A Few Photos

I have not given up all hope on getting my computer back...but I have given in to uploading pictures from my phone to my Picasa account on Brian's computer.  Unfortunately for you all, I don't take pictures with my phone while on the mountain. I have a great trail camera that is dust, water, and impact proof that I use....my phone is none of those things, so it stays tucked away safe and sound.  So I have pictures.....just not from the trail. The trails, by the way, are becoming littered with trees. So sad. They are just so thirsty they start to droop, and then crack and fall.  There's been no wind...its purely lack of water. I took a bunch of pictures out the bottom of Mitchel Canyon yesterday on my camera. There's  five trees that have come down in the past few weeks.  We lost 2 big branches at home, one from a pepper tree, and one from our Mulberry tree.  They just start drooping, we walked out there and the tip of a branch that's usually 10 feet up was touching the ground, on both trees. Anyhow...so I have pictures...but there just from life stuff.  I'm sure I'll give in and start adding actual files to his comp for my pictures....but I'm still holding out hope of getting mine back!

 So, something you may not know about me...I love old things. Especially old furniture. A friend said she had a hutch I may like.  Along with all her old glass wear, plates, platters, etc.  I said, "Yes, please!"  Above, that entire middle shelf was given to us. Below, that was her mother's cake stand.

 I don't know the story of this silver platter, but it's old, and it's beautiful.

 The hutch...we were puzzled as to where to put it for a day or two...

 More glass wear...

 The entire place setting of that white china....was included. Even the saucers and cups, creamer/sugar...

 Jumping around a bit, this was Emma at anniversary dinner Sunday night.

 Where our anniversary cards hung for a few weeks....

 We went to a gathering on Saturday, that's an actual life size Goliath drawing.

 This one decided she wants to wear makeup.....

 We baked 5 dozen of these for the gathering Saturday.

 These were from a day Myles decided he wanted to own a bakery when he's older. We said he could do that now....so we had him come up with a name, logo, packaging, bake the cupcakes, and then we delivered them - knock and run style. He had so much fun!

 This is from a Stella&Dot party my mom had. She lives in WA, but I was able to order online, and I really loved the packaging!

 So this is how/where the hutch ended up....

 This is just a shot of the other half of the room the hutch is in..

 Our girls made us very nice anniversary cards this year!

 Roses Brian got for me anniversary morning.

 Kona 10 minutes ago asking to go for a walk, he's staring at the front door.

Random post, I know.....hang in there with me, I'm doing the best I can, and I hate change!Think happy thoughts for my poor computer!!

May Year 19....

be filled with many memories!

Happy Friday!!

Happy Thursday!

Just a reminder, if you are new here....this is not some Disney video blog. I would love to be posting beautiful pictures from my adventures on the mountain I love to run on, and telling you crazy stories from the mountain...but my computer is broke, I'm borrowing my husbands, and so for now you're getting stolen video content off Youtube as that is what is easiest to post.

Is there a reason it's all Disney this week? Why yes, there is. See, while I've tried not to mention it this year or cram it down your throat, it is our 18th anniversary week. We are celebrating it this weekend, on the 27th, which is our actual anniversary. We have 3  kids, who have a huge surprise coming their way. We've dedicated year 19 to buying less stuff, while making more memories.  That's all I can say for now, but it will be one of the most memorable years of their lives : )

Spoiled Suburban Problems

I Have beautiful pictures from yesterday's time on the mountain...but I'm holding off on starting a photo file on Brian's computer.....still holding out hope I'll get mine back.  So, instead, you get a peak into a so far, silent battle that happens every Wednesday.  Part of our rent includes a gardener for our very small front yard.  Meanwhile, we have a huge back yard that we take care of.  I can easily fill a yard waste bin every week with trimmings, clippings, and leaves from the back yard.....if I get to the yard waste bin first.

The gardener for the front yard has to have access to our bin for dumping yard waste from the front yard in, per our rental management company.  Somehow.....our tiny yard that has only dying grass that doesn't grow much.....fills the bin.  What's really happening?? Clippings from the yards he's done before our house get dumped into our bin.  Plants we don't even have end up in our bin.  That we pay for.  Unless I fill it up first.  If you have a Mulberry tree...then you know...this time of year is the pits. Leaves a foot deep are covering my back yard....now our garbage gets picked up Wednesday morning, and the gardener comes Wednesday around noon.....so every Wednesday I'm busting my butt to get everything up and in that bin before he comes.  If not, I have to wait a whole week because he has filled the bin.  Silent battles...every Wednesday.  I wish I could set up a camera to see his face when he opens the lid and it's packed full. : )

With that insight into what I'm about to head out and do....Happy Wednesday!!

Happy Tuesday!

Got Rid of My GRR

Since I can't easily post pictures...it occurred to me I could give you all a daily dose of happiness instead. Enjoy!

