Shellie's Bloggy Goodness

Drunk Ass in Mexico???

2012-01-27T20:16:00.000-08:00

Made you look! We were on our way out to the beach in Pescadero, which is near Cerritos Beach and Todos Santos, when we saw a donkey or burro near the road. When it saw US, he bolted (and I really mean he bolted) across his pen right to our car. We stopped, and this donkey was seriously staring us down and obviously waiting for something. All we had was the last bit from a can of Pacifico Beer, so I offered it and he slurped it up! Wendy got this great picture... and you now know that what we really do on vacation is make drunk asses! (And no, I am not drunk, just playing around with hilarious wording). We are having a fantastic time and do NOT want to go home Sunday!

My Mid-Life JOY tattoo!

2011-06-24T09:27:00.000-07:00

Janet's Graduation Party 6-18-11

2011-06-24T09:21:00.000-07:00

The cake....

The Graduate!

JANET'S BIG DAY!

2011-06-17T06:40:00.000-07:00

I am looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow at Janet's Party to celebrate graduation from college! We are hoping to arrive by five... but with a wedding in Guerneville at 11:00 a.m. you just never know! We will be stopping by Costco on our way if anyone needs a special item from Costco, give me a call. This morning we are interviewing another office prospect. Sure would be nice to find someone. Janet, maybe you should come work for the summer and fall to make yourself 100% certain that you DON'T want an office job! :) I'm loving the warm weather and cool nights and the full moon! We have work lined up for this summer right here in Mendocino County! It's a miracle! Now we just need to recruit about 30 "new-to-our-Company" truckers to join us for the season. Oh joy. I will be ready to play cards... might even bring a card table! We do have our chairs packed... hmmm... anyway, see you all tomorrow!

Blog... because everyone else has!

2011-06-07T09:06:00.000-07:00

Hello all... so inspired by everyone else blogging that I had to write a quick one. Went to Petaluma for dinner at Luma last night; Julie was the only person serving the entire restaurant! She does such a good job. We got a new-to-us workbench for our home garage in Cotati... it is super-exciting! Going home to supervise weeding right now... it's still foggy and cool today, but supposed to be 80 tomorrow! BRING IT ON! Still exercising every day, and still getting "fitter" every day. Laura and Russ came by this morning and I made whole wheat oatmeal raisin cinnamon pancakes for breakfast that were AMAZING! They are my new "healthy" breakfast addiction, for a treat only, not every day.

Weird weather and Prolo

2011-06-02T06:39:00.000-07:00

This crazy weather deserved a blog. It is so odd... but oh well. Not too much new going on around here. We enjoyed a great weekend with Rich... didn't do a whole lot, but had a nice time. I have been having Prolo Therapy into my neck/shoulders/back for four weeks, and YAY it really is helping. By the time I see you all at Janet's graduation stuff I will be joining you for the hike! Well, perhaps I exaggerate! Yesterday morning Jeff and I prayed that I would have less pain during treatment, and HONESTLY it was a miracle: NO TEARS and NO SCREAMS/MOANS. It was amazing. So thankful. Anyway, hello to all, and hope you're figuring out how to deal with this weather. We have lots and lots of work for the trucks (Thank you God) but the office work is NOT overwhelming. To you other family bloggers, thank you for being more consistent than me. See you soon... Oh, here is a link to our friend Rodney's Prolo web page if you're interested to learn more about the shots...

http://getprolo.com/rodney_van_pelt_prolotherapy_ukiah_san_francisco_auburn.htm

31st Anniversary

2011-05-17T09:37:00.000-07:00

Yup... today is our 31st Anniversary! WOW! AMAZING! We actually like each other... a lot! So thankful we stuck out the hard times... so thankful for Jeff and Julie and Laura! Love you all!

I am the Biggest Loser!

2011-05-09T08:16:00.000-07:00

Okay... I won the contest at the local health club! 9.8% of my body fat is gone! I lost 44 pounds and a zillions inches! The contest measures pounds lost, inches lost, and uses calipers to measure fat lost. It was for 13 weeks, and now I have won a one year membership. YAY! Here is my "after" picture (which is also my new "before" picture for the next ??? pounds I will lose)! Jeff was such an ecouragement through the process... I do appreciate that for sure! Unfortunately, I am still in a ridiculous amount a pain every day... so frustrating. Someday, and some point, I sure expect the pain to be reduced. Enough whining... I WON! YAY FOR ME!

Company...

