Rob & Gayle Christian had their annual “Dirt Ranch” party (a celebration of both Rob & Gayle’s June Birthday’s).
I am sure there were about 75 to 100 people this year. The weather was great! The party was a hit! Everyone had a great time!! John Z was our entertainment.. 
Thank you again for a wonderful/fun party!!
Ev and I left here the morning of the 17th, driving to Las Vegas. We stayed with our dear friends Mike & Maryann Mohoff in Reno over night. What a great “bed & breakfast” 
.. The cooked us dinner and breakfast! Great friends.
We headed out on Wednesday morning driving the longest leg of our journey. It took us about 8 hours to finish up the drive.. Pleasant drive, no traffic to really speak of.. and the drive is really straight.. Desert and more desert.. The scenic places were “hey” look there is a “brothel” every hundred miles or so. We had lunch in Tonopah on the way down at the local casino on the south end of town.
We arrived at our destination about 5pm.. checked in to the resort and went and relaxed by the pool. Temps that day in Vegas were tolerable, but soon would be heating up!! 
Our overall stay was a week and the temps were in excess of 100 most everyday. Morning temps were already nearly 90 degrees.. ICK!
We did our convention stuff.. Never been to Moose International Conference before, it was very educational and fun.
Pam my co-worker and friend was also at conference with her sister, Bev that was getting her award for her “College of Regents”. She was thrilled! Pam and I will be too, when we get ours!
We did go see a show at the Rio, “Rat pack is back”, probably don’t waste your money to go and see it. Wasn’t very good.
Ev and I did walk through a lot of the new casinos.. Probably shouldn’t play the machines in the Aria, they just take your money, no pay backs at all.. , put 20 bucks in and got nothing at all! I guess this is the only way they can keep this EXPENSIVE casino to the higher standards!! YICKS! Very modern, I like the Bellagio and the Flamingo the best..
Ev and I didn’t gamble much.. We decided to do some shopping instead. Shopping in Vegas is fabulous! Well anything is better than what we have in Lake County.. We didn’t leave our money on the tables in Vegas.. We left our money at the stores and got something for it!! Got a visual?
Ev got a new pair of cowboy boots!! What a handsome guy! Love those legs!! woo hoo!!
We only cooked dinner once while we were at the condo.. We only had time to really sit by the pool an hour here or there.. And besides when we were at the pool we had to be in the pool most of the time.. too hot to sit and get a tan..
We left early Wednesday morning the 25th and headed home.. We stayed at our favorite bed & breakfast again with the Mohoffs! We decided to stop in Hawthorne, NV to have lunch at the McDonalds there.. Hawthorne is an ammunition's area for the Air force I believe.. While at McDonalds Ev decided to play “Slim Pickins” in Dr. Strangelove and ride the “bomb”!
But managed to still have a wonderful time! Got to see long time friends that I hadn’t seen in a very long time! Did some great shopping, experienced the conference, had fun with hubby! Enjoyed the beauty of Vegas lights! Fun times were had!
After leaving Mike & Maryann’s on the way home we stopped on Hwy 20 to check out some of the lakes along the way… We came upon the Editor/Owner of the “Fish Sniffer” magazine.. Him and his buddy had caught some fish and asked if we would like them. Of course I said..
We arrived home late Thursday afternoon..Fun times..
As many years have gone by.. A different lifetime years past.. A absolutely memorable time in my life never to be forgotten are some very supportive and will never be forgotten people in my life.. wish there were better words that I could find for these two absolute most important women in my life.. I don’t even think they know how influential they were at the time.. long story won’t share that time now.. so sorry.. But just know.. They are always in my heart and will always be loved and welcome to my home as sisters! I love both Moneir and Gaby.. They are family!
We met this evening to have dinner at Maggaino’s Italian Restaurant in Las Vegas.. Oh long story Ev and I couldn’t find the place, blah blah blah.. We finally got there! OMG it was so wonderful to Moneir! My lovely sister forever! We were so fortunate to meet her husband she had just gotten married to a few years ago and now we had the pleasure to actually really talk with him this time! Lovely man.. Wish them both as much happiness there is in the whole world! ok ok.. but they are wonderful..
Our wonderful Gaby joined us for a short time.. Gaby at one time was my “boss”.. 
needless to say I gave her a run for her money! As most of you know I am not a person that can have a ‘BOSS”.. She was absolutely wonderful.. Please don’t tell her that.. cause she thought I was the worst..!.. She is such a wonderful person.. and I can say that cause she put up with my intolerable attitude of “I can’t have a boss” attitude.. ok well most of you know that one already.. and Gaby and I are still friends! And she always will go out of her way to come see me.. she is so awesome! Gaby is a single Mom.. She has an incredible daughter she has raised by herself..
As you can see I am soooooooooo proud of my girls, both Moneir and Gaby.. I love them both…
We had a lovely dinner and visit this evening.. We have all promised we will try harder to stay “in touch” and “try and visit’ each other more often.. No matter what.. we are friends to the end.. True friends as we are don’t have to feel that we have to call or visit one another on a “regular’ basis.. Time goes by, life goes by.. sometimes many years pass.. So we just pick up where we left off… True friendship..
We had some fun company for half the weekend.. And a big help at our Moose Father’s Day Lunch.
Mike & Mary Ann joined us last evening about 8pm on Saturday evening.. We enjoyed looking at some photos and a bit to eat..
