Took the afternoon and went on a treasure hunt with the camera.  No shopping for me, that's for somebody else.  It was a trip into God's creation and a time to give thanks to the creator for what He has done for me.  I can still get out and around, not with the agility I had years ago but I can still motor along.  I loaded my 35mm cameras and took them with.  I hadn't used them in years.  The little digital has spoiled me.  With the 35's I have to focus and advance the film.  Luckily this dog isn't so old he forgot how.  I was reminded by the telphotos that here is a depth of field and to use it in composition.  There is also the compression of long telephoto and the rounded modeling of a short telephoto.  A whole different stlyle of photography I had forgotten about.  Someday I may go get a DSLR and a couple of short telephots.  In the meantime I have the 35's.

 

The digital is so nice because i can do all the processing here on the puter.  The point and shoot lacks in a few areas but it still takes some nice shots.  The phots posted here were shot with the little digital.

 

There is an area south of town that has bunches of little springs.  Sometimes the spring is no more then a muddy spot oozing water.  The escarpment where they are overlooks a small creek and the springs run down to the crick and soon disappear into the sand.  Years past dams were built and there small ponds on the hillside.  A few are small lakes and support a variety of wildlife.  It is state owned land so one can roam at ease, just be cautious around the livestock.

 

    ...          

Falcon circling overhead.

 

                                              ..

A lone tree survives along the creek.  Years past it was a struggle for trees to live out here because of the raging prairie fires.   today there are more trees living in the grasslands now

                                      The little dogs had a grand time sniffing out new smells.  The male wouldn't stay with me an roamed off by himself and got seperated.  Trying to                                       get back he fell into a mossy bog and got stuck.  He stayed there whimpering.  Luckily he was only a step out in the bog and I could reach out and                                         pull him in.  Hope he learned something.  The female stayed with me and there were no problems.  The Scooter and Kricket, roaming black dogs.

 

                                                        ..

                tumbling down off the hill are tiny streams.  curling and twisting through the rocks and clods.  there is still some ice on the edges and patches of snow left.

 

     .

  The moon was just cresting over the trees in the afternoon, ice glazed the pond and the cattail are fuzzy, trees leafless for the winter.

 

It was a great afternoon to go out and give God thanks for what He has done.

 

I surfed around spaces yesterday reading what blogs I could find and most were thanful for numerous things.  It was not about the day it was about their life.

 

To all thanks for being who you are.

 

................................................

 

 

 

Lord I give thanks to you today

For all that you provided me

My clothing, shelter and food

All things flow from you Lord

The season of bountiful harvest

Is a gift from Your Grace

Thanksgiving is season of all year

All the days are Yours Lord

You give them as a gift

I choose to live them in Your steps

Others toss you out of their life

They cry when they fall

For they have no strength in their life

Who do they give thanks to

Where do their gifts flow from

Lord I walk in your creation

It is your steps I follow

From You flow all blessings

The Blood of Christ was shed for my sins

Thanks to You God for giving Your Son

The blessing of thanksgiving

Flow from Christ

For through Christ are all things

He will provide to all who believe

Lord thank you for the blessings of this day

The food you have prepared

The family

Neighbors and friends across the world

Lord be a comfort to

Those who seek you

Bless their homes

Be a protector

Give comfort to all

Amen

with the beginning of the week some people have to pack their lunch and head off to the office.  So I found an old school for those who want to roam the halls of education.

 

 

High on the hill top it si

 

Overlooking the town atop the hill I guess it could be called a place of higher learning.  Maybe these town people had the proper idea of education, obove all.

 

It would be good exercise for the kids walking up the hill to get to school.

 

today it is a storage shed for a junker.

 

 

 

It is Sat and where have the days passed on to.  A time to reflect and look back at the week.  What did I do?  Sometimes as I look backwards the mirror is empty.  I see no accomplishments, then I put my glasses on and see glimpses of something done.  Not sure what but it looks like I did something.  There are dust bunnies a floating abouts, clothes stacked in the hamper, rather dirty looking and other things to clean up.   The vacum sits in the corner with a snarl on its snout, oh my goodness, must tame the beast.  Yes it is Saturday and the chores of the weekend are stacked up waiting for a soul to take care of them.  I ponder where can I find a soul to do my chores.  I am not Tom Sawyer, nor am I rich enough for a maid service.  So I sit staring at computer screen hoping the dust af a fairy will float down from overhead to take car of the little jobs of the weekend.

 

 

Found these guys wandering around

 

They said gobble gobble....Where's the roasting pan?

 

It appears they were looking for somebody to invite them in for a meal. 

