The Googly Eye Gardner

Hacking Family Reunion -- part I

This year we had our first Hacking family reunion!
Lance, being the oldest sibling, was in charge this year, so we picked Durango, CO.
When Lance was little. his parents bought them all bright yellow shirts to wear on a vacation so they could keep track of all 7 kids!--We decided to keep that tradition this year, and ordered everyone yellow shirts--35 in all!

Here's most of us --at the trail head to the Spruce Tree House in Mesa Verde.

Here's the two people that started it all!

Lauren and Madi

hiking down, down, down...
more down...going back up is going to suck!!!

yep...won't be losing anyone in those shirts!!

Matt, Chase and Ireland

...just like at home...putting those boys to work for their food...



This is what our family would look like hundreds of years ago if we had our picture taken in front of our cliff dwelling...except we wouldn't be smiling....or wearing clothes...


I love this picture of little Sophie climbing on the walls by the "don't climb on the walls" sign

Looking down into a Kiva

The boys all decided to go down and take a look...

..not much down here...I'm outta here...

Everytime we go to a Natl. Park, my boys like to do the Jr. Ranger program...
they take it very seriously...

Soliciting dad's help...
BTW...like his shades? He picked them up at some truck driver stop on our drive to Colorado since he couldn't find his....He tried to find the ugliest pair he could....looks like he found them!!! I don't know why he likes to embarrass me.... :)


Can't put it off any longer...time to hike back up!

yep.
Up. Sucks.

Especially for these guys





stopping for a rest...

this one too...


Conor taking the Jr. Ranger oath...something about, don't kick the animals...take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints....

Success!
Mesa Verde's newest Jr. Ranger!

part II--a day at the lake-- coming soon!

Texas heat

My good friend sent me this--It made me laugh out loud...but then I cried because it's true...I need to remember not to leave the new puppy in the car.
*warning-language*

Subject: Texas Heat


Dear Diary

Just moved to Texas ! Now this is a state that
knows how to live!! Beautiful sunny days and warm balmy
evenings. It is beautiful. I've finally found my home. I
love it here..

June 14th:

Really heating up. Got to 100
today. Not a problem. Live in an air-conditioned home, drive
an air-conditioned car. What a pleasure to see the sun everyday
like this. I'm turning into a sun worshipper.

June 30th:

Had the backyard landscaped with western plants today. Lots of
cactus and rocks. What a breeze to maintain. No more mowing the lawn
for me. Another scorcher today, but I love it here.

July 10th:

The temperature hasn't been below 100 all week. How
do people get used to this kind of heat? At least, it's
kind of windy though. But getting used to the heat is taking
longer than I expected.

July 15th:

Fell asleep by the community pool. (Got 3rd degree burns over 60% of
my body). Missed 3 days of work. What a dumb thing to do. I learned my
lesson though. Got to respect the ol' sun in a climate like
this.

July 20th:

I missed Lomita (my cat) sneaking into the
car when I left this morning. By the time I got to the hot
car at noon, Lomita had died and swollen up
to the size of a shopping bag, then popped like a water
balloon. The car now smells like Kibbles and Shits. I
learned my lesson though. No more pets in this heat. Good ol'
Mr. Sun strikes again.

July 25th:

The wind sucks. It feels
like a giant freaking blow dryer!! And it's hot as hell. The
home air-conditioner is on the fritz and the AC repairman charged
$200 just to drive by and tell me he needed to order
parts.

July 30th:

Been sleeping outside on the patio for 3 nights
now, $225,000 house and I can't even go inside. Lomita is the
lucky one. Why did I ever come here?

Aug. 4th:

It's 115 degrees.
Finally got the air-conditioner fixed today. It cost $500 and
gets the temperature down to 85. I hate this stupid
state.

Aug. 8th:

If another wise ass cracks, 'Hot enough
for you today?' I'm going to strangle him..... Damn heat. By the
time I get to work, the radiator is boiling over, my clothes are
soaking wet, and I smell like baked cat!!

Aug. 9th:

Tried to run some errands after work. Wore shorts, and
when sat on the seats in the car, I thought my ass was on
fire. My skin melted to the seat. I lost 2 layers of flesh
and all the hair on the back of my legs and ass . . . Now my car
smells like burnt hair, fried ass, and baked cat.

Aug 10th:

The weather report might as well be a damn recording.
Hot and sunny. Hot and sunny..... Hot and sunny. It's been too
hot to do shit for 2 damn months and the weatherman says it
might really warm up next week. Doesn't it ever rain in this damn
state? Water rationing will be next, so my $1700 worth of
cactus will just dry up and blow over. Even the cactus can't live in
this damn heat.

Aug. 14th:

Welcome
to HELL! Temperature got to 115 today. Cactus are dead.
Forgot to crack the window and blew the damn windshield out of the car.
The installer came to fix it and guess what he asked me??? "Hot
enough for you today?" My sister had to spend $1,500 to bail
me out of jail. Freaking Texas . What kind of a sick
demented idiot would want to live here??

Will write later to let you know how the trial goes.

In the dog house...

Well....we've done it now...
meet, "Speck"
The newest member of our family.

a little Terrier / wire hair /mutt mix...who we adopted yesterday!

He's a tiny li'l thing, and the kids love him...almost to death :) ... Lance is less than excited.
He's spoiled rotten already--everyone carries him around like a baby.
He's only three months old, so, he'll get a bit bigger...but not much!...I think I'll go buy a purse to put him in... :)