Pretty Spring Pictures from the Yakima Valley...



A honeybee on a dandelion in mom's garden.



I know - I'm not doing too well with keeping you all up to date with the Montana life. I do have a valid excuse this week. I am home in the Yakima Valley! I am so happy to be here it's ridiculous. The sun has been out for the most part while I've been home. It hasn't been super warm but I will take it for sure! The day before Easter the most gorgeous day I have seen since leaving Washington and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I spent time with my brother catching up and just plain being in the same area as each other.



Mom's spring flowers. B-E-A-utiful!



I am lucky to have a job that allows me to take extended vacations when ever I want. I am working through some personnel issues at work as best I can but it can get extremely frustrating at times. This break was desperately needed for that reason and to escape the poopy weather in North central Montana. :) It'll all work itself out but some days are just too much and this chick comes home to drink a beer or glass of wine. Trust me, that's an extremely rare occurrence. I should stock up on some ultra good Yakima Valley wine while I'm home. :)



Apparently eg-laying time is a community event.



While in Washington, I took the opportunity to visit WSU and straighten some things out. This visit not only wasted a day but didn't really accomplish anything but honestly pissing me off. I can't say it was all my fault but I guess I didn't do things in a timely manner what with getting used to a new job and all. I am also caught in the middle of a pissing match between the higher-ups at CAHNRS and that I do not appreciate. Bottom line is that pissing match is going to result in me having to add 6 credits to my degree without receiving "credit" for them towards my degree. Oh well I guess....what can ya do?

I miss the Yakima Valley so much while I'm away but when I'm here I truly miss my work and the people that go with it. Tough choices I tell ya! Anyways here are some pictures from around the farm to tide you all over until I get back to the Treasure State. That's Montana's motto for those of you who don't know. :)

 A couple pictures of mom's dogwood tree. Gorgeous! :)

 

Mid-terms...

I have been rather dormant the last week or so and that's because I basically holed myself up to complete my mid-terms for the semester. Yippee! :) I'm done and feel like I'll do well enough.

The last week was pretty stressful on top of completing homework and mid-terms. On Monday I backed out of the garage and was a bit too close to the wall. I popped the bumper off and cracked it, dented to front driver's side fender and pretty much ripped off the driver's side mirror. I mean it was hanging on by it's electrical cord, just a-flappin' in the breeze.

Tuesday saw only minor pains at work but a few hours after I got home I discovered two snakes had slithered into my living room. Not cool at all! I hate snakes with a passion! I corralled them using skills gained by watching COPS believe it or not, and then had a major freak out once they were bagged and outside. I called dad and said, "I don't know what to do with them now!" After much crying and spazzing out, I put them into a plastic garbage bag and then a can outside my mudroom door. I actually got up the nerve to come back inside, but I'm still looking for snakes around this place!

Wednesday actually passed by uneventfully; however, Thursday was another story. My office administrator and friend Gina tried to cook her lunch in the office kitchen but instead started a kitchen fire. What was thought to be a tin cookie sheet turned out to be plastic and I had to bust out the fire extinguisher. It was quite the event but everyone in the office was able to laugh about it afterwards.

Friday passed with nothing but usual work-related stress. Thank goodness! Saturday was spent doing a mid-term for my class "The History of the Pacific Northwest" and this afternoon I completed my assignment for my "Speech and Thought In Culture" course. I can't say these are difficult courses but they are time-consuming because they are online.

However, I am now one week away from spring break and am looking forward to it. My life pretty much consists of work and homework. My puppies and my favorite TV shows get squeezed in there too. :) Some times a hobby activity sneaks in there as well.

I am going to focus on the deep clean my house desperately needs this coming week while still doing homework, and I'm hoping during my spring break week I'll be able to complete the face of my quilt. These are two of the three fabrics I'm using and I think they are going to go quite well with my other fabric. I'll keep you all posted.