I found myself in North Dakota looking for some additional farmland to purchase. It happened the Realtor I was working with had her office in the town of Steele. Steele happens to be the county seat of Kidder County, and I happened to take a photograph of the Kidder County Courthouse.

 Kidder County is located in North Dakota. The county seat is Steele, located on I-94 about an hour east of Bismarck. As of 2000, the population was about 2,753. 

Lots of great work on display at the 2010 Utah Arts Festival in downtown Salt Lake City. I have added several artists links on the LINKS page of this site. Scroll down on the right side and you will come to a section of links to various artists.  Take a look at some of them, there is truly some unique imagery on these web pages.

Above is a photo of the Uintah County Courthouse, located in Vernal, Utah. To see more images of county courthouses please visit the Seats of Power page. 

I've been someplace you have never been to, and probably never will.  The reason you will never go there is not because it isn't a scenic place, because it is. It won't be because it isn't accessible, because it is. And it won't be because you can't find it, because it is clearly marked on an map of the area. No, the reason you won't go there is because you've never heard of it.

And that's a shame, because it is certainly worth your time.

The place is Antelope Island, Utah. It sits in the middle of the Great Salt Lake.  You access it via Antelope Island State Park, and it is well worth a visit. We were there in Mid-April of 2010 on a fine sunny day. Despite having been in the area several times, this was our first visit to the island.

You may have heard of the Great Salt Lake, the largest lake in the Western United States and the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere. Antelope Island is the largest Island in the Great Salt Lake. The Island is home to several species of animals, including mule deer, pronghorn antelope, coyotes, bobcats, badgers, porcupines, jackrabbits and several species of rodents.

Not to mention a large herd of Bison.

Yes, there are over 500 Bison on Antelope Island. In fact there may be more Bison on Antelope Island than there are Antelope. I don't think anyone knows for sure.  What is for sure is that you are reasonably likely to see one if you visit the island, and you probably won't have to look very hard.  This one was only 20 feet off the main road.

Other than the occasional Bison, the best reason to visit Antelope Island is for the views of the Great Salt Lake and surrounding area. According to Wikipedia, the Great Salt Lake is the fourth-largest terminal lake in the world, the 37th-largest lake on Earth. In an average year the lake covers an nearly 1,700 square miles, but it's size fluctuates significantly due because it is so shallow. For example, in 1963 it reached its lowest recorded level at 950 square miles (2,460 km²), but in 1987 the surface area was at the historic high of 3,300 square miles.

 

From Antelope Island you can see the majesty of the Wasatch Mountains. The snow-capped peaks will have snow though June. The development you see at the base of the mountains are some of the northern bedroom communities of Salt Lake City - Layton, Roy, Clearfield, Syracuse, to name a few.

 It has been said that you can float in the Great Salt Lake due to the high salinitiy. In fact, if you are light enough and walk carefully, you can actually walk on the water of the Great Salt Lake.

 

Well, I wouldn't say that definitively, but in some cases it seems like it would be possible.

Should you ever find yourself travelling along I-15 in northern Utah and see a sign for Antelope Island, do your self a favor and take the short side trip to Antelope Island State Park in the Great Salt Lake. Not only will you enjoy your stay, but they you too will be able to say, I've been to a place you've never been to - and in virtually every conversation you will have, that statement will be correct.

 

Snow was falling when we woke up Sunday morning, Light, fluffy flakes, drifting gently to the ground. We haven't had much snow this year, so we were excited to see it. Not to mention the fact that we had planned to go skiing at Alta.

 

It is a short drive from our house to the Alta Ski resort, and we were early enough to secure a prime parking spot, backed in toward the mountain and close to the lodge. We went inside, had some hot chocolate, geared up and headed out for First Chair. There's nothing like First Chair, with the sun cresting over the mountain, backlighting the fragile flakes drifting slowly over the trees and toward the runs below. The anticipation of the first run as you ride up is topped only by the actual first run itself, which today was in untracked, knee-deep powder.

 

It absolutely lived up to expectations. The boys, my wife and I had a fantastic morning skiing the Greatest Snow on Earth at Alta. There was no worry about finding untracked snow. Having had passes for several years, we know some out-of-the-way places where untracked powder awaits locals only.

 

After the first four runs or so the lift lines grew very short, and most people who planned to ski this day made it a point to arrive early. When you can ski a run of untracked powder and ski right on to a waiting chair to do it again - well, that is a good day.  

 

And that's what we had today - A totally awesome, spectacular, powderhound ski day. Don't you wish you lived in Utah?   

Over the course of my travels I have photograped county courthouses when I have had the opportunity.  It is interesting to me to see the different buildings which represent and house the government of a specific county.

Some of the buildings I hae seen have charm and character, others are very utilitarian. Some have fascinating histories and legends, others are simply there. At this time I have photos of about 12 county courthouses in four states. 

