Ushering in the Christmas season: My light hanging debacle

I got my Christmas lights put up on Thanksgiving morning. Actually, I had been invited to a Turkey Bowl football game, and had briefly considered running a 5k that morning. As it turned out, it was very cold, and for both playing football and running, a little colder than I would like. As for the football game, I wishfully considered it and then decided that it was a great opportunity for injury to occur--injury that would seriously hamper my ability to bring in income at my highest opportunity for overtime.
So, in order to reduce the risk of getting injured, I opted for putting up Christmas lights. I used to watch Bishop Stevenson (not really a bishop, but that's another long story) out there in the frigid air in his insulated coveralls putting up lights. He did it at night too, probably so he could see how they looked as he got them connected. Anyway that job looked very cold in the dark. I was doing it in the light.
And it was still very cold. I came in several times to get warm. Of course, it would've been a bit warmer if I'd had gloves on. As I began putting them up, I realized that for another year, I had forgotten to buy some new clips to attach to the rain gutter or shingles and I was going to be stuck with using the metal screwed in hooks that previous owners of the house had used. It was either that or wait until the next day off to get them up, and since it takes me a while to motivate myself to do it in the first place, that wasn't going to happen. It was now or never.
As I actually began hanging the first string of lights, I realized that last year, I had lost several of the metal hooks--never a good option because they fall out so easily--and that there were huge gaps between the places I'd need to secure the light strings. In some places the gaps were about eight feet long. This is not conducive to good, straight, uniform light hanging, but perfect for Dr. Seuss-type decorating. Did I mention that I'm a natural for the Dr. Seuss lighting?
Within an hour or two, I had the lights up and working, despite having started at the wrong end of the plug and having to figure out a new way to connect power. Now, all that's left is the star on top of the roof. I hope to get that done next week sometime and then maybe I'll take a pic and post it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who take the time to read my posts. Sometimes the things I write may seem strange, incoherent, or just not your cup of tea, so to speak. Fair enough. As an individual, I have my own idiosyncrasies, my own way of looking at life. I'm thankful for all of you and your own differences and ways of looking a things. I wouldn't be posting anything if I wasn't getting readers, so a big THANK YOU to my loyal readers. I hope all of you have an amazing time today wherever you may be.

And if you can reach through my computer, give Scout a pat on the head.

Gratitude: I'm grateful for picnics

In thinking about things I'm grateful for, often overlooked are picnics. Of course, spending time with loved ones is always a thing to be thankful for, but picnics are a special case. Picnics are special because by their very nature, they are outdoorsy kinds of things. I spend time on hikes now looking for good picnicking areas. I spend time on four-wheeling drives looking for likely spots as well. One never knows when one will stop and eat and it pays to know the landscape. In the long run, the food tastes better when you can relax and enjoy yourself, rather than have to just plop down anywhere because your hunger is insatiable. That being said, I think picnics, with few ants, are priceless.

Toenails: Reminding me of an excellent adventure

This past Labor Day, early in September, my brother Mike and I went on a hike up Lone Peak. The trail is very steep and as we came down, my toes were jammed into the front of my hiking shoes. Three of my toenails, on my left foot only, turned black underneath. Now, almost three months later, two of them still are black.

I wonder how long this lasts. I'm thinking I may need to do some research as to how I can keep this phenomenon from happening. On the other hand, it makes my foot a little more interesting. I won't let anyone paint my toenails later on so that I can keep up this image, but like scars, it reminds me of battles fought and won. It reminds me that I did something very challenging this past summer and that I have something to talk about. My toenails may not always be this color, but I'll remember that they once were and how they got that way for a good long time.

Super amazingness from the night sky: another thing for which I'm grateful

A month or two ago, early in the morning in the eastern sky, Jupiter, Venus, and the Moon were all grouped close together. As I would get up in the morning and leave for work, I saw them daily, just as the first twinge of light was beginning to appear above the Wasatch peaks. In my rush to accomplish many things prior to heading off to work, I would forget until I was leaving late, and the only camera available would be my phone--a poor substitute at best for my Canon SLR, especially at that time of day.
Gradually, the three heavenly bodies drifted further apart. Now, the Moon is nowhere to be seen near the two planets, and the two planets themselves have spaced themselves quite a distance apart. It's part of a recurring cycle. One day, in the not too distant future, they'll all be close together again in the sky. Maybe then, I'll get out the better camera and get a better shot.
I watched a documentary called John Denver: Country Boy on Netflix last night. I really liked it. One of the things it mentioned was that in the song "Rocky Mountain High" the line "I've seen it raining fire in the sky" refers to a time when he and his buds were out in the mountains during the time of the Perseids meteor shower. That would be awesome! I need to do that sometime.
I'm always grateful for the beautiful stars at night, and for sharing the view with those who are equally appreciative. One of these days, I'm just going to lay back on a hillside somewhere and stare up at the sky--maybe even during the Perseids meteor shower, but any time would be great.

