Proposition 8 as viewed by some or most of the Mormons...

"In short, if the arguments used in the war in heaven were persuasive enough to draw billions of God's spirit children away from Him, why should we not expect them to be used on the present battlefield? The same minions cast out from the Father's presence still remember what worked up there.

The stakes are critical. If same-sex marriage advocates can dilute and hollow out the central part of the Creator's plan, the whole structure collapses — the family, the nation, and in time civilization itself. The time has come for those of us who believe that God, not man, created marriage (fortunately still a majority) to take a stand and defend it.

Proposition 8 is a defining moment, a tipping point, a critical battle in our existence, melodramatic as that might sound. This is not a political sideshow. Long after the world only vaguely remembers a President McCain or a President Obama, people will continue to be affected by what happened in the California battle to protect marriage in the fall of 2008."

This came from Meridian Magazine. I have written to the editors objecting to it. The author is a California pollster, BYU graduate and Stanford PhD. His name is Gary Lawrence and the author of a forthcoming book How Americans View Mormonism; Seven Steps to Improve Our Image. He and his wife, Jan, have four children and four grandchildren.

This thinking makes me angry and challenges me as to how I can fit in this culture of fear and homophobia. If my religious faith and experience is defined by people like Brother Lawrence I would drown.

I went to Equality California and made a donation. Their web site is http://www.eqca.org/

40 DAYS...

BP is 120/80 this AM. Down from 150/90+

40 days without caffeine

No more Cokes!

A Spider's Brain on Caffeine...

True or False

Caffeine is a central nervous system and metabolic stimulant with a number of positive benefits to the human body.

True – It is used both recreationally and medically to reduce physical fatigue and restore mental alertness when unusual weakness or drowsiness occurs. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system first at the higher levels, resulting in increased alertness and wakefulness, faster and clearer flow of thought, increased focus, and better general body coordination, and later at the spinal cord level at higher doses. Once inside the body, it has a complex chemistry, and acts through several mechanisms.

Caffeine is completely absorbed by the stomach and small intestine within 45 minutes of ingestion. The effects of caffeine last up to three or four hours.

True - After ingestion it is distributed throughout all tissues of the body and is eliminated or removed by the liver. The half-life of caffeine—the time required for the body to eliminate one-half of the total amount of caffeine consumed at a given time—varies widely among individuals according to such factors as age, liver function, pregnancy, some concurrent medications, and the level of enzymes in the liver needed for caffeine metabolism. In healthy adults, caffeine's half-life is approximately 3–4 hours. In women taking oral contraceptives this is increased to 5–10 hours, and in pregnant women the half-life is roughly 9–11 hours. Caffeine can accumulate in individuals with severe liver disease when its half-life can increase to 96 hours. In infants and young children, the half-life may be longer than in adults; half-life in a newborn baby may be as long as 30 hours. Other factors such as smoking can shorten caffeine's half-life.

Caffeine is hazardous to many animals.

True - While relatively safe for humans, caffeine is considerably more toxic to some other animals such as dogs, horses and parrots due to a much poorer ability to metabolize this compound. Caffeine has a much more significant effect on spiders, for example, than most other drugs do.

Caffeine increases our capacity for mental and physical labor.

True – Caffeine is an ergogenic: increasing the capacity for mental or physical labor. A study conducted in 1979 showed a 7% increase in distance cycled over a period of two hours in subjects who consumed caffeine compared to control tests. Other studies attained much more dramatic results; one particular study of trained runners showed a 44% increase in "race-pace" endurance, as well as a 51% increase in cycling endurance, after a dosage of 9 milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body weight. The extensive boost shown in the runners is not an isolated case; additional studies have reported similar effects. Another study found 5.5 milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body mass resulted in subjects cycling 29% longer during high intensity circuits.

Caffeine consumption is tied to serotonin levels in the brain. In the central nervous system, serotonin plays an important role as a neurotransmitter in the modulation of anger, aggression, body temperature, mood, sleep, sexuality, appetite, and metabolism.

True - A reduction in serotonin levels when caffeine use is stopped can cause anxiety, irritability, inability to concentrate and diminished motivation to initiate or to complete daily tasks; in extreme cases it may cause mild depression. Together, these effects have come to be known as a "crash".

