GIRLS AND PUPPIES...

 Miranda with Daisy May.

 Celie with Daisy May.

Alyssa with Billy Ray.

PUPPIES HAVE NAMES...

On the left is Daisy May and on the right is her brother Billy Ray. 

The grandkids are here for the weekend and helped pick the names.

BOTTLE FEEDING

Loren has become a pro at bottle feeding the puppies.

GLORIOUS MORNING!

20TH ANNUAL COLORADO RIVER CROSSING BALLOON FESTIVAL

I walked outside this morning to this!

DAY 24

Starting to get more playful....

But when they are done, they are done....

DAY 22

Three weeks old and started on solid food.

CUDDLE TIME 11-11-10

A BOY AND HIS MOM

PUPPIES DAY 8

All tuckered out after a bath and bottle....

Mom makes sure we are doing it right!

Aunt Rica adores the little ones!

PUPPIES HAVE ARRIVED!!!

Puppies have arrived!  We have one boy and one girl... at this point they are pretty much identical.

DAY ONE

DAY THREE

Chica had to have a C-section so is not yet totally enamored with the pups.

COLUMBINE

Are these gorgeous or what!  Hopefully they will still be blooming when I get home next week.

AWNING

Loren bought this awsome electric awning at an auction and Brett helped him install it last weekend.  It will be really nice now that the days are getting warmer.  Good job guys!

WILDLIFE ON THE MOUNTAIN

The turkeys are back!  We hadn't seen any wild turkeys for a few years but now they are coming back around.  Loren snapped these pictures today.

This little yearling still needs to lose some winter coat but seems to enjoy grazing on the lawn.

Rica checking him out.....

OK, maybe he's getting a little close?!?!?!

PESKY VISITOR!

Loren and the girls have been visited by this bear at least three times.  It drives the girls absolutely crazy!!

Helping himself to some bird food.

Who, me?

CACTUS FLOWERS

I didn't get out and take very many pictures of cactus flowers this year but thought I'd share the few good ones I did get.

TOO CUTE!!!

I was downloading pictures off my camera when I ran across this one that Loren must have taken.  It is so darn cute I just had to share it!!!  (It is also now on my desktop so I can see them every time I get on the computer.)

NEW COURTYARD

(This post is for mainly for my fellow park residents.)  They finished pouring the concrete courtyard and it looks really nice except for the obvious lack of shade.  They also poured some concrete sidewalks and completed one shuffleboard court. 

MILITARY TOWN

I never get tired of seeing military training maneuvers.  These Hueys were flying right down the middle of our street and landing across the river at the West Wetlands Park.  They were flying so low the whole house was shaking and they created their own dust storm but were a lot of  fun to watch!

LLOYD KELLY

I received word last weekend that my biological father passed away.  I did not know him at all but have had the opportunity to talk to his absolutely delightful daughter-in-law Fawn (Patrick's wife) a couple of times.  I did not know I had so many half sisters and brothers! Patrick works for Southwest Airlines and Fawn works for Hewlett Packard, they have two absolutely adorable children, and live in Enumclaw, Washington.  Hopefully I will get to meet them all someday.

LLOYD KELLY

Long-time Mineral resident Lloyd Kelly, 81, passed away March 19, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Lloyd was born May 3, 1928 in American Falls, Idaho. He was the son of Ralph Kelly and Thelma Lloyd and eldest brother to Ray, Dick and Loa-Mae. He graduated from Rockland High School in Rockland, ID in 1946 and enlisted in the Navy. He married Letha Marler in 1952. Their children are Coleen and Kathleen. He then married Colleen Marshall in 1958. Their children are Sheri, Tammy, and Danny. He then married Patricia O’Neil in 1966. They had one child together, Patrick. His step-children with Patricia are Debbie, Pam, David, Teri and Marty. He has numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Lloyd and Patricia moved to Tacoma, Washington in 1967 for work at Boeing. Lloyd was part of the team that painted the very first Boeing 747. In 1970, they moved to Mineral and he worked in the woods for the St. Regis logging company. He also worked for Champion/Morton Forest Products lumber mill in Morton, where he retired in 1993. They then moved to Las Vegas. Not able to sit still, he worked security in Las Vegas for 12 years before finally retiring in 2005. He enjoyed reading the newspaper, collecting stamps, and in his younger years, playing the trumpet.

Preceding him in death are his parents Ralph and Thelma, his sister Loa Mae, and his daughter Kathleen.

A memorial is planned for 2pm, Saturday, April 10, 2010 at the Mineral Gymnasium. All are invited to attend.