Tuesday, January 27, 2026

For Alex - Fill to me the Parting Glass

Fill to Me the Parting Glass - from the movie Waking Ned Devine.  A traditional Scottish and Irish funeral song.



Of all the comrades that e'er I had
They're sorry for my going away
And all the sweethearts that e'er I had
They'd wish me one more day to stay.
Since it fell into my lot
That I should rise, and you should not
I'll gently rise and softly call
Goodnight and joy be to you all!
But since it fell into my lot
That I should rise and you should not
I'll gently rise and softly call
Goodnight and joy be to you all!
So fill to me the parting glass
And drink a health whate'er befalls
Then gently rise and softly call
Goodnight and joy be to you all!



Wednesday, January 21, 2026

January 15, 2010 and A Little Music.

 First things first.  A little music.

Music to live by.  

There's something happening here...

Buffalo Springfield was a Canadian/American band.  Their song, For What It's Worth, was a hit in January of 1970.  



Just because - January 15, 2010.  
We were able to hike to Green's Falls that year wearing snowshoes and then our yak-tracs, as there was very little snow.  When I say "we', I mean Neil and Ann Wimberley and Jon and I.  Neil took most of these photos and they're great!

  I am guessing that you could do the same this year and might not need the snowshoes.








I have several other photos taken over the years, of people either standing or sitting in front of this tree but the majority of them were taken in the spring or summer.   The trail drops down into the bottom of the falls here.  It's a steep drop.


It was a once in a lifetime hike. 

Who knew that 46 years later these songs still applied.

Ohio - Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.  

Sunday, January 11, 2026

You've Got to Know When to Hold 'Em...

 I'm finally getting around to posting photos of our Christmas 2025.  We had a lot of fun and due to our very light snowfall and warmer than normal temps, the drive for everyone was mostly uneventful.  That always makes me happy - not needing to worry about slick roads.   

Collin and Abby were missed since Abby's work schedule was a conflict.  There's so many of us and it keeps getting more difficult to make things work with everyone's schedules.  

We ate a lot of good food, exchanged gifts and played a lot of games.  Dylan entertained us playing my guitar and he also tried Jason's new ukulele, very quickly learning to play Somewhere Over the Rainbow.  

Here's the reveiw:

The White Elephant gifts lined up for the exchange.   The rules are: numbers are drawn and you are allowed to steal a gift or take one that hasn't been opened. 



Jason with his new ukulele. 

Ben dressed up with his bomber jacket.


This item was on Dylan's wish list.  Pyrex no longer makes them. 





Melissa with a handmade necklace/scarf.  Very unique.


Jon with his new work of art called, Egg Thief. 
 


I tried to get a photo of the intricate work in this piece of art.  It took multiple shots. 

















Edgar, the goose, returns.  One should never choose the largest box in the white elephant exchange...


Lady gets very special loves and hugs. 








Melissa won the prestigious Cougar Creek Peace Prize this year.  Congratulations!


 Neil joined us for some poker.  It was a lot of fun.  "The gambler he broke even... You've got to know when to hold 'em. Know when to fold 'em.." .














The blue angel at 53.  She looks good.  























A ceremony was held and everyone received the prestigious Hope Peace Medal for 2025.  


Edgar on his way home to Missoula.  Whew!  He's not staying here.


January 3rd, 2026 and there's not very much snow on the mountains. 


The snow exception would be the Mission Mountains. 

Lady says, "Have they left yet?"   

                       

In reality though, Lady absolutely loved getting all the attention from everyone.  She was pretty worn out after a couple of days because she had to keep track of everyone.  It's a lot of people to herd and make sure they're in the right place.  After they had all left she took a three-hour nap.


Enjoy The Gambler, by Kenny Rogers and Happy New Year 2026!