Tyler visits

While Tyler came home from Korea for a visit, he took some time to visit Noelle and his Nephew Andy in Tucson. Looks like the little tyke came away with a new toy! My grandson doesn't have to learn how to speak. He gets everything he wants!

Your Money

It was Fred Thompson of Tennessee who made the biggest rookie mistake. As a freshman Senator new to Washington he naively said, "I've got a lot to learn about Washington. Why, yesterday I accidentally spent some of my own money."

The Pork Flu

If Herbert Hoover did nothing else he was a clairvoyant of sorts and able to predict the future. He said one time, "Blessed are the young, for they shall inherit the debt." And, it was Ronald Reagan who reminded us of the governments view of the economy. "If it moves, tax it; if it keeps moving, regulate; if it stops moving, subsidize it."

Crushed by your friends

It puzzles me why everyone had to be on the front row of this photo. Why couldn't we just put the short people in front and the tall ones in back? Instead, we put the big ones on the bottom and the light ones on top. When the photo was over I remember being smashed.

Good habits start early

It's a good thing he's learning about a toothbrush. Otherwise, I can hear it already. Someday the dentist will come back with the X rays and tell little Andy he'll have to have a filling. "What kind of filling would you like?" He will ask. Little Andy will respond, "Do you have chocolate?"

Nobel Prize

It was Adlai Stevenson who said, "They pick a President, and then for four years they pick on him." Lucky Adlai. He also said, "In America, any boy may become President, and I suppose that's just the risk he takes." My question is, "Can anyone win a Nobel prize?"

Daisy goes fishing

Some things are just irresistible. My granddaughter Daisy for one! Here is the latest and greatest photo I thought you would enjoy.

What the heck happened?

Here's an old photo of your author, right here in Denver! Kathy, what were you thinking about? Craig, can you interpret that look? And yes, I do have more old photos! Comments anyone?

Better duck!

The Civil War was a terrible thing. Relics of the past still remind us of the horrible loss of life and destruction. Wait a minute, that cannon is pointed at... hold on... is it loaded?... Uh oh... Lookout Craig!

Obama Gas

This photo was taken by a friend of a friend of mine in Detroit, I think. Some things are just way too puzzling to understand. Who's going to get cursed here when the price of gas goes up again? Perhaps I've underestimated President Obama. In the words of Tip O'Neill, "I'm against any deal I'm not in on."

Nancy has an appendectomy

Yes, it's true, Nancy had acute appendicitis. It was successfully removed very early this morning. I have a photo of the little devil but Nancy felt like it was less than appropriate to show. I did finally figure out why surgeons wear masks over their faces. If something goes wrong, you don't know who to blame! Her surgeon did a laparoscopy through the naval, in fact she used to be a naval surgeon. They sure specialize nowadays don't they!

Chicago Basin

When you hike up to Chicago Basin in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, you ask the conductor of this train to drop you off at Needleton out in the middle of nowhere. In our case he was happy to. Then you begin your six mile hike up to 11,000 ft. and three really nice fourteen thousand foot peaks. Craig and I took our kids up with us. Or shall I say, "they drug us up"? At any rate, pictured below is yours truly, my daughter Noelle, and Eric Hanson. Notice how large her pack was? It cut my weight in half!

Family dog

Much of our time outdoors when the kids were young, included Pepper the family dog. The family Golden Retriever was a great lap dog. We often joked that if a burglar broke into the house, she would lick him to death. I also think she must have been bred by a waiter. She never came when I called her. Anyway, I digress. We took her camping, hiking, fishing, and all over the place. We even taught her to heel. She would run about four miles in the first five minutes out of the car. Then she'd hang her head down panting really hard and follow our heels the rest of the day. That's heeling right?

Contrast this!

I was listening to Mike and Mike in the Morning last week on the radio (Mike and Mike is a sports radio talk show). The discussion was about Mark McGwire the famous baseball player who just admitted to using steroids 10 years ago. McGwire hit well over 500 career home runs and 70 home runs in one season which of course broke the record. Mike and Mike were discussing his character and whether he should be allowed into the Baseball Hall of Fame with such a tarnished record.

After the discussion they interviewed Michael Irvin a famous wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys. They asked Irvin what he thought about McGwire. Irvin said he was "happy for Mark McGwire and that by coming forward he finally found peace in his life." Mike and Mike said, "Yea, but should he be allowed in the hall of fame?" Irvin just replied, "He has peace in his life now, he was dead and now he's alive again." Mike and Mike continued to press Irvin on McGwire having a tarnished character and what he thought of McGwire. Michael Irvin would have nothing to do with their questioning and just spoke the real truth about McGwire's life and what really matters now. Irvin kept trying to bring them back to what's really important here.

Irvin was on an entirely different level than Mike and Mike. The essentially Christian is: Now you shall be completely free; that's why it is grace. Only Christianity has God's idea of how infinitely sublime God is; we men (and not surprisingly the media) make God rather trivial, or don't even want to talk about him.

Tyler Home!

