Monster House Lives!!!

note: click the pictures to see more detail

Every year about this time Monster House rises from the depths.

(The most viewed entry of all time on my blog is last year's picture of Monster House.)

What good is Halloween without real spider webs adorning your house (inside and out.) I love to see the perfection (and the unique, custom imperfections) in a carefully spun web--the details are fascinating to me.

Nothing says, "Where's the fresh Hot Apple-Cinnamon Cider" better than the warm glow a Jack=o=lantern on a crisp, see-your-breath, fall night with leaves crunching under your feet.



Spring and Fall are my favorite times of the year: bright new colors spring-up all over the place!


You can't have fall without Candy Corn made with sweet honey!

Preparedness: A S.T.E.P. In the Right Direction

Emergency Preparedness has been close to the forefront on my mind over the past few years--mainly a nagging reminder that I still have stuff to do for the eight of us to be self-reliant and prepared in an Emergency.

Sure, we hear about all the natural disasters that are happening everywhere but 'here:' Tsunamis, Earthquakes, extreme winters, hurricanes, wild fires, mudslides, etc. But my family, personally, has had enough experiences locally on the Oregon Coast (tsunami warnings, major wind storms that wiped out power and communications, unemployment) to keep us reminded that things could get worse at our house too.

Emergencies are not limited to major natural disasters either--it could be unemployment, economic struggle, or house fire, or other accident.

Many resources are available to help you move in the direction of self-reliance and preparedness: 72-hour kits, food/water storage, financial advice, etc. Community Organizations (such as the Red Cross) and local/national governmental agencies (FEMA and NOAA for example) are also a good resources for disaster preparedness information.

Some simple governmental resources I utilize frequently is the Tsunami Watcher email list from NOAA that sends me an email whenever there is an earthquake that could cause worry for an Tsunami; and the Earthquake Email Notification from http://www.usgs.gov/ that sends me an email about earthquakes that fit the parameters I selected. You would be amazed at how many emails I get from these two notification sources. Of course NOAA also gives reliable weather details and storm warnings on their site...for hurricanes as well.

One resource I'm looking forward to is an Emergency Preparedness Workshop sponsored by Warrenton S.T.E.P. (Storm, Tsunami, & Emergency Preparedness.) It looks like they are bringing in several local professionals to give presentations on different aspects of emergency preparedness. Plus it sounds like it will be interactive enough where the community will be able to share good ideas with each other. Since the best truth comes from the source, please check out the official information: http://wstep.blogspot.com/

My Son And The Jazz Ambassadors

My oldest son developed a love for good quality jazz and orchestra music from an early age...I don't know if that stems from listening to Manhattan Transfer frequently while he was still in the womb, if its hereditary to like good music, or what.

A few days ago he got excited about a FREE! concert his band teacher told him about. Not just any band, but a jazz band--he really likes jazz. Not just any jazz band, but the professional US Army Jazz Ambassadors.

I've always wanted to take my oldest to a live orchestra or other live musical performance, so I got excited to...and my wife, knowing how much I love live music, let me take him even though she wanted to go too!

So last night, with my son practically dragging me out the door with anticipation, we drove to Astoria's Liberty theater. We had to park a few blocks away to find a place to park, even in our small town, and followed several people into the theater.

Most of the audience was a few generations older than myself, which made the experience extra special. Perhaps its the love I have for my late grandparents who were of the same generation. Perhaps its a respect for the history, culture, ethics, and experiences their generation laid as a foundation for future generations . I think its both. Big Band Jazz is the iconic musical representation of their generation.

Not only was the room filled with a generation I respect tremendously, it was also filled with veterans from all branches of the military representing service during World War II to the present. I was surprised and extra touched by how many veterans there were from World War II. I have a lot of respect for soldiers' and veterans' willingness to sacrifice themselves to protect the rest of us and our freedoms. Those who join the military surely realize the risks--and knowing the risks have decided for themselves from the beginning that they would willingly sacrifice their own lives to protect us, our Country, and our freedoms. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. " John 15:13.

