New Year's Eve....

I know I still need to post on Christmas and my crazy child. He definitely gave us a unique present this year, but it's one we're more than happy to have. More will come on that later...

For now, I want to remind everyone that this is a night that is so much fun for everyone. Last year I posted about the AdAmAn (add a man) Club from our area and their annual climb up Pikes Peak to shoot fireworks at midnight. What a fantastic way to ring in the New Year, and let me tell you just how jealous I am of them this day! It is glorious outside. Not too cold (should be in the teens on the summit), just a little bit of wind, robin egg-blue skies with no clouds. Absolutely gorgeous!! And perfect for climbing! As I write this the team is about 2-miles from summit, meaning they have about 2 hours left to climb. They should summit about 3pm MT. They can then rest a bit, enjoy a donut and something warm to drink, set up for the 5 fireworks at 9pm in honor of the original Frozen Five, and make sure all is ready for the midnight show. They've also assured us that they have extra fireworks this year for a bigger show. Yay!

This year they've done things just a little bit differently. Sure, they've done the same thing of leaving Manitou onto Barr Trail yesterday morning, camped at Barr Camp overnight, and left the camp this morning around 9am. Sure, they've flashed the mirrors and let everyone in the Springs know their status. But this year they've joined cyberspace! They're tweeting and Facebooking status updates.

So, for now, the point of this post is to let everyone know that. Make sure you check them out! Follow them on Twitter at TheAdAmAnClub, and on Facebook at The AdAmAn Club. In honor of this, I will TRY to get a few pictures of the fireworks tonight. I just don't know how well it will work since I'm far enough away and it's dark...but I'll definitely try...

Salty Thoughts...

As I glanced out my kitchen window last night I noticed how the dark clouds with a flat edge contrasted the sky and I was instantly swept back to my days in Hawaii. To see how easily the pale blue sky fell right into the dark blue ocean always fascinated me. Unless it was night, I always gawked as I drove home from the Tunnel to Hickam, or crossed to the Windward side of Oahu via the Pale, Like Like, or eventually the H-3. There were times it was tiring to see the white clouds hanging low on the mountains and have to convince my brain that it didn't mean snow (unless we were talking about Maui or the Big Island, of course), and it was often frustrating to have a great amount of rain but never any lightning & thunder, but it never got old to see that great big body of water we know as the Pacific Ocean blending into the sky along the horizon.

I had someone look at me very oddly on Christmas Day, too. I had cookies to take to friends in Penrose, so hubby asked me to stop at the gas station to get him some more Dr. Pepper. Nevermind the fact we had plenty of cans in the garage, he wanted the 2-Liters. He's addicted. Now way around it. Regardless, I started giggling while waiting in line because the "Woohoo" song came on. I don't know the real name, I've always called it that. It came out the same day I landed in Hawaii and the only part of the words I remember are "WOOOHOOO!" So, that's how it came to be dubbed. Everytime I hear something that was popular while I lived there, I grow calmer, or warmer, or smell the ocean, or smell the sweetness of the pineapples that grew in the fields above my head at the Tunnel, or think of the boat (that would be submarine, not ship, and not a sail boat), or many, many, many hours sitting on the beach or in Aloha A'ina Park watching the ships & boats entering or leaving Pearl, and countless miles run on the roads, sidewalks, and bike paths on both Hickam & Pearl. Or it all floods back to mind. This day it made me warmer, and I told the person who looked to see what I was giggling about that this song made me instantly feel warmer because it reminded me of another time. I'm sure they thought I was completely out of my gourd, but it was the truth.

Hawaii has been on my mind a lot lately. It's not just because it's cold here and I still wish there was a place that had mountains as fantastic as the Rockies out my back door while beaches and that glorious salty scent of the ocean out my front door. There are reasons the place is on my mind. No, we are not moving. No, we are not taking a vacation (what the heck are those, anyway??). It's reasons that will come forward in due time. But they're such sweet memories that nobody needs a reason to think of them, anyway...

And The Fire Danger Is...

I couldn't help but take this shot at the beginning of the month. It was a whopping 2 degrees outside with 8 inches of snow on the ground. I started laughing.

Here's your sign!

Winter Wonderland....

I thought it might be fun to talk about our interesting early winter weather. When we get a good storm out here, it doesn't make much news. It's a little frustrating at times, but something those of us who live in Colorado have to bear with. It's a pretty widespread belief that Colorado equals mountain towns and skiing (sound familiar, Utah folk?), but what so many people in the nation, including the national media, have no idea that the areas with the major population are actually on the desert plains EAST of the mountains! Seriously, for us to get the snow we have this year is unusual. Even more unusual is the below zero temperatures. The first week of December we here in Pueblo had 8 inches of snow, didn't get above 10 degrees during the day, and were as cold as -18 at night. That is very, very early! We usually don't see that kind of cold until the end of January, and it lasts less time than this snap did. Yet, there was barely a breathe of mention about it. Oh well, life goes on.

