Well, my loyal 5 readers…beware…this post is a ramble.  See…I’m a brat.  Yes, a brat.  I am sooo homesick for Jackson.  Like…so much sometimes there is a literal ache in my heart.  Don’t get me wrong…I am so happy to see my friends. And, to see the girls so happy with their friends and school.  Selfishly…I miss having them to myself.  Well, frankly, I would take them and their core group of friends back with us!  I mean…homeschool heaven and ski like crazy!!  Clearly, I am a dreamer….BUT…I would do it in a heartbeat!

I digress….we had an incredible summer…albeit…we are living in the 7th circle of hell with the heat we have had in Atlanta.  So, surviving that alone has been tough since I am so in love with the cold and no humidity.  I did get to take a group of teen girls to the beach for a week to celebrate Allison’s 16th birthday..now THAT was fun!!

Core 4

This is my favorite pic from the week.  I have nicknamed these girls the “core 4″…they are so awesome together!!  They are fun…but, smart!  It was so nice to be able to sit on the beach and read while knowing they are having fun and being safe!  Well…as long as Clara was directing where to bike!  Otherwise, I’m afraid they would have ended up in Pensacola!!  Lord help us when they start driving without a parent!!

In all honesty…this has been an epic summer for Allison!  2 beach trips, Billie Eilish concert, Shawn Mendes concert, music midtown and tons and tons of sleep overs and shopping.  Which…translates to an epic summer for me.  So, I won’t complain!

Now…sweet Alexia…my baby had some tough lessons to learn.  It broke my heart but needed to be done for sure.  See…she was very lazy with online school….so had to finish over the summer.  She still got the beach trips, but, not a lot of the other stuff.  But, I can honestly say she learned that lesson…the hard way…but, better now than high school!

Now…let’s go back to why I’m a brat.  Well…my sweet husband has endured major abdominal surgery.  And, in perfect Riley fashion….it was more intense than even the surgeon anticipated!  BUT…MAYO ROCKS! I won’t take him anywhere else.  And, then…after we were home for a week, the incision opened.  So, I got to play nurse and pack his open would for about 5 weeks…but, guess what he let me get….maybe it was the drugs…but, he let me get these babies!!

Teton and Avy Rose

Yup…2…TWO English bulldogs!!  They are driving me crazy….but, I am sooo in love!!  They are so funny, fun, stubborn, snuggly and snorty…just like I love them!

Ok…back to homesick.  I am homesick.  I feel in my soul that Jackson Hole Wyoming is my home.  I am trying to be patient.  I don’t want to rush time…esp. with the girls growing up so fast.  But, I want to be there…all the time.  With my husband!  After all…I need him to adventure with me!  Have you ever just been somewhere and said “this is home”?  Not where you grew up, not where you live…but, deep in your soul you know that place is home?….well, that’s Jackson for me.  I miss the clean air, the wildlife, the slower pace, the mountains, ok, everything!  I honestly thought maybe after spending 6 months there my obsession would be less.  It’s not.  iI made my obsession so much worse.  And, that’s ok.  I love feeling passionate about Jackson!

I am so thankful we moved into a home here in Atlanta that allows us to continue to save and plan for our adventure.  Will we retire?  No.  But, man, I would LOVE to work at the resort, continue to meet new people and be outside….ALL THE TIME!!

Well, thank you for reading my ramble….I know I jumped around so much…you must have whiplash!  To soothe…I’ll leave you with some stunning pics!!

Meanwhile,

STAY WILD!

Baby Moose on the back deck

Momma and baby!

Just a sweet beautiful Elk wondering what I’m doing…

In full disclosure…I am now writing in July….I had started this blog post, then BAM…life interrupted….DAMMIT!  If you are bored…feel free to read on…

I took this on the way out of Jackson!!

Hello!!  Yup…it’s been a while.  For all of my 5 readers, I do apologize.  See…I needed some time. I needed to accept that I was not staying in Jackson Hole, WY forever…..YET!!!

It so seems like it was just yesterday that Chris and I pulled in 2 days early and stayed at the Fireside…in the CUTEST tiny house… And, now…I drove 2086 miles with my Maggie…and I am reunited with my Family Unit.

Ok, Ok, I know the saying goes that no one wants to hear about your kids or your fantasy football team.  BUT….I gotta tell you about what my youngest did because she knew how sad I was to leave.  It literally shifted my perspective to where it should be.  And, the child is 13!  I’m 48 and clearly not so bright!!

I mean…SERIOUSLY????  HOW TRUE??  So, I dropped her, Allison and Chris at the Jackson airport…drove home…cried my eyes out….put on my big girl panties on and cleaned the hell out of our Jackson house.  And from then on, I decided to smile.  Well…until sweet Deb came to say goodbye (Deb is the owner of  our house with her husband Todd)..when I lost it all over again.