I will put new ones up on the Seats of Power page on this website every so often. If you have an interest in county courthouses, please bookmark that page and visit it every so often.  If you have comments or stories to share about a county courthouse in your city, drop me a line at campingmachineguy@gmail.com.

In the Spring of 1987 I was a 26 year old TV News Cameraman in Great Falls, Montana.  If there was a local news story on the KFBB, Channel 5 local newscast, I shot it. One day in April we had a cold spell and a bit of a snowstorm, not an uncommon occurrence at that time of year in that part of the country. The day being rather slow for news, as most days were in Great Falls, I made my way to the banks of the Missouri River and took some video footage of the river as new ice formed.  It was beautiful, in its own monochromatic way.  Back at the station I cut the footage to music, and the piece ran at the close of the 5:30 and 10:00 PM newscasts. To see the movement of the semi-frozen Missouri river as it was over 20 years ago, go to the Multimedia page of this website and look for the YouTube video on the right side of the page.

In the town I live in there is a Holiday Tradition called the Festival of Trees.  It is a fundraiser for the local Children's hospital, and it has, over the years, become a much anticipated event in the community.Local businesses and individuals decorate and donate Christmas trees, which are sold at the event with all the funds raised going to the Chldren's hospital.

A few evenings ago our family went to the Festival of Trees, and while we did not purchase a tree, we spend a wonderful hour or so strolling among all the beauriffuly decorated trees. I could say a lot more about this wonderful event, but this it the type of post where a picture truly is worth a thousand words.

Enjoy the sights of the Festival of Trees. 

 

 

 

 

 

Confluence – defined as ‘a flowing together of two or more streams, rivers, or the like.’

Therefore the Confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers is where the two rivers flow together. I have been there, and you have not.

The confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers was first reached by the Lewis and Clark expedition in the Spring of 1805. After having spent the winter with the Mandan’s the Corps of Discovery was anxious to get underway.  They followed the Missouri on their way to the Columbia, not knowing at the time they would use the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone as a rendezvous a year later. 

What I do know, that you did not until you read this, is that there is a very nice interpretive center on the shore of the Missouri where the two rivers come together.  It is small, well-maintained and visited by very few people.  In fact I have been there twice. On one occasion I was the only visitor there, on the other I was one of three.

 

The most interesting about the site from my perspective is how the rivers have changed course over the 200 years since Lewis and Clark passed through the area.  There in an interpretive sign outside of the structure which shows where the banks of the river where when the expedition came through the area. This is the only way to try to visualize what the men actually saw as they made their key decision.

The only disappointment I had with the confluence center is that it is difficult to get an overview of the confluence itself. As you can see from this photo, it’s hard to see the actual joining of the waters.  It would be nice to have a tower or lookout created where a person could have a better, more complete view of this historic confluence.

But that is not the case. Perhaps it is better this way after all.  It isn’t today what it was 200 years ago, so you wouldn’t see what the captains saw when they first came to this site.  Like the captains themselves, the confluence of their day is no more.

So though I have been there, I arrived too late to the site the way the captains saw it.  But at least I have been there.  Add as we now both know, that puts me ahead of you, for I have been there and you have not. GPS Coordinates are 47.58.37.27 N 103.58.51.90 W.

It is a sad day today, Saturday November 7th.  As you can see in the photo below, there is The Camping Machine, parked on the RV pad next to our home.

Why should this be sad, you ask? Well, consider the photo below, taken only 20 minutes after the first one...

 

Yes, it is sad when you realize there are no more camping trips to be taken this year.  

Sleep well, my trusty camper.  Come next spring, you will need all of your energy - we have some fun adventures planned! 

You think it will never happen to you.  Halloween comes, Halloween goes, and year after year you take your kids trick-or-treating.  You never see a real witch, a real ghost, or a real Zombie.  At the end of the evening, you come home, your kids change out of their costumes and what do you know?  They are still ordinary kids. Not this year, not for me.  This year my son has turned into a real Zombie.  Don't believe me?  Check out the video on the Multimedia page!!

Phase two of our California Camping adventure continued with a visit to LegoLand. 

With The Camping Machine safely ensconced in spot 80 of the Mission Bay RV Park, we headed to the theme park built solely to sell billions of tiny colored plastic building blocks.

Before my lovely wife booked this week-long southern California adventure I had no idea there was such a thing as LegoLand. Disneyland, sure.  LegoLand?  Is this a joke?

 
Apparently not.  

I remember building with Lego blocks as a kid.  You could make walls with them.  Red walls, yellow walls, blue walls, white walls.  That was about it.  Oh, sure, there were some specialty parts, but basically what I did with my Lego's was to build little walls for my small green plastic army men to hide behind, so I could shoot at them with rubber bands.  The idea there might be a whole Theme Park built around Lego's was as foreign an idea to me as, well, putting a man on the moon.

