Carpal Tunnel Butt.

It's not a hand thing. Nope! It's not even carpal tunnel syndrome. It's Carpal Tunnel Butt! That's not to announce the arrival of a new, funky, super hero. Sorry, Stan Lee is not here and NO, we ain't related! He's a multi millionare and I'm a computer/photo editing/writer junkie with carpal tunnel butt!

The photo layout for this post isn't behaving at the moment. The photo at top right is of Tara Hitchcock and Brad Perry preparing to do their first segment of the morning broadcast.

I actually got off of my computer chair last week to run down town and shoot a few image of a taping that Channel 3 was doing for a Good Morning America segment in our little Safford hamlet.

Monument Valley Sunst

All days must come to an end. Each day contains its own defeats and its own successes. The sunset is God's autograph to the end of that day and heralds in a night of peace and rest. It is a time to forget what lie behind us and to put our minds at ease. There is no tomorrow yet. For now ... all is quiet.

This shot of Monument Valley's the Mittens at sunset only shows one thing. God is the artist!

Face of Joy!

Remember our youth? Mom & Dad took care of everything. Our world was one of innocence and adventure. Our joy knew only the boundries that youth came with in those days.

My neice's son, Isaiah, reminds us of those times that our smile were not limited by adult concerns. Those were the days when joy knew laughter beyond control.

Lion

Lions are a fascinating force of power and grace. These traits catch our eyes as we watch in curiosity and wonder. What's going through his mind? What's he thinking? Maybe it's best that you put that snack away. He is looking at you!

Newest Work

I guess that it is my mature to take on many projects all at once, to learn yet to diversify. This seems to come to many an imcompletion on some projects, but offers the pleasantry of variety.

As of late my attention has been drawn to not only taking photographs but editing them as well to upgrade effect. I am even dabbling in restoration some what.

Added to all the above I am quite involved now with developing a new web site for my art as well as developing a book for pre-teens and early teens. I digress ... Below I shall show you some of my latest work as copyrighted.

The image above is entitled Kisses of the Past.

As we grow older our stamina decreases. Our abilities began to realize their limitations and we grow more fond of the memories of our past.

In this shot an elderly gentleman blows bubbles into the air and watches them as they change. The final buble contains the memories of his first love and his first kiss. He never forgets the joys he shared a the twinkle of his eye reveals his heart.

Diversification Procrastination

I absolutly love doing my photographic work and editing the images on the computer!

Yet, I seem to have run into a unique situation in that I enjoy too many projects at the same time. It's fun to bounce from one to another to so that no project grows stale. Problem is that none get finished easily that way though. This is what I like to call, "diversification procrastination."

The photo that you see here looks like an old cowboy. That is the image that I wanted to portray with this character. The truth is that he is a wanderer, a homeless man who occasionally appears outside of the local WalMart and plays his guitar and sings for extra change.

This is a taste of photographic art ... to get the viewer to see want you want them to see or to get the message that you are sending within the image. Interpretations differ on images adding flavor to the art as well.

Wednesday night, Oct. 9th, 2006.

What a wonderful night it was! It was a great honor to be asked to read my story (poem) This Old House and share the testimony of songwriter Stuart Hamblin and the Rosemary Clooney story as well.

Around Oct. 13th I'd written my story and e-mailed it to Phil just to share it with him. It was a story that I felt was truly inspired by the Lord. It came to mind one night in the wee hours of the morning during the restlessness of the night. I'd needed something to do to occupy my mind. After a moments prayer This Old House was produced.

After Phil had read it he pointed out a song by Stuart Hamblin that was amazingly similiar to my story. Stuart's testimony of his conversion was included in the reading last night as was the mention of having met Rosemary in Chandler some time back. You see, Rosemary Clooney was the person that Stuart Hamblin had written the song for at the time.

Phil gave me a nice introduction after speaking briefly on members of the congregation being urged to release their God given talents. AJ & Traci played the keyboard and the guitar as background music during the poem reading and it was so beautiful as to be mesmerizing!

When completed there was a really sweet applause and a wonderful speech from Phil that could have been nothing less than words given to him from the King! It was such an honor!

Bobby joined me for the evening in support and we followed the show with a nice dinner and retired for the evening.

Thank-you, Lord, for all these things!