Gratitude: I'm grateful for fabulous health product recommendations

So over the past year, I've discovered three items that have improved my life, thanks to the recommendation of others. These three items are coconut oil, psyllium husks, and melatonin.

Coconut oil can be used in a variety of ways. I have mostly used it for my dry skin. Since I work in an industry that requires me to be outdoors in harsh weather conditions, my hands can get extremely dry. When I remember to put in on my hands, it helps out a lot with this condition. I understand it makes a great massage oil too, though I have yet to try this usage.

The psyllium husks that I use come as a powder that I mix with water and drink. I have had diverticulitis twice this year and needed to find a way to get more fiber into my diet. In addition to providing that, psyllium husks provide other health benefits as well.

Melatonin was recommended to me as a way to reduce long hours of wakefulness in the middle of the night. It has worked amazingly well. For years, I've dreamed only rarely. Since I've begun taking the stuff, I have had dreams nearly every night. I think that might mean that I'm falling into deeper and thus more restful sleep. Certainly that's beneficial.

When people recommend great products to me, I think it's highly appropriate to thank them. So my gratitude goes out to those who have suggested the above products to me. They have made me life better, by helping me with some of my minor health issues. Thanks!

Today I'm grateful for butt-kicking good recipes

There's nothing like getting a treat from a neighbor or friend. It's especially nice when that treat is out of this world. Even better is when that friend shares the recipe with you.
The thing about the internet is that there are millions of people sharing a lot of great recipes...far too many to try in any one lifetime.
So, I narrow it down by things I must eat. And one of those things is great oatmeal cookies. I got a great oatmeal raisin cookie recipe a few months ago, and it was so good, that even though I made mistakes making it and when I put them in bags they turned into crumbs, I snarfed down the crumbs. And then I tried making it again after contacting the person who had posted the recipe and using the tips she gave me. They worked better, were still delicious, and still turned to crumbs. I guess I'm going to need to get a real baker to make them for me.
I've received other good recipes in the past year...a great cinnamon coffee cake recipe that I made for Christmas morning last year...that was fabulous! And many other great concoctions.
I'm grateful for people who share their recipes. Now, if I could only get them to cook for me, I'd be really grateful.

The Christmas Postal tide is rising

Just a quick pic to show you what today looked like in my mail truck. We are steadily increasing in our parcels and it will be peaking in just three or four weeks from now, but already, I'm having a tough time finding room for all the mail.

The thing most people don't know is that these trucks are ill-equipped for  the increase of online ordering and the corresponding increase in package delivery. There aren't any shelves in our trucks, so no matter how well we stack them, a few bumps, corners, or stops and the entire pile is soon jumbled. Within the next year or so, we'll be getting trucks with shelves, so that should help a lot.

Gratitude: Today, I'm thankful for Flo

So yesterday I was delivering my mail and there were a lot of Progressive ads going to homes along my route. I was looking at Flo all day.

I'm kind of thankful for Flo. Those commercials early on were appealing and something fresh. I know it sounds weird, but Flo is a bright spot in a world of stupid commercials and television programs. I don't typically like commercials, but there are a few entertaining ones and the ones with Flo in them are among the best. Besides that, I think the woman who portrays Flo is probably nice in real life, and the world needs more nice people, especially in the kind of world in which we live.

So two thumbs up for Flo. I hope she has a happy Thanksgiving.

Song for a Winter's Night

Eleven inches of snow in Tooele today. We didn't get anything here in West Valley. Still it was mighty cold. I felt it to both body and soul. Here's a great Gordon Lightfoot song for the day...Song for a Winter's Night.

Today I'm thankful I never got soaked, and other assorted topics

Winter has finally come to Utah. It's just as well. I was getting burned out of keeping up with the yard, and now, I can look forward to not having to do that kind of stuff until spring. I got the Accord finished with the safety and emissions inspection--it had failed because the bracket that holds the battery in had broken. Anyway, I replaced that today. I got a tool in the mail that's supposed to help with clearing obstructions from toilets. In our basement, where our daughter, Rebecca and her family live, the toilet is having issues. I had plunged it last week and got a toothbrush out, but then found out that there might be more toothbrushes and whatever else in there and that it was still sluggish. Rather than pull the toilet to clear it, I got online and looked for easier solutions. Anyway, I found out about the toilet auger that a bunch of people swear works well, then I checked the video that's mentioned in the comment section. In case you ever need to know this, here it is.

I put Rebecca's husband, Justin on the task this morning. I'm anxious to see how it went.

Ann and I are going to try and finish up our Christmas shopping for the kids and grandkids sometime today. We like to get it done early, so we don't have to worry about it. I still have a bunch to do for Ann, but what do you expect? Her birthday is December 12, then there's Christmas, and on December 30th, our anniversary. If I could figure out how to get Mother's Day and Valentine's Day into December, I would and then I could have the whole shebang over for the year.