Withdrawal symptoms—possibly including headache, irritability, an inability to concentrate, and stomach aches—may appear within 12 to 24 hours after discontinuation of caffeine intake.

True - Withdrawal may peak at roughly 48 hours, and usually last from one to five days, representing the time required for the number of adenosine receptors in the brain to revert to "normal" levels, uninfluenced by caffeine consumption.


Caffeine dependency can result in a number of unpleasant physical and mental conditions.

True - In large amounts, and especially over extended periods of time, caffeine can lead to a condition known as caffeinism. Caffeinism usually combines caffeine dependency with a wide range of unpleasant physical and mental conditions including nervousness, irritability, anxiety, tremulousness, muscle twitching (hyperreflexia), insomnia, headaches, respiratory alkalosis and heart palpitations. Furthermore, because caffeine increases the production of stomach acid, high usage over time can lead to peptic ulcers, erosive esophagitis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease.
There are four caffeine-induced psychiatric disorders recognized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition: caffeine intoxication, caffeine-induced anxiety disorder, caffeine-induced sleep disorder, and caffeine-related disorder not otherwise specified (NOS).

Excessive consumption and long term use of caffeine cause sleep disorders.

True - Two infrequently diagnosed caffeine-induced disorders that are recognized by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) are caffeine-induced sleep disorder and caffeine-induced anxiety disorder, which can result from long-term excessive caffeine intake. In the case of caffeine-induced sleep disorder, an individual regularly ingests high doses of caffeine sufficient to induce a significant disturbance in his or her sleep, sufficiently severe to warrant clinical attention. A study in the British Journal of Addiction concluded that caffeinism, although infrequently diagnosed, may afflict as many as one person in ten of the population.

Caffeine may prevent Parkinson’s Disease.

True - Several large studies have shown that caffeine intake is associated with a reduced risk of developing Parkinson's disease (PD) in men, but studies in women have been inconclusive. The mechanism by which caffeine affects PD remains a mystery. In animal models, researchers have shown that caffeine can prevent the loss of dopamine-producing nerve cells seen in Parkinson's Disease, but researchers still do not know how this occurs.

Caffeine may be a ‘nootropic’ or smart drug.

True - An array of studies found that caffeine could have nootropic effects, inducing certain changes in memory and learning. However, it is still not definitely clear whether the effect is negative or positive.
Researchers have found that long-term consumption of low dose caffeine slowed hippocampus-dependent learning and impaired long-term memory. Caffeine consumption for 4 weeks also significantly reduced hippocampal neurogenesis compared to controls during the experiment. The conclusion was that long-term consumption of caffeine could inhibit hippocampus-dependent learning and memory partially through inhibition of hippocampal neurogenesis.
Another study showed that subjects—after receiving 100 milligrams of caffeine—had increased activity in brain regions located in the frontal lobe, where a part of the working memory network is located, and the anterior cingulum, a part of the brain that controls attention. The caffeinated subjects also performed better on the memory tasks. However, a different study showed that caffeine could impair short term memory and increase the likelihood of the 'tip of the tongue' phenomenon. The study allowed the researchers to suggest that caffeine could aid short-term memory when the information to be recalled is related to the current train of thought, but also to hypothesize that caffeine hinders short-term memory when the train of thought is unrelated. In essence, focused thought coupled with caffeine consumption increases mental performance.

Used in significant amounts over time caffeine dependency results in unpleasant side effects and two 12 oz. Starbucks consumed within several hours could send you over the edge.

True - An acute overdose of caffeine, usually in excess of about 300 milligrams, dependent on body weight and level of caffeine tolerance, can result in a state of central nervous system over-stimulation called caffeine intoxication, colloquially "caffeine jitters". The symptoms of caffeine intoxication are not unlike overdoses of other stimulants. It may include restlessness, nervousness, excitement, insomnia, flushing of the face, increased urination, gastrointestinal disturbance, muscle twitching, a rambling flow of thought and speech, irritability, irregular or rapid heart beat, and psychomotor agitation. In cases of much larger overdoses mania, depression, lapses in judgment, disorientation, loss of social inhibition, delusions, hallucinations, psychosis, rhabdomyolysis, and death may occur.

