2019 The year in a Nut shell!

 This is how we brought in the NY last year at the Death Valley Duck ride. See here our good friend Carlita's sample of the costumes she carry's around with her to ensure everyone gets into the groove at the BIG XPNY's eve party at the Trona Golf Club.Yes, in the middle of absolute nowhere! I don't have pics of the event as they are on my phone and I'm having trouble scooting them from there to here through cyber-space.I'll keep trying because I'd love to show you just how a bunch of us endurance riders, many of which are WELL over the drinking age, just spent the last 4 days riding up to 200 miles and still have the energy to whoop it up 'til midnight!This year we both got bad colds for Christmas so didn't go. :  (

In June, our Smith Valley Art Group had a very successful showing at the Jeanne Dini Cultural Center in Yerington. It was a huge success and everyone who's anyone was there. See here the flyer put together beautifully by none other than our own Stephanie Doanne.Click to enlarge.

Later in June /July Mern and I took the Greys to Strawberry fields in Utah. Another fun-filled Dave and Annie Nicholson Ride with Howard Kent as manager. We did a 35 and a 50 mile with a leisurely day off in between.It's nice to just smell the roses sometimes....or in this case, the strawberries!(Photos not in order)
See below Mernie and Ice with the white blob in the foreground being Kip's flagged tail. "Come on Mrs Slowcoach," he's sayin'!
From Utah we went to Wyoming to visit all our buddies and stay with the Kellers who were in the middle of packing but still found time to throw us a party and invite all of Laramie. LOL Love em!Again pics on the phone!
The Pic above is the Big Horn 100 awards meeting. We did the 50 but still attended the 100 award on Sunday.The little girl in the green T-shirt rode the 100 and came in with her Mom around 4 in the morning....She is NINE years old! (There was a big adventure at the the BH involving Mernie and a rotory blade aircraft. Go to Kip's blog. http://themonkeysknownothing.blogspot.com It's somewhere there!)


 

 
Then to the Big Horn 50 miler. Not the 100 this year.Dang says Kip but I got m'gal!

The greys discussing when the 'ell are they comin' out with carrots.

See here the trench up the fenceline Kip dug trying to tell us to take us over the road to his old home at On A String Ranch! We did!

 Just part of Mern's big renovation project. Above... before below...after. Deck, siding, painting and repair including ALL the doors and windows. All rebuilt! Super Mern has been at it again!

 Weiwen came to visit for Thanks Giving and we had a great time just hanging out, catching up and getting together with the neighbors. See our lovely new neighbor Mike third from the right.Photo by Stephanie Doanne

 See below three generations of Youngers. Zoe, Mernie and Maeline. Mernie was sick with a cold. Poor boy!

 Christmas party at Steph's. Photo by Steph who still managed to get in the pic. First on the left.

Kip won the NASTR 'Silver Rush' triple ride award and here he is showing off his prize blanket and being photo bombed by Weiwen!

New member of our herd. Goof ball Tush! (TU Shamir) He LOVES the old girl. Yes we still have Lucky she will be 32 in May!

 

These three pics are sort of stuck together. From top....
Tush our new boy meeting old Lucky Girl who will be 32 in May.
 Kipling tackling the rocks in Bailey Canyon on his fourth VC 100. Photo by Lucy Trumbill.
Kipling(not happy) at the National Championships in Ridgecrest, CA. You will have to go to his blog to findout just why he's in one of his 'moods'! ...  http://themonkeysknownothing.blogspot.com Photo by Merri Melde who had to throw toys at him to get his attention. Wasn't amused!

Early in the Year we had a visit from Andy, who now owns On A String Ranch . She dropped in as she had a meeting in Reno. It was a short but lovely visit and nice to catch up on what was going on 'back at the Ranch!'
 My good buddy Donna and I took another road trip this year to check out our state of Nevada and sniff out some art.We found lots of it in Eureka and Elko. We always have a great time just nosin' around and cruisin the streets in her limo of a car we call Priscilla Queen of the Desert! Donna and I have also been creating art together in the Dome Studio whirling paint and ink around trying to make prints on gelatin. We compliment each other with our unique random style!
  Lots of neighborhood parties have been enjoyed by all around here and have a new neighbor, Mike who is a lovely man and fits in well. He moved into Randy and Lucielles's place. We miss R and L but thank them very much for selling their place to such a nice person. We have been sooooo lucky with neighbors!
 Both Mernie and I still go to Yoga and I was going to some dance classes for a while. That was really fun but when Tush arrived I had to cut back dance as well as pistol group practice on Friday Mornings and a few other things. Having a four year old horse is a bit like having a toddler!He's a good toddler though!
We did several endurance rides this year. Kip has blogged all of them so just go to his blog to get filled in.
We lost our dear friend and neighbor James in August. He was such a talented,creative, funny and kind man.He forged beautiful items out of metal and you will find at least one piece of his work in most of the homes around here. He'll sure be missed.

 Zoe sweet but fiesty! In the nicest of ways!

Finley. A gentleman and a scholar!

Our Grandkids are growing like beanstalks. They are embracing life and leaving no stone unturned.Both are smart, polite and a pleasure to be around. Finley is 13 and taller than me and Zoe, although still pint sized, is 10 and tiger on the soccer field. We are all proud of them. We spent Christmas in them in Sacramento. Mernie's daughter Maeline was there and we all had a really relaxing time.Even if we did come home with nasty colds!
I'm sure I've miss some things. I tend to do that. However what's not here is probably on Kip's blog! He doesn't miss a trick! Here's to the new decade! Ronnie