On the writing front, I think I'm going to find some agents to whom I can submit my Christmas poem entitled The Cowboy's Mile: A Christmas Story. I feel that it would be easier to try and explain my idea for the poem with illustrations to an agent rather than to a publishing company. It's a lengthy poem--about two to three type written pages of verse--and it would lend itself well to a format with a stanza or two on a page with an illustration to go with it. I'm fairly certain both children and adults would like this story--I just need to find a way to get it published. I'm also confident that it would be well-received among the Christian book market, so maybe that's the kind of agent I need to approach.

As for gratitude today, I'm grateful I didn't ever stay out in the rain long enough to get soaking wet. It might have caused trouble with clothes clinging and all of that. Okay, I know, that sounds like a weird thing to be grateful for, but I have my reasons. And I am trying to think of things I don't normally think of for which to be grateful. Normally I don't mind getting soaking wet, especially when it's very hot. But this year, it seemed kind of like, well, it didn't ever really get hot enough to need that cool down effect, another thing for which I'm grateful. And, it's just plain hard to get out of the wet clothing. I'm thankful I never got that wet and that all my excursions this year were relatively tame. Well most of them. That's a story for another time.

Today I'm grateful for sunrises and sunsets

Earlier this year, during the summer, I went hiking specifically to take pictures of the sunset from the Salt Lake Overlook. It was a great experience that I enjoyed immensely. I have been treated to many great sunsets this year. I have been treated to spectacular sunrises. When I see them, I try to share them because, well, spreading the joy is always a good thing.
Sometimes when I see a beautiful sunrise, I cannot help but think of others sharing it too. That's one of the great things about both sunrises and sunsets--that many people can see them, if they take the time. Sunsets and sunrises lift the spirits and impress upon the mind the beauty of God's creations. And I kind of like that.

Sunset along the Kings Peak trail, 2014

Gratitude: for advice that's worth more than I paid for it

In looking back over the past year, I've received a lot of good free advice. Some say, advice is worth what you pay for it. I say, that in the past year, the free advice I've gotten has been as valuable to me as if I'd paid a lot of money for it. I don't think that we often count free counsel by others when it come to gratitude, but this time, I'm going to. So thanks for the advice. It has been worth far more than I ever paid.

Gratitude, green lights and geese

November is typically the month when we tend to think of gratitude a bit more frequently. Of course, that's associated with Thanksgiving Day. Really, we should be full of gratitude all the time for our great blessings. I've participated in the past in events that included listing some of the things I am thankful for on social media sites. Over the next couple of weeks, I'm going to be posting in this blog some of the things for which I'm grateful.
This first one is going to seem odd to some, not so odd to others. I'm thankful for green lights. That's right. Green lights. Far better than red lights, green lights suggest that it's okay. Okay to proceed, okay to go, okay to do a lot of everything. If I see two green lights in a row, I sometimes think that maybe this day, God is on my side a bit more than usual--and I can always use that kind of feeling.
I was a bit sad earlier today. Feeling blue. Blue's normally my color, but not when I'm sad. But then, something amazing happened. I hit two green lights in a row and somehow I knew that everything would be all right. So, I want to thank God for making sure I saw that today.

There was something else I saw today that had God's mark all over it. I was at the gym, having just completed my workout and I was walking around just thinking for a minute. I walked down to the west doors and looked up at the magnificent sky. The perfect mixture of blue, gray, and pink warmed my heart, but just then a flock of geese flew past, heading north. Within seconds another flock flew by, this time heading south, and then a third group, heading south as well. Big, beautiful birds bringing to me, a message of peace. God knew my heart needed it this morning and he delivered, as he always does when I decide to trust in and honor him.

Have you seen her? Betcha by golly wow!

I like sad songs from time to time. That doesn't mean I'm sad every time I listen to them. Far from it. There are times though. I remember times in the past when I've been sad. And songs of lost love are usually the saddest. Now, this singing group, the Chi-lites....they are great. They also have some nice Afros. I had an Afro once, believe it or not. It kind of reminds me of the old NBA announcer who once asked, "How tall is that guy?" and his side-kick said, "Six foot eight...seven two if you count his hair."

Another great song is the Stylistic's "Betcha By Golly Wow" This is just a great song that isn't a sad song. Some of these old Mo-town groups are fabulous! Sit back and enjoy a couple of classics!

