WEATHER

This is the first time on the whole adventure that weather caused me to change
plans. TD16 is due to sweep up the coast tomorrow, so I'm leaving NY today. My only other choice would be to wait til Friday, and play in Friday afternoon traffic in the DC area.

I'll be back in VB Monday afternoon!

Until next time
Bear Hugs
Boots
I'm out looking for myself, If I return before I get back, please ask me to wait.

NEW YORK

I'm back in New York, having brought daughter Angie, and granddaughter Kasey (3 yrs old) from Wisconsin.

I'm leaving Thursday a.m. for Virginia - will spend a few days visiting my other daughters on the way.

Still having problems with uploading photos. I moved all my photos to the other hard-drive - uploaded successfully 5 photos, and after that could not access the photos. So, I guess I'll pick Jackie's brain when I get back to VA in hopes of straightening all this out so I can finish catching up my blogs.

I'm looking forward to rummaging through my remaining belongings and having a yard sale to get rid of them all - or at least as many as I can.

Also, I'm very anxious to return to NY in November, and set up my sewing center and finish those 60 quilts I committed to making. Should have those all done before I leave in January, and I also will try to improve my bread making, and narrow down my candy making. Angie is trying to get me to market my soft toffee - like Almond Roca - but not brittle - more sugary - she says no one anywhere makes it that way - I only make it that way for my family cause as far as I know they are the only ones who like it that way. Well, we'll see.

Anyway, those of you in Virginia Beach - I look forward to seeing you all during October. The rest of you, well, I'm making the rounds of the country again next year - see you then!

Until next time,
Bear Hugs

Boots
I'm out looking for myself. If I return before I get back, please ask me to wait.

NEW ARRIVAL

Mackenzie Lila Marie Obey made her grand entrance in Wausau, WI at 4:40 a.m. on September 21, 2010. 8#9oz - 10 fingers 10 toes, perfect - and of course Beautiful!
Lots of brown curly hair Like her grandpa and great grandpa!!!


Mackenzie's official weigh-in



Mackenzie and Nene (Angie)



Proud Brother Kyler with MacKenzie and Mom - Raven



Kasey with Mackenzie and Mom - Raven



Momn Raven and MacKenzie


Until Next Time,
Bear Hugs
Proud Great Granny Boots

I'm out looking for myself. If I return before I get back, please ask me to wait.

Update

Just to let you know I am alive and well.

I'm being held hostage in North Dakota by a newly met cousin, who has
been taking me out to visit other cousins, and we even found a cousin in my
line that brings in the Swedish Connection.

I'm leaving in the morning for Wausau WI - to keep waiting for the arrival of
my great grand-daughter. She was due days ago. I'm guessing she is waiting
for Granny to arrive.

Still have lots of posts to catch up, but have too weak a signal here to post
photos.

Promise I'll catch up soon.

Until Next Time,
Bear Hugs,

Boots
I'm out looking for myself. If I return before I get back, please ask me to wait.

HEADED EAST

I'm headed east tomorrow morning. I still have posts to make, but they will have to wait til I have time or opportunity. I just don't know when I next will have connection to the internet.

I'll be a week or so in the Wausau, WI area - but in a very small town - time will tell if I can get to a Starbucks or similar outlet.

So if you don't hear from me in the interim, I'll be in upstate NY on 9/26 and will try to catch everything up there.

Until next time,
Bear Hugs
Boots
I'm out looking for myself. If I return before I get back, Please ask me to wait!!!

THE REUNION

I arrived at the KOA Kampground Thursday afternoon in time to
Check in. I remarked to the Camp Host that the weather forecast
all week had said we’d have rain that day and I was very happy to
see that they were wrong.

I then drove around the campground to find my site - and, wouldn’t
You know it – as soon as I turned off the ignition, it started pouring
I just sat there dumbfounded! It turned out to just be a sun shower
Which ended quite quickly. I sat in my car contemplating my navel
For about 20 minutes then hopped out and hurriedly put the tent
Up. As usual, I didn’t stake out the fly cause it’s so hard for me to get
Through. (That won’t happen again)

I then went looking for the cousins. The arrived shortly after I did, and
We sat around talking for awhile, until it started to rain again. I sought
Shelter in their camp. (Much to my chagrin) When I finally returned
To my tent, the whole entry area was soaked, with a small lake flowing
Under the floor of my tent. That’s not a problem because I have a
“bathtub” bottom in the tent – no seams to leak! But I still had to slosh
Through the puddles on the tarp. I swept the water away the best I could,
But – I still had to wade through gumbo anywhere I went in the campground.

If you don’t know what gumbo is – Lucky You!

I was just settling in for an early night when Gary called to say he had
Arrived in town and to tell me where he was staying.

The first official reunion function was to be dinner on Friday nite in
The kitchen pavilion.

It continued to rain all day Friday. At the very last possible moment, Cousin
Sharon’s son, Rick got permission for us to have dinner at the Great Falls
Trap and Skeet club facility. Then it was a scramble to notify everyone.

I managed to get a hold of my niece, Nicki, to tell her of the change – but
I couldn’t contact Gary - I left messages on his cell phone, and at his hotel.
No luck. (I was to learn later he had driven north just enjoying the country
Side – and didn’t return to his hotel until midnite)

The “Meet and Greet” at the club house was a well attended and noisy affair,
As it should be. At least 4 generations were present and accounted for.
Sharon had printed up a family tree starting with my great-grandparents, complete
With photos.

While staying over night in Helena on the way to Great
Falls, I made a banner for the reunion. Somehow it got mis-placed, and
Didn’t make it to the Friday night dinner.

