Billy Mitchell Award night.

Presenting Cadet Second Lieutenant Skyler Kaminski. Officially an Officer in the Civil Air Patrol!

Altair even arranged for the West Jordan Mayor to attend!

Sigh...

Apparently this is what our government wants now!

CPR training.

A class was offered for his Squadron and a few cadets signed up to learn CPR.

"Stayin' alive".

Skyler not paying attention.

Altair's turn.

"Everything hurts, and I'm dying!".

What was said after he worked out too hard over the weekend.

Altair giving him a lecture about listening to us when we say "you're overdoing it".

New shirt?

Don't you too, take your drone for a walk?

 4 miles on the JRP yesterday, the drone got some exercise.

On the horse path. She needs hours to maintain her FAA license.

Skyler's turn.  He too needs to build hours for him to get an FAA part 107 license when he turns 16.

Truth.

I'm still having a hard time after Maizey left us 2 months ago.

Coyote in the city!

Spotted on our walk in Draper last week.

It was on the actual trail and headed towards us when we spotted it.

But soon took off into the brush.

 

6 years.

Mom left us on this day in 2019.  Not a day goes by that I don't think about her.  I hope Maizey dog is keeping her company wherever they are. 💗

First Day hike on Antelope Island.

Continuing our new tradition started last year, he we ventured out on New Year's Day 2025 and enjoyed the unseasonably warm outside temps.

We met up across the road from Fielding Garr Ranch.  Great clouds!

228 of us headed North along the "Mountain View Trail."

Ranger Trish talking about the challenges of homesteading here 133 years ago.

A few of us early risers on National Hangover day.

What?!

Could it be?

A porcupine!

1st hiking selfie 2025.

Happy New Year!

Happy Birthday Karen!

My little Sister is 45 today! I  remember when she came home from the hospital. (There's photographic evidence of me holding her with an adult arm on her just in case I dropped her.)

She's so good with Skyler and so good with everyone else in the family.  Happy Birthday Karen! We love you.

Visual proof of what a good Aunt she is to Skyler.

My kind of Christmas song!

 

Happy Birthday Altair!

 

My adventure partner for nearly 23 years!

Maizey.

 July 2008-December 1, 2024

The neighbor behind us handed her over the fence in August 2008.

The mobile Veterinarian is coming out this afternoon to put her down.

Good dog.  

We have the watch from here.

HART ceremony..

Skyler went to Canada over the weekend to participate in the Civil Air Patrol's HART (Honoring, And Remebering, Together) along with the Canadian Cadets from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and I believe Coast Guard.  

Lots of stress for Mom and Dad, but he made it home safe a little before midnight yesterday.

Arriving in Lethbridge, Alberta Friday.

Rehearsal Friday evening.

Looks like chaos.

Out of 200 cadets in Utah that applied, Skyler was one of 27 selected to attend HART.

Link to watch the ceremony.

Group photo after the Saturday morning ceremony.

This really pisses me off!  90mph in a van with tires not rated for that speed.

All the feels.

Big day yesterday.

Skyler got to go up flying with the Civil Air Patrol right after school and our new furniture was delivered!

Preflighting the aircraft.

Skyler checked tire pressures.

Here we go!

Taxiing out.

Their flight path.  

He said he had the controls for over half the flight.

Our new furniture!

Weekend happenings.

Skyler had his fall break, he had a Halloween sleepover, we hiked,  saw a rare airplane land, and bought a new living room set!

Skyler went as Carl from "Caddyshack".

Bell Canyon lower reservoir.

Grumpy teen.

Altair wanted to keep hiking toward the lower falls, so we did.

Bridge!

Packed with snow.

We ended up racing the sunset Friday evening.  We won.

Royal Air Force Airbus A-400 cargo plane landed at SLC Saturday afternoon.

Our new living room furniture!  So excited!  

It gets delivered Thursday.

2024 Pre-Election Cold Open - SNL

Try to keep it together, we could not.