Gone Chasin'

My dad has always been the kind to "see what's over the next hill". Sometimes this can turn into a fun adventure, and sometimes (mostly for teenagers that just want to get back to their phone or computer) this can be such a pain. I've always been (at least I think I have) the more adventurous kind as far as viewing wildlife so I would love these drives.

With Dad being stuck in Arizona and Mom me being blessed enough to be in Idaho, we have really felt his absence. So in honor of living in such a majestic place and missing Dad we decided to go for a ride. Dad always calls this "going chasin'". Here's just a little taste of some of the beauty we got to see. A picture is worth a thousand words, and sadly, my camera still does not do it justice, but you'll get the idea. :)

This cotton is growing right out of this tree! I know this is not new for many of you, but I'm used to cacti. I think this is so beautiful :)

I looked out the window and what did I see!

 While we were driving I could see, out of my peripheral, something large land in a tree. I calmly hollered for Mom to stop. STOP. STOP! And back up and she graciously obliged. Unfortunately, I also hollered for her to stop backing up and just as she did so, my prize took flight. But I was quick with my finger and still got a shot of her :)

This is a real-life pheasant!!! I know they used to be quite common around here and everyone's hunted them, eaten them, and got the feathers to prove it. But I've never seen one.

She was beautiful. I couldn't get over how large she was. After she took off her mate flew out of a neighboring bush. I didn't get near as good of a look at him, but just to see him for a second and know he was near by was a thrill for this suburban bird nerd :)

As we continued our ride we just kept seeing more and more beautiful landscape. I couldn't get over the colors and the textures. I can see now why Mom was always so inspired to paint when she lived here before. I can see now how accurate and perfect her paintings are. She is incredibly talented. I know I'm not alone when I say how much I hope she picks up her brushes again. There is still so much more to be recorded from this land.

There was no way my camera could pick up the colors as they were. A painter could do a lot better, but use your imagination. The blue of the sky. The gold of the grasses and weeds. The green of the shrubbery. Even the touches of purple, gray, off-white. It's a masterpiece in itself.

These fields were so funny. The whole time we were approaching them we kept saying how they looked like a quilt

Some day I want to try to make a quilt inspired by this scene. I've seen it done before and I love it. Now that I'm here and see it all the time I might just finally get the motivation to do it :)

These guys get to live right here! Tucked in the hills just below the quilt field. These are some lucky horses :)

Even they can't decide on which color best suites this occasion :)

Isn't she a sweet girl :) Almost makes me consider being a vegetarian...almost.

During one of our stops I walked down the road a little bit and caught a little movement. I finally spotted these two way down this overgrown lane. They blended right in. I don't think Mom ever knew they were there.

Isn't she cute :) She loves her camera. She's good with it too. Not only does she take fantastic photos, but she's religious about updating her blog. She shares her photos and her stories and herself with everyone. She is amazing.

I've already mentioned the colors of this country, but there is nothing prettier than trees in the fall. They say some years winter comes so fast that they don't get to see the colors. I think we're blessed this year that we're having such an enjoyable fall. I'm anxious for the snow and the bitter cold, but this is so great!!!

I can't get over the colors! The sky is so blue here! There's not smog and crap everywhere. The sun is brighter, yet it hurts my eyes less. I'm not sure how that works...must be the latitude...or longitude...whichever.

I'd do anything for a horse right here...with a saddle...and me on it :) That's something I'm really looking forward to doing...now to find someone with horses.....

Not the snow melt off and waterfalls of Juneau, but very sweet and quaint, and well, perfect for here :)

No fishes right here, but I'd still like to have a pole with me :)

 After taking the last shot I noticed a couple of cows up the road. They had been staring at us for awhile as we shot our cameras. But at this moment they started mooing and getting a little more aggravated. Then they began to multiply...........

Oddly enough I wasn't even nervous to see a herd of cows headed straight for me. They were moving quickly, but calmly. There was obviously some order to this little mob.

Then "order" came around the curve and I started to get butterflies in my tummy. Each day I live here I have a "Hollywood" moment. I keep thinking "any minute John Wayne is going to appear and I'll here the score playing". But this is real life! I'm really here!!! From seeing sage hens in my yard, to pheasants on a drive, to real life this.....

