Take That You Whippersnappers

Have some kids, raise a family, have a couple of different careers, have a grandson...

and then...

get a college degree!

That's what I'm talkin' about!

Backstage Madness

So, you've always kind of wondered, "What is it really like to be backstage at some big concert just before they take the stage?"

Well, here is an actual (unretouched) photo of Jon Troast about to take the stage May14 during his famous "Hundred Dollar Living Room Tour" in Phoenix Arizona.

Now, of course, the living room was in my brothers house...and the backstage was the kitchen; but it really was part of the tour and it really was a concert. Jon even had an opening act. Molly played for about half an hour first.

All in all, what a great night of live music.

So are the "Days of our Lives"

Six of us went camping last weekend up in Sedona.

As is frequently the case when one finds oneself in the backcountry, you are forced to improvise for common necessities. It was no different for us.

Saturday evening we discovered that we had neglected to include a vital item in our gear.

In order to play the game of our choice around the campfire, we needed a one minute timer.

Not to be deterred, we quickly set upon a method to construct an operational timer from common household items (available at our campsite).

By simply poking two small holes in the soda bottle, one in the cap and one in the bottom for the air to escape, filling it with a predetermined amount of water, then inverting it onto the wide mouth bottle, we could watch the water drain like sands through the proverbial hourglass.

After a few minutes of moderate success with this contraption (It was challenging to manage a bottle of water with holes in both ends), we came to our senses and opted to use the stopwatch on Kelly's cell phone.

The Will - The Way

The other day, I watched these guys struggling to load this big iron thing into that mini-pickup. They couldn't lift it...I could tell it must have been very heavy. Finally, they got one end up on the tailgate, then tried to back the truck up. It just dug in and spun in the gravel.

Watching them, I have to admit that I thought there was no way they would get that thing into that truck.

They were determined (and relatively unconcerned about incidental damage to the truck)

After they succeeded in getting it into the back of the truck, it was too long to balance there, so these two sizable fellows stood on the front of it to keep it from falling out.

I have no idea where they were headed or what they wanted it for...

but I'm pretty sure they stole it.

Hummingburger? (not really)

So...what do a hamburger and a black-chinned hummingbird have in common?

Well, tonight after work, I went into my brother's back yard and fired up his grill. Then I took one of his hamburgers and threw it on the grill for myself.

As I stood there, patiently waiting for my sizzling meat, I noticed a hummingbird fly right toward me. It hovered for a moment, just a few feet away, then took off into a tree. While watching it in the tree, I saw about three more hummingbirds flying around in the same tree.

The meat was good (to eat)

The birds were good (to see)

That's my Arizona wildlife update for today.

Hope you enjoyed it.

Decade Autoportrait

My brother, out here in Arizona, has a freight forwarding business. That means he arranges for the transportation and shipping of all kinds of things - all over the world. sometimes it's plywood, or it might be furniture, granite, airplanes or jewelry. Today he was shipping a painting for someone from here to Christies in London. Apparently, it has a value of around $800,000.

Ok. That made me curious. I looked at the manifest to see the artist and the name of the painting.

The artist is Robert Indiana. The painting is entitled "Decade Autoportrait"

I consider myself generally capable of appreciating art. I guess I was hoping for a little more stimulation. Robert Indiana was born in 1928. He is still alive at 80. He was born as Robert Clark in New Castle, Indiana. Changing his name from Robert Clark to Robert Indiana (from Indiana) doesn't seem to require much imagination. I don't know why I should expect anything more from his paintings.

Prime the Pump

Saturday, I decided to take a motorcycle ride up to the top of South Mountain. It's about a 6 mile winding road up to the top. The temperature was around 90 degrees. I passed several people riding bicycles up to the summit.

Something that impressed me was what you see in this photo. At several points along the road up I spotted a collection of various beverages like water, Gatorade, etc. Also, some snacks like pretzels and power bars. Sometimes, they were sitting on a ledge, or sometimes, they were hanging in a bag tied to a road sign. Anyway, I realized these impromptu refreshment stops had been placed as a consideration for the bicyclists.

I was reminded of the old story about a well in the middle of the desert. As the only source of water for days of travel across the desert, it was absolutely essential for the wild west cowboy to locate this well to refill his water supply. Upon finally locating the well, he discovers a pump and a note. The note reads, " 20 paces to the west you will find a canteen full of water buried under a rock. Use this water to prime the pump and you will be able to get as much water as you need. Before you leave, refill the canteen and replace it under the same rock. If you drink the water from the canteen, the next traveller will die."

There is something quietly encouraging about people doing something to care for others they may never meet.