Talimena Drive

I've lived in Oklahoma all my life. Born here, raised here, and will most likely die here. The winters and summers are comparably mild; Spring and Fall are the best times. For those who have never been here, many people think of a place dominated by cowboys and Indians. And although we do have real cowboys (yes, they ride horses and raise cattle) and Indians (no, they don't live in teepees and run around half naked) here, the thing that really makes Oklahoma a great place is its natural beauty.

Oklahoma features all types of terrain from flat plains to rolling hills and an "almost mountain" to the densely wooded Ouachita National Forest in the southeastern portion of the state. Winding through the Ouachita Forest (pronounced wash-e-taw) is a 54-mile long stretch of highway known as Talimena Drive which connects Talihina, Oklahoma and Mena, Arkansas--hence the name. From approximately the last week in October through the first couple of weeks of November, the Talimena Drive is a favorite spot to view all of the brilliant fall colors.

Even though my wife and I are both life-long Okies, neither of us had been on the Talimena Drive. We decided this past weekend we would fix that situation. Friday afternoon, we drove to Poteau, OK--about an hour north of Mena, AR. Because we decided to make our road trip at the last minute, we weren't able to find accommodations in Mena. (Note: We determined early on that we wanted to make the scenic drive from east to west. Although it was a little longer drive to the starting point in Mena, it would make for a shorter drive home.) We stayed at the Best Western Traders Inn and opted for the King Suite --about $15 more than their standard Queen room-- which consisted of a King-size bed and a separate sitting area with a couch and occasional chair. Both rooms had a nice sized flat panel TV.

We checked into our room and then headed to downtown Poteau to check out a local steakhouse: Warehouse Willies. I had Willies specialty, the ribeye, while Dana enjoyed their bacon wrapped filet. Both steaks were very tender and cooked to perfection. Dinners came with baked potato and salad. The decor is probably best described as eclectic--everything from old signs, tools, screen doors and vinyl records covered the walls. I'd recommend Willies if you're in the area.

The next morning we made the short drive to Mena and ate breakfast at Skyline Cafe. GREAT biscuits and gravy! Dana got her usually scrambled egg(s) and bacon and I opted for eggs over-easy and grits--my favorite. Service was a little slow, but it was a Saturday morning and the place was PACKED. The wait staff did a great job of taking orders, keeping coffee cups filled and getting the food out to us. Nothing fancy about the Skyline's decor, just good old southern style cooking.

There are 26 different stops/vistas along the Talimena Drive. Several publications stated you could make the route in about an hour and a half if you didn't stop. Average time ranged from four to six hours if you stopped at each location. We took about four hours--we didn't stop at all of the vistas and our trip was slowed a bit by the heavy fog that rolled in that morning. Visibility was so bad at one point, we could only see about 10 yards in front of my truck! We drove through the Queen Wilhelmina State Park and could barely see the lodge. On a sunny day, I'm sure it's very nice.

By the time we reached the Kerr Nature Center, a little over half way long the drive, the fog had lifted and we were able get out and enjoy a walk along one of the trails there. As we approached the end of the drive it began to sprinkle rain, and by the time we pulled into the East Visitor's Center, it was a downpour! Perfect timing...and a great weekend getaway!

More photos on Flickr
Talimena Drive website

Sabbatical

Wow! It's been a while since I've posted anything here. It's been a busy summer and I've had lots of things on my mind, but never took the time to write them down.

Church
We left the church we've been attending for the past five years. I really thought this one was going to work for us, but the pastor went "dog day afternoon" on us, i.e. starting bullying from the pulpit, became argumentative with anyone that didn't see things his way, etc. There were some situations/conversations where he wasn't completely truthful and frankly, I don't need that in a pastor or a church.

We have visited several different congregations in the area and have been attending one in particular for the past few weeks. I worked real hard not to sway the decision-making process this time, since I was the one that picked the last church that didn't work out. Dana seems to like this one and has made comments to that effect the past couple of weeks. We know quite a few people there already, so the transition hasn't been too bad. I don't anticipate us placing our membership anywhere right now; maybe not for a long time. I've always said, church would be a great place if you didn't have to deal with people...myself included.

Alaska
We went to Alaska this summer; our second time. The first trip was for our 20th wedding anniversary. This time we took the boys and celebrated our 30th anniversary. We took a flight-seeing tour of the Misty Fjords in Ketchikan and went whale watching in Juneau. Absolutely gorgeous! Here's a few of the pictures I took (culled from over 1000!)

Another Project
When we bought the home we're currently living in, there was an 8 ft x 12 ft portable storage building in the back yard. Over the years, it started to deteriorate, so this summer I decided I would tear it down and replace it. After removing the roof and walls, I discovered that the floor was actually in pretty good shape, so rather than trashing the whole thing, I simply added on. The building is now 12 ft x 20 ft! I've completed all of the construction, just need to paint it. You can take a look at the finished product here

Reunion
I'm attending my high school's homecoming this weekend. We're throwing an "all 70s classes" reunion, i.e. all classmates from classes 1970 through 1979. I graduated in 1976. Should be fun. There are some people attending I haven't seen in over 30 years. I'm sure I look the same!