Life's trials stink

Two days ago I got a call from my daughter (who with her family, lives in our basement) while I was at work.
"There's water everywhere and it's coming from the floor drain in the basement. Sewage has backed up into the bathtub. What should I do?
I have used up all my leave time for the year. I couldn't go home to assess the situation myself. "Call a plumber," I said. "Go with whichever one can get there first".
Hoping that she could handle the situation from there, I worked the last three hours until quitting time, and then went straight home, abandoning my plans for a workout at my local gym.
When I finally got to take a look at things, they seemed rather dire. The plumber would not be there for a couple of hours, so I set about using the shop vac to suck up water. I knew I wouldn't be able to dump it until the plumber arrived and fixed things.
When the plumber got there, he got the drains clear, but emphasized a problem I already knew we had...that somewhere in the main line going out to the street there's a "belly" in the line. This can lead and has already led to multiple backing up problems. He left and I got back to work, mopping, cleaning tubs. Trying to deal with another problem that the plumber had found, which was that the basement toilet was not working properly and that there was likely something lodged within. I was trying to dump shop vac water into it and flush it down, but it didn't want to go down. Only by adding additional water after pushing the handle would the thing go all the way down, but eventually even that stopped. I thought I'd be calling the plumber back the next day to pull the toilet.
However, in the process of trying to plunge the water down, the object that was blocking things actually became dislodged and floated partway into the bowl, I could see the brush end of a toothbrush. I plunged my ungloved hand into the tank and grabbed it. It didn't want to come, but I insisted. Once I got that out and washed my hands, I tried flushing the toilet again. It worked! Rebecca had been carrying water up the 12 steps all day to dump it somewhere, and was all done in, so I washed all the sopping towels, semi-cleaned the toilet, sprayed out the tub (it would still need a good scrubbing), sucked up the remaining water off the floor, and after a long, hot shower, called it a night.
So, this year we've had the freezer go out, the roof replaced, and a flood in the basement. Things come in threes, as a friend reminded me, and we've had our three. No more necessary this year! I think I will schedule a plumber from now on every six months to run a cable through the lines, and if that doesn't work, well, I guess we'll have to take more drastic measures. One of the neighbors said that the same thing happened to them and the guy who fixed theirs said that the houses in the neighborhood had settled since they'd been built and the lines going out to the street have virtually no downhill gradient. Good to know...
Yeah, I'm fairly certain that we'll be moving again. I was fairly certain before, so now I'm even more so. I'm just glad that life's adventures don't all involve cleaning up sewage.

Life: meaning, goals and the drive to survive

I have a lot of plans for my life, even when I'm much older. One of the most important aspects for survival in any given situation is a reason for doing so. Consider the case of Viktor Frankl, a Jewish psychiatrist who lived in Vienna. During WWII, Frankl was captured by the Nazis, forced into and ended up surviving several concentration camps, including two of the most notorious, Auschwitz and Dachau. According to psychiatrist, Claire Newton:

"Prisoners in concentration camps were deprived of everything which, in normal circumstances, contributes to a loss of psychological well-being, dignity, and worth. Yet it was in precisely these most adverse conditions that Frankl became convinced of the significant role of values in people's lives. Having something to live for was what enabled prisoners to hold on to the will to live in circumstances that made death seem like a solution.
Frankl believs in the (indestructible) significance of life. Death for Frankl is the boundary which makes life a unique, unrepeatable opportunity. he believes that life is given to us so that we can find meaning - even in suffering.
According to Frankl, suffering does not deprive us of the freedom to decide how we will deal with that suffering. If a situation cannot be changed, if suffering cannot be avoided, what is retained is the freedom to change ourselves. Suffering has meaning.
It offers us the opportunity to transcend adversity. By the way suffering is borne, a tragedy can be turned into a triumph. The freedom to live a life of worth and dignity remains, even in suffering."

Frankl himself said, "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing; the last of human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."
He also said, "Live as if you were living a second time, and as though you had acted wrongly the first time."
Frankl found that if a person had a particular reason for living, they were much more likely to survive. The reasons could include reuniting with a loved one, completing a college degree, or even revenge against their Nazi captors. If didn't seem to matter as long as they had motivation. If there was a reason and they internalized it, they were much more likely to make it out at the end.
So too with life in general. If there is motivation to survive, despite the hardships, we are much more likely to do so--and to a very old age, I might add. Though we cannot thwart God's plans, we can maximize the life he has granted us. The bottom line is, have a plan, and have goals and you will be a victor. I'll end with one more Viktor Frankl quote: "Life can be pulled by goals just as surely as it can be pushed by drive."

GOP Debate: CNBC Media Farce

I just finished watching the Republican debate in Boulder, Colorado, hosted by CNBC. The liberal moderators quickly jumped out to make the ten candidates look bad, the first question being, "What is your biggest weakness?"
Within just moments, the candidates themselves took control from the moderators, banded together, and refused it jump into the fray. It was refreshing to see.
The debate itself showed a lot of highly qualified candidates, most of the adept at deflecting questions designed to have as negative impact as possible.
I was impressed with several of them including Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and Carly Fiorina. Ben Carson held his own, and Donald Trump held his tongue for the most part.
One more thing of note. I'm wondering if Carl Quintanilla was formerly Eddie Munster.