2011-04-16T16:55:00.000-07:00

Hello... I did not realize I had blogged since March. Sorry. I read everyone elses... oh well. I have enjoyed having Rich and Mom here this week, and hope Rich was able to relax and heal. He does seem like he has improved drastically already! Poor guy. Anyway, I am doing very well. I have been participating in the Biggest Loser Contest at our local health club for ten weeks, and I have lost 30.2 pounds! I do believe I am going to win. I have lost many inches, also. YAY. Maybe by Janet's graduation I will lose another 30 pounds! We have a great deal of work, and life at the office is crazy. Unfortunately, I'm truly not feeling good yet... so working is tough. Poor me. I will persevere, and believe someday I will feel better. Hope you are doing well.

Spring cleaning!

2011-03-23T06:37:00.001-07:00

Happy 85th Birthday, MOM!

2011-03-16T15:20:00.001-07:00

Wow... 85... amazing!

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Happy Birthday!

I love you!

Russell's Birthday!

2011-03-08T08:36:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning thinking about Russ... Happy Birthday! This is a good day to remember him, and that is what I am doing. Anyone reading this is probably doing the same. Love to you all.

Tahoe One aka Truck Mom in SNOW!

2011-02-28T15:55:00.000-08:00

And I didn't believe Rich when he said it had REALLY snowed up at Dad and Sally's house!

This was after ONE night! YIKES!

Cabo was Wonderful!

2011-02-10T09:02:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to Richard!

2011-01-06T02:50:00.000-08:00

Well, in case anyone has forgotten, Richard is now 50 years old! That doesn't seem possible... but it's true! So thankful he is healing and spending time with us. We promised NOT to surprise him with a party, so sorry to disappoint all of you! Today he and I are going to ride recumbant bicycles and swim. It is nice to have someone to go to the health club with! Once I got out of the almost daily habit of swimming the vicious cycle of exercise/life = pain came back with a vengance, so it is easy for me NOT to go to the club!

I am hosting a Baby Shower this Saturday for Xzercie's daughter, Nicolette. I think there will be 20 to 30 women here! It has been a great reason to clean and de-clutter. I do wish I was super woman and could keep up with the house better, but oh well!

I am enjoying reading everyone else's posts... sorry to be so lazy about mine! Happy 2011!

Richard is OUT!

2010-12-14T08:52:00.000-08:00

Wow, I am so thankful that Rich is out of the hospital and WELL on his way to a complete physical recovery. Believe it or not, he is STILL ASLEEP this morning! We were up until around 10:25 p.m. after driving home from the hospital, but I'll bet he will be shocked when he wakes up at how late it is. Amazing how a dark room and peace and quiet allows a deep sleep. Hope everyone has a great day... oh... I was on the channel two news last night!

Life

2010-12-11T21:52:00.000-08:00

Life has been so very... FULL lately! I just want you all to know I love you.

Richard in the hospital!

2010-11-30T14:55:00.000-08:00

Well, well, well. For those of you who have not been able to travel to visit with Rich for a moment, here is a picture of him I took last Friday... note his hair!

Love you, little brother!

We continue to pray for you many, many, times each day!

Hawk and Turkeys

2010-11-23T04:20:00.000-08:00

Beautiful birds on our property...

Don't they KNOW it's Thanksgiving???

Lazy bones!

2010-11-07T16:33:00.000-08:00

Well, I just commented quickly on family blogs... so sorry I've been such a lazy person... if only I could blog from my Droid 2... I can do facebook but not blog! Nothing much new around here. Jeff turns 53 this Tuesday (November 9th) and I will be 53 on the 24th. It seems like a VERY odd and VERY old age for some reason... can't figure that one out. Love you all, and hope to see EVERYONE over Thanksgiving weekend some time!

GO GIANTS! GAME ON!

2010-09-30T16:44:00.000-07:00

Wow! MANY THANKS TO BARRY for inviting us to join him in the LUXURY suite at the Giant's Game last night. Insane to be living the high life for a moment, and a great game. We had a crazy couple of days... dinner in Sacramento with Andy and Alex (and their girlfriends); coffee with Kathy from high school; Caltrans meeting; training of drivers in Capay; and the GAME! What a great last minute surprise! Got home at about 1:00 a.m. and boy am I tired right now!

Another salad dressing recipe...

2010-09-03T15:23:00.000-07:00

Janet's dressing sounds great, and this dressing IS great! We had it on salad all week at Lon and Lydia's house. Combine one cup honey with one cup apple cider vinegar and 6 to 8 cloves of garlic. Blend in a blender, chill, and enjoy! YUMMILICIOUS! We're home... Rich and Chris took good care of my Tahoe and we had a great dinner with them and Lon at the Acupulco restaurant in Alameda last night. Lon had never been there and liked it a lot. I'll put pictures up some time this weekend. Have a great Labor Day!

Tahoe and Washington

2010-08-31T11:42:00.000-07:00

Out on Lake Tahoe...

Lon practicing his casting on his back yard lawn... how about THIS for a view???

