Capturing Spring

053111:  I've been telling people that we are crazy busy because we are just that:  crazy busy.  Emphasis on the crazy part.  But I will take crazy busy any day over not being the opposite:  mundane slow.  ???  What is the opposite of crazy busy?  So, with that said, while we have been crazy busy in the background running our game we call a "RV Park,"  there has been many signs of fun happening and, despite recent weather, spring is actually springing.

I went out on the North dock to catch a glimpse of the snow covered Sweetwater Mountain range. 

The impending signs of inclement weather in May. 

  I'm rather fond of stormy days.  I like the contrast of dark and light. 

I've been busy in the mornings lately and haven't seen or captured many sunrises.  Though I did catch this sunrise of the North dock before the fingers were installed this year.

 So there were these three pelicans, in full breeding bloom swimming along....  Only another pelican could find that plumage attractive, though I do like their hairy little heads.

Here's your photo Mike!  This is a photo of just one the many beauties I have seen this year - the fish, not Mike...  Well, to clarify, Mike is handsome and the fish is a beauty! 

Some of our lake front sites awaiting Memorial Day customers.  I like the contrast of the aligned trees to the askew picnic tables.  No, actually that drives me a little nuts....

 Four preening pelicans on a sunny day.

 Evidence of one the two hand fulls of nice days in May at Topaz.



Behind the Beautiful Scenery

051011:  Our equipment doesn't have hearts or brains, otherwise they would know better than to breakdown a mere month before our summer season starts!  Our little workhorse tractor, whom we dearly love, broke the other day.  "Little Blue" was torn down to her petticoats to find the problem....

It takes three men to drain the fuel tank.  One to hold the hose.  One to hold the funnel.  And one to tell them how to do it right.

David invited (read: begged) my dad, Ross, to join him in this dirty venture.  David said it was necessary for Dad to be here because "he is a tractor encyclopedia."

 You can tell my Dad has years of experience over David.  He's wearing coveralls. 

Seeeee?  Dirty!  I had to wash those clothes!

A tractor actually has four parts:  The front, front, the front, the back, and the back, back.

Four hours later, the tractor in four pieces and probably 400 bolts laying around... this is the source of the problem.  Do you know what this is?  I have learned this broken piece is called a release lever.  It resides on the clutch cover to the pressure plate.  This little broken piece caused all this trouble!  Trust me, a tractor will not "go" without a functional release lever. 

As I took these photos, I couldn't help but notice my dad's hand.  The years of grease and grime from all the hard work were once a way of life.  Now retired, his hands have softened and weakened, but they are still large, still gentle, still needed more than he knows.  Today the grease of an old tractor folded into the lines of my dad's hands and it was welcomed.  Thanks, Dad.  Thanks for everything.