Annual Arkansas Week-end with Cabin Group: 2013

Each February, our group of road-trip warriors head for a week-end together somewhere in Arkansas. This year it was at Azalea Falls lodge between Kingston and Ponca, near the Buffalo River. The weather was quite nasty, but we had a great time with great friends. The view out the back of the lodge was the most spectacular waterfall (actually series of waterfalls) I have seen in Arkansas. We figured out we have been doing this for about 12 years and still going strong. We have also had a few group trips to Colorado during this time. Anyway, enough experiences to generate our own set of trivia questions for a hilarious round of Cabin Group Trivial Pursuit. This all started with almost year-round road trips to various competitions as all our kids played club, high school, and college soccer. We just can't get the road-trip out of our systems - especially when we're able to get our fix with such a fun group. We have quite a time for a bunch of old folks!

Elk herd near Ponca

Azalea Falls

 

Friends

Twins' Reveal Party

 

Although Ben and Myka knew the results of the ultrasound on Wednesday, they were somehow able to keep a secret until the Reveal Party at her parents house Sunday afternoon.  Excitement was building and the betting was active before the announcement - boys? girls? or one of each?  The grandmothers had the honor of cutting the cakes and blue (x2) led to lots of cheering and smiles.  Then Ben and Myka made an announcement: according to the physician, in all likelihood the boys will be identical.  Double Tabor trouble.  We're truly blessed and so excited!  Ben and Myka are very touched and appreciative of all the support and interest of their friends and family.

 Almost half-way

 Proud, happy parents-to-be

 Rick checking the winners of the pool, Janice and Charlcie with mouths wide open, and Ben securing the cake

Blue (x2)

Thing 1 and Thing 2!

 

it gets loud!

Christmas tribute

Melancholy, beauty, reverence, respect, pride, love. Emotions apparent during a visit to the National Cemetery. Thanks to the volunteers who place the wreaths at Christmas and the flags on Independence Day! Impressive tribute to those that have shouldered the sacrifice. Update:  found out after the fact that my brother Steve was able to place the wreath at our mother's marker - they allow family members to participate in advance - which makes this extra special.

Christmas on Trout Lily Lane

The Happiest Christmas

This Christmas was special, considering our recent news that Ben and Myka are expecting twins this summer. We are obviously very excited and looking forward to spoiling grandkids in the future.

Feathered friends at White River Valley

We see plenty of wild turkey in our area, sometimes as many as 30 at a time. We have seen owls fly in front of us when driving at night, but this barred owl was near the road at dusk and we were able to stop, observe, and photograph. This was when Ben and Myka were here for our Christmas, so we all got to enjoy!

Thanksgiving 2012

We were fortunate again to spend time with most members of our families at Thanksgiving this year - but didn't take many pictures. Did get an opportunity to let Ben take some shots with my new shotgun - enjoyed being outdoors on a beautiful Ozarks fall day.

Morning fog off the river at Trout Lily on the way out of town

 



 Getting ready for target practice

 



Dads visit

We were fortunate to be visited by our Dads back-to-back. We finally got Charlie over here to see our house for the first time and we were also able to celebrate his birthday. And, we were able to get my Dad up here to fish his favorite spot before the winter weather arrives. We wish that they were able to make it up here more often.

 Happy Birthday Charlie

Papaw hooks another one

Pheasant Hunting in South Dakota

Through prodding of Bob Crider and Steve Wilson, I agreed to join them and some other fellas on my first-ever pheasant hunt. This is an annual event for these guys, but I had never bird hunted, haven't fired a gun in 50 years, and had just bought a 20-gauge that I had not shot until the first day of the hunt. I agreed to go, but thought I would do more photo shooting than hunting. Turns out I had a great time and actually bagged 5 birds - not a big tally for serious hunters, but very exciting for me. I enjoyed the camaraderie, the food, the miles of walking through some challenging terrain, and watching the dogs do their magic. I hope this becomes an annual event for me. Jim Faulstich at the Daybreak Ranch in Highmore, SD, manages an amazing working ranch of 8,000 acres and is a great guy to be around while guiding us on our hunts - knowledgeable, organized, humorous, humble, and the consummate professional - makes you come away feeling like a new friend.

Steve Wilson and Sally 

 Morning briefing for the day's hunt

 Suppertime at the farm house

Goose migration

 After the hunt: Elliot Vanderstek, Jess Vanderstek, Jack Mays, Jim Carroll, Steve Wilson, Me, Vic Anderson

Moe and Buck

Maine: Acadia National Park

Spent a couple of days in Acadia National Park just outside Bar Harbor. What a special place. One of the highlights was a carriage ride on roads and bridges specifically built for this purpose by the Rockefeller family back in the 1930s - we traveled a portion of the 50+ miles and viewed a few of the unique bridges - all through the most picturesque countryside.

 Jordan Pond

 Hike around Jordan Pond: 3.4 miles

 Hike around Jordan Pond

 Granite bluffs around Jordan Pond

 Cadillac Mountain

 Bar Harbor from Cadillac Mountain

 Bright and Belle, with Katie at the reigns

 Carriage trail bridge

 Carriage trail bridge

 

A week in Maine: Bar Harbor

One of the things on our bucket list has been an autumn visit to Maine. Fortunately, my brother Ronnie and wife Sally invited us to join them on such an adventure. We spent a week at a great Bed & Breakfast in Bar Harbor. We were able to walk just about everywhere and enjoyed many fine meals, the fantastic scenery, the beautiful harbor with all the boats, and ice cream after every meal! This place seemingly has an ice cream/frozen yogurt/gelato vendor on every block and we were only too happy to oblige. Maine produces over 90% of all wild, low-bush blueberries in the country, and being a big fan of blueberries, I had to sample most of all the edibles/drinkables which contained them. We spent a lot of time in the amazing Acadia National Park, and made a day trip to L.L. Bean corporate headquarters in Freeport. We had a terrific week!

B&B with decades-old Japanese maples flanking the entrance

Main Street Bar Harbor

The Harbor

Verona Island bridge and observatory

Verona Island bridge and observatory

Cousins visit!

We were very happy to be visited in October by some of our favorite people: My cousins Eva from Ogden, UT, Mike and his wife Laura from Whitewater, WI, and their daughter Sarah, of Pittsburgh, PA. We were joined for dinner by my cousin Lonnie and his wife from right here in Mountain Home. It was great to share time with them and to enjoy the area in the perfect season of the year. Enjoyed the talks, walks, and sharing the river with Mike and Sarah for their first-ever fly-fishing experience.

The girls feeling spunky before their morning walk

 



Nothing like a little frozen yogurt to cap a big meal

 



Sarah with her aunt Eva

 



Laura and Mike; the rail is almost a vertical equalizer

 



Mike and Sarah at the Norfork River prior to their first fly-fishing experience

 



Success!

 



Not to be outdone!