Calvin's Yearbook Page and Bonus

Donna sent me two scans today. In an earlier post from today I said when I got them I would post them. You can click on each image and it will open a window showing the full size. The Memory Page from the Yearbook is first. Second is from a memorial football game by one of his best friends. Enjoy them as much as I have.

Images From Nevada's Past

Welcome to Walking Box Ranch - The Home looking at the front entrance from the north side. The master bedroom is located on the 2nd floor and has the porch.

A few weeks ago on our way to Albuquerque, NM JoAnn and I stopped by an historical site called "Walking Box Ranch." I am helping on a project with the Public Lands Institute at the UNLV to work on a business plan. It is a historic ranch near Searchlight, Nevada built in 1931 and made famous by its owners, Hollywood silent movie legends Clara Bow and Rex Bell. Rex Bell was a cowboy who went to Hollywood and became famous. Today the ranch land has been restored to its natural state with some outstanding Joshua Trees up to 30 feet plus in height.

Back gate at Walking Box Ranch. If you look closely at the center and upper part of the gate you can see the walking box brand which looks like an old movie camera on a tripod. Pretty clever thinking. If you click on the photo it will open a window and show a larger view of this photo, or any other photo in my blogs.

Since we are relatively new to the desert the beauty of the Joshua trees was outstanding. The following description of the original property states, "The ranch is divided into two distinct sections: the 40-acre headquarters parcel, which comprises the historic ranch house and other ancillary facilities; and an undeveloped 120-acre parcel, which contains critical habitat for the federally-listed desert tortoise and more than 300 native species of plants and animals. The Nature Conservancy, a non-profit conservation organization, has conservation easements on both parcels for maintenance of the ecological and cultural integrity of the ranch." We didn't see any desert tortoise, but we saw a couple of might big jack rabbits.

The courtyard. I did not show the pool at the front of the photo. It is not in use. At the other end of the courtyard is the great room - dining area.

As part of the visit we had an opportunity to view the ranch site and especially the house. According to UNLV's public affairs office, "The ranch house is significant for being an uncommon local example of the Spanish Colonial Revival style, a sharp contrast to other Southern Nevada ranch houses." It is a beautiful ranch house and has been kept up by different owners. JoAnn and I both enjoy visiting such places and when we can get a back door tour it is even more fun. Most of my photos from the ranch on are my flickr account and I have shared a few here.

The Great Room - Dining Area.

In the not to distant future Walking Box Ranch will be open for public viewing. It will be a lesser viewed site since it is off the beaten path, but when it is open it will be well worth the tour, especially if the house is open. If the house isn't open the desert environment will be a great visit. There will be plenty of interpretation on the site.

The Library. Originally it was the children's play room.

JoAnn and I really enjoyed it.

Out on the property there are a few good shots also. The wagon adds to the beauty of the site. It's hard to realize this was a working ranch with irrigation, hay, and cattle.

Little Things that Bring Sacred Remembrances

I received an email from Donna last evening sharing with me that individuals were still posting to Calvin's obituary pages on both the Provo and Salt Lake City Newspaper web sites. I had previously put together a complete set of all the comments from both newspapers. This time I added another 10 comments for a total of just over 160. I was doing fine until I read one of the comments from a friend. I have posted it below:

"Yesterday was our last day of school and everyone wished that you were there to sign yearbooks. but you are in a better place now. You got picked for the nicest boy, and you got a whole page about you. You would never believe how much we missed you at lunch work. PEACE BUDDY."

As Donna has said on more than one occasion, the memories come flooding back. I felt like I was sitting at the kitchen table in Utah surrounded by my whole family. I felt like I needed it at that point today and I did feel my family's love. The memories remain good. Our lives go on with Calvin always in our thoughts. The knowledge and experiences we had will last until we see him again.

When I get a pdf of the year book page I hope to post it on this blog.

Below is one of my favorite photos. I keep it on my dresser.


Remember, Families are Forever - Wherever they are!

Melted Malted Milk Ball Mountain

Yesterday was exciting at our house. Colorado daughter called and wanted to make sure we checked the mail. We are getting older, but JoAnn lives for all those adds we get in Las Vegas - NOT! Our recycle is full every week. This time, however, Colorado daughter said my Father's Day Present should arrive today! I was excited, especially since I had no idea what it was.

JoAnn went down, checked the mail and came back with a box. She started to very carefully open it and I had zero patience at that point. Of course I was still on drugs from my procedure that afternoon (and there will be NO blogs on that) so I can try to excuse myself. I asked for the package and promptly got it open. Material? I got material for Father's day? Talk about disappointed. But wait, there was a box in the box. I pulled it out and it was wrapped (see the photo) and I could tell what it was. The shape of a malted milk balls box is distinctive and anything chocolate is a sure hit. I opened it up, pulled out some soft milk balls. Gave JoAnn a couple and popped a couple in my mouth. No crunch, just sort of a squish-crunch.

