Grumpydog's World

Enjoying the adventure

2011-09-29T17:40:00.006-06:00

I took the challenge.
Haven't ever water colored before so
I am sure it is not exactly right, but
oh I had a wonderful time trying.

This was my first sketch also.
I went for a walk around the neighborhood
and took over 300 pictures.
I took my dog with me and she new I had lost my mind.

Now I guess I need to figure out how to sketch and see
if I can find someone to coach me with water coloring.

But all in all I am pleased with what I accomplished!!

I was so blessed to find the most wonderful blog ever!!
It is Yes and Amen and oh how I love reading every part of it.
Junelle is one of the most amazing woman ever.
I love all the lamb pictures and all the country charm she shares.
She has really helped me in the last month that I found her.

2011-09-18T22:00:00.002-06:00

I decided I need to start with my blog again. So much is going on in my life and I need to figure it all out. I have been going in a new direction lately with my art and interests. I have taken a few on line classes and have learned so much. I will be posting some of the projects I have been working on soon. I have found a few blogs that I love to follow. They have been helping me find the courage to try and to move forward. Now I just have to figure out what to try and where I am going to move forward to.

Curls

2009-06-19T16:13:00.002-06:00

When at Cole's she put Carly's hair in little twists on her head. When they were taken out her hair was so pretty in soft waves.

Abe has such cute little curls. Scott wants his hair cut, but then he will loose all those adorable curls. So Cole just can't come to cutting his hair yet. I told him I wanted to get a picture of him so he took this pose all by himself. He was so cute.

Catching up Sort of

2009-06-19T15:32:00.004-06:00

Guess it has been a while since I posted. A lot has been going on around here and it has kept me very busy sort of. I went to Boise to be with Cole and the kids. That was fun. Went to Braydens Kindergarten Graduation. He was so cute. My grandchildren are growing up way to fast. Abe isn't even two yet and he is trying to potty train himself. It is so funny. Curt and I went to Salt Lake for a few days for our 30th wedding anniversery. We had a wonderful time and didn't want to come back. But then reality set in and home we came. I still can't believe that it has been thirty years. Sure doesn't seem that long so I guess that is a good sign that things are still going good.

Beautiful Fall

2009-01-14T11:35:00.009-07:00

I took these pictures this fall and forgot about
them. I went around my yard and got some
of the colors of our fall. I wasn't going to take
pictures of my purple cornflower, but I liked
the way you could still see just a touch of purple
with the brown.

Winter's Here

2009-01-05T11:30:00.004-07:00

I haven't been able to take very many
pictures since it has gotten cold and so
snowy. I put this bagel out the first part
of November. I was a little discouraged
because no birds came to eat from it. Then
I was looking out the window and saw this
sparrow. I was so happy finally a bird came.

As I kept watching I saw the red finch in

the tree. It was so pretty.

This little chickadee came a little later. It was

so cute.

Then as the time went by I was able to get

this picture with the finches and the little

chickadee together. They were so

beautiful and interesting to watch.

While I was watching the little birds there

was a commotion over in my neighbors trees.

I couldn't see them very good so I got out

the binoculars and couldn't believe it when

it was robins. There they were in the tree

during one of our biggest snow storm. Does

this mean spring is here or are they just

lost and crazy. I looked up in my bird book

to see more about them and they actually

can winter here. And I thought they only

came here in the spring. Silly me.

Fun with the grandkids

2009-01-05T10:37:00.005-07:00

Being a grandma is such a fun stage in life. The
little grandkids are great. Sometimes they are
a challenge, but always sweet. The house and
my nerves take a hit, but the rewards way out
measure the setbacks.

What a mess! My bamboo pot is Isaac's favorite

place to play. He just loves dirt. Playing in it

and eating it. Silly boy.

Cole came early for Christmas and the kids

thought helping clean the kitchen looked like

tons of fun.

