Casting its shadow.

I took this photo from the plane coming home from Disney Worl.

The St. Louis Gateway ARCG is a landmark in this city symbolizing the gateway to the west. It is 160 feet high and a long walk if you take the stairs which I have done. Most visitors take the cars that ride up and down the leg of the arch.

Splish Splash, I was taken a bath long about Saturday Night.

Andrea and Drew with ScobyDo Their dad is in the background.











A day at Six Flags Hurrican Harbor. The bucket is a bit tipsy.


The bucket tips over and dumps the water out. Look out below!!!

"Drew's Birthday" #6

July 14, 2005 Drew celebrated his 6th birthday. Count em, 6. He had been very excited all day about the impending gifts he was to get. I took them to day care at St. Martins. and then came home to do my thing around the house. I mowed the yard because I hate to mow it on Friday or Saturday and heaven forbid Sunday, although I have done that before. I also used my battery powered weed trimmer for the first time. No more cranking to start it until my arm falls off. NO siree. It was a charm.

Finally, I went to pick the kids up and while I was signing them out, their father called to wish him a happy birthday. The making of supper was in progress when I got home. We had spaghetti and spilled milk!. Boy was that a scene. Lots of screaming and running for the paper towels to soak up the mess.

Then the time had arrived. We sang the hit song happy birthday. Off key as usual. Somehow, the sincerity was just a bit on the thin side. I wonder why. Drew got a red, white and blue basket ball that he had spotted in the sporting section of Walmart recently plus two hand held games that he seemed to enjoy. His sister Andrea is beginning to enjoy the games too but wishes for a welcoming. After all, of her friends have one.

We had the traditional cake and icecream and I noted in passing comment to my wife earlier that morning. By the way, isn't Drew 6? She had scrubbed 5 on the cake. So with the skill of surgeon, she erased her mistake and squezed the #6 on the cake with the tube of blue icing.

The End...

What Do You Worry About?

• A recent survey indicates that: 40% of the things we worry about never happen
• 30% are in the past and can't be helped
• 12% concern the affairs of others that aren't are business
• 10% are about our sickness, either real or imagined
• 8% are worth worrying about

Why worry about issues you can't control or have no reason to worry about??
email me if you worry about things needlessly durangokid45@yahoo.com

London Bombing Photos

I think this is a wakeup call for us living here in the USA that we can not become too complacent about homeland security.

Brad's Birthday 2005"

Brad is our 2nd son now living in Kansas City, MO. Brad works for Dean and Deluca catering services.
Oh, the kids are our grandchildren, Andrea on the right and Andrew on the left helping them celebrate Uncle Brad's birthday.

" My Little Pony"

I caught my neighbors Samantha and Jessica riding their little ponies. Cute!!! Hugh??

"The Today Show"

Ok, I am going to start blogging. I have uploaded some of my pics for you and I have more, but I need to write a few words. The Today Show as I have dubbed it here is because our home is like a show. Everyday is a show. It is almost like the movie "Ground Hog Day." Everyday is the same. Will Pauxatuanie Phil see his shadow?? Will we be in for 6 more weeks of bad
weather??

We dropped our grandkids off at the day care and had to cough up $50.00 for their summer activitie fee. Of course it didn't matter that they had spent the first five weeks of the summer in summer school.

Today, my wife and I made doctors appointments for the same time. We went in seperate rooms. Couldn't afford a double occupancy exam room. The doctor finally came in to check me out. Hmm blood pressure a bit high. So Phil "How are you feeling today?? I told him. I have some ackes and stiffness in my neck. Ok, down for an x-ray. Great!! Oh, here is the form for the blood test. Since you fasted you need some blood work.

I decided to hit the x-ray lab first. Don't know why. Anyhow, that's where I went. With that done, I went around to the lab for blood to be drawn. The assistant couldn't get any out of my left arm and then tried it in my right arm. Finally, success!! She stopped the bleeding with a cute Bugs Bunny band-aid. Great!! That made me feel better already.

After having not eaten since around 6:00 pm last night, I was beginning to feel a bit faint from hunger. The fasting was a last minute decision this morning. By now, I was really getting hungry. Our choice was Loin's Choice for a fast food. Finally, hunger satisfied, I dropped her off to work. I have to pick the kids up for Drew's haircut appointment this afternoon. Have a nice day.

Sunsets In June

These sunsets were taken in June 2005 right here at home.

"To Russia With Love"

"Sandy Creek Covered Bridge"

Sandy Creek Covered Bridge is located just off highway 21 in rural Jefferson county Missouri.
While sounds of wooden wheeled wagons once echoed through the bridge now only footsteps can be heard as it is a designated historic site. Around the bridge is a park like setting with
barbecue pits and tables just made for a family outing.

