The Big Ride...

Like most dogs, D. Daphne loves to hear the word "ride". She may be having second thoughts in the future though. Her normal "ride" is to the store or post office so she couldn't quite comprehend how a "ride" turned into a 900 mile trek where she slept in various locales without coming home. But she did well and had some grand times having never seen mountains, streams and cows and horses up close. All in all Daphne's big adventure...

Be back soon....

Streams will be closed temporarily...we've gone to New Mexico. Be back shortly. Please come again...!

Mississippi Kites.....

If you've never seen a Mississippi Kite in action....come to the 1400-1600 blocks of Country Club, Bedford and Harvard. I counted at least 14 birds hovering and hunting this morning, they've been here most of the week; mornings and evenings are best for viewing. Thought not rare, they are not too common in the US and to see this many in one spot is an experience. Kites are falcon-like hawks that eat mainly insects, but with 14 overhead they are causing quite a stir among the dove population. They're pretty amazing as they hang in the air then fold their winds back and dive bomb insects at 6000 mph...or somewhere thereabouts. They've also been known to dive bomb golfers at Midland Country Club who get too close to their nests...

The Night Sky..

I have just returned from the semi-darkness of the Sibley Center grounds where we went to watch one of those events in the night sky that is not all that spectacular unless you consider what you are seeing, then it becomes pretty amazing.

At 10:04 pm, both the International Space Station and the Space Shuttle were in view as they sped over West Texas. Not only in view but one [the shuttle] pretty much right behind the other [the space station]. Flying in tandem at around 18,000 mph they were only clearly visible for less than a minute. It is, I suppose, rather natural, but still sad that so much of the population has become so blase about the thought of two huge man made objects flying together at 18,000 mph in space.

In 1996, courtesy of my brother at NASA, I had the opportunity to be in the VIP seating area, three miles from the launch pad, for a night time space shuttle launch. I think truly the most amazing, spectacular and awe inspiring thing I've ever seen in my life. I try not to get too blase after that. Sometime soon I'll describe what it's like seeing an object the size of an office building go from zero to 6000 mph in one minute....

Meet the Dawgs....

A large crowd of media, family and fans was on hand on a beautiful night to meet the 2007 Dawgs!

My, how things change...

Cody Parker is one of the players on the MHS Bulldog football team who is expected to make a difference this year. Cody is a nice kid. A big one too, to be that athletic.

I had a nice talk with Cody's mom tonight at the first Bulldog Booster meeting. She's very nice also, a teacher. Although I've seen Cody at the first practices, I still asked Mrs. Parker how her son was doing.

"Well", she said, "he gained some weight over the summer but he's lost 25 pounds, he's back down to 317 pounds". Down to 317......Lordy!

Man that's a big kid! In my ancient days, we had one kid on our football team who weighed over 200 pounds and he struck fear into opposing teams. Luckily for the Dawgs, Cody is not the only one breaking the 300 pound mark....by my count with have 3 more!

Fooootball

Fooootball season.......is here again.

August 11th...

Today is my Dad's birthday, the first since he's been gone. He would have been 84 years old. It's a strange feeling knowing that this is a special day, but that the special person is no longer here. It's best to try and remember loved ones as they were at their best. My Dad loved Golf, Football and Tennis.

Shangri La update...

I haven't mentioned it of late, but I've still been working on my proposed trip to Afghanistan I mean Shangri La. And this week I got the go ahead to represent a local TV station; sending images, stories and perhaps some videos back as an embed.

Obviously, there is much to be done yet in order to make the trip come to fruition, like waiting the long wait for a passsport these days, but the press credentials were the first big hurdle passed. My contact in Bagram says that if I wait much longer I'd better repack my vacation luggage, switching from shorts and luau shirts to wool pants and parkas, from golf clubs to skis. It, apparently, gets quite cold where I would be going.

Erroneous Reports...

It's a horrible and powerless feeling when you get an email from two great old friends who are touring Germany telling you that they've heard that another great old friend has died.

It's a really great feeling when you finally get an email from the supposed deceased, telllng you that he is still quite alive. A bad three days until that happened though....

I owe my Mother....

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE.
"If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."
2. My mother taught me RELIGION.
"You better pray that will come out of the carpet."
3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL.
"If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"
4. My mother taught me LOGIC.
"Because I said so, that's why."
5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC.
"If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."
6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT.
"Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."
7. My mother taught me IRONY.
"Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."
8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS.
"Shut your mouth and eat your supper."
9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM.
"Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!"
10. My mother taught me about STAMINA.
"You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."
11. My mother taught me about WEATHER.
"This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."
12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY.
"If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!"
13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE.
"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."
14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION.
"Stop acting like your father!"
15. My mother taught me about ENVY.
"There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do."
16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION.
"Just wait until we get home."
17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING.
"You are going to get it when you get home!"
18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE.
"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to get stuck that way."
19. My mother taught me ESP.
"Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?"
20. My mother taught me HUMOR
"When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."
21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT.
"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."
22. My mother taught me GENETICS.
"You're just like your father."
23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS.
"Shut that door, you'd think that you were born in a barn"
24. My mother taught me WISDOM.
"When you get to be my age, you'll understand."

And my Dad taught me about medical science! Whenever I would whine about some small thing he would always say....
"That dripping you hear is my heart bleeding for you".

Knowing my Dad would be laughing, I brought this point up in the eulogy I delivered at his funeral.

Drainage: it never rains here....

Why spend money on basic drainage systems....it never rains enough here to warrant the expense. I suspect that these people, like me, disagree.

A word of thanks......