Home on the range

Mom and Dad Hanis came to visit this week. It was great to see them. We had a great visit, hanging out.

The only day I had to go to work on the visit, the men decided to walk the wheel line on the lower 40, where Sid and Nica made an exciting new discovery.... Zach and dad couldn't figure out what the dogs were chasing, and then decided it was probably a paper bag that had was blowing in the wind, as all they could see was this flitting white and black. When blam the dogs hit the ground as if they had been shot, and started rolling in the grass. Wimpering and rolling. The men ran to the dogs to make sure they were ok, but could only get within 50 ft of them when they smelled it.... SKUNKS!! Nica and sid got to see the bottom of the watering trough, dad and zach got a bonding experience, and I got a pass... one day I was glad to be at work. Turns out the remedy is, 1 bottle of peroxide, 3 tbs baking soda, 1 tbs dr. bronners soap, avoid the eyes, rinse thoroughly.

It's looking like a nasty storm is on the way, they are calling for snow this week, and so many of our plants are already in bloom... I will be busy putting buckets over my favorite flowers today.
We are planning a ho-down for Z Scott's 30th birthday on August the 23rd... a Saturday... Hope to see you here.
love Z and R

Sunday River Maine

Zach just got back from Sunday River Maine, where he took 2 of the students he had been coaching all season to compete in Nationals. They had a great time. The college put them up in a pimpy hotel by night and by day they terrorized the ski slopes of Maine... You can see how frightening these 3 Cali kids must have been to an unsuspecting east coast. See them at the base of the abominable snow-woman? We're told it's the worlds largest.

John Villani getting ready for the big race.

Becca racing down the slopes

Victory, they came home with 2 medals. John Villani took 3rd place in Giant Slalom and Becca took first place in Giant Slalom. Not bad for a little unknown Northern California College from the town of Weed.
It was a great way to end the season, and it went off without a hitch, except for the flat tire in the rental car that eventually led to missing their plane, which led to the great race from Maine to Boston, to Salt Lake City, to Sacramento. Which ended in Mt. Shasta early in the morning, completing one of the longest days of Zach's life. We are headed up to Bend in 2 weeks, hope to see all our Oregonian homeys...
lots of love, ZandR

these are a few of my favorite things....

The first flowers from our garden.



My new friend Dawn and her boyfriend John, are introducing me to climbing.



my first 5.9, yeah