Eye of the Storm(Hurrican Dennis)

Perhaps I shoud name my blog site Eye of The Storm since it seems I am always in the a storm of some kind. Now, that Hurricane Dennis has left in its wake a path of destruction, in the Florida area, it is bringing the much needed rain that portions of Missouri and Illionis have been craving for several weeks now. It is a welcom sight to see it and also feel it.

"The Happiest Celebration On Earth"

Andrea and Drew at the hotel

Captian's Log:

Preface to trip.

On May 21, 2005 with bags packed with media cards, my wife Linda, Andrea, Drew and myself we left and our home and headed for the happiest celebration on earth... Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. My wife and I had been there two times before, once with our two sons and once by ourselfs, but this time we were taking our grandchildren Andrea and Andrew (Drew).

I contacted our friend Ms. Connie Milton @www.cmilton@greatsoutherntravel.com Great Southern Travel located in Springfield, MO. Phone number 417-888-4488 EXT 2128. After all the number crunching like can we afford this trip now and phone calls back and forth, we Linda and I decided it was the right time to go. She sent us some combination packages and we looked the information over. The biggest decision was what hotel we would stay at. I surffed the Disney CD Rom guide I had requested and found one that appealed to me sole on the swimming pool design. More about that later. With our reservations booked we waited.

The kids had their last day of school on May 21, and only a half day at that.

from school, we had our bags packed except for last minute items and waited for them to get home. Then it was off to "THE HAPPIEST CELEBRATION ON EARTH."

After having traveled to Virginia three years earlier for a family wedding which happened during the time of the "D.C Snipper" and going to Gulf Shores two years ago we decided that it was time to test our wings and fly. Yes, we were flying to Florida. No hearing about how bad my driving was. You almost hit that car!! Can't you keep this car in your lane??? No sirree. I would hear none of that this time around. Just please fasten your seatbelt from some cute airline attendant.

The scene at our house was somewhat vaguely familar to Home Alone 1 and 2 and 3 movies. There was a lot of running around, screaming did you lock the doors kind of stuff? Of course I had to have a last minute check of email. It would be six days without access to a computer.

We were finally on our way.

To begin, we stayed at a hotel, just minutes from the airport. We had a great view of the planes taking off. The wisdom behind this was that it would be a horrible experience, trip trying to get the kids up at about 3 am in order to arrive at the airport 2 hours earlier for the baggage check and all of that. Our flight was scheduled to leave at 7:00 am which meant we had to be at the airport by 5:00 am. There was no way that was going to go anything but smooth. Not with two kids and a van full of suitcases, swimsuits and sun screen. In addition, we would have to find a park and fly space for our car, unload our stuff into another van to take us to the airport.

This plan had several good points. Namely, they got us up in time, took us to the airport in their van and came and got us when we got back home. At least that was the plan. No problem. Really Simple Stuff. Right!!

Captian's Log:

Day 1

May 21, 2005

After checking into theDouble Tree Hotel, we went out for some supper and then tried to settle down for the night. Or tried to settle down. I don't rememer if I slept much but my biggest concern for me was breakfast.

Captian's Log:

Day 2 Very Early

May 22, 2005

I remember waking up and made my way to the shower. After I got out, I finished dressing and made some coffee in the hotel room with their complementary coffee maker. That helped.

I asked my wife if the hotel had called to wake us up. "Yes," she replied. I just wanted to make sure. After all we were paying for that service. Upon repacking and making sure we didn't leave anythng important, like plane boarding passes and sun screen, we headed down to the hotel lobby and waited to be taken to the airport.

As I mentioned earlier, there would not be time for breakfast. Plus it would be about a two hour flight and loose an hour going east. That meant it would be afternoon before anything resembling food found it's way to my mouth and stomach.

But then I was rescued. A cup of Starbucks and I was good to go!! Of course, I set off the metal detactors with my two knees which had been replaced five years ago. After a wand inspecition of me, I was given the green light to go on through the gates.

The kids did well passing the time as it was a new experience for them. Finally, we heard the announcement come over the PA system to prepare to board our plane. Up and moving toward the desk with kids and carry ons we walked down the ramp and into the plane. We found our seats, got settled in and buckled up preparing for the approximate 2 hour flight to Orlando International Airport.

Another Day has come and gone.

The sun looks like a large diamond in a ring.

Blogging for dummies!

Here I am, learning to blog. while the web has good points and bad, I think this is a good point.

I have been taking photos as a child when I sold greeting cards in order to win a free camera. Since that time I have taken thousands of photos. Usually, of family at gatherings, or other similar photo subjects. But during my tenure in Vietnam I learned how to use the 35mm format and from then on that was the camera of choice up until a year and a half when I went digital. I have not been the same since. Sadly, my Minolta sets on the shelf collecting dust and while it collected many memories my HP will be the camera of choice for memory collecting.