Albion Basin

One of my first posts on this blog was about spending time with my sister Charlene. Well, not much has changed since then. I still don't post much, but I still love hanging out with my sister.

We usually go to Char's house on Mondays, when Jared is working. This past Monday was no different. We decided to get out of the heat and head to the mountains to Albion Basin. When we left the city, the thermometer read 99 degrees. When we parked to have a quick picnic with the mosquitos, it was 76 degrees outside. Love that!



After the picnic, we took a little hike in search of wild flowers. We found some beautiful flowers, lots of deer and great views.


We did not see the elephant that Kennedy insisted we would see in the mountains, but we will look harder next time. We snapped a few pictures and stayed until dark. We didn't want to leave the beautiful setting, but it actually got a little chilly, so we headed home.




Another fun Monday with Aunt Char.

Timber, Again!

Last year we trimmed our neighbors trees to keep our pine tree alive. Too bad though, it didn't help and the tree was slowly giving up the ghost. Sure it may have hung on for a couple more years, but the dumpsters are coming on Monday and it was time to take it down.

I went back up the tree yesterday and starting cutting it down, branch by branch. Of course many of the neighbors heard the noise and came out to see what was going on. After Verl came by I gave up my sawzall for his chainsaw, and my rope for his atv with a winch. Sure enough after one pull with the atv, Rob came over and offered to pull the rest of the trunk out with his diesel and a chain. Boys will be boys - someone always comes out with a bigger toy.

With one mighty tug, the trunk came out (as well as my lights and a good chunk of sod - the price you pay). It was pretty cool to watch and it saved me a ton of time. I think I'd still be digging out the roots if it wasn't for the help. What a great neighborhood - it took less than two hours to take down the entire tree! Now we'll spend the rest of the weekend hacking up the branches and trunk before the dumpsters come on Monday. Anyone need some firewood?

Diary of a Red Sox Fan

It's been a while since I've written about the Sox, but with the events of the past week I couldn't keep quiet any longer. Boston has the fourth best record in baseball, but the month of July couldn't have gone any worse. Injuries, inconsistent play, and incompetence have plagued the Red Sox and the biggest culprit is Manny Ramirez.

I know that Manny has been a big part of the Sox recent success, but he gave up on the team about two weeks ago and things weren't going to get any better. Still, the question kept coming up - can you really trade a Hall of Famer who is still in the good years of his career? Even knowing there's no way you would get equal value in return I am so glad they dealt Ramirez. Watching Boston lose 5 out of 6 a week ago cemented the fact that this team wouldn't make the playoff with Manny in left field. Too many distractions, too much animosity, too little heart.

I don't know if the Red Sox will still make the playoffs, but I do know this - Manny can be Manny somewhere else....

Long Gone

You know you've been gone a lot lately when you have the following exchange with your two- year- old:

"I've got to go now."

"No"

"Alex, I have to go work."

"Uh Uh"

"Come on little guy."

"Daddy no go"

"Do you want to go with me?"

"Go"

Alex may not say a lot, but he spoke volumes this morning. All he wants is to spend time with his Dad. It's time to spend more time at home - thanks for the words of wisdom.

Movie Review: Swing Vote

As part of my retreat to Logan, Tara came up to the UCET dinner and worked it out so she could spend the night. After a wonderful dinner at BlackStone, we decided to take advantage of our night out and we went to the movies. Rather than a summer blockbuster, we headed to the small opening of the latest Kevin Costner flick, Swing Vote.

I'll be the first to admit that Costner movies aren't what they once were, but this one was a pleasant surprise. I don't want to play the spoiler, but watching Kelsey Grammar and Dennis Hopper flipflop from one position to another to get Bud's vote is hilarious. Even though this movie is billed as a comedy, I think there is a thought provoking message at the heart of the film that makes you consider what your role is in the American political system. Some questions you face in the movie include: How far are people willing to sell themselves in order to get what they want? What does a good parent look like? How important is it for the average American to understand the issues facing the Nation? Can one person make a difference?

I really liked this movie and think it's a great watch during this election year. I know it won't win any oscars or break any box office records, but the last twenty minutes will really make you think and you just might get a bit misty...