Sunday morning Mary Ann helped out up at the Moose for our Lunch.. We had a nice lunch with Jim & Jan and new comer Irene .. We all talked at lunch and thought it would be fun to go up Brassfields and do some wine tasting.. Great day… After wine tasting we all came back to the house. The Perry’s stayed a little while and then had get going.. Irene was their guest, so she went with home when the left.,. Fun fun day!!
We ended up going to dinner at the Happy Garden this evening with Mike & Mary Ann.. 
Flyers by Linda Swesey..
check our Moose Newsletter and Calendar>>
http://www.mooselodge2284.org/Moose_Newsletter_july_aug2014.pdf
Really is is a very busy weekend and week this week! We had our group meeting up at the Riviera on Sunday Morning about 11am. There were about 30 of us at the meeting this month.. This group is always great fun! Just love everyone and when we miss it, we miss all of them as well…
Last month we lost one of our own (Philosopher) Ellen Heath, husband Milton. What a wonderful Lady Ellen was.. She will be missed by all. A truly talented and ambitious lady..
Milton and family had a wonderful celebration of life for her at the Lions Club in Middletown, with a reception to follow at their lovely home in the Black Oak Estates in Middletown..
Originally I had planned Monday nights so my friend Gail from Oregon would see all her friends while she was here for a short visit. Unfortunately her and Don were unable to make it. Due to the extremely HOT weekend, it was just too much for them and they headed home..So instead of canceling a “party”? Really?? NOT going to cancel.. I decided to celebrate Gayle Christian’s birthday instead!
We had Gayle & Rob, Rich & Judy, Larry & Lynn, Lee & Laura, Scott & Carla and Charles..
I fixed up some Mexican food and called it a day..uummm delic! We all had a fun time!! Love you all so much!!
Lindsy & Chris and our grandson Colin came for a visit this last weekend! My niece Kelly and boyfriend Tony, as well as Jeff & Cesar.. Other friends of Lindsy & Chris were Mike and Shelly and daughter Maddi.
Lindsy, Chris, Jeff & Cesar came up on Friday afternoon.. I think it was the hottest day of the year, over 100 degrees! Chris made carne asada for dinner that evening… ummm.. Had a fun fun time!
The next morning I met Lindsy, Chris, Colin, Jeff at the pool down a the keys club for about a short lived 90 minutes.. Too hot.. they went back to the Lake House and I went home and cooled off.. That evening we went over to the Lake house again for dinner..this time Jeff was cooking a marinated tri tip.. and some delicious potatoes.. By now there was a full house. Kelly & Tony had arrived before Ev and I got there.. Later Mike & Shelly came back.. They had been there earlier in the day, then took a boat ride over to some other friends and back again..
This was our last evening with the kids.. Sunday is our Philosophical Society Brunch at the Riviera..
Had a fun weekend with the kids.. Loved having you all!!
Click here to view printable recipe>>
http://www.clearlakevacationsonline.com/recipes/atomicbuffaloturds.pdf
Just getting home on Thursday night from our camping trip in Northern CA., needed to get packed up and leaving for Sonora Friday morning (May 30th) at 9:30am for Quick Books training for the Moose.
The GPS took us the scenic route, so the drive was about 4 and 1/2 hours.. 
Tina was driving, Pam in the passenger seat and me in the back..
We drove pretty much straight to Sonora to the hotel, Inn of California. Nice place, clean, did have some issues with the internet and the toilet handle.. yep toilet handle..fell off, then got put on so we had to flush “up” instead of down.. oh well..We checked in our hotel, then we all decided to go to the Black Oak Casino to try our luck as well as to eat lunch.. we were starving by now.. Lunch was ?? ok.. gambling wasn’t the best, so we didn’t stay long. Then we went over to the Moose met the bartender Barbara. Everyone was so nice..
Had a few drinks then back to the room (we kind of checked out that there was lots of shopping locally too). We had eaten lunch so late that none of us really wanted dinner.
We did stop at the local “Save Mart” to get some snacks and liquor.. As you see from the photos below, we were having fun shopping.. check out the basket sign “Customer in Training”.. oh we were just having fun!!
We had fun sitting out on the walk way at the hotel.. Gorgeous evening.. We didn’t stay up late with the anticipation of our class in the morning about 8am! YICKS! I don’t think any of us really slept well.. With 3 women sleeping in the same room there was always someone up going potty.. and being in a strange bed..? You get the picture,,
We managed to get through the class that day.. We didn’t get done that day till about 5pm.. LONG DAY!
We went in and had a maybe 2/3 drink at the bar in them Moose.. Awe but then we decided to eat at Gus’ steak house.. Cheap dinner.. and it tasted pretty good too..And back to the hotel..
Oh Sunday’s day was early too.. We got to break for breakfast about 930am for about 1/2.. Great breakfast the Moose provided us.. uummm delicious!! Then back to class.. This was one long ass day! Heck I was nodding off several times.. Way too much information to try and comprehend in 2 days! But we did it.. We were let out of class about 3pm that day.. So we didn’t even stop to have a cocktail at the bar in the Moose.. We went straight shopping!! and we nearly shopped till we dropped.. What fun we all had..
That Sunday evening we sat out on the walk again, with feet up..
Picture is named “FEET”.. appropriate I believe..
Had a couple of cocktails on the walkway as well as we ordered pizza.. awe, so nice to relax..
We started for home about 830am on Monday morning.. We stopped at Red Robin had a great lunch! Nice place (Woodland) and then we did a little shopping at Costco.. We had to be conservative due to we were running out of room in the car for storage..
It was a fun weekend with the girls!!