Hopefully, I won't be so long between posts this time.

I'm Beginning to Understand

I was raised going to church. We went every Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night. If the church doors were open, we were there. Lately, however, I'm beginning to understand why people quit going to church.

Worship Wars

I'm a hymn guy. You know, hymns like "Blessed Assurance," "Amazing Grace," and "It is Well." I also like some of the new hymns (new to me) like "In Christ Alone" and "Before the Throne of God Above." For the record, that's not to say I only listen to hymns. I enjoy a wide array of genres from hymns to classic rock to new age/ambient to bluegrass.

Now, in recent years we've seen this battle brewing over worship in the church, more specifically, the STYLE of worship, i.e. traditional (typically hymns) versus contemporary. Contemporary covers alot of things for alot of people. To me, the contemporary label includes "praise/worship choruses" to some music that sounds more at home in a concert arena. It seems that just about every church has adopted some level of the contemporary style of worship, for numerous reasons. Some feel they can/do reach younger believers/seekers with this particular style. Some feel the hymns are out-dated and don't speak to our present culture. And I guess one could make an argument for either of those reasons, but I'm coming at this whole thing from a little different angle.

Just as there are good and bad examples of other genres, there are good and bad examples of contemporary worship/music. The thing of it is, a particular style doesn't necessarily mean "better." What I mean is this: your church may WANT to have a contemporary worship service. Your leadership may believe it's the right and/or best decision for your church but...if your church doesn't have a group of people that can pull it off and pull it off WELL, it's going to be worse than just continuing what you're already doing.

I've seen churches that have had traditionally styled worship for years all of a sudden make the quantum leap into the contemporary style and it has worked. Others have tried it and it's been a train wreck. What's the difference? The "success stories" (churches that are doing contemporary worship well) took the time to evaluate their talent/skill level(s). Just because Mrs. Shoomacker has played the piano all these years doesn't mean she is the best choice for the transition from traditional to contemporary worship. She may play a mean "Great is Thy Faithfulness," but let's face it, she ain't gonna cut it when it comes to the newer stuff.

Those same churches also refused to give in to a mindset that says: "as long as we call it worship and our desire is to worship/please God, then our good enough is good enough." Worship is a celebration of God--who He is, what He has done, what He is doing, etc. He is worthy of our VERY BEST. To me, that means, striving to play and sing to Him in a way that is the absolute best. What does that entail? Just a few things of the top of my head: First, if instrumentalists and vocalists are not of a high enough caliber, don't use them! A single piano, played well--excellently--accompanying a skilled/gifted vocalist will set the tone and move people to worship much better than a crowd on stage, cranking out the latest contemporary tune that really wasn't written to be sung as a congregation in the first place. Second, it involves preparation. You can't do a 15-minute run through right before the worship service and expect things to go well. Segues, key changes, repeated choruses or phrases, tempo changes, where the instruments play, and where they don't are all some of the things that should be worked out BEFORE the service. Third, it involves dedication. The worship team not only needs to be capable of being excellent, they need to be need devoted to being excellent. That means showing up for scheduled rehearsals--and there SHOULD be scheduled rehearsals. And fourth, realizing that more speakers and LOUD does not necessarily equate to better. Playing louder doesn't cover up sloppy playing or singing either. I just magnifies it.

I realize not every church can or does have the highest caliber of musicians or vocalists. For those that do, use them to the glory of God, whatever the style! For those who don't, it's no shame. It's wrong to think we all have to be doing the same thing, i.e. style, when it comes to worship. There is nothing unBibical about a single piano--or no instrument at all--and God's people gathered, singing the great hymns of the past...and present. We need churches like that. Some people just prefer singing from the hymnal. Not everyone knows who "Casting Crowns" are...is...whatever. I don't, and if I do, it's news to me. I've just heard others mention them. By the same token, it is NOT wrong to have a contemporary worship style in your church service, provided the focus is God, it honors God and focuses the congregation on our Heavenly Father and it is done with excellence.

We attended a church a few weeks ago that was definitely contemporary styled in worship. It wasn't my cup of tea, but I found myself singing along on a few of the songs I knew because the entire service was obviously well rehearsed, the instrumentalists were incredibly good, and the vocalists exceptionally gifted. I heard PARTS (soprano, alto, tenor and bass)!!! There were slides, lights, and some very nice camera work by the video crew, all projected on the multiple screens. I could focus my attention on worship because I wasn't distracted by how poorly the whole thing was put together or how badly the [fill in instrument or vocalist here] was.

Some people may say that I'm focusing on the wrong things, too many of the little things. The drums, guitars, keyboards, and lights don't matter...and you're right in the overall scheme of things. But you know something, if the "little things" don't matter, I've got to wonder why God spent so much time on laying out the details, the little things of worship when he gave Moses the details for constructing the tabernacle and the manner of worship that would take place there.

God deserves our BEST...regardless of the style.

T4G (Together for the Gospel)

Just a few thoughts about attending T4G this week.