Love this piece of wood...

Another shot from the Lake Tahoe cruise...

Music is so addictive!

2010-08-20T22:32:00.001-07:00

Well, it's LATE and I'm still working (a little) at the office! Why you ask??? Well, I'm converting You Tube videos to MP3 files using a web site called dirpy.com. It came highly recommended by a guy I trust, so I tried it. FUN!!!!!! Seriously, I have at least 30 new songs to transfer to my phone (Droids come with a 16 GB memory card). So awesome! I must go home now... really tired and so glad it's Friday! Hope you all have a great weekend!

35th Class Reunion

2010-08-11T07:51:00.000-07:00

We had a great time... around 80 classmates and 50 guests!

I love using Picasa to put names right on the pictures...

Lindy and Bill

Bill in the background, Alison Jones Pomatto, and Kristie Proudfoot

Guilt

2010-08-09T19:00:00.001-07:00

Okay, I'm a slacker, too. I actually am feeling a twinge of guilt for not blogging... but only a twinge! If only I could post pictures from my Droid Phone... then I would be happy. Life is good... we are content... and greetings to all!

Amazing Chairs!

2010-07-09T11:14:00.000-07:00

Looking towards the back door... Our new chairs have arrived... they are not quite as "orange" as they appear in the pictures! Notice the furniture in the far corner...

Looking towards the front door... we have moved our tv onto our sewing machine table...

Does this look better than my messy desk, or what???

Another shot...

The Archer Clan at Vitalic's Wedding

2010-06-28T11:31:00.000-07:00

First phone blog! does not work on droid.

2010-06-14T22:17:00.000-07:00

Beatty winding down...

2010-05-25T09:19:00.000-07:00

I am overwhelmed with finishing up here in Beatty! Love you all! See a bunch of you this coming weekend for Julie's College Graduation! YAY JULIE!

30 YEARS MARRIED!!!!!

2010-05-17T08:47:00.000-07:00

Yup... today, May 17, 2010, marks our 30th Anniversary! Amazing...

Five other post today...

2010-05-08T16:23:00.000-07:00

Just a note to let you know I posted five other blog posts today... so look at all the pictures below!

Beatty Burros!

2010-05-08T10:03:00.000-07:00

Macros of Iris at Beatty Apartments

2010-05-08T09:58:00.000-07:00

Desert plants with drodden...

2010-05-08T09:54:00.000-07:00

Macros of desert flowers 2

2010-05-08T09:50:00.000-07:00

Cactus flower up close...

and personal...

and with a guest...

taking a bite!

Macros of desert flowers 1

2010-05-08T09:46:00.000-07:00

I'm tired of blogging...

2010-04-30T15:44:00.001-07:00

Why doesn't anyone except Rich ever leave a comment? I'm tired of blogging. I sent you all information about Wicked Tickets... would love to have people join in on May 28th. Use the code 6WEST in the promotion box at Ticket Master.

Julie is 26

2010-04-27T16:16:00.001-07:00

Today is Julie's 26th birthday! AMAZING! That's all... it's a wonderful day!

Back in Beatty

2010-04-26T18:49:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm back home in Beatty. Spent two nights in Las Vegas at the Stratosphere... GREAT internet rate! Death Valley had mini flooding so we had a day off... it was really relaxing to be in Las Vegas with NOT MUCH TO DO! YAY! Hello to all. I did not read blogs while in Redwood Valley... I have read them all now. Have a great week...

Flying home...

2010-04-15T07:47:00.000-07:00

YES! I am flying home for a few days! I'll fly into Santa Rosa for four nights. I have a wedding Saturday night, church Sunday morning, Quarterly Taxes at the office, and I'll finally have my permanent tooth! Dental implants are a PAIN and take months to complete, not days. I'm excited to be catching up here in Beatty and hopefully will not get "buried" by taking off for a few days. The paving trucks are not working until Tuesday (and I'll be back Tuesday night) so I should be okay. YAY! So glad I'm not driving... and so thankful for air miles!

More desert macros... all taken in the field accross from the truck yard!

2010-04-06T21:52:00.000-07:00

Quail and Poppies

2010-04-04T13:45:00.000-07:00

My favorite Macro EVER!

2010-04-03T07:40:00.000-07:00

This is a beautiful flower... and I love this shot! You will understand why I love it when you look at the NEXT picture and see how itty-bitty this flower is... man I love my camera!

This was the best I could do to show the size of the flower... and... notice my long finger nail??? So exciting, huh???

This tangled orange vine-like stuff is at the north end of Death Valley and seems very invasive to other plants. From a distance it is quite vivid in color, but up close doesn't do it justice.

Death Valley Flowers... Macro Style!