Guilt by association?

Have you ever known a person who's spirit was so infectous that it rubbed of on you? These kind of people can, on many levels, shape a persons way of thinking and acting without effort.

I guess that it's like the phrase, "guilt by association." Though I wouldn't naturally assume that guilt is the motivation or product of association with any particular person it does make a point worthy of consideration.

Parents often warn their kids to watch who they play with our hang out with to keep them out of trouble. I'd like to go one step further with that thought. How do we pick our friends and what determines our choices.

Do we choose our friends with the same standards that we teach our children or do we just roll into relationships that feel good and keep us comfortable?

The turned photo here is of a friend that has my respect. His personality is more than infectious! It's edifying! He is a Christian friend who's mind, soul & heart are focused on God. The joy of the Lord is evident in his life and attitude. In being around him one would walk away with a smile and a sense of well being ... and the knowledge and desire to praise the Lord!

How do we teach our children? We live what we teach!

New Life

Never mind the date on this photo. It was taken this morning at New Life City Church in Safford, Az. on the 29 of Oct., 2006. This shot shows a portion of our praise and worship team.

I really enjoy our music time at the church there! It has a real upbeat pace to it and is very condusive to worship as well.

Our pastor, Phil, is a delightful character. He preaches well and has a style that I really appreciate. He's got a Texan twang in his voice, a tall cowboy demeaner and he delivers the Word in such a way as to hold my attention well.

I am so grateful to the members and 'family' that I have at New Life! They've always been close and attentive, ready with sincere prayer that brings answers and actions that can only be from God.

Unless God dictates other wise I would like to spend the rest of my life in Safford. The small town atmosphere is such a blessing to my 'one day at a time' mentality! It's a lot like the little town that I grew up in in Indiana.

New Life shall be my home untill the Lord brings me to my home in Paradise.

Time is Made from Scarlet Vines

Time is made from scarlet vines that flow through our lives like arteries that pass through the flesh of our lives. It is woven in with the intricacy of a master design and leaves no edges frayed what we can not see.

Time is the taunting of a promise made in which longevity is the supposed gift, but a promise never made. It is the bait that we seek in a race that we pray never ends and only does so when we least want it.

Time is the finality of one end and the beginning of another. It starts fairly measurable and transitions into eternity taunting us with the hopes that one is better than the other!

Time is the fantasy of travel in an escapist's world where reality is the waiting vengence of its cruel response.

Time is an hour glass that waits on us all!

Thrift Shop Addict

Thift Shop Addict!

I sure do like a real good deal!
Something about a bargain holds such appeal!
I didn't need that something then, but I'll buy it now!
I just dig that saw blade with its painted on cow!

My house is a mess I'll have to agree,
People drop by to buy whatever they see!
I know my homes a junkyard's mess to the eye,
But, I'll fix that when I find nice shelves to buy!

I make no money, but I spend it well!
I can find a deal with age or musty smell!
My clothes come into style every three or four years.
Each piece has been stained with someone else's tears.

It seems like a Father once sent His Son who died,
Even for those who persecuted and denied.
He offered a gift to set us free,
At a cost that was paid for just you and me!

It's a bargain and a deal for sure you know!
Just accept His gift and let His light show.
Live for Him and let others see the way.
Help them live for Him in each new day!

Other bargains sit on shelves in dust.
Those of metal show signs of rust!
Books lay in stacks of disrepair.
They certainly show some lack of care!

Oh, my Father accept my life which belongs to You!
Forgive my sin I pray and hold me true,
To each day in mercy and grace,
One day to see the majesty of Your face!

Lord, I shed my sin before You now!
Upon bent knees in prayer I bow,
To pray Your will to share with others this night.
That they to may come to know Your glory and Your might!

There is a treasure to find this day,
That is offered to you in every way!
Please draw close and know His love!
Let Him live within you and praise above.


Here I sit in the small thrift store.
They've all gone out and locked the door!
The lights grow dim and the bargains few.
Yet, I know the best deal and choose a life for You!

Only in Gerald's Mind!

I certainly can't miss any opportunity to record an event so funny as this! All logic dictates that this is one story to be shared.

On occasion something happens to everyone that doesn't seem funny to us at the time, but later brings a grin. To some of us who get to witness such an event it is both funny then and many years later as well.

