little something from the archives

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIaXOmdrSrA

P to the C

Doesn't matter if it's cold and rainy, a snow cone always sounds good to little boys...

Tal gettin his climb on

I nicknamed this seemingly innocuous train "The Neck Breaker" due to it's neck snapping velocity...

Two caddies are better than one...

Holdy patiently waiting to get on the coaster...five min after this he was covered in dust from wallowing around on the ground

Holden tells me that pretty much everything he wears is waterproof. We were going swimming the other day and he wanted to wear his new shoes in the pool 'cause they ARE waterproof!' Here he is testing his theory...

Holden had to escort Aimee so she didn't get scared...

Me and Tal were in the Pro class so we lined up first...

Of course Tal has to find the highest scalable spot and climb it...

Mini golf is the worst invention ever, and the course in PC is the most deplorable one ever. But the boys like it so I played along for as long as I could

Funny thing happened on the first hole; Tal steps up and eyes the cup fifteen feet away, down a lane that was cock-eyed, full of bumps, cracks and wrinkles in the carpet, and gives it a whack and the ball bounced and ricocheted down the green til it fell gently in the bottom of the cup. I told him he should retire from mini golf then and there, but he didn't take my advice...

Hold, admiring another fine shot...

Summer lunches at the park...

I have fond memories of going to some park a hand full of times out in WVC to meet my dad for lunch. Ma, the sisters and myself would usually pick up an industrial size bucket of KFC and roll over to this one park where we would spread a blanket that reeked of mildew from being in the trunk of the car for months, sit under the scorching sun, and eat some chicken while trying to fend off a flock of seagulls that would have made the early pioneers run in terror during the cricket crisis.

Now I get to meet Tal and Holden now and then for a little lunch and a visit at an hour that's out of the ordinary. We usually skip the moldy blanket and bucket of fried chicken parts and just split a subway, but it's still fun.

Tal turns six, gets a new whip...

Talmage T. Simper is now 6 years old, and as such needed, and was deserving of a new bike. Nothing better than getting a new bike. It's like new friend you have to get to know, with a new personality, and unique characteristics, complete with areas of excellence and idiosyncrasies. You don't quite know each other and you're not totally comfortable at first, but that's part of the fun; building the relationship and the memories over time. Getting dinged, and scarred together on countless adventures and over thousands of miles. My bikes have carried me to work, to school, up steep canyon roads, over mountain passes, and on more than one occasion provided me an escape from reality and given a mental recharge. I think of any place in the world, on the bike is where I glean the most mental clarity and spiritual lucidness and find my place in the universe. With friends and bikes alike, I've had a few over the years; some I wish I still had, and some I'm glad to be rid of. But of the two, I think I miss a couple bikes more than the friends that are absent in my life. Nothing against them, it's just that my bikes have consoled and comforted me more than pretty much anything or anyone because of how in tune you can get with yourself whilst spinning your legs for hours on end. So get yourself an unconditional friend that won't shit on your carpet, and build a relationship. To Talmage I say, happy birthday my boy, and have fun with your new friend...

This is only the beginning I'm sure...

Tal and Holdy LOVE the skate park. We've only been a couple times because it's usually packed and there has to be a wide open bowl for them to tool around it with out getting waxed by all the kids in shrink wrapped jeans and head bands flying around. We did make it out the other night and Talmage had a little break through moment. One of those moments where fear is usurped by confidence and becomes a marker for future feats and accomplishments. So one day Tal when you're throwing down double back flips on your motorcycle or 720 tail whips on the ramp, don't forget who taught you how to ride out of the bowl...

For the record....

I'm not opposed to catching big fish either...:)

Give said the little stream...

There is a certain appeal to small trout streams. Usually they are off the beaten path and require some walking to get to, and as such are for the most part unmolested by worm throwing rednecks. Aside from the solidarity the offer, their primitive and often over grown nature makes fishing them challenging and unique. As I creep along under the undergrowth, and come upon wild Bonneville Cutthroat feeing, I often fell as if I’m the first person to have witnessed it in that place. Probably because I think there are few people that would crawl through the spider webs and bug infested foliage to get to small fish. Maybe they’re on their bass boat, or on bigger waters searching of more boast worthy fish. I’m not sure…but I don’t really care, as long as they aren’t around me, I’m happy.