2010-03-30T20:40:00.000-07:00

These are little tiny flowers, no bigger than a dime at most!

Happy Birthday Chris!

2010-03-29T11:37:00.001-07:00

Hi Chris... a message/blog JUST for you:

Happy Birthday to YOU!

Happy Birthday, dear Chris.

Happy Birthday to YOU!

Hope you have a fabulous day!

Some pictures from Beatty!

2010-03-23T20:32:00.000-07:00

This is a snapshot from a video that I took today of how a truck's load of asphalt is dumped in front of the paving machine. I will try to figure out how to make it a video later. Maybe. Our first day of paving went extremely well! YAY!

This is a shot looking into the valley towards Beatty.

This is one of our trucks hauling rock in THREE trailers at once! Only in Nevada!

Another shot of a truck with three trailers...

Beatty!

2010-03-21T15:56:00.000-07:00

We're back in Beatty... and very busy and very happy to be here! No time to upload or find pictures. I tried to get one from a picture but it's taking too long. Hope you're all well! The flowers in Death Valley have not quite bloomed, and the trucks start paving Tuesday... just in time to drive the tourists crazy who will have to drive slowly behind loaded trucks! Ah... timing is everything!

Random Pictures...

2010-03-12T19:41:00.000-08:00

This hawk has begun to visit our "turkey" tree every few days. So beautiful!

This is one of the truck door "stickers" I made using the Cricut machine... I used yellowish vinyl on top of sparkling green backing to cover up our sign with S & A for our Lessee. This is a shot from a distance...

and this is what it looks like close up! I LOVE using this machine!

I like this picture of Jeff washing the windshield... hope you do too!

Too busy...

2010-03-02T06:06:00.000-08:00

Morning all... life is too busy to blog! I'm at home for now, and moving into a different desk at work. We have added a new office person! YAY! The rain continues to wreak havoc on our jobs, but we're hanging in there. I have a new toy phone... the Verizon Droid! Wow does it make "walking" on the eliptical machine a lot more fun! I am able to go 25 minutes on the eliptical now... and getting "off" afterwards is an event because I'm always so wiped out... but I am excited to be able to get moving! Thank God (literally) for the 12 steps to the apartment in Beatty and the 32 steps to the condo in Cabo! Love to you!

Wasco

2010-02-20T22:50:00.000-08:00

We are in Wasco... still... our job started and then stopped due to expected rain. Life is good... greetings to all! Thought you'd like to see this picture from Cabo this year. Wendy and I posed with our "toes in the water, a** in the sand, not a worry in the world, a cold beer in my hand." Those are the lyrics from a fairly new country western song chorus... it's a fun song that is all about vacation in Mexico until the last part when the singer is home, and he's back at the lake with his a** in the lawn chair, toes in the clay! Ha... can't find the picture! Next blog!

A bit of Cabo

2010-02-08T21:24:00.000-08:00

Here we are having a lobster/fish/steak FEAST...

We shared one pitcher of margaritas... and it was CRAZY good...

Jeff hanging out at Cerritos Beach while Wendy was surfing (well, trying to surf)...

My beautiful new bracelet we found in Los Todos (the site of the Hotel California)...

More pictures soon! Adios!

Home from Cabo...

2010-02-08T10:40:00.001-08:00

We're home... and wish we were NOT home... love the warm weather in Cabo! Will post pictures when I have time. Love to you all!

Can you guess???

2010-01-14T21:07:00.000-08:00

Hi all...

2010-01-12T16:13:00.000-08:00

Ugh. Too busy to blog... but just wanted to say hello. We relocated the RV today to the "dry" side of the shop. This is a good thing, as the fog is SO thick it collects on the roof, runs to ONE side, and drips onto the floor making a huge mess. The green slime on the walls should have been a clue. Oh well... at least the RV is hidden better now, and I can see the mountains in the distance while working. Yay! Sunsets are so pretty here... I'm going to post a picture one of these days. Job still has not begun... Mexico is calling our names... but we can't leave early! We're going on January 29th to a friend's house in Cabo San Lucas! YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYYAYAYAYAY! Wendy and Ron are going with us again, also. Should be wonderful... bye for now.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T15:37:00.001-08:00

Wow... I whine when you guys don't post new stuff... and I've been too busy to play online lately! We're at work today trying to get ready for the move to Fresno/Sanger. Wish I had a magic wand... love you all and hope 2010 is a better year for all of us!

We are SO BLESSED... and SO LUCKY!