I don't know if my son realized the significance of being in the presence of such great people, but I'm sure it left an impression on him that he will never forget--and that will make more sense to him as he gets older. Especially with the respect the band gave the veterans. From everyone singing Happy Birthday to the WWII veteran turning 89 to the active duty Coast Guard presenting the colors to the band's Armed Forces Salute where they played the song for each branch of the military as audience members all around us stood up when their song played. As they stood, the Director respectfully saluted them. All of the veterans deserved the attention and respect they recieved at that concert.

Musically it was a great show. I've heard high school jazz bands and recordings of more professional Jazz Bands, but nothing beats the live experience. I love the professionalism, the stretching the limits of their talents in their solos, feeling the power of the dynamics characteristic of Big Band Jazz , being stimulated by the syncopation and creative rhythms, and soaking in the energy the music and musicians generated. I think it was inspiring for my son as well to feel the power that only live music can provide. I hope it motivates him to continue to enjoy developing his musical skills...to have a standard to work toward.

The other thing that made it special was having the one-on-one time with my son--enjoying an experience that was special and exciting to him. It's a memory we will share together for the rest of our eternal lives. We may not remember the details of what transpired, but we will remember how it made us feel and the things we learned from the whole engulfing experience.

It was a great experience spending time with my son, my most respected generation, the protectors of my liberty, and the US Army's Jazz Band that brought us all together.

Prayerful Study

A few recent Photography Experiments:

Prayerful Study

I like the details and personal symbolism in this still. A few candles, glow from the computer monitor and a 20-second shutter w/ no flash on a tripod.

First Frost Mountain Range

I didn't appreciate trying to scrape this off the windshield, but its delicate textures made taking a picture irresistable.

My Favorite Girl

Hiring A President

Through the hiring process, great care is made to select the best person possible for the job. The right person on the job makes operations run smoothly and efficiently with positive outcomes. The wrong person on the job disrupts progress, requires excess productivity maintenance; and often getting rid of the wrong person is very difficult.

Hiring the best person possible is important for any job and certainly true for the President of the United States of America. The person we hire to lead the Government's Executive Branch, represents the people of the United States for four years. Here are some steps to help choose the best person possible for the job:

1. Know The Job. How can we hire correctly for a position we know little about. Even if I am familiar with a position, I like to review the job requirements--especially from official sources:

The President is the Head of the Executive Branch and generally viewed as the head of the U.S. Government. While he does have significant power, his power is limited by the Constitution. Specifically, the Constitution assigns the following powers to the President:

• Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces


• Make treaties, with two-thirds consent of the Senate


• Receive ambassadors and other public ministers from foreign countries


• Appoint ambassadors, Supreme Court justices, federal judges, and any officials as provided for by the Congress, with the approval of the Senate


• Give an annual State of the Union Address to Congress


• Recommend legislation to Congress


• Convene Congress on extraordinary occasions


• Adjourn Congress, in cases of a disagreement about adjournment


• "Take care that the laws be faithfully executed"


• Fill in administrative vacancies during Congressional recesses


• Grant reprieves and pardons for offences against the U.S.

Vice President: President of the Senate and becomes President if the President is unable to serve.

2. Identify Values. In addition to reviewing the skills and experience required for the job, it is important to identify the values and characteristics you want in the person you hire for the position. Sometimes a person may have a resume full of experience and skills, but has values inconsistent with your philosophies, or character conflicting with the image you strive to uphold, or characteristics that don't quite fit the position. Examples of Values: honesty, hard-working, cooperative, consistent, humble, bold, good listener, decisive, self-initiative, teachable, good judgement, self-discipline, creative, persistent, respectful, wise, non-confrontational, follows-through, aggressive, willing to uphold change, compassionate, etc.....

