A Time for All Seasons - NOT

Ok, ok. You win. We'll keep a blog going - at least for a little while longer - but we're also going to take the advice that we will do it on a random basis - when we actually have something to say.

However, we want to start fresh so we're going to move our thoughts to Dan and Betty's Place. This fits more with the fact that our horses are only a part of our lives. This gives us the opportunity to wander off into other areas which may or may not be interesting to anyone.

If you're really interested you can follow us there. Here's the link to our new blog...

http://danandbettysplace.blogspot.com/

Seriously, thanks for the encouragement.

Dan and Betty

Ecclesiastes 3, verses 1 and 7 say there is a time for all things...

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven.

A time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak.

We especially like the latter half of verse 7, "...a time to be silent and a time to speak." We wish more politicians would take this verse to heart (just a side - snide - comment at this political time of the year).

We started this blog to share our life with horses. Our inspiration was the blog of our good friends Max and Michelle Wade at Galloping Grace Youth Ranch. Their blog is a delight to read and the pictures are wonderful.

From the many comments to their blog we have learned to follow the adventures of Laughing Orca Ranch and 7MSN Ranch - both New Mexico neighbors. We have become good friends with Mark and TJ at The Ranch on Salmon Creek. And, we've enjoyed the adventures of Trailboss and her granddaughter, Papa Joe, and her great dogs and horses.

Life has interfered in many ways both good and bad with keeping our blog going in the way we would like.

On the good side our granddaughter Juliet was born and we have wanted to spend as much time as possible with her and her parents in Fort Collins, Colorado. Also, our church has been blessed with significant growth, going from about 400 on a weekend to almost 1,000 in less than a year after our move to a new facility. This has been wonderful, but it has more than doubled our work as volunteer associate pastors who do pastoral counseling. There are a lot of hurting people out there, but we are blessed to do what we can to help.

On the bad side, 2008 has been a not-so-great year for Betty as she has dealt with recovering from an accident, an emergency appendectomy, and a bacterial infection from the appendectomy.

Our blog has been a good outlet for us at times, but it has been harder and harder to find the time to write and worthy subjects to write about.

We feel this season of our lives as bloggers has come to a close. We have enjoyed it, but we want our time to be used as well as possible - and that includes having more time to read the great blogs mentioned above. At our age, making good use of our time is a high priority.

So, this will be our last post and we will delete this blog in a day or so.

To those of you who have faithfully read our ramblings we appreciate your time and especially the comments you have shared. Who knows? Maybe we'll start another blog in the future on the joys and challenges of getting older.

God's blessings to you all.

Dan & Betty

Lessons from a Cartoon

One of my dreams as a younger man was to be a cartoonist. I was the editorial cartoonist for several years for my college paper - The UT Beacon (that's University of Tennessee) - back in the 1960's. However, I knew that cartoonists had a hard time making a living so I gave that up for more practical means of making a living for me and my family.

I continue to love reading cartoons. I save the cartoon section of our paper and read it last each day as it is the favorite part for me.

My all-time favorite cartoon was Calvin and Hobbes. I was so sorry to see that one come to an end, but fortunately they are rerunning all of his strips so I can still read it every day.

My second all-time favorite is For Better Or For Worse. It's a family cartoon drawn by Lynn Johnston, a Canadian artist. Over the years we've been able to watch the adventures of the Patterson family and watched as kids were born, grown up and married in their own right.

Today's strip is right after the marriage of the daughter, Elizabeth. She and her new husband Anthony have gone to visit her grandfather right after their wedding. He is in the hospital and not doing well. The older woman is his second wife as Elizabeth's birth grandmother died several years ago.

I know the words are hard to read so I'll give you the gist of what is said.

Elizabeth in the second panel is saying that looking after him day after day can't be easy. Her step-grandmother responds...

"It's not easy. But we made a commitment, just as you did today - and although it's not easy, this is all part of loving someone with all your heart - and with all you have to give! It's a promise that should last a lifetime. It defines you as a person and describes your soul. It's a promise to be there, one for the other, no matter what happens, no matter who falls. For better or worse, my dears - for better or for worse."

I love the thought that our promises 'define us as a person and describe our soul.' I grew up believing that a man's word should always be good and his handshake was as good as gold.

Betty and I believe that, after our personal commitments to God, our marriage commitments to each other are the most important words we will ever say in our lives. And, Lynn's comic strip today perfectly illustrates how we feel. We want our promises to each other to define us as people and describe our souls.

You never know what you'll find in the comics.

Today is August 30 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Andy Roddick (pro tennis player), Cameron Diaz (actress - "Shrek" and "Charlies Angels"), Peggy Lipton (actress - "The Mod Squad"), Frank "Tug" McGraw (professional baseball player and father of singer Tim McGraw), Jean-Claude Killy (French Olympic gold medal skier), Warren Buffett (incredibly rich man), Ted Williams (one of the best ever baseball players), Fred MacMurray (actor - "Flubber" and "My Three Sons"), and Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (author - "Frankenstein").

On this day in 1862 the Union was defeated by the Confederates at Bull Run. In 1967 the Senate confirmed Thurgood Marshall as the first Black Supreme Court Justice. And, in 1993 the "Late Show with David Letterman" premiered on CBS.

A Good Day at the Ranch

I won't steal Michelle Wade's thunder as she'll probably write about the day at Galloping Grace Youth Ranch today. I got to go out after a long absence because of us being gone and Betty's bacterial infection battle (which hopefully should be over soon). We're believing in God's healing power over these little @$&!##*.

It was a good day and truly illustrated the purpose of the ranch - to bring joy to children through horses - and that happened today.

Plus I got to work with kids and horses and that adds up to a good day in my book.

Today is August 29 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: John McCain (presidential candidate and authentic war hero), Robin Leach (host of "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous"), William Friedkin (director - "The Exorcist"), Elliott Gould (actor - "M.A.S.H."), Richard Attenborough (director - "Ghandi"), Isabel Sanford (actress - "The Jeffersons"), Ingrid Bergman (actress - "Casablanca") and John Locke (English philosopher).