Caffeine coupled with analgesics such as aspirin contribute to tinnitus or ringing in the ears.

True - I went to an ENT specialist this past week and he recommended cessation of caffeine consumption. In the three weeks I have stopped consuming caffeine the ringing is still present, seems to be unchanged. I do have hearing loss associated with with the tinitis in the high frequency range.

My dose has been generally two, but sometimes three in a morning. We have bottles of Excedrin in every vehicle, suit case, brief case, and I carry them in my shirt pocket like breath mints. Never leave home with out them. For comparison here are caffeine amounts in chocolate, meds, tea, sodas and coffee:

Excedrin tablet 1 tablet 65 mg,
Chocolate, Dark (Hershey's Special Dark) 1 bar (43 g; 1.5 oz) 31 mg.
Soft drink, Coca-Cola Classic 355 mL (12 U.S. fl oz) 34 mg.
Tea, leaf or bag 177 mL (6 U.S. fl oz) 50 mg.
Coffee, drip 207 mL (7 U.S. fl oz) 115–175 mg.
Soft drink, Jolt Cola 694 mL (23.5 U.S. fl oz) 150 mg.
Coffee, Starbucks (Tall 12 U.S. fl oz) 240 mg.
Wired X344 473 mL (16 U.S. fl oz) 344 mg.

Because of the ‘rebound’ headaches I have been suffering from over the years I have gone ‘cold turkey’ with respect to all caffeine consumption, namely Excedrin and Cokes, and generally all analgesics. Chocolate still remains in my diet due to its salutary effects and simply how much I enjoy it. The headaches occur daily and some days they are worse than others causing me to take a couple Ibuprofens on Sunday. Headaches seem to run in the family and I have been, no doubt, an over medicator of Excedrin. Time will tell if the headaches decrease in the long term and any lowering of blood pressure. Haven’t checked it since I stopped consumption.

To Consume or Not to Consume...

True or False

Caffeine is a powerful pesticide.

True - Caffeine is found in varying quantities in the beans, leaves, and fruit of over 60 plants, where it acts as a natural pesticide that paralyzes and kills certain insects feeding on the plants.

It is found in Yerba Mate, Guarana, the kola nut and coffee bean.

True - It is most commonly consumed by humans in infusions extracted from the beans of the coffee plant and the leaves of the tea bush, as well as from various foods and drinks containing products derived from the kola nut or from cacao. Other sources include yerba mate, and guarana berries.

Caffeine is the world's most widely consumed psychoactive substance, but unlike most other psychoactive substances, it is legal and unregulated in nearly all jurisdictions.

True - In North America, 90% of adults consume caffeine daily.


High caffeine levels have also been found in the surrounding soil of coffee bean seedlings.

True - It is understood that caffeine has a natural function as both a natural pesticide and as an inhibitor of seed germination of other nearby coffee seedlings, thus giving it a better chance of survival.

Chocolate derived from cocoa and cocoa drinks contain caffeine.

True - They contain small amounts of caffeine. The weak stimulant effect of chocolate may be due to a combination of theobromine and theophylline as well as caffeine. Chocolate contains too little of these compounds for a reasonable serving to create effects in humans that are on par with coffee.

In recent years various manufacturers have begun putting caffeine into shower products such as shampoo and soap.

True – Some personal care product manufacturers are claiming that caffeine can be absorbed through the skin. However, the effectiveness of such products has not been proven, and they are likely to have little stimulatory effect on the central nervous system because caffeine is not readily absorbed through the skin.

Humans have consumed caffeine since the Stone Age.

True - Early peoples found that chewing the seeds, bark, or leaves of certain plants had the effects of easing fatigue, stimulating awareness, and elevating mood. Only much later was it found that the effect of caffeine was increased by steeping such plants in hot water. Many cultures have legends that attribute the discovery of such plants to people living many thousands of years ago.

The first use of coffee to stay awake during religious services occurred about 500 years ago.

True - 15th century the Sufis of Yemen routinely used coffee to stay awake during prayers. Maybe this would help us all in those warm meetings when it is High Council Sunday.

