A little get away...

We all got away for a few nights to the Coeur d' Alene Resort (thanks to Intervet).

(Isn't it nice of the drug companies to put on free CE and to foot the bill as well?)

We had a lovely view from our window...the weather wanted to be dramatic.... oh well.

In the late afternoon, I was able to take the kids out for a walk (with a little help!)

heaven knows that with so many little ones to watch, it is hard to do by myself.

(especially with so much open water to contend with)

I love this image...

We tried to go see some bald eagles, but I rather suspect the eagles wanted to stay snuggled up somewhere.

(boys. must. throw. rocks....... it is an unwritten law of maleness)

We found some ice and rocks instead.... 

...and cold drizzly snow.

 

Here is looking down from our room window.

Do you suppose that the aerial view is taken into consideration when designing a resort?

There is so much repetition of triangles at the CDA resort.... the geometry kept my eyes moving....trying to find connections.

Seattle Aquarium

While we were in Seattle, we visited the Seattle Aquarium.  

It has been about 15 years since I visited the aquarium, and a lot has changed in those years.

Or maybe it was just that going to the aquarium with 4 little ones,
is much more interesting than going as an adult with other adults.

We were all entranced by the circular aquarium that the jelly fish lived in.

You could walk inside and the jelly fish moved in a current around you ...

Walter and Nona really loved it. 

Boy did I want to clean the plexiglass...call me compulsive but...

Another big hit was the octopus.

We were lucky to be able to watch them feed the octopus.
They put small fish on a plastic spear and let the octopus find the food.
It was pretty amazing.  I think the octopus changed colors 3-4 times during feeding.
I love the expressions on the reflected faces.

If you ever make it to Seattle, I highly recommend the Seattle Aquarium.
Just be sure to give yourself about 3 hours to do it justice.
We could have used another hour for sure.

And be sure to eat out on the deck.... and watch the ferries come in.
Beautiful.

{linking up to Sweet Shot Tuesdays}

Pike Place in Seattle

Last weekend, we went to Seattle for another checkup for Walter.  

His leg is doing great... they just like to see him every 6 months or so to check on his skin grafts and scarring.

We made a long weekend of it and besides visiting with family, we went to see some of the sights.

First on my list was Pike Place Market... the colors, the variety, the interesting things to be found.

The symmetry of these lights caught my eye.... as well as the ornate carvings on the pillars.

When I think of Pike Place..... I think of flowers and fish.

There are just about as many seafood vendors as there are flower vendors.

The flowers are so beautiful..... but the beheaded fish are not..... just ask the kids.

You see all sorts of things at the market....from African Greys

...to Indian sitars.

Light catching glass pumpkins...

...and snake loving punkin heads......

Things to eat....

...and things to smell.

And yes we managed to come away with all four red-heads still in tow.

(and some pretty photos ..... cause you know that is why I wanted to go.....;)

{linking to Mosaic Monday at the Little Red House}

Camping on the St. Joe River -- Wallace

Last weekend we went glamping on the St. Joe River, about 30 miles out of St. Maries.

What's glamping, you say?
No tent, no digging holes for potty, no cooking on a campfire.... real coffee, a real potty, and a real bed....
that's my sort of camping these days....
I've done the backpack, carry in and carry out thing ... and while I still have little legs and poopy diapers to carry out
.... glamping is what it's all about.

Saturday, we drove over the mountains (partly on the Hiawatha Trail)....

30 miles took us over an hour to travel....

lots of curves....

and one little girl that puked up her pickle lunch...

but Oh so beautiful.... the Tamaracks were just beginning to turn.

We had great fun exploring Wallace, eating ice cream, looking at silver, gold, copper, and garnets.

Wallace has a great history in mining. Matter of fact, I just read a book about it this past summer called The Deep Dark so it was interesting to see some of the things that were mentioned in the book.

We were lucky that a nice couple opened their variety store just so that the forlorn looking little ones could get some sustenance in the form of ice-cream... don't they look famished?

The store was part museum... so many wonderful vintage and antique things to look at.

A functioning player piano was a big hit as was the bathtub.

Outside the store was a fun UFO contraption that the kids clambered all over

More exploration....
see the sign on the door? Double Dr. (MD and DVM -- one stop clinic)

I had never been to the "shadowy St. Joe" before.... and let me say,

I can't wait until camping season starts again because I want to go back!
(more photos to come.....)

Home again, home again, Jiggity jig!

We're back.....
with two full nights of uninterrupted sleep under our belts.....
the belts that now fit a little tighter from all the wonderful food we ate....
(but our pockets are a little lighter..... ugh!)

We talked, we walked, we ate, we listened, we sat, we learned....
(and I took a few photos)

I learned that this country bumpkin feels like a duck out of water in such fancy environs....
that full length mirrors aren't all what they are cracked up to be.....
and that being surrounded by siliconized, bronzed, and hair-teased babes does little to make you feel good about yourself.

I learned that animal behavior problems are best left to the behaviorists,
that greyhounds would be the most likely breed to benefit from canine influenza vaccine,
and that refractory corneal ulcers can be resolved with rigorous and aggressive (read every 1-2 hr round the clock) application of antibiotic ointment.

I remembered how much I love having time with my husband,
and how quiet it can be when 4 little ones are not around (too quiet)

I visited a camera store,
I played with my new tripod,
and decided to return a wide angle lens I had purchased.

But most of all I learned that I missed these four..... more than words can say....
So glad to be back home.

Camping Idaho

This past weekend.... we didn't go anywhere but to church and the river
.... it was amazing to be home all weekend.
But last weekend....

...we camped in Idaho on the crystal clear Lochsa River.

We saw many swallow tails.... they seemed to be following the river downstream.
There were hundreds of them, but they were quick and nimble and hard to net....
they seemed to be racing somewhere.... but where?
No time to stop and eat or rest (or be photographed!)
Some were yellow and black, and some were white and black.

The kids spent many hours playing in the small pools near the campsite....
... and many hours fishing (but more on that later this week).

These were in bloom
(I don't know what their name is!!!)
But they were so beautiful with the sun filtering through.

We drove a few miles downriver for a sandy beach to swim at....
the beach near the campground was mostly rocks and boulders.

Randy "caught" a stinky salmon
(and sent it skedaddling down the river)

I enjoyed my camera way too much....
(i.e. too many photos to sort through)

...and spent a little one on one time with this little girl while the boys were off fishing.