Biking High Line

Nancy and I went biking on the High Line canal on Sunday. The canal runs for 66 miles from Chatfield Reservoir and weaves its way through Englewood and South Denver and ends in Northeast Denver near the Rocky Mountain Arsenal. This nice trails runs next to the canal.

In many places along the trail you can find some big beautiful homes. They say a man's home is his castle. The ones in Englewood look like homes, but they cost like a castle. America is great. Where else but in America can somebody buy a house with no down payment, get a first mortgage, a second, and then call himself a homeowner?

A beautiful hike

I hiked up to Sky Pond in Rocky Mountain National Park with the FROGS, a group from my Church. We hiked about four and a half miles up Andrews Glacier Trail beginning at Glacier Gorge Trail head.

We had lunch on a large chunk of granite next to the lake and watched the climbers ascend the 800 foot Petite Grepon. Next to this beautiful spire are the Sabre, the Foil, and the Sharkstooth.

Considering where the trail goes and the terrain it's required to cross, it was nicely improved by the park service. I had not been here in something like 23 years and I don't remember it being so nice. Notice the stone steps going up.

The Loch, a lake on the way up is very scenic and offers good fishing. When we first arrived at this lake we saw an elk standing about 50 feet away from us. I'm looking forward to the next trip with this group.

Pot dispensary

This dispensary in Denver is offering food (laced with pot), so you'll get the munchies and eat more food. The "diner" Ganja Gourmet offers low fat, diabetic entrees, and deserts. I think these guys smoke so much grass that once a month they have to mow their stomachs! So now they're offering food. And, since the State of Colorado is having budget shortfalls, the governor wants to tap into the tax base being accrued by this growing industry. Meanwhile, the city of San Francisco is trying to outlaw Happy Meals at McDonald's because they're unhealthy. I think logic is what's left over after all the excuses have been given.

The U.S. Congress and the Colorado State House and Senate is finally taking up the Marijuana issue. They're planning a joint session. Don't look at me. If I could handle pot, I'd have become a musician!

Waterton Canyon closing

Waterton Canyon is now closed for the next 18 months. Denver Water is dredging out the Strontia Springs reservoir (pictured below) to maintain water quality and remove sediment which has accumulated from all the forest fires in recent years. I think someone from the City was hiking in the area and was sure the water was polluted because he heard a fish cough. Actually, it's probably a good thing but I will miss biking up the canyon and photographing the wildlife for you.

Public opinion

Flying over Texas, you get a feeling that public opinion is changing. But what do farmers have to complain about? I overheard a conversation the other day in a California restaurant about farm subsidies. This one guy had quite a few acres of land and got $50,000 per year from the government. He was explaining to the other guy that if you carve up your property and put some in your mother's name, some in your brother's name, and the rest in your son's name you can get $50,000 for each piece. Let's see, that sounds a lot like $200,000. The other guy was grateful for the advice and said he would do the same.

Perhaps the farmers see Obama like the guy who ran over their rooster. The guy comes in and says, "I didn't mean to run over your rooster, and more than anything, I'd like to replace him." The farmer said, "Well, go ahead, then. Introduce yourself to the chickens - they're in back!"

Swimming pools

Here is a nice photo of Seth in his parents pool in Memphis with "Little" Andy. It looked like they had a great time. I remember our pool in Memphis. I was always a little wary of people who used it. When I filled it, I put in ten thousand gallons. Later in the year I emptied it and took out eleven thousand!

This recession: A downward trend of a sliding tendency!

I talked with people in California last week and they told me that unemployment in some counties is climbing over the 20% mark. State and County governments can't pay their bills because the tax base is so reduced, which of course compounds the problem. They say that our present situation doesn't compare to the one in 1929. Hey! They're not giving us a chance! Talk to people in California and they'll tell you, a recession is when you have to tighten your belt. A depression is when you have no belt!

