Day 110.  Went to watch a JV football game tonight.  The little boy here is not yet two.  He really likes Dugan, almost as much as he likes his own big brother.  His brother was playing in the game so he was content to sit in Dugan's lap.  When Dugan was small he would somehow find the one person in a room who had had a bad day or was struggling with life, and he would go to that person and just sit beside them.  Of course they would start talking to him and by the time we left Dugan would have somehow managed to make the person laugh and feel better.  He still has that gift, but being a teenager, he doesn't use it so much anymore.  It is hard for a young man to have so much compassion and empathy for others and yet still be considered masculine.  But, he does it well. 

Day 109.  Early in our marriage we made a trip over to Santa Fe, New Mexico.  While we were walking around just looking in the shops and having a nice time, I found a little bowl.  It was about the size of a cereal bowl.  It was made by a Navajo Indian lady who was well known for her pottery.  The store wanted over $300.00 for that little bowl.  I turned redneck on the shop owner and told her that I could make a bowl like that out of the mud in my back yard.  Actually, I just told Stacy that, and then we left the store pretty quick.  Just shopping around we found out that the Navajo Indian art was more popular and also more well known, so it was expensive.  But, if you could find some Arapaho Indian art pieces it wasn't too bad.  Guess who made this vase.  Yes, it is by an Arapaho artist.  I bought it for about fifteen dollars.  I like it just as much if not more than that little bowl.  I understand that the worth of an item depends largely on who made it.  What I don't understand is who sets these prices.  I should be worth a fortune, because I was made by a master craftsman.  As a matter of fact, He is still perfecting his work in me.  But, who of us was not created by the same craftsman.  God does not make mistakes and He values each of us enough to pay the ultimate price to make sure we can be with him forever.

Day 108.  I really like this little band of ponies out on the plains.  They are actually starting to pose for me.  I have to stop on the side of the highway and get out to take their picture but I think it is worth it.  The cars and trucks passing by don't seem to mind, they don't even slow down.  It is amazing how much of life just passes us by.  "Stop and smell the roses", "Wake up and smell the coffee".  We want to slow down and experience the small but important things in life, but, there is too  much going on.  If I slow down I can't get everything done.  There is more to life than just getting things done.  When we lived in Alabama the people there described it as being in the middle of the road all day.  Sometimes you do need to slow down and enjoy the journey.  We used to tease my brother that he never tasted any of his food.  He just swallowed it so fast that he couldn't even tell what it was.  So, I take the time to get off the road every once in a while and let the world pass on by.  When I get to the end of my life I want to be able to look back and say, "Man, that was good." 

Day 107.  This picture was actually taken in March of 2011.  But it is one of my favorites that I have ever taken.  On Sundays I don't always have time to take a picture, so I picked this one instead.  The fog was so thick that day, that the turbines just appeared up in the air.  I know some people don't like the fog.  They think it is creepy.  I, however, love the fog.  I think it is so cool how things just come out of nowhere.  Miracles just appearing.  Yes, I like the fog. 

Day 106.  It's hard to see how this year is affecting me if I don't have any pictures of me.  So, here I am again.  It is Saturday and man what a day it has been.  But it is almost over now and has turned out to be a pretty good day.  We started with tennis and Stacy and the kids went to a Junior Bible Quiz meet and I had a funeral, and then prayer at the church tonight.  In between all of this we even managed to watch a little college football.  You see, daylight savings time ends tonight.  Every year I think I will get an extra hour of sleep but what usually happens is, there is so much to do that I get to bed an hour later.  Not fair.  Maybe I'll make it this year.  There is usually some one that forgets to change their clock and shows up an hour early for church.  Which means they are on time.  I wonder who it will be this year.  I better go check mine.

Day 105.  Tonight was the last home game for the high school football team, this year.  So the Jr. high band got to march at halftime with the high school band.  They did a great job.  You would think that with two kids out there I would be able to get a better picture,but there was always so much activity going on that I didn't.  Dugan has had a busy week.  Thursday he tried out for the all region band.  He has been very nervous about this all week.  He did very good, he made 1st chair in the concert band for French Horns.  I am very proud of him.  Tomorrow we have tennis and then next week is the all region concert, so he has a lot of work ahead of him.  Meanwhile, Maggie got to play the snare tonight standing between two high school guys.  She had such a big grin on her face.  I was watching though.  Life seemed tough but was so much easier when they were babies.  Some days I really miss that time.  I got to control everything about them and now I have to let them start spreading their wings.  They are growing into wonderful young adults.   

Day 104.  Well all the other trees around have already changed and these little oaks across the street are just now starting.  Pretty soon they will be brilliantly red.  Maybe it is the unseasonably warm weather we have been having that has made them hold on to their green.  I know that winter is on it's way, but I will enjoy the warm while I can.  I have been dreading the cold this year.  I really have never liked to be cold, but could tolerate it ok.  I would much rather be hot.  It just seems worse this year to me.  The cold will come soon enough so I guess I might as well get ready for it.