It was September the 25th, 2006. Gerald and I sat across the table from each other in our local, Chinese buffet restaurant. We had been chatting away through a pleasant dinner on matters that seemed to have cultural bearing. Well, lets be more specific here. It was a conversation about racial discrimination and reverse discrimination.

As we wound down to the point of that topic Gerald noticed a young, Chinese girl walking up to the register about to pay her bill. "Excuse me, ma'am ..." his voice carried, "Could I have a ..." His question was broken when she smiled and said that she didn't work there.

It was funny that he had assumed that she worked there because she was Chinese, but utterly hilarious when he tried to cover his mistake with, "Oh, I just thought that you worked here because you all have white shirts!" So much for the conversation on discrimination!

That's not the end of the story. Gerald is black!

Only in Gerald's mind.

I Want to Marry an Old Woman.

I know it sounds crazy!
It may not be wise.
I want to marry an old woman,
Much before her senile demise!

I want a blue haired old lady,
Who knows her Ben Gay from her hose disarray!
I want to marry an old woman,
Who can play bingo all day!

She'll rock her rocker until she chokes blue.
It'll match her vericose veins of a similar hue!
I want to marry a toothless old lady,
Who can pucker yet kiss so true!

She'll get her s.s.i. check every month one day.
She'll bet on Bridge and thought she could play.
I want to marry an old woman with hair in her ear,
And can argue without spilling her beer!

She'll be tough as shoe leather,
But will scream at the change in the weather.
I want to marry an old woman whose bones will creak,
So I'll know where she walks and is every week!

She'll be able to spit from a car,
And collect chewed tobacco in a mason jar!
I want to marry an old woman you see,
Because she'll be just as honery as me!

We'll sit on the porch at night,
And argue about everything in sight!
We'll gripe about arthritis that aches,
And each pill we're given to take!

I want to marry an old woman you see,
We'll fuss about how often we pee!
We'll drink cranberry juice from a glass,
And fart showing simply no class.

I want to find an old woman for me,
Who's so blind she can barely see.
That way she won't mind when I stain my shorts,
While watching t.v., the news and the sports.

I want to marry an old woman who can talk and chew,
Her smoker's gum until the flavors through.
That there's the woman for me!
She's so honery she'll live to one hundred and three!

Stellar Harlequin

The night closed about me as a Stygian cloak embracing me in its starry veil. Very fabric held the mysteries of the universe and heralded them about my head as a hood enveloping eternity!

There, in its galactic praise, stood nebulas, quasars and deep realms of space that birthed stars and planets as a nursery holds the infants of youth. It was a place that marked the beginning and the end. All that was filled within was the elements of mystery.

Time danced upon this shroud as an elusive wraith that traveled with the light that was here one moment and gone the next. And it taunted me with a past unretreavable and a future not yet promised. It danced in the moment and faded with the elegance of a pirouette. About it was the raiment of light that spoke with brilliance into the eyes limited pupil and told the mind of things not yet designed.

This was the life and effigy of space. It was the headstone of the end that called out to the past to close with it shut tight as iron doors! What would follow? Was there a beginning to follow the end? Was there nothing or was nothing the illusion?

The Stygian cloak closed at my front. The hood grew forward and closed with its own end. I am no more. I am the pause that gave you thought.

This Old House

This old house is kind of strange! When it was new it held old the wonders of adventure and its walls were decorated with images that only memories of youth could represent. This old house was strong and weathered the elements in its early days. It stood as a marker for who we were and it stood in full glory and pride!

Now it eves hang slightly tilted. The wiring is a little frayed. The pipes are some what plugged from time to time and the support beams are slightly bent. Its windows are clear, but the sparkle that once lit within them has faded with time. Its rugs sag with fertive lament and it creeks with the passing of time.

This old house has heard the sound of wedding bells and the patter of little feet. It has heard the welcome sound of music that came from many hearts! It has graced the many holidays passed and shared the words of carolers far.

You know ... this old house may have its flaws now and then, but it is my body and I am grateful for its life. One day I will lay this old house down to final rest and I will leave it for a mansion in Paradisee!

I have a home above where no pain may live. There I will rise to my feet to sing amongst the angels! I shall raise my hands high and shout out "Praise the Lord most high!" and joy shall once again be my own!

