HOW TO BEAT THE COLD WEATHER BLUES

This is how crazy mule lady and Grandma Jeanie beat the cold weather blues. We get out there and enjoy the weather. Friday morning it was cold and drizzly and we decided on a afternoon ride in the woods. We left about 3 pm and it was sunny and chilly. We rode until dusk. We played tag on the trails.

It was so obvious that the mules loved it. County is so much faster than Jenny, but Jenny is a game player and she never lets that black mule
get ahead of her for one minute.

The most exciting moment is when we came up on the hunters bow hunting for deer. I am sure they were pissed off to see up coming. Laughing and yelling racing down the trails. One of them even looked a little pale and out of breath. Since we are both RN's we always notice little things like that. You know like someone
need resuscitation. Anyway, we will try to stay out of the woods during dawn and dusk. Deer
season just seemed to come up to soon.

We had planned a weekend ride in the Mountains of Decorah, Iowa. With a forecast of snow, we decided to save our money for our
upcoming trip to Eminence, Missouri later this month.

We even took a little hard cranberry lemonade drink with us. This is a first for me. I said that
Deb led me astray. (Tongue in cheek of course.) I took two health cookies along and had to eat them both.

The woods were beautiful and the wind wispered to us that winter was coming sooner than we than we planned.

I keep getting calls that people see a cat like Marco Polo, but they can't catch him. I got him
at a shelter, and he always was hard to pick up. He was always a little bit frightened of people.
I doubt that we can ever bring him home again. He was a lot of fun and teased Nana all the time
without mercy on that old dog. He hangs out at the VA hospital in Knoxville and it will be closing next month.

I have a date with an old friend this evening. I resisted for a long time, but life does go on and
with winter coming it is cold and lonely around here. Wish me luck on my new adventures.

Come ride with me. Love Grandma Jeanie

RIDE HARD LIFE IS SHORT

BOOTY

This is my new cat, Booty. He was a lost half grown cat and I felt sorry for him because no one
wanted him and brought him home with me from Farmington, Iowa. He originally was from
south of Pella, Iowa, and taken camping in hopes that he could find a new home among the
campers. I had recently lost my cat, Marco Polo, so it seemed like the logical thing to do.

He has gained a lot of weight and is a friendly little cat. He had surgery this week and is feeling
a little worn down in the pictures. He was a free cat, but now he owes me 100 dollars worth
of petting and purring.

He and Nana are the same color and are beginning to be friends. Nana is the one hard to
make up with.

Wish me luck in keeping him safe. Grandma Jeanie

AMAZING UNCLE GLEN

This is a picture of my Uncle Glen Bortell.
This was taken last month on his 95th birthday.
He lives in Florida.

This is a picture of my friend Crazy Mule lady
and myself this past weekend. We were enjoying
riding our mules along the Des Moines River on
a perfectly lovely day.

Needless to say we can only hope to be riding
our mules on our 95th birthday.

Love Grandma Jeanie

Mt Mckinley/Mary Ann

This is Mary Ann's picture of Mt McKinley or
Mr Denali as most folks call it in Alaska.

We were so lucky to see it as only 20% of
visitors get to see it. We saw it every day
we were there which was three days.

This is daughter Cathy and sister Mary Ann and yours truly.

I still have not found my cat. This is disturbing to me and I do not know what to do to fix it.
I adopted a stray young cat, but it just doesn't help how I feel.

Work is good. Glad to have a chance to take care of people and have enough do re me to
pay the bills.

Granddaughter Sundance and her special friend, Jed, were here last week. They are on their
way to France where Sundance is teaching English to school kids. I warned her that Mia and
I were going to come and see her next year.



Crazy Mule Lady is coming this after noon and we are going to run the trails.

Happy trails to you all. Grandma Jeanie

Wonderful Weekend

Grandma Jeanie, County Fair, and Nana spent a great weekend riding in the beautiful forest
Shimek and camping at River Valley. I had some great pictures of County rolling in the dust, but
I can't find the memory card. Guess I will buy a new one.

As you know, I lost my Marco Polo. At the campground there was a stray cat and I brought
him home. He is half grown, skinny, etc. Needs lots of TLC. He is affectionate.

HAPPY TRAILS.

Alaska

I started my vacation to Alaska visiting my daughter, Cathy, in Olympia, Wa. We spent
most of my visit on the ocean. Mike and Kelly and a friend had so much fun playing on
the logs that float in on the river. The water in the pictures is a river of fresh water on the
ocean. Very interesting. Also, some of the trees are very old and very big. On Sunday Cathy took me to the Sea Tac Airport to pick up My sister
Mary Ann, and her husband Chris. We had a lovely day together and then said goodbye to
Cathy.

Marco Polo

I came home yesterday from my awesome trip to Alaska. Nana never looked better and she
was so glad to see me. Carrie and Crayola picked me up at the airport and brought me home.
I was so grateful as I was feeling exhausted. We did not pick up the cat because their car was
full as they were going camping.


about 10:00 pm the boarding place for the cat returned my call. The dog chewed a hole in
the screen and all the cats escaped and Marco has been missing for several days.

I am totally saddened. Nana and Marco were my only companions. I will advertise for
him in the papers next week. He does have a chip, but it is an outside guess that he will take
up with anyone new. Love Grandma Jeanie