Wait a minute, there was no rattle when I shook the box. Think Daniel, think. Oh, summer, 90 plus degrees, sitting in a hot mailbox and probably in a hot mail truck, and who knows where else? Now what do we do? I am not throwing away perfectly good malted milk balls. Into the refrigerator. Results - A Melted Malted Milk Ball Mountain. Okay a Square Melted Malted Milk Ball Mountain. Too bad I didn't take photos of me carving the mountain to get to the milk balls. At this point the appropriate term is probably malted milk slices. Who knows, maybe I have hit on something. Probably not, the FDA would surely find something wrong with it. However it does spawn creativity.

Flowers, Father, and Sundays

It was a pretty quiet Sunday around our home. A few calls to wish me Happy Father's Day, which I mightily enjoyed, and a relaxing morning before Church. My early morning meetings were cancelled, so I got to spend them with JoAnn and Whisper. I got to catch up on a little reading, looking for the cat (several times), and some relaxation.




As we were getting on to 10 am I realized there was a plant I had not taken photos of in the backyard. It had blossomed almost 2 weeks ago and it's in a location that is not real visible from our back window. I went out to take some photos (I do seem to enjoy that) and got caught up in the moment. You can't just take one photo, though I tried. I took several, a couple of which are above and the rest on flickr.


I was closing the window in our bathroom and as I looked out I saw a hummingbird working on our plant. We have a few hummingbirds who frequent our yard on a very regular basis. I wanted a photo of the hummingbird so I ran into the sewing room grabbed my camera, changed lenses, and started shooting from the bathroom window. I was amazed the hummingbird was still at the plant. Usually they flit from plant to plant, but not this morning, just from flower to flower. The hummingbird was moving faster than I was, but I finally got a couple of good shots. Thank goodness it needed a rest.


Need to call my Dad to wish him Happy Father's Day and then we are done for the day. Happy Father's Day to my son-in-laws and son (with a child).

Sunday Morning Phone Calls

We were just about ready to leave for Church this morning when the phone rang with an area code I recognized and was pretty sure who it was, but without a name I answer with a standard, "Hello?"

"Hi dad." I hear.

Before I have a chance to say, "Hi sweetheart," I hear in the background a young voice saying, "My daddy!" with the following motherly response, "No, my daddy, your grandpa!"

Life is good! It's great being a grandpa. The little things are what matter.

Whisper's Water Fountain

Our cat, Whisper, is always looking for water everywhere but her water bowl. Every morning she jumps up on the bathroom counter in anticipation that I will fill the basin with water (I figure at least 1.5 gallons) so she can lap up (You know, I've never thought of the term "lap up" and cat in the same sentence. Maybe a dog, like Strider, who could empty a water bowl in 4 laps, but a cat?). If I wash my hands she knows right away there is no water to be had in the bathroom. She casually waits until the next bathroom is operational -

usually during my shower. She lounges outside the shower acting as if getting in the shower would be the best thing that could happen to her. Unfortunately she never takes me up on it, but when I get out of the shower she is on the counter either waiting for me to fill up the sink, or if she has given up, sitting in the sink so no one else can use it. We have 2 sinks so it never quite works for her.

She has finally topped herself in her quest for non-bowl water. Just off the back patio we have a number of plants. One of them I took out with the idea we wouldn't replace it, but I never got around to plugging the drip line head, or apparently digging up the root of the plant. The plant has started to grow again and last week Whisper discovered she can drink out of the water line that feeds it.

The drip head is facing up at about a 45 degree angle and the water flow comes out ever so gently. I guess, I would say, it comes out "just right" for a cat water fountain. Now she will go outside and stare at it in the morning waiting for it to come on. If I come outside she moves away, as if to say, "I'm not doing anything." But, I have watched her through the door. She is good for a full 5 minutes before she has had enough. I think the ratio of staring and waiting if about 10 to 1. I have to admire her perseverance in looking for the "perfect water." We both agree, we are thankful she is not a telephone eating cat, like an unmentioned family dog many of us know.

