Foto Story Friday #56 -- the beauty that surrounds me

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

When my sister and our oldest niece were here, we went up the road into Makoshika State park to play photographer. She posted some great shots here. Following are two of the over a hundred that I took.
I just love the rings of color.
I love how those huge rocks balance for years on the small pillars of sandstone. Makoshika is kinda like Montana's secret.
Monday morning, Troy said:"Let's go for a drive. There's this cool old car out in the middle of nowhere that you can take pictures of." I'm always up for taking pictures. We loaded the little kids up after sending the big boys to the pool and headed out in the country. Only problem was that the cool old car was gone! Troy couldn't believe it. It had sat on that corner for many many years.... as in it was part of the directions to get to this farm or that one. So we continued on..... it was a good thing he was driving, or we might still be out there wandering the dirt roads!
We found this cool old church at the intersection of two roads.
This bumpy less traveled road takes you to a place called Johnson's Reservoir. Where after a short hike, you can fish. We stayed in the truck, it's snake season, ya know! :) (It continued on, but we turned around.)
Several turns later we came upon this old farmhouse.
Just down the road within sight is another old farmsted. I loved this house and took a few different angles on it. I love the dead tree in the front and the bright red brick chimney. But I really like it in sepia.
This is the front porch screen door and I love it, like a door into yesteryear. So many stories it could tell.
Hanging on a fencepost waiting to be picked up by the farmer/rancher was this roll of barbed wire.
Tuesday we took another road trip, this one east into North Dakota. (These last photos were all taken out of a moving vehicle cruising down the freeway at 75-80 mph.)
The North Dakota Badlands.
The Theodore Roosevelt National Park is right along this stretch of freeway. One day we will actually stop and check it out. Also this area is the National Grasslands. They have a big fence and the buffalo roam in it. This was the first time I had actually seen the buffalo there. (The National Bison Range is in western Montana, which I have been to several times.)
On the ride home we watched a storm roll in. The clouds were interesting to watch.
As we rolled across the MT border, the sun peaked through the clouds affording the above shot.
Shortly after-wards, it dumped big time on us!
This week I have seen beauty all around me in nature and man-made. Enjoy the beauty that surrounds you!

Foto Story Friday #55-- A ssssssslithering story

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

A few weeks back after one of my charges went home, I noticed a car parked by the side of my house. The people inside were throwing pens and pencils into my yard. This did not please me, so I snuck outside to spy on them with the camera. It is difficult to get a picture from around the corner of the house with out being noticed and they quickly sped off. I ran around the front and snapped a shot of the car as they left.
Coming back into the house Troy asked me if I could see anything in the yard that might have caught their attention. It looked like a rope had been dropped, so I went back out to take a look. I zoomed in on the "rope" only to find it was a snake! I don't know much about snakes, but I could tell it didn't have rattles and was not the right color for a rattler. I wasn't going to get any closer though!
Upon returning to the house I informed Troy that it was a snake in our yard. We've lived here for nearly 5 years and never had a snake in the yard. He was needing to leave for work, but took a quick look at the snake and decided to call the cops. (we have no animal control here). In the meantime, my other charge's mom and grandma arrived and I told them we had a snake. The grandma, being a farmer came over to check it out. She told us it was a bull snake and that it was dead. Probably it got hit by a car and sssssssslithered up into our yard to die. Since the cops were already called we left the snake alone. When they arrived to save me from a dead bull snake, the officer jumped out of his car fully armed. Robby was quite impressed that he came to remove a snake with a shotgun! They sent 2 officers (small town nothing to do!)
When they determined that the snake was, in fact dead, and a shovel would be more in order than an gun, they posed for a photo!
I had to get another shot with the gun in it! We all had a good laugh and a great story to tell.

(thanks for the comments last week -- sorry I didn't get around and read your stories, but I was enjoying time with my sister!)

Foto Story Friday #54 -- Visitors

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

This week we have visitors:
My nephew, Javin.....
My niece, Orissa...
They brought some fun things.... lenses to try out and play with. ( Taken with the 100 Macro)
My niece, Hosanna....
We tried out some night shots on a timer and a tripod. We were trying to catch lightening.
And my sister, Ryanne.
It's been fun to have them and they are staying until Tuesday.

Foto Story Friday #53 -- Stay Off The Sidewalks!