Fellowship - I went to T4G with Scott and his son, Luke; I've known them for years. Scott and I have been in a Bible study together for at least 16 years. We've attended several of the Shepherd's Conferences together as well. It's always a great time discussing the sermons/sessions, talking about what's going on in our lives, bouncing ideas off each other related to lessons we're writing, etc. We also like to eat and check out the local attractions. While in Louisville, KY, we visited the Louisville Slugger Factory and Museum. All three of us love baseball.

Worship - at T4G is an amazing experience. Nearly 7000 --mostly men-- lifting their voices in praise to our awesome God and Savior, led by Bob Kauflin of Sovereign Grace Ministries.

The Word - The "theme" of the week The Unadjusted Gospel was presented in unique and amazing ways by all of the speakers. Highlights for me were RC Sproul, John MacArthur and John Piper.

Books - The bookstore at T4G is MASSIVE! Of course, I spent more than I should have. I picked up MacArthur's Luke Commentary - Volume 1, Philip Ryken's commetary on Luke, and James Montomgery Boice's 4-volume commentary on Romans...to name a few. Also bought the ESV Journaling Bible; looking forward to using it as soon as possible.

Matt Chandler - I knew very little about this brother in Christ until this week. His testimony, his strength and humility are a humbling thing to witness. God is using him in an amazing way, not only at the church where he ministers, but in the lives of most anyone that has the privilege of meeting/hearing him. Click here for Matt's session at T4G

T4G couldn't have come at a better time in my life. I needed a time of refreshing and this week was just that. The sermons, the worship, the fellowship and just having the time to reflect on God, His blessings and the magnificence of the Gospel have renewed my spirit and given me the courage/strength to move forward in some areas of my life that been stagnant the past few months.

Nook eBook Reader

I recently purchased a Nook, Barnes and Noble's eBook reader. I looked at Amazon's Kindle and Sony's Reader before making my decision. I was able to preview the Sony Reader at Best Buy; I read LOTS of reviews for Amazon's Kindle and the decision came down to:
- I didn't like the buttons on the face of the Kindle.
- The Kindle reportedly uses/used Sprint's wireless network (more about that later)
- I just didn't like the look and feel of the Sony Reader

The Nook measures 4.9 inches by 7.7 inches, slightly larger than your average paperback, but much thinner--only a half-inch thick! Navigation is via color touchscreen at the bottom of the device. From there, you can view your library of downloaded eBooks, as well as purchase eBooks from B&N.

To purchase books, you can search/browse B&N's entire catalog of eBooks for FREE via AT&Ts 3G wireless network (yep, I said FREE). Just select your book and it's immediately downloaded directly to the Nook. No connecting to your PC required. (The Kindle uses the Sprint network which I have for my cell phone and I HATE it. One of the main reasons I went with the Nook.)

The reading display utilizes E ink® Vizplex™ technology which makes reading outdoors just as easy as indoors. (Note: the display is not backlight--it's not necessary. Backlighting would also drain battery power.) You can make the font bigger or smaller, and change the font face --there are two serifed faces and one sans serif face to choose from. I prefer the sans serif Helvetica font. (Serifs are those little "spurs" at the top and/or bottom of the letters...and no, I didn't have to look that up. I'm a font geek--goes back to my commercial art days in college.)

The Nook boasts it can store up to 1300 books...even more with its MicroSD slot (not available on the Kindle). New releases typically run $9.99 with earlier releases around $5.99.

The Nook also has a built-in audio player (MP3) which works fairly well. I don't care for the way it creates playlists, but I didn't buy it for the audio, so it's really no big deal.

B&N states the Nook's battery lasts 10 hours if you don't keep the wireless feature turned on. I haven't seen that kind of battery life and apparently, neither have a multitude of other Nook owners. That's really the only beef I have with the device. So far, I've been recharging about every third day. I can live with it, but I'm hoping future software upgrades will remedy the battery situation.

Overall, I love it. I've already read David Baldacci's "True Blue" and I'm currently working my way through Francis Chan's "Crazy Love" and "Super Freakonomics" by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner. What I like most is the fact that I can carry several books with me wherever I go. No more running out of stuff to read.

More Nook info here: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/nook/index.asp?cds2Pid=30195

Christmas Gift

One of my most memorable Christmas gifts received: Gumby and Pokey (I was in elementary school). Most memorable Christmas gift given: Dana's engagement ring (30 Christmases ago).

What's your's?

Can't Afford Christmas

A lady on TV receiving free toys from a local charity just said: "We're paying for a new car and a new house and we just can't afford Christmas this year."

Luck or Providence

It was the summer of 1990 and Iraq had just invaded Kuwait, although we didn't know it at the time. We had been camping in the mountains of Colorado for the past week with our Youth Group from church. Real camping--no radios, no TV, no newspaper. Just tents, sleeping bags, lanterns, our Bibles and beauty of the Colorado mountains just outside of Leadville (elevation 10,152 feet).

We were on our way home and as we neared Hays, KS, we suddenly lost power steering. It didn't take us long to discover we had thrown a belt on the van we were driving. Our caravan consisted of five 15-passenger vans at capacity and we were about five miles from town. We split the kids up into the remaining four vans and headed into Hayes in hopes of finding a replacement belt.