Beauty, Flowers, and Our Yard

One of the things I remember growing up in Abilene, Texas in the early 1960s, as a teenager, was when my Grandpa and Grandma Merriam would come to town with their Airstream trailer and park it along side our home on Dyess Air Force Base. We had lived in lots of different places by the time we got to Texas and we were not impressed with Texas. It was the panhandle, it was dry, it was hot and the wind was always blowing. We were accustom to more plush climates like Nebraska, Iowa, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Guam. Texas, while it had its own charm, was a step down for green and beauty. We got sufficient rain we did not water our lawn. In those days there were almost no irrigation systems and Americans had not yet adopted the notion that every lawn had to be perfect.

When Grandpa would come to town he would walk out behind our home. We lived on the edge of the military housing area with an open field behind us that went on for a couple of miles. He would find beautiful small plants, collect them, arrange them, and then take photos. I was always intrigued by his photos and the effort he took to find beauty in what appeared to be a drab place. I learned from that.

Fortunately, we don't have to go far to find beauty in plants and flowers. We have added much of it to our yard with plants that flower on and off 12 months out of the year. We do miss our green grass, but we don't miss cutting it. Also, the cost of maintaining a lawn in Las Vegas is prohibitive. Some folks I have talked to suggest it costs more to keep a lawn than a swimming pool. I'm not going to try either.

The plants in our backyard along the wall are new. This does not depict our major plant area, but the butterfly bushes and center plant replaced African species with big spines that had no beauty. The plant in front is a Hesperaloe Parviflora and the flower spikes are over 6 feet tall.

Grandpa Merriam taught me to look at the small things as well as the big picture. I have previously posted on flickr some of our backyard plants. Yesterday and today I took some additional closeups and a couple of broader photos of plants in our back and front yards. I didn't pick these, since we have the opportunity to view them so many months out of the year.

Enjoy.

This closeup of the butterfly bush with a light background is really striking. We had butterfly bushes in Bloomington, Indiana, but never as big or as vibrant as these. We have no butterflies, but we have bees (big ones) and a steady stream of humming birds.

This plant is from a sage that grows fast, when you water it, and requires us to cut it back regularly. I love the mix of flower and plant center. It is a large plant in our yard, over 3 feet tall and equally wide.

This is from a sage that blooms every 3 to 4 weeks all summer and into the fall. The flowers are so delicate. You think that it is done blooming and then all of a sudden it is back again. And it does this over and over. It is like a new spring every few weeks. We really look forward to it.

Along the Byways of Route 66

As my children know, I'm not big on stopping once I'm on the road, especially if I have a target in mind. However, as I've gotten older I have begun stopping more often. However, the most recent trip was time sensitive so we made good time. We spent a night in Flagstaff on the way to Albuquerque and decided we could make the drive home in a single day. It's less than 700 miles, so it is doable. And most of it is interstate so the going is good and if you leave early enough (like us) you miss about 4 to 5 hours of traffic. It also means you can quit earlier in the day.

If we don't have to be anywhere particularly early, then it is different, but we (okay me) still like to leave early. JoAnn can get a couple of more hours of sleep in, I put on the iPod and ear plugs and listen away.

Coming home from Albuquerque we were making good time and it seemed about time for gas and a restroom. We got off the interstate in Williams, AZ and noticed gas was $2.89 and I suggested we drive the half-mile into town to see if gas was cheaper. It was. We crossed the railroad tracks for the Grand Canyon Railroad and went into a nice little community. It was about 8:30 am so not much other than restaurants and gas stations were open. I found a gas station in the middle of a block sequestered between two buildings. You could access from one street and exit on another street. It was long and narrow and the pumps weren't close to the station.

That worked for me since gas was 40 cents a gallon cheaper. JoAnn got out to stretch her legs and we were right at the corner of a building so she indicated she was going for a walk. Usually gas stations aren't close to anything, but not this time. She came right back and said there was a store and she was going to check it out. I finished the gas, looked around the corner, saw it was a gift shop (or so I thought) and went down the the gas station to see what was inside. By the time I came back she was still gone. That's not like her. I peeked around the corner again (see below) and saw the gift shop. Well, I really hadn't looked close enough. It was a quilt shop. Okay, not big deal. We had done 2 in Albuquerque and so what could she possibly find here. I should know better, I've been taking her to quilt stores for years. Especially if it is a quilt shop open at 8:30 in the morning.

You may not be able to read the fine print, but it is the Quilter's Mercantile. That has got to mean whatever they sell costs a lot of money! The quilt in front of the store should have been a dead giveaway.

I won't tell you what it cost me to get out of there, but gas would have been cheaper at $2.85 a gallon.

All was not lost, however, I found a place to eat the next time we come to town. After all we are on the famous Route 66. Of course it means we will have to alter our driving habits, but we don't mind spending the evening in Flagstaff. I'm anxious to try out the Cruiser's Cafe 66.