The rest of the week was blur…as I packed…loaded the car..saw some AWESOME Atlanta friends….then hit the road.

But…we did have some fun before Chris and the girls left…

Trampoline fun!!

Teton Pines Golf!

This is the infamous TODD!! (and Maggie doing a photo bomb!!)

Family Photo Op!

Doesn’t he look happy???

I will miss you “Jack Shack”!!

The Jones’!!! Rodeo Fun!

So…after some fun, crying and  a LOT of soul searching…I finally decided that it was not OK to abandon my family.   (it was a tough decision!!)…Just kidding. (sort of)…so Maggie and I hit the road!!

Not impressed with day 1!

Day 2!!

BEST PLACE!!!

Clearly, the rest of the drive was not as much fun.  Sweet Maggie did incredible…as usual!

And we made it back to the ATL!!!

Please notice how I did not say “home”…my HOME is Wyoming…my heart and soul are with the Tetons…But, I can do anything for my family.  But, make no mistake…I will be back!!  (Todd and Deb..I sure hope you’re ready!!)

I don’t like to end things like this…but, I feel I need to tell y’all….(you know…all 5 of my readers!)…we lost sweet Maggie 2 weeks after we were back in Atlanta. My sweet girl was diagnosed with a big heart tumor when we were in Jackson…but, she made it as long as she could.  We had the best time driving home together and I will cherish every single moment she gave me.  I miss her.  My heart breaks.  But I am comforted knowing she got to spend 6 months in her favorite place.

So, Cheers to my Magnolia May…rest in peace…rest pain free and run like the wind!  I love you!!

Stay Wild!

HI all!!  Well, of COURSE I HAD to start this post with my moose pic!!  So, this sweet girl was just chilling out as I ran by…the other morning.  She was so sweet…not that I went up and chatted with her…well, maybe a bit!!  Just kidding!  Actually, she kind of shocked me!  I was running along inside this golf community here,  I came around a curve and BAM..there she was!  Anyone who knows me, I get in my “run zone”…and this time I was actually singing..which may have been why she didn’t move.  She heard my voice and thought “well..here comes hell…that sound couldn’t be worse than hell…”!!  :-).

Look at this sweet baby…

Sweet girls watching us jump on the trampoline!

Coming out to the front yard to see what’s up!

So, first, she was in the thicket behind our house…about 5 feet from the trampoline…I think they all come back  at night and have a blast on the trampoline!  (at least that is what I have made up in my head!)  She wasn’t even phased!  The “butt picture” is her in our front yard..I mean..SERIOUSLY???  I want one to hold, love, feed…etc…but apparently, it is HIGHLY frowned upon…so…I’ll just keep hanging out in my yard!

Ok..back to the Joy of Honesty…I have been brutally honest with y’all…I mean…my letter to my girls, come on…that was my heart!  But, here…you get my head…(yikes!!!).

Honesty is a beautiful thing…when it’s wrapped up pretty with a bow..and in the south with a “bless your heart”.  So, I try to wrap it up as pretty as possible.  But, then, my inner redneck comes out and the pretty hauls ass our the door!  For example:  “you better go right back upstairs and change because I am NOT raising a hooker!!!”…Or…”Awe, honey…I love you…but absolutely cannot wear those shoes…they’re hideous”…Or “Wait…you want me to volunteer for WHAT?? With THAT budget?? You’ve lost your damn mind!!”…and…some things just slip out before I can think about it…like sitting in a meeting…and looking over and saying “wait…is this YOUR school or your KIDS school??  because I graduated in 1988 and have no desire to relive it..”  So, you see my mother, God rest her soul…said from the time I could talk that I had no filter…or tact…or grace…or class…Oh well!

So, the Joy of HONESTY…goes so much further than the stupid things that fly out of my mouth.  And, wrapping it up in a bow.  In these months I have been living in heaven on earth..I have had a great opportunity to really look at myself with TRUE honesty.  I don’t always like what I see.  However, the gift in this is seeing it…and tweaking it into something better for my girls and my incredible husband.

I have also had the opportunity to watch.  And, a lot of things I don’t like.  I don’t like our kids being pushed to suicide because they feel like they can’t fail!  Ask Einstein, Franklin, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, YOURSELF…how many times they/you have failed.  How can you succeed without failure??  How are our children going to know how to pick themselves up and move forward?  Would we have electricity if Ben Franklin decided after one time he was done because he failed?  Holy crap!!  And…for you younger peeps…what if Steve Jobs decided it was too “hard” to come up with the iPhone!  **GASP**… (I think I just heard it!)

