The Burke Resort

I wasn't looking forward to our San Diego trip this June. Our dear friends, the Curles had just moved and we just knew things wouldn't be the same. I don't know why I was so grumpy about it all. We love San Diego and have great friends there, and without those greedy Curles around vying for our time, maybe we'd get to see other friends too! ;) Our trip ended up being amazing in so many ways. First, the weather fully co-operated. It was PERFECT; 72 - 76 and sunny every single day - no typical June gloom for us. AND, we stayed with our friends, The Burkes, at what we fondly call The Burke Resort. Can you see why??

The kids had to decide every day whether they should swim before breakfast or after breakfast or maybe after lunch or after we got home from the beach or wherever we were going that afternoon. Or maybe after dinner.....or maybe all of the above. Poor, sad, deprived children.

The Burkes are amazingly hospitable and just plain great folks. Brad is the expert architect that built that place. Honey Burke, among her many talents, is that of incredible cook. She makes those "fabulous homemade pies" they advertise at the Park Cafe here in Montana taste like pre-packaged Hostess items. Honey and I have been friends for years (the year before Josiah started Kindergarten). The Burke kids are older than ours so, although we were in the same homeschool group, we didn't end up in the same circle of activities. I used to weasel my way in to hang out at the resort every once in a while. That was the pre-pool era when they had lots of dirt, animals, a stocked pond for swimming and an outside shower (They still have all of the above except for the dirt. It was just as much fun then.). I loved every minute of being at their house.

On the Road to San Diego

On the road to San Diego again to deliver bison. We always stop at this place near Beaver, Utah, and take a photo. This trip we had more time than usual. Our trailer had a bum tire - two actually - and we had to have them replaced. Glad we noticed when we did instead of later after a crash with packages of frozen bison strewn about the roadway.

We Love Lucy

I am doing some work here at my computer and my kids are totally howling in the background.....they have discovered I Love Lucy. Right now they are watching the episode in which Ethel and Lucy take a job, in order to earn $500 each, doing a publicity stunt for a new movie "Girls From Mars"....hilarious. I had forgotten how funny these shows really are. Lucille Ball rivals Dick Van Dyke in the physical comedy arena. She and Vivian Vance are so fabulous together - they just don't make them like they used to.

Morning Commute

This morning, Elisha and I had to drive to Valier to pick up the animal we had processed for individual cuts for this San Diego delivery. I guess if you have to drive 3 1/2 hours out and then back to where you started from in one day, it isn't a bad commute.

You Know you Live in Montana When.....

There's been so much rain that the butcher can't get his truck into the pasture where the animals are and so your harvest date has to be postponed a week; which means that your animals have to hang later than you thought I am pretty sure these are things they don't deal with in Los Angeles.

The Ranch in Spring

Spring has arrived at the ranch. Things are greening up and we finally have a bit of sun. It has been a wet spring following a very not-wet winter. We were out on the east side checking things out before leaving for our San Diego delivery. Beautiful day.