Hot water

Outside temperature, 35F
Water temperature, 105F

Perfect

Friends of ours gave us a used outdoor hot tub this past summer. I
measured and figured and calculated and found a way to install it in
our very small back yard. The installation needed to pass Linda's
approval and I had to figure out a way to get power to the spot. My
dad helped me, an electrician friend helped, I borrowed a crane to
lift it over the back fence. This is true, it does pay to have a
friend there also. And we got it installed.

I guess I have needed one of these things all my life. Mark and I are
in and out of it every day. Every single day. Linda is not such a
fan, but she has jumped in a few times. If I wake up sore, I jump in
the tub. Come home tired, ten minutes in the tub. Get sick, jump in
the tub whenever you feel chills coming on. Five or six times a day
then.

Want to go outside and watch for meteors? This seems to be just what
a hot tub was made for, my son and l laying back in the hot water,
watching the stars and discussing just about any topic a thirteen
year old can imagine. Girls, teachers, driving, desert, mountain
biking, computers, growing up, parents, school... it all seems to
come up for discussion under the influence of hot water.

Thanksgiving

I am thankful for:

Linda, my loving wife who is in the other room right now watching
"Monster Garage" with Mark. Not because she wants to, but because she
wants to do something with our 13 year old that he enjoys. j

Mark, our wonderful son who is so normal at 13 it makes my heart
ache. The joys and pains of the teen years are just starting and he
is so sensitive and tender right now and I wish it would last
forever. But, on the other hand, I want him to spread his wings in
the future and set his own path.

My parents who will be coming to visit tomorrow. I am so blessed and
lucky since I am here in CA and get to see Mom and Dad. Brian and
Cowboy are too far away for all of us to get together very often, I
am blessed.

Brian and Cowboy, that is Kelvin for you CVA'ites. Both are in
Tennessee with their families. They lurk on the list and speak up
once in a while. None of us seem to talk that often, but I know they
are just there and we are here.

A roof and a bed and a job. I saw a report on "60 minutes" last night
about the thousands of family homes in New Orleans that will be
bulldozed to clear the rubble from the blocks and blocks of the city
that can not be lived in. The Lord has blessed us here in earthquake
country with many years of quiet.

I am just thankful for so much. There will be a family gathering on
Thursday here in Angwin at my uncles house. There should be about 25
uncles and aunts and cousins and spouses and it should be clear and
dry so we can sit outside away from the TV and the dead bird and it
will be wonderful.

I am the designated one to cook the fatted gluten for the vege
dishes. I have been doing some test cooking and it will be just fine.
I will be cooking a cottage cheese nut loaf and a "tender bit
casserole". Both very good, recipes available on request.

craig

Desert musings

>>
>> I guess I hale from the older days. Gosh that sounds old. I
>> knew Dave Seibert when he was just a single young man all
>> confused about who he should marry when the answer was right
>> in front of him. My family got to CVI and then CVA in 1971
>> and stayed until 76. I returned in 78 for one year and then
>> off to Laurelbrook through a curvy path. My oh my, them was
>> the days.
>>
>> Sitting here at PUC tonight listening to some old Dallas
>> Holm and Don Francisco that Linda just purchased on the
>> Apple iTunes store. "He's Alive" and "Rise Again" original
>> versions. I think back to all the growing up that happened
>> there and even after all the trips back to the desert I have
>> made there are still some things that I would like to do
>> with my 13 year old Mark.
>>
>> Climb Pariot mesa, I have only done it twice in all my
>> years.
>>
>> Climb the old "burro trail" up the north (river) end of
>> Porcipine ridge. Did that once with ken miller and camped on
>> top. We hiked the short hike over to look down onto big
>> bend. And maybe that trail could be made into a bike trail
>> and create a continous bike route from Moab to the valley.
>>
>> Ride a dirt bike, down, up the old road down into the wash
>> behind Castle Rock. When I was a kid it still looked like
>> you could drive down it, probably not now.
>>
>> I would like to prove once and for all if there are deer on
>> top of "the mesa". How did they get there?
>>
>> I would like to see the dinosour tracks on Fischer mesa.
>> Tromped over them so many times, never saw them.
>>
>> I would like to four x four up above miners basin with my
>> kid. I know the road is closed now and open to hikers and
>> pedal bikes but it sure was a fun drive in about 1974 with a
>> old military 4x4 with a flathead straight six.
>>
>> I want to try to gather some quartz crystals from above
>> beaver basin. And this one I still plan to do. I know it got
>> pretty cleaned out in the crystal craze of the 1980's but
>> there still must be some up there.
>>
>> and, while not a complete list, I would like to camp at
>> Werner lake with my family who has never been there.