Oh, wait.  They did that in 1969, right when I was playing with my Lego's.

As we walked in I had no idea what to expect.  It didn’t take long to figure out what was what.  The entire place is predicated on creating an environment conducive to selling Lego toy sets. 

And let me tell you, if you thought Lego’s were just those square blue and red bricks with four, six or eight little bumps on top, you are so 1960’s.  Just like I was.  Um, actually, just like I still am.

Today you can build almost anything out of Lego's.  For example, you can build a Salty Old Sea Captain, complete with spyglass.  And when you have your kid stand next to him, why it's almost impossible to tell which is the real person and which is the guy made out of Lego's.  In fact, I almost bought the Sea Capitan some Cotton Candy before I realized I left my son back at the pedestal. Of course, the person who built this has a few more pieces in his set than you or I do, um, did back when we were building with Lego's.

The more time I spent in LegoLand, the more I wished it was time to go home.  OW!  Just kidding, dear.  No, really, I'm having a great time.  What I meant to say was the more time I spent in LegoLand the more I realized just how much skill and talent the fine LegoLand craftsmen and craftswomen must have to build these fabulous creations.

Why, take this example of Fine Art.  Here is a realistic sculpture of a Great White Shark eating my son whole.  When I first saw this shark I thought I was back at Sea World - then I realized I was just having a savage flashback, due in large part to the drugs I was taking to get me through this week's ordeal of seeing how many southern California theme parks we could visit in a week.  Once my flashback was over, it was clear that my son had finally pushed his mother too far and she fed him to the monsters of the deep for not eating his vegetables at dinner the night before.  I believe her exact words were, "Either you eat your vegetables, young man, or I'll find something that will eat you."  It seemed perfectly reasonable at the time.  I'll bet my son will eat his vegetables tonight.

 

You might think that given the right amount of specially shaped Lego's, you could build a shark big enough to swallow you whole. Actually, let me rephrase that.  There is no way you, I or any other normal person could build a shark big enough to swallow you whole completely out of Lego's. You have to be some sort of Lego Savant to do this.  I may be a Savant, but it's more the Idiot type.  How else do you explain me agreeing to this adventure?

I read in the news recently that SpongeBob SquarePants is now 10 Years old and worth several Billion dollars.  Do you think Lego is going to let that go by without creating a whole set of SpongeBob Lego's?  No way

.
For the record, my kids love SpongeBob.  What's not to like? I guess I would prefer he remain a cartoon character and not have to become a LEGO  toy.  On the ohter hand, if I had invented SpongeBob, you'd better believe I would license his likeness to anything and everything I possibly could. In addition to SpongeBob, there are all kinds of Star Wars Lego Sets, Lego Indiana Jones sets, Lego Space Police and Lego Bionicle play sets, among many others.

.
.But LegoLand wouldn’t be able to draw kids in sufficient numbers to buy the toy sets if there weren’t theme park rides to be ridden.  No, the roller coaster is not made out of Lego blocks – something tells me that wouldn’t work out to well. 

 

So of course there are rides scattered about so the kids can go from one Lego-themed display to another, and along the way hop on a roller coaster, drive a car, or ride a horse like a medieval knight.

But that maks me sound cynical and jaded, which of course I am not in the least bit.  Really.  

When it’s all said and done, thought, Lego-Land is a good time if you are a kid.  After all, that's the reason we are here in the first place.  At least LegoLand makes no apologies for being so commercail.  If you were to come here and expect anything less than a full-on sales blitz to sell Lego sets, you've have to be on better drugs than I was when we were there.  I work in Advertising, so to me this was simply a well executed campaign.  And from my professional perspective, it is executed very well.  It's all about the Lego blocks, Moms and Dads, and the sooner you understand that the better off you will be.  Don't fight it, give in to the urge.  Buy some blocks and watch your kids have a good time.

And yes, we succumbed to the incessant beseeching of our two boys and bought them Lego sets to take home. So I am drinking the same Kool-Aid I am exhorting you to take.  Repeat after me - LegoLand is Fun.  LegoLand is fun.  LegoLand is fun.....

Recently we took The Camping Machine on our longest excursion to date – all the way to San Diego, California.  A week-long tour of local San Diego attractions awaited us – Sea World, Lego Land and the San Diego Zoo.

If you are an adult, married and have children, at some point in your life you will feel compelled to pack up the kids and drag them off on a trip like this.  I don’t know exactly what causes this to happen – perhaps it’s hormonally driven, perhaps it’s peer pressure – but regardless of the cause, the fact remains you feel as though you will be a failure as a parent if you deny your children the opportunity to spend all of your money on rides, stuffed animals and cotton candy at Destination Attractions in a city far from your own.

