HIKING WITH THE KIDS ON CAMP MARANATHA'S NEW TRAIL TO "MONKEY FLOWER SADDLE ROCK"

WISHING YOU AND YOURS A VICTORIOUS HAPPY DAY!!!

"If I could cheat I would skip to the end
And decide if it's worth going through with.
Skip to the last paragraph
Before we start.
Is it happy ending
Or a broken heart?"

FANTASY FOOTBALL

Sarah and I are trying fantasy football for the first time this year with some friends of ours. It should be fun. I think Sarah and I will make a fine team. Our top pick for tight end is Chris Cololey. I don't know yet if we will get him, but I love visiting his blog. I checked his blog this morning and watched a video of him and some other Redskins gathering at his house for a fantasy fotball draft. It was pretty funny, and made me wonder how awkward it would be to do a fantasy draft with other NFL players. Some of the player's girlfriends and wives were there and none of them chose their significant others. Jason Campbell's girlfriend chose Peyton Manning. My favorite part was when somebody chose a Dallas Cowboy in the first round and everybody else booed. Redskins first- I love it!!!

ALPHANUMERIC LOVE

"Letters and numbers don't mix,"
Said 4 and 2 to thier son, 6,
"And of alphanumeric love,
You know we don't approve of."
But 6 was in love with Z,
And Z felt the same as he,
So they eloped and ran away
And remain together to this day.

Check out this article by Peggy Noonan on the subject of Governor Palin and the state of the elction in general. I think she dropped a lot of truth.

JACK LOVES PLAYING WITH CARS.

CAMP MARANATHA'S BOYS STAFF- 2008

With the exception of a few latecomers this was our boys staff for this past summer. This year was unusal in that we had this group of guys for a very long uninterrupted stretch of time. I can honestly say that I haven't enjoyed a group of guys this much since my days in Shenawana Hall.
Pictured left to right: Nathan (CA), Philip (Germany), Chris (CA), Marlon (Germany), Lucas (CA), Cale (OR), Kevin (CA) & Nathanael (VT).

Like last year, the boys took up residence in the lower classrooms of the A-frame where they lived in abject squalor. It really looked like raccoons or hobos would have kept a neater home. Of course, to their credit, they were all crammed into one small room with no closets and a few paltry dressers. The squalor was inevitable, but they handled it good naturedly.

RATTLESNAKE

I almost drove over this rattler on rt. 243 a few weeks ago, but it made it off to the side of the road where I snapped these pictures. These pictures don't show it, but it was shakin' its tail like a polaroid picture.
So far this summer we have been fortunate that no rattlers have made their way down into the campground. I did see one up on the western ridge during the construction of the nature trail extension, but I don't mind them living peaceably way up in the woods so I didn't dispatch it. I think this is the first year since I have been living here that we have had no rattlesnakes down in the camp. I'm happy about that.

The pictures from Tom's most recent adventures have been posted onto his blog. Paul and Cyndi were kind enough to let him tag along as they traveled and recreated during the past month and a half. He went to Las Vegas, took in a Dodger's game (A-rod's first), and traveled to Mexico, Seattle, Alaska and the great white north of Canada. Thanks for the memories Paul and Cyndi.

TAKING ANOTHER STAB AT IT

Last year I was disheartened when the current boxholder of my old CPO BOX at Houghton College began returning my unsolicited correspondence, "Refused." I was rejected. For four years I was the boxholder of that CPO BOX, and it was my daily ritual to skip down the stairs into the basement of the campus center before lunch and stand before the pregnant mail box. Maybe there was a letter from my girlfriend or my folks. Maybe...

On some days I dragged myself back up to the stairs and into the cafeteria, brought low by the tragedy of an empty box, but on other days I scurried upstairs and found an empty couch where I could plop myself down and open a letter from Sarah like a bat ripping into a moth. Furiously, hungrily I tore into it and consumed it. Throughout the day I would regurgitate the sacred letter from my pocket and consume it again and again. There is no hunger for which there is no food.

That CPO BOX was an iconic part of my college experience, and thus when I graduated I resolved to mail things back to the current boxholder whomever he or she may be. I didn't want to be creepy though so I put my return address and a letter explaining myself in the first letter, but he/she would have none of it. I can't conceive of a person who would "refuse" a piece of mail. Who would willfully render the once pregnant mailbox barren? I will not let this stand. You will find no return address on this year's correspondence, and I am recruiting all of you to mail stuff to my former CPO BOX.

Please e-mail me at barefootkangaroo@aol.com if you are willing to join project pregnant. I have instructions for you.

FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS ELECTION I AM EXCITED ABOUT THE REPUBLICAN TICKET!!!

Governor Palin is an inspired choice!!!!

TOM PING IS BACK FROM A MONTH AND A HALF LONG ADVENTURE WITH OUR FRIENDS THE HUTCHINS- PICTURES TO BE POSTED SOON ON TOM PING'S BLOG

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BUDDY, NATHANAEL PECK!!!

This summer went by way too fast.

MY SHOES- #3

When Rosie and Justin got married I forgot to pack a pair of dress shoes for the ceremony. So on the day of I obtained directions from Sarah's Grandmother and drove across town to a shoe store and bought these, which were on sale for $18.00. Until recently they were my second-string dress shoes, but with the demise of my last pair of sneakers (I currently don't have a pair)they have been seeing increased use as an all-purpose shoe, and with the notable exceptions of the Dexters and my flip-flops, these get more use than the rest of my shoes.
It is nice to wear a shoe with some gription.

