Enigmatic

So I went on a small cruise around Boone County with Becky on Monday night. Here are a few images from that experience.




















If I would have planned a little better we could have done some light painting.

What I learned about Becky from this trip is that there is a strange inconsistency in a person that claims that Halloween is their favorite holiday, but freaks out when you tell them a simple story from Boone's historic past. I also hear that the Jaycees Haunted House isn't her thing, but she insists on going through it every year. Well, I guess not this year.

2nd Shooter

I did some 2nd shooter action at a wedding for Todd and Peggy on Sunday. I shot this in RAW and it has taken me quite some time to bother getting this converted to JPG. So this post is much less ambitious than I hoped. I still haven't converted much.

Below are a few pictures of Todd and Peggy working. I might revisit this topic with more pictures in the future.











It certainly was an interesting experience. There was 4 hours of photography before the wedding. The wedding lasted maybe 5 minutes. The wedding was at beautiful Jester Park. A park I hope to camp at in the near future.

Work Half Done

"Half the work that is done in this world is to make things appear what they are not."
-E.R. Beadle

Box Brothers

Ames on the Half Shell was rain shortened on Friday night. At least we got in about half of the concert. I only had to go on stage to make a brief speech about our sponsors when it started to rain. I didn't get a chance to announce last call or really make the FULL sponsor speech. I also was denied the chance to announce last call. Oh well, I still got to do the radio interview for 105.1. I think I came off as a tad bit arrogant.

Here are some pictures.
































There are about 40 more images in the Snapshot Gallery in an album called AOTHS-Box Brothers.


Snapshot Gallery

Ames on the Half Shell is a bit different this week. Since Friday is Independence Day there are a ton of stuff planned for downtown Ames by the Main Street Cultural District. Half Shell will run from 1-6 instead of 5-8. The bands will be Burnin' Sensations and The Nadas.

Finally

It took until June 26, but finally I saw a movie that I loved this year. I finally saw my Once of 2008. I finally saw a movie I'm willing to call great. Up until now the best movie I've seen all year is Son of Rambow, but even that movie was only very good and not great. The first movie that I love from 2008 is Young @ Heart.

If this movie is playing near you, I urge you to run out and see it. The only thing I can say is "wow". After this movie was over, not a single person left the theater until the credits were over. I haven't seen that happen at a movie I've attended since Once. I haven't even seen this happen for movies that try to blackmail you into staying until the end of the credits to see one last extra scene.

Below I've posted some videos from the movie. If you subscribe to this journal through e-mail or RSS feed, you will have to go to the website to see the videos. I think it is worth the trip.



Trailer



Schizophrenia



Fix You


If you think that this performance of Fix You is powerful (and it is) you should see it when it is put in the context of the movie. It will blow you away.


I repeat, if you have a chance, go see this movie.

The Right Color Tractor

I believe an important part of being an Iowan is having an opinion on what is the "right color tractor". I don't wish to get into this debate. I bring this point up because on Tuesday morning Lowell and I served breakfast with the Meth Men (as Lowell and I now refer to them) for the WHO Tractor ride that was in Boone. I had a look around and took a few photos.















































Lowell mentioned to somebody in the kitchen that the Meth Men needed t-shirts. I believe a committee was immediately formed. If you are a Methodist, you should appreciate that story.

Burden

Sometimes I forget that I cut an impressive figure. Sometimes I forget that when you are 6'3 inches tall and are rippling with muscles, attitude and intensity to spare you can unintentionally strike fear in to the hearts of others.

Back when I was running Campus it was not uncommon for me to cause an employee to burst into tears with just one glare. I was giving the nickname "The Intimidator" by some of my employees.

Stephanie made buttons for most of the employees at Campus. My button said "The Intimidator" and had a picture of a ferocious bear on it. I don't know the current location of that button, but I tell this story to setup the following.

My final birthday present recently wound up in my mailbox. Stephanie got me a subscription to American Photo. An awesome present, but I worry that she bought me this present because she still fears me a bit. Even if she recently described me as "Former Supervisor, Friend, Mentor" on a recent application. I wonder because of the mailing label on the magazine.





At least the mailman will know not to mess with me.

Tenderloin Quest: The Beginning

Monday night, Scottie D. and I hit the open road on our first foray out into the backwaters of Iowa to find the best tenderloin in the state. We had a little pre-season hiccup out to the Lake Shore Cafe, but now it was time to get serious.