The food, of course was delicious. We had ham and potato salad chips
And dessert. Naturally there was dessert – huckleberry crisp, and a Coca-
Cola cake – m-m-m- More ##s to account for.

Cousins Sharon and Terry had the most family members there, but I was
Not alone – my niece, Nicki came to stand in for her generation. It was
Great seeing her. I met so many of the younger generations my head was
Spinning.

As we left the clubhouse – there was a rainbow in the sky. In fact, I’ve seen
Several rainbows since I’ve been here.

Sharon’s son, Denny Dorr was our professional photographer for the weekend.
Please check out his website at Digital Montana Photography – or if you are on facebook Search on it - He has awesome photography. One of his projects – the ballerina project, Places ballerinas out in nature – so cool!


As we were driving back to the campground, I watched a towering thunder cloud get
Closer and closer – hoping to get there in time to get a good photo of it, but it was directly Over the campground, so I couldn’t a shot at the top of it. Surprisingly, it didn’t dump any Rain – just moved out across the prairie.

Saturday noon – we all met in the kitchen pavilion for burgers and hot dogs, and more desserts. Strawberry/rhubarb pie this time!

And before we were ready, it was time for supper. This time, Sharon’s son, Rick made pulled Pork and cowboy beans. We also had Rhubarb punch – delicious.

Chow Time

We hung around visiting, telling stories, catching up and having photos taken by Denny And by each other.

The second Cousins


Cousin Terry's Group


Cousin Sharon's Group


Cousin Diane's Group

We set a date for the next reunion –the weekend of July 20, 2012.

The youngest attendees were 8 ½ month old twins – the oldest was, well let’s not
Go there!

It was a wonderful weekend – two short by far – too much catching up to do. I am
Very happy to have caught up with the cousins. It’s been far too long. I hope by the next reunion, I hope some of my kids, grandwidgets and great grands can attend.

Sunday morning, the KOA campers departed. Sandy and Gregg back to Florida,
Judy and Tom, and Ron and Linda were headed to Judy and Tom’s place on the
River – Donna was headed back to Kalispell. I set out for cousin Diane’s home
In Belt – about 20 miles away.

For a time on this trip that was the only date I had to think about. But somewhere
Along the way I picked up another date – the middle of September, in Wausau, WI, to
Await the birth of my newest great grandwidget.

Until next time,
Bear Hugs
Boots

“I’ve gone to look for myself. If I return before I get back, Please ask
Me to wait.”

LABOR DAY AT THE CABIN

Rocky Mountain Front – seen across Nylan Resavoir.

Unfortunately, this is the only photo I have for the weekend – next photo I tried to take – the batteries needed replacing.

The early morning view did not bode well for the day - it was so foggy, we could barely see the little town, Belt, at the bottom of the hill.

Diane cooked the day before – Chili, and lemon bars, and brownies – This morning, I baked up two loaves of bread I mixed up last night, and whipped up a batch of blueberry Scones. (Sherri, they are so delicious)

I waited for Diane to return from church, and for her daughter Shelly to arrive from Bozeman so we can leave for the cabin.

Fall is definitely in the air – the high today and tomorrow will be in the 60’s – time to put away the shorts and tank tops, and bring out the jeans and sweatshirts.

We finally headed out – right toward a very stormy looking area – luckily for us, we drove right through the storm, and on toward Benchmark – where it looked like there hadn’t been any rain in days.

We drove across the prairie, through the foothills, and right into the Rocky Mountains. It was about a 100 mile drive from Belt. The Rocky Mountain Front is so breathtaking. I just can’t get enough of it.

40 or so miles was on a gravel road. Dusty, Dusty. But we still managed to roll down the windows and breath in some of that fresh mountain air when other traffic was not present.

We arrived at the cabin, took down the bear screens, the wooden window covers, turned on the water in the springhouse generally made ready for our time there.

It is an old hunting cabin built in 1935. It’s basically, a large one room cabin with partial walls separating the kitchen and dining area from sleeping area. It has a deep front porch, and a low roof. There is a wood cook stove in the kitchen, and a wood burning heating stove in the sleeping room.

Shelley is a real Mountain Woman. She immediately jumped in with a broom, then started fires in both stoves, and even went out and chopped more wood. It took awhile for the logs to warm up, but by dark we were quite cozy.

Now, realize this – no electricity, no internet, no electric lighting, no running water. It was heavenly!!!!

All that food we brought – for just three women. Well enough if we were hiking some of the trails in the area (the cabin is at an elevation of approx 5700’, and it goes up from there.) Lots of cliff faced mountains. Snow was predicted at the
6000' level, but, hey, we had 300 feet to spare!

It turned out to be a very relaxing inactive couple of days. We all grabbed books, curled up in the blankets and read.

The most activity was Shelley keeping the fires going, and taking short walks with her dog, then back to the books.

The first nite, we went to bed with the sun, well we had too – there were no lanterns there, and all the candles were mere nubs. That was about 7:15 when we settled down for the nite. I had my headlamp for reading - but I hadn’t counted on the bugs, millers, and they kept dive-bombing into my face. Very annoying.

We woke up at about 8 a.m.!!!! Had breakfast cooked on the wood stove, and once again settled in with our books. Continued this all day, and through that night. At one point, I caught a movement out the window – it was a large doe. It looked so close – walking just outside the windows. It took a bit for me to realize the difference from other deer I’d been seeing. I was used to seeing the smaller white-tailed deer. This was a large mule deer, fat and sassy

Woke up Tuesday morning,and started packing up for the ride home.

Once again, the beauty of this area is overpowering. It doesn’t matter that my camera was dead, photos cannot do it justice – it has to be seen in person to be appreciated!

Until next time,
Bear Hugs
Boots

I’m out looking for myself, if I return before I get back, Please ask me to wait!