More Pumpkins

Pictured above is my wife, Charlene. She is the one in the blue.

She has always been easy to pick out. It doesn't matter if it is a pumpkin patch or a crowd of thousand's - just look for the cutest one and that will be her.

Pumpkin

Pictured above is my daughter, Tiffany. She's the one on the left.

She's called me several times last week to let me know that Cliff and Dan "always" talk about their family and I "never" do. When Cliff made his latest post, it was only a few minutes before I heard how Cliff talked about his family - again.

All this time I figured she knew she was daddy's little pumpkin.

Holiday Lights

I have never been a big fan of Christmas lights. However, I do understand why people put them up and on occasion even appreciate them.

But, what is up with Halloween lights? There are a whole lot of people in my neighborhood who are putting up Halloween lights and displays this year. The one above stands about seven feet tall, lights up, and greets me every night when I pull into the cul-de-sac.

For Halloween, I'm thinking of giving away BB guns and Wanted Posters offering a nice bounty on plastic pumpkins.

Fifty Plus Fifty

It’s been a busy week. There have been two 50-year celebrations in the last four days.

On Sunday, the church where Char and I were married celebrated its 50-year anniversary. The Pastor who married us was the Master of Ceremony and it was good to see him again. We went to that church prior to being married and for many years afterwards. It was pretty shocking to realize that we attended that church over thirty years ago. The celebration service lasted three and half hours. When it was over, I was really ready to leave.

On Thursday, the forestry agency I work for celebrated its 50-year anniversary. It was a little numbing to realize I have been working here for over 31 years – but who is counting. The man who was state forester when I was hired was there and gave a great talk. This celebration lasted about four and half hours. When it was over, I was pretty well exhausted.

I’ve been doing a little thinking about both these events. It’s pretty amazing how each of them, church and work, has played a major role in my life and have consumed a lot of years. Its pretty amazing how many people came out of retirement to be a part of it – I’m still here. It’s pretty amazing how many new faces have appeared lately both at the church and at work; in fact, half the people who work for our agency have been here less than six years.

So, I guess after 50 years, they both have something to truly celebrate.

Steve

I didn’t know Steve. I wish I did. Two Morrows’ have told me I would have really liked him, I have no doubt. I knew Steve’s mother and father, his brother, his Uncle, and his cousin. All speak highly of him.

I wish I had the opportunity to know him.

First Snow

I hate snow. Also, I am not overall excited about being cold, scraping windows, shoveling driveways, and putting up with people sliding down the highway at 70 MPH. While is my least favorite season, it is the one that seems to hang on the longest.

However, I have always appreciated the first Fall snowstorm. Mainly because it is somewhat refreshing. It is never much snow, rarely does it stick to the roads, and the temperatures don't get to cold and they bounce back rather quickly.

October 5, we experienced the first measurable snow fall in Colorado in the Fall of 2005. It was just a little of two inches and lightly coated the trees and the ground at the top of Vail Pass. The elevation of Vail Pass is 10, 662 feet.

Here's to any early Spring.

Early Morning

When the alarm went off, I pulled up the covers, rolled over and cursed the people I was to meet. It was a 6:30 breakfast meeting an hour and half away.

I got up, stumbled into the shower, and then drug myself to the car a little before 5:00. With only a cup of coffee and my thought to keep me company this morning I wondered why I had agreed to meet them in the first place and why did we have to meet so early.

I kind of noticed the sun starting to rise but didn't pay much attention to it until I pulled off the exit. Looking towards the east, I noticed the sunrise above. So, instead of going directly into town I turned east, drove several miles, stopping off and on to take some pictures. The sunrise was spectacular.

As usual, I had the longest drive yet was the first one at the restaurant. Eventually, people started to show up and the small chitchat started when someone asked how my morning was going. So I told them the truth, "Beautiful, just beautiful."

Another Seasonal Change

Besides the changing leaf color indicating we have gone from summer to fall there is another seasonal change going on. We have passed from baseball to football. Char and I had the opportunity to go to the last home baseball game with some friends this year. It was quite fun. By the third inning, we even figured out who we were playing.

While I'm not a big sports fan, this seasonal change is significant. For me it means going from a hotdog in the stadium enjoying a warm (sometimes hot) Colorado day, to setting on the sofa, blanket pulled up, enjoying a bowl of chili before falling asleep during the football game.

I guess each season has its benefits.