Just before Thanksgiving I rode over to Boise

with one of my friends. Cole was coming home

for the holiday so I had a ride home. I love this

picture. Little Abe is right there doing every

thing Brayden and Carly are doing. He is so

cute and doesn't let anything get by him.

Here Carly and Brayden were play fighting and

Abe was right there to get into the action. The

kids are so fun to watch.

Update

2008-10-28T16:45:00.005-06:00

This summer was a very busy one and it went so fast it seemed like it was over before it really got started. This picture is one I took while I was at Wood Badge in Island Park. I really liked this little area.

This is Isaac. He is growing so fast. He is a cute and happy little boy. He loves being out side any time he can get out there. Ususally it is with the help of the dog door.

Here is Katelyn. She is a very good little girl. She is very happy and loves you to just be with her. She loves to talk and to discover new things. One of the very favorite things she loves to do is pick strawberries. Now that it is colder and the berries are gone she still goes out to see if there are any there.

Big Sandbox

2008-10-23T16:00:00.002-06:00

Curt and I made a sandbox awhile back. The kids have really liked playing in it. The only problem is that by the time all the kids get in the sandbox there isn't any sand left to play with. So I decided that the box needed to be bigger. Curt was excited because he got to do all the digging. I did help, but he does a lot better digging than I do. So then of course we needed more sand to go into the box. Brian and Kristy were here living with us for a few weeks so the kids came out with us and played on the big sand mountain while we got sand.
It was a very windy day so I am surprised that the sand stayed in the truck.

here is Isaac. He mainly just tried to keep the sand out of his face. But he did have fun and really likes the sandbox. It is the first place he goes when he gets outside to play.

Katelyn was helping with the sand. The only problems was she was putting it out while Curt put it in. It was a good thing his shovel was bigger than her hands.

Abby even had a fun time. She would come and sit right where we were digging and the sand would slide down and she would end up in the hole. She never could figure out what had happened.

Now we just have to get enough sand to fill up the big whole in the backyard.

Riding Fun

2008-10-07T17:52:00.004-06:00

This Summer Curt and I went to Utah for a little vacation. We went biking and 4 wheeling with Chuck and Machel. My sister and husband. Here I am getting ready to go for the day.

Along the trail there was this field of blue flowers everywhere. They were so pretty.

This was the coolest looking blossom. It is some type of thistle. I was so fascinated by it.

As we were getting done riding this is part of the scenery as we were going down the mountain. The colors were so pretty and it looked so serene.

While we were there we took some fun pic's. Here is one of me and my sister. We had so much fun and I really like being with her.

I'm still Alive!

2008-10-02T14:07:00.002-06:00

Well it has been way to long since I have posted anything. Life has not been as easy going lately as before. In July I tried to cut my big toe off and that is not very advisable. That really did me in for awhile. Then I did a few scouting camps, one with Curt that was really fun. After that I had children come visit and then Brian and Kristy came to live here until they found a place to land. So I have been just trying to maintain and now sink. Which I must of done because I am posting this now. I have taken several thousands of pictures and will try to find some to share later. But I did take this yesterday of Abby for my photography class I am taking.

Here she was upset with me because she wanted to get down and I said no she had to stay and let me take more pictures.

Here she couldn't believe I was really taking pictures of her in the sweater my neighbor gave me for her. It wasn't her idea of fun. But she is so cute.

Shopping

2008-06-30T10:53:00.004-06:00

Aren't these the cutest toes ever. Baby toes are so sweet. Abe always crosses his ankles when he is just hanging out.

Carly and Brayden thought it was great walking through the tires when we were at Costco. So yes of course I had to get pictures

In the parking lot at Costco

silly kids

2008-06-30T10:45:00.002-06:00

Scott was getting ready to go to a weekend with the National Guard and Brayden put on his vest and hat. He was so cute and thought he was so cool. A little scarry for me. Hope he never has to fit into these for real.

Here is Carly just after she had to have her front tooth pulled. She did so good. I went to Boise because she said she would be able to have it pulled if I was there to be with her. She was a little scared, but did wonderful. Sad she has to go through so much and not very old.

