FInally Home from Mining in ID

Finally just got back from a week down in southern ID and now have some time to rest and relax at home.  I was down in the middle of nowhere ID out in the National Forest doing some water testing and although it was pretty cool, they were long days and not great lodging options so I am glad to be at home.  It is also a tough time to leave with the kids since they are so much fun, so I like to be at home....oh ya, and my wife, my wife....I love to be with her as well.

I think this picture was taken at the local library where James gets to hang out with Noelle from time to time.  He was actually having fun, but has the DeJong stare going on which happens to all of us around pretty girls.

Of course James like to wear dad"s work hat as well.  He probably could use it with how close he is getting to hitting his head on the counter edges of the island in the kitchen.

Matthew also had to get duded up to ride the motorcycle....although I was not allowed to take him.

Matthew is sitting in the Bumpo now. He really can stand up well in addition to laughing all of the time.

Power tool are one of James's favorate thing and second to that would be kitchen tools such as blenders and waffle irons.

Here is James with our neighbor kids.  He is always going over there to play or having them over to play.

Annie and James on the front swing.  That girl's curls are so adorable.

When I got home on Monday we stopped at Manito park for a picnic.  The weather here has been awesome and today it was like 85 and sunny.  I got to get out on the bike for a quick ride one of these days.

Matthew loves to smile and is going to love summertime

Brenda and the boy in front of the best flowers in the park this time of year.

Classic James smile.  If you ask him to show his teeth to you this is what you get.

And here are a few pics from work last week.  Someday were hot and then the next some snow squalls would come through so it was normal spring in the rockies.  As if driving around in a UTV can really be considered work.

Here is the pit lake for the phosphate strip mine we were working at.  They are done mining this area and this is what is left.  Of course I saw a bunch of funny mining bumper stickers at the mine, but  a couple of my favorates read "Earth First.....we will mine the other planets later"  or "strip mining prevents forest fires".

Here is a small rockslide down in the pit where we were the day before taking samples.  Some of the pits are huge v ditch like 20' wide at the bottom and walls hundreads of feet high...kind of cool but scarry at the same time.