Noble Moments: July 2019

Recapping July 2019

Canada Day

Poutine... with a few substitutes... excellent onion rings though!

Trip to the wilds of Jackson Hole

There's wildlife in the grocery store!

Had a quick driving tour. It was a tad crowded only 2 days until Independence day.

SURPRISE!!

Visitors to the officially dubbed 'Barn and Nobles'

the paint on the sign was barely dry when it was hung and unbeknownst to anyone but me, 14 guests were en route.

Cousins

Games and games and a few more games...

and plenty of food!

Boat races

Should become an annual tradition. Highlight of the summer!

Geese / Pond

After many grueling hours of digging, a pond was established within view of the house.

the geese approved.

Emerson B-day

He requested a pumpkin cake.... that's it.. no gifts, no activity plans, no special meals..

He is such a delight!

Wyoming Beach

ICY cold waters.

Gritty sand.

Hours of fun... for most.

Cooper and Derek visit

Cooking skills, construction projects and a little indoctrination into British comedy.

Cub Scout field trip

Small towns yield many a recognized person wherever you go... or in Emerson's case... an "Oh my. I know who your daddy is!!"

Life continues... Saturday Night Live

More projects tackled

No more leaky greenhouse roof. Now we just need a dedicated fowl home.

Sunsets

It is a common complaint of mine that the house is facing the wrong direction and needs better windows. There may not be much to see here... but what there is to see... I want to see!

Trees... in a dessert.. freezing and predators..

I will prevail. So far, 12 of 18 trees have survived... scrawny as they may be.

Tavaci Singing

Summer music camp. Not what we expected, but the littles didn't complain. They had a great time.

Nail biting deadlines were met! Whew!!

Branding

A few late spring calves needed to be branded. Typically this is done weeks earlier, but weather and other tasks kept pushing it off..

A much larger calf is a much more challenging branding. Also more dangerous. A few close calls.

Kalyn and Kyra

Visitors. I exchanged Grandma, Cooper, Derek and even Duncan for two young ladies.

Such a different visit. They spent a lot of time stargazing, watching sunrises and sunsets and enjoying the tranquility... when they weren't playing with the littles.

County fair / Pig wrestling

Ooey, gooey, fun.

Emerson and Zaydee competed and know what to do better next year!

A few mishaps...

The summer was not without its downsides. Whittaker stepped on a nail, Emerson had a rough day.. tripped and fell onto the metal steps and then fell up the porch and scraped up his shins.

Duncan had some sort of flu and Grandma discovered that thin Wyoming air exhausts her.

Caleb's Birthday

He surprised us with a visit. So of course we made lava cakes again... and this time... they were perfect!

Must have been warmer overall... only two cups of hot cocoa.... on Emerson's and Caleb's chilly July birthdays.

Cooper and Derek visit

Projects always continue...

But they didn't look much like work this week.

Fortunately.. play definitely looked like play.

Food never ends.

Boys who eat, should be boys who cook.

So they did.

Ahoy Matey...

There was a lull in the festivities...

not really but we created one.

Sparky suggested we do a group activity and I concurred. We announced boat races in one hour..

I opened the craft cupboard and the teams formed and the creative juices began to flow!

Team Teenagers

Three teams pictured here.

Team Lizzie, Team Boys with Uncle Sparky and Team Tree, Nana and Nora

Team Lizzie

Team Smug Engineers

Team Memo and Team Nova were not photographed.

On your marks!

Get Set!

Let 'em GO!!!

I would just like to interject that in all the mayhem of the one hour to be ready for the races, I helped people find glue, tape, popsicle sticks (they had to eat the popsicles first), paper plates, pool noodles, and other craft supplies. I was also taking photos and gathering chairs for spectators. My late entry boat was scoffed at for its simplicity.

Team smug engineers had tested out their floatability before hand ... it still didn't help when they were bumped off course into the weeds.

The boats moved along at a good clip so boat launchers had to quickly get out of the starting line waters and hurry along beside.

A great deal of encouraging words were called out to the boats.

A fair bit of friendly banter was also bandied about as boats sailed along...

note the simple tub in the lead!!... Team nova for the win!!

As the boats approached the 'white water rapids' section of the course, there were some worried boat builders.

ummm....

Capsizing boats

Caught on the weeds

Knocking other boats off course...

It capsized!

oh no!

No amount of pleading helped Tree coax his boat to flip back over.

It's all good... It sails just as well upside down... how versatile.

Team Teenager's boat fared best on the rapids, even righting itself and sailing upright... if not backwards...

Another blockade held up a few boats, giving Team Teenager, Team Memo and Team Tree Nora a lead... wait... where is Team Nova!?

Some stayed quite a while in the detritus.

All loosed from the rapids, the race was on again...

Team nova was still in... just floating along completely submerged!

The final stretch!

Final judging at the finish line...

The final approach.

Last bits of encouragement... and a bit of trash talking might have also occurred.

A final burst of speed overtook the simple barge....

WINNERS !!!

upside down, and sustaining the loss of decorative parts, but first to reach the finish!

Much debate over location status based on ability to traverse the 'rapids' and speed isn't everything. One boat stood out as staying upright and making it through the rapids unscathed... it just lacked speed. Others lost decorative pieces and ran upsidedown, collided with others knocking others off course and being knocked into the weeds..

(Note the callus treatment of Team Nova's barge!! I will have to speak to management.)

An hour of creativity led to an hour of delightful 'riparian entertainment'!

REMATCH!!

Three races later, numb feet and waterlogged boats headed back to the house.

Other than requests for annual course bank grooming... tough on bare feet... and of course a bridge over the creek would be appreciated.

It was so much FUN

We'll do it again!!

When 21 gather

Duncan mowed a baseball diamond in the hopes of a game. He couldn't have predicted such a hilarious kickball game. The dog chased the ball, the terrain was uneven and uphill on the last two bases, and there was so much laughing!!

Giant Jenga came tumbling down. Grandma only jumped out of her skin... a lot. but laughed with each tumble. Techniques were discussed and strategies were definitely in play.

Speaking of strategy! Giant Chess... Strategy for this game was supervised and suggested, but mostly it was just for fun!

Croquet anyone? A full on game never got in to full 'swing', but there were multiple attempts at a few rounds. Typically at the urging from a younger fellow.

Emerson's Birthday Party!

Saturday was all about fun and what better way to have fun than to have a birthday for a SEVEN year old! It was only 3 days early and he was soo excited. He requested a pumpkin cake. We also made a lemon cake for feeding the masses. Lighting the candles outside didn't work too well but finally success and singing and cake all around!