We pulled off I-70 at the first exit and found a convenience store that just happened to be right across the street from a service station. Sadly however, the station was closed. Now, at this time, there wasn't much in Hays. It's been years since I've been through there, so that may have changed, but at this particular time, our choices were limited...at the moment looking non-existent. We figured we might as well get something to drink, grab a local phonebook and start looking for garages that might have a replacement fan belt.

As we entered the store, I glanced at the headlines of the paper on the rack next to the cashier. "Bill! Iraq invaded Kuwait," I shouted to one of the other Youth sponsors. The cashier look at me with a puzzled look and said, "Where have you guys been? On a mountain somewhere? They did that yesterday!" "Matter of fact," I answered, "We have. In fact, we're on our way home and we've shredded the belt on our van. Any chance you know who owns the garage across the street?" "Yeah," the cashier replied flatly, "but Ron closed around 4:00; he closes early on Friday afternoons. Won't be back 'til tomorrow morning." Not what we wanted to hear...and then it happened.

As we stood there trying to decide our next move, a vehicle pulled up into "Ron's" garage, and a man we assumed to be Ron, walked over to the huge sign at the edge of the property and began to change the gasoline prices. We ran across the street...hoping...praying. Seems Ron figured with all that fighting in the oil countries, he stood to make a little profit, he told us. "What can I do for ya?" he finally asked. "We need a belt like this for our van that's sitting on I-70," someone stated holding out what was left of our shredded fan belt. "'Fraid I'm not going to be able to help ya," Ron said. "That's a Dodge belt and we don't carry that size. Everybody 'round here drives Fords."

"Could you at least look?" we asked, actually more begged. "Won't do any good," he said, "but I'll look." As we walked into the garage, we noticed the parameter of the building was lined with belts of all sizes and shapes. Ron explained: "Ya see, you need a "such-and-such" size belt and we just don't stock those. It's kind of an odd size." Looking up at one area of the wall, he continued, "If I did have one, it would be...right..." There was a long pause, then Ron nearly whispered: "There." Our eyes followed Ron's and hanging there all by itself on the wall was a belt. Our belt. "Well I'll be danged!" Ron exclaimed. "I've never stocked that size or style belt! How in the heck did that get there?!" "It was probably my part-time help," he said as he grabbed a long stick to retrieve the belt. "I had him do the ordering last week, and he must have ordered the wrong one."

"No," someone said. "He ordered the right one."

We paid Ron, left him scratching his head about the belt and counting his gasoline profits. We all piled into the vans, made the trip back out to our stranded van and a short time later, we were heading back home...with our new belt that Ron normally doesn't stock. We know Who was really doing the ordering the previous week...and He works full-time.

What Will People Remember

I got the news this afternoon: a friend from High School had died. We were in the same graduating class and had gone to school together since grade school. We were in band together- she played the flute, I played the drums. We liked some of the same music/artists, one in particular: Grand Funk. For her birthday (I think) I drew a poster of Mark, Don and Mel. She loved it and told me she'd keep it so that one day when I became a famous graphic artist, she could tell everyone she had a "Keith Original." I never became famous, but at our last reunion, she told me she still had the poster...after over 30 years!

After I hung up the phone, I wondered about her. What had she been doing all these years? We saw each other at the class reunions, but like lots of High School classmates, we really hadn't kept in touch over the years. How many children did she have? What kind of work did she do? What hobbies did she have? Where did she go to church? Was she happy? Did she have lots of friends? Why?...just why?

I didn't know the answer to those questions. So...I thought about the things I did know, the things I remember:

• We laughed a lot during those years; she had an infectious laugh.
• She was a good friend. I'm glad I got to know here during those years.
• She was one of the first females to go through the Drafting program at the local Vo-Tech. That was a big deal back in the 70s. I remember talking to her about it and how she was apprehensive and yet, determined at the same time. She made it through the program just fine.
• She was the FFA Queen our Senior year. Don't why I remember that; I wasn't even in FFA.

Thinking about her death, made me think about my own. Let's face it, one of these days, we're all going to come to the point in this journey. One of my favorite songs by Grand Funk is "Closer to Home." Each day we're getting closer to "home." What will people remember about me when I'm gone? Was I a good friend? Will they remember the funny stuff? Was I a good husband, a good father? Life goes by pretty fast. I hope I'll leave some good memories behind...In the meantime, there are some areas I need to work on NOW, while I have the time.

Thanks for the good memories, Marci.

Flyin'

I don't fly very often, only when my job requires it. I really don't like flying--on commercial airlines that is. I have a couple of friends that own small airplanes and I enjoy flying with them, but that's different...mainly because I don't have to deal with other passengers.

Last week I had to fly to Houston for a 3-day conference. Southwest Airlines flies from Tulsa to Houston non-stop, which made it nice not having to switch planes, etc which would have been required flying with the other airlines. I just wanted to get on the plane and get there. Another thing about Southwest is they don't have assigned seating. You just board and pick a seat; at least that way you don't have to sit by someone that looks creepy.

