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This sun dog shot was taken from the “bluff” in Old Towne Kenai in February. Sun dogs occur as light is reflected through ice crystals. That’s?it in?(very!) layman’s terms. To read more about the phenomenon,?go to?University of Illinois – Sun dogs?or Sun dogs from Wikipedia. The more scientific explanations are there.

One of our local (Anchorage) tv stations, KTUU?shows viewer’s photos during the weather portion of the news. This is one of three pics that I sent to morning weather man Scott Elnes on Saturday. This is the one that he showed that night – AND this morning. 😉 That’s just pretty cool. He even spelled (and pronounced) my IRL name correctly! Those of you who know my IRL name know that it can be a bit problematic to some. 😉

Thanks, btw, to Blyght at The Moodgarden for her Friday tag. It’s nice to meet you.

And, in the She is sooooooooooooo her Mama’s daughter department:

Lessa is in Anchorage this week taking a class. She’ll be home this afternoon – if she can tear herself away from the Magic Coffee Machine?, that is. In the meantime, Ladybug and the PurpleMoose family have been caring for the children. The Boy has been staying at home to keep an eye on Sacha (the rottweiller), checking in with us and sharing dinners with us.

Last night, however, they all came home to roost with?us. The Pup was exhausted and went willingly to bed at about 8:45. She was out like a light. The Boy and the Girl, however, were a bit more testy about going to sleep at 10. Face it kiddos, your old grandparents NEED their beauty sleep – so you must bed down when we do. 😉 Soon, there were snores abounding – and I wasn’t even in bed yet! haha!

Then comes the morning. My alarm went off at 5:30 as usual so I got up and did my thing. Then it was The Boy’s turn. Only took me walking into the door (he shut the door!!!) then me opening the door, while rubbing my forehead which had hit the aforementioned door (he shut the door!!!) and then me telling him again that it was time to hit the shower?- he got up pretty willingly, stumbled to the shower and came out a different (smelling) boy. Yay!

Now it was time for The Girl to wake up. HA! and again I say HA! This is where she is ssssssoooooooooooooooo like her Mama. There were some mornings I called myself hoarse trying to get Lessa out of bed. To this day she often needs a phone call to wake her up – generally I only have to do that when it is REALLY important that she be up – like kids’ field trips, etc.

When I called to her, The Girl moaned and rolled back over. I called again a bit firmer, she just SIGHED!!! groaned, moaned and rolled back over. Fine! I turned the hall LIGHT on!!! Got the glare I remember oh, so fondly, that her mama used to give me. Now THAT is more like it. I’m on familiar ground here. The next time, I come in with a glass of water, missy!

HaHA! That worked. Soon she was (glaring the entire time) stumbling to the bathroom herself.

Have I mentioned that we only have ONE bathroom? I raised two daughters with one bathroom. (all kudos gladly accepted) Not only the two girls, but for a period of ten years or so we had an elderly gentleman living with us. (he and his little doggy) So, there were three females and two males vying for that one bathroom. (kudos, flowers, candy accepted)

Not only THAT, but for a period of nine months my sister and her teenaged daughter (same age as our youngest – who was 13 at the time) lived with us, too. Count them with me folks: Mr. Moose, Moosie, Lessa (18 at the time), Ladybug (13) old man (80+), his little doggy (nuisance), First Keychain (my sis) and her daughter (13) – all in the same little 3 bedroom (!!!) house with ONE bathroom. (straight jackets gladly accepted)

What were we thinking?

Well, as you can see – coming from that (long ago though it may be) this morning was a piece of cake. HaHaHa!

I made the glares a bit worse when remarking that it was like looking at her Mama all over again and Mr. Moose and I cackled with glee. For you see . . . the youngsters go back home to their mama today.

We love being grandparents. The hugs, the smiles, the giggles, the LOVE – all so very important to us. We love it.

We especially love the part that we can “sugar ’em up and send ’em home.” That last part is the most important. We can be free with the kiddos. We can love them and spoil them and then send them home to their parents. Absence does make the heart grow fonder. We only (for the most part) see the good side of them. The snippy and the fussy and the grumblies – those are all pretty much saved up for the ‘rents.

You gotta love THAT.

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