WHOAAA!  We went to visit the baby at the hospital and decided to bring it home.  The doctors could find nothing wrong and so, being good business people they didn’t even charge us for an admittance fee!  How wonderful!

Expercon in Logan is the best!

So, I say to everyone on here, if you are interested in an Apple type computer, hit them guys up!

As for my baby….Well, I’ve been on line for about 5 minutes now and everything is perfect.  No humming.  No drumming.  No loud and obnoxious noises of any kind.  And best of all no poopy diapers!  It is as if it is brand spanking new again!  And all because I unplugged it to take it to the doctor.  So keep that in mind Apple computer owners…if you are experiencing any sort of problem, just unplug it and wait 5 minutes.  Then plug it back in and see if that didn’t fix it.  If it does, please make a comment below this posting and let others know about how easy it is to fix Apple Computers!

It feels so good to have a Bears Butt again!  This morning when I posted that short story about why things were going so bad, it took about 20 minutes for me to “fat finger” my way through that with tons and tons of re-do’s because of those terrible auto-correct words.

So, what is going on besides having my baby home?

Ice fishing:  Saw some folks out on Mantua today and we drove past Hyrum….from ice enough to stand on in Mantua, to white caps on Hyrum!  What a difference!  No ice fishing up there yet!

Bow and arrow shooting:  I got a bow and 3 arrows from my Grandkids for Christmas and went to the range for the first time last night.  Boy was I tearing it up.  Her is my first 3 shot group:

Look close, you will see all three arrows.

Then in the room walked a man who knows all there is to know about shooting a bow like the one I got.  He first took the arrow rest off and put a new one on….correctly I might add.  Then he got a bow square out and re-set the arrow knock point.  He spent the next 30 minutes telling me that it isn’t so much about hitting the target as getting the proper form down pat when you first take up shooting a bow and arrow.  And then, he had me shoot with my eyes closed into a target backing that was all of 3 feet away.  I sort of felt like a kid being scolded for something and being sent into the corner to be out of the way.  But I did as he said, and sure enough, I could feel the bow string on the end of my nose and my anchor point on my jaw each time.  Next was my release…all 3 fingers needing to brush my cheek when I let the string go.  It all felt so good….AND to top it all off, I never once missed that 3 ft. X 3 ft. block of foam!!!!

So, after he had worn himself out shooting at his targets he came back to me and told me to now shoot at the paper target down range 20 yards.

I did and he stopped me.  My arrows were lifting in the back upon release.  He made a minor adjustment to the arrow nock point.  Still they bucked up!  (Or was it just me bucking up?)  He went away for a moment and came back with a different set of arrows.  Smaller in diameter than the ones I was using, like half as big around.  I shot those and low and behold I could watch the arrow all the way to the target.  Something I could not do with the bigger arrows.  I need arrows as small as those and will be ordering some very soon.

After shooting several sets of 3 arrows, Weasel  said he was tired and wanted to go home.  So, after my set of shooting I counted up how many times I hit that little yellow circle….once!

Don’t laugh!  A guys has to start somewhere!  Even a good fisherman starts with his first fish!

Bears Butt

December 30, 2014

In the meantime Bears Butt’s computer is in ICU, having an MRI done on its CPU. The docs initial thoughts are very positive as the initial tests came back positive. He kept it in order to run a more thorough examination. It was hard to walk away from the baby and leave it with strangers, but sometimes you just have to trust tough love.

I have to thank Tracker for staying with me through the initial testing, it really means alot knowing you have a good friend by your side. Taking her into the hospital was too much for Winemaker and Bones to bare. They stayed in the car and waited patiently while all the tests were being run.

Thanks to all for your concern.

I’ll try and keep you updated as I get word on the prognosis.

Bears Butt

Dec. 29, 2014

I have to show you this one, it is too good to be true. WARNING: They guy puts up two middle fingers!

Merry Christmas!

THE BEARS BUTT COOKIE

It’s just a sugar cookie, said the boy to his friend, but the friend knew better. Look again he said. And the boy looked the cookie over and then replied…you are right. It isn’t just another cookie. It looks like it is in the shape of a bear and the bear is looking over it’s left shoulder, back toward me.