3. Review Resumes and References. Candidates interested in the job generally provide an application, resume, and cover letter in their best attempt to persuasively attract you to their experience, skills, and values. You then separate the individuals you would like to interview. Things are more complicated in the Presidential hiring process, members of political parties tend to do the sorting to determine who the general public will 'interview'. However, the general public still prompts the Electoral College, so it is important to review the candidates Resumes. You can look at the Candidates' experience in Congress: Congressional Record, Senate, House of Representatives. You can also look at the Candidate's Official State Websites. Of course there are always the candidates' official websites:

• http://www.baldwin2008.com/


• http://www.bobbarr2008.com/


• http://www.johnmccain.com/


• http://votetruth08.com/


• http://www.votenader.org/


• http://www.barackobama.com/

There are several third-party websites designed to help the public research and compare candidates and their views:

• http://www.votesmart.org/index.htm


• http://www.ontheissues.org/default.htm

Other sites help clear-up false information:

• http://www.factcheck.org/


• http://www.snopes.com/

4. The Interview. The interview gives you the opportunity to gather a lot of verbal and non-verbal information about the candidate to help with your decision. You can see how they react and respond to questions. You can see how they process information and draw conclusions. You can see how they interact with others and portray themselves. You can find out how they would handle specific scenarios. The challenge with the Presidential interviews is that it's usually other people interviewing and asking the questions, but we still have a chance to see how they react and answer the questions. The other challenge is when more than one candidate interviews at the same time--mentally navigating debates is a challenge because the candidates often try to answer on behalf of their opponent. However, the debates do give us an opportunity to see how the candidates handle pressure and challenges to their ideology.

5. Make Your Decision. After reviewing and analyzing the information you gathered throughout the hiring process, you are ready to make your decision. You then extend your offer to the candidate. Please research well and submit your ballot on time because, although the hiring panel consists of many individuals, your voice is an important part of the decision-making process.

6. Support the New Hire. When the new person is hired and starts the job, its important to respect the decision of the panel and to support the new employee in their role and give them the opportunity to magnify their position. Give them the opportunity to be successful. That doesn't mean they can get away with whatever they want...they are still accountable to their employer. Sometimes they need coaching and correction and sometimes disciplinary action may be necessary.

That's not so simple in the Presidential Elections. We may disagree with the President, we may disagree with the results of the 'hiring panel'. However, we respect the process and the structure of the government which was established by inspired men. We can support the President of the United States and encourage him/her to represent us well. If the President requires coaching or correction or discipline, the governmental structure provides for those checks and balances through Congress and the Judicial System. We, too, as a people, can offer guidance to the President by hiring good Senators and Representatives and communicating our concerns to them and encouraging them to support the good things and challenge the questionable things the President does. Through our voice to our governmental representatives in congress we can promote coaching and correction and sometimes discipline of our newly hired President.

Ultimately, we are blessed to live in this country with the government we have. Although it's easy to find faults with decisions people and groups make, we are blessed with the freedom to express differences with the government. And we do have a voice in how our government behaves. The challenge to us is to do our part, respectfully, to voice our desires in the appropriate manner--realizing that we as individuals and governmental officials are not perfect, but together as a body of citizens, we are strong and can watch out for each other and confront challenges together.

At Home w/ Presidential Debates

I don't consider myself politically savvy in anyway, but I think its important to make good decisions when it comes to hiring the person who will lead the country over the next four years.

I enjoy watching the Presidential debates in an attempt to learn the truth about the candidates' character, positions on issues, and potential as President of the United States. The problem with debates is that you have to do a lot of mental sorting to try to figure what information is true, mostly true, exaggerated, or simply not true.

But not to worry, sorting through the debates feels like home--thanks to my children. Granted Presidential debates are conducted by professionals, but the base techniques are the same. After all adults are just little kids in bigger bodies and social networks:

1. Explain what your opponent did first. This is a classic technique often used to procrastinate your own answer. With a brother (K) crying in the distant background, we ask our obvious suspect (T), "What did you do to your brother?" T's Answer: "K wouldn't share his Lego's." We remind him of the question, "I didn't ask what he did, I asked what you did." "But K wasn't sharing."

