Hank Foiles catchers mit

Not sure what to do with my 50 year old Hank Foiles catchers mit. I used it in Little League in Scottsdale, AZ back in the early '60's. If any of you have some good ideas, I'm happy to listen.

Broncos and Tim Tebow

Tim Tebow and the Broncos did it again! We beat the Chargers in San Diego. During the game he was being chased by a defensive tackle after running for a first down and Tebow stiff armed the guy instead of sliding in. He gained another five yards. Look at those guns! It's no wonder the Denver fans woke up. Chicago, you can have Orton back.

Roxborough State Park hike

I went for a hike yesterday with my brother-in-law David, who is from Phoenix. We drove down to Roxborough State Park and hiked the North trail. He enjoyed the hike since he works with the boy scouts and likes getting outdoors. We packed a lunch and had a enjoyable hike.

Near the trail head we saw a number of deer right by the trail. I heard another hiker say that he'd seen a bobcat about an hour earlier. Last spring I saw a mountain lion track one of the trails, and last year I saw two black bears.

Thanksgiving picture

The weather was nice enough for a family photo outside near the lake, so I brought my camera and tripod to take the pictures. It took an hour to figure out and photograph all the different combinations of people from all the required angles. You get this one. Daisy got the best and only seat which she really liked, a rock.

A walk to the pond

I took the kids for a morning walk yesterday and we ended up at the neighborhood beaver pond. It was full of ducks and so the kids just wanted to watch them fish and sit by the lake for a while.

"Look they're going upside down grand dad!!" "Yes, that's how they find fish," I said. "Why do they want fish?" asked Andy. I explained to them, "It's for Thanksgiving. They eat fish because turkey's are their cousins. They don't want to eat their cousins you know." "Oh yes."

While we watched the ducks eat, red winged blackbirds flocked to the cottonwood trees around us. I got this nice photo of one near us. It was a short nature lesson today.

Thankfulness

We have so much to be Thankful for, especially when the grand kids are here. Now we're looking forward to eating turkey for Thanksgiving. Last year the turkey was pretty tough, and when we closed the oven door, it blew out the pilot light! The first turkeys weren't wild you know. They just went crazy when they found out what we planned to do with them.

Last year, aunt Dee said to little Andy, "Would you like some more stuffing?" Little Andy said, "Nope. And I don't know why the turkey eats it either!"

We've been enjoying walks near the open space, watching the prairie dogs run around and chirp. They're lucky we don't eat them anymore! Guess I should have worn a hat. Aren't my grand kids terrific!

Football in Denver

Andy can now do the touchdown sign, the holding signal, interference and off sides. Daisy is good at standing in front of him and getting in his way. it's good for them to get involved in football. Football builds strong bodies. Do you believe that? I think it's baloney! I watched four games this weekend, and look at my flab!

Actually, I don't know who had more fun with all this, mom, me, or the kids. Everyone in Florida was really proud of Tim Tebow. Now that he's in Denver and the Broncos are starting to win, we have something to crow about. But he can't do it all alone. It's a good thing his linemen are so big - it only takes three of them to make a dozen!

At dinner I enjoyed watching Daisy eat her quesadilla. She prayed before dinner and I'm telling you it was over two minutes long! She had a lot to ask for!

Grand kids and prairie dogs

Yesterday I took the grand kids for a walk in the neighborhood to see the prairie dogs. It was a little cold but we bundled up and enjoyed our walk through the open space.

The prairie dogs were chirping and carrying on and providing us with great entertainment. Why do those dogs have such short legs? Why are they so small? Why don't they bark? Because they are really just overgrown rats.

On the way back to the house we saw a coyote. He took one look at us, and took off running the other direction. It was a great walk yesterday with two of my grandchildren.

Thanksgiving begins early

The kids arrived for Thanksgiving. Hooray! After a a 15 hour drive they arrived in Littleton all happy and excited. We're looking forward to a great time together.

A highlight of 2012

Here's a highlight of the year. Rafting with my friends, hiking up the cliffs to view the river, and watching the world go by. How good can it get?

Okay maybe it gets a little better at breakfast! Yes, on rafting trips we eat like kings. And then we eat some more and enjoy the river and wide open spaces.

Broncos beat Jets

Football is a game in which eleven men spend hours trying to move a small object a hundred yards. It's the same as the post office! Our team confuses me. We have 8 third down opportunities and only convert three of them. The Broncos certainly have a lot on the ball, unfortunately, it's rarely in their hands. So, we play awful until the last five minutes of the game and then crush the opponent.

What I really liked was what happened after the game. About eight or nine Broncos including Tim Tebow, and three or four of the Jets players circled in the middle of the field, got on their knees and prayed. Now if that isn't teamwork, I don't know what is.

Occupy

Without a doubt, business is dependent upon society and is a part of society. First year business students learn that the purpose of business is to create value. Business creates goods and services which enrich customers who can't or are unable to create it themselves. They pay for it, and value is created both ways. It's the American way.

Business is conducted in a social context and it's determined by community, church, state, and nation, as well as by business itself. Business and society are not discrete, separate entities in a community, they ARE the community. Occupy Wall Street cannot just clip it out. Business represents our values, our philosophies, our way of life. They produce both social climate and business enterprise.

Is government going to control our social life? How will it support free enterprise if this happens? And you can ask the reverse questions too. Is government going to control free enterprise and if so how will it support freedom? They forget that free enterprise is dependent on free men and women, and that restricted mobility, controlled thinking, and managed social orders are the paths to conformity, lassitude, and sterility.

