Trying Something New...Now, To Figure Out How To Record It

 It always amazes me, the incredible technology that surrounds us. For example, we're thinking about an artistic project that would require filming and posting the videos online. It's in the beginning stages, but if we do this, we've got to figure out the best way to record those videos.

The best camera we have--as far as compact--is our phones. The problem is, we don't have unlimited memory and the phones are relatively heavy. I'm sort of a camera nut and I've collected several (inexpensive...) digital cameras over the years, mostly from yard sales...

No surprise, there.

So, I dug out the cameras to see if they would work. The results so far have been mixed. Actually, less good than bad. It's the equipment. Had we unlimited funds, we could fix the issues, and if this little project proves fruitful, we might invest in those delicious examples of technology. But, not now. We're not investing just yet.

It's also fun to think about "what might happen." All this technology can turn a "regular person" into a healthy contributor in the local and worldwide economy. That would be nice.

We'll continue experimenting, continue the trial and error needed before any success can come. 

I'll keep you posted.

Well...I Guess These Lights Are Technically In The North

 Did a little X surfing (X, as in, the social network...) last night. I came across a post about the possibility--though slim--of seeing the northern lights from were we live. 

Turns out I didn't get any good shots.

Turns out I didn't care as much.

Don't get me wrong. I'd love to have a repeat of what happened when the Northern Lights showed up earlier this year. It was amazing. I wasn't sure if last night's potential viewing would turn into anything, so like last time, I took my Nikon outside at night and aimed it northward. Unlike last time I did not get a tripod to steady the shot (that's obvious...). I used a monopod and hoped I could hold it steady enough to get a decent shot. It didn't work. Plus, not even a hint of the Northern Lights.

If I recall, the post on X said the best time to see the lights last night--if there were any to see--was at 3am. There's no way I was going to wake up at 3am for the chance to maybe see something.

Had we not the light show a few months ago, I might have considered getting up and taking out the Nikon with the tripod to see if I could catch something. Before that I hadn't seen the Northern Lights and really wanted to see them.

I acknowledge, the Northern Lights show a few months ago in northern Utah wasn't "the greatest," but it was good enough for me.

Good enough to keep me in bed this morning.

Boys Buying Cars...And Trucks

 For the past couple of months our family has been in search of used vehicles. My youngest son wanted a truck--he's looking for a job in construction. My other son...he needed a car, even though he'd like a truck. I took the boys on many trips to check out both cars and trucks.

These photos show two vehicles that they did not buy.

Of the two, the Pontiac was the better vehicle.

Up until recently, our family was not a "car-buying" family. I bought Donk, the Subaru in 2020. Before that, we bought our minivan and our Vibe around 2010. We've been lucky with those cars. They've been great for us--especially, the van.

Then, the kids grew up and needed cars. The last two carless children finally needed transportation. I went on many a trip to check out cars and trucks in various state of decomposition. My son wanted a 4x4 truck. The red one was not. We didn't do know that before we headed out. Had we known it, we would not have driven south to check it out.

The Pontiac was a good car, a good, solid car. The miles were relatively low and the price was right. Still...we thought we'd check out another car and we ended up getting it.

There's some excitement in car shopping. Are we getting a deal? Are we buying a lemon? All unknowns solved only by time. 

I hope they got some good ones.

Give Thanks...The View Eleven Years Ago

 This photo popped up in my social media memories (okay, it was Facebook...). Eleven years.

A lot has changed.

You could not replicate this photo even if you tried. First of all, the amusement park in the distance no longer has that skyline. They've added to it. Now, a ride called Cannibal towers over the Ferris Wheel. The trees you see in front of the rides have changed, too. There are now homes where the trees used to be and many of those pines are gone.

Speaking of trees, where we once had an incredible western views, the trees planted on that side of the house grew taller. We felt like we were being surrounded by trees. Normally, this isn't a bad thing, but when it slowly removes one of the advantages of living on a hillside, it makes a difference.

Still, I miss those sunsets. I enjoyed them for five decades while living on that street. The island, the lake (when it was there...) all added up to some spectacular views.

I'm thankful for those views, for the amusement park, the trees, the sunsets that made those memories. I'm thankful for the beautiful world I'm fortunate enough to experience and enjoy. I'm thankful I was able to call that street and mountainside home, a place where I grew up, learned so many things.

Eleven years...

So much has changed.