But this weather that started back before Halloween has made me notice something. I'm truly shocked at the amount of kids who aren't properly outfitted for the snow and cold in a state that is no stranger to the stuff! Sure, I gave the benefit of the doubt in October because it was still early and many stores still didn't have a full stock of winter clothing, but in December? Really? Luke and I were toasty and enjoyed our snowy start to this month simply because we like to be outside and I'm one who will search the universe to get appropriate clothing. He is set with his snow pants, warm boots, gloves, hat, and coat. The most expensive thing being his boots because I kept being outbid on Ebay, so I bit the bullet and paid the average $25 for them. But while we were out there in appropriate gear that cost next-to-nothing, the other kids I saw were in light coats, no hats, no gloves (not even knit!), jeans, and tennis shoes. They'd be out for 5-minutes, MAYBE 10-minutes, then go back inside because they were cold. And we didn't see them out again. I know it costs money to outfit your kids for weather like this, believe me. I know! But even my parents, who for many years could barely afford to rub two dimes together, always managed to find us snow pants, boots, hats, gloves, and coats so we could play outside in the winter, and it didn't break the bank (thanks, guys! I REALLY appreciate that you did that for us!).

Anyway, I realized that we didn't have a sled for us, or for Luke. Griping about improperly geared children and I was neglecting this part of my son's life? Um, whoops. Luckily, I knew we could find some at Sports Authority and we dashed to the mall to buy one....but not until we trudged our snow packed road, ran down a bit and slid on our butts. We soon found neighbors in their windows laughing at us, and the dog was all-t0-pleased to join the fun. Upon our return, I immediately decked us out, inspiring giggles while I envisioned Ralphie's little brother being bundled up in A Christmas Story. Out the door we went and up the hill.

It didn't take long until the boys across the street came to join the fun. I took advantage of the moment and broke the camera out. Luke was having a ball! Sadly, just 2 days later, our snow had nearly all melted. We're still waiting for more (though current rumor has it we've got a good chance at a White Christmas..I hope so!)

Now for the contrast: the East Coast. My big brother and only sibling lives with his family in Virginia on the mouth of the Potomac River. They get some snow, but nothing spectacular. That's hard on a man who grew up in the Salt Lake Valley of Utah! Well, they received one whopper of a storm this week and it's my turn to be jealous. Actually, it's quite nice because they'll be moving to Shreveport, Louisiana in April, so Virginia is working on giving them some incredibly sweet memories before they leave. I'll steal and post the pictures of my beautiful niece and nephews playing in their approximately 2-feet of snow when I get them, but for now, I'll just share a couple that David took after just one short night of snowfall.

Global warming? I'd have to vote for a Global Cooling cycle, and I am enjoying it!

Neglect...

Good grief, I have neglected this blog! I love to write, and while I may not be the most gifted at the stuff, I get a lot of satisfaction from it. Why then have I basically forgotten about this very fun outlet for nearly a month? There's not one specific answer, but a lot of it does revolve around school. Some revolves around time with family and the ever-present "welcome to the Holiday Season" illnesses. Not much of an excuse, but it's the best I can offer.

There are certain times during the semester that I become a writing fool. I can handle it since I do love to write, but it takes time away from the recreational aspect of the outlet for me. Especially since the majority of what I write involves a great deal of reading, research, and figuring out what information I am actually going to use in the space allotted papers that deal with typically very past events. Not always the easiest of tasks, as was the case this semester. I chose to write on Sir William Wallace, who gained most of his American notoriety when Mel Gibson took his role in the film Braveheart. Talk about a tough man to find reliable information on! But the work paid off as I somehow managed to use every inch of space I was allowed and gained a 98 on the paper. Relief!

Mid-November also brings about a little bit of a frenzied time preparing for the Holiday Season. While it is only the three of us hanging out at the house this year, it does take a little planning. It seems like there's often a business trip planned around this time, we tend to get sick more often, and meals take more planning. Luke can't seem to shake cold, after cold, after cold. I actually managed to take the full-fledged Norovirus on this year (vs. past years when I was the one who grabbed the mild version) and decided to become friendly with the porcelain bowl and bathroom floor. The nice thing about it was that I didn't have to worry about the Thanksgiving calories! Jeff has managed to just get a few sniffles, so far. I guess we can't complain, really. It beats our usual "illnesses!"

As with all good things, it is time for me to refocus on my approaching finals. While I don't expect to have this blog be quite so quiet through this time, I do need to get through these final assignments and tests. So I now return to studying through the rest of the evening.....

My Deepest Appreciation....

