Here are pictures of some of my nieces and one of my nephews. I didn’t take these photos. They were either taken by my sister in law Jenni or my brother Chas. Either way, I love these pictures and I love these kids. It’s fascinating to me how deeply I love my neices and nephews. I didn’t know it would be like that. Maybe it’s because I don’t have any children of my own yet. Whatever the reason I’m grateful that they are in my life and I enjoy every minute that I spend with them.

A few days ago my brother Jake was entrusted with a couple of ATV’s. The singles branch he’s in was going to use them for a hike and Jake was to keep them overnight and the next day the branch would take them on the hike. The guy who owns them said it would be fine if we rode them around while we had them as long as we replaced the gas. Let me tell you, those things are such a blast. I never understood what the big deal was until I found myself flying down the road at 50 MPH with the wind in my hair and a smile plastered on my face. We took them up the mountain behind our home and they were amazing on the steep hills and winding trails. It was exhilerating to move so fast and easily. It’s not like driving a car where you feel almost as though you’re indoors. You’re really out there with these things and the power is thrilling.

So Jake and I were having an absolutely wonderful time riding down an old highway near our home when suddenly Jake’s 4 wheeler started to make a really strange and I must say unsettling sound. It sounded as though rocks were rattling around in the engine. He pulled over and turned the engine off but we didn’t have any way of looking for the problem because the engine was covered by a panel that was screwed on and we didn’t have a screwdriver. So after much deliberation we decided to ignore the prominent safety warnings plastered all over the ATV I had been driving about never riding with 2 riders, hopped on the one ATV and road to the nearest ATV repair shop to explain our dilemma. It was closed. So, we rode to the next nearest ATV repair shop (there are a lot of ATV repair shops near where I live due to the fact that almost everyone in our town has an ATV). It was closed. So we decided to try the nearest gas station to see if the attendant might by chance know anything about ATVs. They didn’t. So we went to the next nearest gas station to see if they could help. The attendant told us that the owner of the first ATV repair shop that we had gone to lived right next door to his shop and that if we knocked on his door he would be happy to help is out. Jake and I were delighted. Remember that all this time we had left a borrowed ATV stranded on the side of a highway. If anything happened to it we would have a lot of explaining to do. So we drove back up the road and found the house next to the repair shop. We entered the gate and were immediately greeted by a very HUGE and very friendly dog. He escorted us to the front door and we knocked and waited. After about 10 minutes of knocking, avoiding being barreled over by a giant dog and waiting, we left. We returned to the ATV and decided that we had better just try to carefully drive it home. However, when Jake started the engine the sound was worse than before and when he tried to move it it jerked forward a few times and suddenly the sound transformed into a high pitched whine and the machine wouldn’t move another inch. This was when Jake realized that it must be a broken belt. A few minutes later after searching the vehicles for possible solutions we found a compartment on each vehicle that held a little bag of tools. After about 20 minutes and a lot of manuevering Jake had the panel off of the engine and a little pile of broken belt parts lay neatly on the ground beneath the now thouroughly cursed ATV. So, we still had to figure out how to get the machine home. We could buy a new belt in the morning and no one we be the worse for wear but how were we going to get a dismanteled non-running ATV home? So back to the gas station we headed in search of a rope with which we could tow it. Amazingly, we found one! $7.00 poorer and 20 minutes later we were back at the disabled vehicle looking for a suitable and hopefully safe way to attach the vehicles to one another. And then we were off. The only problem was that we were facing the wrong direction and when I pulled out into my u-turn the rope somehow got tangled under my ATV and I had to stop. The result of this action was the formation of a perfect rope fence across the highway. After quickly and I’ll admit rather tensely checking for oncoming traffic we jumped off and untagled the rope as fast as we could. Thank goodness no cars came. At worst that would have been terribly dangerous and at best so embarrassing!! So anyway, we untangled ourselves and after 2 snapped and retied ropes, finally made it home.

All in all it was quite an adventure and one of best Friday nights I’ve had in a long time. Jake and I both agree that if we had the money we’d buy an ATV in a minute.

Oh, by the way, Jake was able to replace the belt easily the next morning and when he told the guy what happened he said it was no big deal, that those belts break all the time and he was surprised that we replace it. All I have to say to that is if those belts break all the time why didn’t he have a spare in the tool compartment? Grrrrr!

I like to look at different art websites now and then and one thing that I’ve noticed is that it’s often difficult to determine the medium that an artist has used in creating a piece. You can’t even tell whether the work is digital or traditional. I find this rather frustrating because if you don’t know how a piece was created you can’t properly critique it.

Another annoying thing that some of these sites do is they sponser art contests and allow all kinds of different mediums to compete against each other. I can’t see how you can possibly compair an oil painting to a photograph or a sculpture to a digital painting. All are great works of art but the process of creating them is so different that they simply aren’t comparable. It would be like a traditional Irish dancer competing with a hip-hop dancer. How do you compare? It just kind of annoys me. If you are going to sponser an art contest, allow artists to compete with other artists who do art that is remotely similar to what they do. At least that way they will understand their competitors work and be able to agree or dissagree with the final verdict.