Last year BK's tenderloin placed second in the state according to the Pork Association. Well BK's is in Ogden and Ogden is virtually Boone's backyard. It seemed a very logical place to begin our quest.

However this tale was almost a sad tale. A sad tale that could be recounted with bitterness by an old man in a bar. "Yes, it's very pretty. I heard a story once - as a matter of fact, I've heard a lot of stories in my time. They went along with the sound of a tinny piano playing in the parlor downstairs. 'Mister, I met a tenderloin once when I was a kid,' it always began."*

You see it occurred to me that many small town drinking and eating establishments close on Mondays. I suggested to Scottie D. that we should call over to Ogden and confirm that BK's was in fact open.

Scottie D. thought it was a wonderful idea, so he called ahead.

At first it was bliss! They were open until 11 PM.

Then there was agony! They were out of tenderloins.

The place had been ransacked during Ogden Fun Days and the woman that made the tenderloins would not be in that day, but they would have tenderloins again starting Tuesday. Oh the humanity!

This is Iowa and we were not without options. I suggested we try The Suburban in Gilbert. Their tenderloin placed third either last year or the year before. However, I noted this was another small town restaurant. It might not be open on a Monday.

Scottie D. called up to Gilbert.

Agony again! The Suburban is not open on Mondays.

However, we were not to be denied.

Scottie D. suggested that we call back to BK's and see if we could sweet talk them into making a special exception for us. We aren't John Q. Public after all. We are the Society for Tenderloin Excellence.

Scottie D. dialed BK's back up and gave the lady on the other end of the line a sad tale about 2 guys traveling the state looking for the best tenderloin. His sad song must of worked. The lady said that she would call the woman that makes the tenderloin and see if she would be willing to come in and make us two special tenderloins.

We gave them 5 minutes to make arrangements and called them back.

Oh sweet bliss! The genius behind the BK tenderloin agreed to come in and make 2 tenderloins special for us.

I can't tell you too much about the tenderloin. Most of that will be saved for the final reveal when we proclaim one tenderloin to be the king of all tenderloins. I can share some pictures from the event though.



BK's Sports Bar & Grill - Ogden, Iowa



BK's Tenderloin with Waffle Fries



BK's Tenderloin with Waffle Fries (Ranch Dressing is also homemade)



Scottie D. with BK's Tenderloin



BK's Tenderloin, the Awesome Lady that invented it and made it and Scottie D.



Enjoying BK's Tenderloin



Downtown Ogden Near Sunset


I will tell you the following things. BK's earned big time points for serving the tenderloin with homemade ranch and mayo. Of course they also get big time points for the tenderloin mastermind coming in and preparing us a tenderloin when she definitely did not need to do such a thing.

While we were talking to the owner of BK's, we learned that it is a firmly held belief in Ogden that this tenderloin would have won the top prize from the Pork Association last year, but the mastermind wasn't there to cook it for them. Sadly, the guy who did cook the tenderloin for the judges burned it. It still took second place though.

You have to love a tenderloin that is served with a side order of town lore.

*Also extra points go to anybody that knows what movie this references.

Sunday

I managed to make it through this Sunday's Sermon/Interview. I don't think that I embarrassed myself too much and I think at least a few people were touched or were able to relate to my message.

I don't want to re-hash the experience, but I would like to thank Jesse, Jay, Shannon, Jason, Carrie and Nader for coming to support me. I also would like to thank Lowell for being there. My family was incredibly supportive as well.

I do want to share a video that Andrea found on the internet and played during the sermon of the song No One Else Knows by Building 429. A song that is very important to me.





Of course if you subscribe to this blog via e-mail or RSS Feed, you will actually have to go to the website to see the article.

Also, even though the video credits Casting Crowns with this song, I assure you that it is Building 429's song.

Vivace

Friday was another successful night at Ames on the Half Shell. Well over 400 people came out to see Vivace. I worked admissions and checked IDs, so I didn't take as many photos as normal. Below is a sampling:



Little White Lye Soap Promotional Cup (changes colors)





























Of course there are a few other images in the Snapshots Gallery in the Ames Jaycees Album.


Snapshot Gallery


This week the band at Ames on the Half Shell is Box Brothers. A bonus source of amusement for you is (if I read the spreadsheet correctly) that I am the person that goes on stage to introduce the band.