This old house will pass away, but that which belongs to a King will rise to eternity! The owner of this old house has made a choice. He will choose to love the King and invite Him in this day. This old house is insured with a promise that will never be broken! Where is your home?

Air of the Coyote

They call them "chindi." They are the evil spirits that rattle the night. They live in ways like the Skinwalker who changes form from man to beast that they may live as the witches do in the land.

Mother in-law to be must wear a few small bells to alert the suitor for her daughter ... that he and mother must not meet untill after the wedding ceremony.

Coyote strolls the path of wisdom and defines the hunt. He is revered amongst the people and shunned amongst the dogs. It is them who gave the coyote his tail. He is the breeze of thought and I ... am the air of the coyote!

A Female Rain

It was a different world. I had left my own behind and my spirit stood naked before me. I saw my own identity and set it aside to take in all that was aroung me. Even the air that filled my lungs took in words that meant different things than I knew before. It was exciting and it was experience.

It was the world of the Navajo of Northern Arizona. It was their land, their culture and their generousity that gave me a new perspective. My friend and I were blessed to have the opportunity to spend time with a man and his family there that were like family of our own.

I helped with the tasks of shearing sheep and retrieving water from a distant well. Many a night it was my flashlight that guided me down the path to the little, rickity outhouse that stood on the hill nearby. I stood amongst the people who rode the bulls in local rodeos and let my camera preserve the memories. I was welcomed and I was happy!

I sat amongst the great tribal council in Window Rock and listened to the words of the native tongue and admired the ways of their lives. And I was honored to be invited into the tribal council chambers to visit with the President, Joe Shirley!

I tasted the breakfast of blue corn mush and the evening meal of fry bread and mutton. I spoke with the family and began to learn their words and ways.

I met a people who were sat a part from the world and yet were a part of its make up. I was honored in a world that knew no haste and I felt that life had meaning here. It was a place that did not set one man as better than another. It knew honor and it nurtured it! It was a land the time remembered. It was a time that I could never forget!

Our host for that weeks visit was and is more than a brother. He is a confidant who's life has tasted both the bitter and the sweet of the world and who's body defies its infirmities. He is blind and yet he calls it an "inconvenience." He hauls water, climbs wind mills that taunt the eagles! He cooks on open flame and treads the paths that man questions. He is a brother who takes one step backward and many forward denying in the infirmities that set us back in mere thought.

It was a different world! I stood in the wind that whiped through the dusty paths. The clouds gathered and left me in the female rain that gently preceeded the male's storm thought to come. I stood in peace. I stood in the Navajo way!

The Mind Ride

"Whoa! It's mighty lonely up here! Not much going on. Kinda' quiet too! Hey, down there! How's things goin'?"

"Going down here? Are you tryin' to be funny again, up there? You need a little more excercise, old man!"

"Everything's going just fine down here. If you'd just tell your boss a little more about fiber things would move a bit faster!"

"Just cause you're so close to the end of things ya'can't make a stink about it! I know that you're the middle man down there. Just be grateful that you ain't the end man there. He catches all the crap!"

"Well now ... That just makes my day! I get crap all day and all I get is more paper work for it! You are such a know it all up there!"

"You catch crap, eh? Me and the twin seem to catch that evidence! You sure do make a stink about it too!"

"Oh, you twins always have something to say! Just because we all live in the same vessal of the human body take it to 'heart' that this isn't eternal!"

"The sould is the one that's got it made here! While you mind, colon and rectum sit there and grovel in waste the soul has always got one real choice to make. It's a choice that has been taken to me, the heart, and shared with the mind that effects us all! The soul needs to be with Christ when all of you are done. It's a choice that only we can make and it has to be the right one!"

"So true, Heart! I won't be so lonely with my thoughts focused on the King and His Word! Let's what we can do to get the boss on the right path. There's a lot of joy in the Lord!"

Relevant Intelligence

I dare not claim intellegence! By man's mortality and judgement I am measured by standards of questionable intellect! How can man set a standard messure of intelligence when he, himself, is not the highest by his own standards?

Surely intelligence must be relevant to the individuals choices or to his own interests and capacity.

