Other neighbors...

This guy also showed up on our porch...not so cute. But, I'm no anti-reptite.




Meg, want to start a new theme for Bryn's room?

Adios, Show Low

We finished up the graduate class in Show Low last weekend. As we drove through the Salt River Canyon for the final time we noticed quite a few cars pulled over looking down. So, we stopped and looked down.


Oops. That's all that's left of a tractor-trailer...or semi-truck, if you will.

Show Low camping

Well, here we are. We've spent the last two weekends at this campground. Rather nice. We were next to a family with two children who disguised themselves as monsters for the weekend. The 11 year old boy lost his purple ball over the cliff and went into hysterics. After stomping his foot and kicking a nearby boulder, he stomped his way into his camper. Nice. We retrieved it for him. Self-sufficiency was a new idea for him.

Among other reasons...

During our weekend touring around Show Low we found another reason to stay in the truck while taking photographs.

"If you can show low, you win"

We've been attending a weekend class in Show Low, Arizona for the past two weekends. This quaint mountain village (think Hillsdale in the mountains) received its name from a card game between two settlers. In any case, the drive to Show Low takes us through the Salt River Canyon. Most of the photos are taken from the truck because its too darn hot to get out of the air conditioning...among other reasons.

Babysittin'

Well, we had the niece over for an afternoon of watchfulness. I want to draw your (all you who have yet to visit) attention to how "child-safe" the Fort really is. No glass shards, poisonous arachnids, or swords...almost as safe as a union shop. Anyway, she ran around being cute. That's all you can really do at her age...run and be cute. Someday I'll teach her how to run and be really, really, ridiculously good looking, but she just isn't ready for that yet.

New Neighbors (No, "youknowwho" hasn't moved)

Well, here are our new neighbors. They're quiet, polite, and don't expect us to act like their personal assistant. We aren't sure when the itty-bitty babies were born, but they have been crapping all over the place. As you can see from the last picture, one of the chicks didn't appreciate the paparazzi. He was pretty angry at the world...or just me.

Well, we don't have a digital camera, so we can't always put the latest and greatest events on the blooog. So, I'm adding a few more from Rome. This setting may look familiar because it appeared on the Hutchinson's bloooooog. It was a nice place to see.


Just a note: If your name is Megan or Ryan then you need to post a few more photos of your new house and your growing children. Get on it. Now.

Getting ahead of ourselves (yes, I mean you...)

After a few phone calls it seems that various family members think we need to start planning our next trip. I'm still going to post a few shots we took while in Rome, so the forward thinking readers of this blog need to learn to enjoy the recent past.


This delightful fellow was in front of us waiting for the Vatican Museum. It's mind-boggling, isn't it? Is it real? Did he pay money to the stylist? This wasn't the greatest sight in Rome, but it has to be in the top 5.

Still going

Here are a few more photos from Rome. These pics are from the day trip Eric and I took to Ostia, and you can see that I took pictures of lots of old stuff. My only regret is that I didn't get a photograph of the splendid picnic we enjoyed among the ruins. It was splendid, just splendid...aside from the malarial mosquitoes.



This mosaic was one of many that is just hangin' out in Ostia. However, this mosaic was in Technicolor, unlike the rest. Since I was touring with an ethical classicist I was nervous about taking a chunk of artifact...so I waited until he walked away. Geez, this mosaic looks great in our livingroom. Ancient Rome and Old Tucson...match made in heaven...

Ancient toilets...no walls, no privacy...just guys (firemen, I think) enjoying each other's company.

Another extraordinary mosaic. This photo was taken from a second story observatory. Huge...the public bathroom firemen really like mosaics.

to the "dopest" peeps out there

Thank you, Hutchinsons! We love ya, love ya, love ya, love ya.

"Brown paper packages tied up with string"

Some of our favorites from the Roman holiday:

Scruffy looking mammals . . .


Glitzy ad campaigns . . .


building code violations . . .


mmm . . . "like angels crying in my mouth"


Old stuff . . .


Papists . . .

The only pics that matter

We're back from Rome and trying to catch up on all the work we ignored. The trip began on an auspicious note as you can see from the accompanying photos. Yes, we are sitting in the first class lounge. Not among the unwashed masses, not among those teeming hordes of pretzel munching squish 'ems, oh no, we were in the "lounge".

Why...yes...

Yes, that is a .45 ACP cartridge. Why do you ask?

The Day after...

Well, our Christmas decorations have been taken down and the two-week process of removing all the pine needles has begun. We (well, actually it was liddy) began the process of redecorating the house with some of the new household goods. I spent the day after Christmas redecorating in an entirely different manner, but that is for a later post. Here are a few shots of the new mirror that Liddy had her eye on...

Christmas Morn!!

Well, we spent Christmas Eve overnight at the In-laws and enjoyed the nostalgia of being children at the mercy of parents on Christmas morning. We then made our way over to the Sister and Brother-in-law's to witness the chaos (thoroughly enjoyable, of course) created by placing young children in close proximity to mountains of gifts. Just look at these two...chaos I tell ya!!

The Festivities

More from Christmas Eve. First we have "Beautiful Kate". That is her real name. I guess that her parents have legally changed it to "Beautiful Kate". Mom and Grandma enjoying the strange antics of their daughters' husbands. This Christmas I found out from Brother-in-law Dave that I play "War" incorrectly. I guess he learned how to play at a casino and such a learning environment is beyond question. In any case, I still beat my 4 year old nephew and can maintain the title of "Master of War". And, finally, Benjamin the First Grader.

Christmas Eve

The Verplank/Brooks/Bizak/Young clan gathered at The Fort for a Christmas Eve dinner and celebration. Before dinner, Liddy took the parents and grandparents up to San Pedro Chapel for a view of the mountains and foothills.