A Weed Among The Roses...

 I pass our rose bushes almost every day. They're loving where we planted them, loving their little corner of our front yard. It wasn't until today that I saw it, sticking its head proudly above the blooming flowers...

A weed...as tall as me.

It's been there for months, hiding, We don't weed that section of the yard every day or even every week. The weeds don't flourish there, and when we spot them, we pull them. This one, however, it eluded us, evaded our detection all spring and summer, until it could no longer conceal itself as its growth forced it above everything else.

Funny...it's not just weeds that hide among the roses. Evil people have been known to do the same. They blend in. Now, I'm not necessarily saying all weeds are evil (even though they are...). People with evil intent pretend to be something they're not, even telling us lies about themselves. Sometimes we believe them. However, there are always those who can detect lies and they try to point them out. Those unbelievers scoff and hiss and say the truth-teller is the liar.

A tale as old as time.

The weed is no more. Actually, it's been pulled and tossed in the bin. Since the roses are doing so well, I'm sure there are other weeds, other evil people hiding, waiting for their chance to continue blending in, infecting everything around it. A healthy environment makes them easier to hide. 

I'll continue walking by the roses every day. Maybe next time...

I'll take a closer look.

I Used To Read So Much More - What Happened...?

 I picked up a new book recently and started to read it. I've heard good things...Stephen King's son. I've read the first few chapters...so far, I like it. Back in the day, I used to go through books on a regular basis. I was averaging two or three books a month.

They were mostly audiobooks, but still--I count them.

Then, something changed. I stopped reading, and I miss it.

The last book I read was Jared Nathan Garrett's The Seer. I'm embarrassed to say it took me much longer than it should have for me to read a 50k-ish word count book. I soldiered on, I did not stop and after months, the story became a part of me.

The Joe Hill book sits next to me as I write this. I can see it sitting there, no charging cables attached. Funny, physical books never run out of battery power. The question is, when will I pick it up and finish a few more chapters? When will I answer the call?

Maybe Sunday.

This isn't the first time I've asked myself this question. I've thought about it many times. And I think I know the main reason why I've stopped reading book. No, I know the main reason I stopped reading books.

Podcasts.

If Only The Mantis Had Stayed Away...

 There's something you can't see in this photo. Just behind that rise on the garbage can handle is a praying mantis...a big old white one. You know the ones. They're so big they're like ancient monoliths that watch life from a distance having already lived a long life.

And, they kind of freak me out. 

I moved the garbage can and saw it stir. Nope...not going to move the garbage can with that thing hanging out on it. So, I picked up a broom and shooed him away. He landed on the driveway and scampered under my son's car.

Great, I thought. Now I can move the garbage can away from the car and to add more trash and that's what I did. I turned, picked up the trash, opened the lid and dropped it in. When I closed the lid that's when I saw it...the carcass of the praying mantis smushed on the driveway. It wasn't there before. I apparently rolled the garbage can over its insect body. 

At first I wondered if it was another mantis that I didn't see that met a grizzly end, and that's still possible, but the size and color matched the one I tried to save. I don't understand it. I can't see why it would be that attached to the garbage can, but it looks like as soon as it went under the car, it came back and was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Poor fella (or, lady fella...). If only it had stayed away.

Two Mondays...Two Funerals

 On the eve of a funeral for my cousin's wife, the family was hit again...my mom's brother passed away. One just turned sixty-years old, the other just turned ninety-six. Each left large families behind, families that loved them dearly.

They were two of the most incredible people I've ever known.

We honored and celebrated the first, then seven days later, many of us gathered again to honor the next.

I've always known I was adopted. I can't remember ever being told...it was just part of being in the Taylor family. Even though in the past year I've discovered and met members of my birth parents's families, my adopted family was my family. Having lost my father at a young age, our mother leaned heavily on her siblings and my father's siblings for support--especially to raise three children ten years of age and younger. I grew up with cousins that at times felt more like siblings.

We had incredible times.

Both funerals were for those on my mother's side. She had two brothers, and since her passing in 2007, both brothers grew older, both into their nineties. 

The two people who passed away within a week of each other each lived in the Knight family home in Teton Valley, Idaho...one raised as a child, the other raised a family. You must be strong to live in that valley, and especially in that house. I look up to each of them, for different reasons. They were examples on how to live a blessed life, a Christian life. They were both parents, grandparents, spouses, and friends, and they will be missed.