Does man judge intelligence by his own standards or that of God's? To measure what we consider intellegent is to eliminate God's perspective for our own. And, in so doing, forget the Word of God in the process!

Who is it that sets up the scales that weigh the balance of judgement in favor of either God or man? If we exist and behold a creation around us that was created we must acknowledge a creator. Can we acknowledge a founder of both man and God that might tip the scales in either direction? I think not.

Man cannot create the one and true living God! Man acknowledges his need as a spiritual being, therefore man is the creation of the living God who's life is manifest in the believer!

Intelligence ... is it relevant to God? The Scriptures only say that His way is higher and mightier than ours. Our minds are left at that, operating at their own capacity we call perception.

At that point intelligent becomes synonymous with wisdom and wisdom comes by hearing the Word of God!

Relevant intelligence. Who is wiser in the eyes of God? "For Solomon in all his glory was not cloaked as one of these ..." A wise king not even dressed his best was not even better than the lilies of the field which are here today and gone tomorrow.

We all know that John 3:16 declares the gift of God to man and the choice to live with Him eternally. Verse 17 even states the fact that judgement was not the intention, but grace and mercy offered!

Boil it down! Intelligence is the wisdom to know the difference and to accept the gift!!

The other choice? Lets just say it goes back to boiling!

Dear Reader .........

O.K.! So, I am assuming that you've read a few of these stories and posts by now, dear reader.
I would encourage you to feel free to post your thoughts and comments here any time! Your opinions are appreciated!

On a different note I'd like to pose some questions to you just to have some fun! Your responses there are welcome also.

1. A large boat is adrift in the ocean. It has been disabled by a fire that started in the galley. That fire threatens to consume the entire boat and its occupants quickly!

On board that boat is your best friend, a billionaire and your spouse. You can only rescue one. Which one will you choose?

2. You are the sheriff of a small town that is far, far away from any large town or city. A vile murderer is brought in and locked in one of your cells. He is the same murderer that killed your family five years ago. He is unarmed and has threatened you! No one is around. Your gun is loaded and in your hand. What do you do?

To Catch a Wish!

To catch a wish I bought the star.
To catch a wish I pulled the bone.
To catch a wish I threw the penny far!
To catch a wish I sold my throne.

I caught my wish and my dream came true!
If not for that wish I would've never caught you!!

The Question Was?

What was it that I saw the other day? I can't seem to remember. Oh, well. Must not have been important.

I remember that I was on my way out to the mailbox to get the mail then I remembered that I'd forgotten to turn off the stove.

On the way to the stove I noticed that the sink was dripping. So, I turned off the faucet enough to stop the drip and walked out to the mail box. As I looked through all the lousy bills I noticed that an awful smell was coming from the house. I ran in to find the chili pot boiling over!

Well, I turned off the stove just in time to hear the smoke alarm go off. It was an electric one so I couldn't pull out the battery to cease the shrill noise that it made. As I ran out to the garage I forgot that I had locked the door and had to go get the key.

While I was looking for that key the smoke alarm sparked and shorted out so I ran into the kitchen to fix that. I reached into my pocket for my pocket knife and found the keys that I'd forgotten were there!

I finally got every thing all solved and taken care of properly. Oh, what was your question now?

A Different World - Intangible Reality

Some call it "escapism." A way of moving mentally from reality into a source of fulfillment. It's found in a place that holds the mind where it does not have to face the truth ... no matter how horrid it may be. The sad part of escapism is that one eventually has to return what our society deems as reality.

There is a fine line between reality and the worlds that give us give us peace even if that peace comes with a price. That thin line is perception and it follows no logic dictated by the masses. It is the ticket from reality into our own world. And that world is contained within our minds and is sculpted by our desires.

The world within our minds bears no name. We call it what we will, but we define it by its gifts. Gifts we ironically call sanity! Our sign hangs outside our perception as tatered, frayed symbol of the mind passing from man's reality into the Shangra La that we have created. A place that some never return from.

My world is not like yours. It is not like anyone's! Here it is quiet and only I hold the controls. The sky is blue. Clouds may be summoned! Fish jump ready to be caught and they move in variety and abundance.

It is my Camelot where the only dragons that exist have been slain. Danger is left behind nursing pain as if it were a wound with no scab. The air is light and fresh! The breezes blow and tease my about my brow. Warmth comes only at my beckoning and cold is left to chill the night air above my quilts delight.

