Going to try to do this quick and send tonight as tomorrow is so busy for us. And Laura will send this on when she can.

Temps in the high 70s rather than the high 90s or more makes for a very welcome change.

Got some laundry done while I wrote. Outside until the sun got too insistent, then switched to the bedroom desk. Until my Surface went a little wonky. Where’s my IT guy? Why’s he’s right in the other room!

Strange little blip, which after some head scratching the very handy Jason fixed up for me. But enough work anyway. I had a very nice session in 2061 NYC while Kat got a facial, BW fiddled with photos and Jason did foundation work.

Then I deliver some laundry to Kat and discover she’s painting a triple—three images from photos taken here, with the same backdrop of mountains. Our big-ass gorgeous longhorn steer, a lovely horse and a mighty buffalo. This is going to be so cool. She has three canvases going at once. I can’t wait to see the final result.

Jason and I toss a frozen pizza in the oven for lunch—BW’s doing a pb&j and Kat’s clearing up leftovers. It works!

I worked out, did laundry, wrote for a couple hours. Now I can settle in with my book and some champagne on the back porch where the breeze is lovely, the quiet perfect.

After awhile BW comes out to read, too. We hear this weird clicking, clacking—not like an insect—bigger than that. I have no idea what animal we had out there. Not a bird, different than a bird. Then we hear a honk I’d have sworn was a goose, but that doesn’t seem quite right either.

We give up and take a walk. Kat’s painting, Jason’s foundationing. We wander down the road, up a trail. BW’s legs are a LOT longer than mine. I’m eating his dust. Literally.

Still, it’s a good hike, pretty views. And the woods here are so different from mine at home. These tall pines, the dusty ground, the sparse scrub and little purple wildflowers. A lot of what I think of as mini Christmas trees. Desktop size.

We meet a woman and her son on the road who’re here for a couple of days, from New York. A long way to come for such a short visit.

Time to get ready for dinner. We give on-foot Jason a head start, then mosey (Kat speed) to the car and drive over. The air has really cleared—the mountains are crystal clear.

Lots of kids and families at the restaurant and yard today. A lot of kids on the stage platform outdoors—so dinner and a show as they play, cavort, climb, jump. I wander while we wait for our order and see these adorable cowgirl boots—kid size—kicked off on the grass. I hear a boy being dressed down for hitting his sister with a beanbag. I try not to snicker.

I get a little pasta from the kid buffet because mid-day pizza has done it for me. Such a pretty sky all spread out before us while we eat.

A long dinner tonight, mostly due to huge families and groups, but there’s that sky.

We’re home and taking a break before going back out to see the meteor shower shortly. I’ve changed into sweats and a warm hoodie because, boy, does it cool off at night. Low of 49 coming tonight.

We saw Mars burning red on the drive home, and we think Venus, possibly Jupiter, too—all so clear in the sky. So we have big hopes for the meteor event. We won’t be staying up till dawn—we have Missoula on tap for tomorrow, and we’re not night owls on this trip.

All in all, a fine, productive yet relaxing day. With the possibility of a celestial show in an hour.

Then it’s bedtime so we can gear up for a day of shopping.

We’ll be sending you good vibes, Laura!

Nora

In today’s #randomkatness:

The Montana gang should be off to Missoula within the hour, I’m off on my own adventure.  Thanks for the good wishes everyone.  I’ll be back tomorrow to pick up where we left off. Because I, for one, can’t wait to hear if they saw meteors! ~Laura

Another pretty day with no real plans makes a nice vacation.

Jason’s doing code on his computer, Kat and I are puzzling, and BW is trying out the new drone I got him for his birthday. Fun for all.

Time for lunch so a walk for me and Jason. It’s warm enough I wear sturdy sandals—but do so without thinking of the dusty road or tiny little stones. Still, you kick the stones out and all’s well again.

