colter Bay and that is who we discovered on this snowy evening. Rick tried out his new camera to see if the technical capabilities worked better with less light, as it is touted. Cold and more wet snow ended our stay and we headed back to the trailer.

Monday, May 28
We woke up to another inch or two of fresh snow on the ground but it was quickly melting. We got going and our first stop was to take photos of the snow landscape. Just as we finished, we saw a couple of cars parked in the same location we found the little cub the night before. We followed suit and took pictures of this little guy digging through soft snow looking for roots and grubs. After 40 minutes or so, we moved on to see the rest of the park.

At Moose Wilson Road, we came across a traffic jam I was not expecting. It was a great gray owl that everyone was after. We again followed suit with our cameras and as luck would have it, she flew off. With heavy gear on our shoulders we walk towards this large, majestic creature and finally have just enough time to snap off a few pics before she flew away again.

That afternoon, after a delicious lunch of BBQ chicken wings made by hubby dearest, we had a quick visit with the Newsoms. Earl and Carol Sue Newsom (friends from Wylie) try to meet up with us at least one or two days when we go to Yellowstone. They decided to stop by to say hello before heading on up to West Yellowstone. We see them in four days. No telling what adventure lies around the corner for us. There is always something! Last year it was a baby elk who sought refuge against our car tire in the middle of the road!

We head out looking for new sightings, so we pass up the disorderly bear jam that little guy near Colter Bay caused. It was a circus. I feel for the park rangers. People driving in the other lane to pass other cars in no-passing zones, tourists too close to the bear. We drive through the park and pull off onto a gravel road and we don't scare much up. Rick spots a Ruffed Grouse putting on a show. A couple of elk were grazing.

We take the obligatory drive up Signal Mountain. Found a female elk along the hillside that appeared to be ready to give birth. She was laying down but her belly was big! After coming down the mountain we learned of a bear jam with #610 and her three cubs (remember, one of those cubs belongs to her mother). We drove to the other end of the park only to miss some excitement. Apparently mom was attempting to get a moose calf for dinner. The failed attempt allowed the calf one more chance at a long life. but we never saw the four bears emerge.

We did have a little bit of luck down the road. We found a fox and followed her for about 30 minutes, finally getting some good shots as she came up the hill. It was dark and my photos prove that, but Rick's new camera should have done much better. We don't know yet because we haven't downloaded a software plug-in. And with limited Internet it will be a while before we see his photos.

Well, that is all for now. Tomorrow is another day!

It's been a while

2011-07-26T14:24:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've posted and I see I'm missing some updates! I need to get on that. Right now I am thinking back to June and it seems a distant memory. I am inspired by what I saw and yet I feel I haven't seen enough to be fully satisfied. Yellowstone and her wonders call to me everyday. She feeds my heart. I ache for her as a lover aches for his lost soul mate.

One of these days, Rick and I will be able to enjoy four to five months of intense therapy, immersing ourselves within the heart of it all. I absolutely cannot wait. I tear up at the thought of what waits for me a few years down the road, however, I am willing to wait. I've got too much to do before then and it wouldn't be right to rush things. I'll patiently wait while relishing the thought of being there... completely there. Immersed in her belly. Slough creek, where wolves and grizzlies wander through mountains and streams. Where pronghorn and coyote give life. Where otters frolic and cranes dance...

Thus ends today's ramblings....

Grand Teton Update

2011-06-08T14:51:00.001-07:00

We are unable to gain Internet access easily so this is just a note that trip reports will be posted later.

Basically we've seen 6 moose in 1.5 hours the day we got here, on day 1 another 6 moose, and this morning 4 moose. It is the year of the moose in the Grand Tetons!!!

We saw one grizzly, no photo, too rainy, and one wolf, too far away for a good photo. This is our last night here so wish us luck on seeing the famous grizzly sow #399 with her three cubs! We have seen this momma with triplets in 2006 so it's only fair to see her again right? Keep fingers and paws crossed!

Yellowstone Day 5 6/4/11

2011-06-05T13:53:00.000-07:00

Yellowstone Day 5 6/4/11

We started late having spent the previous two days out all day with our friends the Newsoms. We traveled to Lamar and saw many folks scoping. We asked and apparently four coyote were chasing a wolf. They were so far away that we decided to move on.

Absolutely nothing was going on in Lamar this morning. Well, not until we had passed the Lamar river parking lot going west did my eye catch something – a Badger!! I had been eying this fresh dirt mound for a few days now and it finally paid off today. We watched two badgers pop in and out of their den for about 40 minutes. Much of the time it was just Rick and I.

After that we rejoined the scopes still watching the coyotes and wolf. We learned that two more wolves joined and they raided the coyote’s den killing three pups. Someone allowed us to use their scope and we could see the wolves and coyote. Again they were so far out so we didn’t look for long.

On our way out of Lamar, we confirmed that a nest in a tree near the river had an osprey in it. We also watched her mate flying above the river.

As we approached Petrified Tree we saw a few folks with their cameras pointed at some old logs on the grounds. It wasn't long before we learned the subject was a cute little weasel! Our very first! He posed very nicely for us a few times and considering how fast he moved I counted myself lucky to have gotten at least one decent shot.

In the evening we headed back through Lamar and all was quiet. Not even the badger would pose for us! It's a long, long trip home when you don't see anything exciting. But I'm in Yellowstone with the man I love and that alone makes me very happy!

Yellowstone Day 4 6/3/11

2011-06-04T22:49:00.000-07:00

Yellowstone Day 4 6/3/11

We picked up our friends again this morning and just as we entered the park, the osprey that said goodnight to us the night before greeted us with a treat right off the bat. He had already captured breakfast and was enjoying it. We spent a good 30 minutes with him and these will be the best osprey photos we have ever shot. Just spectacular!

We decide to visit Hayden Valley first and again, we spot nothing on the way in. It isn’t until we make it all the way to Sedge Bay do we see our first predator sighting, no not a bear, a WOLF! A lone black wolf emerged from the woods and walked towards the hill side and off into the woods. We believe we would have had better viewing opportunities had the “photographers” with the “big lenses” behaved themselves and stayed put instead of running after the wolf. We didn’t let their poor behavior detract from this unique sighting for long. It was truly cool to witness her here.

A funny thing occurred while this was going on that we didn’t really notice until the wolf was out of sight. All of the marmots came out of their dens and were carrying on big time. Lots of chirps and running around. There were at least 6 of them, possibly more alerting each other of danger!

We head back to Mammoth on our way to Lamar Valley and just before the high bridge over Gardner River we see a momma elk who had just had a baby. We decide not to add to the congestion and shoot from the window instead of pulling over.

In Lamar, we came across a grizzly that was really high up on a hill, but this would be our friends’ first “naked eye” sighting of grizzly so we got an obligatory shot of her just before she went down the other side of the hill.

After driving to Pebble Creek we make our way back and join other folks who are keeping watch on a black bear. He had been eating on a meal and finally decided to cross the road to get a drink from the pond. He was backlit by the sun so the photos were not that great.

It was time to go home. It was 7:30pm and we had just talked about getting dinner at Town Cafe before they closed. It just wasn’t meant to be. We watched a mom and baby elk (may have been the same one we saw earlier in the day since it was the same area) walk into the road way just ahead of us. The baby's legs wobbled like a newborn's as she followed her momma into the grass. This is the last shot I got as the rest of the story unfolds. I’ll leave you with this photo and a link to the entire story of a very unique wildlife encounter. It was an awesome ending to an amazing day!

Link (copy and paste): http://aliciasramblings.blogspot.com/2011/06/up-close-and-personal-with-baby-elk.html

Here are some scenic shots I took in Lamar Valley:

Yellowstone Day 3 6/2/11

2011-06-04T22:07:00.000-07:00

We picked up our dear friends, Carol Sue and Earl Newsom, at their hotel. On our way in we shared stories about what we had seen the days before.

Since this would be the first morning for Lamar Valley to be open after a major rock slide, we took that path. Just on the other side of Yellowstone Picnic area we stopped along with other viewers and saw a black bear. Apparently he had been eating on a meal and was now relaxing.

Not long after we spotted him, a coyote comes running out of the woods with the half eaten meal in his mouth. The crowd watched as he carried it down the hill and across the street and into some sage to enjoy his new found meal. The bear didn’t even seem phased.

After finding nothing else in Lamar Valley and eating a good breakfast at Log Cabin in Cooke City, we headed towards Hayden Valley via Mammoth and after passing Floating Island, we came across an elk with a really nice rack while it was sleeting. We entered Hayden Valley having seen nothing except for a yellow-bellied marmot near Hoodoos. In Hayden we came across a coyote just trucking along! His coat was so pretty!

Went all the way to Sedge Bay and drummed up a raven who followed us to several pullouts along the lake! We also took time out for the little guys: geese on the snow, several bluebirds, and other colorful birds. And also found the ice the wind had pushed up onto the beach of the lake a very interesting phenomenon. We stopped at the North Rim for a quick look but the howling, cold, harsh, wind drove us back to the car. The weather all day had been a mix of everything: sun, clouds, snow, sleet, rain and strong wind.

Traveling back through Mammoth to go home, we came across a cinnamon colored black bear. Couldn’t get a great shot of him but our friends surely enjoyed it!

And as if saying goodbye, an osprey perched perfectly on a tree above the river near Northeast entrance.

Up Close and Personal with a Baby Elk

2011-06-03T21:50:00.000-07:00

The day started out great, but ended with an experience we shall not soon forget.

It was 7:30pm and we were headed home to eat after a long day. We were a mile or so east of Mammoth and just after crossing that really high bridge we spotted a momma elk and a wobbly legged calf. We believe it was the baby elk that had been born earlier that day that we passed by on our way to Lamar.

We slowed the car as they crossed the road. Momma pushed on into the sage just down the hill but baby didn't want anything to do with it. She came back onto the road and proceeded to walk towards us. We stop hoping baby would go back to her momma. But she didn't. Baby continued our way.

Before we knew it, baby was sniffing the front of the car on the passenger side. Momma was calling out to her but baby decided it was time to take a nap against our tire!!!! We said "boo" and "scram" and she wouldn't budge. We knew not to touch it in anyway whatsoever. We thought momma would eventually come and get her but she kept on eating the grass just below us.

A few minutes pass and people start walking up to our car. Baby was under the car next to the passenger tire within reaching distance of my friend and I. My friend was in the front passenger seat and I was in the back. We were stuck and couldn't move. When people started getting close, my friend's wife and my husband got out on the drivers side to inform them what was going on and to direct them away from the baby. Some asked questions, others took photos.

Finally, I decide to make a call to 911 and dispatcher Steve asks what's the emergency. I tell him I'm sorry I called 911 because I wasn't sure if this was an emergency and when I shared our story, he said, yes that was definitely an animal emergency!! lol Steve was awesome as he gathered our info and told us a ranger would be in route.

