Friday, April 1, 2022

start over.

 

















"Everybody's got a blank page, 

a story they're writing today, 

a wall that they're climbing. 

You can carry the past on your shoulders, 

or you could start over."

Regrets - no matter what you've gone through,

Jesus, He gave it all to save you. 

He carried the cross on His shoulders,

so you could start over."

-Flame-Start Over by NF


Monday, September 6, 2021

counting my blessings//August


I'm thankful for:

-fun times at the creek with my siblings
-lake day with the fam
-holding a friends new baby girl for a long time
-having a bridal shower for Paige
-a fun night at the park with Lilliana




-taking pictures for people again
-my new bunny Diego
-recovering from bronchitis
-a beautiful sunset at work
-a fun time with Levi and Elias at a waterfall
-a card and a new picture from my sponsor child, Kevin




 

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

meet Diego.

I am now properly introducing you to Diego, this adorable little ball of orange fluff. I consider him a rescue. He was quite skittish upon first getting him and now you wouldn't even guess that with how calm and cuddly he is. :)

The name "Peaches" was brought up and I loved it because I love the Ice Age movies, but it seemed too girly. So, still sticking with the Ice Age theme I named him after the orange saber tooth tiger Diego and it seems to fit very well!

Now please enjoy the many photos taken of this adorable little feller! <3







Tuesday, August 24, 2021

a walk with my camera.

Y'all, I'm back! Here recently I've been really feeling my creative side come back and it's been fun! I have this urge to get my real camera out more and get better with photography again, as well as write. So hey, that means I'm going to try and get back into blogging! 

Life has been busy, busy. It feels as if it is going by way too quickly. Even now I don't understand how it is already almost September. I have felt really accomplished with all the goals I've completed that I had set for this year. I have a couple more to finish in this last three months of 2021 that are left. I would love to hear if any of you guys set goals for this year and if so, how have you done with checking them off your list? I know some people prefer not to come up with goals for the new year, but for me and for this year, it really worked which has been great!

I have two Golden Retrievers now and a baby bunny. Jackson and Josie are my dogs and I have a post coming soon introducing my new bunny, Diego. He's the cutest little fluff ball.
I won't be saying anything about my job at the moment because it may (hopefully) be changing soon! *fingers crossed*
I have gotten into running and working out more than ever before this year and it is great therapy. In April I ran a marathon and that was quite the experience. Twenty six miles in my birthday month of me turning twenty six years old. I can't believe I'm twenty six. In September I will be doing my second time of riding for the Great Cycle Challenge to fight kids' cancer. I did one hundred miles last September, this September I cut that goal in half and am shooting for fifty. With my work schedule changing and possibly working really long hours again (unless if the job change happens) I didn't want to over-do it, but if things are going well I'll keep right on riding. 
I've really gotten into climbing this year as well which has been so amazingly fun. I got to go real outdoor rock climbing a couple months back which was so exciting.
I discovered podcasts and have turned into quite the podcast listener. They can really help work go by faster. I'm planning on trying an audio book here soon. I was sick here recently and while I was stuck in bed I read the first book I've read in a long time. It was really nice and I plan on trying to set aside a little time for reading more often again.
For traveling I've only gone on little hikes near where I live this year. I really have the travel bug bad, so I am planning a real trip here in the near future that keeps me excited just thinking and planning it out.

Well, that's all I can think of for now for a life update. Be sure to start following along again or now if you're new here! 

After work one day I came home and decided to just go for a walk and shoot some things with my camera. It ended up being a bunch of flowers and butterflies, haha. There are so many wildflowers and weeds (that I find pretty) around here at the moment!



Tuesday, November 26, 2019

salmon bones

When I was little my Dad told me something that he had made up. However, I believed it to be true for the next couple of years. He said that if I ate enough salmon bones, the little round ones that make up the spine I believe, that I could fly. So thus began the days of begging Mom to make something with salmon for dinner. When she did I would ask everyone to pick out the salmon bones and to pretty please give them to me. I basically gorged myself on salmon bones from salmon meals whenever possible. For the next couple years I lived with the hope that if I just ate enough that someday, yes someday I would fly like a bird!
Finally my Mom dashed my hopes. I was sad to discover the truth. Although every once in awhile to this day it actually happens in my dreams. I will have finally ate enough salmon bones and I begin to come off of the ground and fly a little.

