THE SCARY SPIDER BOX!

"The Spider Box" 

original art work by Julie Jacobsen all rights reserved

constructed by Chris Jacobsen

So, tonight my son, Charlie, asked me if I had written on my blog recently and I sheepishly said, "No but I've watched a lot of kitty videos on Facebook".  Bad.  Bad.  Bad!  So, that got me off my you know what and I decided to show my most recent project.  

Chris gave me a box like this years ago and he had taped a licorice wrapper on it because he KNEW I would be a fool and fall for it.  So what happened.....I eagerly opened the box and promptly had a heart attack and died.  Well, the second part isn't true.  I'm still here but I did scream my head off.

After that we embraced the spider box and there have been many an unsuspecting victim that we have pulled it on (kind of like the fake poopy diaper that  we wore out from overuse-so so fun).  Many years went by and Chris decided to figure out how to make it.  The original spider box he bought.  Smart guy that he is (I don't know how he did it) he made one!  I've actually painted 3.  They are so much fun!   Just think.  The box is so inviting!  This particular box theme is everything licorice because the person we're giving it to loves it.  We hope they'll get many years of fun out of it.  I'm going to put a rock hard finish on it and we'll hope the spider doesn't get yanked out by grandchildren.  Hahaha.  The spider that's in one of the other boxes that we made has been played with so much by our granddaughters that it's kind of pokey coming out of his hole.  He might need a repair soon.  As we were Face Timing today we watched the 1 year old, Rinnie, open it up and give the spider a kiss.  Too funny!  It makes all the work worth it to see that.

I hope you can get a good idea of how these look.  For some reason the photos are blurry.  I may have to change the image size but not tonight!

*I did but to no avail.  So I left all but the first one small. You can click on each one to see the detail better.

**I take it back.  When you click on them they're even smaller.  I think you might be able to stretch them on a phone or IPad.  Oh well.  I should have used my regular camera but I don't think the colors are as good as with my IPhone.
 

Don't let the spiders get you tonight!  Hahahahaha!    

Finally "You're My Cousin Buddy" is finished!

"You're My Cousin Buddy" by Julie Jacobsen

I know this took me a long long time but you have to understand that I had so many things going on
at home that I just couldn't quite get it done.  One of the things was another painting that I did for my husband's nephew's wedding present.  Once I completed that I was able to get back to this project.

Now, I don't know if I have mentioned this before but I painted this on a wrap around canvas.  So I had to continue the painting onto each side.  More work on that end but the best part is I won't have to frame it.  It's ready to hang!  Yay!

I really love this painting as I feel like it's a good composition.  It keeps your eye wondering around in a circle.  It's unified in all ways.  These are my grandchildren, Brandon and Kyra, and I love them too!   It's an intimate portrait showing their bond with each other.  That makes for a successful painting, I think.  I accomplished what I set out to do.  I also left this a little rougher than my usual portraits.  I wanted it to be more painterly.

Now it's onto the next project:  another small wedding painting for my husband's brother that got married last year.   Oh and I'll have to post the other one that was completed.

DOODLES! How I love them!

A doodle - Julie Jacobsen

Just a fun little doodle.  I've read some fantasy books lately and that kind of got me in the mood for this.  Another thing I thought about was when the Arboretum started at the University of Utah when my kids were little. It used to be you could walk around the area more freely.  There was a part that was like this.  Actually it was oak trees that surrounded you as you walked through a kind of tunnel of vegetation.  I remember feeling a little on edge each time we went there because it's by Red Butte Canyon and there are a lot of rattlesnakes up there.  We never saw one at that time but I did years later at the more formal gardens-a snake slivering through the beautiful flowers.  Creepy! 

This drawing also reminds me of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow".  Can you see the tree stump that almost looks like a man?  Hmmmm.  Eerie, right?

IF ROSES WERE POLKA DOTTED, ETC.

 "Perky Petals"  Julie Jacobsen

Well, here's another of my doodles that I did in church.  I love patterns and, I guess, that would be an Asian influence in my art.  Plus I love flowers and drawing them.  Good combination, I think.  What do you think?

Another Kitty quilt finished!

It's been months since I posted last.  I've been so busy.  We have a new grandson, Aren, that's super cute and I made a quilt for him, of course.  His parents chose a repeat.  They liked the last kitty quilt so much that I did for Kyra.

