Charlie Monroe and Tucker Cash: The Tabor twins

Our special little guys turned 8 months old this week-end! Since they arrived 3 months early, they currently are at adjusted age of 5 months, but are making progress daily to catch up in their weight! We are so proud of Ben and Myka and their parenting of these big boys. Charlie and Tucker have their own blog, so I will not try to steal their thunder here, but want to include them from time to time as a reminder of how we are so pleased that we are in a position to help with their care and how much they mean to us. For more expansive coverage, if so inclined, visit Tabortwins.wordpress.com.

Salamanders

Something a little different while putting up garden hoses for the winter - these two little guys were hiding in leaves under the hoses. Not for sure, but I think the larger one is a marbled salamander and the smaller one is a spotted newt. Nice to spot different creatures enjoying our little piece of the world.

Pheasants 2013

Back to Highmore, South Dakota, for my second pheasant hunting experience. Although the number of birds was down statewide this year, and was physically challenging to negotiate the habitat to find them, we still managed to have a great time! The presence of a large number of hens and the improved habitat bodes well for a rebound of pheasant populations for next season. A great time with a fun group of fellas!

South Dakota sunrise

Getting ready for the march 

The fellas and Sally the wonderdog

Hunting strategy?  No.  Smartphone tutoring

Sandhill cranes out for morning feeding

South Dakota sunset

Finally a few hours to fish in Arkansas

As most of you know, Charlcie and I have been fairly busy since the premature birth of our special little miracle twin grandsons Charlie Monroe and Tucker Cash. Since March 23, we have been spending considerable time in Little Rock to be with our son Ben and his wife Myka and to offer help and support where needed. We consider ourselves so blessed with the progress of the little guys, the dedication and love that Ben and Myka provide to their little blessings, and the fact that we are in a position to be there for/with them. In addition, caring for our home, property, and health, has pretty much filled our schedule. However, we did have two days last week that were open! Since our niece's husband Jeff had scheduled a visit a long time ago, we encourage him to come on up and I was able to fish with him a couple of days. Turns out our best option for fishing was below Bull Shoals dam and we pretty much had the place to ourselves and the generation patterns were very favorable. We had what we consider to be great conditions for the type of fishing we like to do and we had some productive fishing, fantastic fall colors along the river and up through the surrounding mountains. A couple of days like that can melt away a lot of concerns and is so refreshing and reinvigorating. Now I'm ready to go back and wrestle with my new little buddies.

Eleven Mile Canyon 2013

One of the "musts" on our trips to Colorado is to spend a day fishing the South Platte River below Eleven Mile Reservoir in Eleven Mile Canyon. Such a spectacular setting with wild trout, and every type of fishing water imaginable, including pocket water, runs, deep pools, plunge pools, riffles. We were able to get in some morning fishing, picture taking, and lunch before our outing was interrupted this year. Charlcie and I were walking to a new spot upriver taking a well-worn trail riverside and through the willow thicket. We stopped to observe a feeding trout, and as we started to move to fishing position, Charlcie stepped in a sinkhole and was injured. A visit to ER in Salida the next day confirmed a cracked second metatarsal in her left foot. Although this was bad enough, and also involved removal of a size 20 hook from her thumb, it could have been worse. A few weeks on crutches and in a cast-boot was the result, and we hope when she finally gets the boot off that the bone will have healed correctly. But no fear, we still enjoyed the rest of our trip, although some activities were pared down. We still managed a night in Lindsborg, KS on the return trip to enjoy the obligatory dinner at the Ol' Stuga.

Charlcie focused on feeding brown trout

Sight casting to a feeding brown with positive result

Charlcie and Larry

Kim and Nancy

Sam and Marsha

More Aspens

Fairplay, Colorado 2013

We had scheduled a month-long trip to Montana and other points west based on a fly-fishing package that we bid on at the annual Sowbug Roundup in Mountain Home. However, due to the early arrival of Charlie and Tucker, our precious little twin grandsons, that trip had to be amended. With the blessings of Ben and Myka, we were able to take a break from our weekly trips to Little Rock for twins duty to squeeze in a vacation. We miss Ben, Myka and the twins so much, but are also grateful to be able to enjoy a little time out west - we look forward to the time when we can be joined by them for a little cabin time. This year, it was fortuitous that our great friends Sam and Marsha and Kim and Nancy could join us. Being newly retired, they had the scheduling flexibility to be able to join us and we are excited they are with us. Fishing, sight-seeing, wildlife sightings, great meals, evening trips up one of the mountain passes, laughter and other frivolity - we manage to have a great time when we are together.