Well now that summer is here and I mean really here, it is hot and I find myself spending a rather unusual amount of time daydreaming about different kinds of cool refreshing drinks I could make for myself to help fight off the never ending thirst that the heat brings on.

There is of course the always refreshing fruit juice with crushed ice. Ah, fruit juice. Notice that I said crushed ice not just ice. It is absolutely necessary for the ice to be crushed. I don’t actually know why this is I just know that it is.

Now if I get an urge for carbonation, scratch that, when I get an urge for carbonation I like to make fruit juice soda mixes. Grape juice with sprite, orange juice with fresca, apple juice with black cherry Shasta… oh ya. That hits the spot. Mind you, all of these lovely beverages are served with crushed ice.

Sometimes though, I want something a bit thicker, sweeter. That’s when it’s time to make a fruit smoothie. Yogurt, strawberries, blueberries, bananas, vanilla, sprite, and ice thrown in a blender. Perfection. Or how about this one: peaches, ice cream, vanilla, sugar, a little cinnimon, a dash of milk, and of course ice. Heavenly. Oh how I love summertime.

When my sister visited New York City she noticed a man just lying there in the street sound asleep. She was shocked. No one seemed to even notice him. There she was eating a sandwich and this man was starving. She took the picture so that I would draw him. Maybe people will notice him now. Or maybe not.

Here is a story poem that I wrote. I’d like it to be set to music eventually. That would rock.

Where the road follows the path of the stream

dividing the valley with one great seem

there cottonwoods in sunlight gleam

a morning wakes from twilight’s dream

in the Valley of the Canyon Black

Follow this road of dusty cloud

with rocks and boulders well endowed

to find a path in scrub oak shroud

that leads to the Canyon Black

Read the rest of this entry »

I like to work outside. I like to work in the heat of the day and feel the sweat poor down my forehead. I like to move the earth. I like to feel the strain in my flexed muscles as I heave a rock that’s bigger and heavier than I ever thought I could lift. I like the way the dirt crumbles under me with every step I take covering my sandeled feet with a layer of gray dust creating the illusion of dark leathery skin on my legs. I like to feel the weight of the sun’s heat on my back, my arms, my legs. I like the way it marks me, making me a part of nature, a part of the sun itself. I like to feel powerful. I like to work outside.

I recently heard a song on the radio and was immediately taken back in time to an experience that I had while listening to this song many years ago. It was a rather embarrassing experience and for years I’ve hated the song because it always brings back the negative memory and the awkward angry emotions of the experience.

This time however, I decided to stop and think about what I was doing. I realized that I was allowing the person who embarrassed me to have control over my life. I was giving him the power to control whether or not I liked this song. I was allowing him to take something that could have been lovely and enjoyable out of my life time and again.

So this time, instead of changing the station I gave the song a chance. I pushed the stupid memory away and really listened to the song and you know what? It wasn’t half bad. It certainly was no ‘The River Sings’ by Enya but it was worth listening to and I enjoyed it.

I wonder how often we allow others to have power over us in this way? What a waste! How rich and flavorful life can be if we just let go of the bad and embrace the good. How free and light our days can be if we choose for ourselves who we will be rather than let others, even those who have caused us pain or embarrassment decide who we will be. We can be who we choose to be!

The crickets are singing again.

The silence of winter cracks and melts

as the earth lays her great belly bare

to bask in the warmth of the life giving sun

and the crickets are singing for joy.

For the trees are dancing again.

The great branches of the mighty oak

sway in time to the cricket song

as gentle buds of delicate green

sparkle in the light of the sun

and the trees are dancing for joy

For the clouds are rolling again.

The mournful clouds roll their heaving bodies

to the distant horizon

revealing a sky of brilliant blue

that dries the tears of rain

and the clouds are rolling for joy.

A couple of days ago my computer decided to crash. I was fine at first. I thought, ‘oh well, my brother (a computer genius) can fix it in a few days.’ No big deal, right? Wrong. I have been going insane! I can’t do anything without my computer anymore. I can’t even draw because it’s too boring to draw without something to entertain me while I do it. My computer is my entertainment center. It provides T.V., movies, audio books, streaming internet radio -both music and my favorite talk radio shows like Radio West. It also provides talks and music downloads, I even listen to the scriptures online. Without my computer, I’m lost!

Not only have I been bored and disoriented without my computer, I also feel entirely out of touch with my family and friends with whom I communicate regularly through email, instant messaging, and family websites.

I can’t play with photos on the gimp, I can’t goof around on websites or blog surf or download songs to take with me when I go hiking or ride my bike or take walks…..

I am absolutely and without question an unashamed computer addict. I love my computer. I’d like to take a moment to bask in the gratitude that I feel for the beautiful fact that my lovely computer is working again. IT’S BACK!!!

Thank you Shane! Big brothers are the best.