Starting to get too cold to be shirtless. Final fitness update.

I began my fitness journey months ago. If you've been following, you know I've had some major setbacks including Ann's hospital stay, my own bouts with diverticulitis, etc. My original goal had been to make it down to 185. I had promised a shirtless photo if I made it. Frankly, I've been hovering between 186 and 189 for the past month. I'm in great shape for a 56 year old. I'm not bragging, but I'm telling you what's possible. I exercise between 3-5 times per week and usually for an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes max. I'd say I average four hours of exercise per week. It's generally 30-45 minutes of cardio, followed by 15-20 minutes of strength training. My own goal with this isn't to actually lose weight, but to keep fit enough to do the things I love to do, like hiking, fishing, and going on picnics (ha ha!). My eating regimen is a balanced diet, never eating too much junk, but not avoiding it entirely--just trying to be sensible. I post this picture to show those who think exercise requires large amounts of time to produce results, that it really doesn't. All it really takes is consistency, frequency, and trying to use common sense with the foods you eat. I will post this pic and then you'll never have to look at me shirtless again.

Even an old guy like me can stay in reasonable shape.

Hiking Bell's Canyon

The sky above the peaks at dawn was subdued but awesome!

Fall colors are fading fast

I went on another amazing hike today. I was having a hard time deciding where to go, then found out that Ann needed some help with some errands in the afternoon, so it narrowed my choices down a bit. I ended up doing Bell's Canyon. It's a place that I've hiked a couple of times in the past once alone, and once with my son, Ben. My goal this time wouldn't be to make it to Upper Bell's Reservoir as it had been in the past, but to get some good pics, to explore some side trails, and to try and find the supposed bridge that crosses the stream prior to the trail making its way along the north side of the stream the rest of the way to the Upper Reservoir. Both previous trips had left me unsuccessful at this goal of finding the bridge. This one was no different. I figured out where I thought it was, but ended up with no time to verify due to needing to get home to do the errands. Anyway, I got some good pics. One of these days, I'll figure out how to post multiple pics on this blog and keep them in the order taken...

The stream is beautiful any time of year

Lower Bell Canyon Falls

Lower Bell's Reservoir. Note the fish hitting the surface. I'll go back with my fishing stuff sometime

The trail looks like this for much of  the way.

The trail to the lower falls is an unmarked trail heading north. Look for
a big bare spot to the left, with a bit of muddy area right after
you leave the main trail. You'll be rewarded with a view of these spectacular falls.

More lower falls

A small rivulet from the upper falls

Yours truly, near the upper falls

The lower trail was easy going. Not too hard here.

Cluttered freezers would be fun to dump...

In our household, we have our daughter, Rebecca, and her husband and four kids living with us. A household of eight. Sometimes it seems like an army of twenty. I'm frequently reminded of this when I open the freezer and try to find anything. Jam-packed with everything I don't need, I cannot find the stuff I do need. Our ice maker knows that an army lives here. It keeps making ice, dropping it behind the bin when the bin gets full, so that we have ice cubes layered throughout the freezer half of the side by side. I pulled out a basket today to try and find corn tortillas, and there were enough ice cubes to fill a plate holder, and then some, just behind the basket I pulled out.
The search for the tortillas continued. I emptied an entire shelf before I found any, cursing along the way. "Why do we need all this stuff in here?" I said, rather loudly. "I will be glad when it's just you and me," I said to my wife, Ann.
Mind you this was only minutes prior to searching in vain for measuring spoons. Lost somewhere in a vast concoction of toys, papers, food, and clutter, the spoons may some day turn up. Someone may have to move in order for that to happen, but some day, I'll find all the spoons, can openers, wooden spoons, and various other implements I need on a regular basis in order to make anything to eat.
It makes me want to bring home something for dinner every night, rather than try and cook, getting frustrated because every time I need to thaw some chicken, I have to wade through layers of burritos, hummus, hot dogs, and pecans that got put in upside down in an open bag.
I think instead of bringing something home for dinner, I'm going to run away...

I'm not lying.

Just try finding  what you need without emptying this bin!

This is where most of the random ice cubes are found.

Turning into a werewolf

When it's a full moon, I generally turn into a werewolf. I've never done a selfie of me as a werewolf, nor have I gone to a professional photo shoot. I took the liberty of creating an image that shows a photo of me morphing into a werewolf. I don't know how accurate it is as when I change into a werewolf...I ...lose...ab...ility....to...conver.....AAARRRRGGGHHHH

More signs of fall

You wouldn't know it around here with the unseasonable temperatures. For the past few weeks, we've been hard-pressed to find any temps below 80. I'm waiting for a little cooler weather to facilitate the most productive time for killing bindweed (better known as wild morning glory), and other noxious weeds.
Despite the warm weather though, there are some signs that fall is coming on. My tomatoes, which were coming out of my ears, have slowed their ripening process--just not enough hours of warmth in the shorter days. Pumpkins are quickly being bought up from the nearby vendors. We just bought a couple to make jack-o-lanterns with from Ream's, on sale for 13 cents a pound...and since it was the last day of the sale, we were picking from the last five or six they had, literally. With the recently announced pumpkin shortage, I'm not thinking we'll see another sale like that between now and Halloween. Just a couple of weeks ago though, we were up in Perry, Utah watching some guys unload pumpkins at one of the fruit stands up there.