2009-12-13T10:17:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of the driver's side tires on our 28' enclosed car trailer. We packed up my Tahoe full of clothes and office stuff and Christmas presents and then drove it inside the trailer for our trip home. A couple of weeks ago we ordered new tires from the local Beatty Tire shop, but the wrong kind came in and they didn't reorder or something... ANYWAY... we made an appointment in Las Vegas to get four new tires at 4:00 p.m. Long story, short, we left late and then had to drive slower than we expected. It was amazingly windy and the trailer really seemed to be swaying easily. At one point I suggested stopping to check the tires, but Jeff pointed out that we were on a tight schedule. We continued on, calling the tire shop and they graciously agreed to take care of us as long as we arrived before 5:00 p.m. At 4:50 p.m. we go stuck in 0-5 mph traffic due to an accident on the 95, and called the shop to let them know they were off the hook... We then made the decision to stay at the Mirage since we were hungry and we knew they had good parking for the beast of a trailer. As we made our way through town, people starting honking at us and pointing toward the trailer... we knew something was up, but continued on to the Mirage, thankful that we knew how to get there. Little did we know how EXTREMELY fortunate we were...

After greeting the Mirage Security Guard with a smile of relief, we proceeded into the special over-sized lot to park. When Jeff got out to see what was up, this is what he saw....

We felt God's special protection... and we feel so lucky to be alive and well... we will NOT be leaving Las Vegas until we are able to get our four new trailer tires. YIKES! 'cause we'd probably still be out there! LOL! We figure the tire probably shredded 60 miles out of Vegas when I wanted to stop and check the tires... just as well we didn't We checked in to the Mirage, which was buzzing with Saturday night activity! We were given another room on the 24th floor... love it... and after settling into the room had dinner at their Buffett. YUM! After dinner we went to the Sports Book Bar (???) and watched the National Rodeo Finals on three HUGE big screens... there were cowboys everywhere! It was fun to be there for awhile with the crowds so enthralled with the rodeo. When we went back up to the room I was taking pictures of the Strip and got this one of me by accident... pretty cool, huh?

This morning it's beautiful outside... and we can see the dolphins from our room... almost like being in Mexico! (NOT)!!! I must get on with the project of finding tires... what an adventure!

Moving out for now...

2009-12-12T09:01:00.000-08:00

We are packing up to go home for Christmas (via Las Vegas for tires; Camarillo for a service truck; and Fresno to find a spot to call "home" for the next job)! Jeff is at the yard taking care of stuff and I am getting ready to go crazy in the apartment packing our clothes and office paperwork. We're leaving the "bones" of the apartment for when we return in a month or so. I found another geode this morning... it's bigger, but not perfect, and the "stuff" is bubbling out of one end. It's almost yam shaped. I don't have time to post a picture of it today. I feel very emotional about leaving Beatty... there is something very nice about living here. It's so relaxing in so many ways! Hope you're all well... love you!

Snow in Beatty... a little bitty bit!

2009-12-07T18:24:00.000-08:00

My biggest geode yet...

2009-12-03T20:14:00.000-08:00

I'm sick... with a miserable cold!

2009-11-30T08:49:00.000-08:00

Wow... back "home" in Beatty... with a cold that is rotten. I sure enjoyed seeing everyone, and just enjoyed truly the best granola I've ever had! Thanks Mom! Enjoyed playing cards with Greg, Janet, and Eli... and they even conspired to allow me to win! Such nice kids... NOT... I won fair and square!!! Went up to a new restaurant for lunch at Emigrant Gap exit; the food was fantastic but it was a bit cool and a bit slow. Really good food, though. Picked up another 100 rocks or so yesterday afternoon, and found my BEST and BIGGEST geode so far. It's about 2 inches wide... fun! Well, time to work... with this cold and all... hope everyone has a great week!

Happy 52nd Birthday to ME!

2009-11-24T07:21:00.000-08:00

It's a cold, beautiful morning in Beatty, Nevada! I'm happy to be 52... it's a strange age that's starting to sound a little bit OLD! Still waiting to grow up and be mature... my friend Paula sent this Cat in the Hat on Aging poem... and I LOVE IT! Too funny... hope you enjoy it also! I'm grateful that the poem really doesn't apply to me yet, by the way... but someday... AHHHH!

No new job for ME... Jeff get's a hair cut...

2009-11-21T10:55:00.000-08:00

Last night... the before shot after a LONG day working outside in the wind at Owen's Lake...

BUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.... he's never had a cut quite like this one... sorry honey... but I do love you!

I've never cut hair with clippers before... and Jeff's hair has NEVER been quite so short!

Rhyolite Angels at Sunset and Amazing Rock Maze!

2009-11-20T20:51:00.000-08:00

It was really beautiful late today... so I zipped out to Rhyolite to try for some pictures... these are the Angels of Rhyolite.

This is a rock maze... and I want to duplicate it in our front yard! Wouldn't it be awesome... wait... amazing? I have collected hundreds of rocks, both small, medium, and large to create a fountain at home, but I really like this maze and want to do it! I love finding beautiful rocks... and have a special hiking stick/rock picker that makes it SO much easier to pick them up.

