Hello Kitty

It has been a little over a month since we lost sweet Tyler. The house has been so empty and quiet without our furry friend to greet us at the door or to follow us around the house like a faithful shadow. There is something comforting about having a pet around to lay by your feet and to love on. We had considered getting another Golden Retriever puppy before Tyler died, but it just never happened. But in his absence, we have really been motivated to get another dog. So we have searched for local breeders and come across a couple of them who are expecting litters in April and May. So by the time the pup would be weaned, it will most likely be mid-summer before we bring a new little bundle of fur home.

In the meantime, I got to thinking…why not get a cat? Haha. Yes this is the same person who, after a string of unsuccessful "cat relationships" about 10 years ago, adamantly stated, "I will never own another cat." Well. If there is one thing I have learned about life--especially in the last year--it is NEVER SAY NEVER. Because karma has a way of biting you in the butt and what you say you will NEVER do is EXACTLY what happens!

So off we go to the local animal shelter to browse for the perfect feline friend. Only, not so much. Let's just say their cat selection left a lot to be desired.

Next, the boys and I hit Petco. We saw a pretty calico named Priscilla that we liked. An then there was a cute orange tabby named Roscoe. We took them out go their cages and tried to play with them but nothing really "clicked" between us and them. Neither were quite the right fit.

Then we met a sweet little 6 month old tabby named Lola.

She immediately came up to us and crawled into Mason's lap and started purring, much to his delight. Yep-that's the cat for us! Felines are known to be independent and sometimes finicky by nature, so when you come across a friendly kitty with great lap-cat potential, you gotta go with it ;-)

She had no problem settling right in and making herself at home.

Mason has wanted a kitty for some time now so it didn't take long for him to bond with Lola!

Lola…the purr-fect cat!

Sayonara, Winter

Dear Winter,

This is a hard letter to write…(ok, not really)

You came into my life right on the heels of a beautiful fall, ushering it out in good time. I can still remember the thrill I felt when I woke up that first November morning to a world blanketed in a beautiful white wonderland of snow. I excitedly dressed in all my winter gear and then ventured outside to bask in the wonder of the quiet, icy beauty. After all, we don't get to experience winter of this magnitude back in Texas! Yes, I was as giddy as a child to go out and play in the fluffy white snow. Did I mention that that first snowy day that I so fondly recall was a brisk day back in NOVEMBER? Yes indeed, we had a beautiful white Thanksgiving, followed by a few snowy days in December.

And then came January and February. Wow. All I can say is that it is a darn good thing that I have always welcomed the cold with open arms because otherwise, this Texan would be running from the WV hills at full speed. I mean, I do love the cold and all, but temperatures in the teens and single digits? That's just downright brutal!

So here we are - MARCH 1st.  I don't think Mother Nature got the memo about March being the month that ushers in spring! And they are forecasting that this region of the country is expecting a "winter ice storm" on Monday. Joy. Now we did have a few beautiful sunny days last week when it got up into the 50's and 60's-oh, happiness! I'm taking that as a sign from mother nature, saying, "Hang in there--spring is right around the corner." From what I have heard from the locals, that is typical for this time of year--a tease of spring and then BAM-more snow!

Winter, I just gotta tell it like it is: I want to break up with you.

Yes I admit it was all giddy and new and romantic and cold and white and snowy in the beginning. But that was then. This is now.

If you have sensed a certain "chilliness" between us, you are right. Somehow I can't help but give you the "cold shoulder" when I have to endure day after day of this cold stuff!

Enough is enough.  I need a certain someone with more of a "spring" in their step. Someone with a "warmer" personality.

No offense Winter--I'm sure I will be glad to see you in the full evolution of the seasons this time next year, but for now, it's time to hit the road, Jack Frost!

Beautiful Babcock State Park

We ventured out in the snowy weather recently to capture the winter picture of the Glade Creek Grist Mill at Babcock State Park. The grist mill was built in 1976 and is a fully operable re-creation of a mill which once ground grain on Glade Creek long before Babcock became a state park. The mill was created by combining parts and pieces from three mills which once dotted the state. The Glade Springs Grist Mill is a living monument to the over 500 mills which thrived in West Virginia at the turn of the century. It provides freshly ground cornmeal which park guests may purchase depending on availability and stream conditions. This grist mill is iconic in this area-if you've seen pictures, postcards or calendars of the scenic beauty of West Virginia, chances are you've seen the famous gristmill shot.