Here is little Abe just being cute. And I don't feel I am partial.

Complex and Simple

2008-06-30T10:32:00.001-06:00

Haven't a clue what this flower is, but I really liked it. It was at the zoo in Boise.

A picture Curt took and I liked it so I thought I would share it.

Spring Flowers

2008-06-20T14:45:00.006-06:00

I just love spring and summer when all the flowers are blooming and the trees have blossoms. These two pictures of tulips are my later ones. It's great because the pink come out with the daffodils, then when the are gone my yellow/pink and purple ones come out.

Who just doesn't love apple blossoms? Their soft delicate petals and soothing sweet fragrance as you walk by the tree. And when you start to see the blossoms you know that the birds are back and I could just spend all day watching both.

This is my flowering plum tree. The blossoms are so little and delicate that at first you can't really tell that they are there. Then as more come out and they start to cluster the tree is a mass of little pink flowers. I open my front windows and the fragrance drifts in and you feel like you are being taken on soft billowy clouds.

Where is time going?

2008-06-08T18:05:00.002-06:00

Well I was amazed that it had been so long since I had posted anything. Things around here have been a little crazy. Can't even say why, but the days are going so fast I fell of the merry go round and still can't catch up. Spent a week in Boise and loved it. I was going to post some of the cute pictures I took, but got told very firmly that was not allowed by Nicole because she wanted to post stuff on her blog. Well there is one hitch to her plans, I have all the pictures. But I am trying a new thing in my old ways, I decided I needed to be nicer and try to be a better mom, so I am going to send her the pictures and let her post them. But here is fair warning, if she misses some of the photo's I really like they are just some how appearing on my blog. Can't wait till July, everyone has said they are coming home. Yea, fireworks, cookouts, sand mountian and if it warms up ever water fun. We will even get to have a birthday party because Carly will be turning 4 in July. I love it!!!

Amazing feathers

2008-06-08T17:46:00.004-06:00

I was looking out the window and a bird was in the tree that I don't remember seeing before. I was so fascinated by it. I looked it up and found that he was called a western tanager. Since I saw this one there have been several more. They love this apple tree and the plum tree out front. The colors are so bright and very eye catching.

This one is a little hard to see, but I was amazed at how much red was on his head. I don't get a lot done with these little birds around because I spend to much time watching and snapping photos.

At first I thought this again was a new bird, but come to find out it is the female western tanager. She looks a little smaller than she really is because her tail is hidden in the leaves of the tree.

I really liked the way this tanager picture came out. He looks a little wild because the wind was really blowing and it was pretty chilly that day, so he is all fluffed out trying to stay warm.

Residence's at the Zoo

2008-06-08T17:12:00.006-06:00

This last week while I was in Boise we went on different outings. It was great. One of our outings was to the zoo. I have gone several times with Cole, but the tortoise was always in a corner inside of his shell and we didn't ever get to see it. We were pretty excited when we got to its location and there he was, looking up at everyone. I have always loved turtle's and to me the tortoise is just as cool.

The leopards were great. Again they are always hard to see or are hidden away. But today this guy was right out on a log so you could get a really good look at him. I loved how he was so relaxed on the log sleeping and his hind legs just dangling. The kids were ready to keep moving and I just wanted to stay and watch him, oh well.

As we were coming up a pathway there was the most loud noise and one you just can't describe. One I had really never heard, then we came up to the area and it was this male zebra. He was so funny, just baying and carrying on. It was feeding time and he I guess thought it was his turn and no one was coming fast enough. He did stop for a little while so I was able to get some good pictures of him. Most of the time he is inside and hard to see. So this was great!