As time passes, so did the cars with people with dirty or dumbfounded looks. I know people thought we were nuts to be stopped in the road. If they couldn't see the baby elk, they hadn't a clue what was going on. If they did see it, they probably thought we hit it. No! We did NOT hit the elk.

Finally, a ranger comes up (wished I had gotten his name) and he tried the boo/scram techniques and my hubby told him we already tried that and he laughed! lol So he began relieving traffic. Again, lots of stares and dirty looks. :D

About 10 minutes later, he directs hubby to drive forward a bit, wait, forward a bit more, wait, and then finally we were able to clear. The baby didn't move an inch during this. It was a bit tense, I must say. I asked the ranger before we took off if momma would get her baby and he said she would. Later that evening, I received a voice mail from dispatcher Steve informing us that the ranger wanted us to know that 5 minutes after we left, momma came and got her baby and they walked off into the sunset.

Ahhhhh! Relief!!! As awesome as it was to be 2 feet from a wild newborn elk, I hope to never experience that again!!!

Rick's View

My View

Yellowstone Day 2 6/1/11

2011-06-01T21:27:00.000-07:00

Yellowstone Day 2 6/1/11

Couldn’t sleep a wink the night before so we didn’t get out until 7am. We decided we would visit West Yellowstone today, but first made our way from Mammoth through the east loop going as far as we can before the road closes towards Roosevelt. The sky was blue and the sun bright. An absolutely glorious morning!

We saw the typical bison and elk and came to the road closure turned around heading back. I saw “something” and asked Rick to turn around and just as he was gloating “I told you that was as stump,” a coyote emerged right next to that stump, the stump I had him turn around for. I guess I got lucky on that one and teased him that I saw the coyote the whole time.

We watched our first coyote of the season make his way through Blacktail Lakes coming along the ponds. Got some good captures of him sailing through the air and chomping on his morning meal. He wasn’t too close but I think what unfolded next offered an overall picture of Mother Nature at work. He walked along the edge of the bank and found a treasure trove of eggs and devoured them like a kid digging into chicken nuggets on a buffet line. We watched as the helpless ruddy ducks, geese and other water fowl honked and called out and swam in circles in an attempt to distract him but it was much too late.

As this was going on a sand hill crane flew in from the south. I took a couple of shots but what transpired next was hilarious. I didn’t think to bring the video camera out, but I think the long distance wouldn’t have done it justice. This poor crane was harassed over and over again by a black bird. Mostly the one gal was nagging at him but then a second would come in and sometimes a brown bird. Then the geese had to honk at him and scoot him on his way. Watching this big lanky bird dodge and duck from his attacker was the most ungraceful yet hilarious sight.

I could have watched this area all day long but West Yellowstone was calling, we hadn’t had breakfast, you know. So as we are heading down the west loop, we see some folks who tell us a large grizzly was heading from the South Twin Lakes to the North. We hoped back in our Jeep and we both found spots and set up and got some nice shots while sharing stories.

Back on the road and now more hungry than ever, we didn’t eye anything passed the Twin Lakes other than bison and elk. But that’s okay, we filled up on a delicious breakfast at Outpost and headed back home for nap. Not before stopping to see four baby lambs in Mammoth. We got front row and center as these babies and their moms stepped out from the river onto the road. Even got one nursing. Not too bad on this glorious day!

This evening we were able to access Lamar Valley after being closed since last Saturday due to a rock slide. It was fairly quiet visitor wise and animal wise. We saw a large Grizzly on a hill, some big horn sheep and a badger. That was about it! Off to sleep for another exciting day in Paradise Park.

Yellowstone Day 1 5/31/11

2011-05-31T22:58:00.000-07:00

Yellowstone Day 1 5/31/11

We headed out the door at 7am and since our route to Lamar Valley was closed due to a rock slide at Blacktail Plateau we decided to go to Hayden Valley and Fishing Bridge. Not our first choice, but, hey what can you do?

We drive through the west upper loop searching for bears that others reported seeing a few days ago but didn't find any. I spent my time enjoying the fresh snow that had blanketed walls of snow still standing from the winter season.

We reached Hayden and marveled at the sparkling white stuff and eventually parked ourselves with others to look at a grizzly sow with two juvenile cubs and a little further off another sow with a cub. I took pics of the three and not of the two. Though I could see her through a scope it certainly wouldn't have been a pretty photo.

We moved on down to Fishing Bridge and visited the gift shop. I had read days earlier of several bear sightings east of Fishing Bridge so we headed there. As promised we joined several other photogs at Sedge Bay.

We got some good pics and since the bear, a sub-adult male, was moving on, we decided to head back home but not before moving down the road and sitting for just a moment. Good thing we did. The bear came our way and within 60 yards or so put on a show!

He found a very old carcass and proceeded to dig, roll over, chew, gnaw and dig some more. He certainly entertained the crowd. After an hour or so we headed back.

Later in the day we went back out again past Fishing Bridge and came up on the grizzly sow with cub. It was kind of a mess so we weren't able to get too close while she nursed. I did take an obligatory pic. (photo cropped)

We thought she was heading into the woods so we packed up planning to go past her and further down the road but she was "right there!" We unloaded again and barely missed her standing. We stayed with her until she started coming towards all of us and we all hightailed it to our cars. She didn't cross the road, and since the light was poor we packed up.

Here is a look of the pond with snow covered Yellowstone Lake and mountains in the background.

