Merry Christmas

Wishing all of our friends and family a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year this holiday season. It has been another wonderful year for our family. We have been blessed with good health and infinite happiness. We purhcased our first home - with plenty of room to stretch out, sing and dance, and do all of those things we love to do. It is year two for us as a married couple and wow it just seems to be getting better each day. Happiness is truly a wonderful thing. I would recommend it to anyone.
We also were fortunate enough to take a trip to Las Vegas - thank you Mike and Laurie for sharing that experience with us. We had an amazing time! The Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam are places that everyone should have the opportunity to see. Words and pictures do nothing - you just have to see them to really appreciate the beauty.
Thank you again to everyone who has been a part of our lives this past year - your guidance, love and understanding have been greatly appreciated. Let's have some more fun in the new year and see what trouble we can get in to.

Windy days

Up again. My Christmas decorations that is. It seems that ever since I put up my cheery ol decorations to show my holiday glee - the wind has blown like there is no tomorrow. Sure they look nice at first, but man how that wind has blown and blown. Now of course if you like your stocking tethered like old glory - here you go.

I think I will redesign my layout for the holiday season next year, starting with new of course. Certainly it has been great having a home to decorate this year, I love it. Next year though I will be better prepared to battle the torrent winds that blow through our yard.

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays to all of our friends and family. I wanted to share a capture of our first "real" tree. We loved our pulling the ol'three footer out of the box and stringing our 6 foot string of lights and then putting all 10 ornaments on it, but this six foot douglass fir has alot more room fill with many fond memories of Christmas pasts.

It looks like it will be a white Christmas this year in Northern PA. If what we have already stays on the ground and no more fell that would be ok with me. I find snow only to be fun in smaller doses. The doses you do not need to shovel that is.

Winter on its way

Well I suppose it was bound to arrive sooner or later. It seems that sooner it looking good as of today - winter that is. With family coming and snow flakes falling we are about to begin reminiscing of the balmy 50's with rain showers of November. For the Seldom Seeners it will be a new experience dealing with the winter and all that comes with it. A horse with a bum leg, frozen water tubs, and yes all that comes with the joy of their first winter in their new house out in the sticks, far away from townies. Will the snow plows be through before we venture off to work? Or will we be making our own path?

One thing is for sure - we will be doing whatever it takes to make memories and take in all that we can. We learn by doing, not by being told how. School is ion session.

Window or top down?

Window or top down? If you had your choice, how would you do it that is. You know what I mean - it is one of "those days". Everyone wants something from you or better yet needs something. So what do you do? Put on the most convincing ear to ear grin and simply ask - "What can I do to make your day better?" Please, no I insist anything.
Now back to the beginning. Of course what I am getting at when I pose the question: window or top down, is this. When there seems to be a line at your door with everyone wanting to blame you for there problems, and you begin to feel yourself going to that special place (we all have one I am fairly certain), what type of car are you driving? You know - blazing down the highway with no endin sight - is it a convertable with in your hair. Or do you prefer the year round convenience of a two door coupe with both windows down. Of course both windows are down so all that bs can blow in one ear and right out the other.
Now perhaps you do not have a particular group of people you feel the need to run from or even worse yet you do not drive. I will tell you this much though, I want my top down with the pedal to the floor, and no I won't know where I am going until I get there! SMILE - there are many miles of wide open road to be traveled.

Auditions:

It seems this horse heard there might be an opening for the lead on Christmas Eve. He's not a reindeer, but he has been trying rather hard to take off. Roy the flying horse. King of the pasture and he can fly too! What next.

First Snow - What!!!

Like everyone else we cannot believe the snow decided to visit so early in the year. The middle of October? Well nice thing about it - way to soon for it to stay. Whether it is a sign of a wicked winter ahead or just a reminder that anything goes, it was a present surprise and did not hinder plans of how or what next.

Perhaps early snow Fall will follow through and an early Spring will be next? I think that would be great, long about the end of January. Don't you think? One thing is for certain - we will know the day after it gets here, and not a day before. Happy Fall to All!

Anniversary

We are fast approaching the two year anniversary that my wife and I took our wedding vows on that gem in the Carribean. Wow - it truly does get better each and every day. It is incredible to have my best friend at my side chasing down all of those dreams we have wished for so very long. Where will we be in five years? Ten? Certainly we can never be too sure, but if I could guess... Well sorry friends, that is for me and the mrs only to keep for ourselves. Stick around and we would love to share with you when the time is right.

I believe only time can give us the answers we so passionalately desire. I do know this much, I find a great deal of satisfaction looking back two years ago and remembering what we were looking for and how we believed we were going to find it after we opened this new chapter in our lives. Two years later I can report we have profound happiness in our lives and hope that we are blessed with the same good fortunes we have found in our lives.

