Cub River

Every year Jeff works really hard so that he can go play really hard..Here.. This is Jeff's counsin's ranch in Cub River Idaho. (Don't look at the date on the pictures..changed the batteries in the camera and didn't change the date thing..)

This summer, Jeff and I escaped for a few days so that he could take me here to show me a few of his favorite spots. I have been up to the ranch a few times but it was always for sad times and we stayed around the house. This was a wonderful time to go during happy times and see more around the ranch. In fact, I had never been in the back pasture till this trip.

We got there in time to help Joyce with the haying! (I got to drive the truck while Jeff and Joyce bucked the bales..Yes, I am a wus!) (My eyes are itchy just looking at that hay!)
After the work is done, we jump on the ATV's, well, take the haybales off first...and head up in the hills..

to stare at hills. This is (as I learn the vocab)called spotting. Joyce and Jeff and Rex are looking for signs of animals that they are planning on shooting in about 6 weeks...This really is funner than it looks when you have binocculars to look through also. The first night out we saw one cow elk. That got Jeff ready to go!

It is hard to see in this picture but on the trail back to the ranch we found a blow snake. It really was not interested in getting off the trail. Joyce changed her hat from Rancher/Hunter to Snake Wrangler. She is very good at all three.

Back at the house are these three critters. Oggie, Wezzie and Rocky. They are the funniest little dogs, and now my best buddies! Every time I sat down I had all three in my lap. It is funny that Wezzie really can not breath through her nose. I would hold her like a baby in my lap and rub her tummy and it sounded like she was asleep and snoring. I have to say it is nice to have something excited to see you when you walk in a room.

Wait..whats that past the storage shed? MMMMm.....Targets!

Ready...Aim....Twang, Thump! Got it!
Ok Joyce...you give it a try!

A few months ago Jeff bought himself and Klaira and me our own compound bows. I took archery in High School and I think I was pretty good at it. (OK so the bows were little 40 lb single string that we had to string ourselves..But I did hit the target almost every time!) The first time I shot it when we first got it, I lost 2 arrows and had a really pretty bruise on my arm. I am surprised at how chubby my arms got since High School..How does that happen? Well, this time I did not loose any arrows and I think we have my sights pretty close to being right on. I did hit the target this time. (And the bruise on my arm was much smaller!) I really do enjoy shooting my bow. Just need to move to the ranch so that we can do it daily!
The next night we went up a different road to this field. (Yes to do some more spotting!) The grasses were almost as tall as me. This is a look back toward town. It was so beautiful walking the the grass, looking at all the different colors of green in one location. The view back to town was breath taking.
Jeff and I had a little trip up one of his favorite places to hunt. It is in and out of thick trees and bush. I have to say that riding the ATV's was better than some of the rides at Disneyland! Just call me Mrs. Jiggles! I was bouncing all over the back of that thing!

It was fun to see this little bike in Joyce's shed. It was her bike when she was little..I think I had a bike just like it... seeing it brings visions of little ones in their make-believe world, riding to great adventures.

It is hard to see, but out in this field is a old car. This is a place of old forgotten. Several places have cars or tools that when they broke down for what ever reason, they were just left where they were never to be thought about again. I saw houses that when no one loved them any more, were left to be taken back over by mother nature. Then there are the things of good intentions. Houses that have been started to be updated, to only have been started but not finished...Jeff says some of these houses have not changed his whole life. Every time he comes up, he looks to see if anyone has put the last 4 rows of siding on a house, or finally put the walls on the garage that has the roof, studs and a window that has been nailed into the studs. ( I wish I had gotten a picture of that one..)

As we were there for a few days, I started understanding why things don't get done. They have a whole different Clock there. Time is, whatever... We would go to bed after midnight, to get up after 8, to think...what do we want to do today? Then when we finally got to it..it was getting dark..we would eat dinner after 9 at night. We sat one night and watched the shooting stars. It was suppose to be a really great show around Midnight...so we all stayed up to watch. Our alarm clock was the horses outside with window (that we left open all night for the cool breeze and wonderful smells) trying to get someones attention to throw them some grain. We had the constant sound of the water in the canal next to the driveway as it bubbled and played passing by. Every once in awhile you hear a distant neighbors dog. Other than that, you really think you are the only ones out there. I can understand now why Jeff loves it so much out there. The best part is that there is a Michaels only 20 minutes to town from the ranch! Yep! I can live there!