Ames on the Half Shell is also a collection site for Flood Relief Donations. If you are looking to donate some items to help out fellow Iowans that were affected by the floods, you can bring the following items to Half Shell on Friday:

• Toiletries - for 3,000 individuals
• deodorant
• toothpaste/ tooth brush
• shampoo/ conditioner
• combs/ brushes
• hand sanitizer
• pillows / sheets/ blankets
• diapers
• baby food
• underwear
• socks
• Cleaning supplies (mops - buckets - cleaners - rags)
• Bug Spray

The items donated at Half Shell will be distributed to the areas hardest hit by the flooding. You can also make donations to the Red Cross at the door.

Donations Requested

I understand that most people will be donating stuff to help out Iowans, but say you don't like Iowans all that much, I have an alternative for you. That alternative starts with a geography lesson.



This is Honduras



These are Hondurans


Jesse is going to Honduras to do some mission work through his church, but rather than trying to explain such things I'll just repost his e-mail because he can explain things better than me.

Greetings!

I am very excited to be leading a missions expedition to Honduras with myself and 8 college students! Honduras is one of the 5 poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere with an annual household income averaging US$3,300 per year. While each person’s goals are only known by themselves, our mission is to try and improve (or put in place a means for improving) the lives of as many people as we can in 7 short days. We will be living in a small village south of Comayagua which is home to nearly 350 orphaned children. There are no electric utilities or plumbing in this community and water must be collected daily. Our group will be digging wells, assisting in the orphanage, and carrying in much needed supplies to our new family. Our team is only bringing enough clothes and other supplies that will fit into our carry-on luggage, and we will be bringing 2 other suitcases filled with as many items as we can that this community desperately needs.

I am asking each of you if you might have any of the items listed below that you would be willing to donate. I am leaving one week from Monday (June 30th) and if you would bring the items here, I would be happy to make sure that they are taken down with us.

Bibles
Tennis Shoes - ages 4-16
Girl's Sandals - ages 4-16
Twin Sheet Sets - twin bottom sheet, top sheet and pillow case
Towel Sets – shower towel and wash cloth
Large Pans
Mixer or Blender
Juice Processor
Notebooks
Pens
Plastic to cover mattresses
Toothpaste
Soap
Shower soap
Body lotion
Vitamins
Antibiotics
Anti fungal
Flu medicine
Other medicines
Shampoo
Conditioner
Silverware
Plastic Cups
Plates
Disposable Diapers

As always, your thoughts and prayers as we make this journey are appreciated greatly. Thank you all for your consideration.

Jesse L. Howard

Now you don't know where here is, but I can collect any donations that you would like to make and get it to Jesse.

Royals Win!

On Tuesday Night, Elainie's Little League team won their league championship. Below are a few photos.

The game was at night, so there is some digital noise and blurring caused by slow shutter speeds, but you'll get the general idea.


























Elainie made the All-Star Team, so I might have to make a couple of those games this year, since it looks like I won't be able to make any of her 9th grade games.

Oro y Plata

Saturday was Julie's going away party. Tomorrow is her last day of work and on Friday she heads out to Montana.

It is the smart move, but I'm going to miss her.

Video from Friday

If you subscribe to this blog via RSS Feed or e-mail, you will actually have to go to the website to see the video embedded below:






This video is a rough cut from Ames on a Half Shell from last Friday. My friend Mike Vest came down and shot some video of the event for us.

Although this was actually the highlight of the night:

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday

My church, the First United Methodist Church of Boone, is doing a series of sermons this summer where the Pastors interview a member of the congregation. This Sunday is the second sermon of this kind. The lucky person being interviewed is me.

I'm not really sure how or why I got got chosen for this honor, but if you are awake and bored with your church (or maybe you are looking for a church) or just want to see me go down in flames, you can come to our church this Sunday and watch.

There are two worship services.

A traditional worship service at 8:55.
A contemporary worship service at 10:45.

All our welcome to come. After all, our church motto is: "Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors"

Burnin' Sensations

Last Friday was another hugely successful night for Ames on the Half Shell. The band was Burnin' Sensations and they were phenomenal. Here are a few pictures from the evening.



Abi and Melissa



Dennis



Sara



Birthday Girl



Scott



Derrick



Burnin' Sensations



Chad



Andy and Charby



Working the Picnic Table



Possibly Discussing an UnHingd Reunion?


