Glamour Camping "glamping"

“PAWS UP” MONTANA

Dining Pavilion

Feels good on a Freezing morning

One of the tables in the pavilion

Zipped up Tent

Half of the bathroom with 2 sinks and heated floor

Our comfy bed: no sleeping bags in sight

Yes, it is a tent of sorts.. wood floors & furniture

Howard and I at the Chuck Wagon cookout

Fly Fishing

We take a break from fly fishing

I caught a fish..never fished before

Well. we just got back from our very interesting camping trip with our friends.  We went to a "luxurious" resort  on a 37,000 acre cattle ranch in Montana.  We had 5 "tents" spaciously clustered around an open pavilion where we warmed up by the fire, were served by our private chef, gathered around to talk about the day, and marvel at the wonders of the resort.  We even had a "butler" of sorts.  Really a liason between us, in the wilderness, and any thing we needed from the resort.  There were no phones, so the butler called for a van to transport anyone to an activity, make spa appointments (yes,  massage tents open to the rushing river (Oh My God), and generally help us have one of our best vacations.  Food friends and lots of laughter.

We've Been Busy

   I haven't written for a long time.  Since my mother died in January, we have been busy dealing with her estate, such as it is.  We sold her house, and it is now in escrow.  Thus, we have been sorting her belongings, asking my children (her only grandchildren) if there is anything they want by which to remember their grandmother.  They took a few things, and that left my sister and I to work on her clothes; which to toss and which to give to charity.  We had a charity pick up all her furniture, and as of today, the house is ready for the new owners.  It was a lot of physical work, mixed with emotional memories.  But it's done, and hopefully, I can move on.
   My husband and I took a week off to go to Santa Fe, New Mexico.  It is a wonderful, spiritual, historic and charming place.  It is a mecca for artists, with tons of galleries and artist's studios, as well as a mecca for good restaurants.  So, we ate and bought art work.
It was lots of fun.

Jubilee

It is Sunday morning, and we are watching Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee on television. It is quite a joyous occasion, isn't it? It looks dreary and cold, but it's a once in a lifetime experience for all!

Diets

Well, I started a new diet.  This must be the "millionth" time I've said that.  The older I get, the harder it is to lose weight, and the more difficult it is to stay with it.  I decided to involve the obsessive part of my personality.  I can use it in a positive way to keep me on track.   I'm "out the door," but I will write more later when I have some more time.  Breakfast: 140 calories.

Vegging Out

I am in Palm Desert, alone (Howard arrives later).  Im lucky to have the leisure time to relax after what we figured was 5 years of worry and stress with our mother's health.  It does seem like a void, though.  I still have some guilt, thinking I have to call her.  I missed her last Sunday.  We used to watch the Academy Awards together via phone.  We would start at 3:00 to critique the gowns and hairstyles on the Red Carpet. We would call each other back and forth with our comments.  We would do the same with the actual Oscar Show.  It wasn't as much fun this year.

End of Life

Well,the time has come. Mom will pass any time now. I can't get over Hospice Care. She suffered a great deal of agitation, trying to get out of bed, yelling, etc., all while semi conscious. She is now sedated, but hospice has her under crisis care, where they provide nursing care 24 hours a day until they think it is safe for her to be cared for by her caregiver alone. All of this is paid for by Medicare. Thank heaven for Medicare. My children came to say goodbye, and they were very emotional about her imminent death. Of course, I expected them to react that way. They are very lucky to have a grandmother well into their forties and early fifties. She means a lot to them. So it's a waiting game.....I'm glad she is no longer in pain and can die in peace.

Photo Album

Grand Tetons, Wyoming

I find myself with nothing much to write about, so I looked through some of my photos to come up with a few of my favorite ones.  The Grand Tetons shoot straight up towards the sky.  Truly magnificent.  We saw a herd of elk crossing a river at dusk, and buffalo by the side of the road.  Love that trip, we will return.
This is a photo of the red rocks at Sedona, and our casita at the resort.  The Enchantment Resort is nestled into the rocks, so that it isn't even seen until you drive a way up the road.  Breathtaking.

Enchantment Resort, Sedona Arizona

 On our Panama Canal Cruise, this is a head-on view of our ship about to enter the locks.  It is a very slow process, as the locks have to close to let the water rise for the ship ahead of us.  A remarkable feat, the Panama Canal.

Approaching the Locks, Panama Canal

 While I was stopped at a traffic light, I saw this horse poke his head out of the window.  He stayed that way for a long time.  I guess we people were more interesting than what was inside.

Why Isn't The Traffic Moving?

What's New???

     My blogger background is kaput!  I have been experimenting with others, but am now in limbo.  However, I am enjoying the "playtime."
     My 96 year old mother is declining in health.  That is to put it mildly.  We have her in Hospice Care at her home.  It has been exhausting getting it all set up for her, especially since she still is full of opinions and doesn't want her home to look like a hospital.  Thus, she doesn't want to use the equipment provided for her comfort.  But it is her choice, and she is entitled to have her wishes followed through.
     I am staying home today to do the things I have been ignoring; laundry, finances, marketing, etc.  I don't even feel like doing anything.  I just want to "be."  Does that make sense?