There is no stumble waiting for a toe. I run as I chose and am as free as the wind that harvest my grain. Laughter comes from the voice of my maiden in the distance. She is free of bond and her spirit soars the eagle's path. Here I stand to wait the warmth of her kiss. The spark in her eyes is my identity and I save for her the security she desires. There is no path to stumble here!

My world is closed. It begs no crowd! Invitation is only given by the need and passes when will dictates. Time is captive with limitations. It owns no length for I am the one who gives it will. I choose to roam by minutes tide and only then, if per chance, I will it on to lengthen only by my necessity.

Colors swirl about the bluest sky as a mist of paint at fancy's whims. My hands are wide and strong! I bear no infirmity and stand as a knight who's armor is my breast! My flesh is firm. My eyes are true! The arrow's tip sails from bow to sky and stirs the colors about my head as a crown.

The maiden passes. Her heart is light and her smile shows in the glow of her face. All is peace. All is well!

Some people call it "escapism." I choose not to return!! The label scratches my neck. It reads, "Asylum." Words float in the wretched world of man! "Insanity! Catatonic!!" The door is closed, shut tight and sealed with haste!

A Peacock Bass broke the water's surface! I must go now to call the breeze. The fish are biting!

Tellin' The Devil Off!

It was late in the night. Sleep was an evasive entity patroling the stygian depths of the night else where. In its place worked the restless thoughts of doubt and worry in a still, quiet voice that said, "Are you sure there is a heaven? You think that you're going to see your family again?"

I tossed and turned all night in a quilt that tangled about my feet! Then I settled my mind and prayed, "Lord, my mind is a maddening place! Please give me peace to understand and peace to rest!" My mind slowly began to ease and rest. Then these words came to mind which I shouted out to the enemy,

"I hear your words, Satan! Therefore you exist! Since you exist God must exist! Since God does exists so does His Word!

Since His Word exists and is all so true ... you in a LOT of trouble!!"

There is a saying that is a great tool: When the devil reminds you of your past remind him of his future!

1 John 4:4 - Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world!

Mind Event

Oh, wayward thing the mind complex,
Its nature our thoughts it effects!
By light of day it wonders necessitie's way.
With alacrity its dreams does give cause to sway!

Its kindred heart does costs us thought,
And yet perplexes man with with anger brought.
It is a task, alacrity pursuant!
Thus the mind complex we simply grant.

Flavors of Time

Time is a fickle youth seeking to grow old. It is the perveyor of logic and yet we crave more of it as an extension of life.

Humanity wonders at its quick passing and stands in awe of its longevity by the passing of day. And yet, somnilance creates the illusion of time well savored in sleeps renewing mode.

Time is unpredictable yet we sit in certain thought that tomorrow will come without choice. Though we are not guaranteed that tomorrow will arrive we either rejoice in that hope or dread its gifts.

Time is a fickle tease that taunts the minds of mankind. Time has a flavor and its taste is our concepts.

The Rift

Such an unusual race! You have a beautiful, green planet that is covered more than 70% by water. You have oxygen and a cycle that replenishes both. There is game to hunt and soil that will bear crops. You have the intelligence to better yourselves and yet you seek out other planets and the mysteries of the galaxy!

You call my home planet "Mars - The Red Planet." It wasn't always red. It was once just like your own planet! My people became "advanced." We eliminated the usefullness of our own world for a higher purpose. We had to leave.

We did find another planet not far away. Its surface is covered by more than 70% water. It is a green planet in which the cycles replenish themselves. History repeats itself and ... it will close the rift.

Gone Fishin'

Can anything compare to the simple joy of fishing on a cool evening? Big surprises may be nice on a big events like anniversaries, but nothing tops a great day in a fishing boat or a nice catch from the bank!

I'll admit a good movie, a hot bowl of popcorn, a recliner and a cold drink come pretty close, but you just can't fillet a d.v.d.!

When that bobber drifts for a while toping the crest of the occasional tiny wave it calls for the anticipation as only the fisherman can give. It beckons to both the game and the fisherman as a beacon calls to the watchman and the ship at sea. Its sudden plunge into the depths signals the fisherman's reflex and tells the fish that the two have been paired, at last, for adventure! And it's the joy of the return that brings satisfaction.