This is such an incredible day for me. Each year it becomes more and more special. Luke and I attended the Veteran's Day parade in Pueblo on Saturday. I realized it is the first one I have been to as an adult that I have not marched in. That was sobering. I don't know if I can explain how, or even if I can make anyone understand. Realizing there is probably less than a handful of World War I Vets left, that the men and women of the generation of my grandfathers who served in World War II are dying very quickly, that the Korean War Vets, and even the Vietnam War Vets are aging and dying from things we are only beginning to understand hit me hard. My own generation is seeing things change rapidly, and appreciation sometimes seems to be slipping.
But then I think of those who have set the example for my life. My biggest hero will always be my father. My father, who worked so hard, gave so much of himself to allow my mom to stay home and raise my brother and me. Being a member of a fighter unit in the Air Force Reserve, working full time at that job, meant he left the country more often than other Reserve squadrons. Even when I was a small child, 2 weeks often morphed into a month or longer. But he made probably more than his ration of 5-minute phone calls from Denmark, Canada, Turkey, Thailand, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and many other places. They were words we lived by. He was often a staple at my horse shows, but also the only dad who came in his uniform. And he has left me with sweet, sweet memories of being an excited and spoiled little girl who relished the opportunity to sit in the cockpit of an F-105 and F-16. I regret I never had the chance to spend a day or night with him at work like my brother did, but am also so very proud David had that chance. Thank you, MSgt Melvin M. Ahrens (USAFRes, Ret)
My second hero is my big brother. We may be 5-years apart in age, but we are close in spirit. Sure, we have, and have had our sibling spats. Who really wants their baby sister tagging along to to every imaginable events, anyway? And how many can really hold their wits when that baby sister throws a royal fit because big brother gets to have "all the fun" with the planes while she has to go to bed early because she's truly little? But he always knew who he was and what he wanted to do with life. He worked hard, hard, hard and was accepted into a private university that is widely known to have produced some of the best pilots the U.S. Air Force has ever seen. Not only that, he was awarded a full ride scholarship. While he was turned down for a pilot's slot, he was navigator qualified, earned his undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering, and has proceeded to achieve his graduate degree in another engineering field. He is now a Lieutenant Colonel in our Air Force, and a fantastic family man. I can't be a more proud sister.
Not to be outdone is my wonderfully patient husband. We met in 1997 on Pearl Harbor. I lived on Hickam Air Force Base, which literally is separated from Pearl by a fence of brush and two pole gates; one at the edge of the water, one in base housing. This incredible man caught my eye and returned my smile. 1 year and 4-months later we were married. That was 11-years ago, but he has remained by the side of this crazy blonde chick from Utah. Any man who can serve on a submarine, let alone an attack submarine with the hull number of 666, is someone special, and I can't believe I ever got so lucky. I only regret that an injury cut his Naval career short.
I need mention my amazing father-in-law. Once in a while he speaks a bit of his time in the Navy, but I know the memories are difficult for him. He is a veteran of the Vietnam War, though he endured things no man should ever have to encounter in his own country. I sincerely doubt he is aware of just how much we appreciate not only him, but the example he showed to the man I married.
There can be no comparison to the men and women who have sacrificed all for our country. Nor can we forget those who are still missing, including Sgt. Matt Maupin (Edit to add I am an idiot. In my tiredness and emotion, I failed to remember Sgt Maupin's remains were recovered and brought home nearly 2-years ago....) and Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl. But my appreciation to every single person who has dutifully served our country can never be measured in words. Had it not been for the farmers who stood up against the tyrannical King George, we would not have this nation. Had it not been for all of those who have put on the uniform and not only fought here, but overseas in defense of our allies, there is no telling where we'd be today. Had those people not stood up and taken the oath to protect our Constitution against ALL enemies, foreign and domestic, we could not stand today and say
THANK YOU.......

Fort Hood....

I am sure I am only echoing the thoughts of everyone else in the nation tonight, but my heart is absolutely sick over the news coming from Killeen, Texas tonight. My time in service to my country afforded me the opportunity to witness some really bizarre behavior from my peers and superiors. I saw one of my officers lose his mind and drop a box of ramblings in a foreign language at the main gate on Hickam AFB, HI. It was addressed to the Base Commander and we were shut down with the thought someone had left a bomb. I saw some of the younger soldiers and Marines, in particular, become so tired that they would just fall over from exhaustion while on duty. I went through multiple bomb threats and evacuations. I was even present and on duty for an actual bomb exploding in the office of the First Sergeant at the Security Police Force's orderly room on Lackland AFB, Texas. She survived, though she lost a hand, an eye, most of her fingers on the surviving hand, and had other injuries. She also managed to finish her career. The newly dishonorably discharged airman who managed to get the bomb on base and into her office was prosecuted to the fullest extent. A few months after that all of America witnessed the horrific acts of 9/11. That was the worst example of humanity, and the strongest example of "brotherhood" I have experienced to date. A Middle-Eastern restaurant had been completely vandalized and nearly destroyed by angry citizens. The woman who owned it still somehow managed to open for lunch, but only because of the support of military members who were off-duty on September 12th. And the entire lunch and dinner crowd made the news. It was all military. I worked with a devout Muslim. He was angry over the happenings, and he was fearful, too. The entire crew on our shift, plus some, surrounded him and made sure was safe.

I never did see anything like the soldiers at Fort Hood saw today, however. Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining! I am simply heartsick and wishing there was more I could do. I know the chaos that arrises in the moments surrounding a disaster. I don't think I even want to imagine the fear and pain, even in these many hours after the fact. No, I was not in the Army. Many of my coworkers were, or still are. Fort Hood was less than 2-hours away from those of us who were stationed in Texas for a time. It's a huge part of the community as a whole, even hundreds or thousands of miles away. It's a small world, to say the least.

So tonight I sit here with a heavy heart and tears in my eyes. I have not worn a uniform in 4 very long years, but the ties that bind are strong. So, to quote my big brother, LtCol David K. Ahrens, USAF, "Stay strong, Fort Hood. This USAF Sister is standing with you......."

October Records....

I think it's fairly safe to say that by now everyone is aware Denver, Fort Collins, and numerous other parts of this fair state of Colorado not mentioned by the media outlets received a walloping of snow yesterday. Snow totals in the metro areas have been upwards of 18 inches. That's impressive this time of year! We here in the Pueblo area, however, remained dry. Windy, but dry.

I finally crashed out last night around 1:30am. I guess that's considered this morning, but still. I woke up just a bit before 5am because of a meek voice calling me. What I saw out the window got my blood rushing! In that short amount of time, just over 4 hours, we had 3 inches of snow on the ground! But here is the real news:

It is now just about 7:15 am and we have over 5 inches. There are some areas that have received over 3 feet of snow! I'm not sure how all of this compares region-wide against October 1997, but national news and weather reporters are saying we've officially passed that storm since this has been just over 24-hours and that storm was 3 days.