So we succumbed.  I pasted a giant smile on my face, vowed to leave it in place as long as possible, and headed out for the Children’s Fulfillment Trip.  I applied for 16 new credit cards and planned to max out every one of them.

First stop – Sea World in San Diego.

I’ve actually been to Sea World before.  Years ago, in my days as a TV News Cameraman, I covered a sports story in San Diego and as part of the story we spent some time in the park.  It was so long ago that I really didn’t remember much of the time I spent there or what there was to see, other than Shamu.

So it was basically as new to me as it was to my wife and lovely, precious children as we stood in front of the entrance and took the obligatory photo that proved we were really here.  Why is this important?  Because my kids are young enough that the likelihood of them actually remembering any of this trip when they are older is somewhere between slim and none, so I’ll need the photo to prove I really did take them there when they complain that we never did anything fun as a family.

Sorry.  I guess I put a bit too much cynicism in my morning coffee.

Sea World really does provide an exceptional opportunity to see, learn about, and in many cases touch, many forms of sea life that people like me who live in land-locked states in flyover country would never get to see in real life.  The habitats in which the animals live are all large, well kept, very clean and provide excellent viewing areas.  Of course, I’m sure it helps to go on a weekday when the crowds of families just like ours are not as oppressive as they likely are on weekends.

If you are like me (and I hope, for your sake, you’re not) you probably equate Sea World with Shamu.  But there really is so much more to Sea World than Shamu, and I’d be doing you a disservice if I jumped right to Shamu in this post.  You’d have no reason to read anything further.  No, I’m going to build up to that, so to get the Big Payoff you’ll have to read about the other parts of Sea World, and maybe you’ll learn something interesting along the way.  I will tell you though, Shamu is the star of this party, no question about it.

I applied that same logic to my kids, and rather than head straight for Shamu Stadium, I made them wait and see the other attractions first, so the day would build up to something and not be a complete letdown after the first hour.

Next to Shamu, the dolphins are probably the best known attraction at Sea World, so we decided to start off with a visit to Dolphin Stadium.  As disappointed as I was not to see football, the dolphins are pretty cool.  They swim, they jump, they splash the crowd.  It was amazing to me that people will actually try to be the first ones into the stadium just so they can get splashed by the dolphins.

Once you exit the stadium you’re dumped out into a gift shop that sells, you guessed it, stuffed dolphins.

Let’s face it, stingrays look cool.  How can you watch a stingray glide by and not think that if you had to be a sea animal instead of a person, you’d want to be the stingray? 

Has there ever been a car called Tuna?  Blowfish?  No.  At Sea World, you can actually pet the stingrays.  They even feel cool.

And, as luck would have it, you can buy a stuffed stingray as well.  Ironically they almost feel the same as the real ones.

Polar bears – now that is something to see.  For those of us who’ve seem black bears and grizzly bears in Yellowstone, seeing a white bear is a treat.  Seeing two is even better.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Getting your photo taken with a guy in a polar bear costume, well that’s just icing (pun alert – icing – ice – polar bears.  Are you chuckling yet?) on the cake.  And wouldn’t you know it, he’s standing right out in front of the gift shop that sells – yes, you guessed it – stuffed polar bears!

They also have a show at Sea World that features humans – can you believe it? 

The brilliant marketers at Sea World have figured out how to get humans to perform in the water just like the mammals that happen to have fins.  It’s called Cirque de la Mer.  So of course we had to see that too.And if you CLICK HERE you can see some of it too.

I’m not sure which was more entertaining – both aquatic and human mammal shows feature lots of jumping and diving.  And when the show is over you can get your photo taken with the performers – if you really want to, that is.

With all that first class entertainment going on, it’s hard to imagine that my kids were asking if they could go on a ride.  A RIDE?  What do you think this is, an amusement park?  We’re here to LEARN!  You are supposed to be soaking up science here, watching highly intelligent mammals…umm…do tricks, like…umm…circus animals.  And that includes the dolphins and killer whales.

Sure, let’s go find a ride.

And there is one, which as you might expect at a place called Sea World, features water.  And it’s all themed up as you would expect, and named appropriately – Journey to Atlantis  Click here to watch.  With a 45 minute wait under our belt, we strapped in to the front row for the privilege of 45 seconds of fun, including a couple of steep drops and a free shower.  I snuck my little camera on board and shot a quick video that almost makes you feel like you were there.  Or not.

But Sea World is really Shamu’s show, and it is interesting to see what a Giant Killer Whale can do when it wants to (or is properly motivated).  

Who knew a Killer Whale would let a person stand on its nose? 

Who would have guessed a human can actually ‘surf’ a killer whale?

It was a long day at Sea World, but it was so fascinating (and there were still so many things to buy!) that we couldn’t get everything done that we wanted to.  Fortunately, the tickets my wife purchased were some kind of promotional offer, where if you purchased your tickets in advance you could get a second day free.  And there was still one thing that we didn’t do the first day that we would now have the opportunity to do on the second – and that was to have an intimate dinner with the Rock Star of San Diego – Shamu Him(her?)self.

