Thursday, August 28, 2008

Last Night's Magnificent Sunset

All the media was in Denver last night. This is what they could have shown you with their high tech cameras. Which would the American people have enjoyed more, watching the sunset over the Rockies, or listening to Bill Clinton?



Wednesday, August 27, 2008

The Dems Last Bash?

Will this party be the last bash for the Democrat Party? Denver attorney Dan Caplis thinks so. He points out that the Dems have allowed people like George Soros and Daily Kos to set their agenda, and that agenda on core issues is way to the left of the American people...
National Security (too weak)
The economy (won't drill and will tax)
Gay Marriage (will force it on states)
Abortion (condemned ban on partial-birth abortion, Obama opposed law protecting babies born alive after failed abortions)

Tribute

I know Michelle Obama is not popular with my fellow conservatives. However, as I have written before, I find her story very inspirational. She and her brother came from very humble beginnings. They had solid parents. Her father had MS, but still made it to work every day. The parents convinced Michelle and her brother that education was the way to success. After graduating from Princeton and Harvard Law School, she returned to Chicago, where she met her future husband.

To see what she has accomplished is a great tribute to her and to our country.

Two Items From the News This Week

Harrold, Texas became the nation's first school district to allow teachers to carry concealed guns. This rural community near the Oklahoma border has got common sense.

Most cows align their bodies north to south when resting - no matter what continent they are in. Two-thirds of cows do this, but one-third do not. Are they aligning themselves with the magnetic field of the earth? Why aren't the other third doing it?

Do the Olympics Promote Freedom in the Host Country?

Dave Krieger, superb columnist on the sports pages of the Rocky Mountain News, says that the Olympics were a great success, if your measure of success is limited to televison ratings. What about the "massive forced evictions,the surge in the arrest, detention, and harrassment of critics, violations of media freedom, and increased political repression?"

One farmer heard about Olympic protest provisions, and thought this might be his opportunity to speak out against communist repression. He was wrong. He was beaten and jailed.

Krieger wonders if "a grand commercial enterprise governed by the rules of expedience" is what the Olympics have become. Those who say that hosting the Olympics will promote freedom in the host country appear to be overly optimistic, to put it mildly.

Republicans Not Doing Well in Fund-Raising

In a story published this week in the Denver Post there is bad news for Republicans. They are not doing well in fund-raising. In the Senate races, Republicans had $25 million in the bank in July, compared with $42 million for the Democrats. Republicans have canceled about a quarter of their ad buys they had already booked for Colorado's Senate race.

Last month Barack Obama raised $51 million, compared with John McCain's $27 million.

He Brought The Crowd To Its Feet

The Democrat National Convention was a yawner until Teddy Kennedy showed up. Apparently the Dems admire good swimmers.

Last Night's Painting in the Sky

The Great Painter started early last night.

Later, the clouds developed some moisture, but the sunset illuminated the nearby trees.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Beauty and Excitement in the Air

Three tornadoes were cited tonight in the county where we live. After the storms passed, I went outside just in time to get these pictures of the sun setting and reflecting on the trees.






When something is going on, the alpacas, just like a school of trout, all face the same direction.

After the storm, the puppies ventured out of their house.

Sunflowers

I walked over and snapped a picture of one sunflower in a field of thousands of them.
This field of sunflowers went on for as far as my eyes could see. Unfortunately, even though I snapped the picture at 3:30 pm, all of the flowers were still facing east, and I was on the west side of the field. Can you imagine how beautiful would be the view from the east?

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Spirit Will Be Next

In five days we expect Spirit to deliver our next batch of puppies. They will be labradoodles.

Activity in the Goat Pens

Our new stud, Chuck, meets our two new does, Twinkle, who has one teat full of milk, and Ginger, who is open and ready to breed. Chuck is clearly not up to the task of breeding these two veterans, so we look for our Boar stud, Noisemaker, to see if he might be interested in Ginger.

Noisemaker, meet Ginger.

After allowing him a good sniff, Ginger led Noisemaker into the goat house, where they could enjoy some privacy.

Lies and Deceit

Donald Douglas, on his excellent blog, American Power, is commenting on "Senator Infanticide's" appropriate choice of plegiarist Joe Biden as his running mate. Obama has tried to lie his way out of his support of infanticide. The facts, however, are the facts. Douglas lays them out clearly for us here in a blog piece entitled "Obama's Veep: The Perfect Accompaniment of Lies and Deceit." Douglas also reminds us about Biden's history of plegiarism, and gives us chapter and verse.