Point being…failing is the key to success.  I am currently reading a cool book call “It’s Great to Suck at something” by Karen Rinaldi…I HIGHLY recommend it.  I try everyday to show my kids I am sooo not perfect.  (trust me..they know!!). I am perfectly imperfect…and I wouldn’t have it any other way.  Now…back to reality..I am human…I want to strive for perfection for my husband…for myself…and I have seen these last months that it could be robbing me of joy.  I WANT MY JOY…so I won’t let myself rob me of joy.  (did that make any sense??)

Don’t you agree???

I know I am a bit all over the place.  These are thoughts I have been thinking about for quite some time.  I can tell you…my kids will fail…they WILL suck at something.   Because, if they don’t, they will live in a prison of perfection.   I suck at so many things!  And, it’s humbling and great.  I love the piano…but I suck at playing.  I suck at tennis and golf..but I will practice just so I can play with my husband when we retire.  I suck at running in altitude…I suck at returning phone calls.  But, you know what I am good at?  Love…I can love more fiercely than a momma bear.  I can spread JOY…I can SMILE…and, I can LIVE in the moment.  And the BEST part?? I can share the JOY!!

Now, as we get ready to head back to the ATL…and all the crazy.  I will hopefully remember to live in the moment.  Remember the Joy of Honesty (Bless your heart)…and maybe tuck my redneck away as much as possible.  When the girls are in a brick and mortar school (aka not online school)….May is called “May-Hem”….its the end of the school year that makes us parents INSANE…as my joy of honesty comes out….I DO NOT MISS IT!!  I am spoiled rotten and sliding into June with a homerun and cotton candy! (zero stress…..haters gonna hate) Next year I am sure my besties (you know who you are) will bitch slap me when I complain!  Ladies…I forgive you now because I know I may not be spreading Joy…but, I promise to try and spread it throughout the year!

Now…It has been established that weird moms build character…so my sweet girls have enough character to carry them through the craziest of times.  And, I will be there to help them…push them down if need be…and be by their sides.  What I won’t do….pick them up..they have to learn to do that on their own.

Cheers to all you HONEST peeps!  Keep it up!  It’s not always easy…and I hope you can do honesty with more tact than I have….and spread JOY!!  Joy is FREE!  SHARE IT!

So..until next time…you know..

STAY WILD!!!

Momma..outside my dining room!

So…this is a pretty deep post.  See..our adventure semester is almost over.  And…I am very very emotional.

I wrote this letter to my girls:

Dear Girls,

God, I am so lucky to be your Mom.  How in the hell God, Jesus and the universe ever trusted me with you will never be understood by me.  I credit your father and the love of my life for this.  You are my heart I wear on my sleeve, my foot, my head, my everything.  You make me a better person every. single. day.

So, I know these months have not always been easy for you. You’re teenagers.  You want your friends, your malls, your social time, your gossip, your own life.  But, as your mother, these few months have been absolutely priceless.  I will never be able to thank your Father enough for giving us all this gift.  I have missed him like I am missing a limb, but, being with you both day in and day out…well…it’s worth it.

You both are incredible.  You are so different that is totally freaks me out sometimes.  I swear I am not worthy of either of you.  I am in awe of you going along with me on so many crazy things.  Then…not going along with me at all (stubbornness runs in our family).  And I get it…I really really do.  You have been cursed and blessed with a wild, free spirited, slightly insane mother.  But, I promise you…I love you more than any friend, word, boy or anyone ever could.  And, I love you without conditions.  You are mine.  Forever and always.  No judgement.  Ever.  Life is hard and short…and you can always and forever count on me to have your back.

I am not a conventional mom….I get it…I annoy you and I’m so in your business it irritates the crap out of you…but, I don’t care…as hard as it for me sometimes…My #1 job (besides loving you unconditionally) is keeping you safe…and if that means being in your business…get used to it.  It’s my job and I relish it.  I wasn’t lucky enough to have a mom that had the time be in my business…and I so wish I did..but, it gave me the grace to know what I wanted for my girls.

You both make me so proud to be your mom.  I love our crazy goofy times together…whether it’s making up stories on the chair lifts, playing silly made up games while driving across the country, jumping on the trampoline or just laying in my bed laughing uncontrollably!  I love how you both are dedicated to what you believe in.  I love how you care…even when you want to pretend you don’t.

Of course you both can frustrate the hell out of me too!  And, I know I irritate you both.  But, that’s life.  I have told you both many times that I am not perfect and I sure as hell don’t want to be perfect.  I am perfectly imperfect….and I will never expect perfection from you.  I expect you to try your hardest, be kind and know right from wrong.   I expect you to treat yourselves with respect…and demand that respect from everyone around you.  I want you to be strong.  I want you to be brave.  I want you to think outside the box.

