Rome Map, Take Two

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Rome

I'm helping my sister plan her trip to Italy.  
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Red, White & Blue Challenge

I Heart Faces is doing a challenge this week on Red, White & Blue.  I thought I'd post a few of my 4th photos.  

Willits Frontier Days ended yesterday with the 4th of July parade, the huge community barbecue, the last rodeo (oldest continuously running rodeo in the state of California!) and the close of the carnival.  It drew in people from all over, just as it has for the last 85 years.   

REAL cowboys.  Lee Persico, on the left, performed at the 1939 World's Fair with his pony, Buck.  

Willits Horsemen's Association

The American Legion honored just a few of our local military kids.  Thank you to those who choose to serve their country in this way!!

My 4th consisted of riding along with my police officer husband (he was working OT) on the evening of the 3rd and then again on the 4th.  Life is good in a small town.

And . . . for my last little bit of red, white and blue . . .

Mazahar's patriotic frillies.

For more 4th of July photos from 2009 and 2010, take a look at posts tagged "Frontier Days."

Happy July, everyone.

68 Inches

I woke up with a hint of a spark in my soul and that's very, very good.  What woke me up was something I am completely unaccustomed to.  It was sunlight coming through a window directly into my eyes.  It was glorious.  I couldn't figure out why everything seemed so dull, so dreary, so full of drudgery.  Now I know.  And now I know that it's coming to an end.  I feel as though I'm emerging from a fog.  A long, wet, dreary, grey fog.

We've had 68 inches of rain since mid-October.  SIXTY-EIGHT!  And now, all of a sudden, we have sunshine and temperatures in the 80's. It's glorious.  It's warm.  It's sunny.  The sky is blue.  You can SEE the sky!  It's still soggy around here but at least we're finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.  We still have rainy days ahead, but now they'll be interspersed with sunny days and warmer temperatures.  Did I mention we've had 68 inches of rain since mid-October?  :o)

Not only have we had a lot of rain this year, we had about 5 or 6 inches of snow in about 5 hours just a week or two ago.  Phenomenal.  Really.  Bizarre and phenomenal.

But that's ok, because springtime appears to finally be upon us.  The spark has been re-ignited.

   

Jim's tribute to Judi

Jim talked a bit about Judi. (The graveside ceremony is the post just before this one.)

Here's the video: