Monday, April 30, 2007

Old Tread

OK, so my story was thwarted (See Saturday’s post) by a little thing called reality. Abraham must have been right, those rear wheels would not work on the train track……to say nothing about the need for 4 rails to accommodate the width…So what could have happened…..I think I will stick with the salvage cost theory.

Sunday, April 29, 2007

Eagle Scout

Yesterday, the chain was completed at an award ceremony in Delta. Like his father, and brother before him, my second son Tim was awarded the highest rank that the Boy Scouts of America can give a scout, the rank of Eagle. Tim’s trail to Eagle was especially difficult as he had to start over with his Eagle project 2 months before his 18th birthday, due to the sudden nature of our move to Delta. He stuck with it, and completed the goal. A job well done. Tim, your parents are proud!

Saturday, April 28, 2007

The Great Chase

Not far behind the old car is this tractor. My guess is that the man was being chased by the farmer, and both vehicles amazingly broke down at the same point in the chase. Obviously they both jumped out of their vehicles and the chase continued on foot across the dobies, and on to Grand Mesa where they were overcome by the snow or mosquitoes, depending on the season, never to be seen again…….Or perhaps someone just did not want to pay salvage fees……We may never know.

Hey wait, the tractor seems to have rail road wheels. Perhaps the farmer was plowing the tracks when all of the sudden…………..

Friday, April 27, 2007

Where did I park my car?

A long time ago (around 17 years according to the license plate), someone parked their car here, and it does not look like it has moved since. Considering the color, and the location (in a field right off the main highway), I don’t think it was a case of forgetting where they parked it. I suspect is was more of a case where they really did not know what to do with it.

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Transitions

As I mention in my summary for this blog, Delta is an area of transitions. The previous two days posts are both looking west. Today we look east. Generally speaking, to the west, life is on top, and canyons cut through the landscape. To the East, life is in the valleys, and the mountains push up through the land. That trend to the east will continue for the next 200 miles until you get to Denver and Colorado Springs, when the mountains suddenly stop at what is known as the “Front Range”.

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Rewards

Sometimes, nothing hides things. If you take the time to follow a seldom used dirt road across the lonely plain, you are rewarded with the views of the canyon country that does not quite make it to Delta.

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Nothing

Many people will tell you that we have a population crisis. Too many people, not enough land. Perhaps that is true in New York, or in the LA Basin, but not here. One of my favorite things to do is to simply stop on the side of the road and look at the wide open spaces that are so integral to this part of the country. “Nothing” to me, is very special. I can sit and look at it for very long pauses, and every now and again, I venture out into it.........

Monday, April 23, 2007

Old friends

It was once a home, but no more. Now it is just an empty shell, a shell that lay exposed all winter long. But the trees have sympathy for their old friend and will attempt once again to protect her with fresh spring leaves.

Sunday, April 22, 2007

Location, Location, Location!

Based on everything else I see in “North Delta”, I find it hard to believe that this would be a great retail location, but if you build a store here, and stand on the back loading dock, you will get a nice view!

Saturday, April 21, 2007

Turn Quick

Gas for $1 per Gallon! Don’t get too excited, the place is abandoned, and for lease. Any idea how long it has been on the market?

Friday, April 20, 2007

One Way or Another

Tow it, crush it, it does not matter……

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Low Sign

I am not nearly as impressed with the effort these guys went to in order to display their product! Who needs a crane, everyone, on 3, lift!

It is interesting however that they name the trailers “Wes” & “Chris”

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

High Sign

There are a number of boat dealers on the western slope, which is rather odd as there are not really all that many lakes…..This is a rather small one, so it is not too unusual, but some of the large boats you see in Grand Junction could never get up to speed without needing to turn around first in most lakes within 200-300 miles. I am impressed with the effort this place went into to build their sign!

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Lawn Ornaments

A number of people in this area have lawn ornaments in their yard. Many times, it is a cement deer, duck , or rabbit, large ceramic pots, etc. We often thought it would be fun to put something unexpected, such as a cement kangaroo, just to see if people would notice……..

We never thought of a flying saucer……..

Monday, April 16, 2007

Every Boy Needs a Dog

Now, if I could just find my saddle….

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Orange Attack

Orange Sun Glasses, orange shirt, orange water balloon………..Don’t even think of going after the cameraman!

Spring has arrived in Delta!!!

Saturday, April 14, 2007

Boys Will be Boys

So I must assume that some adult figured that the opening was unsafe, and they bolted a board over the opening. Of course that simply makes it more of a challenge!

Friday, April 13, 2007

Smokkkkkkkkk’in

It is branding season, and the Tongue Creek Ranch is busy. The new members of the ranch are not all that interested in playing along. But who can blame them?

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Ute Tribute

This sculpture welcomes you to the site of the “Ute Council Tree” where Ute Indian Chief Ouray and his wife Chipeta, made a peace agreement with the area's white settlers. I wonder if they ever considered that those "white settlers" would also us it for an egg hunt.........

