It all went off ok...whew!

Howdy, Nance,

Well, second nephew is now a married man. I'll just blog one photo - I hope to get the rest into a private web picture site soon, so the rest of the family can vicariously visit the NW.
The question of the day: How do you spell boutinniere? boutineirre? BOO - tin- ear?

So this is Fernie

Hi Nancy,
We seem to be having a lot of sky in the blog lately, and here is some more - sky on top of the mountains of Fernie, BC. And this was only a little bit of the mountains.

I drove to Fernie today to pick up this sister:

shown here demonstrating her skill at dismounting a bike. Apparently, in Fort Nelson her bike is famous. She comes out of work to find it decorated by staff (once with a fake parking ticket), and even has the janitor applying WD-40 when he thinks it needs a little TLC.
Besides that, we talked about the sad fact that the new presidential dollars will eventually include one with our present president on it, the benefits of apple cider vinegar, what people should do with the money we give them as presents (whatever they want as opposed to what we want - damn!), why you pick dandelions for wine when the flower is closed instead of open, what Dad said, which card is best for Zeke Zychal's birthday (and if my scanner was working, I'd show it to you), why can't we remember anything anymore, and who knows what else. This is only the beginning.
We've already visited the second hand store once, and plan to go tomorrow again just so we'll have more time to look around. Goody. After we came home we had some fresh roasted coffee:

Columbian - a dark Vienna / French roast is my guess. Tomorrow I work most of the day, so Jeni will have to amuse herself. I'm sure she'll have no problem, except for maybe remembering people's names. And we really, really wish you were here too.
Love, Mary

Mutant fish...and they fwam and they fwam...

Howdy Nancy,
I think in a few weeks, you'll be convinced that it's the mosquitos who will take over. I've been to your place, and I know whereof I speak.

Hey, on May 7, I'm going to pick up the Canadian from Fernie, BC
and bring her back down here for the graduation and the wedding that we'll be celebrating for the next two weekends. I'm looking forward to having at least two of the sisters together for awhile.

I do not suck my thumb, it's my finger!!! I am not a shrimp! I can talk! Mo-oo-ommm!
Love ya, Mary

Two Reasons to Celebrate April 17th

Howdy Nancy,

Congratulations! By the time you read this, you will have lived through another tax season (mostly - there's no doubt lots of loose ends to tie up). Time for a deep breath, and maybe one more, before you begin packing up for the trek back to the farm. Birds, garden, quilting friends, carp back in the pond, etc, etc. Aren't you excited? I can't wait to see pictures from the farm!

Another reason to celebrate: our No. 1 nephew is now THIRTY-FIVE! Incredible. Who'd a thunk it? I saw him this weekend - he came up to Whitefish with his girlfriend and she made him go horseback riding. She's a native Montanan who had her own horse growing up, so she exposed him to something new. He called later that night and complained that his thighs were killing him, but that he liked it and might do it again. Har! I told him I'd buy him a 10-gallon hat. No. 1 Nephew is not very tall, and his girlfriend is less tall than he. So a 10-gallon hat ought to cover it. In fact, when they visited last summer, they came up in a VW bug. They had their luggage, camping gear, and two bicycles in the car, and there was still room for both of them.

I'm sorry I don't have a horseback picture, so this will have to do:

This is Ezra, a local kitty, who is eating by using her paw as a spoon. Ezra lives with Katie. A loveable kitty, eh? More knitting later, but must to work now. Love, md

O Brother Where Art Thou OR Dude with a Tiny Tripod

Dear Sibling (you know who you are),

It was during the Thanksgiving visit that you ooo'ed and ahh'ed over the miniscule tripod I'd snagged for a mere $2.95 at the Amish store in St. Ignatius. And I listened to you when you begged, pleaded, and cajoled, saying you needed that tiny tripod when you went running and brought your camera along to take pictures. And how many pictures you would then send me, if only you had the tiny tripod! And I believed you, just as I believed you in third grade when you said you were going home from the Audubon School Carnival early and you'd carry the cake I won in the cake walk home for me. The last I saw of that cake were the tell-tale crumbs on your face.

So I ask, how many pictures has anybody received since then? Huh? Huh? Not one measly one.

This calls for extreme measures. Extortion. Blackmail. A picture of your adopted child indulging in his (or her, I forget) strange habits, taken by the paraparrazzi, perhaps? Nyah ha ha (that's Snidely Whiplash, you fool), then extortion, it is...

Take that, you! Your Loving Sister, Mary