Rock Creek to Boulder Lake

The goal yesterday was to find our way to Boulder Lake in Gore Range. Mark and Teena's map was very helpful because we had to find our way on three different intersecting trails. On the way we saw a bald eagle and a moose.

Below is Boulder Lake and where we had our lunch together. We found it to be stunningly beautiful with the peaks all around, still covered in snow. The moose sighting was a little unusual because we had stopped to take a rest on the trail hiking up. I went into the woods to "find a tree" and during my time alone with said tree, there he was, only 20 yards away! I tried to get my camera but there was too much to do at the time. When I did finally get the camera out of my pack, it was set wrong and the moose moved further into the trees

Jim and Chris were on the hike with us and fortunately Jim took a photo of him from the trail after I tried to alert them to what I'd seen. I'll try to get it to you later. When we got to the lake we all had lunch together and stuck our feet in the icy cold water. Oooh, it felt good.

Boulder Lake is a place I'd recommend. The flowers were all out and it was like walking through a garden. The trail was moderate and only about 4 miles or so from the car.

Riding high

Riding your bike in Colorado is a little different than most other places. First of all, it's a little rough because the road isn't exactly flat. Secondly, it's hard to watch the road because of all the nice scenery. Third, you almost always have good friends to ride with you because of #1 and #2.

Roads, Chickpeas, and vegetarians

I drove to Moscow, ID from Spokane, WA with Robert earlier in the week. The trip consisted of rolling green hills covered with wheat and garbanzo beans or chickpeas, and other vegetables. I thought, "WOW" this would be a vegetarian's delight. But I still think it's expensive to be a vegetarian. They can't make both ends meat!

Entiat

I was in Wenatchee, WA earlier in the week and went bug collecting with my 95 year old Dad near the Entiat River. I wish I'd brought my fishing pole! It was a beautiful river complete with clear water and Steelhead trout. So, I didn't catch any fish but my Dad caught a Bombylead (little fly with wings like jet). He was happy with his catch and I thought it would make mighty fine bait.

Doubts about God

I like what Crabb said about doubting God. "When our doubts about God create a terror of living like, what will happen tomorrow? Will I be all right? And even rage at God like, Why won't he come through for me as I want him to?, We then turn to others, not to love them, but to demand that they give us something to make our lives pleasant, or least more bearable. Something has to be done, but we can't count on God."

Crabb goes on and says that we might hide our demands of others behind a "veil of civility and kindness," but we have another agenda. Our agenda is, it's all about me and respect me whether I deserve it or not. Our society says and advertising tells us that "I want what I want, when I want it." What could our society value more?

But it's God's grace which frees me from needing to be better than I am and frees me to face what I'm really like without giving up. The shock of seeing the truth about myself enables me to embrace God's grace more fully.

Attack on Jesus

The attack upon the Savior Jesus Christ is made - anonymously. Glory be to the human race!

It's as if Christ said to your soul; How can you be anxious about me? How am I a threat? I am in fact your savior. Believe me that I am. This is not an assurance, this is infinitely more than an assurance. Perhaps Christ would say; I let myself be crucified for you, if this cannot convince you, then it is impossible.

Road vs. Mountain biking

Riding on the road bike can be especially fun. You go faster, you're more comfortable in the saddle because there isn't the jarring from going over rocks, the air blows over you faster so it has a cooling effect, and it's easier to talk with others when you ride. There is really only one downside: the cars.

Tents and electricians

I set up the tent in the basement so the grand kids could see what it's like. We were going camping but the high heat during the day and hard rains and lightning at night left us with this alternative. I never heard so many squeals and screams before. What fun!

I make it a point never to hire an electrician with singed eyebrows! But look at this! Maybe she has a career in electrical engineering. My neighbor is a government electrician, but I wonder about him. He was on the escalator for two hours waiting for another electrician to come and fix it.

American classic

Grant Wood did his classic American Gothic in 1930. The house he used as a model in the background was a miniature and is now kept at Tiny Town, Colorado, just a few miles from my house.

The only thing missing is a pitch fork. Oh well. It's the new generation of gothics. Instead of pitchforks they'll have computers in their watches, hand helds, and who knows what?

Not so tiny bubbles

Blowing bubbles is loads of fun. I don't know who enjoyed it more, the kids or grandma! She's had this stuff in the pantry for months just waiting for this very moment. I think she went through a couple gallons of the stuff!

Friends forever

Noelle's good friend Taylor left Tucson a year or so ago and moved to Denver, of all places. So while Seth, Noelle and the kids are visiting Taylor dropped by for a visit with her kids. It seemed like lots of fun.

When they left the kids had to say, "goodbye." But learning how to give a goodbye hug is not easy. It looks more like a wrestling hold to me. Anyway, everyone appeared to have a great time.

Racing and Richard Petty

I was in Memphis last week and met Richard Petty. I heard stories about moonshine, not running from the law because they didn't have to, and hot cars. I told him American cars are going to be around a long, long time, in fact I'd bet my Kaiser on it! He was a very nice man and I enjoyed meeting him.

Forgiveness

When you forgive someone you slice away the wrong from the person who did it. You in essence disengage the person from the hurtful act and literally recreate him or her. Instead of branding someone as a powerful evil you think of them as someone who needs you. That is what God has done for us.

Shots fired

I was sitting in the McCalls beautiful new office in downtown Memphis working at one of the open cubicles when a very loud shot was fired. We all went out to the reception area to see what had happened and there was a hole in the ceiling right above the reception area seat and sheet rock and pellets all over the floor. She had just left her work station for a moment. The police arrived in minutes with their shotguns and ran upstairs to an apartment. Evidently, the occupant was moving his shotgun to another place and it accidentally went off.