Pure Delight!

I'd like to know how many people really enjoy the cyber world as much as I do, but find computer jargon confusing?
How many people find a pop up or some irritating information that tells you that you can't log on or do a task because some function is all messed up?

Computer jargon is simple to a lot of people that I know...and thank God for them, but you just can't pester them every time your pop up says that you can't log on when your Java Script don't jive with your cookies! I'd sure like to know who came up with the term "user friendly." Must be another oxy moron!

As long as I can stay plugged in I'm a "happy camper" and delight in my e-mail, IM, web searches, writing and photo editing.

I wonder what new inventions might come up in the future that we will feel the same about? Will they surpass computers all together or will computers just continue to "rule the roost?" What do you think?

Slang?

When I was young we called words or phrases that painted a word picture in the mind ... slang. For a while c.b. radio users called it "slanguage." Church seminars called them "word pictures." Once it was hillbilly talk then it was redneck talk. Which one is politically correct? Call it what you may. I just say that them words is more fit to speak than the Queen's English or the crown she wears!

Why them words outta' fit just a swingin' loose like a possum in a tree and a hangin' like a jaw on a u.f.o. abduction! They outta' just come out natural like and make the speaker and the hearer more comfortable than grandpa's easy chair. If'n ya' hafta' think 'bout it .. jus' ain't no fun t'all.

Them words ya' use when ol' shakey tale git a bit o' yer hiney while pickin' blackberries don't count none. They's jus' words to exclam yer joy at the fact he didn't get ya' on the other side!

Sum words is like a ritty-ule. Like when yer go fishin' and yer say sumpin' like, "Fishy, fishy in a brook. It's a time you bite a hook!" 'fore yer drop the bayt in the water. Jes don't let yer buddies heer thet or they be laughin' till ya plumb jus' wanna' hide.

Broke my reeclyner the other day. Hafta' bring in a lawn cheer from the porch there or maybee that there wire spool and use it as a coghee tayble too! Cain't throw the cheer owt as it got da' butt creese jus' rite to fit my butt.

Reemenber ... fergit that there ee-nun-see-a-shun crap an' jus' speek it like yer knowed it!

Clem

Days of Summer

Think back to the days of your youth ... those hot days of summer. Did you go to the Y.M.C.A. to cool off and enjoy the pool? What is your story about summer?

The Y.M.C.A. was the place to go when I was young. Most every town in the mid-west that I knew had one or a state park that had a community pool. It almost always drew a crowd. You could often hear a group of kids playing Marco Polo at one end of the pool or another.

There was always a life guard that sat high upon his tower and seemed impervious to outside contact. His or her face always seemed to be smudged with some sort of brightly colored sun screen. A low brimmed hat and sun glasses completed their facial attire.

Swimming classes seemed to be regularly scheduled. And parents were always relaxing in lounge chairs nearby enjoying the opportunity to relax and visit amongst themselves.

The water fountains and outdoor showers were always busy with children darting in and out between that and the pool. And it was likely that there was a concession stand not far that would send kids begging to their parents for soda money. Most parents insisted that the kids wait untill after they were done swimming to eat any candy. Smart move in many ways!

I didn't learn to swim at the community pools. Generally I preferred to be self taught. In this case my sister, Nancy, taught me how to swim by encouraging me to jump from the dock at the lake and dog paddle. I have to thank Nancy for helping me get through math in school too! Thanks, Sis!

Summer days ended. The leaves began to change color and we started wearing long slacks again. It was time to start getting our school supplies together. Too look into the faces of the kids at that time and season you'd think that life had just ended! And those few who loved school ... well, they were always in a totally different school catagory in our books!

Thus ended the days of summer. A time of self discovery and understanding of the world around us.

The photo at the top is the community pool called Firth Park in Safford, Arizona.

The Dream

I do, so very much, dream of travel! I suppose the trips of my youth begat that dream in early years.

The taste of other lands, their cultures and mysteries run through my wandering mind like a small boy lost in a store. Fantasizing the teacher used to call it. I prefer to say that it the first step to reality!

I have seen the Eiffel Tower, seen the great collesium of Rome and the great catherdrals. I've been so blessed to have seen the magic in an African sunset and touched the end of a day with the hope of tomorrow.