GRR

My computer black screened me on Friday.

It has power, and I can hear the hard drive working, but black screen and nothing loads, no flashing lights or beeps of any kind.....just silence and a black screen.

It's a 4 year old HP laptop that I treat like my baby. My kids are not allowed to use it. I've taken really good care of it....so it's frustrating. Thank goodness for Dropshots and Picasa. If I loose everything on there, at least I know my pictures are saved other places....but there are a lot of videos, files, scans....other things I don't want to even think about loosing.

It's looking like pulling the hard drive is the best option...but until I'm set up on a new comp I'm borrowing Brian's.  I'm sure some of you know how frustrating it is to borrow someones computer.....its weird. 

Everything is set up different, looks different, his icons even look different...took me forever to figure out where/what the Outlook button was, and don't even get me started on trying to check my email on his comp.....it takes forever. And then there's log in on sites that now don't recognize the computer and have to email me a security code to use.....but the email on this thing takes a few hours, it's not instant....grrrr.  Then there are race registration receipts in my old email that I have to print on race day and now don't have access to. (I only have access to emails from this month, nothing older, and none of my folders, like Draft, where i save all my important things to). 

Grrr.

So, don't expect much computer wise from me until further notice. 

And I may or may not get your emails.

Grr.

Diablo Beauty

Many, many times on the mountain I see something and know that there's no way a picture will do it justice. So many times I see some stunning thing and the picture I take just does not capture how beautiful it was in person.....but I tried hard yesterday...and the mountain seemed extra generous with her beauty!

 

There are a few of these on the mountain, fed by natural springs. The birds were so talkative in this area.

 

He was so, so handsome. This is the guy in the video I posted yesterday, we had a good, long look at each other before he wandered off.

The Rattlesnake Gulch sign....maybe leftover from the stagecoach days on Stage Rd?? I don't know how old it is, but I love it.

CA dry dirt

First tarantula I've seen this year. I was so excited!

Ok, so the mountain did not give me my truck...but darn if it wasn't a beautiful site sitting there all pretty!

Back home these were not something considered beautiful....but in CA these are a wonderful surprise on the trail and tasted so good!

Ok, so editing does help : ) But it really is this gorgeous! We haven't seen many clouds in the sky this year and it was just so beautiful. We did actually get a few, very few, sprinkles yesterday which is always a treat!
If you are local, this beauty of a loop is on Diablo, starting from Burma, then Buckeye Trail to Stage, then back up Burma. Seems to be where all the animal life is, most likely due to the water in the spring/cistern.

                          Have a great weekend!

Buck on Stage Rd, Mt. Diablo

Summer Photos Are Up

http://www.dropshots.com/beefydrut

I dropped all our summer photos on our Dropshots site, link is above.

Truth

I read this today and it hit home on so many different levels, for many different reasons. 

Whether you've been the one to judge, or the one being judged....let this one sink in for a while.

Long Weekend, Long Post

Not a great picture, but this is the blondest I've been in years. When it's pulled back, you can't tell though because it's dark underneath.

My feet's happy place.

Feels like I'm always going up. 

Trying to capture all the cobwebs in the foot prints on the trail. It was sparkling with webs.

This tree...like a supermodel trying to blend in at KMart. It just stood out so beautifully, even with all the other trees around.

Total overachiever. Almost too much beauty!

 Myles and Papa built a "Latham" tree house. I sacrificed the lights from the fireplace in my bedroom. He was stoked!

What it looks like from across the yard. Ignore my blower laying there, I use that thing daily. Our Mulberry tree dropping leaves like crazy.

 Lots of Farkle outside in the evenings. We have Screech Owls at night that swoop through and screech. Pretty cool.

 You may notice I'm a firm believer in lighting candles for yourself...not waiting for special occasions or having company over.....and they are citronella candles cuz the skeeters. : )

 This is a room full of old school fun at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, where we spent Monday.

 Above, he has on his game face, and below, behold his serious gamer stance.

 At the hottest point, we saw 105 degrees on the car thermo.  It was super hot, and super crowded.

 This is mini golf. I had to sit out because...wait for it....they only allow groups of 4 or less.  Personally I thought this a great opportunity to get rid of a kid....but the mom in me decided I'd go grab a coffee and people watch while the family golfed.  But before they golfed.....we all laser tagged! It was so stinkin fun!! Sophie got the highest score. I'd do that again in a heart beat. So fun.

All those black dots in the water are surfers.

We left Santa Cruz in search of a beach with a clear patch of sand...that's Capitola down there, it was jam packed, too.

Capitola

We did find a beach. Not cheap to go to, and my State Park Pass didn't work....but we bit the bullet to be able to get the kids to some water.

 

Lot's of kelp and flies. It was kinda gross. But, we did see lots of dolphins, so that made it a little better.
Hope you all had a great 3 day weekend, too!