Besides the creepy looking passengers, I also like to avoid the ones that look "chatty." I don't know what it is about being on an airplane, but I really don't want to be bothered when I'm flying. I don't like the close quarters, and I particularly don't care for the smell of onions belching from the breath of the person next to me as they let me--and all the other passengers--know they are on their way to [fill in city] to watch her son/daughter/niece/nephew/grandchild compete in the "America Has Only Three Talented People" competition "and my [relative] is currently in the lead! They're gonna win!!! All the other competitors suck!"

I like to find someone that is ALREADY reading a book or sleeping OR has the most disgusted look on their face that says: "Don't speak to me" and I plop down beside them. Mumbling a quick "hello," I stow my carry-on, insert the earbuds, turn on my iPod, and turn to the bookmarked page of the novel I've brought along for this very purpose. It makes flying tolerable and it seems to work out pretty well.

Now if we could just figure out how to deal with passengers that think the plane seat is a Lazy-Boy-RECLINER!!! I seem to always get stuck behind that clod."

That Doesn't Make It Right

WARNING: The following post could be offensive to some people. You've been warned.

Take a look at the three graphics below. All three are available as window decals from all kinds of sources on and off the internet. Two of them are obviously crude and sophomoric--regardless of your political views. Why anyone would place them on a vehicle as a "statement" is beyond me. But to the matter at hand, ALL THREE graphics have the following in common: THEY ALL VIOLATE COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT LAWS.

    

Bill Watterson, creator of the Calvin and Hobbes comic strip, never licensed the use of his characters for t-shirts, decals, etc. "He refused to merchandise his creations on the grounds that pasting Calvin and Hobbes images on commercially sold mugs, stickers, and T-shirts would devalue the characters and their personalities." (Source) What that means, folks, is that every one of these images sold or used for commercial purposes is a violation of the law...better put, IT'S STEALING. Plan and simple.

The fact that the center graphic depicts the Calvin character praying (and not urinating on something) doesn't make it right. It's still not authorized by its creator; the person selling the graphic has taken something that doesn't belong to them and used it for profit. And if you have one of these on your car, you're contributing to the theft.

Funny thing: Bill Watterson is an atheist according to most bio websites.

Prayer

I pray--nowhere near as much as I should or could, but I do pray. I believe when I pray, God hears every word and is actively involved in answering my prayers. I believe prayer works. I don't believe I "get" everything I pray for. Sometimes God says "no" or "wait;" those are the tough answers.

I pray in the morning because it helps me start my day better. I tell God about the things that are on my mind (like He doesn't already know). I talk to Him about the things that worry me, even though I know the Bible says "don't worry;" I still do sometimes. I pray for my wife and kids every day, that they will have a good day a work and school...and that God would be gracious to bring them back to our home safely that night. Every time we sit down together for our evening meal, I thank God for giving our family one more day together.

I pray at night as I lay my head on my pillow. I thank God for one more day. Some people woke up this morning and by the end of the day, their life had been shattered by a tragedy. God, in His mercy, spared me/us from any harm today. I thank Him for that. I also pray for rest. Peace. For the troubles of the day to be swept away from my thinking and God's peace, assurance of His love for me, to fill my mind as I drift to sleep.

Many years ago, I got into the habit of breaking down my daily prayers--usually in the morning--into specific areas throughout the week. On Mondays, I pray for the people in the Adult Sunday School class I teach. I pray for them and the prayer requests they've made known in class the day before. I pray specifically for each request. I know God is already aware of those situations, but it serves once again to remind me how much I depend on God.

On Tuesday, I pray for and thank God for people that are and have been Godly influences in my life. I thank God for:

• Monroe Palmer- pastor of the church I grew up in.
• Jim Carty-first youth minister I had. We still visit from time to time.
• Sunday School teachers growing up--Mrs. Burnley, Mrs. Spyres, Mrs. Wright, Roy McGee, Frank Johnson, Charlie Miller, Estelle Williams, Phil/Kathy Cook.
• Former and current pastors.

Wednesdays, I pray about needs in our church, i.e. people having or recovering from surgery, fianances (especially during this economic downturn), families going through difficult situations. I pray for the safety of our men and women serving in the military, our country's leaders.

I pray for unsaved friends and co-workers on Thursdays. Some of them I've been praying for over 20 years. I remind myself that God works on a different time table than I do. I have seen some of them come to repentance and be saved; others appear to be as far from God as the day I put them on "the list." I'll keep praying.

Fridays, I pray specifically for my family-- each and every member; brothers, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, parents, mother and father-in-law, and of course my own immediate family. Each one gets mentioned by name. I pray for their safety, their faith, their health, etc.

Over the years I've come to understand that it's not about me getting what I ask for/pray about. It's more about me leaning on God and Him changing the way I think to the way HE thinks. Psalm 37:4 says - Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. I believe that verse teaches when we "delight" in God, depend on Him--He in turn changes us to have the right desires. His ways become our ways. For the record, God is still working on me. So...I pray.

Vacation

The past few years, Dana and I have taken the opportunity to go on vacation by ourselves while our youngest son is at church camp. This year, we decided to spend a few days in Branson, MO then drive down to the Buffalo River below Harrison, AR and spend a few days there. We got up Monday morning (07/06), saw the boy off to camp, threw our stuff in the pickup and hit the road!