2. "I didn't do that!" or "I didn't say that!" This technique is the hardest to not reciprocate. T runs to us in a panic: "J's going to kill me!" J: "No I'm not! I said I was mad at you!" T: "But you tried to kill me!" J: "I did not,...Idiot!" T: "I'm not an idiot, ...Stupid! Infinity and one, no tag backs."

3. Name Calling (aka: 'mud slinging'). Politicians are careful enough not to do primitive name calling directly, but they do use subtle phrases such as, "naive," "he doesn't understand," or "he's clearly ____," or "..we all know the sequel is worse than the first movie," "big boys," etc. Political ads do this freely--I guess because its not the candidate saying it directly.

4. Almost True. This is one of the harder techniques to discern because we don't always have all the source information available. That's where research sites such as http://www.factcheck.org/ or http://www.snopes.com/ becomes a valuable resource. Mom (knowing the answer): "Are you dressed and ready to go? C (hopping up and down, half paying attention): "Yes." Mom: "Are those the same clothes you wore yesterday?" C: "No, I changed my pants." Mom: "Will you please go change your shirt?"

5. The Truth. This is what I look for and believe it or not politicians sometimes use this technique. I wish politicians spent less time talking about what their opponent does/doesn't do because it takes away from telling what they themselves are going to do. How can you make a good judgement based on things 'enemies' say about each other. Give me the truth from the horses mouth, please. Back to the example in #1: "I didn't ask what he did, I asked what you did."

Thanks to the practice my kids give me, its a little bit easier to sort through these Presidential Debates.

Apologies to My Three Readers

Today, I wanted to take you down a path to see an update of the 'Wildlife of Moss-Grove.' This is a path we use to document the different personalities of the crazy wildlife that hangs around here. Since pretty much all of you who read this blog also read that blog anyway, I apologize for the repeat.

1. This spring we had a fresh new addition to Moss-Grove. Here are some recent pictures.

2. This is a video of some interesting interaction with one of the more lively 'critters' in Moss-Grove.

Late Summer Photos

Here are some photos we took recently at Netul Landing (Lewis and Clark National Historic Park.) OK, so I threw in some from other locations too (Fort Steven's State Park--various sites.)

I just thought they turned out kind of cool.

A black Dragonfly in a sea of green

Another Dragonfly disguised among ripening Blackberries.

A pair of Cattails contrasting against the sky reflected off of the Lewis and Clark River

A single clear cattail stands out from the Lewis and Clark River's chameleon backdrop.

A pelican grazes the surface of River-Ocean waves as it glides within inches of the water. Pelicans usually fly close to the water (literally inches,) single-file in small groups trailing each other up and down over incoming waves.

Sunset Silhouette @ Peter Iredale

Greatest Views Come With Highest Risks

At church today, one of the lessons was a discussion about safe use of communication technology such as Internet, cell phones, and all its uses--especially how it influences our youth.

Just like some of the most beautiful scenes in the world are only found at the risk of harm or death for those unprepared and careless, technology can connect us with so many wonderful people and life-improving information at the risk of destructive and even life-threatening consequences if not used wisely and cautiously.

We recently watched the Caves episode from the BBC Nature Series: Planet Earth. Incredible footage of things very few people ever see.

Lechuguilla cave scenic © Gavin Newman

The Lechuguilla Cave in New Mexico was uncovered just over 20 years ago and has incredible, white sulfuric acid-created gypsum crystal formations untouched for thousands of years. Its so precious that you need special government permission to even enter the caves--it took BBC two years to finally get permission to film the cave.

The picture above was taken in the Chandelier Room, so named for the giant crystal formations hanging from the ceiling. To get to this incredible site, more than a mile inside the mere 101 miles of cave explored so far, the first thing you do is climb down 118 feet almost vertical. Then in the pitch black, silence you climb up and down piles of rock from ceiling collapses and occasionally pass through tight crawl-only passages.