At the Boise zoo there is a building the children can go into and it is a hands on discovery center. Well in one of the exhibits there was this ringed neck turtle dove. Oh the memories that brought back. My sister had some she was raising and they were so cool she gave me two. Curt built a cage and we put it down stairs. Now this was not a small cage, it was pretty good sized so they could fly around a little. Well we found out one day that they were a mating pair. We saw an egg on their platform. It so exciting when the egg hatched, and we got to watch it grow. Once in a while we would get them out and they would fly around the room. The neatest memory was when the female laid two eggs and both hatched and we had twins. They were so cute. The one sad part was after a while we realized that I was allergic to them and had to sell them. It was hard to let them go; every morning they would coo to say good morning. That was the most soothing sound. I would just sit and listen to them. Well anyway, it was great to see the bird and reminisce about the past.

Pillows in the sky

2008-06-08T17:01:00.006-06:00

It has been so pretty here the last little while. In between the rain there have been some really cool cloud formations. Here are two I took that I really like. I just love how soft and fluffy the top of the clouds look and then the bottoms are so flat and yes gray. Guess that means that the rain is still here for awhile.

Blooming where you are

2008-06-08T16:41:00.006-06:00

I had been out taking pictures one morning and when I downloaded my pictures guess what I found, this lovely picture of a dandelion. Don't you love it. I was confused for a moment because I didn't remember taking this. Then all was cleared up when Curt admitted to taking it. He said not to post it, but I like it so here it is.

The next two pictures are ones that I had taken. The first is of one of our apple trees. Boy am I going to have applesauce to bottle this fall. I don't mind, especially when it is so pretty.

This picture is of our flowering plum out front. I love this tree. When it is blooming and your window is open the fragrance is so wonderful. My yard smells so good this time of year because of all the flowering trees and bushes. It's great.

This last week I was in Boise. My friend was going to Washington and she said she would drop me off at Cole's and then pick me up on her way back. This flower was at the zoo when we went and I have no idea what it is, but it is really pretty.

New Friend

2008-05-19T20:25:00.004-06:00

I got a picture of Abby and her friend Smudge that lives next door. He is a funny little dog. He loves to come in the house, but Abby doesn't. He goes around the house until he finds something he wants and then grabs it and runs out to his yard. She gets really frustrated when she is chewing on her chew bones and he comes up and grabs it from her. She is very jealous of him when I pet him or pick him up. She is such a spoiled little girl. It's a good thing I love her or I'd have to sell her.

Best Friend

2008-05-19T20:06:00.006-06:00

On Sunday May 18th it was my 29th wedding aniversary. Seems like it was only yesterday. Yet when I think about it I can't imagine life any other way. Curt is my best friend, my world revolves around him. I still would rather be with him than anyone else. I am amazed he has made it through the years with me. I guess that in it's self makes him a saint. My life has been blessed because he has.

We went out Sunday after he got done at church and took some pictures. When I look at them I can really tell it has been that long. They are a little scarry.

Happenings in the yard

2008-05-16T15:25:00.010-06:00

I went out to look at my flowers in the yard and thought they were so pretty. So here are some of the prints I shot. This one and the one that is purple and dark pink I don't know what their names are, but they are unique and are fun.

This is some of my blossoms on my Princess Diana Service Berry bushes. Every year it is a contest to see who gets the berries, me or the birds. But that is okay I would be sick if I ate them all.

My tulips have been very pretty this spring so I went out and had some fun trying to get some creative shots of them. These are two I really liked.

I was so excited when I just happened to look out the window when I was in the office scrapbooking and saw this canary. He was so bright. I don't know why but I have always loved birds. It is so fun to be able to get pictures of them. Before I got my digital camera I could never tell if I actually got a good picture or not. Now I can take a hundred at a time and usually get some good pictures.

I was starting to leave to do my cub scout meeting when this little canary was flying in the apple tree and the pussy willow bush. I just had to take the time to see if I could get some got shots of it. I didn't have time to stop and review what I took because I was going to be late. So when I got home I hurried and downloaded my card and these are a few of what I got. I was so happy.