Here's Aren's

Here's Kyra's

 

I forgot that I had made a matching pillow for Kyra.  I'll have to make 1 for Aren.  They're quite a bit different.  I tried so hard to make Aren's not too girlie and that was a challenge.  I think the chocolate brown kitty is even more fun than the yellow one.  What do you think?

Now I'm making a quilt for our granddaughter-to be born this month.  It's very fun but difficult.  Luckily I'm almost done.

I've got to get a painting going as it's been too long.  I've got some ideas and want to try a new style.  I'll post the stages when I get that started.  But first things first-I have to finish these quilts!

Here's my horsy buddy-TREAT!

"Treat"

I just was reading one of my favorite blogs (emilyandjoshashdown.blogspot.com) and read how they have just started learning how to ride horses.  I wanted to put my pic of Treat into my comment but couldn't figure out how to copy/paste it.  It wouldn't work.  So I thought I'd just post my buddy's pic and tell about it with a link to my blog.

So, Emily and Josh, I'm in love with this horse.  I grew up riding horses all the time when I went to my friend, Jane Garff's, ranch.  We had so much fun.  I wanted a horse of my own so badly but with a divorced working mom it could never be afforded.  I loved to go with Jane whenever I could.  I think she probably got tired of me asking when we were going to ride the horses but Jane has always been one of the kindest people that I know.  She humored me a lot.  We even did barrel racing and herded cattle (nasty horse flies!). 

"Deseret Livestock Ranch" - the ranch house (commissioned by Jane)

Jane's ranch was "The Deseret Livestock Ranch"-biggest in Utah-and it was sold to the LDS church.  They use it a lot now for Pioneer Trek, I've heard.

So we grew up and I didn't ride much at all.  I even had a scary experience in college when I was in a horseback riding class where my my saddle turned and I fell off (always always check the cinch!).  I had to get back on the horse to go back to the stables and ride down and up through a gulley first.  The horse knew I was shook up-so he proceeded to try to scrape me off on the bushes (didn't work).  Just keep this place in mind-Dimple Dell.

"Hot Date" (that's Cliff, my son, in New Orleans)

Many years later I was doing a print signing at Granite Furniture in Orem and a gentleman asked if he could trade me an Arabian horse for my painting of New Orleans.  I wanted to cry!  I had always wanted one but didn't know where I could keep it or if I could afford it.  I had to decline.

Recently a friend of mine, Becky, that owns 2 horses asked me if I wouldn't MIND going riding sometime.  I said, "Mind!  You must be kidding me!  When can we go!?!"  So I have become her new riding buddy because her kids are not available to ride and her husband has a bad back.  Wow!  So wonderful!  She's teaching me all the stuff I never learned-like saddling the horse, cleaning up, grooming, etc. etc. and she is so patient.  She's teaching me how to do everything properly.  Best part yet is that I get to ride Treat, a beautiful red chestnut Morgan.  I love him!  But now I'm finding out that Treat has some funny little quirks that I have to learn to work with.  Like he kicks out his back leg when he's first riding and that can be a little unsettling.  So Becky rides him around for a big until he gets his kick out of his system.  I didn't know that when you take the saddle off that horses love to roll in the dirt.  They paw the ground like a cat first. It's so funny to watch.

Now.  Remember Dimple Dell?  Guess where the stable is and the riding is....you guessed it...across the street from Dimple Dell.  You can imagine what I thought when I learned that.  Memories are oh so cruel but I thought, "I don't care.  I'm doing this no wonder how afraid I am".  And.  I am!

Unfortunately I just had hand surgery in September.  So I'm a little out of commission for a while but I'm looking for some riding boots.  So, Emily, if you find a good deal or a second gently used pair in a 7 1/2 let me know.  Because I want them!

Emily and Josh have fun!  If I hear of my horseback riding opportunities I'll let you know.  Horses are so wonderful.  They're one of Heavenly Father's choice creatures.

 

"My Paradise" (mine all mine but I'll share with people I love and I know they'll be there too)

Building the crystal clear flowers

I had to go back to the D. I. (Thrift Store) to get some clear glass to smash.  While looking I found plates that were a gorgeous violet and a plate that's sage green-all glass.  Anyway, I had a smashing good time (couldn't resist) and filled several plates with my new treasures. 

Building these flowers is not a day project because the glue needs to set for just about each layer.  If you notice that it looks white remember that it dries clear and I worked on it last night.  It's a delicate and dangerous process using razor sharp glass and I should be wearing some gloves (dummy) but haven't.  Anyway, they are going to be like a chrysanthemum type flower.  At this point I'm thinking 5 is nice and I started a new smaller one last night.