I've thought many times over the years how incredibly fortunate I have been to be placed in this family. I can hardly put it into words. I'm a better person for knowing these two people, as are countless others. We'll miss you, Sheila and Dean...two of my heroes.

If You're Like Me...You Can Feel This Photo

 I turned the corner in an abandoned hallway as loved ones gathered in another room. I loved the scene before me so I snapped a photo. Today, I reviewed the pictures I took yesterday and the hallway returned to me.

I can feel this photo.

I can almost smell it, too.

I grew up in the Intermountain West, a peculiar place, both in geography and culture...especially culture. If you're like me, you've stood where I did, even if it were in a completely different building. You've seen this shot, you've walked on the carpet, passed the coat rack complete with wooden hangers, glanced at the bulletin board at the calendar of events. You also know what's inside in the empty rooms and what you'll find at the end of the hall.

It's as if you're home, even if you don't particularly like the home.

I can't tell you how many times I've seen this view, at different times, in hundreds of buildings. And if you've experienced a childhood like me, or spend much time in these buildings, you have, too.

Even looking at the shot now, I'm back in the smallish hall surrounded by memories. 

Love Me A Car Show...Even A Small One

 Last weekend we celebrated Hay Days, it's our local community's summer celebration, We've only been here a few years, but we already know that Hay Days means several things:

A free breakfast

Local vendors

Activities for the kids

Baby Beauty Contest

And a car show.

We love the car show.

It's not the biggest car show around. In Cache County next door they have a car show around Independence Day. It's great...big and great. The car show at Hay Days is smaller, but there are some beautiful vehicles. Antique trucks, cars, even some motorcycles. This year a family brought two dragsters and a funny car.

The 2015 Corvette isn't an antique, but it's a beautiful car. We know the owners--that's always fun. They've shown their car several times over the past couple of years.

Seeing these cars causes a stir in me. I'd love to have a car at the show. Back in the day, after my cousin painted my '72 VW beetle, that might have qualified. It had issues, of course, but it was a good looking car. A few years ago a kid brought a couple of VWs to the Hay Days show. He hasn't been back since.

Yes, car shows are fun, and you have to put in a lot of time, effort, and money to have a car show-worthy car. I'm not sure if I'm ready for that...

Maybe one day.

Give Thanks...Community

 The fireworks began as we loaded up the cars. And because of that, we ended up pulling off the side of 1000 North to watch instead of going to the hospital parking lot where we usually go. Not a big deal...we were only a few hundred feet farther away from the evening explosions in the summer air.

Though, not the state's largest firework display, it did what it was intended to do...entertain, and hopefully fill those watching with a sense of wonder, of awe...

Of community.

Across the street from where we parked there's an open field. Last night it was full of cars and trucks (lots of trucks...). There's a good chance I didn't know a single soul in those vehicles, and they didn't know us. Didn't matter. Just like all of us found ourselves in this little down a few miles from the Idaho border, we all came--or have stayed--for different reasons, we all gathered around the fairgrounds, watching bombs bursting in air.

Thankfully, if we needed help last night, to borrow a phone or to jump-start a dead battery, I feel I could have approached any of those cars and/or trucks and asked for help and they would have obliged. Just as we would have helped anyone coming to us. At least, that's how I felt last night. That's how I feel living in this community.

Because negativity sells, it's easy to believe everyone is evil, everyone is just out for themselves, and at times each of us feels that way. But, I'm thankful that people are more often than not, better, good, giving, caring, loving.

I'm glad we don't have fireworks every night...it would become commonplace, ordinary. The infrequency makes it special, memorable, an event. I'm thankful for our community and for millions of other communities around the world. I'm thankful we got to see the show.

And the brilliant full moon only made it that much better.

Turns Out...We Just Needed A Taller Flag Pole

 Last month we were given a gift...a US flag to fly in front of our house. Now, we already had a flag. I made it a few years ago from a steel pole and an inexpensive flag that came in a kit, the kind of kit you mount on your wall.

I tossed the pole that came with the kit and just used the flag.

The flag my mom-in-law gave us had a taller pole, taller than ours. We received it because the wind blew her flag over and we have a somewhat sheltered location for our flag...away from direct winds.

I'm glad for the gift. For one reason, we couldn't see the flag out of our front window because it was too short and the lower flag used to hit people in the face when they visited. Maybe that's why we have so few visitors, but on the plus side--door-to-door salespeople. 