Badlands Day 2 – 5/28/11

2011-05-28T20:57:00.001-07:00

Badlands Day 2 – 5/28/11

This morning I went to the park without Rick. Not sure why he had problems getting out of bed at 5:30am but oh well. His loss. But really there wasn’t much to see. I got a cool shot of three deer and some nice looking spires.

After breakfast, we headed through the park and into Wall, South Dakota. WE had been here once before. It is a curiosity… shop? No. store? Not quite. Downtown? Yep, the entire downtown is made up of a bunch of Western wannabe gift stores and cafes and bars, and on one side is the largest gift shop/mall/curiosity/shops attraction you’ve seen. They have an old-timey pharmacy, bookstore, of course, gift shops of every kind. They host the largest Jackalope, display Indian and Cowboy photos as well as stuffed animals of every kind.

We thought one visit three years ago was enough, well, I guess not. We walked up one side of the street and down another. We were actually on a mission to find t-shirts. We did not. So we had some lunch, I enjoyed an Indian Taco. Pretty dang good. Imagine a taco salad but instead of a flour shell, it is Indian flat bread.

Later in the day we traveled back into the park to try our hand at more sunset photos. I think we succeeded. The spot we choose is known for its yellow mounds near Dillon Pass. The yellow and reds just pop against the blue sky in the daytime and give off a saturated hue at dusk.

Oh, I almost forgot, I guess because I don’t have a photo of this. It was another day of turkeys, but only this time about a dozen of them. And they weren’t standing around either. Nope. They were FLYING! You heard me right. We headed up a hill, and swooshing fast and furious over head were about a dozen wild turkeys sailing through the air. Completely caught us off guard; a sight we’ll likely never see again. If only I had a photo so people would believe us.

Photos to be added soon.

Badlands Day 1

2011-05-27T21:40:00.000-07:00

Badlands Day 1 – 5/27/11

The visit to Badlands actually began the night before. We hoped to get some sunset shots but rain clouds hindered that. However, it did make for some dramatic photos.

The next morning even though the sun woke us at 5:30am, we rolled back over and slept in. We ate a hardy breakfast, petted the cats and took the dog out for a walk and then off to the park. We were greeted with bright sunny skies and a few clouds.

Rick wasn’t finding his “perfect” shot, but I tried to get in a few of the tall spires and landscapes of these harsh looking surroundings. We stopped at different spots, sometimes I didn’t even bother to get out of the Jeep because what I wanted to shoot wasn’t the location we would end up at. There aren’t many pullouts and narrow shoulders so getting “that” shot was proving difficult.

We did, however, come across our first wildlife sighting: big horn sheep. We knew they were here and we finally got to see them. Babies from last year were prevalent along with their mothers and aunts. We also spotted some bison and pronghorn and the ever growing colonies of prairie dogs. Some of these dogs posed nicely for me while others ran away.

Wild Turkey. No not the drink. The bird. We saw a wild turkey in the park at Badlands and saw four just outside of the park as we were going back in. Just the day before, I saw two near the road as we were driving. And of course there were lots of deer in and outside the park. On the way out of the park this evening we saw a big owl in the tree but it was too dark to get a photo and to tell what kind. Maybe we will see him tomorrow and a bobcat or ferret.

Rick captures the different colors in this landscape as the sun sets.

Circle of Life

2011-05-14T09:19:00.001-07:00

Sun. Crisp wind. Soft clouds, Blue sky, Green growth. When you add all these things together it stirs my memory of my days in Yellowstone. And today, Wylie, TX brings this to me. I long for my visit to Yellowstone. My heart literally aches to be there especially when this kind of day triggers those very distinct memories, like watching a mother otter rescue her pups from a quickly rising river. Or watching a three year old grizzly bear that I had met for the first time two years prior when she was one of three cubs hanging close to her momma’s side. This particular year, though, she was on her own. Curious of all the photographers before her, she approached us; coming within feet of me. I can’t explain the exhilaration but it included tears of pure joy.

I also look back on the hard facts of wilderness. Over a few days, we kept an eye on a mother moose tending to her calf even though she had been severally injured by a predator. I have photos of the mangled mom allowing her newborn to milk. We rooted for her to make it. We hoped she would beat inevitable the odds. But she didn’t and both she and the baby succumbed to life’s cruel reality.

Circle of Life, they say.

Circle of life indeed. Today, I was scouting out wildflowers. This nothing new and is one of the circles in my life, taking photographs of wildflowers. I enjoy talking photos of flowers because I respond emotionally to the color and shape of a flower. Not in a drastic sense but I do appreciate the simple or intricate shape of a flower and the color that they produce. For example, my favorite wildflower is the trillium. Three simple leaves, three simple petals. Color ranges from pink, mauve and white. Another favorite is the Lupine, whether it be the stellar Blue Bonnet or the yellow and white cousins.

So, I’m taking photos of the flowers along a field. I am always cautious of where I step and place my hands and today is no different. Except this time as I’m peering into the tall grass to see how I can compose my next shot of a flower, I hear a distinctive hiss! Well, you’ve never seen a fat woman jump back and run to the truck as I did at that moment. I’ve heard this sound before, another circle in my life. It was a snake of some sort, I just can’t decide if it was a hognose or a rattler. Either way, my heart is pounding out of my chest.

