That cannot be??

I cannot believe that it has been a year since I have made a post to this blog! I had good intentions but, as my Grandpa Hawley used to say, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions"! Then again, maybe it says something as to all the exciting things that have happened in this small town over the past year? Well, it has been a good year with some happenings worth sharing.

In February we made a trip to Death Valley NP, Laughlin, NV, Lake Havasu, AZ, and Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, near Las Vegas. We traveled with my brother & wife and had a really good trip. In the summer seasons 2006 & 2007, we served as volunteers at Lassen Volcanic NP, serving as camp hosts at Manzanita Lake Campground. This past year we spent only three weeks filling in on Fourth of July holiday weekend and then finished out the season filling in for the camp host who had to leave two weeks before the end of the season. We will be returning for the 2009 season and are looking forward to another great season.

In June the youngest son was deployed to Afghanistan for a six months tour and has returned home safely. In September, we traveled to Denver for the oldest son's wedding. So great that he has found someone with who to share his life after being a widower for 16 years. We also had a great visit with # 2 son in Colorado Springs, who retired as a Lt Col, USAF, after 23 years. (between me & my wife, we have four sons, 2 each) From Denver, we traveled on to North Dakota and visited the youngest son's wife and almost 2 yr old son while he was over in Afghanistan. Then at Thanksgiving, we had a great visit from #3 son. All in all, a good year for the family.

A bit of sadness in 2008 as our 14 yr old cat, Fargo, unexpectedly died, leaving our 19 yr old, Izzy, by herself. Izzy probably wishes at times that she was still by herself as we adopted a 7 wk old kitten shortly after Fargo's death. Little Bit (aka "Bitsy") has been a real joy to have in the house but mixing a now 20 year old cat with a kitten has its problems. Nothing serious as Izzy has really accepted Bitsy and they get along great, except when Bitsy gets a little too rough when playing.

Well, we are now looking forward to a return trip to Death Valley NP this month and spending time with Bro & wife. I will try to be a 'bit' more regular in posts in the coming months. What would really be nice is to have a few more visits to my blog... I sure am not reaching many people so far & am not knowledgeable enough to get others to even find my blog.