The crew from BBC who filmed the cave, dragged their heavy film equipment through the pitch black cave for 10 days of filming. Can you imagine the food, water, lights, batteries, safety equipment and other things they had to be prepared with? If they weren't well-prepared and careful through their journey we wouldn't have that beautiful witness on the TV screen.

Technology gives us access to sites, sounds and information beyond imagination. Its how the common person can see unimaginable details of galaxies, planets, comets and stars. Its how we can instantly talk with a friend on the other side of the planet. It's how the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ can bring hope, joy, and love to almost every truth-seeker on the Earth.

However, technology can also be a tool destructive to ourselves, others and society if misused. Addictive, family-destroying pornography is a click away even with the most thorough of parent controls and protective software. Text messaging and social network sites such as MySpace are used by the common high school student to socially assault others or to buy and sell drugs. Locally, the use of text messaging alerted a High School principal of the significant problem of students abusing prescription drugs. Technology is even used by predatory people to find and harm innocent victims.

So what do we do to help ourselves and our children wisely and carefully navigate these treacherous caves of technology so we can safely be magnified and uplifted by the good things that can come from the proper use of technology?

1. Create a Safe, Open Environment.

• Utilize Parental Controls and other technology-based protection: In order for people to get trapped into doing something bad, they have to be exposed to it. Technology-based protection isn't fool-proof, but it prevents a lot of accidental exposure.
• Be aware of what your children are doing: When people do things they know are wrong, secrecy empowers them to continue digging deeper into trouble. Know what your children are doing and what their friends are doing. Look at you're child's MySpace page, the cell phone bill, the Internet history. Put the computer in an open area--provide every environment and opportunity to prevent secrecy from enabling him/her to act on temptation.
• Limit personal information: Avoid providing personal information to the world. Any specific identifying information available on the web can be used by someone with malicious intent to physically locate an individual. Recently a blogger posted an innocent picture of themselves on a public blog which was picked up by a less-than-innocent forum group. Even after making the blog private, the forum was still able to locate cached pictures, and even download the picture from the picture storage site Blogger uses. Posts on the forum from people working together to find the picture again hinted of recognizing that their pursuit of the picture was not appreciated and hoped 'no one catches on.' You often hear of predators stalking individuals because they put too much detailed information on their blog, chat room, or MySpace. Its easy to put pieces together when you are talking about your High School or the store you went to across the street from your house that is unique only to your town, etc.

2. Educate yourself and your children. We can't always be there with our children and no technology-based safeguards are 100% effective, so if we can empower our children with the knowledge they need to make their own good decisions they can choose for themselves to avoid dangers.

• www.netsmartz.org This website was mentioned at the church meeting today. It gives a lot of information about Internet safety for all age groups. This would be a great activity to do together with your children.
• Let your children teach you. By the time I could type 'How R U?' in a text message, there are some youth who could have text messages the whole Lord of the Rings series to their friend. LOL (Laugh Out Loud.) Youth today know technology like the back of their hand.
• Let your children know your expectations. Help them know what to do.
• Be an example. Use the internet the way you want your children to use it. Children do what they see adults do, especially those they respect the most.

3. Develop a close relationship with your children. This is probably the most important. Generally speaking, if you are close with your children (especially starting young) you will trust them and they will trust you. Some youth may argue that all of these 'restrictions' prove that you don't trust them or 'its a violation of my privacy' for you to know what they are doing. But if you are able to maintain a good relationship with your children, they can know your intentions are based on your love for them. They can know you are only trying to protect them. And you will know the type of decisions they will make and you can be able to trust that they will be as faithful to you as you are to them. At least that's the type of relationship I hope I can develop with my children.

I'm sure there are other things that can be done to maximize our opportunity to have such wonderful technology tools at our disposal with out falling down paths of physical, emotional, social and spiritual danger. I try to be careful with my blog, but after today's education, there is still a lot more I can do to be extra safe--and certainly a lot more I can do to prepare my children for things they will face as they become older. You probably have some good ideas too...

sources: (click links)

Wildlife Photo Hunt

This summer, the eight of us travelled to far-off places to look at animals not native to our little northwest town.

