Locust Removal-part 1

Brian was very careful about my plants. I was glad the daffodil border was pretty much done. He carefully straddled the triangle bed and everyone was happy! 

 This is the 'limb' he wanted to use the truck on. Not the huge limb, but the part over the house. He's sending another guy over to climb in the trees to cut them later this week~

 Meepette was carefully keeping her eyes on things.

 These are most of the photos from this afternoon's trimming session.

 I kept thinking of Shakespeare's Birnam woods as Brian was 'hiding' behind giant limbs as they moved thru the sky.

                       Almost done! This is the litter from step one. Thank You, Columbia Tree Care!!

Happy Birthday, Mum!

Today is Mum's birthday. She is now &% years old. It has been a very long &% years and I can tell you the 50 I have been a part of have been truly different. I don't have too many photos of the two of us.  Probably for the same reason I am not in many photos in my kids 'albums'. 

In the early 70's we moved to Alaska and mom never left. My sister is still there and so is my heart. Mum knows a lot of people on the Kenai. From Homer to Nikiski she has helped change kids lives in so many areas. She has taught in many different venues, volunteered with 4-H, Forensics (which in Ak is public speaking), and a zillion other things. Mum has been a part of the United Methodist Church in Kenai since the 80's and there is a ton more. 

Mum volunteered in my classes starting with Kindergarten. I'll never forget the very cool purple under water finger painting she did one day. The super awesome birthday party she helped plan..and I missed due to the measles. 

Mum worked a great deal. She spent most of her life teaching and going to school to be a better one. But, she started out working in Alaska on the Homer Spit in a cannery. She got to bring home some odd things they found on the line. 

I am always amazed when I meet people that know mom. There was one day I was in a brand new Fred Meyer store in Tillamook, Oregon. It had been open less than a week and I went in to look around. A gal from the jewelry store was outside lurking for customers and stopped me. She stared at me and asked if I was from Alaska. (I cautiously said yes, thinking how on EARTH does she know this. I have NOTHING on me that says 'Alaska') She then asked if I was from Kenai. (this made me blink. NO ONE knows where Kenai is, much less how to say it properly. Although, Nikiski is worse...). She then asked if  my mom was Mrs. Egbert. Turned out this young lady had once been taught by mom and I apparently look a great deal like her.  The kids mom taught are everywhere and they know mom VERY well. I was in the Kenai mall (yeah, AGES ago) with mom once and this kid was being a brat. Mom looked at him and poof. Kid straightened up. The grandma came over to my mom and asked what she had done because 'I can never get him to behave!' Well, obviously, this kid knew mom and knew that when she gives 'that look' you just change your attitude FAST. It appears that knowledge never goes away. When mom was working in the juvie home in Kenai, one of the kids said to her something like, "my parents know you. they told me I better behave, or else." I kinda felt bad those kids hadn't been raised by mom. They wouldn't have been there if she had. 

Mum is always up for a laugh. She embarrassed me completely and totally the summer after I graduated from HS. I was all cool and hotstuff and was in a State Fair beauty pageant. (yeah, it was an Alaskan girl thing to do to get scholarship monies) Mum, bless her heart--now!-- was in charge of 4H kids. I, was out flirting with security guards. As I was watching a tiny television at one of the booths one night, one of the kids came up frantic. It appeared one of the giant rabbits had gotten out and they needed help finding it. Flashlights were trained on the ground as guards and people searched under and around buildings trying to find this bunny. Then, out of the darkness hopped the giant rabbit. It was definitely a one of a kind creature. Yup, it was my dear mum. Dressed from head to paw, in a rabbit costume. I will NEVER EVER forget that. 

I am sure I could blog on for pages about mum, but I'm gonna stop. I'm looking forward to going home this summer where I can experience MORE mum stories. Here's to many more years of adventure, Mum.