I've got a few pictures, and there will be more to come. My batteries died and are charging.....

Another Day....

...another snow storm. Yup, that's right! Here we are, six days away from the last day of October, and it's currently snowing outside. Again! My lawn is dusted white, my driveway a bit icy. Someone told me that it officially signaled the end of fall for us. I had to remind her that we really didn't receive a fall. The few trees that were valiantly holding on to summer and waiting to change color were promptly shrouded in a sheet of ice and the leaves immediately went brown. Then they blew off.

I will not complain, though. The lawn is halfway dormant and looks better now than it did all summer due to the water Mother Nature is putting out! And it could be worse. It was on this very day just back in 1997 that this area was blanketed in 2 feet of snow. The dusting is much more manageable, and the feet of snow can wait until next month.....

Prayers For My Second Dad...

Roger is someone I consider to be my second dad. He was such a vital part of my life growing up, to the point I don't actually remember him even missing a horse show, except the ones up North (the exception being if my dad was TDY and couldn't be there, then Rog was in the stands cheering me on and taking video). He was right there with us when dad battled cancer, he was standing next to us when dad retired from the 419th, and he was a near constant at my parent's side when mom nearly died from her 8-day-old ruptured appendix. He also knew that a stuffed cat would help mom since she was missing her fur babies at home, so he gave her a special one to keep her company those 2 weeks in Alta View Hospital. That's just a couple of simple and extremely miniscule examples of this wonderful man, but I'm pretty shaken up right now and having a tough time getting this out.

It has been just within the last couple of months that Roger received the diagnosis of lung cancer. He had surgery to remove half of the affected lung on the 15th of this month. It was a routine surgery that went well, giving Rog a positive prognosis. While he has remained in the ICU because of being kept intubated, sedated, and the close guarding of his vital signs that have struggled to stabilize, he was slowly improving. As of yesterday afternoon, he had been removed from the paralytic drugs, was starting to fight the tube and work to breath on his own, and things were looking up.

Unfortunately, things have turned this morning. Roger also has battled Paget's disease and has a heart valve with calcium build-up. This morning that valve has decided to fail. There are many human hands working on him, but his condition has turned from Critical to Grave. He is not expected to make it. Hence the reason I am completely shaken; something I am sure pales in comparison to what dear Jennie, Chris, Tom, and the grandkids are feeling (my second mom, and their two sons).

Roger is young. Younger than my parents (sorry, mom & dad, for pointing that out), a big and jovial man that knows no malice toward others. He has an incredible laugh that lights up the entire city, and give bear hugs that are second to none. He calls kids "Gugenheimer," and that makes Luke laugh. He's one of the few people that Luke has immediately taken a liking to. He is a Vietnam Combat Veteran, having received 2 Bronze Stars and at least one Purple Heart (I am failing to remember exactly right now) for his service while fighting with his brothers in Big Red 1. He is a Godly man who has dedicated himself to his Lord and raised his boys to be the same. It's more than difficult to see and hear him going through this.

So, please, PLEASE keep not only Roger, but Jennie, Tom, Chris, the 4 grandkids, and other members of the family in prayer through this difficult time. I'll let you all know when I make the trek to Utah, but for now the Lyons family just needs all the prayer and spiritual hands they can get to hold them. I, for one, would greatly appreciate it....

Did We Miss Halloween??

It's been rather boring around here lately. I've been busy being a student and working on those papers that History majors can't avoid. Luke has been busy with constant growth spurts. Jeff has been busy with work. The typical life of an American family. But it's also a boring life for an American family who likes to live on the go.

That said, Wednesday was a little exciting around here! It was multiple times during the day that I had to look at a calendar, or two, because I was really starting to wonder if we missed Halloween. I can't prepare for the Holiday Season without getting completely through October first. I'm one of those people who gets Christmas shopping done early, but I despise seeing that Christmas stuff put up on the shelves in the stores in early September. Yes, that's right, little trees and all thing green and red were up on the store shelves by the second week of September. It's no wonder my poor body was confused!

But it's not just the stuff on the shelves that had me reeling. Colorado has had snow every month throughout 2009, though I admit the majority of that was in the High Country, above 12,000 feet. We have seen some flakes floating in the air, and a very slight dusting on our patio furniture, but I'm not sure I'd consider that the first snow of the season, even if it was on the last day of summer. And everything being encased in ice last week was quite the exciting moment (even the dog slid and fell a few times! Goofy beast thought it was fun and kept running & sliding on purpose), but it didn't really constitute the beginning of winter.

But Wednesday? THAT was definitely the first snow of the season! We were expecting to see more flakes in the air and a lot of water on the ground, but not expecting accumulation. It was cold, it was pouring down rain, we definitely got a lot of water, and it was a fun day at school because of it. Then came late afternoon and everything went white! By the end of it all there was 1.5 inches of snow on the ground at my house. 18-miles away in Penrose, where the ponies are, the sky had dumped 5 inches. Approximately 25-miles away straight out the front of my house in the Wet Mountain Valley town of Westcliffe there was a whopping 17 inches of heavy, wet snow sitting on the ground! Granted, the Wet Mountains are between us and them, but they're not that far away and at the same elevation.

(completely exhausted, but loving the snow!)

(looking out my garage as the sun was setting...well before the snow stopped falling!)

