SO HERE'S THE STORY...

I haven't written in months...we've been having quite a time of it here in Santa Cruz this summer...which by the way, never felt like summer..(although today it does...geez global warming!)  ANYWAY...my poor husband and his heart....it's been a long journey and we're still not quite out of the weeds yet.  The hospital four times this year already, but that didn't stop us from heading out on our yearly vaca to Tahoe, but it definitely slowed us down a bit that's for sure.  I was constantly telling him to slow down and walk slower, especially up in altitude.  But he'd just huff and puff and tell me he was fine...which he wasn't and a trip to the hospital was in order the week we returned home.  As of today, things are finally looking good, we'll know for sure in the next two months....so here I am.

Just a quick update....something (we're assuming a fox), got into the chicken pen and sad to say...all but two girls are gone!  SUPER sad and rethinking a few things from this disaster in terms of critters, farming, etc.  So my two lonely little ladies, Winnie and Lydia, have grown to be best mates now...I will be adding some new girls in the spring, just maybe not as many....too heartbreaking!  And two duck left, Ruby and Vida...sad to say the new little gal, Penelope, with the top knot did not make it.

I really don't want to get into a big post right now, so I'll just throw in a couple photos from our trip, which turned out to be good.  Even though it rained the first night we got there and went down to 30 the next day!  No lounging on the beach and reading...we mostly stayed huddled in our very cold and drafty cabin and wore clothes to bed.  But in the end, the sun DID come out, and on our last day, of course, it was super hot and the band was playing on the beach...perfect, right?..so we decided to just stay an extra day, and it was perfection!

Instead of going to my brother's the weekend AFTER our time in Tahoe, we had to go the weekend before as he had a prior commitment he couldn't change.  So he suggested we come the weekend before and that's what we did.   We really enjoyed this idea better as it turned out.  First, we weren't too tired after a week of playing, and second, we didn't have to worry ourselves about having a commitment causing us to leave Tahoe too soon, so yay all around!  
We ended up out on his boat for the afternoon at a place near them called Bullards Bar...SUCH a terrific day!  Then we stayed up super late laughing and playing a dice game that brings out the hysterics in everyone....the following late afternoon we drove up to Quincy to stay with some friends, Diane and Barry...then onto to Truckee the following day, down into Tahoe and SEVEN days!!  Yahoo! Then a quick stop in Auburn to visit Maggie and Glen and then home.

What the heck are they all looking at?
Ha!...just the beauty of the clear water and
the birds..it's really amazing here.

The King of his Craft!

The little tiny town of Quincy..super tiny.

Lunch in Truckee...awesome place!

Cabin in Tahoe...yes, I wear that hat AH-LOT!

At the new Hard Rock Cafe Casino...
amazing art work from albums!

So that about wraps it up right now....only to say that our little scamp, Ziggy Stardust, is turning out to be a really perfect cat in our little world here in Santa Cruz...so happy we have him. ..and our big lab Louie would agree..they are BEST of friends. 

In closing...We're keeping the faith that Ray is on the road to having this condition permanently recovered.  I intend to spend the rest of my days with this man, so he better get into ship shape!   And here it is...Autumn is upon us...and with it come the holidays and all that that entails...REALLY looking forward to seeing the kids,  friends, music, food and cheer...so enjoy your own little worlds and  all the joys it brings.. as well as heartaches..and just remember, everything changes with the seasons...so keep smilin!  mucho love from the juners!