I set up the flag and even though it's not in a windy location, the PVC pipe swayed a lot in the wind. Solution--put the metal pole I used inside the pipe. Problem solved.

Today was the first time I flew my Franken-flag. It worked well. Turns out we just needed a taller flag pole. 

Tiger Town...Is America

 I should clarify. This is a part of America, and when I say America, I mean the United States of America because there are millions of Americans who live north of the 49th Parallel and south of the Rio Grande River.

Many of you may know where this is, while others do not. It's a couple hours drive from where we live, but if I had to, I'd be hard-pressed to drive to this building by memory. It's a picture of Tiger Town. I'm sure you can find many "Tiger Towns" all across the country, as well as the name for the first film made for the newly-founded Disney Channel in 1983.

This particular Tiger Town is in an older part of town, smaller yards and even smaller homes. Decade's-old trees dot the landscape, many evergreens because the winters can be brutal in this part of the country. Behind the homes's front doors are newlywed couples living in their first houses, multi-generational families living together to make ends meet, and elderly citizens who have lived on the same street their entire lives...just like millions of other neighborhoods all across the country.

It's summer. Had it been fall, winter, or spring, I'd expect to see cars and trucks of various makes, models, and ages filled with high school students either arriving or departing...or playing hooky. Maybe friends would walk the grounds of Tiger Town talking about movies, music, or which students they think are cute.

It's like so many other streets, other buildings, other places where people live. As I snapped the pictures I wondered if anyone saw me taking photos of a building they know so very well, a building that's been part of their lives either for a short time, or for their entire lives.

Even though I didn't grow up in Tiger Town, I can understand the feeling the locals have for their community. Because I've felt it, too...

Just a couple of hundred miles south.

It's a cool older building full of memories...Tiger Town memories.

2000 Applications...It Only Took Me Seven Years And Two Months

Back in 2017 I was given a task at work to create a spreadsheet to chart applications assigned to me. Part of my job is to file paperwork and part of that paperwork is to process applications for state benefits. We all were asked to create spreadsheets so our supervisor could track how many applications we all did to help even out the workload.

I wonder if it made any difference at all.

But, that's not my call. 

That was three supervisors ago. I don't know when exactly we we no longer required to keep our lists, but I kept my spreadsheet, and I added to it, day after day, week after, week, month after month...

Year after year. Today, I added the 2000th application. 2000 times I was assigned a case to add a program that didn't exist before, or if a person let their state benefits lapse and needed to re-open the program(s). 

If you notice when I first began the spreadsheet I did nine applications that first month. In July of this month, I've listed over twenty applications. Such is the nature of work. Things have picked up. I don't want to imply that I'm complaining. It's just an observation. 

I don't know why I keep the spreadsheet. It's no longer required. I guess it's just part of my process--get the app, record it, then get to work. 

I think I'm going to continue with the spreadsheet. Might as well. It only takes a moment. Plus, it's fun to see the amount of work that's passed my desk and my computer. I don't know how many the list will have once I log off for the final time.

Let's just say...

I hope I don't get to 3k.

Maple Canyon, Utah...The Place Is Crazy

 Back on Independence Day we experienced an amazing place...Maple Canyon in Sanpete County. If you know the place, you'll agree, it's crazy.

But in a good way.

Earlier this month our family went on a short road trip (for us, a couple hours on the road now seems short...) to visit family. We only stayed a day and on our way out of town, we drove to Maple Canyon. It's just west of Moroni, Utah.

I've lived in Utah almost my entire life and done some hiking. This place was unlike anything I'd ever seen. The canyon walls are not smooth red rock canyons like you'd find in many places in Utah. In fact, the canyon walls were anything but smooth. The best way I can describe it is the canyon was made up of cement with rocks, small and large, left open exposed to the elements. Just looking up I kept wondering if the rocks would come loose and fall on our heads, even though those rocks could have been there in that state for years, even decades.

We saw some climbers making assents and descents. I know it's sturdy, but I kept wondering if the hardware embedded into the walls would actually hold. Apparently, it did.

If you are interested in out-of-the-way fascinating places and you find yourself in central Utah, check out Maple Canyon. It's a trip.

Notice Anything Unusual About This Fan...?

 It's what you don't see that makes the photo of this fan interesting.

