Busy!

I've really been neglecting my blog! I keep thinking about posting, but by the time I get off work and run (or sit down to read or watch TV) I don't want to do anything!

I keep thinking that after this Thursday, things can slow down enough to concentrate on some other things! I have a presentation for a grant at work (a BIG grant for trail work) and a school visit in Carson City for 100 4th graders all in one day!

The grant is for new interpretive signs along our hiking trails and also to take out two old toilets, replace one toilet and put a new one in at the Orchard (day use area). I got to learn all about matching funds and what it actually takes to remove and replace vault toilets! All I really wanted was to replace the signs along the trail and line it, so it's easy to follow. Our volunteer and I did a lot of work last spring to get the trail looking good, but it needs a lot more work, and new signs to replace the missing ones, broken/faded ones and the ones with swear words etched into them! The grant required 20% matching funds which includes pre-project planning and volunteer time, among other things so I had to figure in the amount of volunteers and their time, that it will take to get this project finished in the next two years. Thursday I have a 10-minute presentation to go along with the application. I was told to make it "pretty, snappy and very specific to the project." I think I've done that! Now all I have to do is learn the slide show well enough to do a good talk, and it's over! Still no idea if we'll get any money but it's been a VERY good learning experience!

Dave and I took a short trip to Monterey, CA last month to just get away for a few days. I'll have to post pictures of that trip soon.  A friend and I also did the Hidden Cave Tour in Fallon a couple weeks ago. I'll post pictures of that too...but not in the next couple days!

My friend Wendy is coming to visit, and I'm hoping to make a quick-trip to Utah later this month because my nephew just got home from his 2nd or 3rd tour in Afghanistan for the Army.

I also found out that my friend Cherie lives about 4 hours away in Yosemite National Park, so I will need to visit her.  Another friend is moving to Sacremento, which is only a couple hours away, just over the Sierras! So I will have to visit her too....plus I started a garden. 

I only have tomatoes, strawberries, kale and parsely so far, until we have a space in the ground for everything. Then I will plant heirloom tomatoes, jalapeno peppers and hopefully rosebushes and phlox.