When you grow up in Arkansas with a dad and cousins who like to shoot, you end up going to very snakey environments. We have walked miles over the bayous in Central Arkansas. Yes, I have even shot snakes along the creeks and Arkansas River. And there really are only two distinctive sounds, the shot of a gun and the slither of a snake. Trust me when I say the sound of a gunshot piercing the air does not frighten me! There is something about that slither though that will send chills up your spine and to remain for several minutes. You thought you were aware of your surroundings but you now second guess that and become even more aware.

After catching my breath, I got to the OTHER side of the road and continue taking photos. I hear a hawk fly overhead and I see he has a big catch in his mouth. Perhaps it’s a rodent he got from the field I was just standing in. Either way there is another circle of life. From the mouse to the hawk from the flower to the bee, Mother Nature has her way of keeping balance.

And that’s where I get discouraged. You see I’m walking long a field that is next to a busy highway. Earlier that morning I was parked next to a dirt road with a nice green belt leading to a neighboring city. Soon, this field and that green belt will become concrete and metal. It’s not Mother Nature’s plan, it’s man’s decision. I wonder with sadness, where do these creatures go to live? Today I saw tracks of a bobcat and a raccoon. The other evening I saw a live skunk near the green belt. Where will they run to when the fields begin to clear when the road becomes a major thoroughfare? Where will this hawk find his next meal?

Don’t get me wrong I’m not a tree hugger. But I do feel genuinely sad about the destruction of the existing green spaces. Our local society does not value these green spaces. The only green this society values is the kind that displays the portrait of Benjamin Franklin.

Is there not a balance we can achieve? I don’t have an answer, shocking, I know. But if I had millions of dollars I could see purchasing this land and keeping it as a greenbelt. I’d be known as the crazy animal lady, but I’ve been called worse over time. How do we find balance between man and Mother Nature? Can it be achieved?

Randomness 2

2011-04-11T16:21:00.000-07:00

Why do people promise you one thing and then do another? For example, a person in one of my networks says he wants me to be his graphic designer then a week or two later announces at a meeting he is getting new brochures made by another graphic designer.

Really? So what's the deal? Do I stink? Do I not laugh at your jokes enough? Maybe I laugh too much? I know my work is stellar so that can't be why. But why be just a big ol' fat flake about this? Don't ask me to join your network and then build up these promises and then not deliver. It's bull.

Yea, I'm mad about it. And it's times like these that I honestly HATE networking. I don't make promises I can't keep. I don't give people false hope. But you wouldn't believe how many people say "I'll call you tomorrow about this." Or "Oh my gosh I so totally want to do xyz" and then nothing. DON'T make promises. DON'T tell me one thing and then do nothing. STOP being a flake in business.

Well crap. I really didn't want to vent about my business on this blog but that's just part of life I guess, so whatever. Sometimes I just want to crawl up in a ball and never put myself out there. Sometimes I wish I could just be a beach bum and live in Belize or somewhere. (There's not so many hurricane there, well, actually Costa Rica would be better).

Actually, just the other day Rick and I talked about packing our stuff up and moving to South America somewhere. We even talked about learning Spanish. We are thinking of taking a class. I'm so lucky to have a man who doesn't mind putting up with my crap and my nagging. I don't mean to nag but there are about 5 days out of the month in which I do and we live through it. Rick is a great guy. Love him so much. He's the kind of guy that does not dance but will go to a dance club with friends so that I can dance. Everybody say "awww."

Speaking of friends. Went to a fantastic party at the Hemphill's. Joel cooked up some delicious brisket and sausage and frijoles. Everything was so good I could have ate all night long!! Got to sing karaoke with my singing buddies, Tamo, Mark, Wendy, Jimmy, Nikki, Maria, and dance and laugh. I love partying with these friends. They really know how to raise your spirits!!!

I love karoking. I sing Lady Gaga songs pretty darn well. At our Halloween party last year, I was dressed like Medusa. Half way through the night, I asked Joel to play three Lady Gaga songs in a row. I went upstairs and put on my Lady Gaga outfit. When the first song began playing I came down the stairs singing her song and put on a little show!! Everybody seemed to really enjoy it!! I'd so do it again. Imagine a long haired fat Gaga. LOL Oh here's a pic so you don't have to imagine it. :D

Three Friends Go to a Concert

2011-03-02T21:48:00.000-08:00

I have been working on a very long blog about a recent trip to a concert in Oklahoma, with my two friends but honestly, I am growing weary of the story and it's longer than it should be so this is basically what happened:

Jim shared a video of Porn Star Dancing on Facebook.

Julie, Micki, and I "liked" the video Jim posted and thus began a new obsession among two of the three girls.

The video is of a SONG called Porn Star Dancing and, though it does show girls dancing like porn stars, it is R rated for the most part. The beat and sound is fantastic! I like it.

The band is from Canada, probably a huge selling point for Julie. For the life of me I can't remember this band's name and tease the girls with names like Knights of Darkness, Darkest of Ages, whatever, same thing. snicker snicker. They are aptly annoyed.

Julie discovers the band is playing at a casino in Oklahoma. Micki suggest road trip. Planning and purchasing of tickets ensue. I still don't know the name of the band but I knew enough that a girl's road trip would be phenomenal.

Friday afternoon we head out from Wylie, TX to Durant, OK in Julie's SUV. Thanks for driving, Juls!!

I still really have no idea of the name of the band, Darkness something, nor did I realize until this day that it was the first band of three, with the biggest act being at the end.

We stand for an hour and a half waiting for the band to play. This is not a seated auditorium. We complain about knee pain, foot pain and back aches. We are old. But we are HAPPY to be seeing this great band!!!