Years ago my wife and I got some passes to a local gym. It was a new gym with all the bells and whistles, but there's something I notice that maybe others missed...these huge ceiling fans overhead. I'm not good at estimating so I can't tell you just how big these fans are, but I think each blade is probably about twenty-feet long.

Yup...big fan.

It wasn't only the size of the fan caught my attention. The company name was printed on the blades...

Big Ass Fans.

I thought at the time it was a great name. It told people exactly what the product was and what it did.

Fast forward a decade or so and I found myself in an arena at our local fairgrounds. I looked up and noticed they had several Big Ass Fans working away above us, moving the air, doing their job without fan fair (sorry, not sorry...).

But, if you see the above photo, you'll notice something...actually something that's missing.

Ass.

I smiled. I knew the word should be there, but wasn't and I'm pretty sure why the word was removed. We live in a fairly conservative community. They removed the word so as not to offend.

I don't think anyone there knew the word was missing. That's the genius of it. How can you be offended if you don't know something's offensive to begin with?

Exactly.

Well played Box Elder County Fairgrounds...well played.

Just What I Needed Tonight...A Beautiful Sky

 It's been a day. I took off work to attend a funeral and spent about seven hours in the car. It was a long, emotional day, and I'll need to take another day off (or switch days...) next week for another funeral. Today, we drove straight through home so we could water the gardens.

As the sprinklers offered relief to the thirsty plants, my wife and I sat in the backyard. Above us was another beautiful sky. I snapped a few pictures and even caught a few good shots of the half moon.

I've blogged several times about the skies where we now live. I think it's because we have so few trees. Don't get me wrong--I love trees, especially tall, majestic, regal trees. We live in a new neighborhood, that's barely a decade old and the trees are small. They allow us to see the entire sky.

I never know how the sky pictures will turn out. Tonight, they were beautiful.

It was just what I needed after a long, tough day.

Give Thanks...Passing Heirlooms Along

 I snapped a picture today of my son sitting with his son at a family heirloom...the spinet piano. My oldest, the first of three of our children to take piano lessons, still remembers how to play and read music. He sat on the bench, hefted his little one on his lap, and plunked out a melody or two as his son watched, and later participated.

Yes, the grandson still wore remnants of a previous meal (or two...), but it was a beautiful shot.

The piano is from my wife's side of the family. We grew up with a similar piano in our house. My mom played. My brother and sister took lessons. I took accordion lessons...similar, but different. Our piano went to my little sister after my mom passed away. I'm not sure what happened to it after my sister died, but I'm guessing it's still with her daughter.

The piano in our house will be passed down. Once my son gets a home of their own, they'll inherit it allowing for yet another generation to hopefully play it and make memories of their own. By the time it goes to another generation, my wife and I will most likely be gone.

I'm thankful for those heirlooms, for things that one generation purchased or built, that others can enjoy and cherish. I don't believe people buy pianos today like they used to. Time was every house had a piano, at least every house around here. Time changes things. You check the classifieds now and people are literally giving them away. No, we didn't play the piano as much as we could have or should have, but it's a beautiful piece of furniture that hopefully, generations will appreciate for years and years.

I loved watching my grandson watch me as I captured the moment. I'd like to think he'll sit on that bench and do the same thing with his first child. 

That's a wonderful thought.

Jared Nathan Garrett's "The Seer"...A Book Review

 Do you believe in magic, and by magic, I mean...Biblical?

If you do or even if you don't, you will find plenty of magic in Jared Nathan Garrett's The Seer. 

We first meet Nathan Eckhoff on an archeological dig in Egypt where, after weather and construction destroys the site where the crew are working, Nathan comes into possession of an ancient artifact--a cloak belonging to Joseph of Egypt, the same Joseph sold into slavery by his brothers, the same Joesph who saved the kingdom after interpreting Pharaoh's dreams. 

Nathan leaves Africa and returns to his home in San Francisco. Only then does he not only realize he has the cloak, but also its former owner. Before he decides what should be done with the artifact, he finds out this is no ordinary garment. It possesses special powers, powers that not only keep Nathan from harm, but also puts him into dangerous situations including several assassination attempts.

The story is fast-paced, exciting, and full of unexpected twists with a conclusion that mingles intrigue, danger, and a dash of romance. The fun is trying to figure out--as does Nathan--just what powers the cloak has. Will Nathan figure it out as well? Will the baddies get to it before Nathan can escape? 