It turns out that Sea World built the Killer Whale stadium/pool complex with a restaurant integrated into the facility.  The dining area runs along the, well, what would you call it?  Holding Pool?  Training Pool?  It’s the pool where Shamu hangs out when not performing.  Although with about 100 people having dinner right next to the pool, in essence Shamu is ‘performing’, since everyone is watching him/her swim around.

We booked dinner for 6:30 that evening.  The food is actually quite good, a mixture between adult and kid fare.  And you can sit there, dining on beef sirloin tips or chicken strips and watch as a giant killer whale cruises just off your starboard bow, or placemat.  Occasionally you might get splashed, but it’s a far more intimate splash than those who sit in the stadium get.

And when they say it's Dinner With Shamu, they arent kidding.  You are eating, and so is Shamu.  RIght next to you.

After dinner is the grand finale – the evening show, under the lights.  The name of the show is Shamu Rocks.  It was a very impressive show.  Because it was so dark the photos didn’t really work out, but I did videotape some of it, so take a look at this Video:

Now here is the deal with Shamu.  You may have guessed it by now.  There is more than one Shamu.  Yes, boys and girls, there is only one Santa Clause, but there are many Shamu’s.  In fact, at Sea World San Diego, there are seven.  The Shamu we had dinner with is named Ulysses.  I asked the dinner host about this.  He told me the very first trained killer whale was names Shamu (no, NOT Willy!) and that Shamu passed away about 10 years ago.  Subsequent killer whales have been given different names, but they all carry the Shamu name as a surname, if you will.

So when you go to Sea World, say hello to all the Shamu’s you see.  It’s a proud lineage.

And keep a tight grip on your wallet!

The local Air Force base in our area hosted an Air Show a couple of weeks back.  You know, the type of event where all sorts of aircraft fly in from air bases and fields from across the country, park on the tarmac and patrons can get an up-close and personal look at some unique aircraft.  With my two boys interested in all things mechanical, military and ‘cool’, it was a no-brainer for us to spend the afternoon with 100,000 of our closest friends checking out the neatest flying machines on the planet.

Of course, the United States Air Force is a significant beneficiary of the event, as this branch of the military puts their best foot forward during the air show for recruiting.  When you see all the dashing airmen and air-women in their dress uniforms, describing how exciting it is to work with all this high-tech equipment, it’s hard not to think how great it would be to be a part of this.  Both my six-year old and my eight-year old sons were ready to get in the cockpit and take off right then and there. 

 

Sorry, guys, it doesn’t work exactly like that.

Even so, they both had the chance to sit behind a large helicopter-mounted machine gun and mow down imaginary bad guys, saving the world from evil and having a great story to tell their buddies back home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even a jaded, cynical old man like me could not help but be impressed with the hardware on display.  How often do you get to walk through a plane that could airlift my entire house and drop it effortlessly into a combat zone?

After a few hours checking out all sorts of flying machines, it was time for the main event.  By now you’ve guessed what it is.

I don’t know how it would be possible to see the Thunderbirds perform and not be impressed.  The men and women of this crew represent all that is right with the US Armed Forces. 

 

Let’s face it – Tom Cruise filmed Top Gun for a reason.  Yes, I know that film was about Naval aviators.  Still, these folks are just plain cool. And the things they can do with those F-16 Fighting Falcons – well, imagine how you would feel if you were some Iranian fighter pilot and saw this on your six:

OOPS!  Looks like someone just wet their flight suit!

It was simply amazing to watch what these pilots could do.  The precision of their maneuvers was spectacular. 

All in all it was a great day for The Camping Machine family at the air show.  Never mind that it took nearly 90 minutes to get off base once the show was over.  It was worth every minute.  My sons got autographs of some of the pilots, they got to see all kinds of cool airplanes and they saw the Thunderbirds do some extreme formation flying.

When it was all over and we finally had negotiated the traffic to get off the air base on on the highway to head back home, both of my sons declared they wanted to be fighter pilots.  How can you argue with that?  Having had one of the all-around most awesome days in their lives, at least so far, you can't blame them for thinking that being a fighter pilot is the epitome of cool. As for old dad, well, he's always been an old fuddy-duddy - even when there isn't much to compare him to.  With the Thunderbird pilots front and center in the minds of my sons, I fell a few rungs further down the ladder of coolness.

Until, that is, I downloaded these photographs onto the computer. Once I made a few prints for the boys to hand on their walls, suddenly dad wasn't so lame after all.

Above All indeed!

Dear Mom,

I just wanted to drop you this note to thank you for the wonderful gift you gave Chris and Tommy.  They sure love it!  They’ve been playing on it all day.  I can’t tell you how happy you have made them.  I guess I should try, though.