That, ladies and gentlemen, is a true cowboy. He's calling to his dogs and his cows and he's really doing it. It was incredible to watch.

As those cows got closer I got totally giddy to see them. Check out this gal with the horns! She was lovely!

Then said cowboy and his companion, cowboy #2 got closer. I was excited before just to see a couple of real life cowboys really moving a herd of cows. But these weren't just old working cowboys...these were young, GORGEOUS cowboys! I'm kicking me and Mom for not getting a good shot of their faces. I'm serious. These were guys I would take a double take at no matter where I was - grocery store, library, farmers market, street. Yeah. S.E.X.Y. And they were cowboys....in chaps........I gotta take a break.

They totally warrent a larger space :) This isn't really a bad view either, come to think of it :D

 Once we mopped up our drool and got our quivering legs back into the car we were on to another crazy site. This is another shot that my camera wouldn't pick up how it was in reality. But you'll kind of get the idea.

The previous night was our first freeze. This shot was taken in late afternoon. And yet this little plot of land, with the never ending sprinkler running (why there's a sprinkler running non stop in the middle of nowhere is beyond me) is still frozen over. You can see the spray of the sprinkler as it makes its round, but the more fascinating thing to observe are the thickly frozen blades of grass.

Tucked into some trees was this little tent. There appears to be a witch hiding out here. No doubt getting ready for Halloween. :) Actually, it's really just a burned up stump! It's perfect though.

This little girl was off on her own away from her mates. At first she was standing sort of awkward and just staring at us. She reminded us a lot of Ivy :)

I haven't even checked out all the shots she got yet. I bet hers are similar, but better than mine ;)

So while my dad has normally been the one to initiate going on rides, this is one time that I was so grateful my mom made the suggestion and pulled me out of the house. She is so inspired. Today was no different. I still can't believe all the things we were able to see this day. They're happening every single day. And yet if I would have saw them the day before or the day after they would have been so different, or not even visible. So thank you, Mom. Today we were blessed because you took the initiative. I love you. :)

Good Ole' American Boys

I have been blessed to be raised in a good ole' American family.

We love our country.

We love our heritage.

We love our rights and freedoms.

We love our traditions.

So every once in awhile we enjoy all these things piled into one. I love hanging out with  my dad and my brother and just being one of the guys. I love these times. They have so much strength and wisdom and so much to teach me. Most of the time I just like to sit back and listen to them talk about all the stuff I never take the time to think about. 9 times out of 10 it's sports and politics (which is exactly why I don't take the time to think about them. Those two things interest me less than rocket science) but even with that I am still learning.

This time Mom was in San Diego taking care of an ever-growing, incredibly sick, and pregnant Kattie. 

So it was just the 3 of us. We drove out to Ben Avery to dust off some old rifles and give Dad's new Smith & Wesson a try.

I had never shot a handgun before. It was a little nerve wracking at first, but I quickly got over it and got a little power hungry. I was quite the Annie Oakley. In fact, I was the best shot out of the 3 of us for awhile. (Please observe the target to the far right. Yeah, that bad boy is mine)

But I quickly got a taste of humble pie when it was time for the rifles. We stood up on some platforms and were shooting clay disks. My first shot and the gun literally kicked me off the platform. I forgot how hard of a kick those suckers can punch. 

Round 2

I'm down again...What the crap???

Finally, after they stopped laughing, the guys gave me some advice and I sort of got the hang of it. I wasn't as good with the moving, flying disks as I was propped up on some blocks aiming at an unmoving target, but I still had a blast.

Next morning I noticed a very impressive bruise on my shoulder. I came down to show it off to Oliver.

Turns out he had one too...only his was in a very different spot. Notice how my bruise is basically on my arm - just above the bulging bicep? Yeah, WRONG spot to have the butt of the gun. No wonder that thing was kicking me around!!!! Next time, tuck her into more of the shoulder/collar bone area. Then we'll see who's laughing :D

Adventurous Wings Bring Me Back To My Roots

It's not like it's a complete lie....I mean, I have the genes.

It was natural once before. It's just always been hidden, just under the surface.



So...BAM!


