“I was a young man with uninformed ideas. I threw out queries, suggestions, wondering all the time over everything; and to my astonishment the ideas took like wildfire. People made a religion of them.” Charles Darwin writing about the religion of Darwinism
New Cool things…
My beautiful Norm built this cruiser for me to enjoy here in the desert.
“The Mother and Daughter”
Christmas Cookies and Outside Art Work…
Sunrise in the Desert…
Roofing…
Back to Building…
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A lot of people may figure how great it is to work with the Baptist Builders, you know, the fellowship and all of the latest in state of the art equipment. 
- Merle is trying to figure out how Norm could get so much paint on her! In the background is the trim job that her and Martin did. Yesterday the three of us installed those windows, after Merle showed us how.
- This is the front of the church. Merle had to work on the entry floor before we could install the double door.
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- This is some of my handy work. I am not good at painting or caulking, but all of my roof work will be covered up.
Fun with Family…
Our girls wait patiently for a ride back to Grammy Walker's. 
- Leo has a great time in the desert. Here he is trying to decorate a saguaro with old oranges. He has one in mid-flight! The kid has a pretty good arm. All of our children have been here the last few days and we have been making the most of it. The weather has been great, not too warm and not too cold. We have had lots of practice shooting, racing the quads around the desert and eating great food.
Happy Thanksgiving…
WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me “to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANKSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:”
NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and assign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed;– for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish
Constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;– for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge;– and, in general, for all the great and various favours which He has been pleased to confer upon us.
And also, that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions;– to enable us all, whether in publick or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us); and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.
GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine.
(signed) G. Washington
The Boss and his Boss…
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Our "Boss," Merle, assuming the position. Standing in the shade and keeping track of everything. Merle can tell just by looking if the rafters are plumb, the exact measurement of distances and when to have lunch. 
- “Mrs. Boss,” Jene, Merle’s better half, is the real deal. She has us praying and singing, keeps us fed, and laughing as she picks on Merle.
- Here is Norm, trying to get in with the “Boss.”
From a few days ago…
Back to Work…
Pastor Simon, looks like he is getting ready to hand out some cash, but I must have been busy taking pictures because I never saw any. The Pastor is the glue that keeps this project running smoothly and keeps us well fed. 
- Mr. Lee, has been a blast getting to know. His life story sounds like it should be in a best seller.
What a way to spend the day…
Church Building…
Construction Update…
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Things are moving along quite nicely. 
- Norm and I had to take time to clean up, the weather being so nice.
- I think this is Pastor Simon’s father-in-law working ahead of us as we were nailing up the siding. I wish I could squat like that.
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- Merle likes to move into his work site and have a short commute.
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- You just never know what you will see at a construction site.
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- This is Merle’s better half, Jene. Jene works as our chef, medical officer and makes us sing for food (Just kidding, we like to sing for our food).
We work on a new project…
Merle, our 'Baptist Builder' boss has us trading in our chain saws for tape measures and hammers to build a church for a Vietnamese congregation in Phoenix. Pastor Simon, in the orange helmet, Merle behind him and me to the right, acting like I know what I'm doing (not a clue). 
- Merle’s tool trailer has everything a guy would need and then some.
Happy Birthday, Mom…
Harvest Festival 2010…
Thursday…
“When I am weak then am I strong,
Grace is my shield and Christ my song.” Charles Spurgeon
Rodeo Day 2…
High School Rodeo in Wickenburg.
There was no rest for the ‘roping dummy’ as kids of all age roped him without mercy.
Sunrise on Friday morning.
We worked in the food booths this past weekend and had a blast.