There’s a huge buffet at lunch—so many choices. A lot for somebody like me who usually dines on Cheez-Its* for lunch at the keyboard. Some salad, a big hunk of fried chicken, some fries. I can manage the salad and about half the rest. It’s so nice to eat outside, with the view, the breeze—and a little sparkle to top it off.

It’s an easy, lazy meal—with Jason walking back toward his 12k goal for the day. (I’ve already passed that :))

More puzzling, BW at the living room desk reviewing the tutorials on his new drone. I decide to sit outside for awhile, with more sparkle and email.

I smell gas. I’d smelled it the day before, but we couldn’t find the source, and it went away. But catching that smell two days running? Time to call and report it.

A couple of guys are here in minutes, and I leave them to Jason. I can hear them outside, checking this, checking that. Then I hear male groans and laughter.

The gas smell turns out to be a dead mouse under the cushion of one of the porch chairs. Very glad Jason was in charge! Dead mouse and cushion are taken away.

The mystery is: Did the mouse crawl under there to die, or did some predator tuck it there, thinking to come back for it later?

Either way? Eeww!

I have to say the staff here is everything you could want. Friendly, efficient, informative. Kat needed a folding table for a webinar she’s doing for the foundation—and they brought one (BIG) lickety split. I had trouble with the DVD player, and they’re here dealing with it quick and easy.

At meals, the waitstaff is just lovely, and everyone looks happy. It really adds to the vacation mood.

Kat and I puzzle some more—we’re close to done on this very challenging and really pretty project. But it’s time for dinner.

Kat decides she’ll attempt the walk with Jason—and since at 30 weeks, she moves slow, they leave well before us.

We’re at one of the cabanas tonight in The Yard, with that magnificent view. There’s a little boy, probably 18-20 months, and his big sister—maybe five. He’s trailing her, and she’d stop, look back and make him bust out with that fabulous toddler gut laugh.

Over and over again.

Kat and Jason make it shortly after we arrive.

I don’t want a big meal—had that at lunch. Not after red meat. I get the kids’ menu, and it’s perfect. Pizza!*** A little green salad to be a good girl.

It’s good pizza, and really filling. They need to box up half to take home. Hey, breakfast!

It’s already dusk—and really cool by the time we finished. Cool enough I go out for the hoodie Jason left in the car—known on this trip as The Car Hoodie.

It’s too late for the walk back, so we all drive—and the sky is glorious. Red and pink spread over the mountains with that dusky blue above. And all the fields charmed by that softening light.

Time to finish our puzzle, so satisfying. And as this one came with a quiz/hidden object deal we’re into that. Jason helps out here. You’re looking for the name of an artist—we’ve determined Raphael by the clues. And once you answer the questions you’re looking for things like keys, an eight, a cardinal, a turtle and so on.

We find some fairly easily, but are defeated by others.

Bedtime—but a few minutes for me outside. We’re not in Texas, but the stars at night are big and bright.

Up for my morning routine. Check in with the world, up to the loft for a workout—which I capped off today with a really lovely yoga session.

BW and Kat head over for breakfast while I’m in the loft, return just about yoga time. When yoga’s done, Kat calls up she’s found the other objects in the puzzle.

And she has, though God knows how she found that damn turtle!

BW’s drone practicing. I think Jason might still be asleep. I’m going to clean up, have some cold caffeine and think about what I’ll do with the rest of the morning.

Nora

#foodarama

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In today’s #randomkatness:

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* This is true.  I’ve seen the evidence. 
** A close runner up for today’s #randomkatness
*** Nailed it! I get the photos before the copy and called this as Nora’s dinner.
Laura

A doing pretty much nothing day—perfect for the first full day of vacation.

Gorgeous weather—cool mornings and evenings, HOT afternoons, clear skies and a whole lot of quiet.

Jason and I walked over to meet Kat and BW for lunch—a good, long walk down a dusty path where horses had obviously been. You can see for what seems miles, fields of that western green, clumps of dusty green sage, then we hit the center where they keep the horses. So many pretty, pretty horses, cropping the fields, or hanging out in paddocks.

And onto the restaurant where both Kat and I get the grilled cheese. It needs a much less humble name. Thick slices of garlic toasted sourdough bread with (my choice) of melty sharp cheddar. I can manage half of mine—it’s huge!—BW has part of the second half. And since it’s vacation, I’ll have a huckleberry sparkle with that.

Stuffed, Jason and I walk to the shops where BW and Kat have driven as BW wants a bike. They have poker playing raccoons, good for a smile (Not actual raccoons), and I need a belt. Spot a Jason shirt—it just says Jason, so get the shirt, a nice belt. BW rides his bike back, Kat and I drive, Jason walks.

Then it’s a fine time to sit out and read awhile, have a bat nap to go with it.

We’re going to the Tuesday barbecue, so take our time getting cleaned up. I think about walking, but hey, I already have 20k steps for the day. I leaving the walking to Jason.

In what they call The Yard, the have tables set up, a pavilion holding tons of food. Lots of salads, lots of sides, herb roasted chicken, pulled pork, beef, taco makings. Nobody’s going to go hungry.

We tuck in very well, and enjoy the live music—and the side yard full of kids getting pony rides, playing soccer, tether ball, playing corn hole, getting a lesson on roping from a cowboy who’s so delightful with the kids. So dinner and a show.

It’s a seriously beautiful evening—warm, but not oppressing, a lovely breeze, a soft blue sky.

There’s a family at a table near us, and the youngest is a little girl of about three—blonde, a ribbon in her hair. She’s having the best time.

And as it’s BW’s birthday, the waitress brings over a couple scoops of huckleberry (what else?) ice cream with a little candle.

Mostly our family has a deal—no happy birthday stuff in public, but we break the rule—keep it low key. But apparently Happy Birthday is the little girl’s favorite song. She’s delighted.

At one point I started to walk down some steps leading to the side yard, and they fired a starter pistol. The kid races behind me: Fireworks! She’s sure that’s what the little crack meant. I say, Fireworks? And she grabs my hand, pulls me down the steps, eager to share her joy. She points to the sky, instructs me to watch, and when no fireworks appear, she’s not the least concerned. Time to run back and have fun with something else.

I found her utterly charming.

Jason opts to walk back—good for him—and we drive along, watching the sun—a hot red ball—sink over the western peaks. Cattle, horses, buffalo—a white-tail deer. I decide to enjoy the romp of the deer as she’s not the one who ate my hostas.

And there are longhorns—gorgeous, big, in shades that make me think of Appolusas. We want a picture of the big guy, so BW gets out and obliges—and catches one of the grazing buffalo in the background.

We’re told the sky will be loaded with stars tonight, and Mars will be visible. It’s just dusk when we settle in, so Kat and I decide to start a puzzle. BW puts on some music, and we hang very well until dark.

It takes awhile for those stars to light up, and our view is too obscured by trees to show us Mars. But once that sky lights, it’s damn impressive.

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We get a good start on the puzzle before bedtime.

I hit vacation routine in the morning, catch up on the world, then head up to the loft for my workout. The DVD player gives me a little trouble, but that finally resolves. A solid workout gives me 10k steps and a good upper body session with my traveling resistance bands. A stretch, and done.

A long, hot shower, and I’m ready to face whatever the day brings. It’s cool enough this morning for a hoodie as I write this on the back porch. I may go in, do some puzzle, grab my book, take a walk.

I think I’ll write a little tomorrow because it’s starting to tug, but another day of doing pretty much nothing sounds good first.

Nora

I’m adding a new section this year: Food-a-rama to showcase different parts of meals.  Unless Nora specifically describes something (like the huckleberry sparkle) I’ll keep the photos here.  You know, we could have a drinking game: when you spot a huckleberry, take a shot! Laura

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And now, what you’ve all waited for: today’s #randomkatness: