Thanksgiving at Grandma's Church

 For several years, every other year; we would venture to Grandma's church for Thanksgiving.  We had quite some feasts there.  Us guys would play basketball on the opposite end of the court from where we set up the tables.  The food was great, and well prepared and lots of it.  The day would always end with family pictures.  

Dewey's in Hyrum

 I was frying some left over mashed potatoes and said to myself, I'm making Dewey's hash browns.  Dewey's was the restaurant in Hyrum.  Sometimes we referred to it affectionately as "the greasy spoon" but I think that was affection.  We ate there frequently; not as a family but usually us boys.  Weldon and I loved their hamburger steak which was only $1.25.  However out most significant memory was playing pin ball on the game in the front corner.  Dave DeBolt lived closest, and consequently he was usually the best at the game.  He had figured how to earn lots of free games on the machine.  Sometimes we would go and have a good time.  There would be five of us crowded in the corner, Dave and his brother Ben and myself and my two brothers, Weldon and Charlie.  We had great fun.  

The commercial district were Dewey's was located was all knocked down to make way for the Hyrum museum and library.

Color and Patterns from our trip to Mammoth Lakes area and Postpiles

 I walked around our camp at Mammoth Lakes area to see what I could see.  have also added a picture of Post Piles National Monument which has a unique pattern.  

ant hole pattern

redwood against ponderosa

ant hole and grass

This stump had many splinters

lichen on a rock

bark and decaying tree

Decaying tree and a flower

decaying tree with limbs

Leaning post piles

Memorial Day 2016: Dixie and Sammy Davis Fireside

 Manteca put on some great Memorial Day celebrations

Sammy and Dixie are on the right (this is not from last night.)

I am having difficulty writing this blog, because there is no way sometimes to express things that touch the heart.  I had the privilege to hear the story of Sammy Davis and his wife.  They were both widowed before finding each other.  Sammy is a Medal of Honor winner.  The story presented in Forrest Gump of rescuing your buddies was basically his story.  The President Johnson award ceremony was his story, and the scene presented was Tom Hanks face on his body.  The words from President Johnson in the movie Forrest Gump were the words the president said about Sammie Davis when he was presented the Medal of Honor.  He was in the artillery, not the infantry, and he was wounded more severely than Forrest Gump.  He also had to cross a river to get to his friends who were wounded.
They started the evening showing the You Tube video, "Sammy Davis, Medal of Honor, Vietnam."  There are a couple of other movies on You Tube: 

Buzzed Into American Hero Sgt. Sammy L. Davis at Heritage Hill
Sammy L. Davis

Dixie was the first speaker, and told of her history, losing her husband, and then making a connection with Sammy Davis.  They were friends previous to their spouses both dying from cancer.  She also tells the story of Sammy's conversion to the gospel, and it was very touching.  They are a cute couple and it was fun to observe their interaction.
Sammy then told the story of his earning the Medal of Honor in much more depth.  He basically says he didn't feel like a hero.  "I was just doing my job."  The story was very touching, but also very personal.  After saving his three buddies, Davis thought his work was done, but things happened to let him know he had more work to do.  Only after this did he have enough energy to get to the shore of the river and get out of the water.
He also told the story of learning to play the harmonica during the war, and always playing the song "Shenandoah" for his Sergeant.  He played this for us.  It was very moving.
I was emotionally touched by this veteran.  He is still out there making himself available for other veterans, lifting them up and being a listening voice.  He is also still effected by things that happened so many years ago.  He indicated he only sleeps a couple hours at a time, gets up and makes sure everything is OK before going back to bed.

Photographic Book Review: 100 Greatest Photographs to Ever Appear in Arizona Highways Magazine

100 Greatest Photographs to Ever Appear in Arizona Highways Magazine, Arizona Highways, book division Arizona Highways Magazine, Phoenix, Arizona, 2013.

Arizona Highways Magazine began publication in 1925.  This book was published in 2013 so it represents 88 years of monthly magazines.  That means tens of thousands of pictures over the years.  This book has tried to pull together the 100 greatest in chronological order.  It even has an Ansel Adams photograph of Oatman showing the mining operation with the mountains behind.  

Over the years, the most commonly photographed location is Monument Valley, which is shared between Arizona and Utah.  Of course there are also a significant number of pictures of Grand Canyon.  There are lots of photographs of Native Americans, cowboys and horses.  Some photographs show the night sky.  There are those with different shapes and those showing contrast--plants in front of lakes, the lone fauna in front of the desert.  There really is a very good representation of photographers and Arizona.  This book is worth reviewing, and is a motivation to get the magazine.  

I have not shared any photographs as they are for sure copyrighted.  

Mr. Tatman, Sixth Grade Teacher

Mr. Tatman taught all my kids in sixth grade until we changed elementary schools due to a move.  This means he taught Natalia, Mark, Jeremy and Charity.  He seemed to be a steadying influence in their lives.  Mr. Tatman went above and beyone.  He would attend the junior high school graduations of his kids who had been in his class a couple years earlier and made it a point to see the kids he had taught.  He had fun activities and challenging things for the kids to do.  Mr. Tatman is one of those teachers who can have a life time effect on your kids.  

Weight Wars #3

I have posted twice before, but not for the past two years.  I saw my weight go from 298 in 2003 to 248 in 2019 and 245 in 2019.  My weight has not dropped much more.  Now I weigh about 240.  I am no longer grossly obese but just obese.  However I have been stagnant in any further weight loss.  I was able to take pills to help with weight loss, and then Victoza shot.  Victoza helped me lose about ten pounds but then no more.  However it is going to take something more to get me below the 240 line and continue my trek to 190 which is my ultimate goal.   I was doing better before Covid made everything be work from home.  Then I did not walk near as much as I no longer took the train to work.  I have not gotten into a pattern of exercise since having retired.  I keep thinking something will change.  I guess that something will need to be myself.  I need to lose that last 50 lbs to be as healthy as I can be.  

So I commit to a half hour walk or activity everyday.  I commit to doing exercises to help my frozen shoulder.  I commit to watch my food intake.  I commit to no food after 8 p.m.  

Malad Revisited: A Place from My Youth

 Malad is where we would make an annual journey from Hyrum to play in a baseball tournament.  Sometime we would make an additional journey to play a couple ball games.  For the most part, Malad has not changed much.  The ball diamond where we use to play is still there with its rock stairs and walls.  The bowling alley is still there, as is the American Legion, where we stayed several times as youth.  The Dude Ranch Cafe and the swimming pool are also still there.  The high school still stands but is vacant.  The elementary next door is still used.  The new high school is in the south part of town.  It has many more ball diamonds than just the one in town center.  The old hospital where we stayed is no longer there.  It was next to where the library is now.  There is new business where you exit from the I-15, including a Burger King.