Voting Guide…
“In selecting men for office, let principle be your guide….It is alleged by men of loose principles, or defective views of the subject, that religion and morality are not necessary or important qualifications for political stations. But the Scriptures teach a different doctrine. They direct that rulers should be men who rule in the fear of God, able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness. But if we had no divine instruction on the subject, our own interest would demand of us a strict observance of the principle of these injunctions. And it is to the neglect of this rule of conduct in our citizens, that we must ascribe the multiplied frauds, breeches of trust, peculations and embezzlements of public property which astonish even ourselves; which tarnish the character of our country; which disgrace a republican government; and which will tend to reconcile men to monarchs in other countries and even our own…When a citizen gives his suffrage [vote] to a man of known immorality, he abuses his trust; he sacrifices not only his own interest, but that of his neighbor, and he betrays the interest of his country.” Noah Webster
Dog-Sitting…
I don’t want to call us professionals, but we have quite a few dog-sitting gigs under our belts. This was the cruel and unusual conditions we had to tolerate recently at our daughter Julie’s residence. Other than a few things on a ‘Mom and Dad to-do list” and feeding these hounds, we lounged around enjoying things we don’t normally have access to. These items, in no particular order of fun, a dishwasher, a neighborhood where no one knows us (we can be wild and crazy), satellite TV, trees to climb and hang from, and a full sized oven. And, if the weather had been warmer we would have enjoyed the pool the dogs were lounging around. In other words, dog-sitting for our grand-dogs is like staying at a five star resort! Thanks Julie!!!
He is Lord over all…
A.A. Hodge (July 18, 1823-November 11, 1886) an American author, lecturer, and theologian at Princeton University stated, “A Christian is just as much under the obligation to obey God’s will in the most secular of his daily business as he is in his closet or at the communion table. He has no right to separate his life into two realms, and acknowledge different moral codes in each…The kingdom of God includes all sides of human life, and it is a kingdom of absolute righteousness. You are either a loyal subject or a traitor. When the king comes, how will he find you doing?
AWANA’s
On most Sunday’s this is where we can be found, awaiting the recreation time for our AWANA’s program. Norm is now working with the puggles group so I have to rely on my friend Thomas (on the left) to keep me in line.
Norm is so crafty…
Norm is showing off her latest creation! Norm’s Dad is on her right and Bill, her neighbor is to her left.
Look’s Funny.
Nail polish and chain saws, just don’t seem to go together.
Leo…
Our grandson Leo, is a Cubbie!
Leo is working at his Grandfather’s rope factory in Kiowa Kansas. It is never too early to get that good work ethic into kids.
From this shot it is obvious that he gets his good looks from this grandfather.
He is a flashy dresser thanks to his grandparents in Kiowa.
From Ficus trees to Pine trees…
We drove from Yuma to Pinetop or from near sea level to above 7,000 feet elevation in around 8 hours. The temperature here in the daytime is not as warm as the over night low in Yuma. From ficus to pines, I am getting ready to scramble up this tree.
I climbed above my top rope and sat on a flip line to cut a large branch above my head.
Norm had expressed to me that there were no women “sawyers” and I mentioned it to Chris and he had two words for Norm, “Norm, chap up!”
Things are tough in the volunteer world of disaster relief, so Chris likes to start training new volunteers early!
Our last job…
This is where we called home for the last 10 days in Yuma.
The house belonged to Morningside Baptist Church and they were all so great to us. If you find yourself in Yuma, this church is a good place to worship.
Our last tree to cut on. Norm is trimming some low branches while I prepared to cut those broken limbs out of the tree.
The lady that owned this house went to work before we got there, but she left a cooler with drinks in it for us.
Yuma paper…
http://www.yumasun.com/sections/article/gallery/?pic=1&id=64471 Here is a newspaper article about our team.
There is always a tree to cut…
This was one gnarly tree to cut. Martin and I got the ‘Big Boy’ Stihl 660 chain saw with a 36 inch bar to whack it up. Using this saw is like wrestling with a gorilla!
Here is Martin and his wife Betty sharpening a chain. Betty has been a real trooper and jumped into chain saw work with both feet.
This log appears much larger when cutting than it does in this photo.
Here I am trying to make some sort of decent cut while Martin looks on. The four of us have made a great team and have been working hard. Especially since the weather has crept back to very hot and sunny high nineties.