 I got the guts to do it again...only this time it's gonna stick around for quite a while :)

I'm LOVING it! At first it was a lot darker than I expected but I like it more than I thought I would. It was the exact same color as my Grams' hair. Now, a few weeks later, it's faded into a little lighter color with a touch of my blonde showing through.

But it is still, most definitely, RED.

And for anyone that doesn't think their hair grows very fast, I encourage you to dye your hair and watch your roots...the growth will give you pure joy. Yikes.

Thanks to my mama - the best hairstylist in the world.

Domestic Me

It's nothing too new for me, but lately I've been focusing more and more on adding to my food storage. This is not an easy feat when I live in Alaska 1/2 the year. First of all, Juneau, Alaska has no farms, no ranches, no food source but the sea and plants found in the woods. What you buy from the grocery stores costs at least twice what it costs in the lower 48 (states) because it all has to be shipped up. Eating healthy is hard. Storing healthy food in bulk is almost impossible. But there are ways. While the sea can offer up numerous amounts of goodness, it's not easy to get if you don't have a boat, which I don't. So I turn my eyes to the forest. My two favorite times of summer are the ends of July to harvest fireweed and the middle of August to harvest wild blueberries. I look forward to these days off all year long.


While there's most likely going to be a drizzle falling on me while i pick, I'm grateful for it. That means the biting bugs are kept at bay. While I have to constantly keep an ear out for rustling in the nearby shrubs I'm grateful to know that it might be a bear or, much better yet, a friend helping me out. At the end of the day I'm cold, wet, and tired, but I'm grateful for the fresh air and the exercise. While I soak my goods to get all the worms and gnats out, I'm grateful to know that they are natural, chemical free. I am so grateful for these moments to re-connect with Mother Earth, Heavenly Father, and myself.

When my time in Alaska is over and it's time for my winters in Arizona with my family everything changes. There's a constant hustle and bustle, traffic, sales, ads, so much stimulus. It's not an easy transition. But there is always one constant that pulls me through - my family. One thing my mom and sister and I have always enjoyed doing together is canning. While I, the youngest of 4, grew up in the suburb of Phoenix, AZ, my oldest sister, Nikki, has all of her fondest childhood memories in Idaho. She recalls hauling firewood, swimming in the ditch, knowing all her neighbors, having game hang in the garage, and helping with the garden. But one of her strongest and favorite memories is watching and helping Mom bottle as much food as she could. The basement and cupboards would always be packed with bottle after bottle of goodness.



While Nikki can't raise her own children with these exact same experiences, she has been able to still set an example of them in ways that she can. Her desire to have her 2 years worth of food storage is such an example to me. Not only is she following the wise council given, but she has learned so many new and useful things. Food storage is so different from what it was 25 years ago when we left Idaho. And being one of the most generous people I know, she has made sure to inspire Mom and me and teach us and help us so that we can be better prepared as well.



Since my return to Arizona 3 weeks ago we have bottled 90 lbs of beets, 20 lbs of concord grapes, 20 loaves of bread kits, and 50 lbs of chicken. Once again the closets are filling up and our dinners are getting tastier. I am so excited to keep this tradition alive, to pass on these skills and knowledge to the next generation. And while I pray that we never need all of this food we are storing, I am grateful for the sense of peace I have knowing that we have it no matter what.

A day in the life (well, a day off anyway)

Mom, lets do something. I'm bored.

Seriously Mom. I'm really bored.

My favorite boy and girl :)

Just another day in paradise :)

A couple of Stellar's Sea Lions. First time I've seen them this year :) Was like breathing again :)

Bears!! You may see the closer one on the right side. This is the cub. Mama bear is back in the bushes on the left side :) We saw them while driving out the road. Was a rare treat!!

After the bears we saw this little marmot on the side of the road checking out the traffic :)...which there was none of :)

Not a bad daily commute (mines not quite this gorgeous. This is about 45 miles from my house, but it's breathtaking, and rejuvinating.)

My little man loves swimming in the sea. He's soaked right now :)

Laying on the docks catching some rays, and my breath, after a weeks work. This is what I sat up to :)

This is for Kattie :) Wish you were here.

Love, Me and Sarah :)