Obama's no Muslim

As most of you know there is a big flap about President Obama's religious affiliation. See this article written in the NY Times before he was elected. Obama renounced his Muslim faith.

My concern is that some kids have no religious training at all anymore. I heard one little boy in Boston last week, as he and his parents passed a church, ask, "Why do all the churches have plus signs on top?"

Goose Creek hiking

Nancy and I hiked 5 miles up Goose Creek to the shaft house and the pump house. We took a little spur trail near the beginning and then hiked up and around to the middle of the Goose Creek trail. This is not a commonly done route, but it gave us some beautiful views. Some 20 years ago I took a photo of Tyler in this 100 year old cabin peering out the upper window when he was 10 years old.

We had lunch nearby on the creek and soaked our feet in the cold mountain water. It was truly sublime. There were raspberries and wild current everywhere. We ate our fill today!

About a mile before we got back to the car we stopped at the creek to take a break. Nancy took a short nap and I went swimming in a deep pool. Brrr! it was cold! What a nice place though!

Cycling at the Y

Cycling at the Y has become a way of life, just to stay in some semblance of shape. You see the problem is, I may not jog or play tennis, but I'm a very brisk eater! This leaves me with one alternative; indoor cycling when it's too hot or too cold, or its raining or snowing outside. I don't mind freezing sleet and snow, but I wish they'd come in the summer, when the weather is nice.

Ryder comes to town

My nephew Jonathan and his lovely bride Jessica were blessed recently with Ryder James Godemann. I like his name because it's strong and it's not really common. You know I can recite ten pages of the phone book by heart - Smith, Smith, Smith, Smith... Anyway, life is good for Jessica and Jonathan's family. And don't forget Jonathan, a baby is an addition that becomes a deduction, depending on the new tax code.

What the U.S. Senate does

I like what Will Rogers said about the Senate: "About all I can say for the United States Senate is that it opens with a prayer and closes with an investigation."

Taxes

As Ben Franklin said in Poor Richards Almanac, "only two things are inevitable, death and taxes." Of course science is doing all this work trying to make people live longer and the average age at death is way up, in spite of McDonalds. In fact, eternal life may be just around the corner. But are you sure you want that? Just think of all the taxes you'd have to pay. I understand that the IRS is now fully equipped. It even has a recovery room. The IRS may finally put poverty within our reach.

So, what's my advice? Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today. There may be a tax on it!

Teachers and bail outs

I clipped this out of USA Today last week because I thought it was amusing. Maybe its not. Clearly, teachers with classes full of wild students should be able to spank them. I'm okay with that. Unfortunately, in schools today if a kid plays hooky his teacher might be inclined to send a thank-you note home. I know that in some high schools, teachers have a lot of respect for their students. That's because the students are older than they are! So, what's the government supposed to do about education? How about start by untying the teachers hands?

San Francisco banning happy meals?

And I thought anything goes in San Francisco? This is the marijuana capital and the place where everything is allowed. Banning happy meals? Why not ban parents who take kids there? Let's see, these parents are from San Francisco and they are probably okay with abortion, so what's the big deal here? What if the kid gets sick and dies, can they have another chance?

Number 3 is going to be a boy!

Our daughter Noelle called the other day and gave us the news. It's going to be a boy! She was just expecting a little stranger, but now it's just a strange boy. When they have a baby, most women worry about getting their figures back. My mother worried about getting my father back! We're so happy for them and the family grows! Remember sweetie, one of the tricks of being a happy parent is to fall asleep when the baby isn't looking.

Unemployment and fire-hydrants

Work is a very unpopular way of making money. My neighbor worked at a fire-hydrant plant for six months, but then he quit. He said he could never find a place to park. Nowadays, most people will take any job they can get. Unemployment is due to a shortage of money to pay people who work because these people have no money to buy things that could be made if they got paid to make things. So, let's tax people who can buy things, so they can buy less! Maybe this comic represents a cause-effect relationship!

