That Alarm Button is TURNED OFF!

Wow.

Today is May 26.

The last time I wrote anything was May 3.

Well, that’s not entirely true. I actually wrote a post about 2 weeks ago that didn’t get published. It wasn’t very fun or exciting, so I put the ax to it and sent it away…

Not that today’s post will be any better.

I’m simply too exhausted to be witty and clever.

Tired. Tired. Tired.

It feels like I’ve been running 100 mph in a gazillion different directions, helping with this and that and that and this.

I need to learn how to organize my time a little better.

Don’t get me wrong!

I’m not complaining…. at all.

I have a good life. We’re all happy here. Just a little tired.

But today is THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!

Yippee!

Hurrah!!

We made it through!!

And I’m turning off my alarm. And I’m sleeping in tomorrow.

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The past several weekends, when Max comes home, have been refreshing and fun times. We’ve been to My National Park twice since my post on May 2 and have had fabulous times.

Max whisked me away for Mother’s Day weekend while Steck stayed home with Inigo. (Very grateful for her!) It was a wonderful weekend even though we were plagued with terrible weather and ANOTHER flat tire (up to that point it was our THIRD this year!)

(And yes, I said, “up to that point” because we had ANOTHER flat last weekend. Yes. It’s true. We’re having terrible luck.)

(Oh. and two of the tires were unable to be repaired. They were shredded.)

The last two trips to “The Park” we’ve been fortunate enough to see bears. Both black and grizzly.

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This is our “selfish bear” from Mother’s Day. We were the only people that saw it on the hill and we didn’t tell anyone that walked past us it was there. We pretended that we were looking at a small herd of bison that are just to the right of the pic (you can’t see them). We fooled a few people too!

hehehe

But then some students from Quebec walked by and saw it and we were doomed.

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We saw three bears last weekend. We went up just for the day with Shack and Little Miss DooLittle. Poor Stinky was stuck at home because he was sick.

This is OBVIOUSLY a grizz. What’s crazy is that he is walking through a campground that is currently under renovation, so the road into it is closed. About 30 minutes previous WE were walking around this same campground –down that same road - looking for restroom facilities. I’m going to try posting a video of the bear walking across the same log that Inigo had walked on.
We need to remember to carry bear spray with us….

These next pictures tell a story. Can you tell what the story is? Look closely….

In the center of this picture, do you see the coyote approaching the mass of brown on the ground ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well that mass of brown is a carcass of something big… an elk or bison… and the coyote is hungry.
It wants a bite.
But why isn’t it getting closer?
Why is it moving farther away?

Look again! Where is the coyote?
What do you see popping up from the carcass?
Is that a big brown head with ears on top?
(I believe you can click on the image to get a closer view.)

Oh! A bear has already claimed its prize!
And apparently the bear didn’t go to kindergarten because it’s NOT willing to share any of the nourishing, rotten meat it’s chewing on.

The bear has returned to his feast.
You can see the coyote is trying his approach from a different side now.

This poor coyote is going to have to find a rabbit or mouse or something else to eat. The bear has finally chased it away!

Who knows?
Maybe the coyote can find a meal in this…
A Yellow Bellied Marmot!

This is the 3rd and final bear we saw as a group last weekend:

Look closely.
Can you see it?
We made a joke that we were looking at
“BEAR BUTTS.”

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha

Here’s a better view:
He’s obviously a black bear.

What’s sad/scary/extremely gross is that right after we were making jokes about “bear butts” we came upon a car that was pulled over to the side of the road. We thought the occupants were looking at this gorgeous creature:
(Can you see the velvet on his antlers? What a treat for us to see it that close!)

We quickly realized that that’s NOT why they were pulled over. A woman from the car was crouching on the side of the road, and RIGHT AS WE DROVE BY stood up to reveal her pants were down around her ankles.
Yes, she decided to take a potty break right IN FRONT OF EVERYONE!!! She wasn’t hiding behind any trees, or bushes or even along side her own car.

Now, that’s gutsy and obviously disgustingly gross for those of us who were forced to witness her exhibition. (Also, it’s not like My National Park doesn’t have strategically placed facilities throughout the Park. You know…. something that has walls, doors that lock, etc. etc.)

It gave a new meaning to our previous joke.
”Bear Butts” quickly (and sadly) became “Bare Butts.”

UGH!!

On Sunday evenings when Max has to drive back to New Florin, he can now drive through The Park and cuts about 2 hours off his driving time. It’s quite pleasant and it means he gets a weekly trip through.

Yes, I’m jealous.

Sunday night as he was driving in the rain and dark, two more black bears ran across the road, in front of his truck.

That brings his weekend bear total up to FIVE!!!

Amazing!

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Somewhere in the middle of all this wildlife viewing we also took a trip to State Capital to see the musical, Wicked.

We also went with Shack, Little Miss and Stinky.

It was everyone’s first time to see it and they were thrilled. Everyone loved it.

Me?
Can you believe I’m going to say this?
It was just okay.
I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t as thrilling as when I saw it before.
I guess you can’t compete with the first time.
Maybe it’s because I knew the story and I knew what to expect.
Maybe it’s because the stage was so small.
The auditorium is just a bit bigger than the auditorium in our new high school.

Don’t get me wrong.
I was happy to go and happy to have that experience with my family (Inigo went to a friend’s house during the show) and friends.

It was just….
DIFFERENT.

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With school ending here are a few things we are looking forward to:

* Inigo’s first piano recital. He’s so ready he’s bored.
* Finishing up baseball season. At least half the games so far have been cancelled due to rainy/terrible weather.
* Helping my parents move. This was a quick decision. It’s happened in the matter of about two weeks. Sadly, I haven’t had enough time to help the way I’ve wanted to or they’ve needed me to. Here’s hoping for more free time!
* Continue with rehearsals for “Oliver!” We’re spending a lot of time learning choreography and lyrics as well as playing piano for Wednesday’s rehearsals, but we’re having a LOT of fun!
* Work on marketing for the play. My job is to create posters, fliers and contact media to make sure word gets out that we’re performing it. Oh. I’m also in charge of our theater company’s blog.
* Pack the house. Yes, I’ve still got to go through the entire house; clean it; pack it and plan on a fairly massive garage sale later in the summer.
* A quick trip to OR for our niece’s graduation.

Here’s hoping there will be time for an occasional blog posting too!