Unloading pumpkins--a sure sign of fall.

With the shorter days, it also means that I'm leaving for work before the sun rises. This has created an opportunity to take some shots of the dawn sky. I wish I could remember to set up the good camera on a tripod and get a wonderful shot, but instead, I just think about it when I'm already nearly late for work, so I pull out the cell and snap a shot. Like this.

The Moon, Venus and Jupiter have been close together in the morning.

Before long, it's actually going to cool down enough to turn on the furnace, and to spray the weeds. Summer, with its hikes, fishing, and barbecues will be done. But fall and then winter have their own unique activities that make them special as well. And who's to say that you can't hike, fish or barbecue in the fall and winter? I do all of these activities year round. We've cooked our Christmas Eve steaks on the grill outside when it was snowing. It was a wonderful experience.

There will be more wonderful experiences in the days and years ahead. We need to look at each day as a God-given opportunity to grow, learn, and love. Of course, there are often challenges to endure and to survive, Those are part of life. Some times may be hard, but if we keep our eyes focused on what's truly important, and our trust in God, we will eventually become not spectators, or unwilling participants, but victors. And I kind of like that.

A rare fall treat

Yesterday after eating an excellent lunch at Pazzo Vita Deli in Taylorsville, Ann and I drove up to Alta. It was definitely a spur of the moment thing. I kind of wanted to see the snow on the peaks and the fall colors. Just below Albion Basin, we saw these two bad boys fighting over a female.

An unexpected encounter with the best nature has to offer

We also saw the snow. And  the fall colors were excellent as well.

I always like to see the quakies that turn orange. Yellow is nice too.

Okay, so this was my first day trying to take pictures with my phone

Somewhere Out There - a great classic

I have always loved this song. Enjoy!

What a wonderful president we have...? You can't be serious!

Some president. Take a look at Iran. Take a look at Iraq. Take a look at what's happening in Syria right now. Our president, drew a red line in the sand a few years ago. It was crossed, then redrawn, then crossed again.

"No, I didn't mean that red line, I meant this one." Frankly, his total ineptitude has caused violence to erupt in the middle-east. His lack of response has enboldened evil-doers worldwide. Now, Russia is creating havoc in Syria, and it looks like they are planning on joining forces with Iran. Israel is getting mighty nervous, and for good reason. The big red machine is on the move again and who is it that will try and stop them? Apparently not us. John Kerry stated 'We agreed on the imperative of as soon as possible, perhaps even as soon as tomorrow, but as soon as possible, having a military to military deconfliction meeting." Yeah right. Today, the bombing of non-ISIS (ISIL for those who give a darn about who or what these slime balls call themselves), America friendly targets continued. This is after the big red line in the sand in regards to Russia's invasion of our NATO ally, Ukraine. War is imminent and his policies of shaking a big stick and doing nothing haven't worked. If we are drawn into a war with Russia, it can be blamed solely on the non-functional policies of this man, a man who considers global warming to be more of a world threat than Islamic terrorism.

Meanwhile on the home front, he stands in front of the camera and blatantly lies about states with more strict gun laws having less murders. Evidently, he failed to include his home state of Illinois on his chart of states with strict gun laws and fewer gun deaths. Sadly, he chose a moment  when people are mourning over their murdered  loved ones at a small community college in Oregon, to put the blame on the weapon, rather than on the killer. But we've come to expect as much. He's basically done the same thing with every mass shooting--except of course those caused by the rampant gangs in Chicago. Mum's the word on those.

The 2016 elections cannot come soon enough. It is hoped that the American public will choose someone worthy of this great nation, someone who will take the lead in throwing down those who wish to harm us. Elections have consequences and if we haven't learned that through this debacle, we never will. We are tired of those who choose to bad mouth a nation that has done more good in the world than any other nation in history. We are sick of those who would deprive us of our 2nd Amendment rights to defend ourselves. We are sick and tired of a president who thinks climate change is the cause de la journée, the cause of the day, and ignores real evil. Conservative radio host and columnist, Dennis Prager has said, "Those who don't fight real evils fight imaginary ones." It's a disease of the left.

My only hope is that by the time this man is removed from office, irreparable harm hasn't occurred. One of the few things he hasn't lied about is fundamentally changing America. That he has done. And not for the better.