Every once in awhile when I'm editing pictures I find something that amuses me in a picture that was completely unintentional. Sometimes that happens when I'm not really concentrating, but just taking pictures quickly. One of those pictures above amuses me in just such a way.

I took a picture of one of the singers from Burnin' Sensation out working the crowd. I was impressed by this because they were the first band to really work the crowd in such a fashion.





I think if there was somebody standing on top of my table playing a tambourine, I would probably be so impressed I would watch them, but that isn't the case for everybody. Some people would rather text message.





I also made a panoramic image of the event. These are really hard to post because of their extreme width. So below I spun this image counterclockwise 90 degrees so that you can at least go through the image to some degree. It is also compressed to about 10% of its actual size. In its full resolution it is much crisper.





Of course there are about 40 more images in the Snapshots Gallery in an album named AOTHS-Burnin' Sensations. It is located right next to the Family Night Photo Album.


Snapshots Gallery


I should also point out that I had a new life experience on Saturday. To say it was my life experience isn't really fair, but I overheard something that I thought I would never hear, not even in Iowa.

After a long discussion about life with Becky on her sweet front porch, I made my way down to Tradewinds for the conclusion of Shannon's birthday shindig. While I was there I was sitting at a table where a creepy guy was putting the "moves" on a lady friend.

One of the things he said to impress her was that he was once up to his nipples in pig feces. I guess you go with what you got, but if that is what you got, maybe you should lie.

Of course, it all happens again this Friday. Not the pig poo guy, but Ames on the Half Shell will happen again this Friday. 5-8 at Bandshell Park. 3 bucks gets you in the door. Another 3 bucks gets a beer in your hand.* 1 buck gets you some Red Monkey.

This week the band is Vivace. They are also excellent. They are one of the two bands that I booked. I got to play hardball with them. The conversation went something like this:

Me: So how much do you charge?
Vivace: XXXXXX bucks. A little more for an outdoor show.
Me: Well this is an outdoor show.
Vivace: Well we can keep it the same.
Me: Sounds like a deal.

Hope to see some of you there. Even my Corporate Sellout friends.

*Technically 3 bucks gets you an orange token that magically gets turned into beer at the beer tent.

Flowerbed Buddy

I went up to Boxholm to have lunch with Shorty and Doris on Saturday. As a bonus to the fantastic food, I saw my first snake of the year. No more False Snake Hype! I saw a real snake.


























I only wish I would have had a photo assistant with me to agitate the snake a little bit. That would have been fun.

Happy Birthday

3 Things

Relay for Life

So Relay for Life is coming up pretty darn quick. As it turns out I forgot to start raising money. I have raised some money, but that money consisted of me sitting on my rump when somebody came up to me and threw some cash into my hand and said, "That's for Relay for Life."

I don't want to give you a long winded sales pitch about why you should donate money for Relay for Life and tell you about how cancer has effected my life or the people in my life. I think I can distill the entire thing down to its essence.

"It is cancer, stupid!"

So if you have a couple extra bucks stuck in your couch cushions or have a bag full of beer bottles in your basement that need to be taken back and you don't really have much use for that money and you aren't mad that I just called you stupid, I would be in your debt if you would throw it my way for Relay for Life.

There are a couple of ways to do such a thing. First you can go to my Relay for Life page and donate there:


Relay for Life Donation


You can also just give me money when you see me.


Flood Pictures

From time to time I get asked if I have any flood pictures. But I will post the one flood picture I do have.






Son of Rambow

I'm pretty jacked up right now. One of two must see movies of 2008 has finally came to Ames.

Take a look at the trailer. (If you received this through a RSS Feed or e-mail, you will actually have to go to the website to view the video.)





I'm hoping to put together a small platoon of people to go see this masterpiece next week.

1982ish

Blogger has been flaky at best. If you subscribe to the Journal, you should get an e-mail immediately, but the entry might not be found on the website for a small amount of time.




































Front



Back


I apologize for the low quality of these scans. I was working with a low end scanner at work.

Sunset

I hope that some people had a chance to catch the sunset last night.























It was lovely.

Family Night

Last Friday was Family Night for Ames on the Half Shell. By all measurable criteria the event was a smashing success. More than twice the amount of children made it to Family Night this year than last.

Plus I got to see many of my friends and their children. Take a look at some of the fun that was had on that evening.










































Of course there are about 80 more pictures in on my website in the Snapshots Gallery.