On this day in 1966 the Beatles played their last concert in Candlestick Park in San Francisco. In 2005 hurricane Katrina made landfall in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Anger, Fear and Impatience

I ran across the following quote from "Horse Smarts for the Busy Rider" by Rick Lamb and realized that it not only applies to our relationship with horses, but also to our friends and family.

Anger, Fear, Impatience

There are three human emotions most of us feel every day that will sabotage communication with a horse.
It's normal to feel angry when a horse misbehaves, afraid when you think you're in danger, or impatient when training takes longer than expected. But in every case, responding emotionally makes the situation worse. Since we can't simply turn off our emotions, Dr. Robert M. Miller offers this suggestion.

"We have to discipline ourselves that when that occurs - not if, because it will occur - we're human beings, we're going to get angry sometimes, we're going to be afraid sometimes, and we're going to be impatient sometimes. And what you do is stop right there and walk away from that horse, because you have lost the ability to communicate with a horse when you are impatient or angry or afraid."

Walking away may require swallowing your pride. But that's one more emotion you can't allow to rule you.

That's not a bad rule for our interactions with other folks.

Today is August 28 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: LeAnn Rimes (country singer), Jack Black (actor - "School of Rock" and "King Kong"), Jason Priestly (actor - "Beverly Hills 90210), Shania Twain (country singer), Billy Boyd (actor - "Lord of the Rings"), Scott Hamilton (Olympic gold medal ice skater), Daniel Stern (actor - "City Slickers"), David Soul (actor - "Starsky and Hutch"), Donald O'Connor (singer/dancer), Charles Boyer (French actor), Leo Tolstoy (author - "War and Peace"), and Elizabeth Ann Seaton (first American Catholic saint).

On this day in 1922 the first radio commerical aired on WEAF in New York City. It was a 10-minute ad for Queensboro Realty Co. who paid $100 for the ad time. In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King made his famous "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. And, in 1996 Britain's Prince Charles and Princess Diana were divorced after 15 years of marriage.

Nothing Much Today

Today was one of those days where I did things, but didn't really get anything accomplished or do anything special or fun.

Originally, Betty and I hoped that we could take the horses out for a walk to give us and them a little exercise, but Betty's battle with the bacterial infection kept her from doing what she wanted. My number one priority is her so I don't want to do anything with the horses - ride or take a walk - when she's not feeling well.

I did go out and get some groceries and messed with a computer problem, but, other than taking care of the horses that was it.

Today is August 27 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Alexa Vega (actress - big sister in "Spy Kids"), Alex Lifeson (lead guitarist for "Rush"), Paul 'Pee Wee' Herman (not sure what he is), Barbara Bach (actress - married Ringo Starr), Drayl Dragon (Captain in "Captain and Tennille"), Martha Raye (comedian), and Lyndon Johnson (36th US President).

On this day in 1859 Edwin Drake drilled the first successful oil well in Titusville, PA; in 1883 the volcano on the island of Krakatoa erupted, and in 1962 the US launched the Mariner Space Probe that flew past Venus.

Tuesday - Trip to the MVD

Today was an errand day.

It started off with me going to exercise first thing this morning. Normally, Betty would go too, but she's still working to get rid of this bacterial infection. As soon as it's gone, she'll get back into the exercise habit.

Then I went to the place that I hate almost as going to the dentist - the Motor Vehicles Department. My driver's license expires on September 16 so I figured I better get it done now. New Mexico has gone to a new 'secure' driver's license. It supposedly has a slew of security features. Initially, they give you a temporary license then you receive your permanent license in the mail.

I showed up at the entrance to the MVD about 9:30 AM and it surprised me to see no one at the check in desk. Usually there's a line. I got my number - 59 - and waited first to get my picture made - you know - the one you hate most of all - the one that makes you always look like a dork. Then I took my seat among the masses and waited for my number to be called. They were calling number 40 when I sat down so only 19 people ahead of me.

Fortunately I remembered to bring a book with me and I got several chapters read before I heard them call for number 57. Good, I'm getting close.

I heard them call for number 58 to go to desk number 5. In a few minutes they called my number, 59, to go to desk number 5. Oh, I figured whomever had number 58 either left of went to the bathroom - their bad luck.

As I walked toward desk 5 a little old lady walked in front of me to desk 5 - she was number 58. She had gone to the wrong desk and was confused about where to go. The MVD lady asked me to take a seat and she would get to me next.

The little old lady had a hard time with the instructions she was given - how to use the eye test machine, what forms to fill out, was she taking any diabetes medicine, etc., - so it was taking a little time. Naturally, I heard number 60, 61, 62, and 63 called for other desks as I sat there waiting.

Finally, she got everything finished and I went up to get my license renewal. The young lady who worked there apologized and, you know what, it was OK. It was no big deal.

God has always been working on me to learn how to be content in all circumstances and this was just another object lesson for me to learn, I guess.

Finally, I went to Comcast to turn in some equipment that I no longer needed and that went smoothly. The rest of the day was regular chores around the place. Hopefully, we'll get some rain tonight.

Today is August 26 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Keke Palmer (actress - "Akeelah and the Bee" - great movie by the way), Cassie Ventura (R&B singer), Macauley Caulkin (actor - "Home Alone"), Brandford Marsalis (jazz saxophonist), Geraldine Ferraro (VP candidate), Mother Teresa (Catholic nun), Chris Burke (actor - "Life Goes On"), and Albert Sabin (developer of the polio vaccine).

On this day in 1920 the Constitutional Amendment to allow women to vote went into effect and in 1939 the first Major League baseball game, between the Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers played at Ebbetts Field, was broadcast by the experimental station W2XBS.

A Friend

I want to talk briefly today about a friend (and perhaps embarrass him a little) because he is someone who I admire and from whom I learn much about what it means to be a man - especially a man of faith.

His name is Max Wade and he and his lovely wife Michelle run Galloping Grace Youth Ranch.

