Mountain River Ranch with Julisa and Ellory

When I was a little boy growing up I was fascinated with the Old West and generally anthing Pioneery! I enjoyed our family vacations to Virginia City Nevada or even to Knotts Berry Farm which had a sort of Pioneer feel to it. Even traveling to El Paso Texas with my Aunt on the train traveling across New Mexico and Arizona via the train was enchanting in my mind. I would envision wagon trains and individual riders and basically anything that resembled somthing I saw in the old west movies of the day.

The terrain across much of the West is so very picturesque that it was easy for me to imagine ( as I did a lot as a kid).

As I grew older, my travels with my dad to Fallon Nevada from Lancaster California had us crossing old pioneer trails and old outlaw laden country ( in my mind). i grew to love the Old West and was grateful to live in the place where it all really happened. Life in Fallon was at least 50 to 100 years behind life in L.A. County and i welcomed it. Thanks to my dad to help me be able to let my mind just wander in my youthful daydreams.
Anyway, that still continues to this day. I enjoy going to Lagoon to the Pioneer Village and anything where there is a Pioneer theme. Today we went to Mountain River Ranch and enjoyed the company of Critter & Ellory. Ell loves horses and wagon rides. Critter deplores it but Ell and I have a common thread. We love outdoorsy stuff and live for it.

Thoughts on April 18th 2010, but a week late

So, in the year 1980, the month of April, and the day 18, a beautiful girl of 20 years from Utah and a boy from the California desert were married in Manti Utah in one of the most beautiful LDS Temples that has ever been built.

Over the years we experienced joy in so many ways and heartaches in so many ways too. We've loved each other, been really mad at each other, wanted to SHOOT each other, told each other to go to (someplace really hot!), held eachother through difficult times, held each other when loved ones past on. We've made common goals with each other for our family and ourselves both collectively and independently (albeit, many times we took different routes getting there), stood behind our children when tough choices needed to be made, shared with non family members perhaps when we really didn't have that asset or commodity to share. I could go on for hours and tell stories for days. That part I'll leave in a book that I have been writing from time to time called "My Life History". I'm certain ,my kids won't care about it but perhaps my grandkids will find something of value in it at the time that they elect to read it.

Anyway, back to Annette and Ralph. We spent our 30 year anniversary here at home, me doing domestic chores and Annette suffering with strep throat. Not the glorious 30 year anniversary I had anticipated so many years ago. We did celebrate an evening out to the movies with Ellory and Critter by going to see Oceans, a Disney Nature movie last night, a week later. Will we celebrate another day? I'm certain we will, but unlike before when it was so important to make sure we celebrated on that given day, we will just do it on our own time. I know, I know, it's my unstructured nature that makes me this way.

Hey, at least we did go to the Oregon Coast and to Bellingham to see Missy and Tom. I'm sorta counting that as part of a celebration though certainly not substituting it for the actual celebration. We'll get around to it and no one has to tell me that I have to do it on the said day. Ahhh, there is just a whole bunch of good about me getting older! No structure! ha ha ha ha

Here's some pics of our vacation ( my first one in years other than hunting vacations)

Our Weekend!!!!

What a wonderful time we had with our families all visiting and all over this valentine weekend.

We started the visit with a meal at Tony & Julies and watched the little cousins just have a blast with their little Twin Cousins. They were a hit. Of Cours, it was all topped with one of Julie's delicious meals

We were blessed with a visit from Dave & Steph and the twins. They are growing up so fast and we had fun watching them smile and giggle and just play around with us and all thier cousins and grandmas and grandpas. Stephies folks came over and hung out with us for a couple of evening while we all played with the kids. I think we decided, we need more chairs in the family room!

Also, Critter got a new bike that we put together for her on Saturday. I had fun riding it down the block even if was pink!

We love our entire family and only wish that they all lived closer. We missed not having Missy there with us. It's a good thing she calls frequently to talk with us.

Hunting Pics with Gramps!

One of the greatest blessings I've had in my life is my Dad. He's a constant that has always been there for me in times when I've needed him and in times that were just fun, he's added to my life in so many ways that they are too many to count.

Growing up as a kid, I didn't have the best life to look forward too back then. I had a beautiful single mom that was always preyed upon by various malcreants. We were poor, living in some pretty interesting places back in those days. My mom had come out of an extremely abusive relationship with my biological father where there was severe physical, mental, financial and Heaven only knows what kind of abuse which was mostly mostly inflicted upon her. The worse was when he held a gun to her head and that is when she decided to get out.

When she met my dad Tony (1964), I sensed his goodness and fell right into his calm demeanor. We became best of friends and I was jealous that he wanted to spend time with my mom instead of me. Well, it all worked out in the end and I was sealed to him and my mom years later in the Los Angeles Temple. I had returned from my mission and was know as Elder Ralph Perez. The folks at the Temple had a hard time understanding why I didn't change my name. I told them it was what I was know as and that worked for me. It took them a while to accept that but they eventually did.

My dad took a city boy and taught him how to hunt, fish, and to love the outdoors. He also taught me how to have etiquette, respect for others, especially the elderly and to be accepting of all people and to give more than I ever took.To this day, the legacy of what he taught me, all the good things, all the life lessons, many were taught out in the field or while he and I worked on cars at night while I was kid, lives on and have been taught to my kids. I've done a terrible job of emulating what he taught me but I always had his example to use as a standard. I would do anything to hang around and learn from him. He taught me to be honest and upright. Even though there were challenges in his life, he made sure that we didn't make the same mistakes. This last week my dad had an Elk hunt that he came up for. Despite our best efforts, we just couldn't catch up with them. I watched my 76 year old dad hunt with the same enthusiasm he had when I first met him. He can't seem to go as far or nearly as fast but, he still goes and that to me is important. His words are " I had a great wilderness experience! Chuckle Chuckle Chuckle!" We are still laughing at our funny follies chasing these blasted critters but what is the real plus, is the memories we made and the feelings shared. Tony my son, Gramps and me had another wonderful bonding experience out in the hills. It's barely over and we're already planning the next year! Crazy huh? ha ha ha ha

We love you Dad (aka Gramps)!

Stealth Cam Ride 11-07-09

My dad who is 76 years old was fortunate enough to draw an elk tag for our sacred sacred hunting unit. In preparation for his coming up around Thanksgiving time, we went up and placed 3 stealth cams to capture critters moving around. we had a beautiful day for doing this chore. We placed cams up at Chukar Springs, at UDSB, and at Knee Cap Canyon! These names are made up names that we created for the area that we are in and also are to protect the guilty. he he he... I hope you enjoy them.

Fishing after work!! 11-05-09

Dean and i went fishing today after I left work (early).

I bailed out of there at 3 p.m. and hit the river south of town. It was fun and it was beautiful. especially as the sun went down. I caught a small trout on a spoon ( my favorite lure) and cooked him before band practice tonight. Annette had her 4 hour class and never made it home before I left for practice.

I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Halloween Time With The Kids

Annette and Critter planned a party for all the cousins to come and hang with each other and basically make a mess at Grandmas place! They had fun as did Critter and Annette! Gramps was out hunting for a furry creature and missed the whole thing. He did manage to go Trunk or Treating with Ellory Friday night. We sure do love these little guys! Happy Halloween!!!