Wrapping It All Up...

Thank you for all the topless love from yesterday...After careful consideration (uh-huh...like there was any chance) I will remain, as always, dressed for the blog (oh, I checked, and the word boobs didn't show up as anything...but the word hurt comes up as 3x now, along with the word knife...whatever) AND I don't think I want to get more popular that way...Plus, I'm sure my mom has some saying about fast girls, or topless girls...or getting the milk for free (not that I think I'm a cow, but I DO happen to think that my mother may have the power to ground me still, and I have a lot planned for this weekend, so I don't want to be spending it in my room) Although, I'll let you in on a little secret: there's always been some part of me that has wanted to have tasteful pin-up pictures made of myself...I love pin up girls...You'll be the first to know if that happens though...



One day last week, we went out hiking in The Dells...

This was one of Niko's first rock hiking in The Dells experience. He did great, of course he had a wonderful teacher!










In fact, after this entire experience...Niko has been telling everyone just the perfect techniques to climb rocks, including:

• Putting your hands in the right spot...and finding places to use your fingers to help pull yourself up
• Finding the right spots for your feet, giving you good grip and the ability to stand

Niko was very proud of himself (of course, we all were) and Mama did quite well, as she slowly got used to the idea of the boy hiking and striking out in front of us with just Rich as a guide...

Seeing as the girls were lagging behind from time to time, giggling and being generally girlie...







And, we did stop from time to time to enjoy the view...

I especially love this picture, cause it reminds me of an album cover...







AND...

Lucky me, because I was invited to visit the area again last night for some evening shots...

where it was determined that the moon was actually rising before the sun was setting...

so, we struck out for some wonderful moon shots...


























And...that's about it for the High Country as we wrap up yet another week up here...

This weekend is the grand 4th of July extravaganza Prescott Western/Cowboy style...


I have my boots polished...and yes, these may be titled "the cowboy boots I wear once a year" because as there is something romantic about the whole cowboy lifestyle...they're danged hot, and not as comfortable as one would imagine. Plus, I don't work on a ranch, or own a lot of land...I can ride a horse though, very well...but it's been a lot of years...I don't know how to rope anything or shoot a gun. I could probably be tied to railroad tracks though, by a villain...

but, I would expect to be rescued by some gallant man in a white hat...ohhh, and one of those really great vintage gabardine outfits from the 1940's?

Swoon.

Tomorrow morning is the Frontier Rodeo Day Parade...or whatever they call it (I know, I've actually been in every parade in this town at one time or another...the perks of living here for such a long time really...ohhh, the kiddie parade is this morning, I almost forgot...although it always makes me cry...damned sentimental me) And, I'm trying to decided weather or not to giddy-up over to the World's Oldest Rodeo...which happens to start tonight and run until the 4th. I've only ever been one time in all these years, but had fun...well, at points, there's just some things I don't think are that great.

OK...Have an amazing weekend...and I'll be back to post with tons of stuff soon...