Montana - June 2013

Alan and I vacationed in Montana with Bill and Diane Brannen. We went to Glacier National Park. During our stay, we drove all the way around and stayed at the Prince of Wales hotel in Waterton, Canada. Bill and Alan took hikes while Diane and I enjoyed the views from the lodges! There was a beautiful scene in every direction.

Saturday - On our way to Montana, the right engine on our plane would not start. So we went back to the gate. Our delay meant that we would miss our connection. Alan got off the plane and secured a new route for us - - with first class on the first leg of the journey to Seattle. But instead of getting there at 1 PM, we would arrive at our condo at 1 AM.

Sunday - We went to the park. The weather was wonderful. Our first wildlife sighting - a deer in the parking lot. We went on a 2 mile (one way) hike to Avalanche Lake. I groaned and griped the entire way, but the view was fabulous. Little chipmunks scurried everywhere. One bold fellow ran right over Bill's shoe.

 Monday - The wildlife sighting of the day - prairie dogs. The boys went for another hike. Diane and I visited Lake McDonald Lodge and took a boat tour. Then Bill and Alan took us back on the trail that they had just finished because it was a beautiful, easy hike. I didn't moan nearly as much.

Tuesday - We took the Red Jammer tour. We saw a coyote on the road, looked at a lot of trees, and learned about the park. After the tour, we hopped in the car and drove all the way to Waterton, Canada where we spent the night at the Prince of Wales hotel. The views from the lobby were breath-taking! Diane and I saw a fox scurry over the patio area. Meanwhile, Alan and Bill hiked Bear's Hump - they are pointing to it in the picture. They also had breath-taking views.On a drive in the evening, we saw a moose!

 Wednesday - It was a cold day in Canada. We took one more drive to Lake Cameron (the road where we saw the moose). Today we saw 2 small black bears with a momma, one baby brown bear with mom, one deer, and several rabbits = all from the safety of the car. We saw one more bear on the drive back to the states along with cows and horses roaming on the road. We drove to Many Glacier Lodge where it was opening day. Again, Diane and I stayed in the lodge and the boys went on a hike.

Thursday - We got back in the car and drove to the Hungry Horse Dam and Big Fork - a quaint Montana town. We then drove to a lodge owned by the resort on Flathead Lake. It was rainy, but we went inside and the boys played ping pong. Later in the evening, we went to the rodeo. It was quite entertaining! We saw a double rainbow . . . over the trailers!

Friday - We drove back to East Glacier. Diane's dad knew a lady from church working in the East Glacier gift shop. We found her. Small world! We ate lunch in the lodge, but it was rainy and the boys chose not to hike. It was the last night for Alan and Bill to relax in the gigantic hot tub.

Saturday - We flew home. The Minneapolis Airport had iPads in the waiting areas for all passengers to use. Very cool.

Upgrades to the house

Our retaining wall has begun to disintegrate. Thus, the fence has started separating at the corner and pulling apart (giving a Rylie a great escape route). We bit the bullet and decided to get it replaced. Then, Alan brilliantly realized that since the fence would be down, it would be a great time to have the deck replaced. If we are replacing the deck and getting a new retaining wall, then why not go ALL out and add a patio and fire pit! Yep . . .

From the front

From the backyard - notice the gap in the corner

The work has begun . . . the retaining wall is gone and the fence is down

Mother's Day 2013

The family came over to our house for lunch. We missed Brian and Connie's family and Paula and Terrell's family. The 'college kids' (Kaedy, Kelsey, and Amanda) were also gone. Kaedy on a cruise; Kelsey and Amanda went to Sanibel Island.

We had to leave and visit Glenn, Beth, Jillian, and Hannah near the airport. They had just flown in from Pittsburgh. The girls left for Japan the following morning.

From here, we drove to Moultrie to bid farewell to Mr. Kleedehn. Though our reason for visiting was sorrowful, we always find joy in seeing our friends!

Austin's recovery

Austin stayed with us for 2 1/2 weeks after his surgery . . . until after his first post-op visit. He hobbled around the house without his crutches. He kept his foot dry (the word "amputation" scared him). He took his pain meds; he ate; he slept. He went back for his scheduled appointment on Friday, April 19th for the unveiling . . .

You can still read "Yes" from the day of surgery (to make sure they got the right toe)!