The US Government at one time seized barrels of Coke syrup alleging it was unsafe for public consumption.

True - In 1911, kola became the focus of one of the earliest documented health scares when the US government seized 40 barrels and 20 kegs of Coca-Cola syrup in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Justice Department attorneys alleged that the caffeine in Coca Cola was a threat to virtue and lead young women at one girl’s school down forbidden paths.

True - On March 13, 1911, the government initiated The United States v. Forty Barrels and Twenty Kegs of Coca-Cola, hoping to force Coca-Cola to remove caffeine from its formula by making claims, such as that the excessive use of Coca-Cola at one girls' school led to "wild nocturnal freaks, violations of college rules and female proprieties, and even immoralities."

Congress, not happy with this progressive judge’s rule introduced bills warning Americans of the potential evil of Coca Cola.

True - Although the judge ruled in favor of Coca-Cola, two bills were introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1912 to amend the Pure Food and Drug Act, adding caffeine to the list of "habit-forming" and "deleterious" substances which must be listed on a product's label.

This concludes the first half of the true/false test. To follow will be the effects of caffeine on the body. To consume or not to consume…to be continued.

When a Child is Born

The Prius

Prius Sales, Prices Soar

Toyota has said battery and electric engine supplies will only permit them to sell 150,000 Prius in the U.S. this year.
Monday, June 30, 2008


(UPI) - U.S. supplies of the Toyota hybrid car Prius have outstripped supplies, shooting prices upward, dealers and car owners said.
A one-year old Prius -- a car that boasts a fuel rating of 48 miles per gallon when new -- now often sells for more than the original purchase price and dealers are bumping prices as much as $5,000 above the sticker price, the Dallas Morning News reported Monday.

"It's hybrid hysteria," said John Mathews managing partner of Pat Lobb Toyota and Scion of McKinney, Texas.

"Nothing else comes even close to the Prius in mileage," Sonny Morgan a managing partner of Sport City Toyota in Dallas said.

Supplies are limited due to soaring demand, but Toyota has said battery and electric engine supplies will only permit them to sell 150,000 Prius in the United States this year, the report said.

Dallas resident Amy Meaux looked for a Prius in May, the Morning News reported.

She found 10 available at one dealership. But, when she inquired again two days later, there were none left on the lot, she said.

"That's when I knew we'd have to pay over window-sticker price for the car," she said."

Looks like we bought ours at the right time.

"a total commitment..."

Saturday nights I am in a special place and enjoy my time while I am there. I raised the question of the First Presidency letter to one of my associates during a slack period. I asked him what he thought of it. His response was quick and certain, "a total commitment to President Monson in this."

It is no secret what my thoughts are on the matter. Regrettably, we don't have a great history and heritage of compassion toward those who are different. We failed to get along with folks in Oho, Missouri, and Illinois. After the Prophet's death we jumped on board with the rest of America in the disenfranchisement of all Blacks. When we came west we were not satisfied with our isolation and so we whacked a wagon train from Arkansas, saving only some of the children and babies. 'The indians did it' excuse is not substantiated by the forensic evidence from a mass grave uncovered during the reconstruction of the present monument in the Mountain Meadows near Cedar City. Church historian Richard Turley's definitive book on the subject is to be out in August and I have my name on the list for a couple copies at Benchmark. Among my numerous Latino friends I am told often of ethnic slurs with Church members and without here in Utah. Our Republican legislature has a track record of being anti immigrant in spite of the pronouncements by some General Authorities.

I wish there was a more 'live and let live' attitude among Mormons and our leadership. The commitment of Mormons to follow these instructions of this First Presidency letter will not reduce any homophobic feelings among the membership. The consequence will be anyone with a difference of gender orientation than the Mormon majority will find themselves driven further away. For those of us who have a family member or friend caught up in the Church's efforts to deny civil rights to, the rest of us all take for granted, only adds to the burden and pain we experience. Are we not acting contrary to the Savior's instruction of looking for the 'one' and inviting all to come unto Him and sup at his table? I wonder.