So, as our time here in my heaven comes to a close…I will cherish these memories.  I will cherish this time I was gifted with you both.  I know when we get back to Atlanta, you both will scatter with friends and fun.  And, you MUST do that.  You are incredible young women with so much life to live.  I will continue to relish watching you both continue to grow.  You still have so much to learn and experience.  I want you to know, I will always be your safe place to land.  I will not judge you. I PROMISE you to continue to try and teach you.  I PROMISE you that I will LISTEN….I understand I can’t solve every problem..and I won’t.  That is why they are lessons…you have to learn to solve things on your own.  But, my arms will always be open, my ears ready to listen and my heart will always hold you close.

With that, my babies…we will bid farewell to this amazing place.  (Even though I will be back!!) But, our memories, our fun, our insane craziness will always be with us.  I pray that will help keep you afloat in trying times.

I love you.  Forever and Always.

Mom

**You see a bunch of rocks….I see a bunch of potential”~ it’s all about perspective…..

Oh, look…there I am…well…my shoulder…

Well hello there my loyal 5 readers! I am sure you have all been on the edge of your seats just waiting for my next entry…well…here it is.

First…what an incredible 3 1/2 months so far!!  I mean…WOW!!  And, us locals (that would be me now) are just reveling in the shoulder season.  Which means..theres no one here.  Oh…don’t worry..that will change soon enough.  Which is fine (I guess).

So…I also need to tell you that my sweet momma and baby moose are back!  I was so damn excited to see them I almost ran into the yard…then my senses kicked in and I stayed inside…when you see the pictures, I think you’ll understand….

Momma..outside my dining room!

Sweet Baby!

So, the picture of the momma is taken from my dining room…yup..she’s just hanging out checking on her baby!  I wanted so badly to go hug her!  Then, I put my wine down and came to my senses!  It seems the wildlife wants to hang out with me.  I mean, I get it…I’m sooo cool and interesting.  I guess they just feel that!  🙂

Just a sweet beautiful Elk wondering what I’m doing…

And these sweet babies I got away from the road on a walk home from dinner…

So, now my heart if full knowing my wildlife is safe!

Now…lets talk about stalking.  So, funny story of my stalking ability.  Have you ever heard of Tom Mangelsen?  If not…you MUST look him up.  He is an absolutely incredible wildlife photographer here in Jackson. We had gone to see his exhibit  at the wildlife art museum and it was stunning.

Ok..long story short…my cousins and I had been snow shoeing and then got some food in town. Well…my nephew, Hiatt (aka aspiring photographer), saw Tom (of course we’re on a first name basis!!) driving by.  Soooo…what do I do??  Well…watch him park and see where he goes, of course!!!  I lost him…clearly my abilities are rusty.  But, that’s ok…because every good stalker knows the car!   So, the next day we’re in town doing some shopping and we spend A LOT of time in Tom’s gallery in town.  I am telling you..the pictures are STUNNING…they make you feel like you’re right there.

Sooo…Hiatt spots his car!  I go into stalk mode!  Low and behold….he has “stock library” across from his gallery.  My first thought is “maybe I can afford a stock photo!!”…second thought is “hmmmm maybe he’s there”…so, I walk to the office.  (with 5 very embarrassed people in tow!).  I walk in and the sweet lady int he front is a bit baffled.  I ask about stock photos, what they are…can you buy them…and then an absolutely beautiful dog comes walking out from behind the desk and I am reduced to idiocy!  I’m on the floor loving on this sweet baby!  When I come to my senses, I stand up and explain that I can’t afford anything in the gallery…so I was curious about the stock library…I turn and BAM…Tom is standing right there.  Well, hellllloooooo!  I introduce myself and tell him how much I love his work.  I introduced my family and Hiatt….he was sooo nice!!  I got to tell him how I saw Grizzly 399 2 years ago with the same cubs she just came out of hibernation with this year!  I feel like we bonded over that..(remember..this is my world..not his!)

Anyway…he was incredible.  He brought us back to where they were editing some new photos and trying to decide which ones to put in the gallery.  His passion for wildlife conservation is palpable.  ***warning…shameless plug****

Look him up…google him…follow his wildlife pics on facebook.  Join the fight to save these beautiful creatures.  Oh!  Watch his 60 minutes piece done by Anderson Cooper.

Ok..now that I know my stalking abilities are still in tact….and that my sweet momma and baby moose are ok…I can relax for a bit…that is until I go out to run and realize once again how out of shape I am!  But, oh well…I’m breathing, right??

So, I will leave you with a picture my sweet husband took on a walk a couple weeks ago.  I absolutely love it and I want to put it in our neighborhood…enjoy…

That said, my friends, until next time!