I learned to not believe everything Dad said after that. Or well ... after the whole "Styrofoam cups come from the moon thing" anyway, although I only believed that for about a week.

-Ashley Trask
-September 20, 2016

Musings from the Ozarks

Prairie Day

by Joshua Trask

We started out bright and early to the George Washington Carver monument for the Prairie Day. When we got there we got in line to see all of the animal skins. They were cool. Fox, badger, bobcat, wolf, otter, skunk, weasel, rabbit...almost every kind of animal skin was there!
Next we went to the fire rescue station. It was a little place where they told about Smoky Bear. They had a bunch of gear for fighting fires.
We were accompanied by two families that we know and surrounded by a ton of people that we didn't know.
Then we went to see the live animals. There was a turtle and a prairie king snake. Mom freaked out about the snake!
We looked at all of the plants and held Monarch butterflies. We saw them all hatching out of their cocoons.
We then went to the Junior Ranger Station. They gave us little books to fill out.
We went to see the old fashioned toys. My favorite was the "ball in cup" toy.
Then we went on the trail to George Washington Carvers house. We met Ashley's English teacher there. He was cooking a bunch of yummy food and he wouldn't let us eat any of it!
At George Washington Carver's  house we listened to a lot of old fashioned music like guitar and banjo.
Back on the trail a seven foot black snake crossed the trail and Mom freaked out even MORE!
We went back to the Junior Ranger Station and all got Prairie Day badges.
After we left we had a fun time eating at Braums. It was a really great day!

Trip to the Little Grand Canyon

by Levi Trask

Our whole family went on a looonnng trip and we finally made it to the Little Grand Canyon. The first trail we went on was a trail that brought us to a look out place so we could look down at the cave. Then we went on another trail and it led to a stream. We all had fun climbing up a trail that led to a big rock. Then we went on a long dirt trail, we saw a rabbit on the trail. It was really cool seeing it. We were wanting to go down to the cave. We thought we could get down to it by going to the parking lot, cutting through the woods, and going down the ravine. But Elias came running saying he knew the way to it. We jumped the fence and hiked through the dry creek bed. We finally found the cave. It was HUGE!  We had to go through a dark place to make it out the other side. We made it to the little cave. It was filled with sinking sand type mud.
After we left we were starving so Dad took us to Colton's Steakhouse. It was filled with all sorts of animals hanging on the walls. We ate a bunch of delicious food. It was awesome!
We got home at midnight. Joshua was so annoying taking up the whole seat because he fell asleep.
But it was still an awesome day!

A Big Explore

by Elias Trask

We went on a big exploration. We walked for hours until we came to a path. We sat down and drank our drinks, but I couldn't sit down because Joshua and Levi disturbed a hive of hornets. We ran until we came to a cow pasture gate. We climbed into the field and were looking for a trap that had been there before. We couldn't find it. Joshua and Levi said they saw the cows, I didn't believe them. Then I saw the cows too and got scared. Our dog Koda came chasing after the cows, I climbed the fence because I was so scared. Levi saw a bull. We all got out of the field and ate apples. We walked and walked to a pond. We shot our guns but we didn't shoot any bullfrogs. Levi yelled, "a badger, a rabbit, no a fox!" But it was none of those. We actually don't know what it was but whatever it was, it was weird. It left too quick to see what it was.
We tried to get bullfrogs but still couldn't. On our way home I lost my shoe in the mud. So I walked the rest of the way with one shoe and a sock. We finally got home and I took a bath.