Another fabulous sunrise in Utah

I just woke up about an hour and a half ago. I was trying to get my new phone to work. It's a smarter phone than I used to have and I can't figure out how to get it to detect the wifi in our house. Right now, I'm waiting for my son-in-law, Justin, who lives in our basement, to wake up so that he can get it running for me--I've spent enough frustrating time on it already.
When I finally decided to let someone with more experience help me, I put down the phone and looked out the window and saw this:

Sometimes, we just need to put down the gadgets and see what there is to see around us. I'm glad I did.

Thoughts on autumn and life

Have you ever found yourself on the road and you've traveled many miles from home before you suddenly realize what you should have brought with you, that you forgot to bring? For me, it's one of those "doggone it" moments.
Yesterday, I had another in a long litany of "doggone it"s when Ann and I headed up to the Uintas for some views of the fall colors. We were about forty miles from our home when we passed the first body of water and I realized that I was heading up into some great fishing lakes and had not thought to at least throw in the fishing gear. "Doggone it!" I said. "I should've brought my fishing stuff."
Life is like that too. We sometimes find ourselves many miles down the road of life before we realize we should've brought something along that we didn't. Too late to go back and pick up whatever it was we left behind, we soldier on, learning to live with whatever we brought with us.
As we drove up further into the Mirror Lake highway forests, I soon found myself looking at all the beautiful autumn colors. It's mostly quakies up there, so mostly yellow, but some of them had turned an orange/red that was spectacular. I snapped several pictures as we drove the dirt roads, we picked up several rocks for decorating our yard, and generally had a great time out there in the great outdoors.

Quakies near Whitney Reservoir in the Uintas

Shane and Ann enjoying the day

Some of the leaves were already down. Imagine this a week ago.

But, as we drove down, back past the lakes, I couldn't help thinking that I wish I had my fishing stuff.

First time shooting the .45

My friend, Bruce, who works out at the Lee Kay Center, had taken the .45 (which I had never shot) out to see why it wouldn't fire. I had tried to fire it out in the desert in the spring and hadn't had another chance to figure it out. When Bruce took it, he couldn't get it to fire either, and after showing it to a couple of experts at the range, it was pretty much assumed that the magazine wasn't seating properly in the gun.
When I borrowed this gun for an indefinite period from my mom (hint, I'm keeping it, Mom, until you need it, ha ha), it had no magazine with it. A few weeks ago I finally made it to Gallenson's and purchased a new magazine for it.  Previously I had purchased one from Impact Guns in Kearns. This was the one that didn't fit properly. I don't know if the guy who sold it to me didn't know what he was doing, or what, but that may be a reason I don't go back to that store again.
Anyway, Thursday, I finally made it out to the Lee Kay Center to shoot. The magazine seated properly and I was ready to fire. Here is what my target looked like when it was finished.

I took the first 8 shots from 7 yards, four at the middle bulls-eye and one at each of the corners. The two shots circled are the ones I fired from Bruce's gun, also a .45, that he let me shoot.
I then moved the target back to 15 yards and fired seven more rounds, all at the middle. You can see that I was pulling slightly to the right with the gun I brought. This was the first time I've ever fired a semi-auto, and the first time I've fired a handgun in at least 25 years. It was pretty darned fun! I don't think I did too badly for a self-taught first timer. Of course, I've had lots of practice rifle shooting over the years, so that helps. I'd like to do this more frequently, but the cost of ammo is prohibitive. Maybe I'll find a smaller gun with cheaper ammo to do the majority of my practicing.

Gardening tips and other advice

Many years ago, I took the Salt Lake Master Gardner's Course and got my certificate. Prior to that time, I had a great interest in knowing how to grow things, but not a lot of know-how. It was a great class, taught by Larry Sagers who was the USU Extension Agent for the Salt Lake area, as well as the expert on the KSL Greenhouse program that was featured on Saturday morning radio.
Since that time, Larry has passed away, and I have grown numerous gardens. I've had the opportunity to teach gardening at community education programs and at other gatherings. I will never know as much about gardening as Larry did, but at least I know how to grow things respectably--something that I once didn't know.
One rule of thumb that we learned was that most things are best transplanted in the cooler parts of the year. The reason being is that heat caused plants to go into stress. Fall is generally an excellent time to transplant anything because the plant is less likely to go into stress, and will go dormant for the winter within just a few weeks.
The other day, my friend asked me about how and when to transplant irises. I answered the "when" wrong, and I'm not sure I gave a very thorough explanation of the "how".
I did some further checking, just to make sure and I found that the best time to divide and transplant irises is after the flowers die back, but before fall, which generally means sometime between June and the end of summer . The reason being is that irises can get root rot pretty easily in a wet autumn and transplanting predisposes them to it. I found this great article on how to do it. Clickety-click.
There are exceptions to every rule, and when to transplant irises is one of them. Now I know.
As for the how, the above article gives a good explanation, but here's a video that should help: Dividing Irises
Happy Gardening!