When finishing the outside edge it doesn't feel quite right to use more china.  It's busy enough already.  So I think I'm going to see if Chris can get me some kind of copper cording to wrap around it.  It will give some more zing but have the plain surface I want.

You can see from this photo that this is the effect I want-shimmering flowers that one doesn't notice at first glance.  The light will pop them out.  Any colored ones would have been too busy for this.

Excerpt from "Being an Artist" by Lewis Lehrman:  "Even though I'm my own boss, I feel guilty if I'm not painting"(quote by artist, Arne Westerman).  And look at me-here I'm working on this great mosaic but the nearby easels are haunting me!  Time to put pressure on my son and his wife to figure out what they want me to paint for their wedding painting.  I have to move on with that and my brain is already going crazy about new ones for Chris and I.

Jet Blue fun!

 

              This is what we've been doing a lot lately since we get the free flights:  TRAVEL! 

Hot Cocoa-the rose that stays hot!

I was at Millcreek Gardens yesterday buying a miniature rose bush for a friend to honor her mother that had passed away.  I just could not resist getting this floribunda rose bush for us.  And by the way-if you don't know what a floribunda is then let me tell you.  It's a rose that has about 7 blooms on 1 stem instead of the tea rose that just has 1.  The tea rose is what you see in a bouquet.  I usually don't like floribundas as much for flower arrangements because they're more difficult to arrange but who cares when they're as gorgeous as this one.  Anyway, this prize winning variety is called "Hot Cocoa".  Hopefully you can see that it' a burnt orange in the middle and surrounding that is a mocha/orange/purplish color.  I read about them last night and people commented that they're very difficult to photograph and get the true color.  I had to play around on Photoshop because the initial photo was too bright and didn't show the brownish color.

Apparently this variety is very disease resistant and grows on it's own root ball.  Another thing I didn't know for years is that most rose bushes are really a lovely variety grafted onto a wilder rose root ball.  Why they do that, I don't know.  But I had a yellow rose (replaced by this yesterday) that had turned into junk the last 3 years at least.  For probably about 10 years it's was a beautiful producer and bugs and diseases didn't attack it at all but the wild rose took over and ruined it.  At that point you might as well just pull it out.  That's what the rose expert told me yesterday.  That's okay because I know I'll love "Hot Cocoa".  She said that I will really love this because they produce all summer even when it's very hot.  My kind of rose!  I have to bring them in the house all summer long and usually in the middle of summer I don't have much at all to do anything with.

By the way-the one I bought for my friend is called "Smoke Rings".  I really want to get that one also.  It's very similar to the other one and they would be so great in the same arrangement together.  For a miniature it's just delightful and that's next on the list along with...............  I may have to go get that today.

P. S.  Can you imagine how beautiful it would be to reproduce this color of rose with the glass mosaics like my rose in the middle of the last post's entry called "Scarlet"?  With the green rose leaves surrounding it?  Good thing I didn't toss all my mosaics covering my table in my studio.

America's Favorite city! San Francisco! Well Maybe........New Yorkers?

Just read a comment from someone about how they are so sick of the nickname "Frisco".  Well I searched San Francisco nicknames probably in 1996 for my painting of California Street in that fair city.  I always thought it was a good title and still do but I don't think everyone would agree upon it being every American's favorite.  To a New Yorker that's blasphemy.  Probably holds true with New Orleans, LA, Chicago and Seattle.  What's your favorite?  I remember years ago seeing a big poster with a giant New York City and the rest of the country was miniscule.  I thought that was quite funny but I've been told that that's often how New Yorkers feel.  Well, I guess it's great to love where you live.  I happen to be a big fan our ours, Salt Lake City.  Well, usually.  Right now I'm so tired of the dreary weather and hoping to somehow have some summer this year.  It really doesn't seem like it will ever happen.

Sprout salon a la Cliff!

Cliff, my oldest son, is a great hairstylist and I was so excited when I saw his latest style ad for his salon, Sprout.  The model is the lovely Lorien, his wife.  Isn't her hair just the coolest ever?  I love it on her.  By the way-Sprout Salon, for all you east coast people, is located in Baltimore.  It's in the Hamden area.  Remember the movie "Hairspray"?  That's where the story takes place.  If you go to Hamden it has all these funky little shops with lots of "Hairspray" memorabilia, of course.  Sprout is right in the midst of the fun.  I love to go visit Cliff and be treated to their wonderful all natural products.  You've gotta go east coasters!  You will love it!