The band plays and the rocking ensues. They were frikkin fantastic!! Oh my gosh!! And Micki is hot and bothered by the lead guitarist, as is Julie and as am I. He is soooo totally rockin' hawt!!

It's as if 16 year-old energized girls entered our old and tired bodies. Shrill yelps escape from our lips and hands are thrust into the air, and booties shake. We have literally reverted back to the band-groupie-crazed-girls younger selves. Micki fawns over guitar man. Repeatedly.

Julie and Micki decide to stay for the second act. I leave. It's hot, I'm grumpy, I'm parched. I'm going to get something to drink.

Lo and behold. What has been set forth before me? But a mohawk and mascara wearing lead guitar man with tight leopard pants, all by his lonesome? Well, not for long! He obliges me by smiling and posing by my side for a photo and listens to a 44 year old women tell him just how damn sexy he is. Well, it is the truth. He is so hawt and I usually don't go for the mohawk type but there are other things to be considered. ;)

I also learn his name is not Sly, which is what I thought Micki called him, but his name is Sal. He corrected me. I blamed it on dyslexia. He politely smiled. He probably doesn't know what dyslexia is.

Later on, the girls come out of the auditorium sweaty and hot. And with great hesitation, because I know how Micki feels about Sal, I share the photo of the two of us together, cheek touching cheek.

All hell breaks loose. It is as if I took the very last piece of cake from a fat girl's birthday party cake.

They threaten to leave me at the casino and find my own ride back home. Micki offers up strapping me to the roof and then Julie graciously decides I can ride INSIDE the SUV but in the very very very back seat. That's so generous.

What started out as a great evening has come down to me possibly having to call Rick to come get me. It's a good thing this girls were partly joking. :/

They decide to walk around the casino while I'm trying to buy a dang t-shirt with bling that I ultimately didn't get because the lady screwed it up. While they were wandering around waiting on me, they found the lead singer and got their photo with him, but said "It wasn't the same."

So now the 16 year old teens have turned into 12 year old brats, moping around because I got to "touch/talk/feel/photo" Sal and they didn't. I don't know why they are so upset! Something about me not knowing the name of the band. Whatever. I'm a believer now!! Hello!

So, I walk around trying to find the lead singer so he can tell me where Sal is so I can get my girls to Sal. To no avail.

So I come back to this:

They had a really bad attitude as seen here. Yes, folks that's a Canadian extending her middle finger at one of her closest friends!

So while the girls are waiting and hoping to catch Sal and talking smack about me, I see the key board dude. He is cute but not Sal but I get my photo taken with him anyway. And I ask him where Sal is. Again, it is my mission to bring Sal to the girls.

When lo and behold!! There comes the Sal! I toss key board dude aside, call my girls and beg for a photo with Sal and my girls. He once again, politely obliges. He is Canadian, after all. A group photo of the two girls with Sal, the lead singer and key board dude is made as well as a special photo of Micki and Sal.

Micki's smile says it all. Julie even gets to share with the boys that she is from Nova Scotia. The girls are pleased.

Alicia saves the evening and no longer is fearful of not having a ride home.

The three of us, giddy as 16 year old teen girls, drive back home as happy as ever, laughing about the entire evening! Yea, it's funny, now, even the smack talk....

It is then that I look up the name of the band and learn that the band's name is: My Darkest Days. Hey, I had to find them so I could "like" then on Facebook!

It is a night I will never forget.

I love being a girl

2011-02-17T22:07:00.000-08:00

I never really was a girly girl. I was a tomboy and in junior high a friend made it her mission in life to teach me how to put on makeup and do my hair and dress to impress boys. And thus started the peer pressure to “fit in.” (Lord, what I would give to have not cared about that for those 20 years of my life!) I wanted those Jordache jeans so badly, but dad refused to buy into that higher social status, never desiring to keep up with the Jones. (And just who are the Jones that everyone wants to keep up with?) So I stuck it out with my store brand jeans and made the best of it. Didn’t help that I was the chubby girl, so I was getting teased know matter what.

I never really felt like one of the girls, not until my second run at college when I was 32. In class there were these cool girls, you know, the “cheerleader” types just a little older. Who knew that the sexy and funky girls, Valerie and Rae respectively, didn’t have problems speaking with me and actually acted like they liked me. Then when they asked me to join their study group of cool girls, I thought “Oh my God! I’m a cool kid now! Finally!” And it was grand.

I have carried this “cool kid” attribute with me for some time now. I don’t seek it and I’m not bragging about it, but for the most part, most people seem to include me in the “cool kids” group. It doesn't matter to me, what matters to me is that I have developed relationships with girls whom I think are cool. In these relationships, I can truly be who I am. Even when that 14 year old goofy kid comes out or that divaesque 18 year old brat rears her ugly head, I am still accepted by these cool girls.

And they think I'm a cool girl, too.

Yippee!!

Regardless of how cool I am or how many people think I’m cool, like Christy does, I love being a girl! For example, last weekend, Rick and I had a very pleasurable Valentine’s Day evening with a really fun couple and wonderful friends, Joel and Tammy. We were dressed to the nines. Okay, Rick wasn’t necessarily, but he did have on a pressed bowling shirt and didn't wear sneakers. It’s a start!

The four of us enjoyed a meat-filled dinner at Bailey’s restaurant then we met several other fun couples for a night of dancing at the Glass Cactus in Grapevine. Us girls would round up each other and hold hands as we made our way to the dance floor. We formed a little circle to kind of guard our group from women who have strayed from their group and aren’t familiar with the proper distance that should be maintained between groups of women and we also protect ourselves from the wayward drunk men.