Fitness challenge update

Sometime in the spring, I started out with the goal of getting down to 185 pounds. It has been an interesting road, including my wife's bout with pneumonia, and my own struggles with diverticulitis (twice). I've had to stop exercising or cut way back on exercising for several periods of time averaging a week or more. I've gone on vacations and bludgeoned my diet. Somewhere in there, my blood pressure has risen and won't come down by ordinary means. Still, I've managed to make it to where my weight is fluctuating between 186 -187. I'm getting close to my goal of 185. That shirtless pose is just around the corner.Yesterday, I ran a treadmill 5k in 27:42, which is faster than I've run that distance, on the road or treadmill, in at least three years. I'm in good shape. I'm feeling good. And, I think I may have pinpointed the blood pressure culprit.
Since I exercise a lot, I sweat a lot. I also work out of a blazing hot mail truck in the summer, again, sweating a lot. When we sweat, we lose electrolytes, namely, potassium. After evaluating my symptoms, I think I have a potassium deficiency.
My plan is to radically change my diet and include many foods that will build up my potassium stores. It remains to be seen what affect this will have on my bp, but I'm hopeful.

Oh Babe, What Would You Say?

I love this song, by Hurricane Smith. Enjoy!

Hike of the year...Lone Peak

For years one of my goals had been to hike Lone Peak, at 11,253 feet in elevation, the 11th highest peak in the Wasatch Range. Yesterday (Monday) was my second attempt at this rugged peak.
Towering over the city of Draper, this monolith has beckoned to me for years. At 7 AM, my brother Mike and I started up the Jacob's Ladder trail to the top.
Jacob's Ladder is the quickest way to the top of Lone Peak. It is very steep. Think climbing a stairs for 1.5 miles and you get the idea. This stretch of the hike is withering and by the time you reach the ridge and the trail that intersects with the Jacob's Ladder trail (called the Draper Ridge Trail), your quads are burning. It was at this point last year that I knew I'd never make it to the top that time. I was dizzy and just didn't feel well. Not so this year. I had the strength and stamina I needed for finishing what I'd started.

Mike Roe

Along the way we saw some nice bucks a few hundred yards across the hillside.

I did the best I could to capture them on my Elph 340HS. I zoomed in on a patch of mountainside where I could barely see anything moving and captured the above image. Mike had told me all about how big the racks were on these deer, but I could barely see the deer at all, and through the viewfinder in bright sunshine, it was tough to find them, but I guess it worked.
We continued upward, through the pines and into the bottom of the boulder field. We saw one guy going way high to the left and wondered if that was a better way to make it to the shoot.
Mike had been experiencing nausea and so we sat down and ate lunch. After lunch we climbed higher into the bowl, trying to search out the cairns that marked the trail. We got off trail a few times before finding our way back.

There were some nice views of Timpanogos and other mountains to the southeast

This mare and another horse were up near the top of Jacob's Ladder, brought by bowhunters. I was hoping for a ride up the rest of the way, and if they'd have still been there when we came back down, I'd have paid them to take me down.

As always, there were some amazing flowers

Mike and I. The selfie.

Mike, finding that he'd need to put in some workout time before he could actually make it to the top, decided to stop and wait for me to reach the top. This was a little after 2 pm.
I made my way up the chute that led to the ridge I would follow to the top of Lone Peak.
I was actually feeling pretty good, considering how I'd felt the year before when I'd turned back at about the same spot we ate lunch this year. My workouts had paid their dividends and I was reaping the rewards of good health.

See the guy on the left? There was a place just behind him that I wasn't willing to risk, without having someone experienced with Lone Peak alongside to show me the safe way.

I didn't need to go any higher though. It was enough to know I'd gotten close.

This is Lone Peak.

On the way down, we saw this plume of smoke rising over the peak to the east.

This final shot of Timp in the distance and skies that had cleared of the smoke from the fires to the west of us.

That being said, I made my way up the rocks toward the pinnacle of Lone Peak. Just yards short, I decided I'd had enough. I could not see a way that did not include a huge amount of potential danger. The three people who had been just ahead of me had taken a very precarious route to the top. I wasn't willing to take that risk. There is just too much to live for. I watched those all younger than me who had made it up to the very top. I thought of when I'd been that age, full of recklessness and thinking myself unconquerable. I've learned that I'm not invincible and that often the journey is greater than making it to the top of the mountain. I had met my goal after all, the goal of enjoying myself in the midst of the great creations of God. I headed down, met up with Mike, and we began our descent at around 4 o'clock.

The sun went down and we spent the last half hour in the falling evening. We got to the vehicle at 8:22

In the end, Lone Peak defeated me. Or maybe I defeated myself in my quest to stay alive. I had beaten the dreaded "ladder" for the second year in a row, but my beautiful peak remained unconquered. For now. More adventures promise the future, and one never knows what might happen as the years go by.