Luke loved it and was disappointed I wouldn't let him play in it, but he's struggling to get past a cold and I didn't think it would be wise. I, on the other hand, was loving it but seriously confused. Once I decided we most definitely hadn't missed Halloween, it made me feel better....

Kiejiro Matsuhima....

I had the opportunity to hear the most incredible life account today. One that given a well deserved standing ovation. While I had already planned to attend the speaking event and gracefully exit when it came time to pick my son up from his sitter's place, it turned into a moot point. One of my instructors required us to go for two reasons: 1) it details a very big, very important, very strong piece of history. 2) She was on the committee to bring this particular speaker to the campus, so it was kind of necessary for her to be in attendance.

The speaker was Mr. Kiejiro Matsushima, an 80-year-old survivor of the Hiroshima Atom Bomb. That, of course, would make him 16 when the bomb was dropped; a young and impressionable man.

Mr. Matsushima started his story for us by expressing his admiration for all of us to "listen to speaking of mine." He then went on to state something that I have always said about history: "We have to learn from the past to make better for today." In fact, those are almost the exact words I used for the first assignment I had this semester in American History 2.

Matsushima had 2 brothers who had joined the Japanese Navy after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. It was draining on all the Japanese citizens because the war just continued on and on. Excitement after December 7, 1941 turned to misery as Japan kept losing battles, food became a big problem ("we always hungry"), and the economy grew worse. By 1944, everyone was miserable and schooling was taken away as every citizen old enough to work went to new jobs in the factories. The students were first excited over this prospect, but had changed their minds by the end of the week.

In 1945 things were turning more deadly for Japan. Attacks happened often, and in one moment more than 100,000 people were killed, but Hiroshima was still okay. By this time, Matsushima's father had passed away and his mother decided it was time for her to leave the city, so she evacuated herself to her in-laws home not terribly far away. Matsushima remained behind...and worked. By the end of July, the work in the factories ended and school started back up on August 1, 1945. It was only five days later the city of Hiroshima was dealt an unfair blow.

Matsushima's school was 2 kilometers away from the center of the blast, meaning he was only approximately 1.25 miles away. He expressed how fortunate it was that school still started at 8:00 AM then, versus the 9:30 AM start time they have now. Why? Because the bomb was dropped and detonated at 8:15 AM and he would still have been in the detonation zone. He also said he felt so lucky to have been in math class on the second floor of this very sturdy wooden building, in the extreme front row, and the extreme South side corner. He thinks it saved his life because he was not on the blast side. His friend on the North side, next to the window, was badly burned and knocked unconscious. He also survived, but died young.

He said he remembered looking out the window, reveling in the sunny day and bright blue sky. He saw the two American B-29 Bombers flying high in the air (he said maybe 10,000 Meters high) and knew there must have been 3 or 4. He could only see the two. He thought they were very beautiful shining in the sun. There were no more Japanese planes and the anti-aircraft guns cannot fire that far in elevation. The Japanese were used to this, though, so there was really no thought about it. "We were careless," he stated. He turned his eyes back and the moment he was center to his teacher there was a "very strong flash. Big, big wind, shock wave. Heat wave. I thought I was thrown into oven for a moment."

Bearing in mind that steel melts around 1540* Celsius, and the heat at the moment of detonation was 4000* Celsius, AND that Matsushima was barely over a mile away, you can imagine just how hot this was. Or maybe not...

He kept his eyes closed, covered his ears, and jumped under his desk. "Hundreds of thunders, then so dark. Almost midnight."

I may have the exact word wrong, but he said the Japanese refer to this as "pikadong," (peek a dong), meaning strong heat, flash, heat, noise. Says it all.

He said he prayed to Buddha and his mother for help. His whole body was bleeding, his clothes were torn, but his injuries weren't serious. Just little cuts from the shards of the broken window panes. At that moment everyone thought a single bomb was dropped beside just them. He couldn't understand what happened. Did thousands of bombs drop? "Many so badly burned in city center, skin hanging. I could see muscle. They swelled like pigs." He demonstrated how these people were walking like zombies because of the pain and the lack of skin on their arms. They were constantly saying they wanted water. "Only two bombers. What did they do??"

He decided to leave the city and walk the roughly 6 miles East to where his mother was, the only person he wanted. He crossed the Miyuki Bridge and could see "whole city burning. Maybe Hiroshima dying." He expressed that he was happy to have a place to go back to. The majority didn't and they just asked for "water, water, water," in the dark. By morning, most of them were dead.

He saw his mother the next morning and she was very happy to see him. She'd been working in a rice patty and saw the mushroom cloud. She just assumed he was dead. I can't even imagine...I don't WANT to imagine...

Matsushima did experience radiation sickness. It was within just a couple of days of the bombing that he gained a high fever and diarrhea. He felt this way for about 7-10 days, then it left. He's convinced the amount of water he drank while walking on such a hot day helped. Not to mention he LEFT the city, where the radiation remained. Rescue workers who came in and stayed for weeks weren't so lucky. Neither were the majority of the people who lived there. Doctors had no idea how to treat the strange symptoms and diseases popping up so soon after the bombing, deeming all of them just "A-Bomb Diseases." A rumor was started to not give the burned survivors water because it would cause them to die. Even the doctors believed this rumor, which we now know to be ridiculous. I can't even begin to wonder the pain these people were feeling, coupled with the dehydration... Eventually people began to drink from the rivers....and drown. That's why we hear stories of the rivers filled with bodies.