This is a picture of Max at a horse event held yesterday in Corrales. You can read more about the event and what Max was doing there in Michelle's blog for Sunday, August 24 - "Horsing Around". The two boys are Max and Michelle's sons - Grant (the smaller one with the balloons) and Garrett. They also have two neat daughters, Claire and Brooke.

This is a picture of Max and me at the event yesterday. (Thanks, Michelle, I stole it from your blog.)

Max is first and foremost a man of faith. His relationship with God comes before everything else and motivates everything he does in his life.

Next, he is a good husband and father. After God, it is clear that his family comes first in his life before all else.

He has a great sense of humor and is a lot of fun to be around. The kids who come to the ranch love him and he makes each one feel special. He has the ability to quickly evaluate each kid and match them with the right horse. He's also not afraid to let them stretch themselves a little and discover that they can do things they didn't think would be possible.

He's also a good horseman. When he rides, it looks as if he put super glue on the seat of his pants before planting himself into the saddle. He and the horse are one. It is my dream to be able to ride like that some day.

But, what intrigues me the most about Max is he's the most honest and humble man I know.

When I say humble I don't mean he thinks of himself as weak or he puts himself down. That's not an accurate understanding of humility.

Max is humble because he sees himself as God sees him - no more and no less.

He recognizes his strengths and realizes that he can take credit for them just about as much as he can take credit for the color of his eyes. He knows his strengths are gifts from God to be used in his service. He also recognizes his weaknesses and finds compensating strengths for those weakness from Michelle and his friends - and from his faith in God.

Betty and I are truly blessed to have Max and Michelle in our lives and, hopefully, we have been able to share a little of our lives with them.

Enough embarrassment for Max for one day.

Today is August 25 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Claudia Schiffer (supermodel), Rachael Ray (TV cooking show host), Billy Ray Cyrus (country singer and Dad to Hannah Montana), Tim Burton (slightly twisted director - "Beetlejuice" and "Edward Scissorhands"), Elvis Costello (punk rocker), Gene Simmons (singer - "KISS"), Regis Philbin (TV host - "Live with Regis and... whomever"), Sean Connery (actor - James Bond and Indian Jones father), and Walt Kelly (my favorite cartoonist of all time - "Pogo").

Today in history the National Park Service was established as a part of the Department of Interior in 1916.

Sunday in Corrales

Corrales is a nice place to live. A lot goes on in the Spring, Summer and Fall. One of the highlights on Sunday mornings is the Corrales Growers Market. It's held every Sunday in the parking lot of the recreation center. The vendors come from all over the area, but the requirement is everything they sell must be grown or made locally - no buying boxes of fruit and produce from a distributor. So, most of the vendors are local people with small truck gardens. It's a popular place to be on Sunday morning.

Enterting the market with shopping bags in hand.

Stylish hats are always in style on a sunny morning (and most are) and there are always plenty of dogs.

More dogs after encountering each other.

The line for the breakfast burritos (with green chile of course) - they're delicious. I like the guy with the long, gray pony tail wearing shorts and knee boots.

Late in the Summer, roasting green chiles bring a special aroma to the air that we all know and love (more on that in a later post).

A nice way to spend a Sunday morning before heading for church.

And, for my friend, Michelle, who asked to see the flowers I bought for Betty, here they are. I buy fresh flowers and Betty enjoys arranging them.





Today is August 24 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Rupert Grint (actor - Ron Weasley in "Harry Potter"), Dave Chappelle (comedian), Marlee Matlin (actress - "Children of a Lesser God"), Craig Kilborn (commentator/actor), Cal Ripken, Jr. (baseball player - most consecutive games played), Steve Guttenberg (actor - "Police Academy"), Yasser Arafat (Palestinian leader - known liar), and Duke Kahanamoku (Hawaiian surfer).

Kids Will Be Kids - Even Birds

For those of us who have children, we know they can be the greatest of blessings - and the greatest of pains. We have a resident Roadrunner, Simone, who lived in our stable all winter. Then she stopped coming and we speculated whether she had gone off to have a baby Roadrunner.

Normally, Roadrunners are like pigeons - you rarely, if ever, see young Roadrunners.

We were just about to go out to feed the horses their lunch today when we saw an adult Roadrunner (Simone?) with an obvious youngster following her around.

Here are some pictures to show that kids are kids... (double click on any picture to enlarge)

"Hey, Mom, don't you think it's time for lunch? Feed me!"

"Come on, Ma. Don't turn away from me. Feed me!"


"Maybe if I act like a baby horse and nudge underneath your belly, something will happen. Feed me!"

"Ma. Ma. Don't run away! There's no where you can go that I can't follow. Feed me!"

On second thought, it's most likely a teenager.

Today is August 23 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Kobe Bryant (NBA superstar and Olympic player), Nicole Bobek (Olympic figure skater), River Pheonix (actor - "Stand By Me"), Shelly Long (actress - "Cheers"), Rick Springfield (singer), Keith Moon (drummer - "The Who"), Barbara Eden (actress - "I Dream of Jeanie"), Vera Miles (actress - "Psycho"), and Edgar Lee Masters (American poet).

Another Day

All I did today is set up a new cable modem and wireless router for our computers. Oh, I bought some flowers for Betty since she's still a little under the weather.

Today is August 22 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Howie Dorough (singer - "Backstreet Boys"), Tori Amos (singer - "Little Earthquakes"), Cindy Williams (comedian - "The Laverne & Shirley Show"), Valerie Harper (comedian - "Rhoda"), Carl Yastrzemski (first baseman - Boston Red Sox), Ray Bradbury (author - "The Martian Chronicles"), Norman Schwarzkopf (Army General - Desert Storm), John Lee Hooker (jazz quitarist), Deng Xiaoping (Chinese Prime Minister), Dorothy Parker (author), Claude Debussy (French composer - "Claire de Lune"), Honor Blackman (actress - "Goldinger"), and Milan I (King of Serbia).