In Branson, we stayed in a cabin at the Westgate Resort. Rather than staying in the lodge at the resort, we found some cabins located on the property that were owned by private individuals. We chose one of the cabins owned by Ron and Linda Blevins. We didn't know the Blevins nor did we know anyone that had rented from them, but the online reviews were all positive, the cabins looked nice...so we took a chance.

The Blevin's cabin we stayed in was A3 and it was PERFECT! Full-size kitchen, flat panel TV with DVD player, screened-in back porch complete with another TV and porch swing...and the piece de resistance--a king size Sleep Number ® bed! There was also a juccuzi tub. The cabin was tastefully decorated (as far as cabin decorations go) and furnished with the basic cooking utensils, plates, etc. We didn't cook, but did make use of the coffee maker. Even though we were inside the resort, we felt like we were off somewhere in the Ozark mountains; very private and quiet. Just what we were looking for. The really nice thing is the resort is located just off the "blue route"/Shepherd of the Hills Expressway in Branson which gave us very easy access to all the attractions we wanted to see, without having to drive on Hwy 76! You know what I'm talking about if you've been there. We stayed two nights in this cabin.

Tuesday we went to Silver Dollar City--west of Branson. SDC is like stepping back in time, when things were a little simpler and less hectic. The park features over 50 different crafts shops from wood carvings to candles to homemade candies and blown glass. The "town" is designed to look like a typical 1880's mountain settlement with the shop owners/craftworkers dressed in period clothing. There are 30 rides and attractions for kids of all ages. You won't get hungry there either--there's plenty of food! We spent the day just enjoying the various shops; no standing in line for rides for us this trip. We did make sure we bought some of the made from scratch candy and a bag of pork rinds!

Wednesday was spent in Dogwood Canyon, south of Branson. We had heard about the park from family members and friends. The canyon/park was created by Bass Pro Shop owner, John Morris, and encompasses over 2000 acres of streams, waterfalls and pools teeming with brown and rainbow trout. The park also boasts herds of elk, deer and North American bison. The hiking/bike trail(s) in the park are paved and cover a little of 7 miles that wind through the canyon. You can see more of the pictures I took here. We rented bikes and rode some of the trails, took a break for a picnic lunch we had packed, then took their tram tour through the canyon and mountain ranch where the big animals were. A long day, but well worth it. I'd like to go back in the Fall and get some more pictures. That evening, we drove down to Ponca, AR and our cabin at Buffalo Outdoor Center.

Buffalo Outdoor Center (BOC) was started in 1976 by Mike Mills as a canoeing operation. Mike and his wife, Rhonda, have since added 18 cabins and a lodge. Area activities include canoeing, hiking, wildlife watching and camping. We like BOC because of its remote location and the shear beauty of the area. On our way to BOC, we stopped and picked up some steaks for grilling and a few other groceries for our two day stay. We had booked a cabin in the valley this time--we stayed at BOC in 2006 in their Mountain Sunrise cabin and figured we would try something different this time. The thing we really like about BOC is the quiet and solitude. There is no TV reception in Ponca and our cell phones had no service...it was GREAT! We took some books, some DVDs (the cabins do have TVs and DVD players) and left work at home! They steaks were GREAT, by the way.

Thursday morning we slept in--8:30 AM! We had tickets to Noah - The Musical in Branson for that afternoon, which wasn't a really good plan since we had already been there earlier in the week, but that's just how the schedule/ticket availability worked out. The show was really good, even though I'm really not a "musical" guy. The stage sets/props were very impressive and they did a pretty good job of sticking with the Biblical text...for the most part. I won't spoil it for you by telling you if they made it off the boat or not. 8^)>

Friday morning we got up early in order to beat the heat for our hike to Hawksbill Crag aka Whitaker Point. The dirt road off the highway is a 12-mile trek up a sometimes very narrow dirt road just to get to the trail head. The hike into the crag is fairly easy and about 1.5 miles through the woods. The view from the crag is breathtaking. We sat out there for quite a while just enjoying the view of the valley and enjoying the cool breeze. The hike back--although the same distance--was a little tougher since (a) the temperature had risen probably 10 to 15 degrees since we started in on the trail (b) our water wasn't cold any more, but we were glad to have it (c) the return trip is more uphill. Needless to say, we were sweaty messes by the time we made it back to the truck.

All-in-all, a great week--just the two of us. I love these kinds of trips where we can go at our own pace, stop whenever we want (or not), actually carry on a conversation without being interrupted, and eat at restaurants WE like. I also love trips like this that commemorate important stages in our lives--this was our "29th wedding anniversary trip." Who would would have "thunk" it?!

Catching Up

Wow! It's been over a month since I've posted here. I've been busy working on my office bookcases--I'm building and painting all the components before I install them, so that's taking a little more time than I would prefer. Hope to have that completed and have pics up soon.

