Move to the Eastside

Hi Everyone,
 
I know, I know...I've been really absent on here lately, but it's due to our HUGE move clear across the state so that we can be closer to the ranch.  We started packing in March & making trips across the state to transport "stuff", and finally made the big trek permanently on April 30th.  Since that time we've only had a couple of work days at the new place to put things in order...I need lots more time and sometimes wish I could clone myself:-)

Many of you probably do not know that my stepdad passed away in March, just a week and a half before his 102nd birthday.  He passed very quickly and quietly and his daughter and family got a chance to say their good byes and rub his legs just that morning.  So he could not have asked for a more peaceful passage to go to his heavenly Father.  He is there now, and we are taking care of his "bride", my Mom.  She moved with us of course, and is now enjoying living here at the ranch with us for the summer.  She watches each day for that illusive moose that never seems to appear for her to see, but we have seen many times just sauntering across our field below the house, or standing in our lakes.  We have placed a salt block now out in the field, so hopefully, she will see one soon.   

After all the cool weather, we finally have sunshine today, after another nice rain, thunder and lightning last night.  We managed to plant our garden (part of it) a couple weeks ago, and now have corn, green beans and peas coming up.  I need to get out there and plant the rest, as Mom wants MORE pickled beets this summer.  Last year we had a "first year garden" and had a bumper crop of lettuce, carrots, radishes, onions, beets, peas and beans...and some cucumbers and zuchinni.  It has been so cool and rainy this spring that I couldn't get the rest of that planted yet.  

This weekend our good friends (four couples) from Oregon have been here for their annual visit, fishing, atving, visiting, resting, reading, etc.  We all had a drive over to the new place yesterday and had our first company dinner at patio tables lined up in the dining room.  Was so much fun and is so good to see all our friends.  Some of them left this morning, but 2 couples are still down at the lake house and will bring US dinner tonight (they think I've been cooking enough).  This time of sharing with friends each year is a special time for us, and we look forward to it so much each year.   They even managed to catch some fish the other day and we had them for breakfast yesterday...YUM...fresh pan fried trout.  This is a picture of the ranch house on the lake as it appeared about a month ago when we still had snow and ice on the lake.  It's all gone now, and we have turtles and fish swimming around.  Still waiting for baby duckies, though...we keep watching.  Well, I'll post more pictures later after I get them downloaded, but for now, hope you're all having a wonderful Spring.








"The only people who are truly free are the ones who walk in a spirit of continual forgiveness."