Terry Fator in Las Vegas!

2009-11-16T15:12:00.000-08:00

We spent Saturday and Sunday night over in the Las Vegas area... had fun poking around Hoover Dam Saturday after buying a closed car trailer to use as a portable shop in Boulder City. Stayed at the Hacienda Casino and had a lousy $10 special anniversary Rib-eye steak dinner. Oh well... the room had a nice view and the casino was almost smoke free! Sunday we drove around with our new beast of a car trailer (24' long) until we decided to ask the Mirage if they had oversize parking available... they did... and after dropping off the trailer it was much easier to just drive around Las Vegas not doing much of anything but looking around! When we checked into the Mirage I asked the girl at the front desk for the "most romantic room available if at all possible." She put us on the 25th floor overlooking the strip... it was amazing! Thank you so much to the front desk person! She also sent up a bottle of (horrible) champagne... it was the thought for sure! We saw Terry Fator perform... he's the ventriloquist who does impersonations also... HE WAS AMAZING AND AWESOME AND SO GREAT! We were in row 2 on the aisle in the first two seats. Terry Fator won America's Got Talent in 2008... and seriously... he is worth the money. Great show... enough babble... hope all of you are well!

Beatty Burros! FINALLY!

2009-11-13T21:21:00.000-08:00

Well, tonight after playing Turkey Bingo to support the Beatty Volunteer Fire Department we were heading for the Sourdough for a bite to eat when I saw one of the wild burros heading into the park! Right through the gate! I quickly grabbed my camera, and tried to get a shot, but he was too quick. I hopped back into the car and began stalking the burro... determined to get a picture! He left the park and headed down the street... QUICKLY!

He was really moving along...

He went down an alley... and I drove right behind him... and when he dashed around the corner there were three more burros... pulling trash out of this dumpster and EATING it... as you can see if you look closely! Now we know why there is always burro poop around the dumpsters... we thought people were just sloppy when they dumped the manure!

It didn't take long for the group to head down another alley which was NOT accessible to me... and we are really livin' large now that we've seen the burros of Beatty!

Happy Birthday Janet

2009-11-13T09:33:00.000-08:00

Happy 20th to niece Janet! LOVE YOU!

Day of the Dead in San Francisco

2009-11-11T12:37:00.000-08:00

Belated post... many thanks to Rich and Chris for "googling" and talking me into the right area! I was stopped by a policeman just a couple blocks from the park... and "had" to watch the entire parade go by right in front of me! It was amazing! There were thousands of people, and yet I was able to find Julie, Gay, Greg, and Iris in the throngs! Amazing!

The group plus one... don't know if he was with them from the beginning or a "new" friend from the parade!

Note: I have Grandma Irene Towle's black felt hat on my head... long story... but it was with me so I wore it and thought of her!

Greg and Julie inside the altar... it was truly beautiful... when I left Greg was playing his guitar and singing with Iris... so special!

Feeling Great!

2009-11-07T18:47:00.000-08:00

Wow... I feel so good it's amazing. Spent yesterday afternoon napping and relaxing, went to bed at 7 p.m. last night and got up at 8 a.m. today. Nice lazy day today! Took the bandaging off and everything is good. It's a little tiny bit sore... but no worse than a scratch! Yay! Really happy to be home enjoying the gorgeous fall colors and crisp air... back to Beatty in a couple days!

Surgery

2009-11-06T11:52:00.000-08:00

This morning I had a mass removed from what I would call my armpit (the surgeon swears it's still part of the breast). After surgery the report was "99.99% certain it is benign" straight from the doctor. Yay! Yay! and Yay! I can hardly stay awake to type this... love you all... Jen is here... good to have here...

Home for a visit~

2009-11-03T22:55:00.000-08:00

Yup... home. Ahhhhhhhh...

Beatty Days!

2009-11-01T07:19:00.000-08:00

I am so lucky! I got to be a Judge for the Beatty Days Parade! It was fun and I wore my Judge Ribbon and button all day (the ribbon is blue and was blowing in the wind in this picture). The other Judges were Renee (pronounced Ree-knee), a lady who lives 10 miles north of Beatty on a ranch, and the REAL Judge in Beatty, Gus (I forgot his last name). It was really, really, really fun. Oh, these are my new glasses that go dark and light by themselves. Quite handy!

Carolyn getting a big kiss from one of the bikers... she drove into the motorcycle only area just for fun!

Red eating Bar-B-Q for lunch... it was YUMMY!

I like this flag bearer, who served in the Navy a LONG time ago. He was wearing his own original uniform. Pretty impressive!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2009-10-31T08:38:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone has a frightfully nice day....