STAY WILD!

As you all know…I LOVE to learn…and what’s better…observing to learn.  And, MOST of y’all who know me, know that I tend to learn things the HARD way.  It’s true.  But, also…at least the lessons are VERY ingrained!!

For example…I have decided to run the Grand Teton Half Marathon.  Looks sooo good on paper, right???  Beautiful course, nice cool temps….my mountains…..I’m so excited!  Well…I have only been cranking out 4 miles here in the altitude.   And, that is just now that the snow is melting and I can actually run on solid ground.  So, begins the training…now, the scenery is stunning…check this out…

I mean…who couldn’t run forever looking at this…well, that would be ME…yup…me.

And, looking at this…and running along this should keep my legs moving…yea, well, not so much.  BUT!  Never fear…here is where the hard lesson..comes in….

So, after a nice training run of 4 miles….who wouldn’t take their bike to the park and ride…for hours….(no smart ass comments please)

Don’t get me wrong…I LOVE being outside…anything outside.  But, what I neglected to acknowledge is that we have been skiing… ALOT…I have been hitting the gym with regular leg workouts and I’ve been doing yoga.  Add all that up and you get VERY TIRED LEGS!  But, no biggie…let’s load up the bike and hit it….so, I did….

Isn’t that stunning??  so…I just keep riding…after all, it is breathtaking and the sun is out…I’m so happy…Until I realize I have ridden 11 miles out…and now, I have to ride back…ummm….my butt hurts…..Well, damn…pretty sure my legs lost all feeling by the end and my butt will never be the same.

If you notice in this video…I am going much slower than before.  Yup..that’s because I am on my way back…but, worth every single mile.

So, here are my lessons and observations…use them…or learn the hard way..

1.  Don’t ride 22 miles on your bike after skiing for days, hitting the gym AND running that same day.
2. Invest in either those padded bike shorts (but really only acceptable on the Tour de France). or a wonderfully padded bike seat.
3. Enjoy every ounce of the outdoors..no matter how much pain you may be in…and trust me…it may be painful.
4. Acknowledge your limits…yea…like maybe do an easy 5 mile ride…
5. Pay attention to where and how far you are going…..it’s all good to get caught up in your thoughts and lose yourself in the beauty of nature..but PEOPLE…you gotta get back somehow!!!

And, the best lesson of all…SCREW the LESSONS!!  LIVE!!  LIVE OUTLOUD…LIVE WILD…LIVE EVERYDAY…LIVE…JUST LIVE… and ENJOY IT!!  Don’t feel guilty LIVING!!!  Yes, we have responsibilities…yes, we have to adult most days…but, doesn’t mean you can’t LIVE!!

So, with my very humble lessons…it really boils down to LIVE.  Be who you are…who your soul WANTS you to be.  You know what that is.  Mine?  Well…I’m a little crazy, a little country, a little redneck, but, I am full of LOVE and HOPE and FAITH…and I annoy people but, hey!  I’m me….and I’m messy and authentic and REAL!!  There it is…now, go live WILD!!

Here’s to LIVING….Keep it up peeps…you’re doing AWESOME!!

Well, well, well…I was in the middle of a ridiculously funny blog post when BAM..our internet went out.  Then…snow joined us again…then people came as it was the Atlanta spring break….then…dun, dun, duuuunnnn (add creepy music)…I got the dreaded stupid nasty cold.  Nicole..this picture is for you!

Vaporub…the cure for EVERYTHING!!

But, before I was totally knocked on my butt…for a WEEK…(actually now 2 and some antibiotics later) we had some seriously good fun!  But, let me sidetrack for a second…why….I really mean WHY…did I have to get sick this week..of ALL WEEKS?????  We had tons of friends here to ski…Allison had a friend out for 10 days…my incredible HUSBAND was here for a week…but, NOOOOO….apparently my body (or maybe I just had some bad karma…although I can’t figure out how..I’ve been trying to live right and kind!) decided to just bitch slap me.  Well…ok then…now..back to our regularly scheduled program!!

So, it all started with Nicole…I LOVE NICOLE!!!  And, man..what a trooper…she tolerated our crazy early ski mornings, me singing and cooking breakfast…my burnt pancakes and my love/obsession with my Moose!!  Allison tried snowboarding with Nicole..after the first day…she went back to her skis…and they were off!! Then the Johnstons and the Rivas’ made it in and it was group skiing at its finest!!

Airport selfie!

So, you know I can barely do a post without mentioning my Moose!  So, after taking some people to the airport…me, Allison and Nicole were headed home to let Maggie out before meeting up with everyone…well…we came around the corner and saw this:

Lucy…my MOOSE!!

