We’re Off to the Races…

Horseman’s Park has live horse racing one weekend a year. Last Sunday I was lucky enough to catch a few of the races.


I love horses and miss Big Red (my childhood horse). I think I need someone to buy me a horse – oh yeah they need to take care of it for me also, so I just get the enjoyment of riding. Just such gorgeous animals.


The best part of the final race…..

The jockey of the winning horse was a girl! Very cool in my eyes.

I really want to attend the Kentucky Derby! Every year it rolls around and I wish I was there. The fancy dresses & hats, the mint juleps, the pretty horses. What’s not to love?

Is cheerleading a sport?

The age old debate. I remember spending hours defending my sport in high school to the doubters (mostly the boys of course). We would argue over how hard practice was, how athletic we were, and the fact that we competed just like any other athlete. The following article and related comments in the Omaha World Herald crack me up as such strong opinions on whether or not Cheerleading is a sport. I vote YES!!! Especially for the competitive teams. How do you vote? And for entertainment purposes - a cheerleading photo from my glory days borrowed from a FB wall.

VIP Tour of the Elk & Buffalo Ranch

As mentioned in a previous post there is a cool Elk & Buffalo Ranch near Niobrara owned by the Kreycik’s. Lucky for me I was able to get a VIP tour via four wheeler last weekend….

I got a bit muddy but trust me nothing is more fun than four wheeling around this gorgeous country side


can’t you just picture a huge farmhouse or lodge atop this hill where you wake up to this view every day!?!

Checking out these amazing animals up close and personal - no steel bars for protection like in the wagon


Some not quite as close for obvious reasons...


Others really close


Jr and Boomer (the long horn steer) were the least shy of the bunch as you can tell.

My Plot at the Community Garden

On a whim I decided to purchase two lots at our new community garden, they were inexpensive ($35 for both) and I was so excited about this garden that I wanted to support this concept. I figured the best way to show my support was to participate. So I planted beets from seed:

Carrots from seed:

Yukon Gold potatoes

Two Pepper plans

And two Tomato plants.


I cannot get over how well everything is growing! I will have fresh veggies in no time! I have already had fresh tomatoes and they were delicious. So exciting to stop by my garden to check on progress on my way too or fro work, I even enjoy weeding. It is relaxing and rewarding. We have a great group of volunteers that laid this brick walkway.

The bricks are form our old brick streets and the “gravel” is recycled glass from the recycling center! I can’t wait to see the community garden grow more and more each year. As a bonus this garden is actually doing better than my larger garden in my backyard – that garden is having a bit of a rocky start….

Little Additions to VanEvery Ranch…

Little by little we are adding accessories to the cabin (aka VanEvery Ranch even though it’s in town). We finally have side tables for a few rooms (compliments of the Goodwill in CB!).


Antlers from a European deer purchased at the Kreycik Elk & Buffalo Ranch (along with a sweet set of Elk Antlers that are yet to be hung).

This very neat weather vane from a local antique store in Crofton called Jeanne's Antiques.

This fun desk used as a nightstand also found at Jeanne's on a rainy day.

And the biggest improvement of all – curtains in the bedrooms!

My dad put his foot down and insisted we purchase and install curtains last weekend –no more peep shows for the neighbors.

Can’t wait to paint this fall/winter and add art/photos/etc….

Fireworks

I love watching fireworks, even if they do occasionally bring flashbacks of mortars, rockets, and other explosives encountered in Iraq. I was lucky enough to kick off the 4th of July festivities with my family and friends at the Council Bluffs Country Club.







We enjoyed a great dinner, drinks, and fireworks over Lake Manawa. Gorgeous weather for the evening and a very laid back and relaxing night.



More fireworks were enjoyed over the course of the 4th of July weekend but sadly I didn’t capture a single firework on my camera. Oops!

Niobrara River Fun

During our last visit to the cabin my mom and I noticed a bunch of people swimming in the river or lounging on the sandbars. Several of our friends also mentioned trips to the sandbars on the Niobrara river so we decided to give it a try! I was a bit suspect as was expecting dirty muddy water. Boy was I wrong.

Instead it was gorgeous pretty clear water full of sand not mud.

Even better we more or less had the whole place to ourselves (it was overcast but no rain and still got a tan).


Such a fun chance to relax and unwind with my mom. Usually I am a pool girl but in this instance may be converted to a river girl!



Can’t wait to visit the river again – next time with a cooler in tow full of snacks and drinks.