 

Have a good weekend.

Thrusday is rolling to a close and tomorrow would bring a ball game of sorts.  Right now it is between sports, football is over and wrestling and basketball is getting ready.  Drive the jalopy to school on Friday to go cruising afterwards, hang out someplace have some sodas and tell tall tales.  Seems like a moment ago yet it feels like a century.  On to college and the big bonfires and pep rallies, hit the bars, go out to the woods for a woodsie or just go cruising.  Later it was get off work, happy hour or go cruising.  The automobile has been the focus of so many social moments besides being a status symbol.  To crawl behind the wheel, mosey down the avenue, waving at the passers by.  There was a feeling no other machine has been able to duplicate.  To cruise, was to see and be seen, fast talk, fast cars, slow parades on main.

 

In honor of Friday nite cruising

 

Not many people crusied in pick ups but in the country it the machine du jour.  This classic old ford got a souped up package from the flathead 8.  Look at that shine.

 

Any body up for cruising the drive-in tomorrow night after the game?

 

 

Been pretty droopy most of the day.  Caught another cruddy cold and it is not fun.  By the time the pills and junk open my sinuses up I can kind of function.  Otherwise I droop around the house.  Did get some housekeeping done and drank lots of tea.

 

A passenger train came through today.  That got my adrenlin flowing.  i chased it down the road a few miles to get a couple of pictures of it.  Life goes on no matter my condition.

 

 

This is close to a place called Lake Sation.  It was a stage stop in the 1860's and the site of some serious Indian attacks.  Today it is a ranch and bed

 and breakfast.

 

Well go find some more hot tea with lemon and honey and......

 

 

Today has been set aside to remember those who have served in our armed forces.  Not only were these men and women in harm's way along the front lines they served in all capacities.  The people that worked in the warehouses shipping goods out, the pencil pushers ordering equipment, the medical personnel and the drivers.  All these people were a part of a larger machine to make war.  To all I tip my hat and say thanks.

 

Spread out across the country are samll community cemeteriaes.  Some are part of a church a few are private.  these small communities is where most of the troops came from during WWI and WWII.  Many have found their way back to these small resting places.  So much attendtion is paid to the big national cemeteries.  These small resting places are from New England to the swamps of Florida, across the gulf to the Pacific ocean and places in between.  These members of the miltary served for a freedom that ihas a depth few grasp.

 

 

A small church cemeteary, here are farmers and ranchers that went to a foreigh country. 

 

 

this is where my uncle rests, a survivor of D-Day.

 

.

 

Among the headstones can be seen the simple marble monuments of the veterans.

 

 

This is where my father rests, he was in New Guinia and the Phillpines.

 

The marble monuments bear flags at various times of the year.  Then there are those who never made it back to the US.  They lie in the battle fields that were stained with their blood around the world.

 

THANK YOU MEN AND WOMEN OF THE ARMED FORCES.

 

 

 

 

Damn it pass the ammo can.  That refrain could be heard in the trenches when the guns go silent. 

Day after tomorrow is Veterans Day.  A day to remember those who have served in defense of our country and those in other countries who were in the trenches getting shot at also. 

I pause and reflect, in the past 60 plus years we have not won a war.  What is wrong with us.  Our country goes to war but is not willing to put the resources and tactics in it to win.

So many youngsters are killed, folded, stapled and mutilated for what?  The battles we have engaged in this past 60 years there have been no clear cut victories.  In Korea there is a truce.  Vietnam we tucked our tail and went home.  And there have been smaller ones, Panama, Africa, etc and currently the Middle East.  The Persian Gulf War was but a prelude to the current conflict, it does prove we can accomplish when there is an objective.

WWII officially started 1941 and ended 1947, six years of combat.  That is how long we have been the Middle East and there is no end in sight.

From where I set I see the youngsters going over there as but cannon fodder for some greedy money mongers.  As the war goes there are profits to be made.  To sacrifice the lives of young men for the profits of the greedy is too much.

I have talked with various combat veterans and most say the Middle East should have been over in 12 months.  Two things come to mind; lack of commitment and rules of engagement.  Both are very distorted.  Children walk around with guns and are suicide bombers, mothers carry weapons and encourage the combatants.  Yet they cannot be confronted.  How many young men are lost because of this.  Getting materials and resources to the field troops is lacking.  There is a debate right now to send more troops or not.  A lack of commitment.

Maybe we should do like Vietnam and tuck out tails in and pack out of the country.

We did not learn from the French in Vietnam and we did not learn from the Russians in Afghanistan.  If we are going to do battle let’s do it from the standpoint of wanting to win or else forget it.