For example, in the past, we’ve had to position ourselves around one of our girls to close out a guy that seemed to be getting “too close” to one of the girls. It’s a FASCINATING process and really should be documented for a PBS show. It might not make the 8pm time slot, but it would be good filler – “The Dancing Rituals of Married Women not Seeking Outside Relationships with Drunk Men Who are Slightly Balding and Think the ‘Have It’ Whatever It Is.” (Might have to shorten that title there a little bit.) So it’s just us girls dancing. This is the one time I do not feel judged while dancing. They don’t realize how much I need them for me to be “cool.”

And as the night was ending, we were getting goofy and Tamo decides to act like she’s strangling me. I make goofy faces until Joel can get the iPhone ready to take photos. We laugh and giggle the whole time. Again, it is only with girls that I can be as goofy and silly without judgment. Here's the proof!

The next night Rick and I visit Mark and Mary, another very fun couple and wonderful friends. We talk and Mary tells me about this amazing new makeup she started using. This is Mary and I from last year:

Before you know it she and I head upstairs to her bedroom where she demonstrates this great new product. I am 44 years old, do you know how long it has been since I’ve “played makeup” with a girlfriend? Maybe 25 years? Something about Mary (no pun intended, really!) sharing her techniques and allowing me to experiment with her new products made me so happy that I am a girl. A girly girl. It was so joyful and I was almost giddy. I can’t seem to find the right word for it. And it almost seemed to cement our bond as girlfriends even further. I didn’t think that was possible because our bond is pretty tight as it is. And she makes me laugh!

Mary makes me laugh.

Tamo makes me laugh.

And it is this laughter I LOVE sharing with all of my girlfriends. And we do, just not often enough, you know? We get so busy that we forget to send a quick email or make a short phone call. It’s a challenge to have get-togethers as frequently as we would like. But I want you to know, yes, I’m talking to YOU, that I think of you, and I smile when I think of you.

And I like being a girly girl. And I like being a tomboy. And I THANK YOU for letting me be my goofy, silly, divaesque, bratty, cool self.

Boiling a Chicken and if I were a Stalker

2011-02-01T11:45:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday night Rick and I had dinner at Matt's Tex-Mex. I didn't want to eat a lot so I ordered their chicken tortilla soup.

oh
my
goodness

It was soooo delicious. It had everything in there I use to not eat like broccoli, zucchini, squash and cauliflower. I know what you are saying, "Broccoli and cauliflower in chicken soup??" Well, it was and it was delicious. So it inspired me to make my own chicken soup. Problem was it needed shredded chicken. Why is that a problem? I don't cook chicken. In fact, I hate touching raw chicken. It makes me gag. And if I see any pink on a chicken? I won't eat it. Nope. Might as well throw it all out.

Sure I could have used ground chicken or cut up some cooked chicken breasts but I thought it would be better to use "real" chicken. I asked Rick to pick up a rotisserie chicken at the store and he did and put it in the fridge when he came home. Knowing how I am about touching meat, I saved the worst task for last: deboning the chicken. I got a big pot of water and chicken broth going, cut up my veggies (I forgot zucchini and squash so am using green beans and corn) and added that all to the mix.

Then it was time for deboning the chicken. gag. I open the package and it just looks gross. yuck. Yes, it's fully cooked but it's gross. eww. I'll save you all the details but I ain't doing this again. After my fingers slipped through the rib cage I lost all composure squealing in a high pitched voice that got the dog's attention. I certainly did not need any attention as I grimaced through this ordeal.

While I'm picking meat off the bones, I am reminded of a conversation between Stacy and I about cooking a chicken. I was asking for a simple chicken and dumpling recipe and Stacy gave me hers and it included boiled chicken. So I asked "Where do you get this boiled chicken? In a can?" She laughs and says "No. You boil it." "Ummm, you mean a whole chicken?" "Ummm, yes!" Well, Stacy dear, you didn't provide directions on that. Duh! So I asked "How do you boil a chicken?" She laughs again (I get laughed at a lot, it seems) and says "You boil it! Haven't you ever boiled a chicken?"

I don't know. It seems like growing up in the South with a grandmother who lived off the land and would go to the chicken coup in the morning to pick up some eggs from the hens for breakfast and then in that same day go to said chicken coup and grab a rooster and ring its neck to be cooked up for dinner, it just seems I would have seen her boil a chicken. I hadn't. Ever. I have used an aluminum dipper to drink well water out of a bucket. I have bathed in a wash tub in the middle of the kitchen. I have slept under a mountain of hand quilted blankets in the winter because the wood burning stove was in the other room. I have snapped peas on a warm summer's eve. I have used an outhouse and a pee pot. But I ain't never seen someone boil a chicken.

But I still get ribbed about it by Stacy. I think the reason why she knows how to boil a chicken is because she grew up further South than me. She's part Cajun, you know. She probably eats crawfish, too. Yuck...

So anyway, fortunately I got through the set up process fairly easily. I didn't chop off any fingers even though I tried that fancy mincing technique they do on the cooking shows. You know, it's the chef with a big blade and they just go chop chop chop chop really fast and everything is cut up real fine. I did that and surprisingly did not injure myself. There's always a chance when I handle a knife. Once I sliced my finger wide open while cutting an onion. Went to the fire house to see if I needed to go the ER - and to check out my boys. I don't mean it like that. I'm appalled you'd even think that. Some are like brothers to me. ;) Anyway, no injuries and I look forward to having it for dinner. It smells really good.