Bad Days for Birds While We Were Gone

We are home and Betty is still up and down with this bacterial infection. It definitely was the right decision to cancel the rest of our trip and come home.

While we were gone, our horse sitter said two weird things happened - both in Gletta's stall.

First, she found a dead quail in Gletta's stall and a couple of wall boards broken - obviously by Gletta's kick.

Her best guess was the quail ran/flew into her stall while Gletta was eating. This startled her and she kicked out resulting in one dead quail and two broken boards.

The other weird thing is the Roadrunner (Simone?) had a run in with one of our fly strips.


None of us have any idea how that happened, but we know it did.

Weird.

Today is August 21 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Kim Cattrall (actress - "Sex and the City"), Kenny Rogers (singer - "The Gambler"), Wilt Chamberlain (NBA superstar), Jack Weston (stage and screen actor), Chris Schenkel (ABC sportscaster), Count Basie (bandleader), Archie Griffin (Ohio State All-American running back), Princess Margaret (British royalty), and Alfonso VI (King of Portugal).

Driving Home

This morning, Wednesday, August 20, we'll leave Raton, New Mexico and drive South to home in Corrales, New Mexico.

We're disappointed that we're not making our trip to Montana and Canada to visit with friends, but we know we're making the right decision.

Today is August 20 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Amy Adams (actress - "Enchanted"), Fred Durst (rapper - "Limp Bizkit"), Al Roker (Today Show weatherman), Robert Plant (singer - "Led Zeppelin"), Connie Chung (TV journalist), Isaac Hayes (composer - "Shaft"), Jacqueline Susann (author - "Valley of the Dolls"), Benjamin Harrison (23rd US President), Shirley Booth (actress - "Poseidon Adventure"), and Bernardo Bittoni (composer).

Driving to Raton, New Mexico

We left Fort Collins this morning and drove South to Raton, New Mexico - the first town in Northern New Mexico - on our way home.

Today is August 19 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Lil' Romeo (rap singer), Matthew Perry (actor - "Friends"), LeAnn Womack (country singer), Adam Arking (actor - son of Alan Arkin), John Deacon (bass player - "Queen"), Tipper Gore (wife of Climate Warming King, Al Gore), Bill Clinton (42 President), Willie Shoemaker (jockey), Gene Roddenberry (creator of "Star Trek"), Malcolm Forbes (publisher), and Orville Wright (inventor of first powered airplane and lost luggage).

Last Day in Fort Collins, Colorado

It's a beautiful day in Fort Collins, Colorado. We have watched the Olympics until we are suffering from terminal "Michael Phelps disease." We had a nice lunch today with our son, daughter-in-law and precious granddaughter.

We're heading home tomorrow. Due to a relapse of the bacterial infection in Betty, we decided the wisest decision was to cancel our trip to Montana and Canada and return home where she can be close to the doctor. Normally, we drive it all in one day - about 8 1/2 hours, but to keep it from being too tiring for Betty we're going to do it over two days. We'll spend the night in Raton, New Mexico.

So, this last Colorado post will be full of our favorite subject - Juliet.

Juliet with her Daddy, Wade Daniel.

Enjoying a bottle with her Nana.

Playing peek-a-boo with both of her grandmothers - Nana and Grandma.

Just enjoying the world.

Hey, I'm close to crawling so watch out world. Here I come!

Say, what?

Trying to get my Daddy's glasses.

There's nothing better than being with family.

Today is August 18 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Malcolm Jamal-Warner (actor - Theo on "The Cosby Show"), Edward Norton (actor - "The Fight Club"), Christian Slater (actor - "Heathers"), Patrick Swayze (actor - "Ghost"), Martin Mull (comedian), Robert Redford (actor - "Horse Whisperer"), Rosalyn Carter (wife of President Jimmy Carter), and Meriwether Lewis (explorer - Lewis & Clark).

Pooch Plunge

We're in Fort Collins, Colorado visiting our son, Wade Daniel, daughter-in-law, Marie, and granddaughter, Juliet. The family also has a great dog named Kona - a mixed breed - most likely Golden Retriever and Australian Shepherd.

Fort Collins is a very family-oriented city with great activities and great parks. At the end of each summer they hold a "Pooch Plunge" at one of the city pools. It's the last activity before the pool is closed and cleaned for the Winter.

Tickets are sold in advance and lots of people bring their dog to this pool and it's turned over to the dogs. There are hundreds of dogs running around both in the pool and out. It's a ton of fun for the dogs and for the spectators.

Here are some pictures from this afternoon.

Waiting in line for the gates to open at 5:30 PM. We were the second in line.


Kona heading for the pool before it gets crowded.

Wade Daniel throwing a ball for Kona to retrieve while Marie, Betty and Juliet look on.

Kona bringing the ball back in.

Chasing the ball down with another dog in chase.

Kona being very gracious - "Na, na. na, na. I beat you to it."

Beating another dog to the ball by just a hair.

Heading into the water for another retrieval.

Hey, folks, look at me.

Look out. I'm coming out.

Another dog enjoying jumping up into a column of water.

Marie, Juliet and Betty enjoying the shade.

Heading home after a fun, fun afternoon.


Today is August 17 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Jim Courier (top-ranked pro tennis player), Donnie Wahlberg (actor - started with "New Kids on the Block"), Sean Penn (actor and blazing liberal), Maureen O'Hara (actress - "The Quiet Man"), Mae West (actress - "Come Up and See Me Some Time"), and Davy Crockett (frontiersman and US Senator who wore a dead animal on his head).

Back in 1945 On This Day

On August 16, 1945, the US was digesting the news of the fact that the war in the Pacific was finally coming to an end and would be officially over in early September. At St. Thomas hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, Dorothy Erwin Cooksey gave birth to a bouncing baby boy. She, and her husband, Clyde Daniel Cooksey, decided to name him Junior and Clyde Daniel Cooksey, Jr. came into the world.

I grew up listening to the adults in my life talk about their WWII experiences, playing soldier and Cowboys and Indians.