She’s just chillin in my driveway.  So..being the kind citizen I am …I go right by…I couldn’t bear to bother her!  I am pretty sure it was at this point that Nicole thought I was completely insane.

Well…then…this is what we came home to later…

She’s sooo cute!!

This was taken after I pulled in and told everyone to get out on the passenger side.  Sweet girl hung out for about an hour.  Poor Maggie..I took her out back to go to the bathroom…but, the snow is so high…it was hard to find a spot!  Anyway!

The week went by in a blur..probably because I was on the sofa for half of it!!  But, the happiest of all was Maggie..because she and I were curled up on the sofa and she loved having me home all day…even if I was sleeping most of the time.  We were most definitely bonded even more!!

She took my spot!!

Ok…so check out some of these fun pictures!!  I may not have been with them…but, I am sooo happy they had a blast!

Taking a break!

Friends 4 Life!

Taking a break in Dicks Ditch

Why not do the hardest trail on the mountain?

Skiing was so fun…but, there’s more to Wyoming than skiing!! The first Saturday Nicole was here…we came home and Todd (incredible, kind, funny landlord) was shoveling the woodshed roof.  I wanted to help so I jumped up and started helping. (shoveling is very hard…and yet very fun).   He told us the story of how his daughters would sled off the roof after it was shoveled…so, of course we had to try it!!!  Check these out!!  Talk about good, old fashioned fun!

Selfie!

Before the chaos!

My absolute favorite part of the videos is Todd chilling out just laughing at us!!  But, it was fun…it wasn’t far…but, still…something we can’t do in Atlanta!

I know I have you all in stitches..but, I’ll sign off for now…Stay tuned…I’ll have another update soon.   Remember..stay wild and keep our wildlife safe!

Until Later!!

Keep smiling!

This, my friends is Lucy.  She is our resident moose.  Yes, I have named her.  She is so funny and sweet.  Ok…not really sweet because moose will charge your butt if you are in their way.  But, I like to think she is sweet as she has not charged at me…yet…..:-)

I’ve been watching Lucy for a while now….she can be super entertaining…(unless, of course, you are a teenage girl..then nothing in nature is really entertaining.). Lucy and I first met a few weeks ago.  I was oblivious and BOOM..there she was…just looking at me and I swear she was thinking “you stupid human, I’m right here and I could crush you if I wanted”..And, she would be right.  I was in my own head just taking the trash out.  So much for practicing more mindfulness…(I don’t want to discuss that now).  So after that, I see Lucy regularly.  She is in our yard, the neighborhood, our deck….kind of makes me think she really likes me.  (yes, I know it’s in my head..but, c’mon!  It’s a moose for crying out loud!!)

So, here is where my Maggie comes in.  So Maggies has legs that are about 6 inches long…that’s it…seeing above an 8 foot wall of snow just isn’t going to happen. BUT, she can smell Lucy.  Which actually kind of cracks me up because she is 9 1/2, she’s a bulldog…not a hound dog and tends to ignore everything smell except food.  When she smells Lucy…she gets a little crazy.  Kind of reminds me of a kid on sugar at Disney World.  She will run her little legs up and down the snow wall trying to figure out how to get to the smell.

Stay with me…I know this is long winded right now…

I have Maggie out one day doing out little walk, and the snow plow is coming down the road.  So, I’m holding Maggie and out of the driveway next to us…here comes Lucy.  Well, I consider Lucy my pal..until she is about 2 feet from my face and I’m holding a hyped up 48lb bulldog…and a snow plow is coming straight for all 3 of us.  Well, damn.  Lesson here people…when a moose is coming towards you, you actually are supposed to stand PERFECTLY STILL…well, that is hard to do when the damn thing is trotting right towards you.  Then, she sees Maggie (apparently, moose don’t have very good eye sight either, poor things)…she STOPS…ummm…no Lucy…please keep going..the OTHER WAY!!  The snow plow stops (thank goodness because it’s not just a truck…it’s a big ass John Deer with the biggest tires this country girl has ever seen!  And, that’s saying a lot after growing up in Kentucky!!) Finally, Lucy decides to SAUNTER off…no rush, because realistically, she owns this place and she knows it.  She goes up and crosses into another yard and disappears.  This is the moment I realized we have a connection.  She clearly adores me…right?

The snow plow guy stops and we have a good laugh and he continues on as well…now, here’s Maggie thinking she can find Lucy…

Isn’t she just so cute?  I kept telling her that Lucy wanted nothing to do with her…But, Maggie is very optimistic!  She thinks EVERYONE loves her..including Lucy.  I decided not to crush her dreams!

Since Lucy and I have this deep connection now…I’m learning from her.  This girl is a survivor. I mean, she climbs snow plow piles to get to tree branches.  She will walk through 10 feet of snow to get to food.

