Grand fun: A Bearizona visit with Arizona boys

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Grand fun: A Bearizona visit with Arizona boys

Hard to believe it’s been nearly a month since Jim and I visited our grandsons (and daughter and son-in-law) in Arizona.

Hard to believe, too, that I’ve not shared the stories of all we did (other than make bracelets) during that visit. But with Benjamin’s milestones to mark soon after our return — such as his first haircut and his first birthday — details on our desert visit to see Brayden, Camden, and Declan were put on the back burner.

With temps hovering just below freezing and a snowy scene outside my windows as I write this, today seems an especially ideal day to recap one particularly grand fun-in-the-sun outing we had our grandsons at the outset of autumn. That being the day we spent at Bearizona Drive-Thru Wildlife Park, located about an hour south of the Grand Canyon.

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Shortest season ever!

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Shortest season ever!

Shortest season ever!

Remember those photos of fall I shared right here only eleven days ago? Well, the very day that post published, winter moved in just as I feared and my pretty leaves turned crunchy brown.

In the ten days since, winds picked up, crunchy brown leaves hit the ground.

Plus…

GRAND Social No. 363 link party …

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Fall favorites

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Fall favorites

Fall has long been my hands-down, very most favorite season of the year.

I’m certainly not alone in my autumn adoration, as there are plenty of grandmothers and others who’d answer fall if asked what’s their favorite season of all.

We may not all give the same answer as to why fall is our favorite, though.

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Grand wonder

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Grand wonder

Grand wonder

A trifecta of grand: grand view, grand sons, and a grand quote.

Plus…

GRAND Social No. 346 link party for grandparents

Hooray for the GRAND Social! Thank you for participating!

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Live boldly!

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Live boldly!

Live boldly!

A special quote o’ the day featuring my favorite Declan o’ the day!

Plus…

GRAND Social No. 344 link party for grandparents

Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends. Err, social that never ends. Thanks to you.

Link up, share, be social!

Cheers!

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Stag party at Grandma's

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Stag party at Grandma's

Most evenings, just before dusk, our deer neighbors make a pre-dinner visit just across the street from our house. Deer as in doe a deer, female deer, that nibble and nosh on the grainy goodies our human next-door neighbor—right or wrong—puts out for the local wild ones.

Sometimes it’s two or three does, sometimes more, sometimes their little ones, too. Occasionally a buck butts his way into the fray, but it’s typically all gals as the guys seem to favor a supper spot farther up the street.

One snowy afternoon last week, though, it was the big boys who stopped by.

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Firsts: Declan and snow... snow... snow!

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Firsts: Declan and snow... snow... snow!

Megan made the trek from the desert to Colorado last month, to meet newborn nephew Benjamin. Brayden and Camden stayed home with Dad so they wouldn’t miss school, but as Declan is obligated only to two mornings a week at preschool, he had the privilege of joining Mommy for the visit.

The first morning of their stay at my house, Declan woke me early, bounding into my bedroom exclaiming, “Gramma! It’s SNOWing!”

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Too soon for snow?

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Too soon for snow?

With Labor Day in the rearview mirror, who's ready for snow?

Too soon?

It's not too soon in the Pikes Peak Region!

On Sunday (which, admittedly, was before Labor Day, not after), Jim and I headed to the park bright and early for the annual Labor Day Lift Off hot-air balloon festival in Colorado Springs (which is where I captured these colorful shots in 2015). We set up our …

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Happy hummers

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Happy hummers

Happy hummers!

The hummingbirds have been more active in my yard than ever before. It's been a joy to follow them—and photograph and film them—as they enjoy our feeders and flowers on the deck. Especially my brilliant purple torenia!

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