From 8 years old to 16 years we lived in Birmingham, Alabama when it was still a steel town. I can remember watching the glow when they did a steel pour at night. It was also famous for it's statue of Vulcan, the god of the steelmakers.

When I was 16 we moved back to Nashville where I met my love and future wife, Betty, when we were both Juniors at John Overton High School. We both went to the University of Tennessee and, for you Texas folks, it was the original UT.

After college, I joined the Navy - it was either that or be drafted - and became an Ensign on the USS WILLIAM H. STANDLEY DLG-32. Originally, I was the Gunnery Officer, but I stayed on the STANDLEY and became the Navigator. We did two tours in Vietnam and both of our sons were born while I was in the Navy. I still hold the commission of Lieutenant in the Navy Reserve.

After the Navy I went back to the University of Tennessee to get my MBA and then went to work for Procter & Gamble. I had a 27 year career before retiring in 2000. We moved to New Mexico in 2004.

Sixty three years later, I'm celebrating my Birthday with my wonderful wife, Betty, my older son, Wade Daniel, my very neat daughter-in-law, Marie, and the one and only grand daughter, Juliet, to whom I am Papa.


Today is August 16 and if your Birthday is today then you share your day with: Yours Truly, Steve Carell (actor - "The Office" and "Get Smart"), Timothy Hutton (actor - "Ordinary People"), Madonna (singer - "Material Girl"), James Cameron (director - "Titanic"), Kathie Lee Gifford (TV host), Lesley Ann Warren (actress - "In Plain Sight"), Robert Culp (actor - "I Spy"), and Fess Parker (actor - "Davy Crockett").

Feeding the Wild Baby in Her Natural Habitat

For those of you who have encountered the baby of our species, you know that feeding time can be an adventure for all concerned. Here is a 'typical' feeding of the granddaughter baby known as Juliet.

First, if you're slow with your feeding, the baby in question will take things into her own hands, or in this case, mouth - and chew the furniture.

Most feeders of this breed of baby will try to keep her occupied with a substitute - such as Cheerios.

Finally, the baby gets the real food that she's looking for.

And, all's right with the world.


Today is August 15 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Joe Jonas (singer - "The Jonas Brothers"), Ben Affleck (actor - "Good Will Hunting" and "Pearl Harbor"), Jimmy Webb (composer - "Wichita Lineman" and "MacArthur Park"), Mike Connors (actor - "Mannix"), Rose Marie - (comedian - "The Dick Van Dyke Show"), Huntz Hall (actor - "The Bowry Boys"), Julia Child (chef and OSS spy during WWII), Ehtel Barrymore (actress - sister to John and Lionel Barrymore), and Napolean Bonaparte (French emperor and noted itch scratcher).

Driving to Fort Collins, Colorado

We're heading North in our Toyota Tundra truck to visit with our son, Wade Daniel, daughter-in-law, Marie, and granddaughter, Juliet, who live in Fort Collins, Colorado. It's a long drive - 8 1/2 hours - but the scenery up through Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado is beautiful. We're taking our truck so we can take our saddles and hopefully use them on the horses we'll ride in Canada.

We love to look at the Pronghorn Antelope that graze in the prairies along I-25.


For the next five days, most of the posts will be just updates on our visit in Fort Collins.

Today is August 14 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Halle Berry (actress - "Catwoman," "Monster's Ball"), Magic Johnson (pro basketball player), Gary Larson (cartoonist - "The Far Side"), Danielle Steel (author - romance novels), Susan Saint James (actress - "MacMillan & Wife"), Steve Martin (comedian/actor - "Roxanne," "Father of the Bride"), Lynne Cheney (wife of VP Dick Cheney), David Crosby (musician - "Crosby, Stills and Nash"), Russell Baker (writer - NY Times), and H. C. Oersted (scientist - discovered magnetic effects from electricity).

Happy Birthday Wade Daniel

Today, August 13, is our oldest son's Birthday - Wade Daniel Cooksey. His due date was very close to my Birthday, August 16, so when he came early I was still with my ship in Jacksonville, Florida. We had just come back from our first Vietnam deployment and Betty was living in Brentwood, Tennessee with her family. When I got the word that she had gone into labor I got a quick flight to Nashville (it was a lot easier in those days). I missed Wade Daniel being born by an hour, but in those days I couldn't be in the delivery room - just wasn't done.

He's been a joy and blessing to us in many ways - both as a child and now as an adult.

To celebrate his Birthday, here are a few pictures from his life.

Wade Daniel enjoying the sun through the patio door.

The older brother being really nice to his younger brother, Chris.

Enjoying his first real Halloween - this time as a Bunny.


Enjoying his favorite free-time activity - fly fishing - and he's quite good.

Like his brother, Wade Daniel is not a horse person, but he wanted to ride Morgunn while visiting us for the Balloon Fiesta.


Watching a balloon (What Would Jesus Do?) land behind our house during the Fiesta.

Sporting his Blue Man Group t-shirt. During their performance he was one of the lucky few called up onto the stage with them where they created this shirt by spitting paint balls at it while he wore it.

Wade Daniel is now a great father to Juliet as well as a good husband to his wife, Marie. Here he is with Juliet and both are wearing matching "fish" shirts.

A family picture of all of us during a recent visit at their home in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Wade Daniel, you are a good husband, great father and a very good man. Your Mom and I are proud of you and wish you a very happy Birthday!


Today is August 13 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Our oldest son, Wade Daniel Cooksey (an all-around good guy), Dan Fogelberg (singer/songwriter), Don Ho (Hawaiian singer - "Tiny Bubbles"), Pat Harrington, Jr. (comedian - superintendent Dwayne Schneider on "One Day at a Time"), Fidel Castro (Cuban dictator), George Shearing (blind jazz pianist), Alfred Hitchcock (director - "The Birds"), Bert Lahr (actor - Cowardly Lion in "The Wizard of Oz"), Annie Oakley (sharpshooter in "Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show"), Danny Bonaduce (Danny on "The Partridge Family"), Scott Hamilton (Olympic gold medalist ice skater), Richard Basehart (actor - "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea"), and William Caxton (first English printer).

