Our Family's Favorite Card and Board Games

My dad use to enjoy chess.  Weldon and I both wanted to learn chess as fast as we could, so we could challenge him.
We also had a game we called marbles.  This is not the traditional marbles game.  My dad had taken a piece of plywood, and then with a drill press had made impressions around the board, something akin to Parchessi or Trouble.  We spent a great deal of time with this game, and used two die to control movement.  Of course doubles you got to go again, and if you landed on someone they had to go back to start. 
Another family favorite was Monopoly.  My dad was very good at being a tycoon.  I don't remember ever winning a family game of monopoly. 
As we became a bit older, Rook became our family game, and a version we called Mormon Bridge, which was similar but different.  I guess all families have their own rules, in ours the rook was the high trump and worth 20 points.  Ones were higher than a 14 and worth 10 points.  You had to trump if you could.  We would often have lengthy rook battles; especially during holiday season.  Mormon Bridge was fun because you had to guess how many tricks you could win, and were awarded, or lost points  based on your guess and how accurate you were.

Childhood Games: Othello

I was pretty small when we lived in Othello, so don't remember much about all the games we played.  We moved when I as attending first grade.  However, I do know we played a lot of house with my older siblings.  We played house in the old granary, as well is in the smashed down alfalfa homes.  If we got too aggressive in the smashing down department, dad would yell at us; but we could usually make a conservative home and have a good time.
Weldon introduced me to sports during this time.  Our first love was football.  We would take turns and reenact the Green Bay Packers.  They had won two consecutive championships, and that is who we followed, and loved, and reenacted every time we played.

My dad introduced us to softball.  He played on a team in town, but more importantly, he would sometimes play with us in back to the house, and hit the ball a very long way.
My dad also introduced us the chess.  We would visit somebody's home (I think the Yorgansons) for my dad to have chess matches.  We would watch and learn the moves.  Their matches could last a long time.  Sometimes we would play each other in our own way; and think of the day when we would play father.
Another activity was the interaction with animals.  We had dogs and cats.  Sometimes we would climb onto the clothes line and tease the dogs with some meat or bread dangling from a rope, much like a fishing line.  We would bob it up and down like a yo-yo and the dogs would jump at it.  Sometimes the dogs would grab it and win.   Another time a big dog won by knocking me down before I could get onto the clothesline.  I cried that day; some from the shock of having been knocked down, but also from having lost so quickly.
During the summer we would also spend considerable time at the pool in town.  Mom would take us and supervise, while we would enjoy ourselves.

I do not remember playing night games, but I assume there was tag and other such games.   Often I would sit with my parents outside as the night came on, and the glowing mosquito killer zapped the bugs as they got too close to the light. I use to like to listen to they talked about this and that.

Whats Up with Radical Environmentalism

At the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle Saturday there was a display that had me wondering.  It seemed the display was saying that we need less humans.  They wee showing the depletion of the rain forests, and comparing this to the growing world population.  The conclusion; as long as we have more people, then we will have less rain forest, until there is no rain forest left. 
I believe in conservation; we should all do our best to make our person impact on the environment as small as possible.  However, when you get to the "zero population is the answer my friend" kind of stuff, you have left me way behind.  Humans have a right to space and life, and that is the most fundamental right.  We should study animals, and how we can live together.  However, we should not make it difficult for humans to thrive.  Humans are able to interact in positive ways with their environment, and make it so we can all live together.

Family Camping Trip 1998

Natalia

Joey

Geneve at the beech

Diane, Billy, Geneve, Clyde, Charity

Missy, Trevor, Jeremy, Linsey, Shelley and Mom

Dillon

Kayla Jo

Travis and Jeremy fishermen?

Trevor, Clyde, Miranda, Travis, Shelley

Travis, Sheri and Mark, Trevor

Billy, Weldon, Charity

Trevor, Caleb held by Shelley, Travis

Charlie

Geneve, Dillon, Charity, Sheri, Miranda, Travis

Charity, Sheri Miranda Jeremy, Linsey, Mom, Trevor

Billy

Trevor, Dillon, Shelley, Mom

Charlie and Diane

Payson Lake camping.  We visited there a couple times with family camp outs.  The lake was about a mile past the camp site.  It was really fun, we would play on the beach, or go out in a rubber raft, or use some kayaks Weldon had brought, or just go swimming.  Clyde had some of the boys fishing.  Mark caught his first fish.  We also hiked around the lake several times.  It was a fun walk.  On the opposite end was a dock which went out over the lake, and allowed for jumping into the water.  That was fun too.
Back at camp there was lots of food.  Caleb was small, but he loved ball.  We would pitch him the ball and he would smack it.  He seemed to never miss.  He batted left handed.
The camp site is of of the Nebo loop.  It was always fun to take a ride further up the loop, and behine Nebo peak.  There were several view areas further up the loop which were fun.
The whole camping experience was fun, both years we did family camp outs there.  

Billy, Geneve, Zachary, Clyde

My Poetry: Jody

This poem I wrote for Jody Platt.  I think I always liked her more than she liked me.  She decided to go on a mission, I think to Costa Rica.

Jody

As I look back I see
Hazziness regarding you and me,
I know we had some good
Destroyed; by what we should.

Not only by your looks was I attracted
But on spiritual beauty I acted.
Though shy my first attempts
I overcame my initial introvence.

And now the time of parting past
The years we loved went too fast,
The crossing of our paths now gone.

And so the lace a moment entwined;
But the untwining was unkind
Nobody felt to tie the knot.