Cats and immersion diuresis

This months mystery photo is from our kitchen:

We are enjoying the last of this seasons flowers:

Helen found the last of some tasty grapes in Irena & Boris garden:

And the last of our cherry tomatoes:

That process (or maybe it was the brain surgery that she finished the day with) wore her out.   Meowskie (a.k.a. the brown cat) helped her relax:

Speaking of cats, the word apparently got out that free food was available and another cat has adopted us:

Helen named her/him Belyie (a.k.a. the white cat, Bely is the Russian word for White).   Meowskie isn’t sure she wants to share:

But we have have been liberally sharing the attention:

We had a visit from a family from CA.   Father is an avid photographer who had a lot of fun with Salt Lake City scenery:

Mother has MS, but copes amazingly well for being paraplegic:

Daughter is an avid swimmer: 

She invented and perfected the alligator slide:

For the last swim of the season, I swam 180 laps in 1.5 hours, about 2.2. miles.  I discovered my limiting factor is immersion diuresis filling my bladder (cold water makes you pee):

That mystery photo was a Sturgeon head that Boris found in a Chinese grocery store.  Some of use were a bit apprehensive, but it was pretty good:

I bought a fancy motorized computer desk:

This allows me to stand while working:

Even being in pretty good shape, so far I can only stand for about 2/3 of the work day.   Then I push a button and revert to ball chair height:

Last weekend I did a new route (14 miles!) to Black Mountain up behind our house:

I found this remote tree with a geo-cache called Morbid Curiosity, named so as the valley below is where 14 year old Elizabeth Smart was held captive for a summer back in 2002.  She was never found there (was rescued the next year at a bus stop), despite massive search efforts and being less than 5 miles from her home:

I found a bunch of baby rattlers all knotted up, trying to warm up in the sun:

My picture taking (with telephoto lens!) got them a bit excited.  These 2 went on guard duty while the others slithered back into their underground lair:

If you think that was scary, imagine a herd of these guys heading towards you: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE3fmFTtP9g&feature=player_detailpage#t=40

Bruce