I have looked into the eyes of the hungry child, heard the shots fired across the river and smelled death one on one. I have cried for joy and cried for pain.

I have seen the oceans from either coast and sampled the salty sea. I swam in the Mediteranean and the ponds of the Veld and I have swam in the eyes of passion.

Yet, now in the dark I sit ... dreaming of the future to be. Shall it be the adventure of the Outback or the wilds of the Kilihari? The plans I make now are the substances of the dreams the my rocker built in the wake of my imagination.

I have lived the past and survived it well. My joints now creak with the added year, but I don't relent. Each step leads to a new day ... a new future!

Good Friends and Small Towns

Hold your hands up and shout if you love city life! Yes, you there. I see you sitting in that dark room typing by the light of your monitor! Since you love the city life why don't I give you my e-mail address and you can write with out having to leave the comfort of the rat race. It is: watchout4drivebyes@duckyourhead.com .

Life is so quiet here in this small town. I love it! New things are almost always enjoyable. Peace and quiet. It's so nice that I'm looking forward to my mid-life crisis!

All joking aside ... Safford is a small town that is expected to grow rapidly over the next five years. The employment here is mostly through the Phelps Dodge mining company. A new mine has recently opened and has created more jobs recently. I suppose that that is good, but it is drawing new comers from out of town as well.

A very large Super WalMart was built here recently. Across the street a big Home Depot was also built about the same time. Both are thriving businesses and fun to roam through. Yet, they are icons here of an era changing. New people move in, build fancy, expensive homes and the ambiance of our little Thatcher and Safford converts to the hectic pace ot the city.

An official of the U.S.D.A. Housing Authority told me that it is predicted that in the next five years the average rent for an apartment will be more than six hundred dollars!

A new cardiac center was built on the hospital grounds recently. Now that is a really big necessity! While we have a majority of cotton farmers here and college students from E.A.C., there is a large number of elderly people and disabled individuals here that really need the care. It's these people who have lived the history of this county. They are the heart of Safford and Thatcher!

Good friends and small towns are what make me relax and live more peacefully. How nice it is to be wandering around a local store day dreaming only to hear your name called from further down the isle! It's a friend from my church or some one that I've gotten to know from another place. The hug is on and the handshakes are a part of sharing the joy that you can see in each other's eyes.

People walk down the sidewalks for exercise and they wave as they pass buy. It's getting dark and a knock comes from the front door. No worries about wierdos. It's the neighbor bringing a bag of tomatoes! When the darkness of night sets in we close our front doors and prepare to retire for the night. The family businesses have all closed and "rolled up the side walks." It's time to rest for an early day tomorrow.

This is my town, my life and my friends. I choose to live here and to be a living part of my church, New Life City, untill the Lord orders my last breath. New comers? Hey, family!!! This old Hick has a place for you!!! Isn't that the way it's supposed to be?

Shumba

Shumba. In African it meanss "Lion." I've got a buddy. A real friend! He's a Lhasa Apso. If his blondish hair were at some length you might think of him as resembling a mini lion! Yet, the resemblance is more in his heart and personality. I don't know that he could be a hunter, like a lion is, but he definitly has the heart.

My parents gave him the name. He belonged to them for a number of years as an outdoor dog. He was their second Lhasa Apso following Lhasa Luv. Shumba shared the outdoors with Buster. Buster was larger and the more dominant of the two dogs.

In 2003 following a tragic event, 12 year old Shumba came to live with me. I'd always been kind of fond of that dog and was very blessed to have him come and join my home. He is the joy that breaks the silence!

He loves to take car rides and will endure long trips well. He's house broken and can even hold his urges for phenominal lenths of time or go on command. He's not the puppy any more, but occasionally still gets that glint in his eye that says it's time for mischief.

As strange as it sounds this dog actually knows how to play a joke! He will lay on your feet to warm them as his ancestors did for the kings in Tibet. He will lay beside you on a bed pushing his body close while demanding more space!

His feet are crooked and his back is a little achey. That's o.k. ... I'm a little "bent" too. Look into his big, beautiful eyes when he listens intently too you and you will see the mysteries and wonders of Tibet. Look deeper and you will see the loyalty of a best friend!