Snapshots Gallery


Of course you know that once you get to the Snapshots Gallery you can register to become a "User". Being a "User" allows you to comment on pictures, favorite pictures, rate pictures and see the Private Photo Albums.

Here is a Family Night Fun Fact. Despite the fact that there were 5 times the amount of children at Family Night than there were for the first night of of AOTHS and Red Monkey was free for children, less than half the amount of Red Monkey that was consumed on the first night was consumed on Family Night.

If you picked up what I was laying down with that big run-on sentence, you might be wondering how that was possible. The fact is that I am to blame. I laid off the Red Monkey during Family Night because I thought the youth of Central Iowa would pick up my slack. They did not. Now I have to hit the Red Monkey doubly hard this Friday night to make up for lost time. But I mean really, what is wrong with this generation?

I also learned a few things on Family Night. I learned that Shannon can't blow bubbles. I learned that if you sign up to run the 5K during Scandinavian Days they give you a pretty sweet free shirt. I learned that Becky proved that she doesn't know anything about hats because she wore a balloon hat around most of the night. I learned that even if you have somebody watching the bounce house, children will get in a fight and scare other small children. I learned that the Baier children will take their tats like men when the time comes for them to get their tats. I learned that security is such a tough job that I didn't get a chance to talk to everybody nearly as long as I had hoped.

Of course I would be remiss if I didn't point out that Ames on the Half Shell will happen again this Friday night. This week the band is Burnin' Sensations and they are excellent. If you have a hole in your schedule between 5-8, this is the place to be. Also Friday is somebody's birthday. I don't wish to embarrass them (yet), but at the very least it is worth the price of admission (79 cents less than a gallon of gas) to wish her a Happy Birthday!*

Plus it is Friday the 13th. I'm not a superstitious person, but it might be a good day to be in a large crowd.

*That exclamation mark is not a random choice of punctuation.

A New Tenderloin Joint

Monica started working at this restaurant on Sundays:



Lake Shore Cafe




Monica talked up this joint's tenderloin.

Shortly after hearing about this tenderloin I spoke with Scottie D. Scottie D. was all bummed out because I proposed the idea of a Tenderloin Road Trip in 2007 and then never delivered.

A plan was hatched and we headed out to this Lake Shore Cafe to make some estimations of our own.











I will reserve judgment on the tenderloin until some other tenderloins have been weighed and measured.

BNLL

Some pictures from a couple hours at the Little League Park watching Jesse and Lowell's team.

Heaven and Hell

With all due respect to Dante and his circles of Hell, the only definition of Hell that I have ever been able to get behind is "separation from God".

Now that I have that figured out, I should work on a better definition for Heaven. While it is certainly true that we can't know what Heaven is like, it is my belief that we get glimpses of Heaven while we are on Earth.

I recently had one of those glimpses.




A piece of this rhubarb pie is a glimpse of heaven. I wish you could experience it for yourself, but you'll have to get your own.

The War of Hot Dog Aggression

Teresa usually gets mad when I make fun of the South. I can't help it. My prejudice against the South is based in real life experience. There is a reason we whooped them in the Civil War. If they still can't get over it, that is their problem.

It isn't as if the South has contributed nothing to the rest of the world. I'll give the South points for the following:

• Tennessee Williams
• William Faulkner
• Lynyrd Skynyrd
• Mississippi Blues
• Instant Self-Esteem Boost for Northerners
• Shoeless Joe Jackson
• Robert Johnson
• George S. Patton
• Lead Belly

But that is about all I'm willing to give them. Despite this fact my sister brought me back the following items from her recent trip to Kentucky to visit Ernie.








That is correct. Pickled Watermelon Rinds and Hot Dog Sauce! Is the South really trying to be taken seriously by the rest of the world?

I'm leery to crack into the Pickled Watermelon Rinds, but this Saturday I'm going to fire up the grill and try the Hot Dog Sauce. I'm even going to buy special hot dogs for this experiment. Who knows? Maybe Hot Dog Sauce is the wave of the future.

For more information on the purveyor of these intriguing products, click on the link below:


Hot Dog Sauce

Friday Night is Family Night

If you are sitting around your home with nothing to do with a flock of kids by your side this Friday night, then I have good news for you!

This Friday is Family Night at Ames on the Half Shell and there are plenty of activities for children.