A Good Start

John McCain's campaign responds to Obama's pick of Joe Biden.

Of Predictions and Trends

One of the speakers at the Democrat National Convention will be Senator Ken Salazar from Colorado. He is confident Colorado will go for Obama in November. However, Salazar's cousin in Pueblo, Colorado, Silver Salazar, a life-long Democrat, disagrees. Silver is actively campaigning for John McCain. George Bush got 40% of the Hispanic vote in 2004, up from 34% in 2000. The trend does not favor the Dems.

Sorry, Dems

A "community panel" urged Denver police to refrain from making arrests or issuing citations for small amounts of marijuana possession during the Democrat National Convention next week. Last year the city prosecuted 1,600 marijuana cases. Based on current numbers, the city is on track to increase that to 1,900 this year. The city attorney's director of enforcement responded to the panel by saying, "It's certainly not our function to vote on suspending laws for a certain period of time." Sorry, Dems.

Ho Hum

Next week's Democrat Convention in Denver is not something that has a majority of Coloradans fired up. The Rocky Mountain News yesterday reported that 9% of Coloradans were thrilled, another 15% were excited, and another 20% were "interested."

The remaining 56% were either indifferent, worried, or annoyed. Count me in that latter group.

A Great Opportunity for John McCain

Obama has picked Joe Biden as his V.P. running mate. Rush Limbaugh reported yesterday that Hillary Clinton was not even vetted! No one from the Obama campaign even talked with Hillary about the job. There are going to be lots of Hillary supporters in Denver next week who are not going to appreciate this slight.

This is a wide open opportunity for John McCain. What should he do to take advantage of what I believe will be a huge number of female voters, who are not happy with the Democrat ticket?

What Are Unions Afraid Of?

A Denver District Court Judge has dismissed all claims made in a lawsuit against a signature-gathering process to get a right-to-work amendment on the state of Colorado ballot this fall.The measure would ban compulsory union dues for workers covered by collective bargaining pacts. The suit was brought by a labor-backed coalition called Protect Colorado's Future.

The First Day of School

I was working late last night, so I phoned home to talk to the kids and ask them about their first day at school. Jon said the kids are bratty, and they are allowed to get by with that behavior. He said he wishes his teacher would be "more strict." Greg, whom I home-schooled last year, said his teacher was nice, but maybe a little too nice, because the teacher let the kids get by with some bad behavior. Greg was very impressed that the girl who sits next to him likes doughnuts, just like he does!

Our Future

Is China a threat? If so, in what areas? I think the answer is yes, economically. To get the raw material they need for their rapidly expanding national economy, China is willing to side with other despotic regimes like Iran and Sudan. Because China has massive trade surpluses and an undervalued currency, they have $1.8 trillion in foreign exchange reserves! They can use that cash to buy big stakes in American and other foreign firms.

Meanwhile, here in the USA 3.5 million factory jobs have been lost in the last decade. 40,000 U.S. factories have closed in that same time.

Noticing the crowds in Wal-Mart and Costco, it is obvious that Americans like cheap prices. Colleen was surprised last week when she was able to purchase school supplies and groceries at Wal-Mart for under $200.

Recently I ate lunch (cashew chicken, for three dollars) in a small Chinese restaurant, which was the size of our kitchen. In that cramped space I counted six Asian men working very hard. No one was talking. No one was standing around. Everyone had a role. They work like this from 11 AM to 9:30 PM. A sixteen-year-old Chinese American youth came in from doing his deliveries. Without a word to anyone, he pitched right in, helping at the cash register and filling orders to go or to be delivered.

During this time, where were the average American teens? On the couch watching movies or You Tube? Who will that average American teen be working for fifteen years from now? Their Asian counterparts, who know how to work, and have the discipline to study hard in school.

Lock Em Up

The Denver Post saw the need yesterday to write its lead editorial admonishing Colorado law enforcement officers to act responsibly during the Democrat National Convention next week. "Public safety will depend on keeping both protesters and law enforcement in check," said the Post headline.

I found it offensive that the Post lumped together violent anarchists and law enforcement officers in the same sentence. Personally, I hope every violent thug gets swiftly arrested and removed from the scene of their crime.

Last Night's Sunset

Bending Over With Ripening Peaches


I wish I could give a big basket of peaches to every blog friend.

In The Gardens

I love these cascading petunias.
South garden
East garden

Shade Lovers


Got a shady location? Try impatiens.
Coleus is another plant that needs very little sun.