We're Heading Out of Town

On Thursday morning, we're going to pile into our Toyota Tundra truck and head North.

First stop will be Fort Collins, Colorado for a five-day visit with our son, Wade Daniel, daughter-in-law, Marie, and granddaughter, Juliet. I'll have my laptop with me so I will be able to do posts on what we're doing with them. Part of the fun is celebrating Birthdays. Wade Daniel's birthday is tomorrow, August 13 (see Wednesday's post) and my Birthday is Saturday, August 16.

Next Tuesday, we'll drive North again through Wyoming and into Montana for a couple of days sightseeing as we've never been to Montana. Then we'll drive into Southern Alberta, Canada to join friends from Canada, England and the Netherlands to do some horseback riding. I have scheduled posts for each day as I'll leave my laptop with my son.

So, everyone be good while we're gone and stay out of the cookie jar.

I'll close with this photo from two nights ago when it looked as if our Sandia Mountains had become a volcano (at least to my imagination):



Today is August 12 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Pete Sampras (tennis champion), George Hamilton (supposed actor, ladies man and tanning promoter), William Goldman (screenwriter - "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"), John Derek (actor and husband of Bo Derek), Jane Wyatt (actress - Mom on "Father Knows Best" - oh, the good old days), Cantinflas (Latin entertainer), and Cecil B. DeMille (director - "The Ten Commandments").

Saddle Cleaning Time

Betty and I are headed out of town in a couple of days (more about that in tomorrow's post). We'll do some horseback riding at one of the places and, since we're driving our truck, we're taking our saddles.

But, they needed cleaning so that's what I did most of this morning and early afternoon. Both of our saddles are Steele Endurance saddles - just slightly different styles.

Here's a picture of Betty's saddle in process.

Now here's Betty's saddle all done.

My saddle in process.

My saddle all done.

We even cleaned and conditioned our riding boots.

When we lived just outside of Cincinnati, Ohio we often visited an Amish saddle shop about 30 miles from where we lived. The shop was owned by an old Amish gentleman and his two sons. They made saddles and leather tack and goods for their local Amish community. I asked him once what they used to condition their leather goods and he said they used Bickmore Bick 4 Conditioner. I bought some from him and I have been using it ever since as it works very well.

Saddle cleaning and conditioning is not something I enjoy doing but I'm always happy with the way the saddles look when I'm done.

Today is August 11 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Hulk Hogan (pro wrestler), Steve Wozniak (founder, along with Steve Jobs, of Apple Computer), Rev. Jerry Falwell (Liberty College president and minister), Arlene Dahl (actress), Mike Douglas (daytime TV talk show host), Alex Haley (author - "Roots"), Dik Browne (cartoonist - "Hi and Lois" and "Hagar the Horrible"), and Cato M. Guldberg (Norwegian mathematician).

Our Second Home

It's Sunday and every Sunday, unless we're out of town or sick, we go to our second home, Destiny Center, our church.

Destiny Center is a non-denominational church in Rio Rancho on Northern Boulevard. When we first started attending over four years ago it was about 125 people meeting in a strip mall. Today, over 1,000 people call Destiny Center their church home. We have three services on Sunday morning and a Sunday evening service. God has been good.

Betty and I serve at Destiny Center as volunteer associate pastors with responsibility for the pastoral care ministries. We have people in our ministry who cover the hospital visits and other hands on ministries so Betty and I can focus on pastoral counseling with individuals and couples. We're not professional counselor, but for almost 25 years we have been helping people see where God is in the midst of their life situations and helping them understand what he might want to say to them through His word.

We want to share Destiny Center with you so here are some more pictures from this morning.

A closer view of the entrance with our pastor Jerome Wade greeting people as they arrive.

The children's playground is on the side of the church and every Sunday School room has a door that opens to the playground.

The patio is in front of the children's playground on the same side of the church and it has a beautiful view of the Sandia Mountains.

The lobby is just inside of the entrance. The children's rooms are straight ahead, the offices are in the glassed area to the right, and the auditorium is down the to the right.

Looking across the lobby through the cafe area toward the offices.

Looking into the auditorium as the worship band begins to lead worship.

Jerome, in the white shirt, greeting people as they leave after the service is over.

If you're in need of a church this is a good one.

Today is August 10 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Nicole Bass (champion female body builder and wrestler), Antonio Banderas (actor - "Zorro"), Rosanna Arquette (actress - "Desperately Seeking Susan"), Ian Anderson (singer/musician - "Jethro Tull"), Rocky Calovito (Cleveland Indians outfielder who hit four home runs in one game), Jimmy Dean (country singer and sausage magnate), Eddie Fisher (singer and rotating husband), Rhonda Fleming (actress - "Spellbound"), and Herbert Hoover (31st US President).

The Saga of Chloe

Due to an overwhelming demand from our friend Michelle at Galloping Grace Youth Ranch, we're going to share with you the saga of our Shetland Sheepdog (Sheltie), Chloe.

We got Chloe from a Sheltie rescue shelter in the summer of 2000. When she was a puppy she was adopted by a family with no children and everything was great. Then they had two babies in fairly short order. Chloe is skittish around little children and the only time she howls is when a baby cries. So, you can imagine how much howling was going on in that house with two small babies.

They decided that either Chloe had to go or the babies had to go. I suspect that wasn't too hard a decision and Chloe wound up in the rescue shelter. When we contacted the rescue shelter they said they had the perfect dog for us. We met Chloe and she went home with us. The only problem was she weighed over 26 lbs. and, for a dog that should weigh about 20 - 21 lbs, she looked like a little barrel on four small legs. Between some exercise and low-calorie dog food we managed to get the extra weight off.

Then we moved to New Mexico and not long after we discovered some lumps on her sides. The vet said they were probably benign, but to be safe they needed to come off. That means that Chloe got both sides shaved and she got to wear one of those very fashionable cones on her head....

