Selfie, No Selfie

Selfie1Hey Kids,

I don’t care for the term “selfie”; it’s too broad and vague in its use. I propose that there be a differential between a selfie and a self-portrait.

A selfie looks like this:mona-lisa-selfie

A selfie is self-serving. As in one is promoting them self. Lips pursed, puckered, or pressed in an odd manner to enlist, I imagine, thoughts of “I’m only looking this way so that if you think it’s stupid, that’s what I intended, but then again, if you find it hot and if you play it right, this sexy duck face could be yours.”

A self-portrait is like this:426659_392318984214561_93294153_n

It’s because there wasn’t anyone else around to take the picture. Or just fun to cram together and get the thing you want in the background in the background.

I like to take self-portraits of my baby and me doing things we love to do. It’s our chronicle, our proof. (If there’s no pictures, it didn’t happen.) We like to share our adventures and the pictures that people seem to like the most are the ones that we’re in.

The fact is that pictures are much more interesting when there are people in them. We focus on the people way more than mountains, rivers, and vistas. When you see a fellow human being in a picture, the question that usually follows is “Who’s that?” Rare is the question inquiring about the landscape. (BTW- It’s Bryce Canyon)

I hate that what we do is confused with the inane image of what people think when they say, “He took another selfie and posted it on Facebook.”

Trust me, it don’t look pretty when I pucker like a waterfowl.

 

Day 36

Weekend Results

Hey Kids,

Weekends are made to relax, to unwind, to recharge. Sometimes.

Other weekends are for gearing up, winding up, burning up.

If Monday comes around and you are refreshed and ready to take on the world, or so exhausted you can barely stand; you did it right.IMG_20150329_160148_420

Today, I’m spent of all energy. I left it fishing on the Green River for the past three days.

Oh yeah, sometimes weekends can be more than just the two allotted days.

Day 35

 

Sunday Thought- Psalms 1: 1-3

Hey Kids,

Don’t cave to peer pressure you know is wrong but do what is right, and it’ll work out for you in the end.

Psalms 1: 1-3:

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

tree%202-%2025

The photo was taken of my favorite tree, growing outside of Battle Mountain, Nevada on one of our family trips to Carson City. I hiked from the frontage road, through the sage brush to get the right shot. I had this scripture in mind when I took it. I picked the stickers out of my socks for the rest of the long drive that day. This picture has brought me joy ever since.

Day 34

 

Batman and Me

Hey Kids!

It’s not so weird for me to talk about something that happened before my own kids were born, but it’s still strikes me as weird to talk to a coworker about an event and have her say, “When was that?”

“1978”

“That was before I was born!”

I’m OK with that. I know how old I am and I think it’s awesome to say I was born during the 60’s. 1966 to be exact.

I don’t remember 1966 or the other 60’s years in which I lived so much, but everyone recognizes the Bat Mobile. Yes, ‘THE’ Bat Mobile. mywebsitepic2

1966 was pretty cool, wasn’t it??!

*Photo borrowed from: http://www.1966batmobile.com/ *

Day 33

When the Moment Arrives, Go

Hey Kids,

It’s been a few years now, but a mountain used to taunt me. All 11,750 feet of Mount Timpanogos laughed at me every time I traveled through Utah County.

I had said I wanted to climb it. I had said it out loud to others. The summer passed and the snows came. And the mocking continued through the winter.

And the summer came again and progressed without goal realization.198721_284503098329484_338240272_n

September came and so did my decision to at last hike to the top. I took a day off work, arrived at the trailhead at 7:30 and aimed my fat old man body up the mountain trail.

It hurt and I struggled. After 7 hours of walking, and 4,700 feet of incline, I arrived at the summit. All 11,750 feet of it!408255_284504268329367_490827171_n

I decided to do it and did it. Others had done it before; others will do it after. Regardless, I did it on that day. I did it because I decided to do it.

I now enjoy the drives through Utah County. I look up at the top of that mountain and know I made it there. The mountain no longer mocks me but remembers me, appreciates the struggle it took to visit, and waves as a friend as I go by.

What thing awaits you? Once you do it, no one can take it away from you.

Do it.

Day 32

Green Around the Edges and Down to the Middle.

Hey Kids,

I’m getting ready to spend a few days fishing one of my favorite waters, the Green River. I’m Up%20Canyon%20from%20Shark%20Alley,always surprised at the amount of stress that comes along with the preparations of a fishing trip and especially when to a favorite site.