Yuma, still cutting…
This house belonged to an 87 year young lady. She told me she woke up one day and was 87! The before and after shots are quite dramatic. We tried to get the next door neighbor to sign a release form so we could go on his property and remove his trees also, but we could not make contact with him. So, we found a way to remove them anyway.
Norm saw me with the camera, and said wait, ran to the trailer and grabbed the loppers so it would look like she cleared it all by herself.
Yuma, day 6…
I have failed to mention that the city of Yuma Fire Department has given us lunch everyday we have been here and also have provided us with back up chain saws and repair help. We even got home made cookies delivered to our work site this morning (thanks Kayla). Kneeling in front is Martin on the right and Les on the left, back row right to left is Mark, Don (our man for everything we need, even a plumber) Norm and me in front of city hall after enjoying a good meal.
We all really enjoyed helping this man, a retired fire fighter, a real hero in a world that needs hero’s.
This tree is much bigger than it appears!
Don working on one of the saws. There never seems to be an end to some task that is required of these saws. They are like a bunch of toddlers, they require constant attention and supervision.
One Big Tree, part 2…
Like I said, the pucker factor was real high, so I really am more comfortable sitting there and cutting. It looks like I am all tied up in my work.
We could not figure out how to drop some large limbs without crushing this chicken coop, so we used a dolly and moved it. Mark came in real handy for this job! Funny thing about this chicken coop, the lady had a handful of chickens running around, freaking Norm out, but not a one came to the coop.
This is Martin, an all around expert on everything that has to do with trees, chain saws, and is a good example of how every Christian should live and conduct himself here on this earth. We have trained a lot together we enjoy him and his wife greatly.
One Big Tree, for me…
This is the biggest job I have ever had to climb without Chris and the pucker factor was real high!
The final product, cut as far down as we could.
Here is how we accomplished the removal.
Mark is on the right and Les is to the left. Mark is good with a saw and very knowledgeable with the mechanical side. We used him when we needed lots of strength to move something heavy. Les cuts like a specialist, very precise and always knows what the tree is going to do.
Yuma, day 5…
This is Chris, our fearless leader. We refer to Chris, with all affection, as “The Tree Whisperer.” As you can see from this photo, an expert rope climber and rigger along with the ability to use a chain saw with surgical procession. The photo below, is well, the exact opposite.
“Uh, which way does the rabbit go, or no, he comes up through the hole?” Yeah, right.
Chris used five ropes, one rope was an inch thick! One of those ropes on the ground was tied to my truck and I put all 650 foot pounds of torque to the pavement. As my tires finally broke traction and started to smoke, the tree came away from the house. We did all that just to have Chris cut it off and make it fall right where he wanted, the Tree Whisperer.
The finished product.
Disaster Relief work in Yuma Arizona…
We started Monday looking over about 15 tree jobs in Yuma from a storm they suffered in August. Talk about being timely! No one knows that the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief teams in Arizona have the capability to remove and cut large trees with surgical procession. As you can see in these before and after pictures and this was in a small backyard, gone, just like magic.
This is just one part of a large debris pile that four of us built.
A house with a large tree leaning against it. Actually there are three trees involved. The one large one in the front fell and took the other two next door down.
I said I would do what???
Have you ever said something a while back and then kind of forgot about it or thought that since no one took you up on your offer, it was probably for the best because if you did do it, you would stink it up? Well this happened to me a few weeks ago. Norm and I were sitting around, enjoying a fruit snack after dinner, when my phone rang. It was Mike, our praise band leader from church, reminding me of my long ago, ill-fated offer to play drums for the band, if needed. I said that, really? After mumbling, uh, sure and hanging up, I told Norm. She started counting the days from the last time I played. After finishing falling off her chair, uncontrollable seizure like laughter, tears running down her face, the math began. It has been 35 days, no, 35 months, no, I got it, 35 years since you last played! And, of course, never on electric drums. I said, I have to practice! A lot! So after about 5 hours total of solo, embarrassing practice, 2 short actual practice sessions with the praise team, I played, or something like it. Most people said I did good, but only after believing I was on the verge of tears. Now I am a member of the First Southern Baptist Church praise band and the number 4 drummer. Wow! Remember kids, never say never.