Photography
I've let my photography fall by the wayside lately; gotten out of the habit of taking my camera whenever I go out. I did manage to take a few pics this past month. A couple of friends from high school and I attended the Doobie Brothers concert in Muskogee, OK earlier in June. Got some pretty good photos before security informed me that a "camera with interchangeable lenses was not allowed. The band considers that to be professional photography." Everybody else and their dog was snapping pics with their point-and-shoot cameras--in spite of the "no flash photography" signs posted everywhere. Oh, well. More Doobie photos here

Also went to the Hogs 'N Rods Rally in Collinsville. There were a lot more vendors this year than in the past. I don't own a motorcycle or a "hot rod," but I love looking at the paint jobs. More Hogs 'N Rods photos here.

Politics
Let's see, in the world of politics, BO continues to be hell-bent on taxing the dog-snot out of those of us that chose to get off our butts and work for a living. Funny, I thought he promised not to do that. While the rest of the country/world was going nuts over Michael Jackson's death, our self-centered Congress passed the "cap and trade" bill. It still has to make it through the Senate, but I'm not so sure there's enough "No" votes to shoot it down.

It cracks me up to listen to all the global warming people talk about how we need to save the planet...as if we really could. I think we should be good stewards of what we've been given, but there's nothing--repeat NOTHING, we can do that will stop the inevitable. The book of Revelation says this place is going to be burned up and replaced with a new one when Jesus comes back. Why would we want to save this dump? The new one has GOT to be better...especially without the politicians!

Happy Birthday, America
In spite of all of the silliness and greed that goes on in America, I still thinks it's the best place in the world to live. Sadly, I don't think we are far from collapse thanks to the "hope and change" we got back in November 2008. I hope I'm not here to watch it happen. Until then, Happy 233rd Birthday, America! Thank you to all the men and women who have and continue to serve and protect us...military, police, fire, etc. You guys are the real American heroes.

Anniversary

In 1977, I had just completed two semesters of college/technical school and was home on break before returning for the summer semester. The annual Tri-County Fair was coming up and I took the opportunity to earn a few bucks by painting "window splashes" announcing the event. Actually, this was what got me started down the road of sign painting, but that's another story.

I don't remember how much I charged for each window, but I could knock out about two or three of them in a day. A cartoon character barnyard animal and large bright letters "Come to the Tri-County Fair" was painted on just about every business window on Main Street. I was raking it in, doing something that came naturally. People would stop, watch and ask questions: "How do you make those lines so straight? Did you take drawing lessons to do that? Is that all free-hand?" Invariably, someone would tell me a story about a man they knew who painted signs. "His hands just shake like crazy until he gets a couple belts in him. Then, he can paint a straight line without even using a ruler! Do you drink?"

I had been painting for several days when one afternoon, a group of high school students came by. One of them lived behind us growing up; we had also attended the same church, so even though he was a few years younger than me, Raymond and I knew each other pretty well. There were about five or six boys and girls with Raymond, but he did most of the talking. He/they asked the same questions everybody else had; no one had a drinking story.

At one point in the conversation, I turned to face the group...that's when I saw her. She wore her blonde hair in a very short style. Her green eyes twinkled and that smile... For some reason I have it in my head she was wearing red shorts-very SHORT red shorts, which I'm sure helped in catching my attention. I actually knew her in name only because she had dated the brother of a former girlfriend, but we had never actually spoken to each other. I wasn't going to pass up the chance to talk now. I noticed she was wearing some of those "short socks"--you know the kind that barely come above the top of your shoes--so I blurted out what I thought would be a great opening line: "Hey, your socks fell down." Pretty corny, eh? As soon as I said it, I thought so too, but she laughed and that's all that mattered at the time.

The group stood around for a few more minutes and then left. I don't recall if she and I carried on any kind of conversation that day, but I vowed I was going to find out if she was dating anyone and if not, get her phone number. She wasn't (dating anyone) and I did (get her phone number). I called her some time later and she invited me over to meet her parents. You can read that story (in part) here.

Fast forward to May 31, 1980 -- our wedding day. By now, her parents had come to grips (resigned themselves) with the fact that we were getting married. I was 22, Dana was 19; just a couple of dumb kids madly in love. It's not that her parents disliked me; I think they just didn't like the idea of Dana getting married so young. Undeterred by theirs--or anyone else's--misgivings, we purchased a 900 square foot house in our hometown shortly after becoming engaged. I moved into the house, while Dana still lived with her parents. Dana and I would go to work everyday and then every night, she would come over and we would paint, hang wallpaper, etc. getting the house ready to become our "first home."

The Saturday of our wedding finally arrived. I had a couple of buddies over the night before just to hang out; no big bachelor party. We all fell asleep in the living room. That morning, they all went home to get ready for the wedding. I was home by myself...and that's when it happened: my ADHD kicked in. I was getting ready to go to the church--had my tux all ready, luggage packed and had a couple of minutes to kill, so I turned on the TV. Big mistake, because the St. Louis Cardinals were playing that day! I thought, "I'll just watch a few minutes of this, catch the score and then head out." Didn't happen. I sat down, became engrossed in the game and the next thing I knew it was SEVERAL innings later and HER DAD is knocking on the door! He had come looking for me when I didn't show up at the church. Not a good way to start a wedding or a relationship with the future father-in-law! I grabbed my stuff, rushed out the door and drove to the church in record time--her dad followed me, probably making sure I made it. He seemed to be very angry or concerned; I wasn't sure. I just knew I was late!

