A Chilly Cemetery Stroll

Earlier in the month, we traveled to Virginia City, Nevada for a friends wedding.

It was a weekend jam packed full of fun, adventure and beautiful moments!

Aside from all of the wedding activities that were planned, we had a list of things we wanted to do as well. 

One of them was to take a walk through the Virginia City cemetery.

After breakfast on Sunday morning and before we left town, we made a stop at the cemetery.

While the weather had been beautiful the day before, it was chilly and drizzly on Sunday morning.

You could see your breath as you walked along! 

Meg's and I bundled up and headed up the dirt path with cameras in hand.

There was a historical walk getting ready to take place, but we didn't have time to join in on that as it would have taken almost two hours to complete. I think it would have been fun to do as they had historical reenactors guiding the tour and stationed throughout the cemetery. It's on our list "of things to do" on our next visit.

Off we went!

The clouds set down further over the valley as we walked along. 

You could feel the past all around you! It was eerily quiet as we moved up the rocky path. 

 Many of the graves are family plots and surrounded by intricate fences or rock walls. 

 Under that tree was a lone grave, the wooden marker no longer readable.

 The knob on this gate caught my attention. I thought it was rusted at first, but it was marble!

So pretty! And this was another family plot!

 The barren tree adds to the desolate landscape!

 There was lots of uphill walking on the rocky path. 

As we topped a rise the oldest part of the cemetery came into view!

This is where I stopped. Meg went on down the road to get more photos. 

We could have spent hours there just wondering the paths, reading headstones and soaking in the history that we could feel all around us! 

Virginia City is steeped in a rich, vibrant history and is such a wonderful place to visit and explore!

Before we head back for our next visit, I'm going to have to get my legs in shape!

There is a lot of uphill walking in this little town built on the side of the mountains! 

Going with the Dogs

I guess "going with the dogs" is better than "going to the dogs."

Last week I embarked on a trip with my daughter, another young lady and my daughters' boss.

We headed to a semi-professional dog show and agility events.

 

I drive a Ford Expedition and it was packed to the hilt!

There were four of us, three dogs, our bags and various amounts of dog show paraphernalia!

There was literally no room left in my car for even one more item!

 

We hit the road on Thursday evening and drove three hours to Carson City.

We arrived at our destination and checked into our room.

I booked a room at Motel 6 because they are pet friendly and hey, they also leave the light on.

Well our room was a mini room!

I'm not kidding, you could barely move in there!

The motel had done an upgrade/remodel and the rooms were nice, but very, very small.

 

See....small!

Shelby and Cypress the Aussies made themselves right at home!

 

We had to set up a blow-up bed in the closet area for the young lady in our group.

It was a tight squeeze!

We had to climb over the bed to squeeze into the tiny microscopic bathroom!

But hey, we had a mini fridge, microwave and a nice flat screen T.V., which came in handy!

 

Mini bathroom!

Cute, but cramped!

The dogs had us awake at 4 a.m. on Friday morning!

Way too early, but when a dogs gotta go, a dogs gotta go!

So we were up early and headed to find breakfast and the park where the events were being held by 7 a.m.

Once at the park it was time to warm up for the agility events.

Megs and Cypress working the jumps.

Cypress is young and jumps at 20 inches!

Up and over!

And then again and again...

This agility event was a first for Cypress and Megan.

Cypress left the arena on both of her runs. She still has lots of training ahead of her.

But the experience was good for both Cypress and Megan

.

This is Millie.

She is 6 months old.

She has competed in several Aussie puppy classes recently and done very well.

She was up on the grooming table waiting for her turn and watching all of the other puppies around her.



Cypress was watching me as I snapped photos.

I think she thought I had food!



Megan and Millie in the ring for the 4 to 6 month puppy confirmation class.

Millie won the class on Friday evening! Woot!

Millie's brother Dante came to the show on Saturday and he won the class on Saturday.

Siblings winning out over other siblings is okay in the puppy world. It means there are good lines when siblings compete against each other and trade off wins.



Megan and Cypress in the show ring.

Cypress has been competing for over a year now, but this was Megan's first semi-pro show.

She is a good handler!

She and Cypress work very well together!

 

Lined up with the other dogs.

 

The ring can get very intense!

(and hot! Did I mention HOT!)

 

Despite the glare on my camera, I really like this shot.

It shows the focus that it takes to keep the dog stacked and paying attention!

 

Around the ring they go!

They "gate" very well together.

Gating is when the dog and handler work at the same pace/speed.



 

This is the other young lady that was with us.

This was her first show ever! She is one of my 4-H youth and is involved with the 4-H dog program.

She used Shelby in the Junior Handler class.

Shelby is eight and has been a show dog for a number of years, but recently has retired a bit.

This was her first stint back in the ring after a two year break.

Here they are looping the ring for the judge.

They worked very well together and placed second in their class! 

 

Meg and Millie in the afternoon puppy class.

Showing Millie's pearly whites to the judge.

This is the examination portion of the class.



 

More time on the grooming table for Cypress.

Meg is currently in training for dog grooming.

Her boss has been a groomer for 40 plus years!

There is so much involved with show grooming!

I kept getting confused, but Meg seemed to know what she was doing!



 

Waiting to for the next class and to enter the ring!

Again, lots of intense focus!

 

Cypress knew that Megan had "bait" on her and wanted a piece of it.

Bait is the term that is used for the treats that you take into the ring to give the dogs during various poses. Megan was using cheese and that is one of Cypresses favorite treats!

