Lost Boys...Seven Years Ago

 Facebook has a function where it shows you something you posted in the past. It highlights a memory from the day in history...your history, as chronicled by Facebook. This morning the above picture showed up as my memory.

They say a picture's worth a thousand words...

But, how many memories is it worth?

I loved this picture when I took it, and I love it still today. On this day in 2014 I was part of a community theater production of Peter Pan. I was a pirate--it's fun being a pirate. I worked with a tremendous team, from the director to the stage crew to the theater staff. Wonderful people.

Then there were the lost boys. 

If you've ever done a show with kids, you know it's a challenge. If you have a couple of kids in a show with adults, they usually do well. Maybe it has something to do with trying to impress the adults. I don't know. But when you get a gaggle of kids in a show, they do what groups of kids tend to do...

They act like kids.

Now, I don't want to give you the wrong impression--these kids were great to work with and did a fantastic job onstage and off. They were just loud and fun and enjoying their experience. For me, the photo caught their spirit, their joy, their wonder.

It's been seven years. I can't remember one of their names, but I've kept in touch with many of their parents (some were in the show...). They're no longer children, hopefully no longer "lost." They do what Peter Pan couldn't--or wouldn't--do...they're growing up. For me, the past seven years have come and gone with much of my life feeling the same. 

For them...it's a lifetime.

I hope our lost boys are still loud (within reason...), and joyful, and full of wonder. I hope they're above all happy, they way they used to be.

A Quick Hike On The Hill...

 In my need to do more neighborhood investigating, I decided to take a short hike on the hill behind our house. 

Funny...

I've lived on the side of a hill most of my life. For fifty years, we had access to basically a mountain. As a kid, I ran all over that mountain. As an older than middle-age man, I spent very little time on that mountain, a mountain with trails people came from miles around to hike.

Now, we live on what you'd most likely call a "hill" and I don't think anyone comes from miles around to check it out.

Doesn't mean it's not pretty, just in a different way.

I snapped some pictures of the hill, the view, and signs I saw as I meandered. I did not take a picture of the deer leg that was lying on the ground--thought about it, though.

So, it's not Davis County, and that's okay. It's still amazing.

Beans...And Kale

 It's been a long time since we've had a proper garden, if ever. Sure, in the past we planted tomato plants sometimes and sometimes they produced. We stopped planting them because they didn't really do well. A few times we planted zucchinis and we stopped planting them, too, but for the opposite reason--they grew too well.

Ours is not a huge garden. That's been okay for us. After putting in the yard we were too tired to put in a garden of any kind, thinking we we'd plant one next year. But, because of the goodness of others, we began our gardening career at the new house a year ahead of schedule.

Thanks to drip-line watering, the little garden has flourished. The tomato plants are huge and other things are coming along.

Like the beans and kale.

There's been no beans on the bean plants and let's just say, we're not the biggest of kale eaters. As a result, the kale is growing out of control.

Even if we don't eat it, it's a beautiful shade of green.

As with anything, we'll take our new-found knowledge of gardening into next year. Hopefully, we'll expand and grow even more yummy things. I'm not sure if we'll have both beans and kale, but maybe we will. Time will tell, of course.

Scenes From A Fair...

This past weekend we experienced the Box Elder Count Fair for the first time.

We'd heard about the fair--we missed it last year--so we made it a point to attend this year. We live in an area where the fair is important, it serves a purpose for so many. It's always fun to people watch. At the fair we could also animal watch. 

Here's just a slice of what we saw. Of course, there was SO much more that I didn't capture or include here. We were sad we missed it last year. We're glad we attended this year, and we're going to make sure we return next year. It was great.

 

Whoo! It's Going To Be A Lot Of Shows

 My friend and co-worker posted this season's schedule.

Boy--that's a lot of shows, I thought.

It's been almost two years since Professor Black gathered some "friends" together in his parlor. Maybe we did that many shows in the past. I do know that we many times did more shows than were scheduled. It made for long shifts.

But...

The fun we had doing those shows more than made up for the extra time we put in.

Last year, Seance was tabled...another casualty of covid. With so many unknowns, I can understand them not wanting to take a chance on the show. It made sense--we cram as many people in that small room as possible. "The more the merrier," Professor Black would say, or might say, or it sounds like something he'd say. 

That was last year.

2021 is another story.

If you're planning on attending Frightmares at Lagoon this fall, please check out Seance. You have to buy tickets at the venue--it's not included in your pass. And get your tickets as soon as you hit the park. Many times we sell out all shows within an hour (or sooner...) of the park opening. And if you do go, stop by. I'll be the one sharply dressed outside, and if I'm not there, just wait--I'll be outside soon enough.

Whoo! It's going to be lot of shows...

And we wouldn't want it any other way.

Give Thanks...Taylor Hoover

 I have no words that give justice to what others do--what others give--for strangers. Today, the body of a US Marine returned to American soil. He was one of many Americans and scores of Afghanis who died from a bombing attack halfway around the world.

His name is Taylor Hoover.

Tonight, I'm grateful to him and so many others risking--and giving--their lives so I can sit in my living room on a beautiful summer evening and, inadequately, honor his memory.

I ever meet Taylor--I know nothing about him, but he was from Utah...breathed the same air I did. A local news station reported about him in a link you can access by clicking: HERE. He played football at Hillcrest High. I understand he was to be married after his tour of duty in Afghanistan ended, plus so much more.

My father and six of his brothers served in WWII and the armed services. All my life, the life I could comprehend, I've been safe, safe from the hell others are living now. I've lived that life not understanding even though I come from a military family. It never hit home.  

It's been a terrible week for so many. I pray the nightmare ends soon. 

Welcome Back...My Good Friend

 It's back...

Whether I'm ready for it or not.

Can't stop it, even though a worldwide pandemic tried.

The 2021/2022 College Football Season has begun.

Oh...now the ecstasy/agony begins.

I go through the same thing year after year. I wait and wait--in many ways August is the LONGEST month of the year for me...as a kid it was December, but as an adult, it's August. 

One thing I try to not do every year and I end up doing every year is believe the hype. It generates clicks and I suppose sells newspapers (or used to...). Fans love to read about/hear about/talk about pre-season college football and I guess I'm one of them. It was worse for me, though. I used to listen to sports radio hours upon hours on end. I've stopped doing that. I found that most of the time, they talk on and on and on and on about stuff that they either get completely wrong or they're just trying to stir a hornet's nest.

Right now, Southern Utah is getting run off the field by San Jose State but I don't care. It's college football and it's here. Next week, more local Utah teams play. Let's hope they do better than the southern-most team in the state in their openers.

It's back...

Whether I'm ready for it or not.