 

Tuesday there will ceremonies at numerous cemeteries in the area.  The local VFW has a color guard that goes around for 21 gun salutes to honor their comrades in battle.  To the left of the picture can be seen a couple of Veteran hedstones. simple white marble markers , like the ones used in the national cemeteries.

To the veterans I salute you.  You have endured the politics and the foxhole.  Having jumped out of aircraft, pickup wounded and cried over the lost.  Way down deep is a fear, buried is conflict of watching death firsthand, remembering the blood flowing freely, mangled limbs, a cup of coffee with a friend in the morning and saluting that evening as he is carried across the field in a body bag.

Thank you for your sacrifices so I can enjoy the sun today and a walk across a grassy field with you saluting your fallen comrades.  Tuesday the flag will fly and I will salute the memories of the veterans, Thank You

 

Took the weekend and went to denver for a model train show.  We set up on Fri then performed Sat and Sun.  Did't even get on the puter for those few days.  So I've missed a few things.  i'll get around a vist as time allows.  Share a couple of pictures.  Didn't even take that many pictures.  Then i have a bunch posted in  my photo albums.  It is always nice to get home.

 

Hope everybody had a good weekend and will have a great week.

 

 

 

 

This is one of the new modules.  It hadn't been on display before.  It is a model of a small farm town in the mid 50's.  Most of the older duffs like me model in the 50's.  that was our childhood days

 

The show was held in part of the National Western Complex.  This old building is now vacant.  Here is where the brokers worked, buying and selling cattle.  nearby are stock pens and packing houses.  Most are now empty.  Millions of cattle passed through these yards, fortunes were made and a few lost.  A monument to a different era.

 

 

 

Then there is always the skyline of downtown Denver.  No real tall buildings bcause bed rock is so deep.

 

It was a fun weekend.  Met some new people and renewed some old ones.  The crowds weren't as big, blame it on the economy or the pig flu.  Both are having an adverse impact on the econmy.

 

When we started doing this show 20 some years ago.  attendance would be over 100,000, this one maybe 20,000 or so.

 

The elections are over and a few republicans are crowing.  Over what I'm not to sure.  So many people vote against something or somebody rather then for.  Obama got in because so many were mad at Bush.  Now the shoe is on the other foot and lots of the voters voted against Obama rather then for the candidate.  Then Obama has dug us into a big hole of debt, over a trillion dollars and in less then a year.  One thing, most Americans have a good sense of fiscal responsiblity and do not like being in debt.  Obama hasn't got that message yet.

 

Then there is Al Gore.  The European press is taking his greenhouse gas nonsense to task.  Gore is headed towards billionare status because of his global warming story.  He has invested in some high tech companies that are now getting contracts for their products.  They are more efficient for moving energy, have nothing to do with carbon gasses but because of the fear people are buying.  So the storyteller from Tennessee is going to become rich.  Greedy, it appears he is.  Yet i give him credit.  He started a story people bought into and he was savy enough to pick on some businesses that would profit from his story.  The Europeans are now looking at the profits rolling Gore's way and questioning the story of global warming.  Hum I wonder why.

 

Halloween is over but the Fall decorations continune for thanksgiving is this month.  Look out turkey here come the gobblers.

 

Skiing this time of year used to be a dream.  Now there are snowmaking mchines and the ski areas open earlier then ever.  When I was skiing i loked forward to opening day and the following week I was up there.  I had to beat the crowds, especially the flatland texans.  man some of them were down right crazy dangerous skiers.  i would then wait till later when the big rush was over, then go skiing some more.

 

No longer slide down the mountain.  Too much BS makes it real slippery.

 

Got a big train show this weekend.  Go up and visit with a few i only see at the train shows.  It takes about 7 hours to set up our layout.  Usually 100 feet by 20 feet.  I is set up for digital or analog operation.  There are about 12 more layouts that are set up and 100 vendors or so.  30,000 to 40,000 visitors come through.  with the scared/down economy probably be less.  Not much is being bought any more, just the necessities.

 

I keep hearing about the recovery but I don't see it.  Then this might explain why the government is saying there is a recovery.  In a story by AP.  They reported that the government labor department is labeling saved jobs by stimulus money.  These numbers are being generated by pay raises, no jobs, just more money paid out.  In another they said X dollars went to a company and it saved over 900 jobs.  Max number of employees was 500.  This type of accounting sounds like Enron style.  But for the government to be truthful, that doesn't happen very often. 

 

A truthful government, we like to hear it but seldom see it.  That's why I'm against the government run healthcare.  Haven't seen much truth in that debate either.

