The Hatfields!

Funny blast from the past...

The photographer really got into this, brushing a goatee on me and telling me and Kees to "look mean" and Kiersten to "look ladylike".

Kees definitely looks mean and Kiersten has the ladylike look going...I'm not sure what kind of look I'm workin' there, though... I think I was mad because my gun was so small ;-)

OFF Road fun on ROAD bikes!

We left the house woefully underdressed, understimating the effect of the humidity on the wind-chill. We circled back, put on some extra layers and were then cozy as clams.

It was a blustery day and we were a little bored with our usual route so we got adventurous and took our road bikes on a trail for jeeps and mountain bikes! I figured we might get a flat or two, but what the heck!!

Kiersten quickly realized that unlike her mountain and cross bikes, her road bike with 23mm tires does not go well through 4" of sand and promptly crashed. She and Kees were laughing so hard after that that it tooks us five minutes to negotiate that section because they were being so silly and kept crashing, LOL!

Other than the sand, and having to dig twigs out of our spokes periodically, it was actually pretty managable on the road bikes. They need a good cleaning though!

All in all we had a fun ride which is what it needs to be every once in a while.

Buddha Button

Our little dwarf hamster Button...sometimes she sleeps like this in her little condo... Buddha style...very Zen hamster ;-)

Samson has lost his powers!

Sorry... crappy pics... camera is no mas!

Kees had his lovely locks shorn today and fears that he might have lost his superpowers!! Girls (and women) always compliment him on his long hair and natural blonde highlights... now the poor guy is going to have to rely on his personality to get the chicks... or get back to the beach, quick ;-)

I think it looks good...like he always had it before I suggested he try it longer. We'll see what the girls at school say on Monday!

Cruisin!

111 RPM... dang...small chainring will do that!

44th President

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts got the oath wrong and Obama caught it and paused so Roberts could correct it...gotta love that!

Full text of the Inaugural Address.

Thumbs up from Sasha... cute!

Invitational Dance

We called it "Ballroom Dance" when we were kids... I hated it... Kees loves it. I think Kees is much more popular with the ladies than I was in 6th grade ;-)

Trainer time!

Kiersten in the "kids' lounge" doing some serious cruise intervals!

What does a 14 year-old watch while on the trainer? Why, Hannah Montana, of course!

Last day

The last day at the ranch we just sort of hung out, and enjoyed the weather...and the amazing South Texas sunsets we get down there!

Hunting

This was Kiersten's first time to hunt herself, and she was chomping at the bit! She passed on several opportunities and settled on a large doe, since the ranch still needed to shoot almost 80 does according to Texas Parks and Wildlife rangers. She was shooting a 25-06 and afterwards said "it didn't even kick!" LOL... it does... she was just so focused on the shot she didn't feel it!

Eatin' and shootin'

After a hearty breakfast (as Kees said: "I think every meal we ate something shot by someone!") it was out to the shooting range...the guys AND the girls...and we had some pretty good shooters out there!

New Year's Run

Kiersten and Dominic get in a ceremonial New Year's run. From the house to the gate is about a mile (x2), and then they ran to the hanger and cleaning shed so they probably got in about three miles. Easy pace but starting the year off on a good foot. Had the pool been filled they probably could have gotten in a swim as well, the weather was so nice!

The NEW YEAR!!!

With special friends and family, we rang in the new year with fireworks. With Charlie gone, however, the responsibility fell on Danny to keep up the tradition and he came through with flying colors with a 30-minute fireworks display that would put many cities to shame!