If you like stories with a touch of the supernatural (especially relating to a Biblical story...), check out Jared Nathan Garett's The Seer. You can access the Amazon page by clicking: HERE. A fun read.

Man...I've Missed Slapfish

My wife and I found ourselves in the town where I lived for half a century today. We were passing through and decided to stop for lunch. "Where should we eat?" I asked.

"Slapfish," my wife said.

Bingo.

It's been years since we visited the restaurant. Back when we lived a few miles from the restaurant, we didn't eat there every week, or every month, but it was a reliable go-to place for us. What we especially liked was we could order one meal and split it between the both of us. Good food and cheap as well. And the fact that seafood is one of my wife's favorite foods only adds to our love of the place.

Today, we bought one meal and split it. The photo is actually half of their fish and chips serving.

As we drove through Davis County, we discussed things we missed about our old stomping grounds. One thing we missed was good restaurants. It's not that the restaurants where we now live are bad, there just isn't many of them. 

We do not miss the traffic.

As we ate we wished they would build a Snapfish restaurant somewhere north. Ogden is acceptable, but Logan would be great. Maybe one day it will happen.

Time will tell. 

New Word Processor...Yeah, Right - IYKYK

 I made a purchase last month. It's an electronic device that does many things. I posted a picture of it as my Pic Of The Day telling everyone I bought a new word process.

I mean, I wasn't lying.

The thing is like a mini-laptop without a keyboard or mouse. It's called a Steam Deck. Steam is known not for word processing. It's known for video games. I bought an incredibly high-tech Gameboy.

My son is a video game developer, among other things. I wanted to help out my son and his work. When I posted the picture, I wondered what kind of responses I would get on social media. It was one of those "if you know, you know" situations. I had a few people comment basically saying, "That's nice." Then, I got the gamers. They posted laughing emojis or even a wink emoji. 

They understood.

I'll be many of those who knew what it was probably have their own Steam Decks.

To be honest, there are several small hand-held word processors out there. I know several authors who have them. They're basically a keyboard, a hard drive, and a screen. Writers apparently love them. They can thrown them in their bags or backpacks and take their WIPs to the mountains, the beach, or anywhere. So, I can imagine people thinking this may have been something like that.

Nope.

It's mostly for video games. 

Yes, I can take it to the mountains, the beach, or anywhere and do some writing. The question is...

Will I? Because I know I should.

Things You Learn About Small Town Utah On Independence Day...

 We have family in living in Central Utah and since I did not work on Independence Day, we decided to load up the van (including the dog...) and head south. There's two ways into the valley in which they live. You can enter from the north, or from the west. 

We chose west.

We chose west because of parades. Since we don't live in the area, we did not know if these small communities were having parades on the morning of July 4th. If you enter the valley from the north, there's a small town before we get to the town where family lives. The last thing we wanted to do was wait for a parade to end before we could continue.

We thought we were so smart.

Nope.

I forgot if you take the western route, there's not one small town, but two. Didn't even think about parades in those towns. The first town we hit, Fountain Green was lovely. In fact, it almost looked like the town was deserted. A few minutes later we found out why.

From Fountain Green it's a short distance to Moroni and as we rounded the corner to hit the main street, we saw people in the street picking up trash, people on the side of the street picking up chairs and blankets. 

Yes. We hit the town only minutes after their patriotic parade ended. We thought, "Great. Parade's over. Now, we just drive through town, then drive straight through to Mt. Pleasant. But, as we cleared Moroni, we noticed cars were backing up heading out of town. I thought that odd. I mean, yes, I'm sure people from one community wanted to check out their neighbor's parade. What I didn't know is the people in the west were about to start their own parade about an hour after the one in Moroni ended and many of the floats and those in the first parade were on their way to the second.

My fear realized. We ended up being behind not one parade, but two. 

In the end, it was no big deal. We eventually made it and had a blast enjoying the holiday with family. Next time, we'll know. It's just one of the things we learned about Small Town Utah on Independence Day.

Square Footage...When My Childhood Home Blew Me Away

 It's amazing how you can become accustomed to your surroundings. Back in January, 1987 I returned home from serving a two-year church mission to Denmark. The night I returned I was tired, but glad to be home. I remember getting out of the car after and I walked into the kitchen of the home my father built (but never actually finished...) and where my family lived since 1970. 

The door opened, I walked inside, and I was amazed...blown away.