He has no idea how many people died that day, but the only figure he's heard is 140,000. That doesn't count those who died later from the cancers, leukemia, and other radiation-related illnesses. I'm sure the number is much higher. He used his sister-in-law's brother as an example. He was burned, but survived. He recovered, grew up, married, and had a son. When the boy was 3-years-old, the same age as my baby boy, he grew sick and died quickly. A-Bomb Disease.

The frequency of cancer in survivors is higher than in other groups. Mental retardation from the radiation also showed up. He told a story of a 94-year-old father who is caring for his 67-year-old son who has suffered from mental retardation since the bombing. The boy was healthy and normal before. He has had some moments of extreme illness, and he's had some cancerous tumors removed (he didn't say where they were, but he did place his hand on his back), but has otherwise been healthy. He knows he's lucky. He knows he's the exception. He says "Thank Buddha." We laughed, but knew exactly what he meant.

He did return about 20 days later and saw nothing but ash when he entered the city. It's an image forever burned into his mind. Because of his experience as a 16-year-old boy who survived the atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima, he says nuclear weapons "must never be used on any nation again. NEVER again."

I have my own feelings and opinions on nuclear weapons; feelings I won't express here. But I will say that I do agree with him on this. Kind of a shock to hear a Veteran express that view, but it's something I've felt since I was very young.

Asked about North Korea he stated they are "very dangerous neighbor to Japan. We are very afraid of them. I hate it. I don't like it." Can't say I blame him.

So, thank you, Mr. Matsushima, for sharing your story with us. You have left an indelible mark on me....

International Balloon Fiesta, part 3....

We returned around 4pm for the evening activities. Maybe we weren't fully rested, but enough that we could handle it all just fine. First stop was going to be the launch area for the gas balloons for the America's Challenge race. These are the ones that rely on helium and/or hydrogen to stay in the air and travel thousands of miles. And they were expected to remain in the air for approximately 3 days. Two crew members (pilot and co-pilot), one small wicker basket, kitty litter, some sort of hammock, two sleeping bags, food of some sort, and the same set of layered clothing for 3 days. Oh...my! But it also sounds like a huge blast to me!

We watched a few of the balloons inflate, but were shocked to see one team started inflating only 15-minutes before the scheduled launch time. It was about 30-minutes after the scheduled time that we started talking about how late they were, and how no other racing sport we know of would allow this type delay. When it came to about an hour late we got a few answers. Since there were a lot of people, power lines nearby, and a few other things at stake, the race officials were being very, very cautious. The wind had kicked up, so they were looking at launch windows every 30-minutes. Not so good for those of us wanting to see the launch, but good for the safety of everyone involved. And it was pretty amazing to see how the wind was playing havoc with the crews. Each basket had about 20 people just holding it down, even while each balloon was tethered to a vehicle or anchor in the ground!

(inflating the gas balloons)

(holding the balloon to the ground...and you only see about half of them)

Also amazing was watching these crews work. I did catch one crew member standing on the shoulders of another to untangle a line. The shoulder guy had to have abs of steel to balance his partner who was being pulled all over because of the wind!! But an incredible display of teamwork.

We missed the balloon glow, but that wasn't a huge loss this time. Since the wind had kicked up, the envelopes would not be attached & inflated (those are the balloons). That means you just get to see a giant flame and not a glowing balloon. A big letdown, and one I'm not too upset over missing (Jeff and I saw that very thing in Demming about 4 years ago). But it was all worth missing, anyway, because Luke was given the chance to climb into a basket. How fun, and how cute!! He thought it was cool, until he realized he couldn't see over the top once he was inside...he promptly wanted out.

Fireworks were scheduled for 8pm, but they started about 20-minutes early. I had made a dash to the porta-potties and did my business in record time since I reached them the moment the first mortars were sent into the air. I LOVE fireworks, and I love watching them with my little boy, so I also ran back to where everyone was sitting. Just in time to see about 5-minutes worth and then.......nothing.

Not to worry! They started back up a few minutes later, and even moved around for a view behind the gas balloons! VERY cool!! Especially since it was decided the gas balloons would not launch (in fact, the race was ultimately cancelled) We thought that was it and started to make our way back to the car. Then the Grand Finale took place!! It was the most random fireworks show I think I've ever seen! But it was still fun.

It wasn't that difficult to get out of the park and back to our hotel, which is really saying something considering the amount of people attending. We all were tired, but happy. Luke fell asleep on the way to the hotel and barely twitched when I carried him to the room. I don't think he moved at all that night, but he was awake and quietly entertaining himself at 5am the next morning. What a great kid! He was ready for breakfast with Memaw and Papa at 6, which was good because they were hitting the road back to Texas after that.

We left Albuquerque around 8:30 and were able to see a few more balloons. Luke was mad, and made sure we knew it by telling us over, and over, and over again. He didn't want to go home, he wanted to go to the balloons. He eventually got past that, but he still lets us know he wants to go to the balloons. I think we have a kid who had a great time! I know of at least one adult who did, too.....

International Balloon Fiesta, part 2....

Saturday morning broke early and crisp, but we were ready for it. Even Luke was easy to wake and was ready for a little bit of breakfast! So we got dressed, headed downstairs for a quick bite, and piled into the car for what should have been the quick drive to Balloon Fiesta Park. Granted, we were only about 15-minutes away (the closest we could get with all the hotel rooms booked for this event), but we knew that 100,000 extra people all hoping to see the Mass Ascension would make it longer. We wanted to be on the field and at the launch pad of a family member's balloon by 6:30. Lesson learned.