One extra outcome from her surgery is they spotted a hypo (low) thyroid condition through her blood tests. Thus, we started a regimen of thyroid pills twice a day for the rest of her life. The vet said that her hair should start growing out in about six months.

Well, after a year and no hair growth we asked the vet, "What's going on?" He said that she might have Cushings disease, but he still thought that her hair might come in.

However, six months later we noticed that not only was her hair not growing in, but more hair was coming out. She continued to lose more and more hair and all the vet can tell us is it's some kind of metabolic problem. Here's a picture taken just this afternoon....


Yes, that's the same dog as the one in the picture at the start of this post. Now, she's our little, neurotic, hairless (almost) Sheltie. We figure that God gave her to us because He knew we wouldn't give up on her.

So, that's the saga of Chloe.

Today is August 9 and if today is your Birthday then you share our day with: Gillian Anderson (actress - Scully in "The X-Files"), Eric Bana (actor - "The Hulk"), Deion Sanders (only athlete to play in both the World Series and the Super Bowl), Whitney Huston (singer), Melanie Griffith (actress - "The Working Girl"), Sam Elliot (actor - "The Shadow Riders"), Robert Shaw (actor - Quint in "Jaws"), Doug Williams (first black NFL quarterback), Rod Laver (Australian - pro tennis player), and Izaak Walton (author - "The Compleat Angler").

Quail Explosion!

We have had a quail explosion this summer. We suspect it may be due to the fact that we don't have as many coyotes as we did a few years ago even though we see one or two periodically.

We have two species in the area, Scaled Quail and Gambrels Quail. The Scaled Quail is a mostly gray quail with white spots on their breast and wings. I had a few pictures of them in our courtyard awhile back.

The Gambrels Quail has more brown, both dark and golden brown, and they have the distinctive little topknot protruding from the tops of their heads. The picture to the left is a female Gambrels Quail.

We have seen probably up to a dozen family groups with the parents leading as few as one chick and some with up to 12 chicks in tow. It's interesting when they cross the street. One of the adults will stay in the middle of the street until all the chicks are across - kind of like a quail safety guard.

Here are some more pictures of the Gambrels Quail that were in our courtyard this morning.

An adult Gambrels with some of their chicks on the courtyard adobe wall.

The family feeding in the courtyard. We have two sunflower seed feeders for the finches. The quail, along with the doves and pigeons, are ground feeders.

An adult Gambrels searching around some of the rocks. Betty and I think they just want to get away from the kids for a few moments.

A couple of Gambrels adults in front of the rocks.

We also had a hawk around this morning, but he/she didn't stay around long enough for me to get a picture.

Today is August 8 and if your Birthday is today you share your day with: The opening of the Beijing Olympics, Roger Federer (tennis champion), Dave "The Edge" Evans (guitarist/singer - "U2"), Donny Most (comedian - Ralph on "Happy Days"), Keith Carradine (actor - "The Long Riders"), Connie Stevens (actress - "Hawaiian Eye"), Dustin Hoffman (actor - "Hook" and "The Graduate"), Mel Tillis (country singer), Esther Williams (actress/swimmer), Rory Calhoun (actor - "The Texan"), Rudi Gernreich (designer - creator of topless bathing suit), Dino De Laurentis (director - "The Bible"), and Matthew Henson (explorer - first to reach North Pole with Matthew Peary).

Thursday Ran Out of Time

This was one of those days where I didn't do that terribly much, but the day just got away from me. So, the best I can do today is wish everyone well in the midst of whatever is playing out in your lives. We have learned that there is much in our lives that we can't control. Either we believe in a God who still has our best in mind even though we can't understand it, or we despair. We choose the former.

Today is August 7 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Charlize Theron (actress - "Mighty Joe Young"), David Duchovny (actor - "X-Files"), Garrison Keillor (radio host - "Prairie Home Companion"), Carl Switzer (actor - Alfalfa in "Our Gang"), Stan Freberg (comedian), Louis Leakey (paleontologist), Billy Burke (actress - Glenda the Good Witch of the East in "The Wizard of Oz"), and Mata Hari (WWI spy).

Book Report 4 - Animals in Translation

Here's another of the books that had an impact on how we think about our animals - especially our horses. It's "Animals in Translation" by Temple Grandin.

She's a professor at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. She's also functionally autistic. The subtitle of the book is "Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior."

Over time she discovered that people with autism can often think the way animals think and see the way animals see.

She has used these learnings in her work with various animal enterprises that 'process' animals so that the work is done in the most humane way possible.

The two key things that I took away from this book that changed my relationship with my horse are: (1) People are verbal and animals are visual. That sounds obvious, but her descriptions and experiences make that statement a profound one in our understanding of animals. (2) People see "the big picture" and animals see details. We tend to take in details and our brain functions correlate them into a generalized view of what we're seeing. In so doing, we often 'miss' details as they are merged together. Animals, on the other hand, see only details and their brain functions cause them to focus on each detail as each detail may be a matter of life or death. A butterfly which to us is a part of a beautiful scenery as we ride is a sudden movement to my horse who may be convinced it is a sudden attack.

The book is an easy read even though she is repetitive in places. It was also a fascinating read with some learnings if you can apply what she says to your experiences.

Today is August 6 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Jon Benet Ramsey (child murdered in Colorado), Geri Estelle Halliwell (Ginger Spice in "The Spice Girls" singing group), M. Night Shyamalan (director - "The Sixth Sense"), David Robinson (San Antonio Spurs center - former Navy academy graduate), Michelle Yeoh (actress - "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"), Andy Warhol (pop artist - "15 minutes of fame"), Robert Mitchum (actor - "GI Joe"), Lucille Ball (comedian - "I Love Lucy"), Clara Bow (silent movie actress - "Wings"), Hoot Gibson (cowboy actor), and Alfred Lloyd Tennyson (English poet laureate).