What amazed me was how fast the police arrived. I no sooner arrived at the reception area and they were coming in the door with their shotguns.

Grace

I find that the Grace of the Bible offers the world something it can't seem to find on it's own. Essayist Lance Morrow once said, "a Newtonian law comes into play: For every atrocity there must be equal and opposite atrocity." The Jewish State and the Palestinians fight a battle of tit for tat with the lives of people in the balance. Two million Hutu refugees sat in a refugee camp near Rwanda and refused to go home. Their leaders warned them not to trust Tutsi promises that "all is forgiven." They're told, "they will murder you and seek revenge." Fighting and unforgiving people rage all around the world.

Perhaps forgiveness is unfair. Both sides described above will certainly say forgiveness would be unfair. The guy who robs your home is in the wrong, and yet he thinks you have more than you could possibly need. So we go merrily along our way and no one forgives the other and peace is illusive. Yet, Jesus of the Bible takes the final step and His forgiveness offers a cure. Grace has its own power now because of what He did, but to see it you must deny your own instincts and not concern yourself with fairness. After all, Jesus paid the final price and we're now free to be at peace with everyone as well as with God. Instead we are prone to "judge and condemn" as said in Matthew 7:1-5

As I gaze into the mountains, these are fragments of thinking that shape me and frame my heart. If they don't shape you, how will you ever be at peace? How can you forgive? How can you know God? The "Peace of God passes all understanding." Philippians 4:7.

Old friends

We had a great time with our friends Craig and Kathy over the 4th. Craig was my college roommate and I've known them both since 1972. Our kids grew up together prior to school years and then Craig and Kathy moved to Phoenix. We've stayed in touch and have done things together for years.

Nature

We hike with Craig and Kathy last weekend at Cataract Lake. The Columbine were everywhere. It made me question a few things like how much of God do we see in nature? I like what Pascal said about nature; "What meets our eye denotes neither total absence of God nor manifest presence of the divine, but the presence of a hidden God. Everything bears his stamp." Pascal goes on and says, "He must not see nothing at all; nor must he see enough to believe that he possesses it; he must see enough to know that he has lost it; for, to know his loss, he must see and not see; and that is precisely his natural condition. Whichever side he takes I shall not leave him at rest." Has our human condition already lost what God really intended for us? Perhaps so.

Cataract Lake

On Saturday we went with Craig and Kathy up to Cataract Lake. We took the trail which goes to the waterfall on the other side and then loops around the lake.

The flowers were stunning on this hike. In fact, the columbine were out in full force and covered field after field with that beautiful white and purple color.

I took this photo down by the lake. They're almost a magical flower and of course remind us of the terrible tragedy at Columbine High School so many years ago.

Weekend trip

We met Ed, Sharla, Craig, and Kathy up at Copper Mountain Resort for the weekend and we went biking. Here we are coming down from Vail Pass, very fast in the morning. Coming down is a whole lot better than going up. In fact, don't ask how far we went up. But it was far enough to get a thrill coming back down.

I took this photo near the bottom. We wouldn't have done this at all if the ski lift hadn't been struck by lightning. You see our plan for the day was to take the ski lift up to the top of Copper Mountain in the morning and then ride down the access road. This works really well if the lift isn't struck by lightning. So after our morning ride, we had lunch and then went to catch the lift when it was repaired.

Craig and I went up first with our bikes hanging on the back of the lift behind us. Then everyone else rode up and I got this photo of them about to get off the lift. Don't jump, you're still 20 feet up!

I took this photo on the lift of some guys snowboarding. Hey, don't you guys know it's July 8!! Actually, this is what's left of a half pipe from the winter skiing.

The ride down was great fun with wonderful scenery. After we got down, Nancy looked at me said, "I think it's time I get full suspension on my bike."

Visitors

Craig and Kathy stopped by to visit over the weekend on their way to Copper Mountain. We did a lot of biking, saw a Poco concert on the 4th and a fireworks show too all at Hudson Gardens. There was a lot packed in over the weekend, in more ways than one.

Ed & Sharla came down to join in the biking and eating fest. Below, Ed is making his now notorious smoothies. Wow, were they ever good. I ate way too much though. In fact, I told them that when I die I want to be cremated and have my ashes put into a dip. Recycle you know.

Ruby-Horsethief

We're planning another trip down Ruby-Horsethief this August. It's a three day trip and involves rafts, lots of food, fun, swimming, hiking, and generally enjoying the outdoors.

Jet Car day at the drag strip

Yesterday, Nancy and I went to the drag races for 5 hours and then watched a spectacular fireworks show at Bandimere Raceway. The specialty of the day was the Jet Cars. I tried to get photos of the jet cars but they were just blurry.

We went to the races with Dan, Tammie, Leon and Kathy. Below is a photo of Leon with his daughter Wendy who raced one of the sponsor cars. We were all really excited about it and enjoyed it very much but I was concerned for her safety. I have a friend who tells his wife when she goes out driving, "Hurry home so you don't kill anybody." My buddy Leon was nothing but encouraging.

This is not the car she raced but it was the loudest one. I've determined that a raceway is one of the noisiest places in the world. They had a rock band with all the vendors but you could hardly hear them!

Below is a photo of Thunderstruck which broke a track record for fastest jet car at 280 miles per hour! After the fireworks we spent half an hour looking for our car.

Money

It's important to be careful with money, especially in tough economic times. Unfortunately, the government is spending money like there is no tomorrow, people buy houses they can't afford and cars they can't make the payments on. Maybe money is the root of all evil. Look how it's going into the ground. In fact, they say that the life of a twenty dollar bill is six months. How come none of them ever die in my hands?