But first, you might be wondering why I’m sending you this thank you note.

After all, you’re dead. 

For four years now.

You know, better than anyone, how terrible I am at thank you notes.  I remember, even if you don’t, how you would have to sit with me and make me write them after every birthday, every Christmas, for far more years than you should have.  Even as an adult, knowing better, I always seem to get them out late, or not at all.  At which point I have to make a phone call and deliver a verbal ‘thank you’ along with an apology for being socially inept.

But this note is not one I put off for so long that you up and died before I was able to send it, thank goodness.  I wouldn’t want the last thing you remembered about me was, “That’s my son – can’t find the time to write a simple thank you note!”

No, this note is for the gift you gave the boys after you died.

Anyway, Mom, Chris and Tommy absolutely love the swing set you bought them.  You remember - the one you had talked about buying for them for all those years ago.  I told you many times how much the boys love going to the park to play on the swings and playground equipment, and you would always say to me, “Why don’t you buy them a swing set of their own?” 

To which I would reply, “We can’t afford to do that right now.”

“Well, one of these days I’m going to do it for them.  Just help me pick one out, one that they would like.  I want them to have that,” you’d say.

Well, Mom, I never did get around to picking one out, even though you kept asking me about it.  I always thought there would be plenty of time.  Plenty of time for you to come out here to visit us.  Plenty of time to spend with the boys and give them this gift yourself.  Plenty of time for you to sit on our back deck, watching the boys play on a brand new swing set.  To watch them run, climb, swing and play.  To see them interact with each other.  To see what fine young boys they have become.  I thought there would be time to do a lot of things. 

I was wrong.

But I did have a plan, procrastinator that I am.  I thought maybe we’d sit down and figure out the swing set thing when we all got together at the beach this past June.  We’d look at some catalogues; you could make your choice, and tell Chris and Tommy about it in person.  Then maybe later this summer you’d come out and see it for yourself.

But you died two weeks before our trip, now four years ago.

I never told the boys what you wanted to do for them.  I wanted you to be able to do that, to show them the picture, to see the joy and excitement on their faces when you told them they would have their very own swing set in their own back yard.

And when it didn’t work out, I figured we’d just let it go.  We have several parks in our area.  They’re really quite nice. The boys wouldn’t know any differently.  They would still have fun.

But as I thought more about it, I realized that you would want them to have this even if you couldn’t be there to see it.  So much of you, your life, was about doing for others. It was never about getting the credit.  You were the very embodiment of the adage ‘it’s better to give than to receive.’

Over the course of your life you have given so much to so many.  To me, perhaps, more than anyone.  And I could spend the rest of my life trying to thank you and never come close to expressing just how much you have meant to me.

And if I did, you’d roll your eyes and say, “Enough, already!”

So I won’t go there.

But I know you’d have been angry if I left one of your last wished unfulfilled.  Especially one I know would have given you so much pleasure. 

So MBW and I went through the catalogues.  We went to the showrooms.  And we found a very nice swing set.  One we knew the boys would love.  One we never would have bought on our own.  But one I know you would have.

We knew we couldn’t afford it.  But guess what?  It just so happened that the manufacturer was offering no interest, no payments for one full year.  That weekend only.

Was that a coincidence? 

So we bought it.  Knowing that a year from now, we'll figure something out.

Anyway, this weekend the crew came to set it up.

It’s wonderful.

It’s one of those redwood monstrosities with a fort, a slide, tire swing, sandbox, rope ladder, trapeze bar, and three regular swings. 

As you might expect, Chris and Tommy are out of their minds with excitement.  They can’t figure out what to do first.  They run from one end to the other, trying every single thing, wrestling with each other over who gets to do what first.  They race up the ladder, down the slide, over to the tire swing, and back again.  They play ‘pirates’ in the fort.  They build cities in the sandbox.  They swing for the sky, trying to touch the clouds.

But you already know all that, don’t you?

I’m pretty sure you were there. 

Chris knows how to swing.  He has the whole ‘pumping’ thing down.  He can go from a standstill to full height very quickly, without a push.

Tommy cannot do that yet.  He can climb up into the swing, but he hadn’t figured out how to pump yet.  So whenever we would go to the park, I’d have to stand behind him and push.  Of course, I didn’t mind.  I knew he’d get it one of these days.

But today, when he climbed onto one of the swings for the very first time, he started to pump.  All by himself.  Without any help from anyone.

The look on his face told the whole story.  He was surprised, then happy, as he exclaimed, “I’m pumping, Mom!  I’m pumping, Dad.  Look at me!”

“Look at me GOOOO!”

And sure enough, he was.  Pumping.  With no help from MBW, Chris, or me.  Slowly, at first, but as his confidence grew he went higher and higher, his smile bigger and bigger.  Zooming through the air, back and forth, his hair flying in the breeze he was able to make for himself, for the first time ever.