You are absolutely right said the friend. It’s the famous Bears Butt cookie! They only come about once in a great while when your mother or grandmother are making sugar cookies. Maybe one in ten thousand will turn out to look like this one. They are special…my grand father told me about them.

What did your grand father say?

Well, he said that when grandma was making sugar cookies long ago, one of them turned out to look like a bears butt only when he bit into it there was some magic in it. The cookie tasted like none other he had ever had. It was sweeter than the others and made him smile and feel warm all over. These kind of cookies are just for special friends like you are to me.

Wow! I feel really special, said the young boy. Thanks a million for this cookie. But, now I don’t want to eat it. I want to save it and maybe even give it to another one of my friends so they will feel good about it too.

Well, do with it what you want to, but I gave it to you so your could eat it. But I understand you not wanting to eat it and if you give it to another one of your friends I hope you tell them the story too. If they eat it I’m sure they will think it is very special and that it will give them a happy and warm feeling, just like my grand father said.

Have you ever eaten a cookie that looks like a bears butt? Asked the boy to his friend.

Nope. This cookie was given to me a long time ago and I’ve been saving it for you. Although I didn’t know it was for you that I was saving it. I just knew I was saving it for someone special.

WOW! Thanks again! I am a special person. Said the boy with great enthusiasm. I never thought of myself as anyone special, but you have made be believe I am. You are a great friend.

Well, the boy took that special cookie shaped like a bears butt and wrapped it carefully in a napkin and put it in his pocket. The two friends played for the rest of the day and then the boy had to go home.

When he got home he took the cookie out of his coat pocket and put it on the top of the dressing room table. He carefully unfolded the napkin and left it laying there while he went and ate his supper and went to bed.

The next morning the first thing he did was go over and look again at the cookie. It was just as he had left it. Later in the day, his mother asked him about the cookie and why he hadn’t eaten it. The boy beamed with delight as he told his mother about the special cookie and how his friend had given it to him. He delighted in telling her the story about how sweet the cookie tasted and how it made you smile and warm all over. Of course, she questioned him about this because he hadn’t eaten the cookie. How did he know how sweet it tasted? How did he know it would make you smile and warm all over?

Well, he said, my friends grand father told him it was sweeter than any of the other cookies and it made him smile and feel warm all over when he ate it. And if he said it, then it must be so.

The boys mother was very happy for her young son and asked him what he was going to do with the cookie. The boy replied he was going to give it to another of his friends so that he could know the story of the cookie. But what if he eats it? She asked. That’s OK. If he eats it then he will know for sure the story is true and that the cookie is the sweetest he had ever eaten and he will smile and get a warm feeling all over his body. It will be fine if he eats it.

Well, the boys mother reminded him that he had his chores to do and then went off to do what she had to do. The boy in the meantime looked that cookie over and over again. It was a very nice looking cookie and it looked like it would be very sweet indeed. But even though he was tempted to eat it, he didn’t and he went about getting his chores all done for the day. Later on, he asked his mother if he could go to his other friends house and give him the cookie. His mother asked first about the chores and were they all done and then said it would be fine for him to go. Then off the boy went to his other friends home.

Hey! Yelled the boy to his other friend. Guess what I’ve got? Heck, I don’t know. Replied the other friend. I have a special cookie for you! Said the boy. What makes it so special? Asked the other friend. Well, here look at it. And he handed the bears butt cookie over to his friend.

Puzzled the friend looked the cookie over and over. Occasionally he would look up at the boy and then back at the cookie. Well, what does it look like to you? Asked the boy. Well… well, it sort of looks like a bear looking over its shoulder back at me. Replied the friend. IT IS! Said the boy. It is exactly that. A bears butt cookie! And they only happen every once in a million cookies that are made! My friend gave it to me yesterday and now I’m giving it to you! It has special powers, he said. My friends grand father told him a story about the bears butt cookie. He said that when he ate one a long, long time ago that the cookie was the sweetest cookie he had ever tasted and it made him smile and warm all over.

So, why didn’t you eat it yesterday? Asked the friend. Well, I wanted you to have it. You are a very special friend of mine and I wanted you to enjoy it and smile and get warm all over. Said the boy.

But, I don’t want to eat it. I want to save it and give it to one of my friends in the big city. He would never get a cookie like this ever in all his born life! I want to give it to him! Is that ok with you? Is it ok if I don’t eat it but that I give it to my city friend? Asked the boys friend. Yes! If that is what you want to do. It’s your cookie and you can give it to your city friend if you would like. Said the boy. But make sure he knows the story of the bears butt cookie.

So, the young friend wrapped his cookie up in a napkin and placed it in the house. Then the two boys went about playing for the rest of the day.

Later on when the young friend was eating his supper, his mother asked him about the cookie. The boy was very happy to tell her about his friend giving it to him and about the magic that the cookie had inside. How very sweet the cookie tasted and how it made you smile and warm all over inside. Of course the mother questioned him about such knowledge when he hadn’t eaten the cookie. Well, he said, his friends friends grand father had told him about the special taste and feelings the cookie gave him when he ate one a long, long, long time ago. And if he said it then it must be true. The mother smiled, then asked what he was going to do with it.

The young man didn’t even hesitate and said, when we go to the city to visit grandma, I’m going to give it to my friend who I haven’t seen since last Christmas. He would never ever get to eat a cookie that looked like a bears butt. The taste of the cookie will be the sweetest he has ever eaten and he will smile and get a warm feeling all over his body! It will be the best ever.

Well, the mother said, make sure it stays wrapped up really good. We won’t be going to grandmas place for a couple of days yet.

And the boy put the cookie away in a small box.

A few days later they all went to see grandma in the city and the young man took the box that held the cookie. After they had eaten a really big meal that grandma had made for them and all the older folks were sitting around relaxing and talking about the past year and everything, the young boy asked if he could go down the street to his good friends home to play. Of course he could, but he was to be back to grandmas place before dark. The young man raced out of the house as quick as a wink, the box that held the cookie tightly clinched in his fist!

Down the sidewalk he ran, all the way to his good friends home without stopping!

He rang the doorbell and to the door came the friends father! Well, lookie here! Who do we have the pleasure of seeing? Merry Christmas! You must be here to see Billie! Come in, come in!!! Billie is up in his room. Go on up!

The young man raced up to Billies room. Billie was really glad to see him and they talked and talked about what had gone on since the last time they had seen each other. They had a lot to talk about too and after awhile, the young boy remembered the box and the cookie. Hey Billie! I have something for you! And he handed the box to Billie. Billie looked a bit caught off guard and slowly took the box from the young man. He opened the lid carefully as sometimes things like this have a tendency to pop up and get you if you aren’t careful, but that didn’t happen this time. Billie gently took the wrapped up cookie out of the box and opened up the napkin covering it. He glanced up at the young man and then back to the cookie.

The young man asked Billie if he could tell what the cookie looked like. Billie’s eyes got really wide and he said, It looks like a bears butt and the bear is looking at me over its shoulder! IT IS! Yelled the young man and then continued to tell Billie the story about the cookie. They only happen once in a billion cookies. All the other cookies will look like they are supposed to, but when one comes out of the oven and looks like this, you know it is very special and will be the sweetest one ever made and when you eat it it will melt in your mouth and make you smile and feel warm all over! This is one very special cookie and you will probably never see another one like this in your whole life! It’s yours and I want you to enjoy it!

But, Billie started, how did you get it? He asked.

Well, my friend gave it to me back home and he told me the story about how his friend had given it to him and that his friends grand father had told him the story about how they only happen to come along every once in a great while when someone is making sugar cookies and how it is the sweetest tasting one ever and how it makes you smile when you eat it and you get a very warm feeling all through your body. So, I wanted you to have it because you are a very special friend of mine and I want you to eat it and enjoy the sweet taste and how happy it will make you.

Would it be ok with you if I didn’t eat it, but that I give it to a very special girl friend of mine? Asked Billie.

Sure, if that is what you want to do with it. It’s your cookie and if you want a girl friend of yours to have it, that would be great with me! But be sure and tell her the story about how a cookie like this only happens once every billion cookies and how sweet it is and how it makes you smile and warm all over when you eat it. Said the young man. And then he looked at the clock on the wall and realized he had to get back to grandmas before it got dark. The two boys said their goodbyes and out the door he ran back to grandmas.
——————————————

So, you see the story of the bears butt cookie has been around a very long time. If you get the chance to have such a cookie you best cherish it and eat it slowly. These cookies only come along every once in a trillion cookies. It is the sweetest cookie ever made and will make you smile and warm all over when you eat it. Never mind that it might be a little brittle and crunchy, remember a very good friend gave it to you.