San Xavier Mission-I feel dreamy

It is such a dull day here in SLC and so I thought I'd post one of my old paintings that is filled with light and glowy color just to perk everyone up.  I also feel a little spacey today having just gotten off of work and having a very hectic day.  I think I'll go take a nap and continue the dreams.  Hopefully I'll have some energy when i wake up because I really should get something done.

I have to admit that all the news about Japan has been crushing.  I look at the Japanese people and see my grandson, Brandon.  Thank goodness he's here in the US and not over there. 

And now for something different, Harbour Island-can you hear the Bahama roosters?

Our anniversary dinner at a great Italian restaurant next to the swimming pool, I mean, ocean!

 Chris and I went on a anniversary (27!!!) trip to the Bahamas last week.  Oh, it was so gorgeous.  We actually flew to Nassau and spent 1 night.  Then flew to Eleuthra Island and took a water taxi to Harbour Island.  I have to tell you the difference between Nassau and Harbour Island is like night and day.  Nassau was beautiful but it was filled with honking horns and bad traffic.  Harbour Island, on the other hand, is mostly golf carts that kind of jaunt down the road.  If you happen upon a Bahamian they politely wave you on with a friendly smile and kind word. 

If was so lovely there.  We stayed in the Bahama House Inn-a wonderful bed and breakfast.  John, the owner, makes you feel right at home from the start and fixes a great breakfast every day.  We had a wonderful ocean view room.  Well, it was perfect.  I highly recommend staying there.  The maid service was superb and it was spotlessly clean.  Gorgeous foliage and even a Tiki house in the backyard for parties. 

You can see the Atlantic at the top and the Caribbean at the bottom

Harbour Island is famous for the pink sand and we even brought some home.  The beaches are so beautiful.  On one side you have the Atlantic with all the waves and on the other side is the calm Caribbean.  Unfortunately because of the cold front up north it carried down to where we were by being very windy.  So not ideal beach swimming weather.  That was disappointing but we did go in some.  The water was like looking into a swimming pool.  Crystal clear.

All day long you could hear these silly roosters crowing-especially early in the morning.  They're all over the place, wild, along with hens and chickens.  At night you can see them flying up to roost in the trees.  We walked by a cemetery and there were horses grazing.  That's something you would never see in our town. 

The big deal in the way of sea food is the Conch (you know-like Conch shells that you listen to to hear the ocean sound).  I did try some of that but the best sea food we had was at the Sip Sip Cafe for Lobster fajitas and coconut cheese cake.  Oh, we went to a local fruit stand and asked if they had any fresh coconuts.  The owner must have been about 85 and he told me to wait a minute.  Before I knew it he had climbed a roof and gotten me a fresh one, drilled a hole in it and I had the best drink-along with the meat inside.  Delicious!  His name was Anthony and he's a celebrity around the island.  He used to be a monk.

We tooted around on our golf cart looking at gorgeous multimillion dollar estates.  Even the least expensive shacks on the island are 1 million-no kidding!  Only the outsiders pay any taxes.  The locals don't have to.  They have the lovelies pastel houses.  

This estate had the Atlantic on one side of the property and the Caribbean on the other (imagine that!)

We just didn't want to leave.  It was too sad but hope we can return someday and bring our kids.  Forget about Nassau.  Just go straight to paradise on earth, Harbour Island.

Can't remember the name of this beautiful hotel but notice the conch shells around the front desk

P. S.  I have to give credit to Grace and Dave.  They were the ones that discovered this all last year and we just went in their footsteps.  Grace researched and found all this out.  Thanks to them!

The Atlantis Hotel, Nassau

*A side note:  On Nassau there is a fabulous world class hotel called the Atlantis.  There is one other in the world in Dubai.  It is incredible with amazing fish tanks that go on forever.  We walked around at night.  Outside, looking up at the hotel we felt like we were in a science fiction movie.  It was "other worldly", unreal.  There are pools with sharks swimming around and we heard that there is even an escalator water slide.  We didn't see that.  But it's definitely very worth seeing.  You can even pay for a day pass to the water park areas.  We didn't do that.