In fact, I'll just give you a list:

• Free cup and unlimited refills of Red Monkey root beer. (Red Monkey is caffeine free)
• 1 ticket for every child to the duck pond. At the duck pond child will receive a prize.
• Face Painting
• Temporary tattoos
• Bubbles
• Coloring table
• Balloon lady (My understanding is that this is the balloon lady to end all balloon ladies.)
• Bounce house
• Spin Art (Costs a buck I do believe and worth every last one of those pennies.)
• Pizza (from Happy Joe's I do believe.)
• Sno-Cones (This has yet to be confirmed, but this will be a fundraiser for Access.)

Of course there are also adult activities.

• Rocking the stage will be Murphy's Law
• Pizza (from Happy Joe's I do believe.)
• Spin Art (Costs a buck I do believe and worth every last one of those pennies.)
• Beer (Including two microbrews from Olde Main and a chick drink known as a Mojito*)
• Red Monkey (This is the best root beer ever.) There are other sodas available, but why would you want them when you have Red Monkey on tap?
  

The event kicks off at 5 PM and lasts until 8 PM. It is in the Bandshell Park near downtown Ames. This is followed by an After-Hours Party at London Underground.

Admission is 3 bucks and children under the age of 10 get in free.

I will see you there.

*When I was serving beer last week more men than I would have guessed ordered Mojitos. I don't think that they were all ordering them for their girlfriends or ladies they were trying to impress.

Random Flower Day

It feels like a good day to post random pictures of flowers.





























Here is a bonus image of another one of my attempts to tribute Impressionism. Specifically its emphasis on light in its changing qualities.





I like it any way.

Real American

The job posting for a Scab Nader has been closed. Nader has returned to the United States from his trip to visit family in London. We celebrated his return to the States with a meal at King Buffet and a viewing of Prince Caspian.

While eating the semi-edibles at King Buffet, Nader wowed me with his tales of London. One of his tales made me particularly proud. Proud of me. Proud that I have had an influence for the good on this man.

However, there was disturbing aspect of Nader's return that I had to document. He came home with a way creepy mustache. I think you all know what I believe about mustaches and the men that wear them. He swore to me that he would shave it that night while he was shaving his head. I hope so. Nothing good ever comes from a man growing a mustache.



Creepy Mustache



Look at Yourself



I'm unable to look at that mustache.



Even this cool hat doesn't help out that mustache.



One last bonus image.


Although I can not in good conscience endorse his facial hair selection, Nader did do one thing in London that makes me very proud.

A few months back Nader joined up with my Rambo Platoon for a viewing of Rambo. This was the first time that Nader had seen a Rambo movie in the theater. He groused about it for days. However, I assured him that although he has been a naturalized citizen for nearly 20 years, it was this viewing of Rambo that made it official that he was a Real American. I even told him that he should get a Certificate of Real Americanism from the Real American Bureau some time this year. (Note to self, need to fake up that certificate at some point.)

While he was in London his mom put pressure on him to move to London so that he could be closer to family.

He told her the following:

"Mom, I've seen Rambo now. Once you've seen Rambo you are a Real American and can't move out of the United States."

I am so proud.

Of course a 64 year old woman living in Tehran doesn't have the foggiest clue who Rambo is, but that hardly matters.

While I was tearing carpet out of the basement with Jay on Saturday we came across a Rambo toy gun from my youth. I might give that to Nader to show him my appreciation for spreading the Rambo message to Tehran.

On a personal note: Even though Rambo is just a terrible, terrible movie, it isn't anywhere near as insulting to the franchise as that awful Crystal Skull movie. I'm still angry about it.

More From Friday

Duff flooded a few hundred feet from the Computer Mine on Friday. The woods behind the Computer Mine flooded as well. I think all this water caused some of the animals from the woods to be a little more active near the building.

Earlier this year I figured out that Steve the Groundhog (as opposed to Angry Steve that works in Software or Steve the Hardware Plant on Dan's desk) is in actuality a Stevie. A Stevie like Stevie Nicks, not like Stevie Wonder. I figured this out because I saw a few baby groundhogs hanging around the entrance to their hole a few weeks back..

On Friday I saw 4 baby groundhogs. I was able to get these heavily cropped pictures of some of the baby groundhogs.

They really blend in with their natural surroundings so they make for less than spectacular photos, but believe me that they are cute in person.

I also ambled down to the flood with Vest during my lunch break and snapped off a few pictures.

While we were over by the flood the water rose rapidly enough to close us in. We had to cross the water just to get back to the dry land of the Computer Mine.