So we packed up our tent and our clothes, loaded the kids in the van and started our journey. Granted the 73.6 mile trip to the Oregon Zoo, doesn't quite qualify as 'far-off places', but its a long-enough drive for me with the six kids.

Plus we didn't drive straight to the zoo, we actually spent three days playing with my wife's sister's family. The Oregon Zoo was our first full day on our vacation.

For all but two of our kids, its was the first remembered trip to the zoo. We bought an annual membership to the zoo to keep the memory alive with the opportunity for multiple visits throughout the year...(that and it was only a few dollars more than regular admission for the whole family.) Even the 'Plus' membership with added bonuses and guest admissions cost less than two visits for our family.

We saw lots of cool animals and even rode the zoo train!

Considering the crowd, we were pleased that we left with the same amount of kids as we brought...and the same kids we brought!

We did have a little scare, though, when our youngest son followed someone else and got himself lost. By the time we figured out he wasn't with my group, my wife's group or my wife's sister's group, I ended up back-tracking past the monkeys, the alligator, the meerkats, and the giraffes until I found a nice lady asking a little teary-eyed boy if he was lost.

Scared us to death, but other than that, we had a good time at the zoo and even caught pictures of the wildest of animals:

Hummingbird In Action

I've always been fascinated with Hummingbirds. I'm amazed at their ability to hover, their speed and their size. I'm in awe at how fast they can flap their wings.

On our vacation we had the opportunity to visit the Oregon Zoo. While we were there we saw a hummingbird in action and took advantage of a potential photo opportunity. Using the sports setting on our camera, we were impressed with how well the pictures turned out. (These pictures have been cropped and brightened up a little bit.)

Here is the hummingbird 'stopping' after zooming in at lightning speed. In my vast unlimited lack of knowledge about hummingbirds, my guess is that this is an "Anna's Hummingbird" (Calypte anna)--perhaps an adolescent, if not an adult female.

Here's a close-up of the same picture. I love the deployed landing gear. Hummingbirds' normal flight speed is 25 mph.

It's amazing how they can hover so still. Looking at slow motion video, they tilt their wings in a figure-eight pattern as if they are treading water. Hence the unique angle of the wings in this picture. I'm guessing this hummingbird flaps its wings around 50 wing beats per second.

I like this picture because it shows the fluorescent feathers on its back. I also like how you can see the feather's of the wings...they really are birds! The feather's are actually kind of transparent.

Here you can see its beak getting nectar from the flower.

You can get interesting hummingbird information on the web in addition to the links sited on this page (http://www.hummingbirds.net/.)

Panther Creek Falls, Washington State

I took a few days off work for our annual summer vacation attempt. This year we spent a few days camping in my Brother/Sister-in-law's backyard. We actually wereable to do a lot of stuff during those three days and three night.

Saturday morning, my brother-in-law, who is really into photography, took me to one his favorite waterfalls, Panther Creek Falls in Wind River valley, Washington, so we could practice taking pictures with our new cameras.

It is only 65 feet high, but one of the most picturesque water falls I've ever seen. Two creeks join at the falls which adds to it's features. Plus there are multiple levels forming a small chain of waterfalls. The water is crystal clear--so much so that the 'fizz' formed at the bottom of the falls and rapids is white mixed with bright baby blue. Just looking at it makes you want to dip in a glass and drink the best tasting, ice cold water you've ever had.

Here are some of the pictures I took from the falls (click the image for more detail):

Here is where the higher creek starts trickling down the 65 ft. drop. You can barely see the second creek dumping down the cliff on the bottom right corner. Note: To get that smooth 'lace drapery' look, I used a tripod and a slower shutter speed. A faster shutter speed would show rough droplets opposed to smooth lines.

Here is the full falls. Pictures don't do it justice, nor does the picture capture the size. Notice how the white water intertwines with the green vegetation.

A few hundred feet from the main falls is this smaller falls. You can see the baby blue in the water at the base of the falls. Almost every log and surface area was covered in a thick carpet of Moss.