Our Youth Group…
A few years back, Norm and I thought we were finished working with youth. We did that and were really looking forward to working with seniors (old people), the normal progression, we figured. Of course, we did all this planning without consulting the Lord. He had other things in mind and here we are working with a great group of young people. We are blessed to spend a few minutes with them every Tuesday and Thursday morning before they go off to school. Thier faith in the Lord Jesus Christ lifts us and always makes for a great day. They are faithful and determined in their own faith and a witness to our entire church.
Norm is so crafty…
This is a former climbing rope. We have had this rope for quite some time now. I was sitting in the climbing office at Devil’s Tower a few years back when Michael, one of our climbing rangers, asked if I wanted to go with him and find an abandoned rope that some visitor reported? “You bet!” So we scouted around the area for a while and found it. I’m not sure why anyone would leave a rope, as they are pretty pricey, but their loss turned into our rug. Michael told me never to use it for climbing, so I cut about a twenty foot length off to use for practice in tying knots ( which I need a lot of practice on). The rope hung in our shed till now. When we got back from our trip, Norm had enough of this rope hanging around and promptly turned it into a rug. She used a large amount of duct tape and some Elmer’s glue. I think it turned out real well.
And just like that, it was over…
Camp site # 14 in Flagstaff Arizona. We had a great time walking around down town and swallowed down some good grub.
This is the burn area where we worked in July helping clean up. We took the time to drive through some of the harder hit areas. Some houses showed dramatic improvement and sadly, some looked the same or worse.
This is what being a good sport and having a good sense of humor looks like (see the photo below).
After driving over 3,000 miles on some of the worse road conditions this truck has ever seen, we have a catastrophic tire failure on a very nice highway not far from our house on our way to our daughter, Julie’s house. Sadly, we had to limp back home and leave the next day.
Our last day in Goblin Valley…
This random plant was growing in the middle of no where, with nothing else around it.
After completing our last hike, we were driving back to camp and Norm looked to her right and asked me ‘Is that someone on top of that truck?’ and of course I agreed with her. It turned out to be two young couples that were camping and accidentally left their truck lights on and their battery was dead. Being sure I had jumper cables and tearing everything from the back of the truck, I realized the cables were in the trunk of the Model T back in Arizona. So we gave one of the guys a lift to the visitor center to borrow a set. On the way we passed this vehicle stuck in the muck. It was not there when Norm and I drove in and she could not stop laughing about it for some reason. I guess it has something to do with mud, which she never seems to pass up when hiking or riding. Well, we just got to the top of the next hill and there were the owners of the truck walking toward the V.C. all sunburned and hot. So we stopped and gave them a ride the rest of the way and when we got there, Norm apologized for making fun of their truck, in between more laughter. It is not often that you get a chance to help another person, let alone two in one day! It was a great way to wrap up our time in Goblin Valley.
Fooling Around…
Random Items…
Many people wonder how we can stay in the cargo trailer. As you can see, it is very cosy. There is a place for everything. This looking in through the two rear doors. I tell everyone that it is a work in progress.
It may look like chaos and cluttered, but we had a good system going after a few days.
We are not sure if someone actually put the pine tree in the compost toilet as a joke or hoping beyond hope that it would actually improve the smell. We can tell you from first person experience, it did not!
If this looks familar…
We do not know for sure, but someone told us that the movie “Galaxy Quest” was filmed on location here.
After this much thinking, studying, and contemplating, I should be much wiser.
Goblin Valley, Utah…
It almost seemed that we had to hike through tight spaces on every hike. This is really down in the drainage on the trail to goblin valley.
This was our last hike, so we sat on a big rock with a big drop off, basking in the Sun.