A Matter of Conscience

More than a few disgruntled and unhappy observers have characterized the ongoing efforts by our church leadership to gain constitutional status for key aspects of the "Proclamation on the Family" like the civil rights struggle of the 60's and the question of Blacks and the priesthood. Elder Ezra Taft benson was certain, at the time, that the Communists were intent on destroying America through the civil rights movement. We cannot use that excuse now as the Commies are gone so they cannot be backing the agenda of the GLBTG community. At the height of the civil rights movement in the 60's, the foremost scholar and theologian of the Church was Joseph Fielding Smith. He was President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to more moderate President David O. McKay, the president of my youth. Asked whether there was a place for Negroes in the LDS Church, he, JFS, responded by saying, "The darkies are a good people and there is place for them in this church." Elder Harold B. Lee, who would later become President of the Church, and the decision maker during the tenure of President Joseph Fielding Smith, following President McKay's death, chastised then BYU President Ernest Wilkinson for allowing Blacks to attend BYU. He threatened Wilkinson with responsibility if his granddaughter attending BYU should become 'interested' in a colored young man. So extreme were his views that he questioned whether blood supplies in SLC for LDS Hospital were obtained from any donors of African descent. Such tainted blood carried the 'curse of Cain' apparently. Further, Harold B. Lee vowed that during his lifetime he would insure that Blacks would never receive the priesthood. The interesting conclusion one could reach about that is that he served fewer months than any other president of the church and was replaced by Spencer W. Kimball who sought and received change that came in the revelation of June 1978.

Studying the introduction, perpetuation, and conclusion of plural or Celestial Marriage in the church, I honestly believe we would or there would be a few still practicing it today had not the federal government intervened to the point of extinction of this church in causing the ending the practice. The Manifesto did not prevent President Wilford Woodruff from following a belly dancer, who performed for him in Salt Lake City, to San Francisco where he secretly 'married' her. Marriage defined as between 'one man and one woman' in the days before the First Manifesto and the Second Manifesto would have been rejected quickly and anyone advocating that would have been in jeopardy.

The recent Republican primary election in Utah and the loss of immigration moderate Chris Cannon to Jason "the Ghengis" Chaffetz, in arguably the most conservative of all congressional districts in the US, (Utah's 3rd), suggests his constituency is very much ethnically challenged as to persons of the Brown color. That district must be near 100% Mormon. The track record of our Utah legislature is equally abysmal as they introduced one bill after another to marginalize Hispanics here. There is no question from my experience and observations with Latino members there is an undercurrent in our Utah Mormon middle class culture of ethnic animosity. I believe this current of animosity, coupled with the fear of someone's activist agenda and just plain homophobic views helps us to understand what has propelled us a a church to this point, giving rise to the letter and subsequent efforts to restore the law banning Gay marriage in CA.

From my study of church history and my knowledge as a lifetime practitioner, apologist, and advocate, I would conclude the following:
1. Membership and our leadership are very slow to change, i.e. nearly 140 years in righting the wrongs of the personal prejudices grafted into church practice following the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith by his successors, principally Brigham Young.
2. Membership and the present leadership are very much influenced by the 'culture of fear' here in America. It is with uncertainty and trepidation they view and feel threatened by events such as the recent CA Supreme Court decision concerning Gay marriage. It may portend the coming wave that will sweep across the land threatening traditional marriage everywhere.
3. LDS Church leadership responds to threats, direct or implied, from state or federal governments. This battle between the forces of conservatism and 'family values' in California or any other state will not be won by any other means than a real or perceived threat to the tax exempt status of the Church. They will move quickly and stop funding efforts to support Prop 22 and like battles if there is a possibility of losing exempt status.
4. Lastly, our leaders are fallible and often speak and do so from their own experience, as I freely admit I am and do. Not always are they inspired or do they speak the 'will of the Lord'. Who can deny the off kilter doctrinal statements of Brigham Young in teaching the so-called Adam God theory? On what basis did we deny persons of color for nearly a century and a half the blessings of the priesthood?