Welcome

We seem to have the most found quite a place to live, or so it would seem to me. Our place sits high atop the hill above Roseville. Tucked comfortable between Mansfield and Elmira. Most people I have met are very neighborly, much unlike our previous residence (Bum bum bum -that's for you Dickie, you ol' flick of a pain in the rump). I really appreciate how people mind their own goings on and are not ever against throwing a hand up when you drive by.

Home is not too far off the beaten path, but far enough that all the everyday hassles seem to motor down the road instead of stopping off. Keep on truckin, unless of course you are a friend of ours, and then well... You are always welcome, day or night. We will gladly pull up a chair and make time for a laugh or two.

He Will Save Us

Meet our brave guard cat Kozmo - we do not need a big scary dog to protect our house. We have The Koz, Kosmo Kramer the former alley cat turned guard cat. With a plentiful supply of toys and freshly served food (twice a day) this fierce cat keeps our home safe while we are away. There is not an ant or fly this cat likes. His method of defense is to corner the perp and wound it. Then after it is no longer able to flee he watches it suffer. As it lies on the floor he watches it struggle to its demise.

Unfortunately it ends there. This great protector is not able to carry the same methods over to larger intruders. Mice, well they are quite safe in our household. The Koz (as I often refer to him) allows them to run free, more times than not will seemingly escort them from room to room. So it seems anyway. He lives for the chase, but just cannot finish them off. And as for human intruders, oh boy what a fighter. When people come into our home, Kozmo runs for the basement. Upon contact with people this great defender lets out a great growl and when they pet him he defends himself by releasing his toxic cat fur. Great one Kozmo.

Well I not sure if I have made a strong case for a guard cat or not, but the one we have sure does give a good laugh for the wife and I. Don't worry Kozmo you keep up your end of the deal and I will keep mine - you are safe with us.

WANTED: 2nd Rider

Are there any horseless riders out there? We have a slight problem at our house. One rider and two horses. Somebody always get left at home. The obvious choice would be myself of course, as Rach is our primary(only rider)and me I well I do the shutter clicking. I just cannot seem to get into riding. I do very well in my mind (a great cowboy horse wrangler, leather stetson and all), but never seem to muster up the same enthusiasm when the Mrs starts to saddle up the horse.
So if anybody has some free time and would like to partake in some fine equestrian activities, give me buzz. What better way to spend a summer afternoon than on the back of a fine horse (we have two). All meals and beverages provided by me the horse wrangler! Happy Trails!

The job I want...

If I had my choice of how I could make a living? What would I do? Don't get me wrong I love what I do, but what about those days that seem to start too early and end way too late. We all have them , of course!

Certainly this friend of mine, she has a great job I would most certainly like to have. Think about it, all of her expenses are paid in full and she gets three square meals a day which are prepared for her. Health is not an issue for her as she gets plenty of activities in during the day. Sounds great, would you not agree? There must be a catch, right? Well after extensive research, I can report. I have analyized the data, and well not really - no catch.

Oh to live the life of a dog. Sure we all have pondered the possibility at some point and time. How great would it be. If your day is pulling at your sanity, just ask yourself - why can't it be me? Send the dog off to your job and put yourself in charge of keeping order at home during the day. How wonderful it would be.

Thank you Lucy for the inpriration you provided me with this capture - keep up the good work! Lucky Dog.

She loves you(us)...

We all have our moments I suppose. On a good day we are at our best, and on a bad, well quite the opposite. I am not sure why they all cannot be good ones, but we do have our share of both. Even on our worst day certainly it can be said that somebody else has it worse than you.

This much I do know for sure. She loves us. When you need protection from the dangerous rays, she is there(sunscreen in hand), because she loves us. When we need something to quench our thirst, she is there(bucket or bottle), because she loves us. Of course the same is true when our appetite surfaces from the deep within, she is there(grain or greens), because she loves us. If our mood is that of a madman, she is there(armor in place), because she loves us. Most importantly I must confess - those times when we need that person to be right there when you need them the most, she is there(as she always is), because she loves us.

High and Dry

Roy in Liz are now in their run in and out of the rain (we seem to get every day now) . They seem quite content with the shelter we built. I am sure glad to have it done. Those poor horses have been water logged since moving home from Heckville. Thank you very much to Tom, lil Craig and Dad for all of your help. Now let's get figuring on building a real barn (next Spring).

Heidi's Party

I just love this picture of Morgan at Heidi's birthday party. I never seem to get a smile out of her. She really liked her cake and had plenty of smiles for everyone else with a camera in hand!