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

It's that time of year (round here) when you start to see the cars marked with yellow: STUDENT DRIVER signs! The summer Driver's Ed classes started May 18th. The first day in June the kids (70+) took to the roads.
June 5th we took a short drive to the driver's licensing office and Cody commenced to take the "written" test.
When he passed they took his picture and issued him a first phase license -- a learners permit.
As promised, I let him drive home. I was terrified! My heart beat faster and I was sure we would crash! I was positive that he would not stop at red lights or stop signs, I was certain that he could not make a smooth right or left hand turn, I was petrified he would not be aware of other drivers and we would wind up wrapped around a pole!
We made it home, and in one piece. He didn't hit the house when he pulled into the driveway either!
Wheewph!
We were home long enough for me to fall breathlessly into Troy's chest and relate how terrified I was! Then it was time for Troy to take the plunge and ride along to Cody's driver's ed class.
Troy makes sure to put on his seat belt!
And they are off....
He was SO excited that he forgot to bring his book to class, I had to run ....I mean drive... it over to him.
I called my mom, I had to tell her what a terrifying experience I had just had! All she said was "I did that 8 times". Hello! I needed sympathy!!!!! My baby boy, my first born, was behind the wheel of my suburban!
Whoever decided it was a good idea for teenagers to drive?! (OK, let's not even go to the 'you were a teen driver once...') I swear to you, when they issue your child a learners license, they should equip you, the parent, with a stack of those yellow: STUDENT DRIVER magnets for your car, seriously people should be warned!!!! There is a reason this vehicle is acting like a loose cannon!!!
I'd post a picture of my terrified face, but I was too busy holding on and trying not to scream to take a self portrait!
He's getting better, I think.... Troy rode on the freeway with him tonight (Wednesday) and lived to tell the tale! It's looking like we just might survive this experience ..... but June's not over yet!
P.S. Stay off the sidewalks! :)

Em and Scott-isms

5-8-09
Em: "Mom, are these ant seeds?"
Me: "Nope just yeast. It makes the bread grow."
Em: With a 'yeah that cleared up NOTHING' look on her face, "OK."

Later that night,
Scott: "I think my new hair will make me run faster and jump higher. I think I can jump right over Mom's head!"

5-11-09
Savanna: "Do you know that our school has a typewriter?"
Em: "Who is that?"
Savanna: "It's not a 'Who', it's a thing."

6-8-09
Em: "Mom, you should move Savanna's and my bunk bed upstairs to Scott's and my old room."
Me: "Nope, too much work."
Em to Savanna: "Let me tell you the bad news -- she said NO!"

Foto Story Friday #52 -- Summer has arrived

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Summer has arrived in the form of an evening in the water! It really wasn't all that warm by 6:30 pm, but as I turned the tractor sprinkler on in the front yard (which has yet to by plumbed with an underground sprinkler system) they asked repeatedly if they could just run through it.
Who could resist? Robby went first.
Followed closely by Savanna.
Em wasn't as confident, so Savanna gave her a little helping hand.
Scott needed no encouragement! He jumped over with both feet!
OK OK who's going next?
Cody drew the short straw and went at it like a kid and not a near grown young man!
And finally Shantel took a turn. She wore her jeans and swim top... she is not keen on the attention a swim suit draws. (As in, the car load of teenage boys that drove ... I mean crept... by and came back for a second glance.... for that matter, her mother is also none too keen on the attention either!)
While they ran and played, I raked the dirt smooth, readying it for grass seed. They got empty ice cream buckets and had a full out water fight. Willingly kneeling down for a dousing!
They were having a blast...or rather a splash. I shot a few photos, went inside to put away the camera and wisely removed the phone and other items in my pockets. The photos we don't have and never will, are of what happened next....... I stepped one foot on the grass and was bombarded! They totally soaked me! The water so SO very cold that I was gasping for breath! While I was thus is the act of trying to catch my breath, Cody gave me a bucket full of water right to the face! Oh yeah, I was sure I'd never breathe again! Once I found I could draw in air, I ran inside and exchanged my wet clothes for my swimwear and we spent an hour dousing one another!
Yep, summer has arrived!

Foto Story Friday #51 -- Sprinklers

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

We decided to put sprinklers in the yard.
Cody got picked to dig the trenches.

Next morningTroy had to finish up the trenching.
Then the fun started..... running the pipes
Gluing this end to that one and not forgetting to place the attachments for the sprinkler heads.

Scott was the glue man.
The others had to get in on the action!
Pounding the re-bar into the ground for the control panel.
Attaching the controls.
Back filling the trenches.
Even I got in on the back-filling!
All done!