Tyler got home today! After being in Korea for a year he flew into Denver and came home to a warm welcome. Pictured below, I caught him talking to his sister on the phone this evening. There's lots to talk about and catch up on. Needless to say, we have happy feet.

Your mother

This post is for my grandson little "Andy." Son, that's your mother on the right buried in the sand. It was June 20, 1991. I remember the date because when we returned from vacation my friend asked me, "What did your daughter do on summer vacation with you and Nancy?" Well, beside her hair and nails, she did this.

Yes Andy, I have the dirt on your mother. No, she has the dirt on her! In fact, that was one dirty camping trip. When we left the campground I saw a roach running with one leg over its eyes!

Voting

Some late breaking voting news - with six cemeteries still to be heard from, the election is too close to call. I remember the motto in Ohio: "Vote early and vote often." It was Adlai Stevenson who said, "The hardest thing about any political campaign is how win without proving that you are unworthy of winning." In our "enlightened culture," we get help from places like Acorn.

The great outdoors

One of the things I used to do regularly with my son Tyler was backpacking in the wilderness and camping out. We really appreciated getting out into the great outdoors. Of course, so did the mosquitoes! Nancy would've made more trips with us because I know she loves getting outside in the open air, but she never really came to appreciate the open plumbing!

What? Polite kids?

Here's an old photo of my wife Nancy and daughter Noelle. I suspect I'll hear about this post. At any rate she (my daughter) turned out to be wonderful. Years later, I remember her first real date with Seth (whom she is now married to). I watched him park the car in front of the house and start walking up to the door. I was certain he was going to tell me he was sorry for coming to the door for her because his horn was broken! Wow, did I ever get it wrong. Kids these days! Where did they learn to be polite?

Why to keep getting a newspaper?

George and Barbara Bush's springer spaniel Millie, had pups in the White House. Of course President Bush was quite proud and said, "The puppies are sleeping on the Washington Post and New York Times. It's the first time in history these papers have been used to prevent leaks." I suppose there won't be any leaks in the media during this administration!

Bluff photo

One of our favorite trips each year is hiking around Bluff, UT. We get to see Indian ruins, rock art, and all sorts of ancient treasures. I spent all this time in Bluff with Ed and Sharla recently and didn't get a better photo of them than this! They live just 60 miles or so North of us in Ft. Collins. How about dinner sometime?

Photo in West Fork of Oak Creek

Now if you don't remember these two people, well... you just weren't part of our group back then. I went to High School with Teresa and roomed with Genaro for about 6 months or so after college. We had lost track of each other for a long time but my travels now take me to Portland, Oregon fairly often. They live in Vancouver. Now I'm there so often, I had them put my name on the guest room door at their house! In fact, I don't get the hints either. The have towels in the guest bathroom that say "His" and "Get out of here!"

Old Friends

I took this photo of Paul and Jerry eating breakfast in Grand Canyon, my favorite time of the day, even if it was spam and eggs. Add some green chilli's and it's pretty good. I thought some of you might like to see a photo of them today. Not sure who's foot that is, but I suspect it's Norm's.

A trip to Havasupai

Did you ever think that your college photo would one day be on a blog? This photo was taken at Havasu Falls in Havasupai Canyon, maybe 35 or 36 years ago. I suppose for some of you these photos are more interesting than the falls themselves. Well, maybe not.

Who can you name in this photo?

Kathy Hanson got two names right. What do the rest of you know? And no Kathy, you don't get half a prize. Cutting dollar bills in half is illegal.

Mystery Person

Jerry Driesens sent me an email. Kay McCormick is standing next to the truck. No one seems to know who the blond girl is sitting between Deane and Mike.

Name that crowd

Here's an interesting photo. I'm pretty sure that's Deane's truck. I spent plenty of time in it. Who are the people around it? Okay Deane is one of them, so he's free. I have a prize for the first person to name them all correctly.

Politics Today

Bless election years! We get a chance to go at the scoundrels and scalawags. You see, most politicians don't believe a word of what they say. They're surprised that we do! You have to hand it to a politician. He's going to get it anyway.

Old Photos

A few weeks ago I told you I would display old photos of interest. In keeping with that promise you should recognize that a family can be especially interesting. When all is gone and everybody else has abandoned you, your family is still there. Below, my niece Maralie laughs at something good. Perhaps she knows everyone is assembled to spend money the head of the family hasn't earned yet.

Paradise Forks

I always liked this photo I took of Tyler climbing at Paradise Forks, near Flagstaff. It looks like he's climbing upside down. A closer inspection reveals the water in the canyon below with a nice reflection of the clouds and trees.

But God let it happen...

Several people I know refuse God and the love he offers because they blame him for their problems, for their work situation or illness, or they blame him for their financial mess and people like Madoff who caused it for others. How could God permit the loss of a child? I like what Larry Crabb says about God. "The route to God never takes us around our problems." Our lives are what they are; the good, the bad, and the ugly. Crabb says we will never find God by denying who we are and where we've been. I like Psalm 116:10. I kept my faith, even when I said, "I am greatly afflicted."