It was as if I was seeing that room for the first time in my life. I hope to never forget what I said:

"It's so big."

The room was huge. I had been living in tiny apartments, visiting families that lived in tiny homes for two years. I had walked into home I no longer recognized. My mom laughed. Then she said:

"That's exactly what Alan said when he got home."

Alan, my big brother, returned home three years earlier. He lived in Japan. He had the same reaction.

The other day I found a fascinating visual. Well, it was fascinating to me. It showed the average square footage of homes in both the U.S. and in Europe. I noticed the state with the most average square footage was Utah, where I'm from. The country with the most average square footage in Europe was Denmark, a place I used to live.

What does that have to do with my what I thought when I got home? I guess if I lived somewhere else in Europe, my reaction when I walked into my childhood home would have been even greater.

Okay Lego...Now You're Just Showing Off

 Back in February my son bought the Lego Atari Video Computer System, and I was blown away. 

And that was just from the picture on the box.

My son set some personal goals and waited until those goals were accomplished before he could put it together. Last week, the his final goal was checked off the list which meant it was time to open the box and put things together. Yesterday he brought up the finished product.

Now Lego is just showing off.

The controller joystick works, it comes with three computer games you can insert into the game (don't know if it requires blowing on them, or if that's just Nintendo...), and the toggles actually toggle. But, the coolest thing about the Lego set is the secret compartment that produces a diorama of life as it once was.

You pull back the top of the game and the little scene appears. It has items found in a typical room where the Atari Video Computer System would be, complete with green carpeting. Yes, I remember the 70s well.

I've been impressed with what comes from the Lego Company, and not just because it's founded and based in Denmark. Those who made this particular set sure knew their audience.

And that audience was me.

Give Thanks...Home-Baked Cookies

 A few weeks ago we had some neighbors over and my wife tried a new cookie recipe. Needless to say, her cookies were a complete success. They were light, fluffy, and full of delicious creamy filling. It got me thinking...

Are home-baked cookies better than store-bought?

Years ago, back when my brother and I were in high school (we're talking over four decades ago...), my mom used to bake cookies all the time. In fact, many of my friends, as well as my brother's friends, distinctly remember those cookies. Yes, they were Nestle Tollhouse cookies, but I know I didn't care. And based on the fact that those friends still remember my mom tells me they didn't care, either--we just remember they were delicious.

Things have changed. My kids have all grown, but even during their high school years, we didn't have friends over all the time. I'm not saying my brother and I were popular, but I'm also not saying it, either. If you were to ask my kids's friends what they remember about our house, their answers would be different.

I'm thankful for my wife's home-baked cookies. I'm thankful for the memories associated with them and the memories from my mom. After all, dDoesn't life seem better with a plate of freshly-made home-baked cookies?

I think you know the answer.

But, Is The The Best Time To Live...?

 A few weeks ago I posted a picture of the huge inflatable someone set up in our neighborhood. We're assuming it was for a birthday party or some other family gathering. Not everyone has an inflatable of this size to just put up whenever they want to. I used the picture for my Pic Of The Day with the caption of me being born in the wrong century.

It was funny, but was it true?

I was born in the mid-twentieth century. We're now in the first quarter of the twenty-first century. When I posted my statement with the picture, some agreed (based solely on the one picture...), but others brought up good points. They wrote about things they did as a kid that kids no longer do. Is a huge inflatable the best thing for kids? I admit, I was spoiled. I grew up next to an amusement park complete with an amazing swimming pool. We had a mountain in our backyard, and we lacked the distractions of video games and personal computers.

I guess the picture made me and others think of what life was like as a kid. I'll put up my childhood with anyone's. As long as my bicycle had air in the tires, I was mobile. I could ride with my friends, go to the pool, or even bike to the next town over. 

No, we didn't have huge inflatables where you could climb higher than the roof of your house, but we had a lot of fun. Maybe I was born in the wrong century, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.

So, What Do You'All Think Of Popeyes...?

 Yesterday, coming home from a day with family, we were tired and hungry...usually not a good combination. "Where do you feel like eating?" we asked the boys as we left the canyon road and hit the interstate.

"What's around?"

Good question.

There were the usual fast food joints and we rattled them off. I knew I was hungry and I could have eaten at any of them, but nothing sounded good. We just knew we needed to get food before we got home. I took from the lack of responses from those in the van felt the same way I did...nothing sounded good. Then, from the van's third row, our youngest asked...

