Family Photo

This will be a short post--just wanted to show a nice picture of Ashley, Bode, and me at the base of Peak 9.

Gotta love little Dude's hat :-)  Happy Monday to all.

The Mountain Estate Video Tour

For some, still pictures just don't cut the mustard (is that even the right phrase?).  To meet the overwhelming demand (in my mind), I took a series of videos walking through the mountain estate and giving some narration.  After watching the videos, I've concluded I'm certainly no Spielberg when it comes to film making, nor am I Morgan Freeman-esque when it comes to narration.  Still, these videos should give you a good idea of the layout of the mountain estate.

Sorry for the choppy video.  When we get a million-dollar beach estate, I'll hire a professional video team to create a series of videos...but the chances of that happening are very small, so don't hold your breath :-)  Pleasant weekend to all.

More Mountain Estate

Per the previous post, I promised some more pictures of the mountain estate.  I am good to my word.  First up is a shot of the third bedroom.

Next are a couple shots of the outdoor space.

Finally, a series of shots of the views from the backyard.

The weather has been quite warm, as evidenced by the lack of snow on the back patio.  Ski season is rapidly approaching an end.  We thought Bode was doing well with his skiing and the number of lessons he was able to take.  We didn't realize there was an "unlimited ski school" package.  Our new neighbor has been to 38 sessions.  Something for Bode to shoot for next year :-)  Pleasant weekend to all.

The Mountain Estate

The second of the big happenings in McGuirkville has happened.  We told you we sold our Mountain Palace last month.  Yesterday, we took the proceedings from that sale and cashed in some funds from the international and offshore accounts and bought a new house.  A Mountain Estate (well, that's stretching it).  We really loved this house when we looked at it in January, and realized buying this was our best option in order to get a very comfortable home in Blue River, Colorado (about three miles south of Breckenridge).  Below is a picture of Ashley and me in front of the home.

Here's a shot of the entire front of the house and also a shot of Ashley's butt, which is important to maximize page views for each post.

The house is pretty slick.  Just over two thousand square feet, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a very open, mountainy floor plan.  Here are some shots of the home.  First, here is Bode in his bedroom.  Note the furniture--we were able to buy a good deal of the furniture, so we didn't have to worry about getting large heavy items into the house.  We were thrilled when realized Bode's bed is a trundle, meaning we have room for friends to visit.

Next, is a shot just outside Bode's bedroom.  This is the main living space, with a dining table, couch, chairs, and a TV.  There is also a nice wood-burning stove, which throws off sooo much heat.  We were too hot last night and needed to open a windown.

Here is a shot looking down from the upstairs loft.

Next is a picture of the bedroom in the loft aka the master bedroom.  There is a nice sleigh bed, along with a little nook for a desk, and a huge walk-in closet with tons of built-in drawers.

There is also a third bedroom and a beautiful sun room.  Plus, the outdoor space in the backyard has a hot-tub and an incredible covered bar.  I'll try to remember to take more pictures tomorrow.

My Mom came up for a visit today.  The three of us (Ashley, Mom, me) went and picked up Bode from ski school.  Here's a nice picture of Ashley and Mom waiting for Bode to come down the mountain.

We somehow missed Bode coming down the mountain, because we were looking around and saw him sitting in the finishing area.  Before leaving, we took time for some family shots.

We expect to spend some quality time in the mountains.  We also extend invitations to friends, family, and anyone that wants to hang out in the peace and tranquility of Blue River, but with the caveat you must also be able to tolerate the occasional moose and bear.  Pleasant week to all.

The Recital

Sort of.  Bode didn't really do a piano recital in front of an audience.  But his piano teacher did suggest we have Bode practice some pieces and he could then perform them while I recorded them.  The purpose was to both to get Bode used to playing in front of an audience (you don't just show up at Carnegie Hall for your first performance) and also to document his progress.  Of course, there is the added benefit that these videos make great blog material.  Without further adieu, here's is Bode McGuirk's first performance.  The first song in the program is Itsy Bitsy Bird.

Next, we have Go for the Gold!

Finally, Pirates of the Sea

The last two songs in the recital were the last two songs from the Level 1 work-book Bode has been using.  He's now Level 2, and we couldn't be prouder.  He'll practice without us even asking him to--he just goes to the piano and starts playing.  Very neat.

A couple more weeks until our spring break.  Hopefully the second item of the big-happenings on the McGuirk agenda comes to fruition.  Until then, we'll continue to plod along, always yearning for the magical day when we no longer have to work.  Pleasant week to all.

Bode the Artist

It has been below freezing for the past five days.  We had a lot of snow on Sunday, and it has snowed on and off all week.  It seems like every time I go out the garage, I have to take an extra ten minutes and shovel the driveway (the Mrs. doesn't seem to know where the snow shovel is kept...)  Fortunately, the forecast is for some sun today, which will help melt the snow.  Unfortunately, the highs for the week are supposed to hover around 30, which will be a warm up, but it's not quite where I would like for it to be to allow me to go outside and do some work in the garden.  And I'm really hoping for a good harvest this year--I've even been reading stuff on the internet on how to plan the garden and the correct timing.  We'll see what happens.

Bode surprised us the other day and brought home the following:

We were quite impressed with the above fish.  He hasn't shown much talent for art, but he's done a couple pictures that show marked improvement.  Perhaps all the piano planning has unlocked the depths of his left brain.

Nothing else exciting going on today.  We rented Big Hero 6 on Friday night, which was quite fun.  Otherwise, Ashley is cleaning (at least the Mrs. knows where the mop is), and I think Bode wants me to order him a 2015 calendar (only two months late).  Happy week to all.