Three-thousand, twenty-nine miles and seven states later .

A little glimpse of the hearts, hugs, smiles -The sweet family and good friends that make these miles seem so short !

Here are the thousand words showing the trail to Colorado, Montana and Idaho.

A fresh new morning, greeted by black-eyed susans and couldn't wait to get to Gary, Karen and Brady's

I had a little detour. I was accompaning the Oakridge Brothers singing "American Beauty" and whizzed right by I-70 and didn't notice until I had "American Beauty" refined . . . clear up at Nephi, Utah. I had to go through Spanish Fork. As Gary reminded - Think of the country I would've missed if I hadn't passed the offramp! Sure enough I saw a 24-hour bait vending machine in Spanish Fork and I had never noticed Soldier's Summit quite like this before.

Finally arrived!

So happy to be with Gary, Karen and Brady!

Brady getting a ride-in-a-bag :0)

After supper I told Brady that I could play with him after the dishes were done. He asked how long so I showed where five minutes from now was on the clock. This is Brady patiently waiting for five minutes to tick away. Very patient for an active little guy!

A good nite Pooh story narrated with an excellent Eeyore voice by Papa-bear.

Karen whipped up delicious peach pancakes Sunday morning.

Mmmm, homegrown peach pancakes!.

Putting a lid on leapin' lizard's home

Brady was totally absorbed in bubbles and water here ... I wondered if I was witnessing the brilliant beginnings of an engineer...

Brady reassured me just a few seconds after this shot by attempting to dump this bowl of water over my head. (He came very, very close to wet auntie success!)

The brilliance is balanced by orneryness!

and a huge capacity for laughter and giggles!

Viewing the world through a bubble

Karen working in the hearty garden.

Brady brought Mama-bear some cool water.

A beautiful walk through the red rocks

Watching bees coming and going from their red-rock hive

This is a collage of the lizard catching process ( You can see the quick little guy falling in the lower right pic... Don't worry he ran off back up the wall)

Face to face

A belly full of beautiful blue

Fragrant craggy junipers

I liked these "Hoodoos" that Karen pointed out...

Scout appreciating some cool water
A bootiful family portrait :0)

Brady catching up with Mamma-bear
Walking together

Coming soon the pictures of those great days with Loretta in Montana

and the lovely time with Don, Gaylene, Bobbie Jo, Cecelia, Joey, Jaxie - Tyrell and Danae and Ben in Idaho

By the end of the trip I learned how to eat on the road with a little help from Goo-Goo's :0) Astonishingly nourishing !

The trail home from Saint George . . . last taste of big, blue-sky beauty.

Sweet Colorado brother peaches via Montana Mom

Momma-bear went to Montana to celebrate Uncle Dave's 90th and met up with Retta-bear, Gary and Brady-bear .

. . . and Gary brought a lug of sweet Colorado peaches!
Mom brought a sample home and there was one that was still good ( maaaaybe a liiiittle fizzy, but delicious) Here's a picture of the good one... It didn't last long! Thank you Gary-bear!

I wonder if I should implement this brandy recipe so I don't waste a drop?

Peach Brandy Recipe
An old Pennsylvania Dutch Recipe. The recipe will make 1 quart. Begin in August.
Pits and skins from 20 peaches
1 cup sugar
2 cups hot water
Fill a quart jar with pits and skins (make sure that you wash the peaches before peeling). Make a medium sugar syrup. Pour boiling sugar syrup over peach skins and pits to within 1 inch from the top. Seal. Bury 8 inches underground until Christmas. If possible put hay in the hole and around the jar. Strain and serve.

and Morro Bay

Happy to be together and running for fish n' chips.
Long John Silvers?

No waaaay!

Concentrating, coloring kids at Dorn's Breakers Cafe

Morro Rock and the bay through the cafe window.

Note: the nice pot of grasses and lambs ears. This place has beautiful plants. I'd better go back quick so I can get more pictures! :0)

The Morro Bay Aquarium - Small, quaint and fun

Seth being generous with the fish for the sea lion and harbor seals.

This is the noisiest sea lion in Morro Bay ....

Aarrr Aaarr Aarr . . .
(echo/reverberate) Aarrr Aaarr Aarr . . .

another reason tourists don't smuggle sea lions home.

Neil saved Curtis from the barks of the sea lion and made a friend for life.

The lower decibel zone

Some sea creatures are adorable

. . . and some are eerie!

Ffffish are fffantastic!

I knew I was a lucky duck when the Thiessens offered me a ride . . .

because in the Thiessen cadillac . . .

it is always ice cream time!

Where the pelicans, gulls and otters play

(Click pictures to enlarge)

A pelican picture with a prehistoric flavor.

Pretty guy isn't he?

" Sunny today with a chance of pelican skies "

Beautiful,

sparkling,
sparkling seas . . .

Even tho' seagulls be common and sometimes messy, There is something alert and playful about 'em that I like!

Sighting sea otters !

Diving to the sea floor for supper

Pounding the shell open

Knawing,

Chawing,

Munching,

Crunching

(the water carried the sound of the otter's crunching nicely!)

Yum, Got the wrapper off

The otter pounding the shell on a rock on his stomach -

and slurping up the insides of another at the same time

Sea otters have to eat 40% of their body weight daily to thrive!

.
Rolling in the sea water to clean off the pieces of fish
Otters playing like kittens


Oh, for the life of an sea otter ! Warm sun, soft thick pelt, a great blue ocean and a belly full !