The Princess Birthday

Last winter my neice Kelcy decided that she wanted a princess bedroom...My sister was all too happy to cooperate with these wishes, as Uncle Tim had provided way too much Hot Wheels related influence. After a family consultation, Kevin and my sister Kellie repainted Kelcy's bedroom, then my mother and Kellie stenciled the wall, and Uncle Tim gave non medicated OCD Tips on ultimate Princess Accessorization...this is the result...Can you feel your inner princess just screaming to get out when you gaze upon this magic kingdom? Uh huh...sure you can!

In March, Miss Kelcy turned Four. Naturally a theme was in order, and you guessed it-we all stepped up, contributing to a whole new definition of "Pretty in Pink"...

There were Tiarras, wands, and princess goodie bags...with spider man bags for the guys...which were really nowhere as cool as what the chics got...and that was so not disputed...by anyone.

There was a Talking Princess Castle Center piece, with a princess cake, and princess kisses...

No one knows how to accessorize a Princess Birthday Party better than a kid's unrestrained uncles who have degrees in Princess Theory 101....

In honor of the day, Kevin wore cowboy purple...

My brother did his thing in the kitchen....

The whole neighborhood knew about the big party for all that royalty...everyone waited on the guest of honor to arrive escorted by the Grandparents Chariots...

Making her grand entrance...Miss Princess Kelcy is in awe that adults could go so crazy...

Like totally crazy...

And the food table was even up to a four year old's demanding standards..."Let them eat cake!" certainly had no place here...

Oh and did we mention the Princess Pinata??? That's my sister there standing so bravely right in the line of fire...

How bravely she faces the chaos! Truly a Queen in her own right!

As the day wound down, my delighted neice read another fascinating birthday card...The theme? You guessed it...Princess....

John and Laurie's Whisper Creek Log Home nears completion

Last fall I posted some pictures of my friends John and Laurie's log home raising...several folks have written wondering if the house is finished yet...well, almost. Here are the latest pictures...
So you can snowmobile right off the front porch...cool eh? Looking over the bond ranch...

Lane and Laurie on the front porch....

The back exterior view...

The downstairs "great room" (that's John's foot there)

The upstairs living room...that's Jay- he's been known to race snowmobiles across the river during the Ione Downriver Days, held each summer. Oh yeah, snowmobiles on the river-ain't nothing like snowmobiling when the water's most appealin'...

John is a cattle rancher and a logger...which is well reflected in the home's extensive wood treatments...

The kitchen will also feature a full island/eating bar-as well as an antique stove...

The gas fireplace...

Taken on Easter, notice the pond has finally thawed....

For more information about Whisper Creek Log Homes...have a look-see here:

http://www.whispercreekloghomes.com

Shots from the land of April

For the past several weeks I haven't been online much. Spring is here, the weather is FINALLY improving, and I've spent a lot of time with Kevin in Montana, Northern Idaho and up county. We were also in Seattle for another round of doctors appointments

I apologize to everyone that I haven't had an opportunity to respond to email since I packed up my computer with the mega screen back in October. It is really difficult with my vision issues to function for any length of time on a notebook computer- so please don't be offended. My worst field of vision remains looking down and that affects everything...I'm not sure what the solution is...

I've taken some pictures over the last couple weeks-I hope everyone enjoys them...

Thank God a digital camera doesn't require much more than pointing and shooting...otherwise these images wouldn't be possible...
Here is a shot of Kevin taken at Ross Creek Montana-one of my all time favorite places...located between Bull River and Troy, Montana on Highway 56. Behind him is the Cabinet Range which straddles the Montana-Idaho line and is about an hour from Pend Oreille County...

This is a shot of Lake Koocansusa...about 20 miles from the Montana/British Columbia Boundary, taken on the western side of the lake...This vantage looks east across the Tobacco Valley, encompasses the Canadian and Montana Rockies as well as Eureka, Montana. This man made lake is one of the most remote, yet spectacular lakes in western Montana...

Looking due north at Sunset on the Canadian Rockies. Taken from the West Kootenai Valley, an amish community that is hunched up against the Canadian Border. A simply spectacular place...

Ok here we went a little coastal....a shot from one of my all time favorite places...Ferries, Clamstrips, and Fireboats...what else could a guy want???

This cloudfall shot was taken on Easter. Yep it briefly snowed on us during a frustrating Easter Egg Hunt- Another view of the lower Calispel Valley-looking toward the southern flank of the Western Selkirk Crest...