I arrived at the church in time to change and be ready to walk out with the preacher and groomsmen at the appropriate time. And the the rest is history! She said "I do." I said "I do." And "we have" ever since. Twenty nine years later, I still love her smile, and that twinkle in her eyes. She still thinks I say stupid things. I don't remember a lot of the details of the ceremony, but I do remember that our favorite song at the time was "Longer" by Dan Fogelberg. We had it played right before the ceremony started. It's still one of our favorites.

Longer by Dan Fogelberg
Longer than there've been fishes in the ocean
Higher than any bird ever flew
Longer than there've been stars up in the heavens
I've been in love with you.

Stronger than any mountain cathedral
Truer than any tree ever grew
Deeper than any forest primeval
I am in love with you.

I'll bring fire in the winters
You'll send showers in the springs
We'll fly through the falls and summers
With love on our wings.

Through the years as the fire starts to mellow
Burning lines in the book of our lives
Though the binding cracks and the pages start to yellow
I'll be in love with you.

Longer than there've been fishes in the ocean
Higher than any bird ever flew
Longer than there've been stars up in the heavens
I've been in love with you
I am in love with you.

Supreme Court Nominee

PBO nominated appeals court judge Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court on Tuesday, making her the first Hispanic in history to be elevated to the high court. Judge Sotamayor is quoted saying:

I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experience would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.

I thought the Supreme Court was supposed to APPLY the laws of our land, not filter them through their personal experiences. Silly me.

Memorial Day

Today is Memorial Day. I never served in the military; the draft had been done away with by the time I turned 18 and I didn't feel compelled to volunteer. There have been many times I wish I had. I love America; she's not a perfect country, but she's mine. I cherish the freedoms we have (for now) and the heritage we have in the this country. I love singing the Star Spangled Banner...REAL LOUD.

One thing I like about Memorial Day is watching the ceremony of laying the wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington. We got to see it in person a couple of years ago. It was awesome. This year, however, I don't think I'll watch.

I don't like BO and what he is trying to do/is doing to our country. I don't like the way he has treated our service men and women. In my opinion, he isn't worthy to shine the boots of those valiant men and women who put themselves in harm's way to protect our freedoms and keep the peace around the world. The image of him on the same hollowed ground as those heroic, fallen soldiers is more than I can stomach. I won't watch--I can't. Instead, Dana and I are planning on going to a local cemetery where the local Civil Air Patrol will be reenacting the Changing of the Guard at a replica of the Tomb of the Unknowns.

Thank you to all of our service men and women. You are GREAT AMERICANS!

Giving as I Say, Not as I Do

PBO and Mrs. PBO spoke to college graduates this past weekend, basically encouraging them to get involved and give back to society...as if these were NEW ideas. They may be with Democrats/Liberals and people like BO, but I've got news for the President and his wife: people have been "giving back" for quite a while!

Organizations like Habitat for Humanity, Salvation Army, American Red Cross, and Big Brothers and Big Sisters (to name a few) didn't just show up on the map yesterday and people have been giving their time and money to these organizations longer than BO ever thought about being a "community organizer."

Don't get me wrong--I'm all about giving, but not because someone TOLD me I should or have to. My parents modeled that attitude all during my growing-up years and they still do today. I grew up knowing that everything...EVERYTHING I have is because of God's grace and goodness toward me. Consequently, my life has been filled with giving to others in the form of my time as a volunteer coach for little league sports, youth sponsor at church, participant in community projects for those less fortunate--as well as consistently giving a predetermined, conscious portion of our family income to our church, as well as many other benevolent organizations on a local and national level. I do it because I want to. I'd do it even if there wasn't a tax break for doing so. I do it because it's right. Sadly, doing what is "right" seems to have fallen along the wayside for many.

The Obama's spoke to the graduates as if the concept of giving rested entirely on their shoulders and that through THEIR giving and participation in community affairs, the planet would be saved. Hallejuah!! It's actually sad to me that graduates have to be encouraged to "give back." I guess that means they (a) haven't been giving all along and/or (b) their parents did a bad job instilling a more generous/thankful attitude in their children. Obama talks a pretty good talk, but according to this source:

Up until recent years when their income increased sharply from book revenues and a Senate salary, Obama's family donated a relatively minor amount of its earnings to charity. From 2000 through 2004, the senator and his wife never gave more than $3,500 a year in charitable donations -- about 1 percent of their annual earnings. In 2005, however, that total jumped to $77,315 (4.7 percent of annual earnings), and to $60,307 in 2006 (6.1 percent).

The old saying "do as I say, not as I do" comes to mind.

Great Quote

"From my own experience visiting the troops in the Middle East, I can tell you this...Despite how the conflict has been portrayed by our glorious media, if you gave any U.S. soldier a gun with two bullets in it, and he found himself in an elevator with Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Osama bin Laden, there's a good chance that Nancy Pelosi would get shot get shot twice, and Harry Reid and bin Laden would be strangled."

(Attributed to golf announcer David Feherty)