New Arrivals at the Garahana House!

I know, I know. Some of you were probably speculating as to what the new arrivals could be? Obviously, unless we are adopting (not happening), a baby would be out of the question! No new puppies allowed either. Cracker would be crushed since he has "only child syndrome." The new additions are some baby hummingbirds that have taken up residence above our front door! They are so cute and quite messy! Who knew something that small could have such active bathroom habits! What ARE they eating??? Larry has worked so hard on our garden. I think word has spread throughout the hummingbird community that this is the "must see" spot because I cannot believe how many there are. At any rate, we are enjoying watching these tiny creatures grow. Talk about overcrowding. I don't know how they fit in that little nest! We'll be sad to see them go, but you have to let go sometime!

Hiking is Addicting!

I got this brilliant idea to take advantage of the beautiful scenery Utah has to offer. OK, so I have only lived here 20 years and this has just now occurred to me. I'm a little slow, people! Larry (my willing and able partner in all of my harebrained ideas) agreed to a Sunday morning hike. We decided upon Dog Lake because in my quest to be near water, I like the sound of anything that has "lake" in it! The day was beautiful. The hike, although marked "easy" was definitely challenging! We dodged some bikers who barreled down the trail (and I saw my life flash before my eyes). The flowers were so beautiful and there were butterflies, small animals, and ravenous insects everywhere! I made a mistake and commented to Larry that I felt like I was in better shape than I had been in a while. Boy, did those words come back to haunt me! The last .6 miles of this hike are on a steep incline. I huffed and puffed, exclaiming "My kingdom for some oxygen!" My pulse pounded in my ears and to top it all off, I became paranoid about the insects whizzing around my head. It sounded like a bug airport and I was the landing strip. Now, this may give you the impression that I didn't enjoy the hike. You couldn't be more wrong! When we arrived at the lake, I felt like Rocky climbing the well known stairs! I had made it and I didn't break anything, have a heart attack, or get carried off by a large flying insect. Ironically, when we spied the lake, we noticed there were many people (including kids in strollers) which made us question how they managed to make this hike so effortlessly. Apparently, there is another way to this lake that is much easier. That's OK, we were cianotic hiking warriors!!!! Take an easier way, not us!!! We enjoyed a delicious lunch and watched the dogs swimming in the water. We felt like bad parents because we didn't bring Cracker. Of course, that probably made us responsible parents since Cracker would have annoyed the crap out of everyone. The lake was such a great spot, it was hard to leave. Of course, that may also have been because our legs were now like jelly! The trip back down was definitely easier except for my lovely prat fall over a root. Luckily, Larry inadvertently broke my Chevy Chase worthy fall and wondered why I was falling into his back! The sound of the traffic, as we got closer to civilization made me sad. It was a grueling hike for us, but it was invigorating and Larry and I immediately started making plans about where to go next. This time we went on a 3 hour hike, next time maybe we will be even more ambitious. Larry suggested we try this hike again later as a gauge as to whether our hiking fitness improves. I heartily agree. Now we get to log 3 hours of exercise for our Salt Lake Get fit. Cream O' Weber, watch your back! We're coming for you, if we can get up!!!

The Infamous Cracker Dog!

I just had to put these pictures up of Cracker. I know he is just a dog, but don't tell him that. If you are ever having a bad day, just looking at Cracker's face will immediately change your mood. He is the little brother Jordan never had and he fights with him too, just like a sibling. "Mom, Cracker stepped on my foot, on purpose!" He also sleeps with him every night. He is Dylan's wrestling partner. You should have seen them on the floor the other night. If dogs could laugh, I would swear Cracker was laughing his head off! Dylan and Cracker have a love/hate relationship. Cracker will ALWAYS pick Dylan to whine at because he knows it will irritate him the most. He is the most playful with Kyle, who likes to make him run like a crazy dog through the house. I do believe though that Cracker is truly in love with Larry. The way he looks at him with such adoration, I'm wondering if I should be worried! Cracker is the family greeter whether you like it or not. He is also the look out, which is why I put up these pictures. He spends half of his day looking out of the window. As long as you leave the blinds up for him, you will have no worries. I know he is "just a dog," but I wouldn't trade him for the world.

Bonneville Shoreline/Red Butte Trail

Yesterday, Larry, Michelle, and I went on the Bonneville Shoreline/ Red Butte hike. This was to add more bonus points to our Salt lake Get Fit. Those Cream O' Weber teams are really getting to us! It's a dairy for heaven's sake. How can they amass so many points? OK, so perhaps we are getting a little too involved with this thing! Jordan passed on this hike because he was recuperating from his Velocity speed training. "Mom, it hurts to raise a sandwich to my mouth!" Leslie was stuck on the road. We timed this so we would be there for the sunset. I have to tell you, this was no leisurely walk. I had already worked out for almost 2 hours and Larry had worked out for 3! Like I said, we are a little overzealous. The trail was about as confusing as it could get. This walk was supposed to take 30 minutes and it took us at least an hour. I know we are slow, but not that slow. The communing with nature was the best though. We saw many birds, a deer, and some stink bugs (huge) that were ready to strike at the first sign of provocation! We got on the wrong trail many times even though our resident geologist was responsible for making part of this trail when he was in college. Amid all of the questions, "Where are we going? Does this seem right? Are we lost?" I have to say it was so much fun. I believe it was the witty banter of Larry and Michelle, as well as just being outside. There is nothing like some good company to make your day complete!

Salt Lake Get Fit

My friend Michelle had a brilliant idea to form a team and join Salt Lake Get Fit. We are proudly called "The Wanna'bes." Our team members are Michelle, her daughter-in-law Leslie (who just had a baby), Larry (because he is game for anything), Jordan (the youth factor), and myself. Although we are getting our butts kicked by everyone, this has been a great experience. It has given us a reason to get out and MOVE. We have walked at quite a few new venues since you get points for going to different walking trails in Salt Lake. We are all more competitive than we care to admit. Even Jordan hasn't complained and I am sure he is just thrilled to be hanging out with a group of "old farts" (except Leslie). As long as you promise him a trip to Starbucks, he is in! We all look forward to our walks and we are exercising like mad so Cream O' Weber doesn't show us up too badly! The goal is the 5K in September. I hope my knees can take it.

Oh no, I'm becoming a blogger!

O.K. so I have succumbed to the age of technology and have officially joined the ranks of bloggers. I tried to ignore the call, but alas, here I am blogging for the very first time. First I become an avid cell phone user and now this! What has my life come to? On the up side, at least I have a place to write that doesn't require too much preparation and angst. Today's blog may be tomorrow's great American novel. I guess you have to start somewhere! Now you have a glimpse into the lives of the Garahana Clan, whether you wanted one or not!