 

Seen where AARP is going to endorse the healthcare program.  yet to make the government program go, the government is going to gut medicare.  Medicare the old folks medical care, gutted.  That would be okay if there was a better or equal replacement on the horizon but I don't see or hear one.  So why is AARP supporting a program that will hurt seniors.  Follow the money trail.  they are involved with United Healthcare who stands to gain big in this proposal and so would AARP.  It has essiently forget the old folks. They seem to say  I can line my pocketbook faster with the government program and the old foggies will just die off.  Pretty heartless group and oh yeah look at the greed.

 

The sun is out and the snow is gone.  Got a little sunburn being out and working, darn.  Read in another blog about going up on a mountain of 5000 feet.  She was so happy to be that high.  I would have to go down some.  Where i live is over 5000 feet in elevation and my previous home was 7500 feet.  Ah that thin air.  Gotta breathe more to get O2 in the lungs.

 

As the serious guy said it is hump day, i no work 5 day week so the hump over is passed

 

Have to put the poetry on hold for a time.  Other things have taken me away from setting down and doing some writing of verse.

 

So I have some old homes from out on the prairies.  Sod/adobe was a popular building material because of the lack of trees for lumber.  Sod homes were also well insulated.  Wall thicknesses were, 12-18 inches.  Blocked the sun and the wind and held the heat in the winte

when the snowstorm clears out it leaves some spectacular views of the mountains.

 

 

This a view of the snowcapped continental divide and the tree covered front range mountains just west of Denver.  The large mountains are Mt Meeker and Longs Peak.  They are 13,8-- amd 14.2-- feet in elevation, marking the southern border of Rocky Mountain National park.

 

 

This is a range called Indian Peaks.  They are in the 12.000 foot range to 13,000 feet in elevation.  There are a few small glciers up there.  There was a cloud casting a shadow over the southern section of the picture.  Creating an odd looking pattern.  The mountains are roughly 80 miles away, shot acoss a wheat field covered with a blanket of snow. 

 

Two Newfoundlanders are drinking at a bar in a small town in Cornerbrook.
  
Fred says, "Did you know that Lions have sex 10 to 15 times a night!" 
  
"Ah, shit." Says Jim.  "I just joined the Kiwanis".

All Hallowed eve is closing out October and the Moon is clear and bright.  There are Christmas decorations in the big box stores.  Bah Humbug.  Went to the big city of Denver for business and shopping.  went into the big box hammer and saw store and was greeted by decorationms galore.  Four aisles full of decorations.  Halloween is not even past and here is the red and green stuff.  i wanted some black and orange stuff.  Man talk about depressing.  We are shooting ourselves in the foot.

 

Any body that buys christmas stuff this early ought to be strung up a yardarm by their ankles.  There are a few who will buy the stuff, now i know why there are problems.  As consumers we are so guliable and the corpporations feed on that and with their greed they keep pushing.  Horse apples for the cockroaches.....gone looking for the grinch...believe i found the grinch.

 

Got cought in the snowstorm while there.  Spent an extra day there.  Got some things done during the locked in time.  Open up the space and all the comments are posted by no name....hum.  Microsoft has so many enemies that it is probably a constant battle against the hackers.

 

The e-mail was loaded with all kinds of mail, junk and jokes and stuff.  Get some of it sorted out and send some off.  Don't know if i made all the rounds, lots of new stuff posted does not make the what's new.  So I'll coast along.

 

Few pictures out on the patio of the snow.

 

 

A little Here A little There

 

          It’s interesting to read and listen to the political pundits.  It is reality hot air spewing.  Every once and a while things will pop up that grab my attention.  The furor with Fox News caught my attention big time.

          One of the very basic foundations of this country is the First Amendment, Freedom of Speech.  Oppressive governments have always tried to control what is said and where it is said.  The British government in the 1700’s was a very controlling monarchy.  They patriots back then found that as speech was stifled so was their freedom.  The little booklets that were printed during the revolution were important to the people to keep them informed as to what was happening in the other colonies and England.  Without them England may of prevailed in the war. 

          When looks back at history one can see that free exchange of ideas and information was a very important tenet of freedom.  Dictators try to control the media and or have books burned/banned.  These little despots fear the truth.  A country that has free speech does not to fear the little despots that want to be emperors.

          When Obama got upset at Fox news and wants to ban them from press briefings I get very nervous.  I do not always agree what I see on TV or hear on radio or read in papers but it is freedom of speech.  By banning the Fox news people Obama is casting an affront to the First Amendment.  The republicans have made the wrong mountain out of the situation and the democrats are letting it slide.  What kind of mistake from histories past is creeping in to midst.