NBA Replacement

I'm patient. I'll just wait for baseball. Everyone is greedy, and they're greedy at the fans expense. The more money the owners pay the players, the more money the fans will have to pay when all is said and done. When you add inflation to the mix, there's just no money in money. A poor fan couldn't save for a rainy day. One good drizzle would wipe him out! Let me tell you, the NBA just isn't that good.

My Uncle used to say, "If you want to make a living, you have to work for it. If you want to become rich, you just have to bargain for it with your union." The NBA players know there are more important things in life than a little money - a lot of money! See you in April, Rockies!

SK on sin

SK writes; "The sinner, who after all was a woman and a sinner, dared go to see Christ at the Pharisee's house, where the Pharisees were all together at a feast - Nicodemus, who regarded himself as a righteous man, dared go to Him only at night.

Here also is the atonement. A man doubts that the sin he committed out of weakness can be forgiven. All is lost he thinks, and so he sins more. It takes the atonement to bring him to a halt."

Crime and punishment

My crimes were not as scurrilous as Ed's, since they permitted me wear my sunglasses. In proportion as the crime is more enormous, it ought to result in more violence against the man to whom it is imputed. Then I thought, maybe people are just confused, since we have ten million laws to enforce the ten commandments! Nah. I did like the sign I saw in the gas station the other day. It said, "If you're interested in finding out if there's life after death, try robbing this store."

Sam Johnson

I like what Samuel Johnson said in the Rambler 31; "As all error is meanness, it is incumbent on every man who consults his own dignity, to retract it as soon as he discovers it, without fearing any censure so much as that of his own mind."

He also said about history; "Those who have no power to judge of past times, but their own, should always doubt their conclusions."

Respect and Jerome

When I was young, there was no respect for youth. Now there's no respect for the old. I missed it both times! Years ago no one respected Jerome, AZ because it was old and no longer needed. Now it's been revitalized and looks young again. Once again, it's respected. There used to be a brothel in Jerome. The worker's children were called "Brothel sprouts." It got no respect. They turned it into a new restaurant and now it's respected!

Home today

I'm going home today after 4 days of meetings in Portland. It's a good thing I had plenty of light for these meetings! I took this photo of Mt. Hood from inside the building. Looking at that mountain just makes me want to climb it. It is compelling.

What to do in the winter

We may not have this much snow yet, but it keeps piling up. More of it arrived in the mountains yesterday. Doesn't this just make you want t0 put some wood on the fire, have a cup of hot chocolate, and curl up for a good read, maybe take a nap?

Farragut State Park

Here is a nice photo of the forest at Farragut State Park in Idaho. The Northern half of Idaho is especially beautiful. I can image how Lewis and Clark would have been enthralled with the views and scenery there, if they hadn't been caught in a storm, out of food, and near death. A great read on their adventure was written by Phillip Ambrose, Undaunted Courage. I highly recommend it.

Double rainbow

I thought you might enjoy this photo taken in Alaska of a double rainbow. My next trip will be in February sometime so I probably won't see anything like this. I am hoping to see an Aurora Borealis. Not only does it have to be clear to see one, but there needs to be activity on the sun.

Snout beetle

Being the son of an entomologist means that once in a while I'll share an interesting experience or photo with you now and then. I wish I could say I took this photo, but I did think you'd enjoy it.

Snow and more snow...

We're getting lots of snow in Colorado this fall. It's time to get out and enjoy some back country skiing, hot chocolate, and quiet forests. The downside is that it's cold! In fact, it's so cold the hens are laying eggs from a standing position! But after skiing in the mountains I get sweaty and hot and take off my cap. Then I realize how cold it is, I have to part my hair with an ax. I can't wait to get out.

Barry McGuire

I invited Barry McGuire to sing and talk at our prayer breakfast in Anaheim next summer and he quickly accepted. We talked about Jerry and Joanie and the fond memories he has of them. He said "Jerry certainly left a big hole." Barry's commitment to his work and ministry continues as he tours with John York who played for the Byrds.

Wahpeton and a whale of a good meal

My work took me to Wahpeton, ND this week. I have been working with one of our larger franchise owners in the area. A month ago I didn't even know there was a place named Wahpeton. With a population of about 10,000 it deserves some special attention. In fact, the Ramada Inn there sleeps four!

The company office was on a small side street. In fact, the street was so small that when they wanted to paint a white line down the middle, they had to widen the street. I hope to go back here soon. It's a great place!

During my time in Wahpeton, they held an employee recognition luncheon for the employees and I was invited. We had a wonderful meal provided by the culinary students at Wahpeton College. If one of these guys gets hired at a restaurant, I want to know where it's located. I'll be eating there!

Unemployment

Unemployment is still near the double digit mark. Many say that unemployment is due to a shortage of money to pay people who work because people have no money to buy things that could be made if they got paid to make things. Actually, no one wants to make things in the U.S. because there's no money in it, so they make things somewhere else.

The government keeps saying that there are openings in every field. That's not exactly true. My neighbor can't get placed. He's a buffalo hunter. He said, "unemployment isn't all that bad. When you get up in the morning, you're already off!"

Coffee

There is nothing like a cup of coffee. Then I taste the stuff at the office (I rarely go there), and think, "someday I hope to have one." I was out with friends for breakfast on the weekend and had some coffee with Chicory in it. Mmmm. Good. It's made from the root of a perennial plant with blue flowers.

Anyway, I was at the office last summer and realized my friend there has a problem. Coffee is a pretty powerful stimulant. He would drink twenty cups a day at work! He died last month, but a week later he was still mingling in the company lounge! I drink decaf now.