Ya know what else…she doesn’t give a rats patootie what anyone thinks…2 nights ago…she was chomping on a tree..walked over to our driveway…laid down and decided to just chill…

“oh, you want to get in your garage…please wait..I’m chillin here”. “you want to walk your dog…yea, not now….I’m busy”. “DUDE!  You’d be tired to walking 2 tons around!  Give me a break!!”

So, Sweet Lucy and I have bonded…I’m learning that sometimes you just need to pop a squat and chill.  And, listen to nature and your heart.  Life doesn’t give you the answers, but, if you just chill and listen….you can learn to roll with it.  Thank you, Lucy.  I love having you in my life!!

As always…spread joy and show gratitude!

STAY WILD!!!

P.S.

One last Lucy…its a video.

I know it’s been a while!  And, for all of my 4 readers…I do so apologize!!  But, we have been busy!  First, we had family in town (more to come on that!!), then we had some friends come in…and, for some reason I have no time!  I mean..what the hell?  Yes, Yes, I am sure you are all saying “boohoo, poor thing..just plays all day”…well…I WISH!!  Ok, ok…yes, we play A LOT!!  But, seriously…why do you think I had kids??  It sure wasn’t the legacy!   I want to play with them!!  Why do kids get to have all the fun??  🙂

Ok..but, seriously…I have no idea where the time goes. Contrary to what you 4 think..I don’t ski everyday…(well, sometimes..but, we don’t need to go into that!)…but, I am up at 6-6:30…usually finishing laundry of some kind…have my coffee, sometimes work out, sometimes ski, then it’ all about the girls!  Well, not really as they are totally independent with their online school…but, then I’m cleaning, laundry, cooking, laundry….you see the theme here!  How 3 people wear so many clothes..I will never understand!

Ok…enough boring stuff!!  So!!  I originally had a title for the post when my cousin, Dawn, her husband Jim and son Hiatt were here…Ready for this one…because it would have been fabulous if I hadn’t fiddle farted time away….

FAMILY, FUN AND 50 INCHES!!!

Yes, it’s true…50 inches of snow fell in the 4 days they were here!  I was soo excited..and we had some fun!  First, it was so fun to have them and show them my favorite town!!  We had a blast.  And I am so grateful as I know how hard it is for them to take time off!!

It started off a bit dicey as their flight was delayed like 3 hours…but no worries!  We grabbed dinner and then home…And, no trip is complete without an Antler Arch Pic!!!

And, then this is what happens when you ask a partially inebriated person to take a picture of all of you….

Hiatt’s face says it all..and I have no idea where Allison is…

And, then, with all the snow…the rest of the pictures looked like Alexia had some kind of laser shooting from her body!!

So, there’s that!  Then, bring on the skiing!!!  It was so fun.  And, thank goodness for a lot of powder…because we had some wipeouts!  All fun ones, and no injuries, which is key!  The snow was so chopped up  and so we stayed in some trees (very fun albeit sketchy when 4 of you are flying through!)..I’ll let some pictures speak for themselves…

This is Dawn’s epic stop…don’t worry, the tree wasn’t injured!!

This is me after face planting…and that’s Alexia laughing her butt off!!!

There are a couple of Hiatt eating it..however they have mysteriously disappeared…hmmm…think I may need to have a chat with my nephew!!

We saw some great wildlife….Elk on the Elk refuge, a moose that I have now named Lucy…I see her all the time…and a Bald Eagle totally showing off!!  Check these out!

This is “Lucy”….And yes, I am that close…just outside my front door…

There is so much more…It was so nice to chill out with family and share this magical place with them!  But, for now, keep Jackson Hole Dreaming!!

Stay Tuned….another post coming sooner rather than later!!

Stay Wild!

So, here is our LOCAL moose…she is awesome!  But, as a LOCAL…you do NOT cause a “moose jam” to take a picture.  This picture was taken from my LOCAL driveway!  See the theme here…I’m so damn clever!  🙂

There are tons of perks to being a LOCAL…discounts at shops, restaurants (some, not all), and the general swagger of a LOCAL.  See, We are now LOCALS…Yes…yes we are.  I have the dirty car loaded with ski gear at any time.  I have hauled kids…ok, so they were 20 somethings.. in the back of my car with their snowboards, backcountry packs and our skis  to the Ranch Lot…the RANCH LOT!!  A LOCAL fav…3 or more in your car and its free parking!!  Which is FANTASTIC!!!  Especially since parking in the “village lot” is $30 on the weekends and $20 M-F….INSANE…if you’re a LOCAL!