          One of the biggest things I see is that some people are very thin skinned.  Having been around for more than a few decades I have seen some nasty comments made about various politicians.  Most of them rolled with things and got on with business.  Nixon was the butt of all kinds of remarks and humor because of his ski slope nose.  Then the plumbers put him in the cellar of nasty stuff.  Carter because of his speech style and farm was the target of all types of comments.  No president was immune from cartoons and snide comments.  Most rolled on with their job.  Criticism is part of the growth process and how one deals with it shows a certain level of maturity.

          Why Obama decided to get into a snit with Fox news is conjecture but what he is threatening to do is what’s scary.  I honor the constitution and swore to defend it when I took the oath of enlistment.  Today I still take it seriously.  So when somebody wants to abridge the constitution I get nervous and hope they do not succeed.

          Two things come to mind.  First is arrogance.  Second is self centered power tripper.  Watching and reading Obama’s comments and speeches one can see his arrogance and how he is self centered.  Obama’s childhood and early life lead to lots of this.  His father deserted him when he was about two years old.  Mom remarried to an Indonesian and they spent the next 12 years or so in Jakarta.

          For a youngster this not easy to deal with and they feel their life is out of control.  With a life out of control and deserted by father.  A character manifestation is one of power and by showing how they are in control.  Arrogance becomes a mechanism to exert the obsession for control.

          To try an muzzle a media out let is spooky and when can look at the other distortions he becomes a very spooky man.  You may not agree but this is how I see things and for you to have a difference of opinion is guaranteed under the constitution and I will fight to guarantee you that right.  To close dialogue is another thing…

 

          Change is what the people voted for are we getting the change we voted for?

Well the end is here.  Tomorrow be a new week.  This one ending was not boring.  There was a range fire just north of town.  The utility lines started the fire and it scorched a few acres.  Then there was the snowstorm that started Tues eve and ended Thrus morning.  There were a few snowdrifts Thrus morning of a couple of feet.  There was the usual weekly stuff so it was a full week.

 

The fire must of caused more problems then the electic company thought.  When the storm began there were electrical surges and spikes, the lights were a flashing and diming.  Lost power for a brief time Wed afternoon and things seemed okay.  Next mornoing the lights were a blinking again and in early morning power was gone.  The electric company got it fixed and so far no more winking lights.

 

The fire department did a good job on the fire.  it was windy and they got out in front of it in the pasture and got a line around it.  The wind was swirling that day, shifting from the north to the northwest.  when the fire started the wind was out of the northwest and the flames went east.  It was pasture and no homes or structures in the way.  Earlier it been blowing right at town.  Thanks be to God for his protection.  the little town is an all volunteer department and most were taken away from their weekend honeydo's.

 

There are a couple of small horse pastures on the edge of town and those people were standing by to see if their animals needed to be moved.

 

With the snow hopefully most of the grass has been knocked down and is not as good of fuel.  The prairie grass was in hibernation and very dry.  Easily burn and it was standing like matches and burned like matches.

 

The storm didn't slow down the highway travelers.  There are about 2000 vehicles through here every day.  Mostly trucks, the highway is part of the ports to plains roadway.  Part of NAFTA, between the US, Mexico and Canada.  Plus it is the short route for oil equipment from Texas to the Rocky Mountains.  some unusual loads travel through.

 

The oil geologists have been out bouncing around in their trucks looking for oil.  big machines and wires all over the place.  Few of the ranchers are getting nice checks from oil wells.  The Mineral rights are owned by a railraod that got it from the land grants back in the 1800's.  The Union Pacific makes more money off their leasing then they do on the railroad.

 

country churches are landmarks out on the prairie, with towmorrow being Sunday.

 

 

Enjoy the worship services of your choice tomorrow, giving thanks to God for all your blessings.

 

May your week be blessed and Christ to keep you company.

.

 

 

There are numerous special interest papers/magazines in stores and libraries any more.  I pick up an enviornmental throw away rag from time to time to see what he whine is about this month.  Lots of their stories are off the internet, not to many original.  They don't give much credit when the take stories from the web.  The following was copied right off of a web page and their was no mention it came from the web.  It did have some intersting thoughts in it, is why I am posting it.  For I agree we do not pay much attention to past mistakes.  In our arrogance we plod onward that in the past it was a failure.  then we wonder why we are falling off a clff.  Enjoy his perspective.

 

Journalist Blames Historical Ignorance, Sense of Entitlement for Nation's Ills