Will change occur on this matter in the Church? Not in my lifetime, except and only unless the tax exempt status is threatened. Will writing letters to the Brethren bring about change? No. What am I going to do about it? In a private way, (as I do not want to formally compromise my status), I will support financially and otherwise, the efforts of any who would oppose the coalition, (including my church), to pass legislation such as Prop 22. I will continue to contemplate the matter and seek illumination. The process works and resolution may come.

Why vote Republican...

The ladies up in Cache Valley, (See, Hear, Speak No Evil), had this on their Blog and I borrowed it here. It is too choice not to share with everyone. Hope they do not mind.



See you somewhere in one of the aisles at Wal Mart...

The sentence has been affirmed...

The Girls are to end their existence this afternoon. Being the coward I am I cannot participate. I fed them some nice grape leaves from Margaret's vines this morning. I had RA fill their water container and food dispenser too.

No longer will they queue up to the fence or come hopping out of their house when they hear my voice. No longer will I hear their contented clucking sounds. Who ever thought chickens could become such friends?

In memory of the Girls, a piece from Mozart's Requiem:



"Requiem æternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis."

Sith Lords and the Primary on Tuesday

I wrote this comment on Tyler Farrer's Davis County Watch this morning.

Tyler, who can say whether Becky is a Democrat or not. Currently, I am declared 'unaffiliated' as to my party, but I am thinking very seriously about declaring myself a Republican on Tuesday so I can vote against the slate of Republican candidates put forward by the Dark Lord Palpatine/Darth Sidious. We must put an end to the careers of so many who adhere to Sith traditions -- they who seek for power and would trample the rights of this now free, but threatened people of Utah.

Progress on the Dory

We made some great progress with the boat today. Besides doing a dry fit up of the outboard motor mount on the transom and thereby determining we need the long shaft 4 hp Yamaha, we also taped all of the exterior joints with a 12 oz. special bi-axial fiberglass cloth. Miky, one of the boy scouts, helped me tape them. You cannot see the joints because the glass becomes very clear once the epoxy resin wets it out. We are using an epoxy from a company called MAS as it is reputed to have the best barrier properties against water permeation. We will mix up some epoxy body putty tomorrow and 'fair' all of the joints we taped. Then on Weds we will cover the entire exterior hull with a synthetic glass material called Dynel. It is also woven and tougher against abrasion than fiberglass.

The outboard motor mount is stainless and raises and lowers, spring loaded. I think we can get 12-14 inches of water above the cavitation plate on the motor and that is good. We will have plenty of power to get off the lake if a storm comes up. I think a bit of a deck area, or thwart up front, would be good too if waves are high and we are pushing through them, so the water just doesn't come spilling over the bow into the boat. It means some protected storage underneath and built in flotation as well.

The plans for the 22' arrived today and it is a much bigger endeavor but very doable. We will start that after hunting season in the fall/winter. It is the Surf Scoter 22'. You can see it on an earlier post. I will be making the pilot house about 3 or 4' longer to accommodate more interior room for a sit down head and a better galley. Extending the roof back a bit so you can duck out of the rain or sun in the cockpit will be helpful.

Paul is on the right in this picture

"You are my best friend and I hope you will always remember this. I pray that our savior will forgive me and you will also."

I read a journal article yesterday in Scientific American about the catharsis of blogging and maybe an insight as to why it has become so popular in America. I think we probably all would agree with that assessment. Josh expresses that with his "Stress Filled Times of Me", doesn't he?

Today I write about my friend Paul Randall. He sent an email yesterday, maybe 30 minutes before he took his life with a gunshot to his head. The long and the short of it was that he was in pain and without hope. He had been a firefighter and EMT and a decorated one. He was my friend and my assistant in the West Bountiful scout troop and loved doing that until the pain became too great. Few parts of his body functioned in any sort of normal way. The sound of his own voice made his ears hurt. Surgery two months ago to correct the hearing only made it worse. Among other things he had Menieres disease which affected his balance, equilibrium and made him nearly constantly nauseous. In spite of everything we enjoyed a fruitful and positive relationship. We would explore the favorite places I enjoy eating in the valley. He thought the chicken on the mezedakia plate at the Other Place Cafe was the best chicken he had ever tasted in his life. That was his favorite after the Trang, dim sun at the Ahn Hang, mo mos from Shambala, and Crown Burgers. Nielsen's frozen custard was something he had never experienced until we took the boys there one night. He taught the boys how to fish, tie a hook on and cast a line. We worked on the stitch and glue boat together which he really enjoyed discovering this new process of working with wood. The boys liked him and appreciated his help and guidance with the scouting work. He was dedicated to them and they knew that.