He came home from the post-op and was sick. We're not sure what caused the round of nausea, but he extended his stay until the next Saturday. I think he enjoyed his little siesta. He only went back to his house on April 26th because it was time to celebrate his cousin Kelsey's birthday. So he went home, mowed his lawn, and got the pool set up!

Not surprisingly, on April 28th, one of the sides where the stitches had been opened up and he bled "like a stuck pig". Genius child taped a paper towel over it.

His next post-op visit was Friday, May 10th. They didn't release him back to regular work duty because of the bleeding episode. He can only work 4 hours at a time, not standing, and with a 20 minute break every hour.

Austin's toe 2013 - the sequel

One year ago, Austin's toe was crushed in a work related accident. (To review the original injury = click here) He experienced a lot of pain for a while and then lost the toenail on his big toe. Time marched on. Austin started having pain in that toe a couple of months ago and then it started bleeding when he walked. A visit with a podiatrist indicated that the nail bed was damaged. The toenail and the nail bed would need to be surgically removed. SO . . . Austin had the surgery and is recuperating. Thank goodness for pain medication. His toe throbs, but he is being a trooper.

Awaiting surgery - April 8, 2013

Austin's toe before surgery

Austin's toe after surgery

Spring Break for the Adults

Alan and I started our Spring Break on Saturday, March 30th. This was our first Spring Break in 23 years without children. It's the dawning of a new era.

Austin picked up Rylie, the beagle, on Saturday after tennis and we headed to Warner Robins to spend the night with Glenn and Beth at their new house. They have a beautiful new home for their puppies. Sunday morning was Easter! Beth prepared an Easter basket for us! We had a fire in the fireplace during breakfast. It was great! We enjoyed our short visit and hope to return soon.

The giant dog is Georgia. Word of warning - she doesn't like to be disturbed after 9 PM.

This is Libby. She's the older dog. She's a sweet girl.

After breakfast, we packed up and headed to Hilton Head Island, SC.

Sunday  = Alan and I arrived early, checked in, and went to lunch. This time last year, we took 10 seniors to the beach. This year, we are bringing 4 seniors to the beach with us. Completely different type of senior. Both are equally fabulous. Linda and Jimmy joined us in the afternoon. We ate seafood at Hudson's. Delicious. Then we went to Wal-Mart to get additional supplies for the week.

Linda and Jimmy in front of the fountain in the lake at our resort.

Monday = It was a beautiful day. We went to the beach. We went to the pool. David and Penny joined us. We ate at Hugo's. The boys went for a bike ride. They are just adorable.

Tuesday = Another beautiful day. I actually walked to the beach (about a mile)! I met Penny on my way back. We saw an alligator on the bank of a small pond on a golf course. Alan and Jimmy were playing golf at a different course. They saw 2 alligators.One of them is pictured below.

Wednesday = Today was overcast and not as warm. We went to Savannah for a day trip. We attended the Savannah Music Festival and saw Jerry Douglas play the dobro. David and Penny were our experts on this genre. After the music, we walked down River Street and ate at Spanky's. Alan and I had eaten here during our college days so we reminisced a bit. After lunch, 2 of my favorite cousins came into town. David, Penny, Linda, and Jimmy dropped Alan and I off at their hotel so that we could visit with Karen and Ann. We strolled down River Street and back up Bay Street. It was so good to visit with them. I hadn't seen either of them in years, but the chatter was nonstop.

It's mid-week and I wanted proof that the dog was still alive. Kelsey sent me a photo of Rylie. She is helping Kelsey study!

Thursday = A rainy day. Jimmy needed to return home so we bid him a safe journey and sadly watched him go. We were pretty lazy. We went to a movie. We drove through the packed parking lot of the outlet mall and decided to definitely not stop. Then we went to eat at the Chart House. It was yummy.

Friday = Another rainy day. We went out to lunch and dinner today = Stacks and Giuseppe's. Between those 2 meals, we drove around the island stopping at Coligny. We wandered to the beach and through the shops. Our only purchase was bananas from Piggly Wiggly.

Saturday = It was a beautiful day. Not a cloud in the sky. David, Penny, and Linda loaded up to leave. Our week had quickly come to an end. We had a great week and covered topics from Spanish moss to dobros to Tarzan vines. Most evenings we could be found just relaxing . . .