Speaking of chicken. My friend Manny took a photo of a large group of white pelicans migrating to Lake Lavon about a week ago while he was fishing. He told me where they were so Sunday I took a little trip out there. I didn't find any pelicans but I did find Manny's truck at the boat ramp sans boat. I thought about putting a note on his truck to say "Hey, I was here" but thought it would be even funnier if the note was a little more stalkerish. I'd write something like "You look so hawt in your Dallas Cowboy hoodie. Yes, I'm following you. Look around. Do you see me? Muwahahaha."

I thought better of it because it'd be my luck the truck wasn't Manny's but someone else's and they would end up being a victim of some horrible crime. The police would analyze the note and find my fingerprints. And then I'd be hauled off to jail and I'm just too pretty to go to jail. I decided against leaving a note all together.

Manny's truck:

Well, I'm off to stir my pot of chicken soup. Stay warm and safe!

Cookie Container

2011-01-31T21:08:00.001-08:00

So all weekend we have been hearing how the weather is going to make it treacherous and nearly impossible for travel tomorrow in the DFW area. This is new to us North Texans. As my friend Micki says "You don't live through 100 degree summers only to experience 10 degree winters." Correctomuno, Micki! This is Texas! Not Kentucky! If we wanted to experience below freezing we would have moved to Montana, just sayin'.

So hear it is 11:18pm and it is pouring down rain. The dog has already gone out to do her business, thanks goodness, or else the little "Doesn't Do Rain Diva" would have reared her ugly head like the Exorcist and I would be going to bed cold, wet and frustrated. So tomorrow morning, Rick will get to deal with that, then 15 minutes later, I will deal with it, then 30 minutes later, it's my turn again... sigh.

So I was thinking of how Christy, Lisa and my mom find my blogs humorous (mom's kind of biased). So I thought I'd share a little story that I'm sure you can relate to.

At a party we had last year, Micki brought over a canister full of cookies. Not all of Micki's delicious cookies were eaten so Micki just leaves them with the container behind. But if anyone knows me, you don't leave your container at my house with the expectation that you will get it back. It's not that I want your silly container, it's that I forget about it. Sometimes I put it in the trunk of may car thinking I will just "drop it off" or hand it over when I see you. Well, that rarely if ever happens. And when it does, it's covered in dog hair or leaves. Well that's what you get for leaving it at my house.

So one day about two months after the party (I actually was pleased with myself that it only took two months and not the standard five or six), anyway, I was out running errands and I knew Micki would be home so I grabbed her container to take with me. I finished doing my errands, leaving her for last so as not to feel rushed considering it is an ordeal going over to her home. First, she has to lock up Millie, then Tucker, then she can actually open the front door, but not the glass storm door, at least not until she shoos Chester and Bowser away. If she didn't do that, two little rat terriers would be bopping up and down and yapping so loud we couldn't hear ourselves talk.

Anyway, so I am driving to her house the back way. The light is fading so I can't make out the name on the street sign but it is a four letter word like her street name and the street looks familiar so I take a turn and park in front of her home. I knock on the door, but no one answers. I wait, and I ring the bell and knock again. I know she should be home by now. But it's weird because I don't hear any little dogs snarling and growling at me through the doors. So I open the storm door and place the container between the doors.

A couple of days go by and she hasn't said anything about her container. So I ask "Did you find your container?" She replies "No? Where did you put it?" "I put it in front of your front door. Between the storm door and your front door." She goes to look, "Nope. Nothing there."

She then has the nerve to ask me if perhaps I placed it at the wrong house. What? Me wrong? Never...

It is through this discussion I realize, "Oh, yea, she doesn't have a driveway in front of her house like the one I dropped the canister off at. And yes wasn't it weird I didn't hear any little mongrel doggies."

Sigh...I'm a dork.

You know, this whole thing could have been avoided had I just actually taking two seconds to read the sign instead of faking it. Or better yet, when you drop something off at my house, do not leave the container, or pot, or utensil, or dish if you want it back. From here on out I shall make no promise nor guarantee that I will return your container, et al should you bring it into my house. Period. No warranty. No refund. And no Get Out of Jail Free card, either. Sorry. (See what I did there? Sorry has a dual meaning, as in the game Sorry and as in the apology, but I'm really not apologizing because I told you up front not to trust me with your cooking utensils, pottery, or other home wares.)

So a few nights later I decide to go over to the wrong house and get Micki's container back. She said she didn't want it back but by God, if I lose or break something of yours I will fix it or get a replacement because that's just who I am. Even if it's 25 cents. So anyway, I knock on the door, no one answers but I know someone is home because the garage door is wide open and a car is there. I ring the door bell, nothing. I knock again. I hear the door in the garage close, I run to the garage, nothing. I said "Hello!!" "Hello! I know you're home!" Nothing. I ran back to the front door and knocked several more times. Nothing.

They KNEW I was coming back for that container!! They didn't want to give it up! Asshats... I told Micki and she laughed. She said she knew them and would call them and ask for it back. (By the way, she never called them.)

So another month passes. I sheepishly and apologetically ask Micki if she got her container. She laughs (she always laughs at me when I'm being serious) and assures me she is fine without the container. Her life has not suddenly become unglued because she no longer has that ugly container. (Sorry, it was ugly.) So a few weeks later I surprise with a new and prettier container. And she laughed. :)

Yes, I am a dork. :)