There is a hole in my life, in all of our lives, because of his passing. Thanks Paul for being one of the best friends I ever had.

An update -- Following the funeral services yesterday his widow informed me that she had his Scout shirt buried with him in the casket, "because he loved scouting with the boys so much."

June 9th is my Dad's Birthday

I was privileged to enjoy a long association with my father because we lived next door and were involved more with the folks during their retirement years. My children were blessed to have loving grandparents so close. I am grateful for that and all I learned from them. I received the priesthood from him. I have used it and given it to my son and blessed my daughters as well. That is its nature. I have given it to others who didn't have a Dad like mine. I cherish the first Sunday I sat with him in the High Priests group. I was called to be a most junior member of the Centerville Stake High Council. For a number of years my Dad served on the Davis Stake High Council. When I was a kid we would go with Mom to hear him speak in Farmington and Kaysville.

In honor of my Dad I took RA and Em to the ice cream store here in Ft. Bragg today. Naturally, I ordered a scoop of strawberry. He was definitely a strawberry guy. When we were kids we often would take a Sunday drive that ended up with an ice cream cone, sundae, or shake, usually at the fountain at Service Drug in Bountiful. Later when Baskin and Robins opened we would take our kids and the folks would treat everyone to ice cream. Families always came before anything else including silly interpretations of rules about not shopping on the sabbath, even to buy ice cream cones. My Dad was like that. He was honest and down to earth, the most honest man I ever knew. He always told it the way it was and did not mind the use of a few good four letter words here and there. Mom used to marvel that none of us picked up on any of his bad words. He never used those words to put anyone down but they could be applied to a weather report for example. Once we were contemplating a trip somewhere and Mom asked Dad what Bob Welti had said the weather was going to be and he responded by saying. "the damn weather is going to be raining with snow in the mountains." Astonished my mother questioned whether the weatherman really said "the damn weather..."

My Dad had few hobbies other than working though he liked to fish and hunt in his earlier days with friends and some family members. He liked a nice car and I had some pretty sweet rides to drive to high school and beyond. Once a brand new Buick came home for a few days and never left. At first he told Mom it was just a "loaner". Finally, he admitted he had bought it. Our boat was acquired similarly. It was planned secretly without Mom knowing about it until the time was right and after several inspections at Otto Smith's workshop the secret was revealed.

Dad instilled in all of us a sense of duty and service. He wore his life out in doing things for others and for all of us. He was an example in many ways and there is lots more than his love of strawberry ice cream and Sunday rides that continues with us to this day.

Thanks Dad for everything and Happy Birthday!

Fence is done

Our construction and staining has been a little delayed because of a nest of small birds on one of the electrical panel boxes out back. We do not want to interfere with the mother and babies so we work a little and then come inside while the mother feeds her babies.

We have the deck now surrounded by fence so next month when the boys and dog arrive we can maintain the perimeter.

The Dory

We have finished the exterior sanding and fairing of the hull and are working on the skeg. The next step will be to tape the seams and glass the entire hull before we install the skeg. Keep in mind this is in lieu putting fiberglass on a cardboard box for a bird house to fulfill one of the requirements of the composite materials merit badge.

Still have not decided on colors or the name yet. We are learning how to do the stitch and glue process of boat construction in preparation for the 22' Pilot House Surf Scoter.

She said 'yes'

It is called a pilot house cruiser and we can start building it this fall. It is 22' long and powered either by an IO Volvo Penta Diesel or a 90 hp outboard hidden in a well. There is another option too, something called a sail drive. I have ordered the plans so we can start making some modifications. The pilot house needs to be enlarged to accommodate a better galley as well as an enclosed head. Privey for you landlubbers. To keep us all from getting too much sun the pilot house roof will be extended aft and then an awning to keep us in the shade while cruising. Its range is more than 300 miles with a 50 gallon gas tank. That means some serious exploring on Lake Powell or at the Gorge. Certainly a charcoal grill we could hang over the side for cooking our catch of trout or bass would be required.