Merry Christmas….enjoy your cookie!

Bears Butt
December 2014

Yesterday Sherry and I had the privilege of going down to the Ronald McDonald Family Room at the Primary Children’s Hospital to help give them a meal.  Smith And Edwards is a big part of the ACE Team that supports the Primary Children’s Hospital and one a month ACE provides a meal for the families that have children in the hospital.

As we were driving down toward Bella’s Restaurant in Farr West, to meet with Joy Peterson and pick up the meal, we saw this Sun Dog out in the Western sky.  Sherry took the picture with her phone camera.  A beautiful site and one of the prettiest Sun Dogs I have ever seen.  A ray of hope is what I’m calling it.

Joy had the meal all placed in the back of her car and ready for the trip to Salt Lake City by the time we pulled into the parking lot at Bellas.  We transferred our stuff and ourselves into her car and off we went.  The traffic going South into the big city was all I remembered of my 27 years of commuting that roadway and it only re-established my desire to avoid it at all costs, when I can.  This time our shortest route was to go that way and on that road.  No accidents were seen as we rode along….Joy is a good driver.

Arriving at the Primary Children’s Hospital about 5 p.m. we met up with Trent, the main ACE guy at the main door and with assistance from another ACE volunteer, we moved the food from the car up to the Family Room of the hospital.  There were 5 of us volunteers last night representing ACE.  I’m bad with names and so can’t tell you who the other two were, but one lady was from an ACE store in the SLC valley, while the other gentleman is from the Layton store just outside the South Gate of Hill Air Force Base.

What a place.  A very comfortable area for family of children who have to be in such a place as a hospital.  But what a nice hospital it is, with the most caring of doctors and nurses and a whole lot of volunteers who help in every way possible.  One can only wonder just what those children are in there for and from all the walks of life they come from.  I was so wrapped up in the moment(s) I only took one picture and that was of two of the staff members of the Ronald McDonald Family Center.  They are great and wonderful people.

This Family Room, as they call it, has pretty much everything a family could need.  Computers, Comfortable sitting areas, a beautiful view of the city below, a kitchen with all the facilities you need and fully furnished by the food pantry and volunteer groups like we were last night.

The fridge and freezer there was so packed with every kind of food you can imagine and before we left, we added a bit to it in the form of left overs from the meal that was prepared by the Bella’s Restaurant.  Trust me, there wasn’t much left over.

But the main reason I’m writing this it to let you know there are a lot of people down there who have some extremely sick children.  Some of them have been down there for months, while others only a few days.  They are all very nice people and all they need is to know there are a few people who care about their situation.  What I came away from the evening was a reassurance of something I have already known most of my life….”If you think the world is coming down around you and there is no hope for you and your situation.  Just look around and see your neighbor or the person sitting next to you or walking down the street.  There are people who have it MUCH worse than you”.

We got to interact with some wonderful people last night with a lot on their shoulders, but they did have a smile or two left.  We tried in our own simple way to help them enjoy a nice hot meal and let them know there are a whole lot of caring people in the world who have their prayers in their hearts for them and their children’s issues.

I am so very glad that even though I don’t work for Smith and Edwards, nor ACE Hardware, that I was allowed to join them in serving that meal last night.  It was a very rewarding experience for me, even though I got stuck with the “pots and pans” when it came to clean up….That’s OK, my military experience came in real handy for that!

On our way home, Joy made it a point to go around Temple Square so we could see the billions of lights that are on display down there.  What a beautiful site and the streets were filled with “lookers” just like us and everywhere you looked were people laughing and having a good time.  Lots of entertainers (some might call pan handlers) hoping to entertain someone enough to get a token of appreciation in the form of a coin or bill dropped into their hat.

A wonderful evening.  Thank you for the opportunity folks!

I’m not a bow shooter, but I did see this on You Tube and thought perhaps some of you bow shooters might like to see it.  When I have gone to bow shooting events in the recent past I have seen all kinds of gadgets hooked to the bows and every one of them is to help the shooter hit what they want to hit.  This is a practical devise that also acts as a counter balance device….2 deals in one.

With only a few more days till Christmas I figure it’s time you heard a little Christmas story: