My insanely talented family, emphasis on insane

My family's got talent! Here are pics of the first, but I doubt the last, Family Talent Show! Fun, funny and inspired. Pictures from bottom to top:

1. Juggling act: My brothers John, left, and Jim. Impressive!

2. Song and dance with Grandpa Tom, nieces Teya and Irelyn. Accompanied by nephew Eddy doing fart sounds. Hard to describe. You just had to be there.

3. Juggling act II: my nephew Dan and his daughter Teya. The boy has skills. That's also Lorie's head in the lower right. She has soccer skills too but was too shy/modest.

4. Standing room only.

5. Obligatory cute baby picture. Delaney didn't need to perform, she entertained just being herself.

6. Here's my other nephew Danny juggling a hockey puck. SuperStar!!

7. Nephew Eddy hits one OVER the fence!!!!! That's not easy to do with a wiffle ball.

I think this definitely sets the stage for the next talent show: 2011 reunion in RC??

Ever feel like you're being watched?

Eerie, right? These trees just outside my parents' apartment are called Quaking Aspens. In the top picture you can see my parents' sliding door, red flower in pot sits outside. I didn't see the eyes in their trees until the second or third visit. Now that's all I see.

Quaking Aspens are all over this part of the country. The round leaves are built to respond to wind. In even the slightest of breeze, the leaves bend and flutter, giving the tree the appearance of movement. Thus, their name: Quaking Aspen. You also can hear the leaves fluttering.

The trees also are noted for their horizontal black scars. The scars on this paticular batch of trees are LOOKING at you, WATCHING you. I have decided to think of them as guardians of my parents. LOOKING out for their safety, WATCHING over them in a good way.

Quaking Aspens. I think they got a raw deal in the name department. They need a tougher name. How about Watchdogwoods? or Rattler Tree? or I'll Kick Your Aspen Tree?

Any way you look at them (looking back at you), they are beautiful.

Trade offs

There are many differences between Arlington and Missoula. Things I like better about Missoula and things I like better about Arlington. Recently, however, my i-neighbors account has blown up with posts about burglaries in my neighborhood. My own car was broken into about 2 months ago. That's one of the bigger differences between Missoula and Arlington. Crime.

It's about trade offs. I don't get to go to the store and leave my car unlocked or window down, (as I did in Missoula), but I do get to call the police department and be told they don't come out for car break ins and if I want to make a report, I .... wait a minute. That's not a trade off.

I get a little confused when I visit family in this gorgeous part of the world. It smells great. You feel better. You WANT to ride a bike or go hiking all the time. My family are decent, hardworking people. Some are wonderfully eccentric. I am proud to be part of this family. The distance doesn't seem to matter after a couple of days. I feel like I belong. (I can express all these feelings because none of them will ever read this).

After while, though, something seems to be missing. Do I really miss the horrible air quality days when we're told to stay inside? No, that's not it. Do I miss the traffic? No, but to be honest, Missoula has its own traffic nightmare as in Reserve Street. Perhaps I miss the sweltering heat or the occasional gunfire? Naw.

Of course what I miss is home. As corny as it sounds, home IS where the heart is and my heart is in Texas and a part of it currently resides in Rhode Island. So, until we all live in the same area, which likely will be never, I will do my best to make all family reunions and to visit in Missoula more often. It is my second home, after all.

Deer Lake, Washington

Caught a wild turkey flying... it was in the yard as I walked up and started running, then... flying! I didn't know turkeys could fly. Deer Lake is about 30 minutes outside Spokane. John took us on a boat ride around the lake - check out the great tree house with two bears climbing up to the house. Wow. It dipped into the 30s. 70s during the day. Nice.

Annual planting

John put mostly my mom to work planting/potting. John lives outside Spokane on Deer Lake. He has remodeled his home there, added a 300 sq. foot deck on stilts, just redid the bathroom, kitchen floors, etc. It looks great. We ate, walked, mom and I shopped, played games. 99 and Farkle. Best of all we had dinner with Jason, Jill and Ayden. CUTE family. Ayden is sharing his Hummer with Addison for two years. Two years because Jill is pregnant and Ayden's brother or sister will inherit the Hummer. Nice.

Where I spent my early years

That's my brother John walking up to the former Lochridge homestead in Spokane, Washington. Back then it was a branch of the YMCA. My dad Frank was the proprietor and we, then four kids, benefited by having the coolest place in possibly the whole world in which to grow up. We could open our front door and take off exploring in the surrounding woods, go swimming in an outdoor pool, skate in the winter on the pond our dad made AND ride horses!!!! Of course not when the grounds were occupied by Y people. But there were many times it was just us family.

John surprised me and my mom by turning into the old homestead. We were on our way to his place at Deer Lake. As soon as I stepped out of the car, I got a blast of pine tree. Washington, as John says, is the Evergreen State. So true. We all enjoyed walking much of the property, recalling where the horse stables were, utility facility (one with chimney, still in original shape), pool, etc.

I was an older toddler when we moved in and lived there until I started kindergarten. I have specific memories: learning to swim, riding horses, exploring the property and nearby grounds with older brothers. One thing that has always stood out for me was the merry-go-round. In one of the pictures, you can see my brother John standing next to a skeleton of the wonderful merry go round. It was thrilling to be there. My life there set the stage for who I am today.

Today the property is managed by a Lutheran Church. I'm glad they are taking really good care of it.
Thans John!

Back by popular demand!!

This is Lola Lochridge. She made my first blog a couple of years ago, the anniversary trip. She and Coco in Lakeside.

Lola belongs to my brother Jim and his family: Dawn, wife, and kids Eddy and Danny. But mostly, I think, she belongs to my brother. She is such a remarkable creature. With Lola, looks can be deceiving. She is a large dog and when someone approaches the house, she will let them know she's inside protecting her family. A low growl with bark. It's her job. That's her purpose in life. That, and accompanying my brother to work. Work is driving miles and miles to appraise property. Then fishing. For Jim - and Lola - fishing is as important as breathing.

But get this: Lola has an agreement with her family. She won't mess up the cool backyard (where she is pictured above), if they take her running somewhere every day. I am not kidding. No pooper scoopers at this house. Not needed.

Lola is truly a one of a kind doggie. So loving and so sweet. And, she doesn't poop in the yard.

I want a Lola.