UPDATE 21 JULY 2014

Hot and dry around here.  Glad we don't have the forest fires the State of Washington is having now but we did have some of their smoke.  That has cleared out now and our visibility is quite good now.  And the air sure smells better. 

We took a little drive the other day over to the Big Hole up Lost Trail Pass and then came back over Gibbons Pass to the Sula area.  Lots of Bear Grass still in bloom up high.  And the meadows had lots of flowers blooming. 

Some years the Bear Grass is just better than others.

Our lilies are just about done blooming.

Lots of Ox Eye Daisies in the high meadows right now.

You can see the beetle killed trees on the other side of the meadow.

While splitting wood for next winter, I encountered some wood borers that were just a little bigger than most that I encounter.  That is my chapstick to give you a comparison of size.

KAYAKING ON THE SNAKE RIVER

While at the Huff Cousins reunion, Connie and I did a little kayak paddle on the Snake River.  We put in at Centennial Park and paddled up to Pillar Falls.  Good paddle and will do it again if we get the chance.  Will start out earlier so we can portage around Pillar Falls and then kayak to Shoshone Falls further up the river.

 This is sunset on the Salmon River on our way down.  We camped at the Shoup Bridge in a BLM campground.

 This is a new way to launch your kayak for us.  Never seen anything like this before.  Load you kayak, get in, push back until you splash into the water.  And when coming back you just paddle up the end until you can't paddle anymore,  then just pull yourself the rest of the way out of the water.

The US Highway 93 bridge over the snake.  We saw quite a few base jumpers walk out and jump off the bridge.

Lots of water seeps into the snake.

A lesser yellow-legs checking me out.

Pillar Falls.

Zeph doing his "dock dog" jump off the rocks headed for a stick Connie threw.  Below is a sequence of another jump and retrieve. 

Zeph is pretty intent on the stick Connie has.

Some more pictures of the falls area.

My favorite kayak paddle brand.

Quite a few ducks on the river.

A base jumper from the bridge.

Lots of wading pools to cool off in.  And it was hot down there.

HUFF COUSINS REUNION

Last week we traveled down to Twin Falls, ID for my mothers side of the family (Huff) cousins reunion.  We have been having these for years in different locations.  There is only one sibling of my mothers still alive of her 11 siblings and Uncle Don Huff lives in the Twin Falls area.  We had a great time and got to meet some new relations that came from California for the event. 

The Missouri folks brought a number of albums and misc pictures we all enjoyed looking at.

Uncle Don and cousin Bob Witt

We had a great supper at the pavilion at the RV campground.  It was a pot luck with all the meat furnished and cooked by Paul Will and his sons Ed and Jason. 

Ed Will cooking up a storm.

Uncle Don headed to get something to eat.

This pretty lady is Aunt Elda Uncle Don's better half.

The cousins with Uncle Don top center.

Two of the "outlaws" (spouses of the cousins) Ben and Julie.

The "outlaws".

Cousin Linda with spouse Randy.

Cousins Mary Ann and Frank (on the right) with two of another cousins children Steve and Micheal.

Bob and Jim Witt with spouses Barbara and Julie.

Paul Will (on the left) with his family.

Cousins Dianne and Cheryl with Ben and two granddaughters Rose and Devin.

Uncle Don, Aunt Elda, and part of their family.

Another picture of the outlaws.

SHELLY, SHERYL, RILEY, AND REESE VISIT

NOTE:  I forgot to publish this as it was still in draft form.  Connie told me last night she could not find it when she was looking at my blog.  Yup, I am getting old and forgetful.

Connie's school chum, Shelly, came to visit with her partner Sheryl and Shelly's two granddaughters, Riley and Reese.  Reese is into horses so her and Connie had a great time riding.  Riley has a new Canon camera and is into taking pictures so she did a lot of that.  Sheryl is into fishing and did some of that.  We had a great time around here and up at the West Fork area.

Connie showing Reese how to bridle Jack.

Reese sits a pretty good saddle.

And Dell the cat had to get in the picture as she came over and took a pee almost under Jack.

Connie, Shelly, Riley, and Reese.

Sheryl, Reese, and Shelly.

Sheryl is a very good at casting a fly on a fly rod.

Hiking along the West Fork of the Bitterroot.

Sheryl keeping an eye on her line.