Another GREAT nephew or niece on the way!

2009-10-29T16:09:00.001-07:00

Yippee! I'm going to be a Great Aunt again next June! Congratulations Brian and Sarah... such exciting news! Why hasn't anyone else been blogging this news??????

WIND IN BEATTY, NEVADA!!!!!

2009-10-28T11:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon I went to town...

and could NOT believe the dust...

blowing all over the place! I did walk 1/2 mile with my hoodie sweatshirt tight around my face!

This morning when I looked outside this was all that was left of my neighbors American Flag!

It is TRULY incredible to experience this much wind!

Titus Canyon

2009-10-24T20:58:00.000-07:00

Greetings all... for the record, I took 258 pictures today... LOL... and didn't even know it was a competition until the day was over and Rich made a smart remark about making sure he had taken more pictures than me! Hee Hee Hee... I won! The drive was truly amazing and beautiful... Jeff drove through Titus Canyon and then I drove through Death Valley. It was a great day!

We stopped to take this picture... it was truly this close!

Richard looking good...

Dad looking good...

AMAZING rocks surrounding the road!

Richard climbs Mt. Richard...

2009-10-24T07:49:00.000-07:00

This is the view from our Beatty apartment... and Rich decided he was going to "take a little walk to the top of the mountain" yesterday morning... He left with his camera and cell phone (but no water we found out later).

After a couple of hours (and a couple phone calls saying he was okay) we drove out to the base to give him a ride back! CRAZY MAN!

To the auction and back...

2009-10-19T07:08:00.000-07:00

This is Mr. Ritchie of Ritchie Bros. Auctions! I asked him if I could have a picture with him, and he hopped right out of his pickup so the background would be pretty. Fun! We bought three double bottoms trailers at the auction...

Lindy in front of their house in Fernley.

On the drive home somewhere between Fernley and Tonopah... Don't these mountains look FAKE? They're not! By the way, I am in love with a little puppy in Tonopah... wish I had taken a picture of HIM... his name (my name for him) is Tony Paw... and I really want this dog. Whining??? Yes.

This is Kayla's kitty... she was gone all weekend and he was in her window patiently waiting. The picture doesn't show how HUGE this cat really is... he's amazing!

Never purchase a used rental car...

2009-10-15T08:41:00.001-07:00

Chicken tostadas and our Apartment

2009-10-14T19:49:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Beatty...

2009-10-11T09:35:00.000-07:00

Loren visits Beatty

2009-10-08T09:34:00.000-07:00

Loren and Me...

A shot of the moon last night from the apartment walkway...

Sunrise from our apartment stairs...

The morning view from the apartment walkway of the "B" on the hills above Beatty...

Beatty, Nevada

2009-10-03T21:43:00.000-07:00

Google Beatty... read about Beatty... and know that we are so far out in the boondocks it is hilarious! We've been CRAZY busy this week... but sanity seems to be close. Going to bed in a few minutes... the earliest yet this week. I flew in Monday (lost my cell phone on the plane or in the airport and already have it back), and after taking care of some business in Las Vegas drove the 120 miles (one way) to Beatty. Went back on Tuesday, Thursday, and today! Went to Pahrump yesterday (only 77 miles one way). YUCK... I'm sick of driving! Our apartment is okay... will post some pictures soon. Love reading everyone's blogs...

Weekend in Fort Bragg...

2009-09-27T15:31:00.000-07:00

We picked the BEST time to be at the coast... cool and wonderful weather! Our RV is on the left of this picture, and Andy's is on the right. We shared his spot with the doors opening towards each other. It works!

Alex concentrating on getting his hotdog just right...

Andy relaxing in the cool weather... just right for a sweatshirt!

This squirrel came right up to my feet to get some bread... so fun to watch!

Camping in Fort Bragg

2009-09-25T14:42:00.000-07:00

Greetings all... I'm enjoying cool, crisp, fall weather in Fort Bragg! Andy, Alex, and I are camping in Fort Bragg this weekend (Jeff had to travel to prepare for our big out of town job). We had separate sites, but I moved into their site because there was space and it's better that way. We're going to go to Glass Beach shortly... they've never been there and I haven't been down to the actual beach for at least 5 years. Hope everyone has a great weekend! Love reading the blogs!

The Comet's First Car Show

2009-09-19T09:24:00.001-07:00

Jeff and I, along with Ron, Wendy, Noel, Ignacio, and Sammy, enjoyed our first ever Car Show last night! This one had no entry fee... you just showed up and parked in a blocked off parking lot. There was a band playing oldies and hundreds of people just walking around looking at the cars. There were trophies and prizes... but we didn't get one! I typed a "story" of the Comet... and people who read it and/or talked with us were thrilled that we had a car that had been in the family since the beginning! Rich, I can't thank you enough (and Chris, too) for letting us have the car. It brings us such pleasure! We take it to lunch a couple times a week... although I whine about the heat (just can't win). Agghhh... my Blog won't let me add pictures! I'll try to edit and add later...