We actually left the hotel around 5:45, 15-minutes later than we wanted to. We were in line for our exit by 6:00....and still about a mile away. We saw the Dawn Patrol (those who go up early to test the wind currents and report to the pilots on the ground) go up, and we knew we were going to miss the ascension from the field. Huge disappointment! But the good thing was that we had a great view from where we were on the freeway. We sat in place for about an hour and were getting anxious. I'm so grateful to have a fantastic little boy who barely gave any complaint. He only got mad about me and Memaw blocking his view! The time did come for the Mass Ascension, and we witnessed it from our spot on the freeway, though we had made it to the edge of the off ramp by now. Jeff and I decided it was safe enough to let Luke out of his car seat and onto Memaw's lap to watch. Afterall, we were lucky to move only a few inches every few minutes, so...yeah. He sat for about 5-minutes before I strapped him back in. We were finally making progress! Just a few more moments and we were finally parked and ready to go.

The view from the field is amazing, so I'm pretty bummed we missed the Mass Ascension from that vantage point, but at least we got to see it!

(Dawn Patrol)
(Mass Ascension)

The different balloons were a lot of fun. There were the standard ones with different colors, but there was also the bumblebees, which kiss at take-off, a cow, a witch, a pond with fish and ducks, Snoopy as the Flying Ace, and the 70th Anniversary of the Wizard of Oz balloon. The list goes on, of course, but it was really cool to watch them land. Brought back some memories from elementary school when we had a balloon land in our playground, and also taught me some new lessons.

(Pigs can fly!)
(Great Horned Owl)
(The Pond)

(Wizard of Oz)

(Snoopy the Flying Ace)

(Holstein Dairy Cow)

(Ladybug)

The really cool part about watching these guys fly and land was the realization of how similar it is to sailing! Both rely on the wind, but not too much wind, both require special skills to navigate properly, and both are much harder than they look. That's the easy rundown, but it gives you the idea. It definitely gave me a whole new appreciation, and being that this is aerial navigation, I like it even more!

We took the time to see the venders, visit the mounted police unit, the FBI crew that was there with some REALLY fun toys, watch the police and sheriff's helicopters both land and take-off from the field, and just take in the whole scene. The cousin we had hoped to watch launch from his pad had landed near the Rio Grande, so we had to wait for his crew to get him packed up and back to the park before we could say hi. Once he made it, we had a short visit. He had a busy weekend and not a whole lot of time to goof off with us, which was to be expected. Luke collected a couple of cards (like trading cards) and a sticker from a few of the various crews, which he thought was cool. His real treasure, though, came in the form of his very own balloon made in the same manner as a beach ball. It did come time for us to take a break and head back for lunch and a quick rest before the evening activities, and all the balloons were currently on the ground, so we left around 1:00. Luke, knowing we were done for a bit and there was nothing exciting to see at the moment, promptly closed his eyes and was out for a nap. He even slept through lunch at the restaurant! He woke up in time for us to grab a 30-minute nap at the hotel, but Papa was kind enough to entertain him. Then it was back to the park for the evening festivities.....

(Leave it to me to find the horses..visiting with a "giant Jack," one of the multiple Percherons the Sheriff's office uses for mounted patrol)

(playing in the gun turret of the FBI armored vehicle on sight. I'm still a tomboy at heart and love big toys!)

(waving at the Sheriff's helo taking off, Luke loved this)

(hugging his "checkered flag" balloon)

(sound asleep for a nap...he had a big morning!)

International Balloon Fiesta, part 1....

Sometimes I feel like we're a family constantly on the go, but we have a lot of fun in our adventures! This past weekend we made the 5 1/2 hour trek South to Albuquerque for some fun with hot air and gas balloons at the biggest balloon gathering in the nation. It was a two-fold trip since we were also going to see Memaw and Papa Flory before winter really starts to rip. They drove over from Texas to see their only grandchild, and we love that.

It was an interesting drive, however. Through Colorado and on over the Raton Pass into New Mexico it was very pretty since we apparently hit the scenery at maybe a couple of days past peak on the leaves. It's always great to see the hills and mountainsides glowing with golden cottonwood and aspen leaves while the oak turns red! Then we crossed the state line and moved more into the very rural, middle of nowhere plains of New Mexico. The nice thing was there was plenty of healthy antelope herds to admire, and the wind pumps were spinning with a fury in the winds. The weird thing was we saw mostly Colorado plates, along with a smattering of Oklahoma and Kansas plates heading South with us. I think we only saw one single New Mexico plate until we were past Glorieta! And it appeared the majority of us were definitely heading to Albuquerque, especially those who were obviously carrying balloons (vans and trucks hauling cargo trailers). There was fire in the mountains West of us toward Taos and Espanola that was giving a great display of smoke in the air, so that entertained me for a long while. We crossed the pass into Santa Fe and were........stunned. Apparently the "great" part of this city is nowhere near I-25. Either that, or it's only touted as a great and beautiful city when it really isn't. Seriously, it was pretty ugly. Admittedly, we only saw that tiny piece while driving through.

But we were close to our destination, so that part was fantastic. And the drive was really a simple one, which is always a very big plus. So, we rounded into Albuquerque and started looking for our interchanges and exits for the hotel. Memaw and Papa had already checked all of us into our rooms, so all we had to do was get there and take luggage in. Always nice! So we pulled in and made our way upstairs to the room.