We ventured to the park last fall to capture the mill surrounded by fall foliage.
We were past the peak leaves, but it was still beautiful, nonetheless.

And here it is in all it's wintry glory.

Beautiful! And cold. It was snowing like mad and 20 degrees. There was at least a foot or more of powdery snow-perfect for snow shoeing. Wait--did you say snow shoeing?! Well, by golly, we just so happened to bring ours--let's put 'em on and hit the proverbial snowy trail, shall we??

Talk about GINORMOUS icicles!

Taking shelter in an icicle cave.

Happy snowy trails to you!

Beautiful…just like a postcard!

Anyone up for a brisk dip in the river?

All that powder makes a great beer chiller!

I love this photo--the boys are enjoying a jolly moment. Michael….not so much!lol 

The snow finally stopped and I was able to capture the perfect wintry moment!

There comes a moment when you realize that you are DONE  with tromping through the snow.
I do believe we have reached that point!

Babcock State Park in the winter--a must see for everyone!

Goodbye Faithful Friend

It is with a heavy heart that I tell you that our beloved dog Tyler departed for heaven yesterday.

Poor Tyler had been on a steady decline over the last few months, becoming more and more listless, with loss of appetite and incontinence, and things came to a head in the wee hours of Monday morning. I awakened to the sounds of his feeble whiny bark. I made my way downstairs and dimly made out his form in the predawn light, huddled in the middle of the living room. I went to him, bent over and urged him to get up so I could let him outside to do his business. I was met with soft whimpering and crying so pitiful that tears immediately sprang to my eyes. Something was very wrong. I tried in vain to lift him off the ground, but he simply could not move; it was as if he was paralyzed. Shocked by his erratic behavior, I raced upstairs to tell Michael. We both curled up on the floor beside him and comforted him and stroked his head, sensing that this was the beginning of the end.

A while later, we were standing in the kitchen and were surprised to see Tyler come wandering slowly toward us. He quietly stood by the back door, as if waiting to go outside. He wandered out to the backyard, Michael left for work, and the boys and I began our day, keeping a watchful eye on Tyler.

A short while later, poor Tyler had collapsed again, this time in the hilly ivy-covered slope of our front yard. We knew the time had come to put the poor guy out of his misery, so we loaded him in the truck and headed for the vet.

The waiting room at the vet clinic was PACKED with people and all manner of dogs and cats, patiently waiting for their appointment. NOT what we wanted to deal with at this particular moment.
Finally we were finally ushered back to an exam room where the vet explained that during her exam of Tyler, she suspected that there was a spinal tumor, which was likely causing his pain and paralysis. She explained the different options of testing, imaging, steroid injection, etc. and said that given his advanced age and condition, there was no guarantee that there was anything that would improve his situation or extend his life. We knew the best choice for him at this time was to be put to sleep.

All four of us were in the room, while the vet inserted the catheter for the procedure.

We told him how much we all loved him and said our final goodbyes…

The whole thing went very quick, almost instantly. And for that I am so thankful. 

Our poor Tyler was finally at peace, with no more pain.

I was walking up the driveway when we returned home later that afternoon 

when something caught my eye…

A watermark, in the shape of a heart, right by the spot where Tyler had collapsed just hours earlier.

I am a firm believer in signs from above, and I had to smile through my tears when I saw this. 

It is so fitting and symbolic of a dog who was well loved and loved everyone.

For 13 1/2 years, we were blessed with a great family pet, 

hunting/camping buddy and faithful companion.

Rest In Peace, Tyler!

New Beginnings and A Few Life Lessons

Hello and welcome!

I have decided to kick things up a notch and enter the wonderful world of blogging, like, officially. While it seems like the natural progression of things, I have to admit that it is a little scary taking it to the next level, making it public and all that stuff. It is also exciting as well. It will be a work in progress as I upload older posts into the archives, so check back often for updates!

So we are definitely in the throes of winter weather here in WV. Having grown up in the South, I have to admit that I am somewhat clueless about extreme cold weather. Let me share with you some newly learned life lessons about living in a northern climate:

1.  Dress in layers, layers, layers. Base layers/long underwear-check. Wool socks-check. Snow boots-check. Thick warm coat-check. Hat/Gloves-check,check.Very important when out and about in the cold. If you are dressed properly, it makes all the difference between being warm and comfortable and cold and miserable.