To some this picture might not be as exciting as it was to me. As I was zooming in to see the little bird to my surprise he had caught one of those large Nat flies that the kids hated because they thought it was a giant mosquito. As I looked close I had a whole series of him as he ate it. So if you look close you can see it in this picture.

This picture was a real surprise. I actually got he as he was flying. At first I was going to delete it, but then as I looked at it I really started to like it. Don't know why, just do.

As I was taking my bird pictures all of the sudden they were gone. I thought that was strange. Why would of they just scatter so fast? I looked around the camera and this is what I saw. I guess if I was a bird I would leave quickly also.
These are my neighbors cats. They seem to really like my garden in the front.

This is Lucky.

And this is Tiger.

When I was gone one day Curt decided to try his hand at taking pictures. This Chickadee was out in the front tree. I haven't seen a Chickadee for quit a while. So I was excited to see his pictures.

Otters holding hands

2008-05-13T21:16:00.001-06:00

Calm

2008-05-13T20:33:00.005-06:00

Curt and I had a reception to go to one evening and we got there just as the sun was setting. It was so pretty so I got my camera from the car and took these pictures. By changing the settings on my camera it took two pictures that look so different even though they are about at the same time.

I was in the house and could hear a strange sound. As I looked around to see what was making the noise, I was led outside, there was a pretty woodpecker in the backyard. He wouldn't cooperate at first. He was in the shadows on the tree and I couldn't get a good picture. But I just kept waiting and before too long he started to move around. I should of gotten my tripod out because after awhile I started to shake a little, so they aren't as clear as I hoped they would of been.

To much thinking

2008-05-13T19:51:00.005-06:00

These Squirrels were chasing each other through all the trees in our yard. It was a challenge to get a good picture but finally I got this one. They were so funny.

I went out in my backyard last summer and there were thousands of dragonflies in my yard. It was so amazing. I have never seen so many before. They were fun to snap pictures of. Just a few hours later they were gone. I loved it.

This little butterfly was hanging around one afternoon. It must of been to cold to fly because it would get on your finger and just stay there. So Curt and I put it on the blossoms of my service berry bushes. We got some great shots of it, then a little while later it flew away.

Another crazy squirrel. It always amazes me that they can scamper across the wires.

Now that I started this blog I just keep thinking. This is a dangerous thing for me. For one thing now I will have to start remembering what I do so that I can blog something. Then what if I don't do anything exciting enough. So I told myself, so what, this is just to be fun and it doesn't matter if I have life changing experiences. So I will probably just ramble in and out of different subjects.

Curt took today off from work and I only had one delivery in Shelley, so I was looking forward to spending the day with him. Well I got to work and found out that I had to go out to the INL. When I finally got back from there my VT partner reminded me that we had appointments today. So we didn't see much of each other. He did get the garden ready for planting. It is always exciting each year as the seeds get planted and watching them come up and grow. Then by fall I wonder why I was so excited about all this work. I do enjoy all the fresh produce and how nice it looks all summer.

It was pretty funny when I got home from work. I walked in the house and had a little visitor. Curt had left the sliding door open and Smudge, the dog next door, had come to play with Abby and when she came in so did he. He is cute, but very naughty. He is still a puppy and doesn't have any manners. Guess we will be watching the door more this summer.

I was going through some pictures today and found some I took a bit ago. But I like them so I thought I would share them.

Abby

2008-05-12T16:47:00.002-06:00

My little Angel

Signs of Spring

2008-05-12T16:39:00.003-06:00

Here are some fun pictures I took today.

Little Joys

2008-05-12T15:45:00.002-06:00

Just thought I would share a few of my special joys

Welcome to my world

2008-05-12T12:59:00.010-06:00

Thought I would give this a try and suprise everyone. I will probably take a while to figure this out. The biggest challenge will be what to write. Not much goes on in my world anymore. It was sad to me when all my babies grew and now have their own lifes. The one blessing though is that I am getting more little ones in my life. It brings real joy to me. Just wish I could see everyone more often.