Hello there, its been a while....

I got on Facebook and kind of neglected this blog. I've picked some photos to post here but then something always came up and I never got around to doing it. My change of schedule really has hurt my active life. Today I woke up late and then I heard the rain. I melted back into the covers and zoned out watching TV. It took great effort to get out of that bed. Cold weather is perfect for sleeping. My writing ability has also decreased lately, okay, maybe in the last two years. I just haven't been able to sit and concentrate long enough to expand on any one idea. My picture taking is still doing okay, but I really wish I could write a few poems, maybe a short story.We saw the movie "The day the earth stood still" and I remembered this beautiful place we went hiking. It was still green in some areas but the trees were already changing colors. Now I realize that we are doing so much damage to this world, yet technology is so much a part of our lives that we wouldn't be able to change enough to save the world. At least not fast enough to do it in my life time. Even now I am at home running the central heater, watching TV, typing on my laptop and tomorrow I will drive to work in my truck.

Could I give up the comforts and luxuries I enjoy now? Could I walk to work? Yes, I could, but will I? I would be a liar if I said I would. Not because I don't want to save the world, but because through our acclimation we have become weak and dependent on technology to survive. Such beauty, clear water, bright sunlight, trees, fish and we wouldn't survive very long out there with out a gun, matches, clothing, etc.

Wouldn't this make great shelter? It would protect us from the rain, snow, wind, but we would have competition from the animals. Not so much the big one, but the little ones, snakes, spiders, scorpions, rabid skunks. Yeah, not the big ones.

Eventually nature will kill us or we will kill nature and that means we will kill ourselves. We probably are already doing it, killing ourselves slowly, poisoning our own water, food, and air.

Ah, but we are not content with doing it slowly. No, we are killing each other for money, glory, power, and as that is not enough we are also killing each other in the name of god. Not just one god, but every god we can think of. And if a person is too much like us, then we use skin color to justify hating them and making it okay to kill them.
In the end, when we are almost through killing everyone there will be two survivors. Those of us who aspire to be tolerant will probably be killed first. Yeah the last two survivors will be same sex, same skin color, from the same group, same religion, probably brothers or sisters and they will both be willing to kill to be the lone human alive. To be the winner. And in the end they will die too.
And this world will be a better place... maybe... maybe not. Without humans this planet will not be Earth.
Tonight I hear the rain outside my window... cool, wet, washing away the dirt from the trees, grass, bushes, giving them new life... and us too. I close my eyes, say my nightly prayer. My faith in the goodness of my God, allows me to sleep knowing that tomorrow the sun will rise above the hazy horizon behind the gray clouds, another beautiful day.
Good night Europa.... Earth's cry, heaven's smile.

Making it to Las Vegas

On the way to Las Vegas we stopped at Hoover Dam. The lighting was different, which is good. I prefer natural light to using the flash. The sun was below the horizon but it was still very hot. Extremely hot, so we just got out for a few minutes. We decided it was too hot this time of year to be walking here.

A little photoshopping adds some texture and mystery. Nice.

A new bridge was getting built. The picture was taken by Elfie as we drove by. Very nice work. The bridge looks like something out of a space movie.

With the telephoto lens it made it even better. This looks like a battle scene.

At the MGM we found a giant frog. During the day it was so hot in Vegas that you just had to spend the time indoors. But there was so much to see inside. The souvenirs were so expensive in this store. Later on we went to the ones on the strip where they were a lot cheaper.

Elfie in front of the Monte Carlo. This was so grand, the statues, the fountain, the entrance, it was great.

I love this wall! I don't drink Pepsi but the wall graphic is great.

We didn't find this entrance to our hotel until the second day.

Vegas at night is more impressive. So many lights, people, traffic. Something is always going on. Of course the temperature drops and you can walk around in more comfort.

MGM at night. The golden lion and its fountain.

This is the main drag at night. I wouldn't want to live in this town but I think I could enjoy working here... at night. I saw some of their bike patrol officers and I think I could enjoy working here.

Summer's Road Trip

It's been a couple of months since we went on this trip. Time went by so fast. The summer got hotter, the days longer, and my memory shorter. I love what the camera does, it keeps an exact image of one instance of this life.

So many thing have changed in so little time, here. Things we have seen changes in. Yet the rocks in these photos will remain the same. Ironically the photos will cease to exist long before the rocks are gone.

A sign on a quiet road in the middle on the night, a memory of another road, long ago paved over. It's a cool, cool night warmed by the yellow mercury glow of a nameless street light. Small town life.

The view is expensive, tranquil, breath taking, a view across eons of time. A large scar left on the surface of this earth by a persistent muddy river who knows not its bounds.

A nice paved walkway in the wild, another scar on the land, this one for our enjoyment.

One more photograph. A memory of a trips end. The start on another journey to another place, same year, same summer...

2009 Road Trip

We started out from Waco on our annual road trip. This time it was just my wife, my brother, my sister and me. Dora bought a new SUV and a 2500 mile round trip was just what was needed to break it in. We took off a midnight after waiting all day to get our home air conditioning unit worked on. I drove for the first eight hours. Roje took over the driving after that. We still needed another eight hours to get to Williams, Az.


We stopped in a small town to eat, due to wanting to get to Williams soon, we opted to eat a Subway. Next door was a hill so Dora and I ran up to climb it. It felt good to run up the hill after being in the SUV for about 14 hours.


We finally made ti to the Arizona state line. Had to stop for a traditional state line photo.


Dora took this photo of me. That is one huge rock in the background.


We could see clouds way ahead in the distance. It look like a rain storm was coming up. As we got closer it became clear that it was a dust storm. We got hit by some strong winds and lots of dust.


This was our last stop before getting to Williams. The dust storm was behind us, the skies were blue and the rest area had some rocks we could climb.


This has to be the best rest area we've stopped ever been at. The day was perfect for picture taking.


Roje took this photo for us.


We made it to Williams and we went to eat dinner. I was so hungry I left my camera in the room. The next morning we got up late and had a big breakfast. We made it to the Grand Canyon at about 10:00 AM. At the Grand Canyon we would walk for a few yards and then take pictures. There was so much to see. That place is so huge.

This photo is from the spot we first saw the Grand Canyon. It was a hazy day. They had a rain storm the night before and the water was still raising through evaporation and it was visible across the hundreds of yards of air between the rims of the canyon.


We had our walking sticks, hats, Camelbacks, and cameras. We were ready. The landscape was so awesome that there is no way my camera lens could capture its greatness.


This people, is the Grand Canyon seen from the south rim. The trip there was another excellent time spent laughing and reminiscing about our childhood.

The month of May

Elfida and the girls working on her garden. She has now harvested zucchini, cucumber, and peppers.

Got my mower working, then spent another two weeks trying to fix a flat tire. A new tire cost as much as a car tire.

Lily happy to ride around the yard helping me charge the battery up on the mower.

Maiko and I went to Isabelle's field day at school. She was very happy to have us out there.

Blue Bonnets

It was a great day for photographs. Two beautiful little girls in a field of Blue Bonnets.

Two sisters holding hands smiling in the sunshine.

Sweet sweet smiles.

Sometimes a smile just can stay a smile, so a giggle forms and a little laughter follows.

Skipping in the sun.

Almost floating on fresh air.

Going around in circles, dancing with joy.

Little sister running as fast as the wind.

Big sister dancing again.

A moment of rest.

An upside down smile from little sister.

It just couldn't stay upside down.

To hard to hold in happiness.

A serious moment.

Happiness is an afternoon with Meme.

Such a young grandma.

Kisses and hugs for grandma.

Happiness is an afternoon with the grand daughters.