"i think of life itself now...

...as a wonderful play that I've written for myself, and so my purpose is to have the utmost fun playing my part" ~shirley maclaine

i cant even explain how much i love our new home! of course there are things that would make it better, like not being an hour drive away from work, but it is perfect for us right now, in this moment. i love how there are so many new and adventurous things to do on a daily basis, how relaxing and refreshing it is to sit on the deck while a storm rolls in from the surrounding mountains, how amazing the stars are and especially how freeing it feels to the spirit. one thing i really love about living in the mountains is how you truly feel one with nature. all kinds of animals frequent your yard and even your porch. i am afraid of some of them when leaving for work in the darkness (bears and mountain lions) and i love others of them (hummingbirds and deer). yes, i have seen a bear by the house, walking through the yard in daylight! i have not seen a mountain lion and i am not sure i really want to. my favorite deer are the babies. these little babies are the cutest and prance around like they know theyre the cutest! i love their spots!

i think the hummingbirds are possibly the craziest animals out here. i have had one stare at me and almost poke me in the eye with its beak. i have even had one fly and hit me in the face! it is really cool because they let you walk right up to them and almost touch them! i first became intrigued by how colorful they are. some are green with red throats, some are a pale green and orange, and the weirdest ones are bright orange! sometimes i sit on the deck and watch them. they really put on a show by flying around dive bombing from the tops of the trees down to the lowest tree branches all while laughing at the same time. you probably think i am joking, but i am not. you should hear them! at times the male birds become crazy and constantly chase around the females while they try to relax on the feeder. i love these little birdies. i will miss them a lot when it is time for them to migrate south.

we are making the most of our time and experiences out here. we take lily on walks around our neighborhood, plan hiking trips and enjoy riding around in the jeep with the roof off. almost everything we do is done outside, even eating. this is definitely the way things are meant to be enjoyed!

love.