Our Thanksgiving weekend

"On the first day of Thanksgiving, I served my family . . .
Baby carrots and pickled beets,
Curried butternut soup,
"Turkey" Almondine,
Fresh steamed cauliflower,
Cranberry Jello salad,
Homemade crescent rolls (with homemade strawberry-pineapple-rhubarb jam)
and Pumpkin Pie Cake (with Breyer's vanilla ice cream)!"
(Sung roughly to the tune of "The 12 Days of Christmas")

After my dad and his wife Louise arrived on Thanksgiving day but before we could eat, Rick's pager went off - twice. My dad offered to drive Rick to his emergencies since Rick still hadn't attempted a stick shift since being cleared to drive, so dinner waited. After dinner there was another emergency to attend to before we could settle in for some real visiting - and yes, Sharon, there was a violin solo or two. :-)

On the second day of Thanksgiving (I always think of Thanksgiving as Thursday-Sunday), the guys and I spent the morning target shooting before heading to the Evergreen Air and Space Museums. Dad and Louise haven't been here since the space museum was built or the firearms collection went on display, so there was lots of new things for them to see. (Rick met us there because he had yet another emergency; but that time he drove himself - and did fine.)(ACK! I look pregnant standing there like that! Rick told me he almost said something about my stance before taking the picture, but thought better of it since I WAS holding a loaded gun - and am a pretty fair shot. ;-)

On the third day of Thanksgiving, Rick, Brian and I went to church while Dad and Louise visited the museums again, then we all met back at the house for Thanksgiving dinner leftovers (and some baklava) before our guests headed north for a brief visit with other family before heading back to Spokane on Sunday. We sure enjoyed the visit - and that went for EVERYone, including the dogs! Dad and Louise brought their year-old dachshund along, and oh, how the dogs played!
On the fourth day of Thanksgiving (today) we tackled leaves. Got the arena all cleaned up; then I turned Russell out. Talk about being pent up - too bad my camera batteries were in the house charging! After the fireworks subsided I put Russell away and turned the other three horses out. They were just as full of beans. It's been a long, dry spell for turn-out around here; so glad to have the arena available again!

After a late lunch, we went on our annual "tree hunt." I'll admit it, after the Kentucky trip, a busy week following our return including Rick's surgery, and out-of-town company, I had no enthusiasm for the task, but we didn't think Brian could stand to wait two more weeks (Rick is going to be out of town next Sunday). We had a dry day on which to hunt, and came to a relatively quick consensus on the best tree. We got it up, but not decorated - yet.
Speaking of hunting, Rick and Brian had to go on a frog hunt this morning. Brian brought in a plastic truck and horse trailer from outside, and out hopped a tiny tree frog! Rick finally got the wee creature out from under the piano; it was still and dusty and we weren't sure if it was okay. Then it perked up and hopped off Rick's hand into my front flower bed full of candytuft foliage. Live long, little leaper!
That's it for now from . . .