July 30, 2011
"I learn something every time I go into the mountains." Michael Kennedy
Headed to the snow!!
Branham Lake
Branham Lake
Made it to the snow.
Gniess Lake
Bell Lake
Fishing Branham Lake after hiking back down.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Montana Folk Festival
July 11th-13th
"All music is folk music. I ain't never heard a horse sing a song." Louis Armstrong
First Road Trip in the Outback!!
“Nature has a funny way of breaking what does not bend.”
Bend, OregonJune 30th-July 4th
Mt. Hood
Deschutes River
Drive to Cascade Lakes
Goodbye, Oregon. See you later.
Thanks Jonathan for having us!!
Sunday, June 19, 2011
June Travels
"Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the scenery you miss by going to fast-
you also miss the sense of where you are going and why." Eddie Cantor
Monday, May 16, 2011
Future Generations
"One must conquer, achieve, get to the top; one must know the end to be convinced that one can win the end - to know there's no dream that mustn't be dared." M. Jenkins
So my 11th and 12th graders comes on friday morning all keyed up. It seems that their first two teachers of the day decided to allow them to discuss/debate during the hour long blocks. Before even getting to my classroom/trailer, I was being pummelled with requests to allow the same. Basically, I had no choice. Their minds were made up and I let it ride. I told them that with this freedom came responsibility; and that they controlled my trust and their fate of it continuing.
The topic started out as God and stuck pretty close to spiritual/religious tones. The following are quotes. They are not in perfect order. There were a couple of conversations going on at once and a lot of talking over one another.
A few thoughts: these students seemed very dogmatic at times, surprisingly transparent around their peer whom they barely knew, and hell bent on getting their point across.
"Please. A supernova created the earth."
"The Bible is the book of life." as student's foot tapped violently under his desk
"Well my school says the earth was created by the big bang. And I am a student, so i should believe my text book."
"I have my faith and they have their faith."
"God can."
"3 words: G O D."
*by the way I love it when a 10th grader uses the word "sublime" seriously.
"Jesus raised people from the freaking dead."
"When I got in a car wreck I almost died. Doctors were working on me. God was not working on me."
" I mean, I haven't read the complete Bible but..."
"I will give you one thing...all the people that have a near death experience see a light at the end of the tunnel."
"God could have tooken the breath out of you, giiirrrlll."
"It's just the American way." (said with stoner tone)
"I made my own religion. Its called MEOWism. Think about it. Cats created the earth and rule over humans. If you have cats you know that they control the household. It makes sense." *i told her that i would sign up if she promised me 9 lives*
said while pounding fist on desk "I believe in reincarnation. You come back as a person or an animal. If you are bad you come back as a cockroach or something."
"Jesus drank wine all the time. He even turned water into wine. He just didn't get drunk."
"Girl, you are going to hell, girl."
"You so country."
"I don't want to spend all of this life worshipping God if I gotta do it for all eternity."
said as a warning "Man, if you are luke warm God will spit you out."
"Oh don't even get me on the gay subject."
"The problem with males is that they don't know how we think."
"So can scientists explain love? NO!! Only the Bible can."
"Dude we are only answering questions with other questions."
"I have no problem being your friend, but...."
"Gayness is in your brain and your hormones. Its how your brain is setup."
said sarcastically with hands raised "maybe something will happen in my future life that will make me praise the Lord."
"Oh my gosh, I get a new car when i graduate."
*the word "like" was used over 2000 times and the phrase "i mean" over 1000*
"I'm just going from my head right now but i think this is scientifically correct..."
"Being an atheist and believing in atheism are not the same thing."
"I understand. But you need to go inside yourself and find your own religion."
Well that's what I could copy down. You can insert some Bible verses in as you like for the angry youth grouper that was sweating 10 minutes into this debate/discussion.
So my 11th and 12th graders comes on friday morning all keyed up. It seems that their first two teachers of the day decided to allow them to discuss/debate during the hour long blocks. Before even getting to my classroom/trailer, I was being pummelled with requests to allow the same. Basically, I had no choice. Their minds were made up and I let it ride. I told them that with this freedom came responsibility; and that they controlled my trust and their fate of it continuing.
The topic started out as God and stuck pretty close to spiritual/religious tones. The following are quotes. They are not in perfect order. There were a couple of conversations going on at once and a lot of talking over one another.
A few thoughts: these students seemed very dogmatic at times, surprisingly transparent around their peer whom they barely knew, and hell bent on getting their point across.
"Please. A supernova created the earth."