 

The last show of the day.



 

All in all over the course of two days the girls competed in six agility events and six conformation classes. There were several first and second place, pretty ribbons for each of them.

The days started early and ended late!

The temperatures were over 100 degrees both days of the shows!

The park was lovely and the shade was so nice, but if you moved out of the shade, you melted on the spot! The entire process was intense, but a lot of fun.

There will be more dog shows in the future, I just hope it won't be 100 degrees when they take place! 

When Day is Done

Hayman took a fishing trip a few weeks back. He didn't get to do any fishing due to the weather...too much wind, but he did manage to take some wonderful sunset photos. He snapped these one evening and captured some amazing colors.

(Photos taken at Wildhorse Reservoir outside of Elko, Nevada)









"May I never miss a sunset or rainbow because I am looking down" ~ Sara June Parker

Where Did???????

Excuse me...could someone please tell me where the summer went? How in the world did it get to be October already? I'm slightly confused...one minute it was June, I blinked and July, August and September were gone! I must have been around during those months (physically, mentally I must have checked out) because I have a few photos to share of those elusive months, those fleeting days of summer. Those months passed much to quickly, a blur in the rear-view mirror so to speak! Work kept me very busy this summer. I won't lie, it was taxing at times and there were plenty of days where I questioned my sanity! The beginning of September brought our local county fair, which is the "Big Event" for me work wise. I had visions of things slowing down after the "big event", but no such luck! The rest of September flew by in a flash and I still find myself very busy work wise in October. Enough about work...it is a job, I still enjoy it (to a point), I'm thankful I have it, but there are days when I just want to hide from the world and do nothing, but there is always "something" that needs doing, so hiding away is really not an option.

So enjoy the following photos as they are a recap of those fleeting days of summer that somehow got away from me.

Below: view from a secret fishing spot. This was taken on an evening when we just picked up and went for a drive to do a little fishing.

Countrychick with her catch. Hayman out fished everyone that evening. I finally gave up and put my pole away and just snapped a few photos.July brought three birthdays. Mine is the 4th and we celebrated with my parents before heading off to watch the fireworks. Countrychick took me to see Eclipse and it was the highlight of my day! (did I mention that I am just slightly obsessed with Twilight and Vampire Diaries these days! Must be some form of mid-life crisis!)

July also brought competition for Countrychick. She competed in the county 4-H shooting sports match and qualified to go to the state match. Someone is a very good shot!

Maggie joined our family in July. Hayman had been wanting a new dog since we lost our Cleo earlier in the spring. I knew I didn't want to do the puppy thing, so I told him he had to look into adopting a rescue dog. He found Maggie on Petfinder and drove to California to meet her. She joined our family on July 26.

She is a perfect fit with our family! She has found her "forever" home with us! Did I mention that she loves her monkey!

August brought the county dairy goat show. Countrychick showed her doe Fawn. They did very well!Countrychick won Master Showman of the goat show! She was very excited and we were very proud of her! September brought the county fair and many days filled with long hours of work, work, work! After the "big event" was over, Hayman and I snuck off for a few days to Idaho. We returned to Garden Valley. I needed a few days of much needed R & R. We celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary by renting a cabin with an amazing view by a creek. It had a hot tub...need I say more...Perfect!

We were treated each evening to several does and their fawns playing in the meadow behind the cabin.

This doe had twins.

Maggie came with us. She loves to go for a ride and this was her first vacation.

North Fork of the Payette river. The weather was perfect while we were there and allowed us to get out and enjoy the area.

A little R & R did wonders!

Up a River Without

Me! Or is it down a river? Whichever it is, I wasn't there, but Hayman was. Last Thursday Hayman was invited to go on a rafting trip. The group left at night and traveled several hours north of us to their destination. After an hour or so of sleep, everyone was up and getting the rafts and equipment ready. They hit the water mid-morning and headed down the Owyahee River.

The weather was sunny and clear. The day time temps were hedging close to 60 degrees. Some in the group started out in shorts, but changed into pants later on as they progressed down the river. I think it got a bit chilly!The water was slow and lazy in places and everyone had the chance to group up and chat now and then.Wonder what's around the bend in the river? Oh look, a big rock! Keep to the left of it, because if you go to the right your going to get stuck! (or so I was told.)The scenery changed as the rafts moved down the river and into the steep canyons. The photo below is of the "weeping wall". Crystal clear water flows down the moss covered rocks.
The photo below is breathtaking with the dramatic changes of color in the rocks! The high desert truly is a beautiful place! Toby manned the raft that Hayman rode in. At one point the rafts were close together and Toby hopped out and left Hayman in the raft alone. Hayman then had to navigate the river on his own for a few miles. That is not Hayman in the photo below, but another in the group! The rapids in this section are probably class three rapids. Nothing too serious, but still one must pay attention and watch for rocks!
A mid-day stop to eat lunch. The group would stop each day in the late afternoon to make camp.

The canyon walls were steep and the views they held were pleasantly surprising.

The ancient peoples of the area left their marks on the rocks and walls.
One can only guess at what the story might have been about. Were they telling others about the river, waterholes or dangers that might await.

If only these rocks could talk, what a story they would tell!Hayman enjoyed the rafting trip. It took a total of three days to travel the river from their starting point to their ending point. Everyone had a great time! All of the above photos were taken by Hayman mostly while moving down the river in the raft.