It was wonderful to witness.  He was so thrilled – the new swing set, his new achievement.

I think you were there, giving him a little push.

I’m not talking about some sort of creepy ‘Sixth Sense’ kind of thing.  I don’t think you’re hanging around the house, wanting to tell me something.  I don’t see you; I don’t get chills for no reason.

But I do think, somehow, somewhere, you’re watching the boys.  Not always, but once in a while.  Sitting out there, a smile on your face.  “They’re doing okay, my grandsons.  They’re doing okay.”

Or maybe I just want to believe that.

The biggest sadness in losing you when we did, for me, was knowing you wouldn’t get to see your grandsons during some of the most enjoyable years of their lives.   I so much wanted to share this part of their lives, and mine, with you.  It would have meant so much to the boys, to me, and, I think, to you.

But your health was failing, and I think you were ready.  You had so much pain for so long, it was time for the suffering to end. 

Perhaps now you’re at peace.

But I think, in some way, you’re out there, somewhere, taking in some of what’s going on in their lives.

Because I never did tell the boys the swing set was a gift from you.  They know you are dead, even though they really never knew you that well.  You got to see Chris exactly two times in his five years.  Tommy, only once in his three.  That just wasn’t enough.  They really never knew you.

So maybe you can tell me why, that night after playing on the swing set all day, Tommy told me this as we tucked him in for bed.

“Dad, Nana’s dead.”

“That’s right, Tommy, she is.”

“I still love her, though.” 

Go ahead, mom.  Tell me you had nothing to do with his learning to swing.  On the swing set you bought for them.  The very first time he tried it.

I don’t believe it.

Thank you, mom.  Thank you for everything.

First, some background. I am an old man. Old enough that the dreams from my youth have long since given way to the realities of middle-age life.

Yes, I once had dreams; dreams of doing something fulfilling with my life as opposed to simply earning a living. Dreams of being creative, of finding away to create an emotional response in others, perhaps through visual arts, perhaps through written words.

I'm now old enough that I've succumbed to the reality that earning a living in a corporate, white collar world is not just my lot in life, but a lot for which I am grateful to have.  Old enough that age 50 is much, much closer than age 40, yet my two children are both under ten years of age.  I'm at that place where retirement and college tuition for two kids collide like a freight train steamrolling through a deli truck stuck on the tracks - the results are oddly compelling to look at, yet nasty enough that you eventually become sick.

I'm old enough to accept that my dreams were simply that - dreams, not be be realized.

Yet, in one way, I am fortunate that my white-collar corporate gig is with an Advertising Agency, where at least I have the privilege to work with people who do have that spark of creative genius; brilliant people who do earn a living while creating work that elicits an emotional response in others.  One of my colleagues at work has taken here tremendous gift with words and created a website that you absolutely must visit.  Go to MotherBraggers.com (www.motherbraggers.com) and read some of the most insightful, delicious prose you will read anywhere on the Internet. 

Unlike the boring, poorly written, banal language on this page, motherbraggers.com is written by a professional with keen insight and incisive observations.  If you are a parent, or know a parent, you need to read this website.

MotherBraggers.com - you have to check this website out!

It was a 50-50 proposition for Team Camping Machine this weekend. The previously undefeated Blizzard soccer team suffered their first loss of the season, while the reeling Wildcats roared back with a convincing win to up their record to 4 wins and 2 losses.

On the soccer pitch, the Blizzard played their opponent to a scoreless first half, but in the second half the field seemed to tilt downhill toward the Blizzard goalkeeper, who was peppered with shots the entire half and gave up three straight goals.  The Blizzard offense couldn't muster much in the way of pressure, playing mostly in their own defensive half of the field.  Unfortunately the final score did not reflect the effort put forth by the mighty Blizzard.

 

The Wildcats took to the gridiron with something to prove, having lost two straight games by a combined score of 31-14. They came out all fired up, and upon receiving the opening kickoff they took it straight to the house, going up 6-0 in the first 15 seconds of play.  Tacking on the extra point try, the Wildcats were up 7-0 before the crowd knew what had happened.

The Wildcats played inspired defense, holding their opponent to two first downs in the first half.  The halftime scoreboard showed the Wildcats up 13-0.

 The second half has more of the same, as the Wildcats turned a pass interception into another touchdown and won going away, 19-0.

With two games left in the season, the Wildcats still have plenty to prove, while the Blizzard seek to get back to their wining ways this Saturday.

The storm broke over Team Camping Machine this weekend - literaly.

Saturday we had a torrential downpour in our town, and both the soccer game and flag football game were held as scheduled.  It was a cold, windy rain, making life miserable for players, parents, and coaches.