Little Closeup jewels and Winter vegie soup (for Nancy)

Did you ever look at a painting and notice that there is just one spot that by itself was independently beautiful?  It's like it could just have been the painting by itself without anything else around it.  Here are 2 of my quick paintings where I have zeroed in on my favorite parts.  They're both of Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City.  I, especially, love the way the first one turned out.  It was one of those that I felt was never that great.  So, several years later I went back in and changed some things.  I just really like how the lighting turned out around the pine tree. Plus I added little sprinkles of pink flowers and that added some delicate interest to finish it off.  The 2nd painting always worked for me without any later fixing.  Just wanted you to see these.  It goes to show you that if a painting isn't working all the way you might want to take out the trusty scissors and cut that part out-of course leaving enough to restretch it onto some frames, if large enough.  If not you'll need to mount it flat on a heavy duty plywood board or just foamcore board and frame.  Then, voila!  A new painting that you'll love.

Second of all-this part is for my buddy Nancy from the "Lemon Verbena Lady" blog.  Look, Nancy!  See the parsley that I dried out of the garden added to my soup today?  You would be so proud of me!

Gorgeous lights in NYC restaurant

Tonight I just felt like I wanted to write about something.  While searching through our NYC pics back in December I came across this great restaurant that we went to.  I wish I could tell you the name but can't remember what it is.  Gracie will set me straight on that, I bet.  Anyway they are famous for their chocolate and we had the MOST DELICIOUS cup of hot chocolate that I've ever had.  I mean it was so good that you wanted to grab the pitcher and drink the whole thing in one gulp but you couldn't because it came in these little cups that were sized for savoring.  So great.  Anyway, the lights were so beautiful and I had to take a few pics.  

Of course, being a Utahn, I have the mentality of, "I can make this."  I know.  I know.  We can be so maddening.  How do you make any money when there are all these "do it yourselfers" all about (I experienced that frustration first hand with selling my art here in Utah). But I really could see doing that.  They were that unique. 

Happy Valentine's Day!

"Ozma" from "The Gnome King of Oz" by L. Frank Baum

(Ozma is a character in the book)

 The colored glass symbolizes the gems in the earth mined by the Gnomes.  Ozma is the lost princess of Oz and the green glass represents the Emerald City.  The granite and granite type pottery/china is indicative of the Gnome King's kingdom.  

Well, it seems appropriate that I would post a pic of one of my broken china hearts to celebrate the day.  I'm about to embark on another learning experience with 10 and 11 year old girls making them for the first time.  It's going to be so fun!  I'll post a pic in a few weeks to show them off to everyone.  Just like to keep everyone anticipating something exciting.

Love the newspaper ideas

 Julie Jacobsen from a photo by Eric Ostling in the Salt Lake Tribune

Once again I had fun drawing from a newspaper photo.  This one struck me as so beautiful.  Do you remember a while back reading about how if you make a mistake make it look like you meant it?  Well, I didn't make a mistake on this but I just didn't like the way her leg was posed.  So I blended it into the fabric.  I'm sure you can see that now.  The composition looks more pleasing to me.  Before it just looked awkward.  What do you think?

They show her "heart"

When I was looking at my favorite Facebook pages (my kids, of course) I came across a photo of our sweet Gracie Beth.  It brings tears to my eyes because it reflects exactly how she is.  She has such a tender heart and you can see that from this photo taken in NYC.  Thanks to her I have a well organized blog that actually looks attractive.  She took my designs and made them look the way I envisioned them.  You know how that is when you can see something in your mind but don't know how to present it and don't have the skills.

I just had to post this as it is one of the photos that makes me remember how much I loved raising this girl.

"Life is good award"

Well, I am so slow to put this on my blog but I knew I had to put a little thought into it.  Mooncat Farms has awarded me this and I'm very honored!  It is required that I pass it on to other worthy bloggers.  That I will do but after I answer the award questions first:

1.  If you blog anonymously are you happy doing it that way; If you are not anonymous, do you wish you had started out anonymously so you could be anonymous now?

I like the way I have it now.  It's not in my nature to be anonymous.  You know how artists are "out there".

2.  Describe one incident that shows your inner stubborn side:

Oh, I am a little rebel.  My husband can attest to that.  I just refuse to go along with certain things that I feel are ridiculous.

3.  What do you see when you really look at yourself in the mirror?

Probably what everyone else my age sees:  that there are new wrinkles, etc. but I think I look pretty good for my age (I hate that sound of that...blaaaa).

