More from Spud-ville

Next time we take a trip

I will have a rule:

No hurrying to the next place.

**************

The morning after our Yellowstone adventure we got up early and cleaned the cabin stem to stern.  The dryer at the cabin (that may have been used by Methuselah) pooped out, so while the girls and I took a stroll down the lane by the cabin with Heidi and her family, my menfolk went to the laundromat and back to John's Sack's cabin.

The Laundry Shed, one of the many wonders in Idaho

I miss Heidi, she is a soul sister, and home isn't the same without her there. She and I used to walk every day around our neighborhood, and there was something so familiar and peaceful about walking along beside her now, the cool air on my face, and her sweet voice in my ears.

As we walked we stumbled upon a fort on the edge of the woods that was the work of a future rocket scientist or his dad.  It was cool and gruntingly manly.  The kids should have spent at least a day playing in it, but alas, it was time to go.  Guy's sister would be waiting with dinner for us on the other side of the state.

Time to say goodbye.

I cried.  I always do when I leave Heidi.  Plus it was just plain wrong for the kids not to sprinkle a little bit of their magic and maybe tiny particles of their DNA in the same woods where their daddy played as a boy.  I picture them now, playing the way woods were meant to be played in (when schedules and hurrying are only grown-up concerns), and there running into a little dimple-cheeked, red-headed boy with a stripped 70's shirt and a stick in his hand.  They would have played together all afternoon.

My buddy, Eli.

The sign hung above the cabin door since the beginning of time.

As we headed for Boise, the kids called “Bye bye cabin!” and Guy and I felt so sad that we hadn't stayed there longer.  We needed several more days there to really find that peaceful, happy place that we all have inside of us somewhere, and get reacquainted with it.

*************

So off we went to Kathy's in Boise.

The nice thing is that once we got there, we were swept in to Kathi and Jim’s happy arms and welcomed with some slammin’ good homemade burgers and other Idahoan delicacies.  Like watermelon.  Forgotten were the sirens that called from the roadside, though someday I will go back to see Bear World, I swear.  Guy’s Aunt Mada was there waiting, as was his niece Renee and her little family, and the evening sun went down unnoticed as we visited away.

When asked, the big boys had two favorite times on our trip, and this was one.  While Guy and I took the Littles and Middles to the park with Kathi and Renee, Jim took the big boys riding in his charger and on the back of his motorcycle - and the main event- to a firing range where they tried out riffles and pistols with some pretty good kick.  They loved it.  Dude-ville all the way.  

Vroooom.

Kaboom.

(Now calm down!  These are legal in Idaho.  Also, please note the awesome baby fingerprint on the lens that made a smokey ambiance in about 20 of my pictures.  Sheesh.)

Aunt Mada, otherwise known as "the Goodie Grandma" for her massive table of goodies that is always well stocked, just for little visitors!

This was Jonah's compromise: he would be in the picture, but he would NOT let us see him.  Closing your eyes makes you invisible, you know!

Amaya and Natalie.

Um, so here's Guy's sister's daughter's daughter, and Guy's daughter.

Second cousins, or first cousins once removed?

Who cares.  They're cute.

***

Our next and last stop (She's almost done!  Hurray! )

 was a hop, skip and a jump away,

but that will wait just one more day!

...to be continued in one last post, or two, if I get lazy.