Goblins everywhere…
Goblin Valley…
I think I was looking for something to eat.
If we look like we are having a good time, your right!
These goblins were so much fun, Norm could not help pointing out how the goblins all looked like some item or animal.
This goblin looked just like a throne. So, my Queen took her place on it!
Camp food…
A lot of people are curious about what we eat while travelling. Some people think we eat at restaurants all the time. Nothing could be further from the truth, as you can see. We cooked our own meals for almost three weeks before giving in to one of Ray’ s burgers.
I think we picked this melon up while travelling through the southeastern corner of Colorado. Lots of good produce are grown there.
Little Wildhorse Canyon part 5…
This looks strange in the photograph, but it is solid rock we found in the canyon.
Little Wildhorse Canyon part 4…
This is a lot higher than it looks, and deep also. We had to climb over with some effort.
Little Wildhorse part 3…
If you look real close, you can see Norm has to put one foot in front of the other. Stepping wise, this is the narrowest part of the canyon.
Self portrait.
As you travel through the canyon, you come in and out of the slots, with some few wide areas. You are still surrounded by canyon walls, just wider.
Occasionally, you had to climb over rocks to keep moving forward.
Little Wildhorse, part 2…
When there were no big rocks to climb over, the trail was good gravel.
Yikes! You can never be sure who you might run into in these canyons.
Little Wildhorse and Bell Canyons…
Norm spent much of her time saying ‘Wow’ and laughing. It was an incredible experience that we will never forget. It made for a long day, about 8 miles round trip (loop). We liked the first canyon so much, we hiked it twice.
Norm is way up near the front of the shot. The Lord created some great designs with water. Very pretty!
Just some of the debris from former flash floods. We were told that in the narrower parts of the canyon, the water would be twenty feet high.
Green River Utah…
Campsite#12 proved to be quite expensive. We had to pay top dollar for a site, nine dollars to wash the truck and trailer (okay, it was really a rinse, I hate to pay), $9.50 to do laundry and two hours of our time cleaning the inside of the trailer and every piece of equipment we had.
Besides being well known for their melons, and they have good ones, Green River is also the home of Ray’s Tavern. When someone tells you that people come from all over for Ray’s burgers and fries, you have to go and have some burgers and fries! We did and we can tell you that Ray’s is a must eat place. We had not had a meal out since leaving Oklahoma City, but more on our food and eating in a later blog.
We had no idea how we found this place, but after spending three days in it, we sure were glad we did.
Campsite #13, and they had showers, slot canyons (our first time), no electric and no night lights closer than 15 miles (made for great star gazing) and goblins.
Nine Mile Canyon, Utah…
Our experience with this drive was not good. We could not recommend this unless you like bumpy, very dusty conditions.
Campsite #11, somewhere in the seventy mile stretch of road that is Nine Mile Canyon. Must be some sort of new math?
We loved our spot till Norm had to spoil it by pointing out the cow poop that I had conveniently parked the trailer next to. This really did sum up the day of filling our sleeping area and our all gear with silt like powder of dust. The people were really nice, when I went to their house to fill out a card and pay for the night, I had to do it outside because they had not started the generator yet for the lights.
Boy, we were glad to see that area in the rear view mirror.
Dino # 5 and Jenson Utah…
This is the remains of a chicken coop that belonged to a lady named Josie that lived on or near the monument for more than 50 years. No modern conveniences, she canned her veggies and killed her own beef and wildlife.
The cabin still remains and there is one color photograph of her sitting at her table inside the cabin. She liked living there and would never move. She passed away at 93, with complications from a broken hip. In some ways she reminds me of my Mom-in-Law.
This is a turtle rock. Norm really liked him.
Downtown Jenson and some of the other small towns we passed through, had real flowers lining the streets.
Dino # 4…
Dino #3…
Our attempt at modern art.
Lots of lizards. I thought maybe they drew what they saw the most of. We saw a lot of lizards.
Norm wants to know if you can find the flute player? Please email her and her alone, please.
Nomads2 