It's a "Fig" Deal

My wonderful wife comes from a family with deep roots in the South, especially middle Alabama. Her aunt Elise still lives in the farm home that was built by a great - great - etc. - grandfather in Carlowville, Alabama in 1837.

Betty spent a part of each of her growing up summers visiting her aunt and two cousins, Bob and Calhoun, on the farm.

One of her favorite memories is a big fig tree/bush that grew to the side of the farm house. Each summer the figs would ripen while she was there and they would have fresh figs over vanilla ice cream. She also had vanilla ice cream and fresh cantaloupe, but that's another story.

Betty has always wanted her own fig tree/bush and, last Sunday morning at the Corrales Growers Market, we bought a small fig bush from the "Fig Man."

Here's a picture of our new baby in all her glory:

So, in three or four summers you're all invited over for fresh figs and vanilla ice cream. Our treat!

Today is August 5 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Kajol (actress from India), Adam Yauch (guitarist - "Beastie Boys"), Patrick Ewing (NY Knicks center), Maureen McCormick (actress - Marcia Brady on "The Brady Bunch"), Loni Anderson (actress - "WKRP in Cincinnati"), Neil Armstrong (astronaut - first man on the moon), John Huston (director - "African Queen"), Selma Diamond (actress - "Night Court"), and Thomas Lynch (signer of the Declaration of Independence).

Mundane Monday

Absolutely nothing happened today of interest to anyone else. So, go read the Galloping Grace Youth Ranch blog.

Today is August 4 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Jeff Gordon (NASCAR racing champion), Roger Clemens ( great baseball pitcher and frequent subject of congressional hearings), Barack Obama (US Senator and Presidential candidate), Billy Bob Thornton (actor - "Sling Blade"), Louis Armstrong (jazz musician), Elizabeth (Queen Mother), and Percy Shelley (poet).

Sunday Quotables

It's late Sunday afternoon and it's a time that I can be a little reflective.

I love quotes as well-said phrases can tell us a lot, sometimes make us think, and, in a few cases, maybe make us smile.

Here are a few for your reflection.

Plutarch: "A good man will take care of his horses and dogs, not only when they are young, but also when they are old and past service."

Phil West: "You don't break these animals. You come to an understanding with them."

Robert Smith Surtees: "There is no secret so close as that between a horse and his rider."

Winston Churchill: "There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man."

Peter Gray: "We have almost forgotten how strange a thing it is that so huge and powerful and intelligent an animal such as a horse will allow another, and more far more feeble animal such as us, to ride upon his back."

John Adams: "Old minds are like old horses; you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order."

God's blessings to all who read this on this Lord's day.

Today is August 3 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Betty's older brother, Bill Wade (neat guy), Tom Brady (Superbowl champion NE Patriots quarterback), James Hetfield (lead singer - "Metallica"), Jay North (child actor - "Dennis the Menace"), Martha Stewart (businesswoman and ex-felon), Martin Sheen (actor - "West Wing"), Tony Bennett (singer - "I Left My Heart in San Franscisco"), Ernie Pyle (WW II correspondent - lived in Albuquerque, NM), and John T. Scopes (teacher convicted of teaching evolution in "Scopes Monkey Trial").

Artsy Saturday

Nothing exciting or that interesting in our lives today. So, I thought I would share a couple of pictures of Gletta taken recently that I kind of like.

Gletta resting in the hot afternoon.


Gletta's three color mane.


Today is August 2 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Hallie Eisenberg (cute Pepsi commercial girl), Edward Furlong (young John Connor in "Terminator 2"), Jeremy Castle (country singer), Victoria Jackson (comedian - "Saturday Night Live"), Peter O'Toole (actor - "Lawrence of Arabia"), Carroll O'Connor (actor - Archie Bunker in "All in the Family"), Myrna Loy (actress - "The Thin Man"), Butch Patrick (actor - Eddie Munster in "The Munsters"), Wes Craven (director - "Nightmare on Elm Street"), and Nanny I. Larsen-Todsen (Swedish opera singer).

Happy Birthday Chris!

In August of 1971 I was in the Navy. My ship was coming back around the world from our second Vietnam deployment. On August 1, while we were still in the South Atlantic heading for a port call in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, my second son, Christopher Lee, was born in Jacksonville, Florida. I didn't see him until he was over two weeks old when we returned to our home port.

Chris has been a joy and a blessing to Betty and me. To celebrate his birthday today here are a few pictures from his life.

A tired Chris in his Donald Duck hat while we were at Disney World the very first year it opened while we were still in the Navy.

Me and Chris shortly after I got out of the Navy and headed to post-graduate school.

Chris as a young man in our house in Memphis, Tennessee.

Chris (lower) with his older brother Wade at Hocking Hills State Park in Ohio.

Chris playing a game. He and his brother are both big game players, a trait they definitely inherited from their mother and not me.

Neither of our sons are horse people, but Chris did go for a ride with us (that's Betty behind him) while we were in Pagosa Springs, Colorado.

His mother made him a surprise gift of a quilt made out of Chris' old t-shirts from when he was a kid and a teen.

Chris, Tracy and their dog, Esme, on the swing of their second house in Martinsburg, Ohio. They call this house Venture House and use it for Christian retreats for churches, youth groups, and church staffs.


This is a picture of the four of us at their house in Mount Vernon, Ohio during a Christmas visit.

Chris is now a great father to his soon-to-be adopted 17 year old son, Javier Benavidez.

Chris, you're a good man, a good husband, and now a good father. Your mother and I are very, very proud of you. You have been and still are a blessing to us as well as many others.

Happy Birthday and much love from your Mom and Dad.

Today is August 1 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Our great son, Chris (husband, father and all-around great guy), Tempest Bledsoe (actress - middle daughter on "The Cosby Show"), Adam Duritz (lead singer for "The Crows"), Jerry Garcia (singer - "The Grateful Dead"), Yves Saint Laurent (designer), Dom DeLuise (comedian), Herman Melville (author - "Moby Dick"), Francis Scott Key (composer - "National Anthem"), and William Clark (explorer - "Lewis and Clark").