Is It November Yet?

Chuck Will Do the Job

Our new Nubien billy goat is named Chuck, after Chuck Norris.

New Puppies

This little guy likes to pose for pictures.
Three of the six new Lhasa Apso puppies
Whatever he ate, I think it must have been good.
Three more of the six new Lhasa Apso puppies.
This Lhasa Apso puppy is learning that the guy with the funny hat usually has his camera with him.

Friday, August 22, 2008

Protecting Freedom

Every time I read about the POW experience of John McCain or his fellow prisoners, I am moved to tears. McCain's maverick spirit shone most brightly when he told his captors, "I'll go home when everybody else does."

Rob Knutson was a fellow prisoner in Viet Nam with McCain. Yesterday's Rocky Mountain News provided some excerpts of a speech given recently by Knutson to a local Republican Men's Club. Knutson describes the torture he and McCain were subjected to. He and McCain were among about thirty prisoners who were considered attitude problems by their communist captors in North Viet Nam.

McCain knew Knutson was sick (Knudson weighed only 89 pounds), so McCain regularly tapped out words of encouragement on the wall that separated McCain's cell from Knudson's. Knudson knows what it means to lose one's freedom. His advice to us: "Peace without freedom is not worth anything."

We must all work to protect what freedom we have left in America.

The Worst of Times, The Best of Times

One of my favorite columnists is Harvey Mackay, author of Outswimming the Sharks. In a recent column he wrote the following: "Don't let hard times turn into end times. Let them lead to your best times." We are determined to do just that, with God's guidance.

Costs

Colorado spent $39.8 million dollars housing illegal immigrants in our state prisons during the past fiscal year, according to Colorado Attorney General John Suthers. Suthers said that "the immense financial burdens were caused by inadequate enforcement of federal immigration laws." How about the personal costs to American citizens who were victims of the crimes?

I am eagerly waiting to read or hear from authorities regarding the child welfare, medical, and education costs we have incurred as a result of Denver's and other cities' Sanctuary City policies of Democrat mayoral administrations.

Freedom of Information

The University of Illinois at Chicago is refusing to release files that would help us learn more about Barack Obama. The Chicago Annenberg Challenge is a project in which Weatherman terrorist Bill Ayres and Barack Obama worked together. We need to learn more about Barack's relationship with Mr. Ayres.

UPDATE: Fox News is reporting that The University of Illinois at Chicago will release the Annenberg files Tuesday.

"He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother!"

Conservative talk radio is all abuzz about Barack Obama's half-brother in Africa. The media has discovered the half-brother, living in unimaginable sqauller on an income of less than one dollar per month. Questions are being raised about why Barack is not helping his half-brother. Barack writes in one of his books about seeing his brother when he was about five, and he has seen him again in recent years. Barack is portraying himself as compassionate about the less fortunate, and declares himself to be a "citizen of the world." He reported earnings of over four million dollars last year. Could he not do something to help his own brother, or is he just compassionate with our money?

"He's An Asshole in Real Life!"

I recently heard that phrase accurately applied to a man. It got me thinking about men and women for whom that designation is accurately applied. For men, it usually seems to be related either to aggressiveness or flaunting money and position. Women who fit that description are usually quieter, demanding perfection from others and themselves. For both sexes, it is about power and control. Both will eventually die earlier than they would have, if they had learned humility, kindness, and the love of God.

We all know people who fit the description. But, who among us knows how to deal with them? Must we all have to just wait for them to self-destruct, which eventually they all do? Have you recently encountered such individuals? What were they like? How did you deal with them?

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

What Sunsets Look Like When there Are No Buildings to Block the View

The Newest Members of Our Family

These Nubian goats will soon save us twelve dollars every other day in milk expenditures.

Signs of the Times

This auto insurance company in Thornton, Colorado has LOW rates, and accepts Mexican licenses.
The Army Surplus store in Englewood, Colorado is getting ready for the Democrat National Convention next week.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

To our Wonderful Friends in the Blogosphere...Thank You for Your Prayers

God puts the finishing touches on another wonderful day in Colorado.

No one could ever get bored looking at these creations of our Architect.

Butterflies and begonias go together.

Mr. Fox comes down to snatch the morning paper.


Snacking in the Rockies

Ladies night out on the town, or at least down to the bushes.

Friday, August 08, 2008

Breathe Deeply, and Slowly Exhale

Then, realize God loves you, God IS love, and has the power to take away that which is causing trauma.