Dark Canyon is a destination in Lake Powell that is only reached with some difficulty by trail from above. Driving the Noyo King to to its mouth and throwing out the anchor and wading ashore to explore the springs, pools and water falls will be one of the first destinations. GPS, a sonar fish finder, an I Pod wired sound system, a small heater to take the chill of fall mornings on the water, a solar array to keep our batteries charged and a cooler stocked with Calistoga, what else do we need? How about a launch date of summer 2009?

I have seen several of these designs also carry a mast for a simple cat rig sail. With a breeze we could cut the engine and hoist the sail and drift along with the fishing lines over the side. Anyone want to bring along a good book too? Maybe a lounge chair on the foredeck for the first mate?

Rubber band powered airplanes...

When I was a kid, maybe Jack's age, we used to get these rubber band powered airplanes. You would wind the propeller backwards until the bands became taught. To launch it you would release the prop with the left hand while giving it some forward thrust with your right. The plane would climb and circle a bit and then coast in hopefully for a soft landing on its gear. Care had to be taken lest the bands be wound overly tight and stressed which would result in premature failure as they would develop cracks and break. Eventually they would all succumb to that in any case. Sometimes the landings were less than soft and the balsa wood wings and other components would need to be repaired with Elmer's glue until that was no longer possible. Replacement bands never seemed to be available or any spare parts for that matter. While the planes flew in the sunshine of a spring or summer day we were all in high spirits and imagined we were aviators on board our fragile ships set free for a few seconds from the bonds of earth to soar above.

Tonight in the temple I worked with a brother, a decade or so older than myself, and he was struggling. He had forgotten some essential dialogue and gave incorrect direction to one of our guests. I had to have a coordinator intervene to remedy that and he was embarrassed. He apologized later and we visited for awhile. He is a retired doc and internist. His last mission for church was being the medical coordinator for all of Central America. He seemed uncomfortable as we visited and favored his right foot. Seemed to be even in some pain. Turns out he had surgery on his foot and it was not healing because of diabetes. Later in the evening he bumped his knuckle and was bleeding on things that are white there. The blood stained white fabric was near me and I pointed it out to the coordinator so the panel could be replaced and first aid given to my friend.

I guess one of the challenges for me in working at the Bountiful Temple are the almost weekly reminders, the awareness of the cracks forming in the rubber bands amongst my friends and people I get to know. The mortality rate for that senior group is higher than maybe one would encounter on the golf course or in the work place. Cancers, ALS, and other maladies have taken people out of my life there that I have loved and miss. My friend, the recorder, is diminishing weekly with the effects of mesothelioma. It is both inoperable in immune to chemo therapy. The roll call is being added to for those who have gone on.

Yes, the rubber bands break and no longer are the dreams of flying and soaring possible. I even heard RA suggest the new Bosch duel fuel oven/stove we bought this week would be her 'last one'. I used to become annoyed when I would hear my folks make similar comments about their 'last car', or the 'last shingle job' on the roof at 460 North Main. They sometimes would phrase it in words like: 'this should see us out'. Now it seems we are where they were and are focused on similar kinds of things. Maybe that is the natural order of things. If so give us a little understanding if you hear more of these kinds of things from us. My friend I was told went home early. He was not having a good night. Maybe he will have a better one next week.

A View Forward off the Port Beam

We are making significant progress on the wood and composite Dory. It is now wired together and the next step is to epoxy the interior and then we can pull the wire stitches out. The boys are enjoying it and becoming better acquainted with materials and a few hand tools.

Stitch and Glue Boat Manufacturing

This is it, the boat the Boy Scouts and I are building in the garage. Overall it is 15'-4" long and has a beam of over 4'. The plywood is made in France and is marine mahogany. We have not spent much time working on it. This week maybe the sides will go on and we can start the epoxy and glassing. We are building it from plans and a set of instructions from the Devlin Boat Works in Olympia WA.

When we are through the boys will have received their Composite Materials Merit Badge.

Still trying to decide what to name it.