Here you can see a mini-ledge in front of the lower falls in front of the large falls. It a little difficult to tell without the ability to decipher depth.

Can't forget the benefits of 3-D. Get your blue/red 3-D glasses!

Echos of the Storm

One month shy of a year ago, my family was enjoying the western-most point of the Fort to Sea trail. The Fort to Sea Trail represents the route Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery used to get to the Pacific Ocean (sunset beach) from Ft. Clatsop.









Tall, always-green grasses filled the forest floor where the thick moss carpet stopped. The multitude of tall trees swaying in the crisp ocean breeze, gave insight to a small creature's view of the world from the bottom of a tall, grass forest.





It was very peaceful and relaxing to be surrounded by such a neat forest spotted with small lakes, buzzing with dragon flies, guarded by seagulls, and patrolled by squirrels and other animals.



These coastal evergreen forests are very unique and amazing to walk through. It's like you enter a whole new, peaceful world with so many new things to see.

I don't know how long this forest world took to grow and develop--it looks like its been happily, peacefully guarding the coast for centuries, but I do know that things can change drastically within one year.

In early December, almost nine months ago, we had a micro burst storm whipping hurricane-speed winds into the coast. In an instant the trail was closed and was unable to open until June 2008 when the fallen trees were cleaned up.

So today we decided to visit again, hoping the damage from the storm was minor, and to seek the peace of this beautiful forest. As we drove up, we pulled into the where we thought the parking lot used to be. The road looked the same, the parking lot looked the same, but the forest looked much different. (the following pictures were taken from the same general location on the trail as the original pictures above--they are also in the same order.)

I knew there were a lot of trees down, but I didn't realize just how many. In just two days, hundreds of trees, which took decades to grow were destroyed...as if someone chopped the tops of the trees off like a kid chopping dandelions with a stick.

Greens turned to browns and sunlight now pierces the ground that was once protected by the shade of an evergreen canopy.

At this point in the trail another unexpected surprise presented itself. Not only did the wind storm unmercifully rip through the forest, but we now learned where the multi-acre sunset beach fire from a month or so ago occurred. It was heart-wrenching to see the black scar that gutted out the center of this already-wounded lush forest and the orange fire-licked trees surrounding it.

It was depressing walking through our once peaceful retreat which was now destroyed. But still there was a hope and anticipation of how much stronger future will heal this forest. Amid the fallen giants were the surviving younglings that seemed to reach up with ever more determination to reclaim their sanctuary. Tender green ferns and grass shined in contrast to the now pitch black forest floor; and surrounding the destruction were enboldened patches of mature trees and plants encouraging the newborns to thrive and be hopeful.

Notice how the trail divides the black fire destruction (right) from the surviving young trees and forest. (left)

The forest was still guarded by the seagulls, squirrels still played in the trees and a family of dear greeted us at the trail head! (can you see the dear in the first post-destruction picture?)

Although I'm depressed at the loss of one of my favorite environments, I'm exciting to watch the next generation of survivors create their own sanctuary for us to enjoy!

Chris Rice

On the special feature DVD of Jonah: A Veggie Tales Movie I was instantly interested in Chris Rice's musical performance of Billy Joe McGuffrey. Being impressed with his singing style and natural sound, I decided to review his bonus video on the DVD, The Other Side of the Radio.



Again I really enjoyed the real-instrument sound and musical style, but the thing that impressed me the most was the sincerity in his voice and lyrics. I felt he really did care about his audience.

Now Chris Rice is one of my all-time favorite artists. We bought his Album, "Run the Earth Watch the Sky" and just recently we bought his Album "What a Heart is Beating For."

Not only do I like his sincerity, but I really like his optimism. I listen to his music and feel hopeful and encouraged...and, partially because he is a Christian musician I know his music and lyrics are appropriate for all ages whether or not they are hymns he's written or more secular topics.

