Wish I could say life was a thrill a second here...

I'm now so sick and tired of NY and NY'ers I'm ready to leave and enjoy some courtesy and pleasantries in other parts of the world.

I hate that I am always having doors shut in my face as I try to manoeuvre a double pram in and out of the smallest shops on earth.

I hate standing at a checkout waiting to pay for something while the operator has a chat with his/her co-worker or taps away on a computer with great exuberance while blatantly ignoring me for several minutes before finally relieving me of my cash - albeit at snail pace with more attitude then seen at an annual Dykes on Bikes rally!

I hate that people walk their dogs on leads long enough to stretch around the earth 3 times and then curse me when I push the pram within a foot of their precious creature while it craps on the footpath and the walker is standing on the other side of the footpath talking to another dog walker whose charge has also stretched it's lead back to the other side of the footpath to form an X with the other dogs lead.

I hate the fact that most dogs in NY don't really even rate as dogs in the real world - slightly oversized, disobedient rats in other parts...

I think I've had enough of NY and will look forward to the 25th when I will breathe a different city's energy... From experience that energy will be calmer, warmer and more gentle on the soul.

Spring sproinged forth

Today was the first sunny day we have had since arriving home from Sun Valley... ironic really. Sun Valley vs New York... Hmph!

But it was so nice to wake this morning and fling up the blinds to see sun reflecting in the windows out the boys window. An hour or so later it finally reflects at the right angle comes into their bedroom. Lucky wee things they get morning and afternoon sun!

Back in boring old...

Now that I am back in boring old New York, I have nothing more thrilling then my tooth brush to write about.

I have found the toothbrush that makes my teeth glow with cleanliness, my gums postively ripple with health and, heck!, my tongue has never felt so fresh and vibrant ever before! Watch it - it's even sharper then it ever was!

All because Oral B put their heads together and came up with this...

And we're off...

We are leaving Sun Valley tomorrow and as usual it seems sad to leave when I am just starting to enjoy it.

It is such a beautiful place (think I've said that before...) and I could really go quite mad on the photos, but I have been a bit restricted on a couple of levels. Firstly of course is the work factor, and secondly the weather this week has been very changeable so getting out at a good time has been challenging to say the least.

That's not to say I haven't taken a few photos of course - I have all but filled a 4.7GB DVD so there is certainly no lack of visual record. But some photos I would have liked to go back to in better conditions - either more or less sunshine mostly.

We fly to Salt Lake City then on to New York from there and ought to arrive home about midnight. The boys will love to be in their own beds again I'm sure. I'm looking forward to being in the same town as Jane again for the next 5 weeks or so.

I'm also looking forward to more moisture in the air so my hands can start growing skin again and I can stop ladling the thick and greasy cream (amusingly known as 'goose fat') on the boys faces every time we go outside.

I took a horse drawn sleigh to Trail Creek Cabin for dinner the other night.

It was spectacular, extraordinary, awesome, amazing... you get the picture...

I've always wanted to ride on a sleigh with real sleigh bells dinging and donging all the way - or was it jingling and jangling. Bill and Barney were the horses and Bill is the one here smiling for the camera.

We started at the Sun Valley Inn and took a very scenic route through the local golf course. There is obviously no golf being playing as this point in time - something to do with a few feet of snow covering up the holes. We went down dale, up yonder hill, over the river and around the lakes. All at dusk so the light was very pretty.

The meal at Trail Creek was good too, butternut squash soup to start - simply divine - pan fried red trout (cooked to perfection, although a bit muddy tasting, but thats the joy of river fish in general) and a glass of local red. Finished with choc mousse. Not bad at all.

We came home the not so scenic route and were trailed by a few foxes looking for the bread or dog biscuits that are in plentiful supply for the return journey.

Alan was the driver and he is the first real cowboy I have ever met. Quite frankly if all cowboys are as lovely as Alan, the world would be a much improved place. He was softly spoken and gentle, but knowledgeable and humourous. He liked me very much when I said I was from NZ and went on to tell me many stories of Australian flavour. At first I thought he may be being funny then I realised when I said NZ he heard Australia... Hmmm, not sure how that happened... lucky for him he was too sweet to feel any bitterness towards.

I am so pleased to have been able to take the sleigh ride. It really was the high light of my time here.

Would you park here?

And where is the grass anyway...

Oh heck!

Nobody told me I shouldn't pack the babies...