The wounds that 

Tender our souls

Ring Out

Goodnight 2016.

Setting goals for the new.

Thanksgiving 2016

Lili's friend Edwin.

Tallying

September: 115 miles

October: 113.9 miles

November:154.19 miles

53 miles this week.

Eight Tracks and the Fall

It's late. Need to get to sleep. 5:40 comes quickly. It's funny the stress of trying to go to sleep, not very effective.

The cooler air and gray skies have been a welcome change. The change in the season around here is always so fast. Not the gradual, unnoticed turn, but a sudden unexpected  remembrance.

Recently I saw an old car for sale around town. I recognized, after closer inspection, It is the actual car my dad got me when I first started driving, I was fifteen or sixteen. (in Idaho you can get a license at 15, or is it 14?) anyway, it's a Scout. Dawned on me he was buying the closest thing he could to a tank for me. Kind of funny. It had an eight track player. On a summer trip to Glendale, California to see Joanna, I found a huge selection of eight tracks at a Goodwill store. I remember Jim Croce, The Eagles, Cat Stevens, among others.

Last 20 miler, for now

Pretty good 20 miler today. 

What made it better?

1. He takes walk breaks near the end of every mile.

2. He carried the water.

3. I listened to serial podcast for last 8 miles.

It's still pretty challenging for me. One more month to prepare.

Before I sleep. . .

June: 126.98 miles

July: 142.44 miles

August: 145.11 miles

Sixes

I haven't decided: which is more depressing--travelling through Nevada in the dead of winter or the dog days of summer?

After doctoring up the pic, and this close to Cali it starts to look better.

Last Night

Who is he? Why can he write songs, so many, like he does? Adoration continues, even stronger. Loved the videos on the screens behind him to accompany the songs. Songs: Smiling face, Up on the roof, Today, Martin Luther King one, Steamroller, Shower the People, and more. Hope to see him again in concert. Next time I want a pict with him.

Aunt Terri's

Yesterday at Aunt Terri's was horseback riding, motorcycles too, picking and enjoying peachcots off her tree, and visiting.

                 Zach, Lucy, and linc

                 Lucy is a natural

              Linc taking the reins

Terri and I trying to do that rodeo queen wave.

Spending time with the cousins is pretty great!

There She Goes

Well, the girl is off on her mission. Just like Tru's departure day, it's happy and good until returning to the house-- then it's a bit sad.

She requested lunch at Guru's.

She told me how to pose in the pict

She has a cute sidekick.

Affectionate sisters.

Now, we've just got to comfort the little sis who's upstairs crying.

Cut

Whenever I cut it short, I feel more like myself.

BYU Art Museum

Back in February at the BYU Museum of Art: the Early American West, is what I think it was.

Sunday Morning

Just the girls.

Race Day!

The Spirit of the Magic Valley races today: Linc got 3rd in his age group 5k. Henry took 1st for his group 10k. Lawdy ran the half in 1:59. Mr. finch followed close at 2:01. Fun time!

Lucy's Art

Lucy's latest from her Commonwealth art class. I especially like her two trees intertwined sculpture.

Banff

It was kinda magical. Beautiful. Large scale mountains every direction you look for as far as the eye can see. You're plunked down right in the middle of them. 

We arrived after midnight the first night, so couldn't see the scenery. Here's the view from my window the next morning. I've never been to the Swiss Alps, but it had me thinking I was there. 

Here's the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel.

It feels authentic, cause it was built in the 1800's. Remember how we read Bram Stoker's Dracula a few years ago on our road trip to southern Cal? Well, this place reminded us so much of the descriptions in that book--castle like. Our last night there, Mr. finch and I had a fun time wandering around the immense place--old empty, dimly lit ballrooms, curving staircases, and more staircases.

See the pretty gray rock behind us? It's common to see it around Banff, a soft rock named after this guy that built a lot in the area, Rundle Rock, from Mt. Rundle. See our wrinkles? When did we age? It kinda snuck up on us in the last ten years. Who knew?

Lake Louise. Picture doesn't come close to doing it justice. Neither for Mr. finch. 

Running Totals

Coming down on the gondola after hiking up the backside of Sulphur Mountain in Banff a couple weeks ago. Hiked it with a new friend I made that day on the trail, Natalie, a law student from Quebec, traveling by herself for the summer. We didn't have bus fare after our climb, but some kind hearted strangers took care of it, and I promised I'd "pay it forward."

March: 118.83 miles

April:144.77 miles

May: 130.75 miles

Aunt Sally's

      Linc, Lu, and Hen by the creek

Yesterday evening at Aunt Sally's in Alta, Wyoming. So many vivid memories I have from childhood here: arriving late one night in the summer, sleeping with the windows open and hearing the creek,  scary whiteout drives midwinter with snow piled higher than the car on both sides of the road, pack trips in the Tetons, wrapping meat one early morning in Uncle Chuck's cold meat house. Going butchering with uncle Chuck one summer when I was twelve. Learned a whole lot that day. Aunt Sally and my mom feeding us honey with our pancakes, thinking we wouldn't notice it wasn't syrup.

Fun to see the faces of cousins and cousin's cousins that made firm impressions on me as a child.