"The Bible is the book of life." as student's foot tapped violently under his desk
"Well my school says the earth was created by the big bang. And I am a student, so i should believe my text book."
"I have my faith and they have their faith."
"God can."
"3 words: G O D."
*by the way I love it when a 10th grader uses the word "sublime" seriously.
"Jesus raised people from the freaking dead."
"When I got in a car wreck I almost died. Doctors were working on me. God was not working on me."
" I mean, I haven't read the complete Bible but..."
"I will give you one thing...all the people that have a near death experience see a light at the end of the tunnel."
"God could have tooken the breath out of you, giiirrrlll."
"It's just the American way." (said with stoner tone)
"I made my own religion. Its called MEOWism. Think about it. Cats created the earth and rule over humans. If you have cats you know that they control the household. It makes sense." *i told her that i would sign up if she promised me 9 lives*
said while pounding fist on desk "I believe in reincarnation. You come back as a person or an animal. If you are bad you come back as a cockroach or something."
"Jesus drank wine all the time. He even turned water into wine. He just didn't get drunk."
"Girl, you are going to hell, girl."
"You so country."
"I don't want to spend all of this life worshipping God if I gotta do it for all eternity."
said as a warning "Man, if you are luke warm God will spit you out."
"Oh don't even get me on the gay subject."
"The problem with males is that they don't know how we think."
"So can scientists explain love? NO!! Only the Bible can."
"Dude we are only answering questions with other questions."
"I have no problem being your friend, but...."
"Gayness is in your brain and your hormones. Its how your brain is setup."
said sarcastically with hands raised "maybe something will happen in my future life that will make me praise the Lord."
"Oh my gosh, I get a new car when i graduate."
*the word "like" was used over 2000 times and the phrase "i mean" over 1000*
"I'm just going from my head right now but i think this is scientifically correct..."
"Being an atheist and believing in atheism are not the same thing."
"I understand. But you need to go inside yourself and find your own religion."
Well that's what I could copy down. You can insert some Bible verses in as you like for the angry youth grouper that was sweating 10 minutes into this debate/discussion.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Where Were You?
"All of a sudden there were people screaming. I saw people jumping out of the building.
Their arms were flailing. I stopped taking pictures and started crying."
Michael Walters, a free-lance photo journalist in Manhattan.
September 11, 2001…most of us remember where we were and what we were doing. I was in the math and science building at Troy University…a place I spent many hours during my four years there. My quirky math teacher made the announcement, but if I’m honest I didn’t really know where the World Trade Center buildings were located, but I knew it wasn’t good. Class was cancelled and I went the closest place I could to watch a TV…the Adams Center. I was relieved to find Bare and Brian there watching the coverage…they caught me up on the news and were both pretty close to joining the armed forces that day. At that point I realized the magnitude of the situation.
May 1, 2011…fast forward almost 10 years… I will always remember where I was when I learned that the world’s most wanted terrorist was killed. I had been home for a week after living in Montana for only 3 months. It had been a great trip and I decided to wait until the last minute to fly back before going back to work Monday morning. While sitting in the Minneapolis airport late that Sunday night waiting for my last flight, regular programming was interrupted to let us know President Obama would be making an announcement. We knew it must be of extreme importance, but we had to board. As we boarded the plane, several fellow travelers asked the pilots to please find out what was going on. And he did, the pilot updated us after Obama told the news. It was a weird feeling to be on a plane when I learned of his death.
Where were you that September day and Sunday night?
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Underdog Team. Underdog Town: a book review
"All you have to is show up. Everyone with balls makes the team, I don't mean the family jewels. I mean guts, I mean backbone, I mean heart."
excerpt from Blind Your Ponies written by Stanley Gordon West
Blind Your Ponies follows the Willow Creek Broncs; a basketball team with a reputation for failure. Willow Creek is a small town set underneath the shadows of the Tobacco Root Mountains in southwest Montana. Stanley Gordon West admits that this book is fiction, but has a lot of truth interspersed. The year is 1991 and the Broncs are facing another season with the memory of 5 win less seasons in the immediate past. But as much as this story is about a team, it is about a town- a town that seems to have the same reputation as the team. You see, the winters in this part of the U.S. are brutal. Cold, windy, snowy...constantly. The surrounding towns have very little to do or look forward to so they turn to their town's team. Nothing makes for a long winter like a losing team. And this team of 6 has little hope of an early spring.