They kind of remind me of those shoes that were issued to the soldiers in the movie "Glory."

"W-w-when'r w-w-we gonna get the b-b-blue suit."

SARAH AND I DROPPED BOWDEN OFF AT KINDERGARTEN TODAY

It was surprisingly emotional for this Daddy. I love that boy!

WHAT IS THAT ONE FINGER CALLED?

I have recently discovered a good way to bring Lucy around when she is in one of her moods. My friends- Mr. Thumb, Tom, Mindy, Angry Rick, and Pinky have proven their ability to pacify the Goose with their banter and bickering. I think she likes Pinky best. Angry Rick doesn't care for Mr. Thumb at all.

"There is no hunger for which there is no food, but foods vary in quality and benefit. A steady diet of some will make you sick and others will leave you craving and unsatisfied no matter how much you eat."

Samuel Thomas Rugglin

ELECTION YEAR MANIA

The Irvings are up in Idyllwild for a visit, and that means lots of spirites political debate. I decided to let my gun do the talking in a game of electoral college.
Chad, Tricia, Lisa, Sarah and I played out on the camp's center grass. I won with California, Pennsylvania, New York, Florida, and Indiana. I was saddened that didn't win VT. I guess I'm a Califorian now. Lisa and Chad shot the most states, but with powerhouses CA, NY & FL in my corner they couldn't catch up. Sarah won the swing state of Ohio and Tricia won Arizona.

Baby John wanted a try.

MY SHOES- #2

On a warm day this past January I walked into a Palm Desert sporting goods store and announced to the first sales associate that I found that I was there with the intention of purchasing a pair of sandals. I was escorted to the back of the store where they sold their footwear and with a sweeping wave of his arm he directed my attention to where the sandals were on display against the far wall. Arranged by size and type they were sorted in gray plastic tubs hanging from the wall. Neatly labeled on each tub was the size and type of sandal, and beneath that, in impossibly small print, the attributes of the sandal were touted in bullet point format. I tried them all on, including a pair that cost an unbelievable $169.99 dollars. For a pair of flip-flops?!?! They all seemed overpriced, including this pair, which I purchased for the princely sum of $23.99. For a pair of flip-flops?!?! I remember that the bullet points stated that these sandals were of state of the art design and comfortable.
I love wearing flip-flops. I first discovered the joys of sandals one summer when I was working at Houghton and found a pair of Birkenstocks that fit me in the Lost and Found. At first I felt funny wearing them like I was betraying some long-held principle, but they were undeniably comfortable. Since that time I have never been without a pair. Unless I am at work I can typically be found wearing my sandals. I sometimes take the dexters or another pair on vacations and such, but usually return and discover as I am unloading the van that they never moved from where I packed them.
It is an interesting study to me how sandals wear. Mine always follow the same pattern. The soles fade smooth over the heel and the balls of my feet. Strangely the right big toe always digs a hole through the padding on my right sandal, the padding under the balls of my left foot always wear a deeper trough then on my right sandal. I wonder what it is about my stride or anatomy that causes such predictable wear.
Where my right toe leaves its mark.
The trough left by the balls of my left foot.

A few days ago I was watching the news when Lucy came up to me. She was crying and tears were rolling down her chubby little cheeks.

“What’s wrong Lucy?”

Lucy can be difficult to understand under normal circumstances, but when she gets worked up it is nearly impossible to make out what she is trying to say. So I had to calm her down and ask a couple more times before I finally got it out of her.

“Bowden called me a poopy-butt!!!”

Using my sternest voice I thundered in Bowden’s direction,

“Bowden, come here.”

Bowden appeared around the corner wearing nothing but his underwear and a scowl. He was brandishing a pirate sword.

“Bowden, did you call Lucy a poopy-butt?”

But before Bowden could enter a plea, Lucy released her pent up rage and screamed across the room,

“You call me nice butt!!!”

FROM THE 4TH OF JULY PARADE

I think I need to do something about that belly.

THE MAP TO McCUENS

I have been reading a book to Bowden and Lucy entitled "Foam- the Life and Adventures of a Razorback Hog." This morning Bowden asked to see a picture of a razorback so we pulled down all of our nature guides and such in a vain effort to find a picture of one. Then I remembered a book that once belonged to my Grandpa McCuen, and which I keep with other books which are off limits to little kids in a little cabinet next to my desk, The book, entitled "Animals of the World," was originally published in 1917 and contains numerous descriptions of animals which are now extinct, including the Tasmanian Tiger. Sure enough we found the razorback among it's yellowing pages. Tucked inside the front cover were two maps, which I assume were drawn by my Grandfather. I had forgotten they were there, and I thought a limited number of my visitors here might like to look at them for nostalgia's sake. The scan was kind of faint, but if you enlarge the picture it is quite a bit crisper. I am genuinely impressed (and maybe a little convicted) that Grandpa knew the names of the folks who lived in the houses for miles around.

I TOLD YOU SO

Before opening day (A.K.A. Happy Day), I would like to make a few predictions regarding the upcoming NFL season.

First of all here are the 6 teams from the AFC who will make it to the postseason:

Colts
Patriots
Chargers
Browns
Jets
Steelers

...and the six from the NFC:

Redskins
Seahawks
Buccaneers
Vikings
Cowboys
Saints

The superbowl will be:

Redskins vs. Browns

Be advised, I told you so.