Fire on Road A

2009-09-16T16:41:00.000-07:00

http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/ukiahnews/ci_13347164 Here is the link to the newspaper article... We are so grateful...

Laura is 22!

2009-09-04T20:36:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow or Today (depending on when you read this blog), is September 5th 2009. It is Laura's 22nd Birthday! WOO-HOO! Happy Birthday to my precious daughter (who doesn't read this blog, but I figured all of YOU would call Laura if you got this reminder).

Richardson Grove

2009-09-04T20:29:00.000-07:00

We're here, and having a great time... I swam 3/4 of a mile in the Eel River today... We're going to Shelter Cove tomorrow for the day. The campground is starting to fill up; when we got here late late night there were only around 20 campsites with occupants! This weekend is sold out! Crazy! Hope everyone has a great weekend!

New tires on the Comet...

2009-09-01T20:26:00.000-07:00

We put four new beautiful white wall tires on the Comet today, and cruised down State Street to the new place in town... Be-Bops! Love this car! Many thanks to Rich (and Chris)for allowing us to have the fun of putting the car back together and having fun with it!

My speech on you tube...

2009-09-01T09:51:00.000-07:00

Well, here is the link to me speaking at the protest on Friday, August 28, 2009. Well, I can't figure out how to link... so try searching for "Shellie gets the word out on the California Air Resource Board" in the you tube search box...

Protest in Sacramento

2009-08-26T19:25:00.000-07:00

I'll be in Sacramento this Friday for the Tea Party Patriot sponsored PROTEST from Noon to Four on the Capitol stairs... watch for me on the news... LOL... I"ll have a sign of some sort way up in the air on a long pole, and Wendy is driving over A11 for the day (it's a green truck and will have no trailer). FUN!

Gary's Dad, Jack Krohn

2009-08-20T12:44:00.000-07:00

Just want everyone to pray for Gary and Liz and Gary's family as they mourn the passing of Gary's Dad, Jack. He was a really nice guy who really liked to talk... therefore I really liked HIM!

My own goldfish... but red!

2009-08-16T23:04:00.000-07:00

I decided I had to join Janet and have my own goldfish... and found this red one right here in Ukiah! Actually, this is a gift for Janet to keep her goldfish company... or to wash dishes... whichever comes first! I have now finished swimming 30 miles as of today! Yay me! Have a great week everyone...

Scenic Byways Link for Driving...

2009-08-04T07:45:00.000-07:00

I found this cool website this morning, and thought some of you might like it. It's a map of scenic bypass drives to take... enjoy! Here's the link:

http://www.byways.org/

Little River Airport

2009-07-30T23:42:00.000-07:00

We just finished providing over 40 trucks for two days and 53 trucks today for paving the runway at the Little River Airport. I spent three nights at the Sea Foam Lodge... in glorious cool and foggy weather! The job went very well, and I am exhausted. However, I am also WIDE awake and can't sleep... irritating!

20.25 MILES

2009-07-26T20:10:00.000-07:00

Y Yippee for ME... I have finished 20 and 1/4 miles as of today! SWIMMING miles, that is... 10 1/4 since July 10th... trying for 10 more by August 10th... SO EXCITING!

Still swimming...

2009-07-18T13:04:00.000-07:00

Nothing too exciting around here, except I am still swimming. The last two nights I have swam 5/8 mile and 3/4 mile, and when I'm in the water I feel fantastic. I am beginning to have noticable strength in my left knee/leg... yippee! Wish I had been swimming all these years since that stupid car accident. Hope everyone is well...

One mile at a time...

2009-07-06T17:56:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, July 4th, I swam ONE WHOLE MILE plus two extra laps because I counted wrong... I am psyched... and surviving the agony felt AFTER swimming one whole mile. If I could only stay in the water forever life would work well for me. Yesterday was Wendy's 40th birthday BASH at Lake Mendocino... pictures soon. Today I swam another mile and then received the VERY SAD news about Gem. My prayers are with Gay, Gus, Janet, Greg, and the rest of those who loved Gem. What a huge bummer, to put it mildly. I love you ALL...

Swimming, swimming, swimming...

2009-06-29T12:32:00.000-07:00

Sure do love to swim during this hot weather! I have completed a little over five miles so far, and today plan to begin swimming a half mile at a time. Woo-Hoo! Last week I "rode" the exercise bike one mile before swimming... and survived! So exciting! Not to much new here... work, swim, enjoy life, that's all!