2.  That ice scraper that your spouse bought you WILL come in handy. Yeah, you pretty much have zero visibility without diligently scraping every bit of ice off the windshield. Oh, and whatever you do, DON'T forget to remove the snow drifts off your hood and rear of your vehicle. Because if you don't, you will have a mini-blizzard effect when you are cruising at 60 mph down the interstate...all these beautiful ice crystals will be blown up and dance across your windshield and stick, creating an icy smear, and thus, zero visibility. Not a good thing when driving! As they say, experience is the best teacher!

3.  Yes, it really is necessary to go start your car and let it warm up a few minutes before driving.

4.  Avoid those dark, slick spots on the streets! That means ice. Ice is slippery. Ice is not your friend.

5.  You can NEVER have enough firewood. When it is cold outside, a nice, cozy fire helps heat the house. Plus it is soothing and pretty to look at. There is nothing quite so gratifying as building a big 'ol crackling fire and then sitting back to enjoy the fruits of your labors. Yes indeed, hours of enjoyment and entertainment.

6.  When there are mass quantities of snow, you will be so excited that you will want to bundle up and go outside to play in the snow with your kids. Time to build a snowman! Let me just tell you that when we  I built a snowman recently, the novelty quickly wore off when I realized how labor intensive the making of a man made of snow can be. I mean, all that bending over to scoop up handful after handful of snow is indeed a workout-who knew? It takes A LOT of snow to create the large/medium/small balls which are the key ingredient in building a snowman of tall stature.  And I have to give credit where credit is due and tell you that I build that snowman ALL BY MYSELF. I tried to recruit the boys but I was met with blank stares and then they promptly took off down the driveway to start a snowball fight.

So there you have it.

Little pearls of winter wisdom.

Happy New Year!

Our Wishes For You In 2014

A year of Health and Happiness…

A year of Wealth and Wisdom…

A year of Peace and Prosperity…

A Year of Love and Laughter...

Winter Activities and Other Stuff

Well.

It has been six long months since our feet have touched Texas soil...

In some ways it seems like a lifetime ago when we left Texas on the 16th of June heading out to a foreign land West Virginia and yet the months just seem to slip by with school activities, weekend activities and sports and the next thing you know it's December already.

Thanks goodness because it is time for a Texas fix - I type this as we are flying through the friendly skies on our way back home :-)

I wanted to offer up a brief (or not so brief) recap of our December fun and frivolities:

In early December we took the boys to see The Trans-Siberian Orchestra. It was the first time any of us had every seen them and their concert and light show/pyrotechnics did not disappoint. The only down side that it was on a week night, so William and Mason were snoozing peacefully in their seats before the end of the show. Oh, to be a child, able to sleep through loud music and fireworks…

In other news, we had a few snowy days this month, and for the first time ever this Texas girl became acquainted with both an ice scraper and a snow shovel. Damn, you would think we live up North or something ;-)

Mid-December found us heading out for a night out on the town for the company holiday party.

It has been a long standing wish of mine to have a snowy birthday, so we decided to head over to Winter Place Resort with some friends for a fun afternoon of snow tubing. We checked their website to make sure they are open…we are good to go!  We pile out of the car and excitedly make our way to the snow tube area. I scan the parking lot and notice something peculiar. There are no cars in the lot except ours. Uh oh. This does not bode well for a winter wonderland birthday frolic. We press on to the ticket booth and there a nice man informs us that the snow tube mountain hadn't been groomed yet (despite the fact that the resort is officially open for the season.)

Bitter disappointment set in.

Slackers!

Oh well. We had driven all this way and it was a pretty white winter wonderland, so we decided to make the best of it and play in the snow a bit. Plus it was an excellent opportunity for a winter photo-op.

After leaving Winter Place, we drove on to Fayetteville. There are some very cute shops in this historic, charming little town, but more importantly, it is home to The Secret Sandwich Society.  They make the best dadgum sandwiches ever. Their burgers are great too. And watch out for the Pimento Cheese Fries-very addicting.

With our bellies full, we motored on home through the dark wintry night. The day hadn't gone exactly as planned, but we still had fun.

And then the next thing you know, it was time to fly home to Texas for Christmas-whoo hoo!

Can't wait to see all y'all's purty 'lil faces soon :-)