A note from Dylan

Hi! Hope you are doing good! I am! I have been busy with cleaning, making breakfast, fixing the mower, mowing, riding horses, helping dad do bodywork and painting on cars trucks and tractors, school, working on my truck some and driving it, and playing my guitar! I've learned quite a few songs on my guitar that I can sing to, and it's allot of fun! Summer sure seemed to go by so fast! I'm excited that falls here! I'm not really looking forward to winter though, although it shouldn't be too bad! When it gets a little cooler we are gonna go fishing with our neighbor in his boat! That'll be fun! Well, I hope you have a good day/night! 
-Dylan

The Squeal
by Ashley Trask

The squeal usually does not come in the early morning hours while it is still cool. It may come in the late morning though, as the sun begins to shine bright. It may come at any hour of the afternoon. During the hottest part of the day one can be sure of hearing the loud bothersome sound. It may burst forth in the evening as well. A person can never be quite certain when it will shout the squeal it has been holding back. The squeal has caused people to jump a little and give the double look. They look to see where it came from and soon find out. Once they do they scurry away as fast as they can. This disturbing squeal is actually a sound of relief to the owners of what is producing the squeal. To the owners of the squealing contraption it is a sound for which the aching ears rejoice to hear.

Might the reader be curious as to what the squealer actually is?

Too bad, I am ending the story here.

Just kidding. The crazy squealing object is my Dad's car, a Nissan Sentra. The air conditioner compressor will not stop attempting to quit on us. So, when the car squeals it means that the compressor is kicking back on. At times we go to great lengths to hear that squeal. Once it does let out the giant squeal we sigh with gladness because cold air blows through the vents onto our sweating selves.

The Horse Whisperer

by Paige Trask

It was a very busy Saturday, but we were all looking forward to one thing, The Horse Whisperer Event! We got everybody ready to go, and we were off!! When we arrived we got seated in the bleachers, and then went and got some food! It was absolutely delicious, ESPECIALLY the snow cones! :) And we all got like 3 cans of soda, which isn't very normal for us. Anyways, on with the show....or, uh, story. We got to jump in the bouncy houses, and we had a race in a different bouncy house too! That was fun. When we got back to our bleachers, which Dylan had saved for us, the sun was just setting. It was so beautiful! Then the Horse Whisperer man came out. He lunged his horse, then saddled it, and finally started riding. Each thing he did, he explained in a spiritual  manner. He rode bridle less, and said that it was like putting your trust in God. It was all really neat! We all had such a fun time, and got little cowboy New Testaments. Elias really liked those, because he wants to be a cowboy!
Anyways, that's all I could think of, so I really hope we can see ya'll soon!

-JoKeS-



Q. Why did the chicken cross the road?
A. To go to your house.

Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Did you already forget? The chicken of course!

Q. What stops then goes then stops then goes?
A. A blonde at a blinking red light.

Q. What is green, red, and black and goes 200 mph?
A. A frog in a blender.


Must Do Autumn Activities!

"Autumn, the year's last, loveliest smile."
-William Cullen Bryant

Buy pumpkin spice creamer and use it in your coffee. It's delicious. The end.

Breathe in the cool, crisp air and feel cozy in sweaters.

Listen to the sound of leaves crunching under your feet.

But pick up a few colorful leaves for collecting before you crush them to pieces.

Bake a pumpkin pie.

the squeal

The squeal usually does not come in the early morning hours while it is still cool. It may come in the late morning though, as the sun begins to shine bright. It may come at any hour of the afternoon. During the hottest part of the day one can be sure of hearing the loud bothersome sound. It may burst forth in the evening as well. A person can never be quite certain when it will shout the squeal it has been holding back. The squeal has caused people to jump a little and give the double look. They look to see where it came from and soon find out. Once they do they scurry away as fast as they can. This disturbing squeal is actually a sound of relief to the owners of what is producing the squeal. To the owners of the squealing contraption it is a sound for which the aching ears rejoice to hear.

Might the reader be curious as to what the squealer actually is?

Too bad, I am ending the story here.

Just kidding. The crazy squealing object is my Dad's car, a Nissan Sentra. The air conditioner compressor will not stop attempting to quit on us. So, when the car squeals it means that the compressor is kicking back on. At times we go to great lengths to hear that squeal. Once it does let out the giant squeal we sigh with gladness because cold air blows through the vents onto our sweating selves.

-Ashley Trask
-September 22, 2016