what are you looking for anyway?

(About the pic: Wildland fire investigators searching for clues to the fire's cause. Putting the puzzle together. May 10, 2009. Washington State)

The draw of the puzzle! The thrill of the search!

Information! Where to go, how to look for it, how to find it! What do you do with it once you've found it?

Why are you searching for it in the first place?

There's so many unanswered questions. Just looking at the blog's search results can lead to fantastic ideas, plots, themes.

Here's a breakdown regarding people's searches that brought them to this particular site...

I'm not sure what everyone was doing with this first one but here's the top search subject for the month of June, 2009. Folks must be curious about the Alford Plea... for whatever reasons.

-Overall Alford Plea related information. 63.63 percent

-Definition. 27.27 percent
-In Georgia? 9.09 percent
-In Massachusettes? 6.82 percent
-In Washington state? 6.82 percent
-In Colorado? 2.27 percent
-In general? 2.27 percent
-When do you use an alford plea? 2.27 percent
-Is an alford plea to help you or hurt you? 2.27 percent
-Sex offenders and alford pleas in georgia? 2.27 percent
-Dismissal of alford plea washington state? 2.27 percent

Then we had the second most popularly searched subject for June, 2009... Prednisone. Also known as Predesone, Predisone. Believed by me to have led to Dad's deterioration of health and subsequent death. We will never know for sure... just my suspicion.

-Prednisone. Also searched as predesone. 20.45 percent

-Predesone? 18.18 percent
-Super swollen arms following a rash? 2.27 percent

Followed by one of the all time favorites...

-Hobo Spiders? 9.10 percent

-Hobo spider photos? 2.27 percent
-Hobo spider bite? 2.27 percent
-Hobo spider? 2.27 percent
-Hobo spider WA state? 2.27 percent

The fourth most searched subject in June 2009 that landed people on this particular blog is a newby to the top five.

-Devil's Club? 4.55 percent

-Devil's club plant WA state? 2.27 percent
-Devil's club Olympic Peninsula? 2.27 percent

And finally, the fifth most popular search subject...

-Livingston Boat information? 2.27 percent

-Steering console for Livingston boat? 2.27 percent

I can only hope people found what they were looking for. The subjects are pretty diverse. But then again, the visitors to this site are coming here from just about everywhere on the globe.

Although the traffic has slowed considerably over the years it's still interesting to see who's visiting and from where they're visiting. I also try to determine what exactly they're looking for. There were a couple of rather absurd and bizarre searches but I've decided I'll save their information for another days post.

Bottom line! Thanks for stopping by! I'm not going away but I'm sure not as active on here as I used to be. Who knows, perhaps that'll change and I'll get back to posting about the world, as we see it a bit more regularly than I've been recently.

Take care! Thanks again.

Enjoy life!

It's Independence Day!!!

Stay safe, sane and enjoy your freedoms!

Have fun today everyone. Spend the day with your family, friends, neighbors and watch over your pets... they tend to get nervous with all of the noise and all.





Whatever you do don't get squirrely out there! Enjoy the day!

A trip East...

(About the pic: The Belt Mountains and the Missouri River between Cascade, MT and Great Falls. East of I-15. April 26, 2009. DEH)

... to Montana.

To drop some personal effects of Dad's off to two of my brothers, to "clear the air" so to speak on some things, to find time to think, to think, to regroup.

...to try to get new, fresh, crisp views of what lies ahead in the future... good, bad and indifferent.

It was a trip that had to be made. If for no other reason then to simply make it!

I've regrouped over the past several weeks. I've stepped back and taken a look at things from different perspectives and have realized once again that life has so many variables to it.

So many challenges!

Life's not meant to be fair as we know it. Life's meant to be real, memorable, educational and if all goes well... rewarding.

Life's meant to challenge, to test, to affect...

Such is life.

(About the pic: Two Bighorn Sheep engaged in one of life's challenges at the base of the Little Belt Mountains, and the Missouri River between Cascade, MT and Great Falls. East of I-15. April 26, 2009. DEH)

I'm not sure what I got out of the simple four day, whirlwind trip east to Montana but I do know I had a lot of time to reflect, think and review where I've been, where I'm at and what's the possibilities ahead.

It's an odd and almost out of body, surreal feeling.

There's a lot of "things" going on in this world, this country, this state, this family that can be and are influenced by things, happenings beyond our control.

(About the pic: If those walls could talk. An abandoned homestead by Cascade, MT. East of I-15. April 26, 2009. DEH)

Sometimes life seems simpler without all of the amenities of today. Sometimes I find myself longing for memories of my past, those memories clouded by life as I know it now.

I long for the hot summer days in Thompson Place in the late 50's, Mud Lake, the Satellite Bubble Gum machine from "Pete and Gay's" diner...

I long for those things I left behind in my rush to get here! Those memories I buried, those friends I've lost, those experiences I've forgotten.

I guess I needed that little trip east.

If for nothing else but for a bit of "renewal"... realizing that in the end, some things will never change.

I rambled but it's my blog, my right. If you've read this far you must be really bored.

Take care and enjoy it while it's here. Each and every "it" you can.

HAPPY EASTER!!!

Happy Easter Everyone!


from us and ours to you and yours.

Loyal Friends...

Well, my brother Dan and sister in law Carol went out the other day and got themselves a fantastic little addition to their family.

The pup's a beauty. A bit of lab and a bit of, well.... either way, she's already latched onto Dan and Carol like there's no tomorrow.

I got some pics in an email today from them that evidently were taken while they took a little trip with her out on Ft. Lewis, looking for some grouse.

She has a great look to her... confident, inquisitive, charming, playful and even a bit of mischief thrown in. That'd probably be the puppy in her.

I'm not positive about all of this but the little bit of time I got to spend with the pup two nights ago shortly after they bought her impressed me.

She's a pretty pup... healthy and doesn't take no garb from the old grouch (Rookie... my Chihuahua) and Chief (my Miniature Schnauzer).

Chief's still a pup himself. Rookie's up in years... double digits and grumpy as heck.

They stopped by to show the wife, nephew and I their new friend. And with a face like that even Rookie melted a little bit.

Anyway, Dan and Carol got themselves a great find I think. You need to go to the sellers blog to read the whole story... just scroll down the left column until you find this big, redhaired, bearded guy and his wife holding a little red puppy. It's a pretty neat story.

Here's a couple more pics.

Now, aside from the labrador retriever part just what did they get?

It's, it's, it's a...

...Vizsla
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Vizsla (pronounced [ˈviʒlɒ], approximately VEEZH-luh), is a dog breed originating in Hungary. The Hungarian or Magyar Vizsla represents one of the best in sporting dogs and loyal companions and has a strong claim to being one of the smallest of the all-round pointer-retriever breeds. The Vizsla's size is one of the breed's most attractive characteristics and through the centuries he has held a unique position for a sporting dog -- that of household companion and family dog.

The Vizsla is a natural hunter endowed with a good nose and an above average trainability. Although they are lively, gentle mannered, demonstrably affectionate and sensitive, they are also fearless and possessed of a well-developed protective instinct.

Enjoy!!!