4.  What is your favorite summer cold drink?

It's the same as my favorite drink all the time...Diet Coke.  Well, actually, I've changed that.  It's now Zevia.  Zevia is a natural cola without sulfuric acid to eat away your bones.  It also has some caffeine.  Yea!

5.  When you take time for yourself, what do you do?

Head down to my studio, eat lunch with friends, read, garden, walk outside, and work on my blog.

6.  Is there something you still want to accomplish in your life?  What is it?

Own my very own horse/horses.  I never have.  Finish my Art History degree.  I'm so close it hurts.

7.  When you attended school, were you the class clown, the class overachiever, the shy person, or always ditching?

I don't fit into any of these categories.  I was part of a group and we laughed ourselves silly.  I just had too much fun in school-especially junior high.

8.  If you close your eyes and want to visualize a very poignant moment of your life-what would you see?

Wow.  I can I pick?  Too many but I have to tell about something that gives me shear delight and it's part of one of those moments.  I remember laying out by my cousin's swimming pool in Santa Monica when I was a teenager all by myself.  I could hear the propeller type airplanes overhead.  Just the whole space in time together with the sun, the pool, the warmth and carefree day just gives me such a wonderful feeling.

9.  Is it easy for you to share your true self in your blog or are you more comfortable writing posts about other people or events?

Well, I would say I share "myself" a lot but not too much.  My daughter told me I better not write one of those tell all blogs that make people cringe.  So you won't get any cringe stories from me.  But you can't help but get a real sense of my personality by the tone in my blog.

10.  If you had the choice to sit down and read or talk on the phone, which would you do and why?

I am a readaholic.  Does that tell you what I would pick?  I do like to talk to certain people but not for long because I have to talk to people nonstop for 8 hours everyday with my job.  I'm talked out most of the time.


My vote for some great blogs (and I know there are so many more out there!)

1.  Shoplet.com blog  (Okay, I know it's my daughter, Gracie's, work blog but you'll see that it IS a great one-never dull). 
2.  My Crappy Photography-great great photographic creativity.
3.  The Yard Art Game - sometimes a little spicy but it's such a guilty pleasure.
4.  Magnon's Meanderings - Wow!  I just love to hear about the countryside of France.
5.  Lemon Verbena Lady - get out in that garden and start planting-you can't help but be inspired!
6.  Urban Sketchers - well I don't think they know I exist but I don't care-it's so dang interesting!
7.  Josh Pincus is Crying - you know, anyone that tells all the cool stories about dead celebrities and illustrates it gets high points from me-it may be a little too spicy for some.

buffaloes-Old photos-dumb parents

I was looking at some wonderful photos that are on mycrappyphotography.blogspot.com of buffaloes.  Josh is such a great photographer.  It reminded me of something that happened in Sequim, Washington, many years ago-probably 17. Here is what I told Josh about our experience:

"We went to the Olympic Game Farm  in Sequim, Washington (right before you board the ferry to go to Victoria). It was great! Animals all out in the open wondering around. We bought a bunch of old hamburger buns and drove our van through the park with the doors open. Animals would get in the car to get the food. We saw a baby buffalo-so we called to it. Before we knew it an adult came up to the car and put it's head in the window and opened it's mouth for hamburger buns. We just started throwing them in and it was stacking them in it's throat. We were laughing so hard and it was slobbering all over the radio controls of the rental car (whoops). It was ridiculous that we did that because we realized later how dangerous it was. My husband watched on another occasion where some people tried to get one in a trailer and it smashed the whole thing. Then he told me how dumb we had been".

One thing about that place that really strikes me all these years later is that it really was not a safe place for just letting people drive through.  I mean-just look at the flimsy fence where the bears were.  But it was so fun.  The bears weren't just laying around.  You could see them fighting each other off in the distance.  It really was a wild animal type park.

So I thought I would post some of the old photos.  You can tell how long ago it was.  Gracie and Charlie still had white hair!  Charlie is 26 now and Gracie is 23.

The baby buffalo

But the photos of the buffalo's tongue is so grotesque.  I just had to show everyone.  I'm not kidding-it was so hilarious but it wouldn't have been if any one had been hurt.

 Lindsay, Gracie, Chelsie and Charlie at the Buchart Garden 

(Unreal lighting)

Dumb parents, right?

P. S.  If you want to be dumb you can still go there.  Here's the link Olympic Game Farm.  I can't believe it's still around!!!!!!