Another fun thing about being a local is knowing the “in” phrases…for example….Apres Vous lift (see picture)…

Yup..that’s me taking a pic from the lift…

This lift is not “Apres Vous”…it is “AV”….for example…”Dude, I’m heading to AV and cutting over to Teton to hit the Crag”….And, it is not the Gondola…it’s “the Gondi”…but, there are 2 “Gondi’s” now…so it could be “Dude, I’m hitting the bridge Gondi” or “Dude, I’m hittin the Sweet Gondi to Casper”…I believe the majority of long time Locals (which I am not)…only refer to the Bridger as “Gondi”…but, stay tuned…I will have a LOCAL follow up lesson!

So…let’s talk about what is NOT LOCAL…this…a VERY Southern Bulldog tolerating -19 degree weather..

Yes, those are booties AND a coat….well, you walk outside on ICE and SNOW in -19 and see how YOU like it!  That being said…Maggie is a total LOCAL…she LOVES the snow and cold…not freeze your face off cold..but, cold!

So, another thing that isn’t LOCAL??  Running your car into a snow bank…and NO!!!  I did not take pictures…so…here’s the story…and I will defend myself by saying that I am a damn good snow and ice driver…unless I am looking for the perfect sunrise color….Just sayin..

So, I take Chris to the airport on a BEAUTIFUL bluebird Sunday morning…the colors are insanely beautiful…INSANE!!  Like Pixar created them….so, I drop him at the airport at about 7:15….and my plan is to make 8am mass and head back to hit the mountain for some skiing…well…it’s a good thing I’m flexible!!!!!

So I head down Gros Venture road…for us southerners…we tend to say “gross venture”…but, us LOCALS say “Gra…Vant”….that is a drug out “a”…”Graaaaa Vant”..so, please, no “gross venture”…otherwise…it may get ugly!!  :-0

So…on to my “non local adventure!!”…I’m driving….there are a couple of cars stopped taking pictures of a heard of Elk.  I go around…giggling to myself…no “Elk Jams” either people!!  Man…karma is a bitch sometimes!  Let me also tell you this road is plowed, but, still icy.  The snow banks on either side of the road are at least 4 feet tall.  I’m driving down and realize the colors are being blocked by one of the Buttes…so…I CAREFULLY do a perfect 3 point turn to head back the other way to get the picture.  And, I am silently congratulating myself for really working my 4WD…I can drive in anything now!!

Ok..I’m driving along, pretty slowly…and I look in my side view mirror to check the colors…and BAM!!!  All of the sudden there is snow all over my windshield….what the hell just happened??  Well…I ran directly into the snow bank…BAM…SNOW…Well, crap.  no biggie…I have 4WD…so, I put my baby in 4L…put her in reverse and…….NOTHING!!!  No movement but spinning tires…well crap.  Ok..no big deal….I have AAA!  PERFECT!  NOT!!!!!  I call the 1-800 number and get the rudest person I have ever had….I’m telling her what happened…I tell her where I am…she’s arguing with me because she says she can’t send anyone out of the roads aren’t plowed…honey..I have told you 5 times the roads are plowed…but, still have some ice…”well, if it’s ice and not plowed I can’t send a truck”…that was just the beginning…..then, I have to provide a cross street….this crazy woman has clearly NEVER been to Wyoming….WOMAN…there is no cross street for FIVE FREAKING MILES!!!!!  At this point, I’m about to get out and dig myself out….BUT….just as I am about to lose my temper…..a big white Dodge Ram 2500 pulls up beside me!!  “Miss, looks like you got yourself into a little bind”….I immediately hang up on AAA…thank goodness before I could say some things that I would have to spend an hour in the confessional….

So, 2 of the kindest Wyoming Wilderness Men…that is what I have named them…as…they were full on Wyoming Wilderness Men (WWM)…they back up, hook up my car and BAM!  I’m pulled out in about 30 seconds….albeit, I believe the driver was having a ton of fun sliding all around….I think I actually heard him laughing as he pulled me out…(I would prefer to think he was having fun and not laughing AT me!!)…so, I’m all pulled out of the snow bank…the WWM wouldn’t take anything for their troubles…They said they had pulled 4 people out that week…so, I gave them huge hugs, got in my car and headed home….I had missed 8am mass…no biggie!  The beauty of being catholic…theres always another mass!! (I made the 10)

To top it all off….I NEVER GOT THE DAMN PICTURE!!!!  And, I sure as hell didn’t take any pictures of my car in the snow bank as I didn’t want Chris to have a minor heart attack!

There ya have it….we are LOCALS…(almost) since we are still learning the ways of the Wild West.  Stay tuned for more adventures…just hopefully, not any involving snow banks and stuck cars!!

Enjoy the picture below…and STAY WILD!!