"What about Popeyes?"

Both my wife and I said that sounded great. Turns out we were only about twenty miles from the nearest Popeyes. We stopped, got dinner, then headed back home.

While my wife and I waited for the food, I said to her that I wished our small little community had a Popeyes. We love their food, but I don't know how much we'd eat there...we no longer really eat out on a regular basis. Still, like last night, I'd be great to have the option.

Bombs Bursting In Air...

 We spent the day away from home, at the home of friends. It took a three-hour drive to get there, and just as long to get home. As I write this post, bombs--albeit small ones--are literally bursting in air all around us. 

Our neighbors spent good money on pyrotechnics this year.

Fireworks represent celebration the world over. When I lived in Denmark they fired off the noise makers to ring in the new year. But to me, fireworks will always represent America...strange, considering the USA didn't invent fireworks.

When I see them, hear them, even smell the sulfur, memories of days off, cookouts, and sitting in our front yard anxiously awaiting a fireworks display from Lagoon Amusement Park come to mind. I miss those Lagoon fireworks. Back then, their displays were not stellar, but Lagoon had the best show in town.

It's later...most of the arial bombs have exploded. Tomorrow night, there'll be more possibly, then in a couple of weeks, the cycle begins anew as our state--and not our country--celebrates its existence.

More bombs bursting...

More America.

I love it.

Patriotism On Display...

 Sure, they're cute and fun. My son and I were car shopping and we turned on a street in Farr West, Utah, and saw patriotism on display. Other homes on the same street were decked out in Independence Day colors, but the corner house did it best.

It wasn't that long ago that blow-up displays put a person back a pretty penny. I don't know how much they cost back them--mostly because it didn't matter to us. We didn't really have a pretty penny to spend. Also, I remember them being much bigger.

 But, because we live in the greatest country on earth, those displays have become more affordable and more varied. You can get displays for any holiday. The other day my wife and I were in Hobby Lobby and I saw a couple of small displays for under $50. 

We passed.

My wife said we might not be able to keep them in our yard due to the winds.

I agreed.

Still, they are a lot of fun. It's a great way to show your holiday spirit, no matter the holiday. I just hope it's not that windy in Farr West.

Maybe It's Time For This Horde...

 I heard the grasshoppers were going to be bad this year. Since we live on a hill and behind our subdivision, there's nature for miles and miles, I suspected there would be a lot of grasshoppers out there.

I was right, and not so right.

Our house is surrounded by other houses. We've lived in homes where that's not the case. Growing up, we lived at the end of a street and on two sides of our house, was mountain. It was fun trying to keep the mountain weeds at bay. 

It was also fun trying to keep the bugs, the snakes, the raccoons, and any other mountain animal/bug at bay. 

This summer, we've seen some grasshoppers in our yard. They haven't been too bad. We've had some plants eaten, but other plants haven't been touched. Maybe they are out there, but it's not something we think about when we go outside.

Just a road away, homes have a street in front and a mountain behind. I've driven on that road and you can see many grasshoppers on the road, on the sidewalks, on the driveways. They jump up and fly both to and away from the car as I drive down the road. If I lived on that road, I'd be thinking differently about the horde of locusts (grasshoppers...) than I do now.

I guess it's all a matter of perspective...

And location.

Out With The Old, In With The New...Journal #77

 I caught the journaling bug years ago...well, decades ago, really. It's something I do, something that takes me only a few minutes a day. I used to write in a journal until all the pages were filled, but I decided to use one journal for every six months, two journals a year.

I've used that system for a long time.

Yesterday I finished up Journal #76. Today, I begin Journal #77. If I've written two journals a year, you can do the math to see just how long I've been writing in these things.

When I started, I could go to our local religious bookstore and pick up both the binders and filler pages. As fewer and fewer people kept journals, they discontinued the binders, but they still sold the filler pages. Now, they don't even do that. I had to call the company and order filler pages over the phone the last time I needed replacements. I remember having a conversation with the woman on the phone who said there will come a time when the company will no longer carry the fillers.

I don't exactly know what I'm going to do when I finally run out of pages. I think I'll print my own pages, cut them, and punch holes in them.

Thankfully, I don't have to worry about that for a little while.

Yes, it's a changing of the journal guard. Bring on 2024--the second half! Who knows what interesting things will be taking place.