pictures out of order.

Honor I'm sorry I didn't get these in order and the're really not very good pictures, there pretty grainy. Anybody got any tips for better picture taking? We'd like to try this again. We definitely need a steadier hand. In the mean time, keep looking up.

how it began

sunrise

foggy morning

Crash of 2008

Here is a haiku inspired by Carol's post on the government sponsored Wall Street bail out.



Earth's gray filmy dome
filled with dark birds of prey
lame duck on the shore...

like a deer in the head lights

A 700 BILLION DOLLAR BAIL OUT, what does that mean? Great for the one being bailed out but, who is that? The economy is being picked down to it's bones and were sucking on those. We've become sitting ducks. What direction do you fly in to get out of the way. Is there any wisdom left in the goverment to meet the needs our country. It's like waiting for a battle to begin. You hope you have the right stratage because the enemy is about to strike and you can't see where he is coming from. Is he strong or weak can his weapons defeat us. The unknown is fearfull.

sunrise

Last Sunday Tom and I got up early ( actually a little latter then usual for us) about 5:30am to catch the sunrise. We threw on our clothes and headed for hirer ground, which is out where the pastures are. We new the sunrise was for 7:13am, we were there by 6:43. We climbed up into the back of the truck ( well I didn't exactly climb, remember when we used to jump in and out of Dads' truck, those days are gone). Anyway, it was a foggy morning and the fog just drifted threw the pastures giving everything a quiet serene feeling. You could hear the cattle in the pastures with their deep throated mooing fisrt here then over there as if they were calling out to each other. As the fog moved and shifted cattle would appear and disappear in and out of the fog like sentinals waiting for something important to happen. You could here the bugs in high pitched tones and see the birds in flight looking for that first meal of the day. We now realize we have no coffee oops! Oh well no time for that, we want to photograph this event if we can figure out the camera in time. Time is running out. It gets light out before the sun actually appears on the horizon. One minute nothing the next minute the sun just pops up. A small red arc of light that looks like the top of a finger nail. It takes us by surprise. It climbs higher and higher. Within fifteen minutes a big red ball hangs suspended above the earth. We are busy clicking away on the camera in awe of an event that happens every day.

An Autumn Thought

An autumn night.... don't think your life, didn't matter. Basho

what would you do?

Norma always said bad things happen this time of year. Norma is the senior lady that I word for. Or did. Through a series of unfortunate events Norma had to be adnitted to the hosptal ( I highly recommend you stay away from this place ),
Norma was with out oxvgen through the night on
friday and when i arrived
saturday morning she was not feeling good. I replaced her oxygen which did not seem to help her. I went down stairs to get the apartment manager and her daughter in-law to come and talk with her. She new her name and what day it was and that her daughter was coming to see her that evening but then she began to become confused and not able to talk as well. The daughter in-law told Norma she would call for an ambulanc which Nnorma objected too. An ambulance was called. on the arrival of the emt Norma became unresponsive to them. They began cpr, back up was called and she was being brought in to the hospital a code blue, She was place on oxygen from a mask that force oxygen in and the built up carbon dioxide out (CO2). Norma was now dependent on a machine to make her breath. In icp Norma would wake up and be agitated because ot the mask covering her face and she needed her othe medicine for her mental illness. She couldn't have these meds because she could not swallow with the mask on. She was give morphine to calm her and to help with pain. It caused her to choke and she stopped breathing. The effects of the morphine was reversed and a different medicine was given. The doctor informed the family that this mask was a temporay fix not met for prolonged use and they would have to make a decision to talk her of the mask or let her live and suffer for a short period of time. Norma seemed to wake aat times and try to come ouot of the fog of it all put could seem to do it. However on Saturday morning in front of family and the doctor when i arrived and leaned over to speak to her she came full awake nearly sat up threw her arms rround my neck trying to say my name. she was glad to see me. The doctor backed down on taking the mask off of normas to let her die. For the next few days Norma continued to recognise family and try to communicate. She was not able to take off the mask there was no sign of improvement and the doctor returned to his original request to take her off the machine keeping her alive. she is awake. she can make requests she smiles and is happy she knows what you are sying and who you are. how can the doctor do this. take her life. The morphine was increased to control her combativeness she stopped breathing and that was that, she is gone. she was able to open her eyes and smile one finale silent goodbye. I took care of norma for 7 years i knew her better then her children who did not spend any time with her but now had a reponsibility to decide if she should live or die.
They would all have to go back to work and leave norma at the mercy of the hospital staff in a room down the hall from icu. and for how long? who would pay for this?
We can pay to keep charles manson alive and for what reason, we can spend billions trying to send people to Mars but can't figure out a way to provide oxygen to comfortably help someone live who was not ready to die. How many people have been in this predicament?