Luke wanted to swim, but the hotel failed to let us know the pool would be shut down for the season. He was very, very good about it, despite all of us being bummed. He quickly shifted gears and decided running around on the grass to expend the energy of being in the car was a great idea. We all agreed, and the races with Memaw and Papa ensued.

Then we all piled back into our 4Runner and made the short drive to the home of Memaw's cousin for a little visit. They own a wrecking yard and Luke was giving quite a treat!

Bud asked Luke if he liked forklifts, if he'd ever been on one, and if he'd like to drive one. Well, I'm sure you can guess the answer my 3-year-old gave and they took off for a drive. Luke loved this! Bud was operating the gas & brake, but Luke was steering and operating the lift. He even got to lift 2 cars over his head!!! All by himself!! He thought that was pretty darned awesome, and I have to agree. Then it was back to the house, with a small exception. Luke spotted a little tractor and pedaled around the yard for a bit, then begrudgingly headed back into the house with us. A quick cup of coffee and some milk, then we had to head back for a bite to eat and some shut eye.

Saturday morning would come quickly and we were heading to Balloon Fiesta Park around 5:30am....along with the other 100,000 plus people who made the journey for opening weekend. Sleep was vital! And we drifted off with full bellies.....

Breckenridge is for Anniversaries...

This past weekend afforded us a chance to get out of town. It's the perfect time of year to hit the ski resorts for a little getaway because the summer tourist season is over and the ski season has yet to begin. Prices are in the dirt, and there are plenty of things to see and do. We took advantage and headed to Breckenridge for the weekend.

I was excited for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, it was time in the High Country during peak leaf season. That was also a bit disappointing because the cold snap we had managed to stop the color in its tracks. Much of the trees were already bare, many more were just pale. There was still some green, but mostly it was pale and past peak. I don't mind, though. It was still beautiful. The hard part was the amount of the evergreen forest that is dead, ripe for a fire to sweep through. Stupid pine bark beetles have just devastated this part of the state. You hear about it, you know it's there, but it's startling when you actually look around and see (I usually don't because I'm looking at or for other things).

Second, Saturday was our eleventh wedding anniversary. This was a time to celebrate and it's not often we do much more than go to dinner for our anniversary. Being able to get away was wonderful!

So we headed out on Friday and made the 2 1/2 hour drive to our destination. The first shock was the amount of snow still up there. We knew the last storm had dumped a couple of feet, but it was amazing how much as still there! It was so gorgeous....

We were there early, so we grabbed some local pizza as a snack. Fatty's is in the old Colorado House hotel building, and it's pretty cool! It's modern now, but you can still feel the layout of what it used to be. And the pizza is great! Worth the stop. We wandered next door to the Mountain Outfitters and found some great stuff. Too bad we didn't need any of it...or maybe that's a good thing. They had such great stuff that we'd be broke if we decided to actually shop! Then it was off to get checked into our hotel, so down the road we went.

Jeff ran in to get the keys and came back out with a perplexed look on his face. I thought "uh oh, what's going on." They had upgraded us and we had to go to another hotel! It wasn't actually a hotel, though. They gave us a 1-bedroom loft apartment in one of the timeshare buildings! That's pretty cool! Made it easy, too, because we now had a kitchen, something I was hoping for.

We dropped everything off, took a quick look around the room and building, the hopped back into the 4Runner for the 20-minute drive to Keystone for dinner. We had been told to check out the Wolf Rock Brewing Company restaurant there, and we figured it was a good time to do so. Anniversary dinner a night early. Oh. My. Goodness!! If you're ever in Keystone, or the surrounding area, you MUST eat at this place! The food is to die for! And so affordable for the quality! Seriously, the only meal I can compare it to is the 5-star restaurant we ate at on our wedding night. It is THAT good!

The next day we just wandered the town, did a little shopping, had some ice cream, and headed toward Frisco, Silverthorne, Dillon, and the reservoir named for the original town of Dillon. It is very well known for J24 sailboat racing, is highly touted as one of the best lakes for sailboats, and a place we've wanted to check out for some time now. It was incredible! We've already decided we HAVE to head that way for a regatta next summer and to do a little camping on the shores. Not to mention it was such a great day to sail.

Then we did the little hiking loop known as Sapphire Point. It's just an easy little trail that loops around the hill and overlooks Lake Dillon. Luke initially didn't want to do it, but then decided it would be fun to canter with daddy around the loop. He had fun, despite being a bit grumpy. The sun was thinking of setting by this time so we headed back to Breck, had dinner, and relaxed in our room for the rest of the night.

Sunday morning was warm and vibrant. We checked out, headed to the middle of the town, and to a playground on the river to let Luke play a bit. He thought that was a fabulous idea! Between the playground and the grassy hill on the other side of the river, we had a very happy little boy! We watched a little girl de-cloth herself and play to her heart's content in the river, and Luke wanted to do the same. We let him feel the water and he quickly changed his mind. Not that we would've let him do it because we didn't have towels and it was much too cool (temp and water), but it was fun to watch! Much like most of the snow that had melted from the peaks, it came time to hit the road and head on home. It was such a wonderful weekend and we didn't want it to end. While it's always nice to be home and with our pets, it's always hard to leave the High Country. I'm so grateful we live so close to the mountains that we can get away like this pretty much anytime we wish, and I never tire of it. Great thing is my little family feels exactly the same way....