(I'm Christian too, but my feelings for Jesus Christ are of such a sacred nature to me, I'm more picky about what Christian music I like--even though I generally like the style of music most Christian artists use, the lyrics and feeling I get when listening to the majority of Christian music doesn't always match up to those sacred personal feelings.)

I am also really impressed with how well he writes his lyrics. He uses a lot of creative metaphors that seem to expand the meaning beyond just the words themselves. I suppose I like it because metaphors are how I apply concepts in my own life.

Here are a few samples of his lyrics to illustrate:

Baby Take Your Bow: Although death can be a depressing reality in our lives, Chris Rice does a good job of bringing out the respect of life's opportunity, the hope of our eternal lives, and comfort when loved ones temporarily depart their mortal bodies until the resurrection:




Lemonade: This song captures the excitement, anticipation, and joy of true, sincere love. It illustrates his sincerity, gratitude, and optimism. I like to think of this song in relation to my wife and me:




Here are the lyrics to those two songs if these unofficial music videos don't work:

Baby Take Your Bow
Chris Rice

We're gonna miss your song and dance
The way you made us laugh
And we're so glad we had the pleasure for a while
But on the other side you'll find a better audience
Just be yourself, and you can't help but make the angels smile

Baby, all the world's a stage
Playwright pens your final page
And then he brings your curtain down
So blow us your kisses and drench our eyes
We'll rise to our feet to wave goodbye for now
So baby, take your bow

The world is lovelier because you had your moment here
And we could see a friend of heaven in your face
And in your song we heard the longing for a distant shore
And now your time has come to go, and so be on your way

Baby, all the world's a stage
Playwright pens your final page
And then he brings your curtain down
So blow us your kisses and drench our eyes
We'll rise to our feet to wave goodbye for now
So baby, take your bow
Your show is over now
It's time to lay your burdens down
So baby, take your bow

Copyright 2007 Clumsy Fly Music (ASCAP) (adm. By Word Music, LLC)

Lemonade
by Chris Rice

So go ahead and ask her
For happy ever after
‘Cause nobody knows what’s coming
So why not take a chance on loving
Come on, pour the glass and tempt me
Either half-full or half-empty
‘Cause if it all comes down to flavor
The glass is tipping in my favor

Life gave me lemonade and I can’t imagine why
Born on a sunny day, beneath a tangerine sky
I live life without pretending
I’m a sucker for happy endings
Thanks for the lemonade
Thanks for the lemonade!

Now take your time to answer me
For the beauty of romancing
Is to calm your trembling hand with mine
While begging love to fill your eyes
I can hardly breathe while waiting
To find out what your heart is saying
And as we’re swirling in this flavor
The world is tilting in our favor

Life gave me lemonade and I can’t imagine why
Born on a sunny day, beneath a tangerine sky
I live life without pretending
I’m a sucker for happy endings
Thanks for the lemonade
Thanks for the lemonade!

I’ve got it made
Rest in the shade
And hold my love
While God above
Stirs wiith a spoon
We share the moon
Smile at the bees
More sugar please
He really loves us after all
We’re gonna need another straw!
We’re gonna need another straw!

Life gave me lemonade and I can’t imagine why
Born on a sunny day, beneath a tangerine sky
I live life without pretending
I’m a sucker for happy endings
Thanks for the lemonade
Thanks for the lemonade!

Copyright 2004 Clumsy Fly Music (ASCAP) (adm. By Word Music, LLC)

Summer Parades

Each year our town does a 4th of July parade. Its nothing overly fancy (just a comfortable hour-long,) but its becoming a fun tradition for my family especially since we can watch it from our front yard.

Here are some of the participants in our little parade...can you guess what they are? (hint: there are usually a lot of vehicles in the parade.) Click the picture for the answer.

Red, White, and Blue!

Keep reaching to guess this one.

Yes there are people in there, but they didn't throw candy to the kids like most of the other parade participants.

This was a new entry for this year. It was pretty cool.

This was a cool paint job.

What's that in the reflection? Godzilla?!!

From little kid's perspectives these are either cute or scary.