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Room to Roam

Spring means fresh grass, and these two horses are making the best of a lazy afternoon

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Buddy Barrel

The kids at our church are encouraged to collect coins in their “Buddy Barrel” to support mission causes. The Buddy Barrel was out for a visit at the egg hunt.

Monday, April 09, 2007

Nowhere to Hide

You must be “quick as a bunny” to win this contest!

Sunday, April 08, 2007

Sunrise Service - Bill's Synopsis


In the beginning God said, this is all yours, except that one tree over there. To Adam & Eve, that was a pretty good deal…….for a while. But mankind could not live with that deal, and broke it. God was rather put off. Everything that He had done was thrown back in his face, so he banished them from the place he had created especially for them.

So with their new found knowledge, mankind tries to do it on their own. This does not go well, and God was rather put off. It is not a good thing to put off One who can flood the world, but God put all the good ones on a boat, and did just that.

So there was a new beginning, but again, mankind being what it is, showed its true nature, and God needed to show them yet again what He wanted. He sent a man, Moses, to present the new rules. However, if man could not deal with one simple rule (stay away from that tree!), how was it going to work with 10 new rules (it depends on how you define covet)? People tried, and created all sorts of other rules that would “help” them keep the 10. It was a massive failure, as mankind continued to do something they did exceptionally well, mess up a good thing.

It was again time, but God, as a father would, had promised Noah that he would not flood the world again. Mankind had thrown everything back in God’s face, but God still loved them as only a father can. He was a just God, so letting them all off the hook was not really an option. The consequences for their actions needed to happen. The price needed to be paid, but they were incapable of paying that price. And he loved them…….

He had a much better plan, and sent another man. This man was special, he was a part of God, and at the same time, was God. Mankind did not get this, but that was ok. This man was perfect in every way, and agreed to pay the price. The price was the death of an innocent, perfect man. This man, Jesus, agreed to pay that price under one condition. The terms were agreed to, and it was done. He felt all the heartbreak, pain, shame, betrayal as all men do, and died a horrible, painful death, as He said he would.

But being God, death could not hold Him, and on a day we celebrate as Easter he returned to his rightful place.

He paid the price as only a father could, and the condition was that this would be payment in full. Payment for all the times man had messed up in the past, and payment for all the times man would certainly mess up in the future. He paid the price for all of us, and only asks one thing in return:

Accept my paying the price for you as a gift, and let my spirit live in you showing you the way God wants you to live. You will try to live up to the standards and will fail, but that is ok. I will instruct you, and help you get back up on your feet. I already paid the price for your failures. Just strive to live the way God desires, and one day you will see Me face to face.

The price was high, but “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved “. (John 3:16-17)

Have you accepted the gift, or are you still trying to do it on your own?

Saturday, April 07, 2007

Egg Hunt

I am not sure where the tradition came from, but Easter is often found hand in hand with Egg hunts. Our church in Delta puts on a city wide hunt the day before Easter each year, and the turnout today was as good as ever! There will be more pictures from this event later this week.

Friday, April 06, 2007

Vegetarian weight loss location

Warning, if you are a vegetarian, stop reading now……..Don’t say I did not warn you…The name says it all apart from a small salad bar, most everything for sale in this place is meat (or alcohol). Looking at the menu the other day (you guessed it, I am a meatetarian) even I was surprised. There was a portion of the menu the explained how to order your steak. It defined well done, medium well, medium, rare, and blue. Yes, I said blue, and no, I had never heard of that before. Blue is defined as being cooked for 30 seconds on each side…sort of a meatetarian's sushi I expect. I will stick with medium!

Thursday, April 05, 2007

To Spring or Not to Spring

It seems that the trees can’t all agree that spring has arrived. It has!

Sorry for the late post. The day started early, and I moved my office back to our new home after work. For those of you who know my setup, that is no small task, but that is a subject for another post.

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Not Even Close

All interesting guesses yesterday, but not even close. When I turned to the right, this is what I saw! Today’s and yesterday’s shots were taken at the United States Air Force Memorial located at the Navy Annex across from the Pentagon in Washington DC. I use to live in Fairfax VA, and spent a good deal of time photographing the various monuments, primarily at night. I was back there for work last week, but I only had my Canon SD900 (without a tripod) on this trip. I will be back with the big rig (Canon D60) on a future trip! For more information on the monument, check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Air_Force_Memorial

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

New Places

I found myself traveling again last week, and returned to a place I know rather well. While there I was pleasantly surprised to find that something new had been created. Do you have any idea where or what this is? One hint, it is not in Delta!

Monday, April 02, 2007

I was struck by the intensity of the colors as I drove by this place, so I had to stop. Had I been in need scaffolding, I may have gone in!

Sunday, April 01, 2007

South Delta

As I have mentioned in past posts, we have recently bought a new home, and that home is located in the SE section of Delta. Now you can stand at one end of Delta, and look most of the way across town, but it is interesting how your perspective changes when you travel the opposite of your usual direction in a well known area. I had always seen this place from the other side, but this side caught my attention, and I now think I will swing by there on my way into work, if they are open!