The Web Site Updated

We've made some progress on thekepka.com. It's dedicated to Jesse's paintings now. I have also added a blog just for Jesse.

Check it out some time if you're bored.

Encouragement

While going through some papers I found a letter from Katie dated August 2, 2003. It was written just before she started school in Phoenix. Katie mentioned that every night she read from A Pilgrim's Almanac by Edward Hays. She offered encouragement by sharing a quote from that book. I thought I would share those words with everyone. The quote is from St. Francis de Sales.

Do not look forward to what might happen tomorrow; the same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow, and every day. Either God will shield you from suffering, or God will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace, then, and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations.

My Autumn Hair

By the title of my post one would think that I have dyed my hair red. Not so. It is still gray and brown. But my hair does have that eerie, autumn, wind blown look. It is a look that makes me look dangerous, like a woman living on the edge. Someone who should have a cigarette dangling from her full red mouth; an aging beautician perhaps, who yells, "Get your buns over here darlin' so we can shave your head." A worn out diva, ensconced on a couch, who screams, "Junior bring me a beer."
I had my hair permed a few weeks ago. It seemed like a good idea. Now my hair is so curly I cannot manage it. I finally understand Fiddler's complaint about natural curl.
To make myself feel better I made some cranberry scones today. I thought a scone would taste good in this damp fall like weather. Baking scones was a good idea. I just took them out of the oven a short while ago. They don't just taste good, they taste WONDERFUL. They almost make me forget about my hair. Yes, Halloween is right around the corner, and I think I am ready.

This just in...

Peter just found me this video, just a little bit more Fort Hays fun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WEGZa9YBQ8&feature=related

Additional Fort Hays "fun"

I don't know if any of you look at the additional videos down on the right hand side on youtube. I found this little entertaining video. I just wanted to share. I showed to Peter & he enjoyed in so much he watched it over & over, laughing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jm_BGJ0b_3E&feature=related

While I was watching the original video, I kept thinking how bazaar this whole thing was. I felt really bad because it was so bad that for some reason I couldn't stop laughing. Is that really terrible? Also, shouldn't there be some kind of dress code? This professor just looked like some crazy bum who walked in off the street.

Getting off subject, I want to share an experience from work. Last night, at the end of the work day, our managing pharmacist ran to the front door to catch a customer. My co-worker, Tammy, had already locked the door. John ran right into it. I can't remember when I laughed so hard, I had tears in my eyes. I was still laughing when I went to work today, especially every time I looked at the door & saw his huge nose imprint. Anyway, I'm sure you had to be there but it was hilarious.

Fort Hays State Professor Moons Colleague

Here's a special look at how some academics interact with one another, including a Fort Hays State debate professor, who was fired last week for the antics recorded and published on this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXwy2VuA2V4

Unfortunately, the events leading up to this confrontation are not included, so there's not much context for the behavior, but I think you'll agree that it gets so out of hand that the context doesn't really matter.

Enjoy!

Said the flea to the fly in the flue ...

This morning, Trent noticed Sal and Booley sitting in front of our fireplace, looking at it strangely and cocking their heads simultaneously and in the same direction. He came closer to determine the source of their curiosity.

At about that time, I came into the living room, and Trent whispered, “I think there’s something in our fireplace.”

“Huh?” I replied.

“Shhhh.”

I bent over and put my head near the fireplace. Something scuttled about inside.

“What do we do?” I asked.

“Well,” Trent replied, “if we leave it in there, it’s going to die and stink up the house.”

We gathered the necessary supplies: a laundry basket, towel, gloves, and flashlights. We put the cats in the upstairs bedroom and opened the front and back doors.

Thinking the animal was trapped above the chimney flue, Trent tapped on it to determine the species.

“Definitely a bird,” he said. “Or maybe a bat.”

We braced ourselves, placing the laundry basket in the fireplace, and positioning the towel to quickly cover whatever fell out of the chimney. Trent opened the flue.

All that came out was a bunch of soot.

Then we noticed where the animal was actually trapped—behind the vents of the chimney. And now we could see that it was a little bird. (Yay—no bats or squirrels.)

Trent unscrewed part of the fireplace, and the little sparrow came zooming out. Trent screamed and ran toward the kitchen. I screamed and watched as the sparrow bonked into our living room window. Then I shooed it out the front door.

Just another exciting day at the Mason Zoo of Kennesaw. Copperheads, cat bites, and crazy birds—oh my!