The Blizzard, the soccer team in the city rec league for boys in 1st and 2nd grades on which my son Tommy plays (and I coach) pulled out another victory in a 3-0 shutout.  This is the third game in which the team has not allowed a goal.  The boys are playing very well, working together as a team and having fun - although the rain Saturday made everyone a bit miserable.  Still, our team had to feel a bit better than the other team.Winning in the rain is better than losing.

The Wildcats, the flag football team my older son plays on (and which I also coach), did not fare so well. Also playing in the driving rain, took a 7-0 lead only to wind up losing 24-7.  Chris scored his team's only points. 

Part of the reason for the loss may have been that we could not field a full team - 3 of our players did not make the game.  Another mitigating circumstance is that our kids played Flag Football, while the other team treated this game more like full contact tackle football.

Still, a loss is a loss, and I don't want to make excuses.  We'll have to come out stronger next week. If you are at all interested in these games take a look at the YouTube videos I've posted on the home page and on the Multimedia page of this website.

What a weekend for Sports!  The Blizzard soccer team dominated on Saturday with an 8-0 win, while the Wildcats pulled out a thrilling, come-from-behind 14-6 win in Flag Football.  In the Tuesday night flag football game the Wildcats, trailing 6-0 at halftime once again, came from behind to coast to a 13-6 victory. 

 

Beginning with the round futbol, I wish I could tell you how the Blizzard were able to pull out this dominating victory.  I'd love to say it was the stellar goalkeeping of young son Tommy, but as you can see, he had moments of, well, shall we say, less than perfect footwork. 

 

Even so, he returned to form and displayed the fierce attitude that stones the opposing shooters.

 

And I have to love his attitude - talk about having a game face!  Tommy came to play on this day! Somehow this team manages to knock in eight goals without giving up one, leading to an amazingly lopsided game. 

I haven't seen on of our soccer teams win like this since my older son's team of second-graders beat a team of mostly first graders 10-0.  The first grade team only got the ball over midfield two times and did not have a single shot on goal.  I'm not proud of that, but the league has first and second graders play in the same league.  The blizzard is mostly first-graders, and to be 2-0 at this point is unusual.  No doubt things will change when we run into a team made up of mostly second graders. 

For now, the Blizzard will enjoy their victory.The Wildcats flag football team, well, that is another story entirely.

 

After winning the first game 20-0 against a team that looked like they had not had a single practice prior to game day, the Wildcats lined up against a team that was clearly their equal.  Going thee-and-out on the opening drive, the Wildcats punted and the other team methodically marched down the field, chewing up clock time, and punched the ball in the end zone.  The Wildcats buckled down on the extra point try and held them out of the end zone, down now 6-0.

With my son Chris at quarterback, the Wildcats went to a hurry-up offense  They drove quickly down the field until an incomplete pass stopped the clock with about 30 seconds to go.  We called a pass play that fooled no one on the defense, so Tommy scrambled and dove into the end zone just ahead of the defender, who actually did pull the flag after the ball had crossed the goal line.  We lined up for the extra point try and Chris found his receiver in the back right corner of the end zone.  At the half the Wildcats were up 7-6. 

The other team came out strong in the second half, but the Wildcats held them and used up some clock before scoring a second touchdown.  The point after was successful and the Wildcats led 14-6.  Their celebration was put in jeopardy when their opponent broke off a long run, getting to the five yard line before a desperate lunge to grab the flag saved a touchdown.  With time running down their opponent ran two quick pass plays, both of which fell incomplete.  On the last play of the game the Wildcat cornerback made an interception at the goal line to seal the win for the Wildcats. 

 

Tuesday evening the Wildcats lined up once again.  Held scoreless in the first half, the Wildcats trailed 6-0 as they kicked off to open the second half.  They held their opponent to a three-and out, then ripped off a long run on their first offensive play of the second half to tie the score at 6-6.  A nice bootleg by the quarterback scored the point after and the Wildcats led 7-6. 

The rest of the second half was back and forth, with neither team able to move the ball very well.  With time running out the Wildcats called for a center dump pass.  All players in this league are eligible receivers, and the center had not played much of an offensive role for the Wildcats in this game.  Chris shifted to center for this series of plays, and when the play was called he was ready.  The quarterback sold the fake handoff, Chris shed his block and drifted to the right, caught the pass and took it to the house.  Wildcats were now up 13-6.  The point after attempt failed, and the clock soon ran out, leaving the Wildcats victorious once again. 

Sitting 3-0 after the first three games, the Wildcats are looking forward to continuing their success this Saturday. While there is still room for improvement, both the Wildcats and the Blizzard are playing well and giving a strong effort. 

With practice for the Blizzard this Thursday and this Friday for the Wildcats, it will be another busy few days.But the opportunity to coach my son's sports teams and spend this time with them while they are young is not to be missed.   Go Blizzard!  Go Wildcats!