Do I have enough flies? The right flies? Is my leader ok? Do I have enough tippet material? The right tippet material?

What’s the weather going to be? What do I bring to wear? Do I have enough to wear if it rains? Hails? Snows?

Food? Secondary concern, I know, but a concern nonetheless. How long can the body go between meals? Is water to drink really necessary? How much equipment do I have to sacrifice to make room in the vest? On the boat? I might need that space for fly tying equipment. Drinking is nice, but what about the hatch?blue_winged_olives_park_city

There are always too many questions. And they multiply as the water draws closer.

But once on the water: serenity. A fine cast, a perfect drift, an explosive take and a fine fight can make all the worries of life fade to the back ground.

Green River I hear you calling, and after all this ruckus of packing, I’ll be there.

Tight lines.

 

Day 31

Photos borrowed from: http://www.oldmoeguideservice.com/  & http://provoriverguides.com/utah-fishing-report/

Megamouth Shark- What is it good for?

Hey Kids,

I read a report today about a shark, a Megamouth Shark, that was found caught in a fisherman’smegamouth21e net. It constitutes only the 60th time this species has ever been seen. Where it goes, how it lives is near a complete mystery. It’s only known that it exists because its there in the net. On occasion anyway.

From time to time, other fish are caught in nets that others had thought were extinct by millions of years ago. Some of these species are figured out, others remain mysteries.

There’s a whole lot of things in this world we don’t know yet. A lot.

It doesn’t mean that speculation can’t help us find out answers, if fact, it is the key to finding the answers. But only if you are willing to challenge the speculations and accept when a speculation appears to be proven wrong.

Likewise in our decisions and understandings of life. Too many times the world “waffling” is thrown around when someone changes their mind about something. It’s certain death to a politician. Why we cannot allow a person to evolve in their own thoughts is disappointing.

In this age of strict separation of political thought, of aggressive attacks of people with opposing viewpoints, and of deep seated opinions. I urge you not to participate in the confirmed failed tactics of trench warfare.

Weigh, measure, and evaluate your own opinion. Repeat as often as you’d like, the more times the better. It’s ok to be wrong. It’s ok to make it right. It’s ok to think different. But be honest with yourself.

Like the Megamouth Shark is.

Day 30

 *Photo borrowed by: https://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/megamouth/Mega21.html *

 

Shields Up!

Hey Kids,

Force fields.

For my entire life, at least as far as I can remember, Star Trek has had them.

Later in life, Star Wars had them.Star%20Wars%20-%20D6%20-%20Equipment%20Stats%20Netbook_img_109

As an adult, I was made to believe I understood them. As much as fiction can make someone understand a technology that doesn’t exist.

When the aliens came in Independence Day, the shields on the wrong side almost spelled Mankind’s doom. But the tide may have turned. Force field technology is seemingly no longer in the future. At least as far as Boeing is concerned. They filed a patent on it.

Transporters, I hope, are soon to follow.

I hate traffic.

 

 

Day 29

The Wild Westerners

Hey kids,

History of the West doesn’t exaggerate in the description of how tough guys were.

Doc Holiday.kit-carsons-horseback-duel

Wyatt Earp.

Kit Carson.

Bill Hitchcock.

Buffalo Bill.

They and many others were the real deal.

I know there are stories stretched and stories made up. But the whole of the thing is that you had to be tough to make it then. And even more so to be thought “Tough” back then.

As a writer of a famed western bad-ass, and reading stories of many of these tough guys of the past, I often wonder how I would stack up against those times.

Don’t say anything. I’d like to live with my delusions.

**Picture borrowed from True West Magazine**

Day 28

On a Whim

Hey kids,

We really weren’t  too sure what to do this evening. It neared 5:00 and it seemed a shame to give up on the day so early. There’s always movies to watch and books to read, but with such a warm beautiful first weekend of spring, we couldn’t let it die so unceremoniously.

“How far is it?”IMG_20150322_185821_183

“Google says 2 hours 15 minutes.”

“Should we?”

“We should.”

And so we did.

We took the drive to the Spiral Jetty, a rock, sculpture on the north shores of the Great Salt Lake, accessible only when the lake levels are low. IMG_20150322_185107_236

It wasn’t exactly what we imagined but exactly as described.

Road trips are always worth the effort. This quick trip was no different.

IMG_20150322_184248_768

Day 27