The story wouldn't be all that interesting without the characters involved. West sucks you in from the start with tragedy that strikes the head coach years before Willow Creek is even a thought to him. Most of the characters involved have their own difficulties to deal with and use basketball as an escape. Its neat how the town itself is a character; fading away with its own losing.
Sam Pickett is the head coach and believes that is life is a record of how to become and stay a loser. It started in middle school when a port-a-potty was turned over while he was inside. These events have created a closed off soul unwilling to let himself love or believe.
Tom Stonebreak, 6'4", is a senior and has never won a game. He is a true cowboy. The kind of guy you may be afraid your wife would leave you for. He decides to forgo his senior season and prepare for the rodeos coming in the spring. His drive and toughness seem to be perpetuated by a longing to prove himself to his abusive, alcoholic father.
Peter Strong, 5'11", has just showed up to live with his grandmother; leaving Minneapolis following his parents divorce. Neither of his parents could keep the guy so they shipped him out; his girlfriend in turn found her another man. I like the way West puts it as his grandma describes his situation: facing "the howling void of eternity alone".
Olaf Gustafson, 6'11", flies in as an exchange student from Norway. The buzz around town is filled with hope when they hear of his size; but are sorely discouraged when they find out he has never played before. He has a Yoda-like grasp of the English language and has the basketball skills of a child learning to walk.
Grandma Chapman is the redemption in the story. Full of hope and optimism, she believes things are looking up. Alot like the town, she has seen some tough years. However, a certain event in her life has given her perspective. One line says it all: "She never again valued herself by the opinion of others, wishing she had been strong enough to live her whole life that way."
The book is full of ups and downs. It will give you hope one minute and leave you in a funk the next. I guess that is what I like about good books: they put you in a place, leaving you with the emotions felt in the story. This book takes you to Willow Creek. You'll feel the coldness of the winter and smell the mustiness of the old court and find yourself gripping the pages like a fan on the edge of your seat.
excerpt from Blind Your Ponies written by Stanley Gordon West
Blind Your Ponies follows the Willow Creek Broncs; a basketball team with a reputation for failure. Willow Creek is a small town set underneath the shadows of the Tobacco Root Mountains in southwest Montana. Stanley Gordon West admits that this book is fiction, but has a lot of truth interspersed. The year is 1991 and the Broncs are facing another season with the memory of 5 win less seasons in the immediate past. But as much as this story is about a team, it is about a town- a town that seems to have the same reputation as the team. You see, the winters in this part of the U.S. are brutal. Cold, windy, snowy...constantly. The surrounding towns have very little to do or look forward to so they turn to their town's team. Nothing makes for a long winter like a losing team. And this team of 6 has little hope of an early spring.
The story wouldn't be all that interesting without the characters involved. West sucks you in from the start with tragedy that strikes the head coach years before Willow Creek is even a thought to him. Most of the characters involved have their own difficulties to deal with and use basketball as an escape. Its neat how the town itself is a character; fading away with its own losing.
Sam Pickett is the head coach and believes that is life is a record of how to become and stay a loser. It started in middle school when a port-a-potty was turned over while he was inside. These events have created a closed off soul unwilling to let himself love or believe.
Tom Stonebreak, 6'4", is a senior and has never won a game. He is a true cowboy. The kind of guy you may be afraid your wife would leave you for. He decides to forgo his senior season and prepare for the rodeos coming in the spring. His drive and toughness seem to be perpetuated by a longing to prove himself to his abusive, alcoholic father.
Peter Strong, 5'11", has just showed up to live with his grandmother; leaving Minneapolis following his parents divorce. Neither of his parents could keep the guy so they shipped him out; his girlfriend in turn found her another man. I like the way West puts it as his grandma describes his situation: facing "the howling void of eternity alone".
Olaf Gustafson, 6'11", flies in as an exchange student from Norway. The buzz around town is filled with hope when they hear of his size; but are sorely discouraged when they find out he has never played before. He has a Yoda-like grasp of the English language and has the basketball skills of a child learning to walk.
Grandma Chapman is the redemption in the story. Full of hope and optimism, she believes things are looking up. Alot like the town, she has seen some tough years. However, a certain event in her life has given her perspective. One line says it all: "She never again valued herself by the opinion of others, wishing she had been strong enough to live her whole life that way."
The book is full of ups and downs. It will give you hope one minute and leave you in a funk the next. I guess that is what I like about good books: they put you in a place, leaving you with the emotions felt in the story. This book takes you to Willow Creek. You'll feel the coldness of the winter and smell the mustiness of the old court and find yourself gripping the pages like a fan on the edge of your seat.
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