Wenatchee on a bike

I stayed at Steve and Tina's house in E. Wenatchee last weekend because Dad and Evorine were there visiting. We had a really nice time.

While I was there Tina got me up at 5:30a to go bike riding around Wenatchee. I did try out Steve's Recumbant bike but didn't ride it around town. At first, I thought it was a farm implement. Anyway, we had a nice ride and crossed the Columbia river and the Wentachee and cruised (quite fast) around town on a really nice trail. I don't know how fast we were going, but the needle kept pointing toward my beneficiary!

Copper River

I talked with Jerry last week and he asked me for a better picture of the Copper River in Alaska. This was the best one I could find. It's a very big river and can supply plenty of great fish for a trip. Running the river with a raft can certainly be done too. I would enjoy the opportunity to do this as soon as I buy a 44 magnum to take with me. Those grizzlies are big. Hey, maybe Paul has one.

Hotels

My daughter sent me this photo of these new sheets designed to look like concrete. It reminded me of some of the hotels I've stayed in. I've been on the road a long time with my job and stayed in some strange rooms. A hotel is a place where you give good bucks for poor quarters. There are even hotels where you give your quarters to the bed! Experience has taught me a lot. Like, you should be suspicious of a hotel if the Gideon Bible is on a chain.

Biker and his babe

This is what happens when your kids take away the car keys!

I like the words of Dr. Samuel Johnson who wrote the following in Life, March 1783: "He that would pass the latter part of life with honor and decency, must, when he is young, consider that he shall one day be old; and remember, when he is old, that he has once been young."

Who's agenda do I follow?

I like what Larry Crabb says about the difference between man's agenda and God's agenda. It goes like this:

"Our agenda is to fix the world until it can properly take care of us. God's agenda is to bring all things together in Christ until every knee bows before him."

The Colorado Blue Columbine

A week ago I was hiking in the mountains and took this photo of Colorado's state flower, the columbine. The Colorado Blue Columbine is everywhere in the higher elevations of the Rockies. It reminded me of the immortal words of Eve, who said, "Don't forget - I wear the plants in this family!"

Socialist bumper sticker

This interesting bumper sticker is only partially true. Amusing as it is. The first point of the socialist world view is the abolition of private property. Yes, you will eventually run out of other people's money. But what about their property? Common ownership of property is a basic principle of socialism, as well as the absence of material well-being. In the words of Paul Harvey, "Now you know the rest of the story."

Broncos training camp

I stopped by the Broncos training camp for a few hours and watched some scrimmages. One of the highlights of course was our new running back LenDale White. Unfortunately, he's not eligible for the first 4 games due to a drug suspension. Hmmm. But he is a big bruiser and runs hard. Below is a photo of Tim Tebow throwing the ball. Next to him is Matthew Willis who played at UCLA. Willis looked very good to me.

Below is a photo of Tebow scrimmaging with the second team. The linemen are so big, it only takes three of them to make a dozen! And Tebow is not small. I think he could throw a good block anytime he wants. One of the players out there makes so much money, they plan to give him an unlisted number.

Your stimulus dollars at work

I read (on the CNN news site) where $71,623 of stimulus money was given to researchers at Wake Forest University to see how monkeys react under the effects of cocaine. Money must be the root of all evil. Look how it's going into the ground! Uncle Sam has a great way of saving his money. He uses mine!

Political movies

A movie producer wanted to have a sneak preview for his picture, but had to call it off. He couldn't find enough sneaks. Maybe he should've looked in Washington? In the old days, performers used to play parts. Now they reveal them! So much for a good movie! I do like movie posters though and some of them can be very valuable these days. This movie will hopefully have a real happy ending, and the audience will be thrilled when it's over!

Government

In communism, everybody shares equally in getting the short end of the stick from the government. Capitalism makes longer sticks. I suppose that's why someone sent me this gravestone. We seem to be migrating away from capitalism and we're getting shorter sticks. You want our government to last? The nearest thing to immortality is a government bureau!