You have got to admit that it looks classy. What's not to draw you into the cafe, except it's closed at 8:30 am.

Even if I'm not a Harley guy I think I can go for the food!

One last classy shot!

Sharing Together

One of the great opportunities for a grandparent is to be able to share experiences with their children and grandchildren. Last weekend was an opportunity for us to share experiences that are important to us as we move through this mortal life and prepare us for the eternities. JoAnn and I have made a commitment to be present for many of these experiences. Only as we have moved west have we had the opportunity to be involved in more of these experiences.

Last week in Aurora: 4 families

Some of the experiences are sacred to us and our family. Others allow us to gain glimpses of what our family might become, and yet others allows us to enjoy the moments we have together. I have come to the realization that each experience is precious in its own way. It may appear that some experiences are similar to other experiences we have had, but in reality, each is unique and special.

Family in December, 2000

Last weekend as I watched our children visit with one another and strengthen their bonds I was encouraged and reminded how JoAnn and I sometimes wondered if our family would still be a family as the children grew and went their own ways. We have come to the realization that our family members are unique and different, and yet, they are of one in heart and spirit. The strength of our family comes from the love each has for the other.

They understand the importance of family and we watch them strengthen those relationships among themselves and among their children, individually and collectively. I've never seen a group of cousins who are so close. I know as they grow they will go their individual ways, but they will always be reminded of the times they had together.

A friend of mind spoke recently of his children being so busy they did not have time for their parents. I was struck by that, because this is a good and loving man. It gave me pause and reminded me of the need for our family to always find time for one another. So far I think they do a pretty good job. I feel blessed as a father and a husband. Thank you JoAnn and thank you kids. And thank you to my parents who taught me to love.

Just Another Quiet Weekend or the "FAMILY-BLITZ Weekend"

JoAnn and I relish our quiet weekends together. We find time to play, do a little work, read a few books, and maybe watch a little television. Sorry Tim, no sports. In Indiana we used to go out for drives on Saturday afternoons. We could always find someplace in the country to go and enjoy ourselves. It has been a little more challenging in Las Vegas. The beautiful country is all desert and there are a limited number of times you can look at the desert. Instead we have taken to discovering some of the older neighborhoods in Las Vegas that have larger homes and have not had their owners escape to newer neighborhoods. But when we get a chance to leave town and see something other than desert, we jump at it.

Wednesday last we left late in the afternoon for Albuquerque to spend time with daughter 5 and her Marine husband. I had a little work to do that afternoon just outside of Searchlight, NV. We were at the Walking Box Ranch. "The Walking Box Ranch was built in 1931 by legendary silent film stars Rex Bell and Clara Bow." More on that in another post. We left from there late and drove toward Laughlin, NV and Bullhead City, AZ (what a name) and then on to Flagstaff before we decided enough is enough. We got up early the next morning and left for Albuquerque and arrived in time to have lunch with Marine son-in-law. We went out to a little place called "Baggins", like in Bilbo (you will have to read the Hobbit). Excellent sandwiches. Be sure to put it on your go-to list in Albuquerque.

On the way into Bullhead City our air conditioner went out. Thank goodness for cool mountain weather. That is, once we got out of the Colorado River basin. We got it fixed in Albuquerque, but the car was in for a spa weekend. So we took the kid's truck to Aurora. Left on Saturday morning, had a great afternoon, evening, and Sunday morning with daughter 2, her Air Force civilian husband, their 4 kids and with daughter 1, who flew in, and her middle child.

It took me almost 2 minutes after our arrival to discover the quiet weekend was fully out the window! Daughter 2's son was receiving the Aaronic Priesthood (reason to travel, like we need a reason) and they had a party to celebrate his birthday. The noise level was off the scales. All the women were in the kitchen (I lost count) and the men were in the living room playing video games. Son-in-law's dad and I were left to fend for ourselves. I think we were both exhausted. I know I was after a 4 am get up and on the road for 8 hours.

Sunday after church we reversed the trip and headed back to Albuquerque. The Albuquerque kids have had so many family trips recently and have more planned, they couldn't take any time off. We got our car back on Monday late afternoon, and drove home on Tuesday.

Monday evening JoAnn and daughter 5 made chicken fajitas with guacamole sauce, all from scratch. We had some good meals on this trip, but this "hands down" was the best meal of the trip.

Tuesday we finished our not-so-quiet weekend with a drive home. We were exhausted and just sat in front of the tele and vegged last evening. But it was a great family-blitz weekend. We drove 2,000 miles in 4 days and still had time for fun. There are several more blogs and photos to come from this weekend.

I think next weekend is a quiet weekend, and the one after that, and the one after that, ....