Dinner at Rino's in Trinidad, CO

Charlcie fishing at Tomahawk 

Tomahawk access on South Platte River

Lone elk on road to Weston Pass

The gang atop Weston Pass

The aspens are starting to turn!

Back at Trout Lily Lane

We finally had an opportunity to apply stain and protectant to the treated lumber on our walkway/porch. We think it turned out well. Also, our landscaping is progressing, although we have a ways to go. We have had many large bucks hanging around our house - the most interesting are seven large bucks with very nice coats and large racks. We sure like living "out".

View from door to garage

 Walkway after staining

 3 of 7 big bucks hanging around

The clematis is finally blooming

First camping trip in the Casita

We had an opportunity to do a check-out camping trip in our new Casita without having to travel too far to do so. We met Tami and Kevin at a campground on Table Rock Lake, where they have their pontoon boat at the marina. They had just traded for a new trailer and they needed get familiar with it. So we were able to meet for a few days, and they checked out their trailer and were very helpful in tutoring us in the finer points of travel trailer camping - we learned a lot. It was so darned hot and humid, it was really a bonus to be able to get on their pontoon boat and on the lake. Those evening cruises are relaxing and enjoyable. Some of their friends came out and joined us one evening - fun times.

 The Casita in full camping mode

Evening cruise on Table Rock lake

Our little Casita

In anticipation of more future camping trips, as well as spending more time in Little Rock to visit our sweet new twin grandsons, we made the plunge and bought a travel trailer. In our traditional mode of small and simple, we opted for the 17' Casita trailer - it's light, easy to tow, easy to back, and it fits us just right! We made the journey down to Rice, TX, to take delivery at the factory. On the way down, we traveled highways in eastern Oklahoma that we had not experienced. We were pleasantly surprised at the beauty of the mountains as we moved further south to the Broken Bow area. We had heard that many folks in the Dallas area were buying property in this area to build cabins and be near trout fishing waters, so we did a side trip to see the lake/stream. Instead of camping near Rice after we got our trailer, we decided to head back home since we finished up early and the terrain is not nearly as impressive in this part of Texas. We did find some interesting little dining spots along the ways.

On the way home with our new Casita

Fun BBQ joint on the way down

 Interesting limo at the BBQ joint

 Broken Bow Lake

There are trout down there!

John's Place 2013

We always enjoy our annual summer outing to Indian Creek in Southwest Missouri. The proprietors of John's Place, our friends Kim and Nancy, are part of our Cabin Group (also known as Soccer Parents Roadtrip Group), and host our group of couples each year for a week-end of floating, fishing, and relaxing. As always, we had a great few days of laughs, tall tales, and all-around good times with some of our favorite people. Sam and Marsha, Dennis and Mary, and George and Kathy participated - we missed Larkus and Terri this year.

Small smallmouth bass

Prettiest and spunkiest species in the river.  These little guys will attach anything, no matter the size

Can't believe this sucker took a topwater fly

Fat perch

Ozark rock bass (I think)

A little bit of flora and fauna

 A sampling of the acres of black-eyed susans in the pastures that surround us

 Witnessing many groups of bucks roving around.  This guy was one of seven that were wandering down our drive

This little thief didn't wait 'til dark to start his pilfering.  Hard to get a good clear shot through the windows and in low light

Garvan Woodland Gardens: Hot Springs, AR

This is our second visit to Garvan Gardens. The woodland gardens are quite a treasure. The visit this time was made extra special as we were treated to the art glass installations by James Hayes. As you can see from pictures of some of these pieces, the glass displayed in various natural settings is quite impressive.

Fay Jones designed chapel