The Death of Rocket Power

It started like an ordinary day. I was cleaning out a storage room in the back yard when my daughter, Christy, and her 4-year-old son, Raymers, arrived. Before I could get out to greet them, Raymers came running in excitedly exclaiming "Grammy, you've got to see this.. come on!!" I asked what I had to see. He said, "a baby bird fell out of a house and its all dead!!!"

So I went out to see the hapless bird and, sure enough, there it was lying in the carport below a birdhouse. Christy found a flowerpot close at hand and scooped the baby bird up in it. She gave the pot to Raymers when he insisted on holding it. Christy and I discussed what one does with a dead bird, and decided the proper thing would be to bury it. Raymers asked what "bury" meant and we explained as well as we could to an impressionable 4 year old. Raymers said, "NO YOU CAN'T BURY HIM, HE"S MY PET!!..................... ", and after a pause, “my dead pet."

At this point Christy and I both lost it. We didn't just laugh, we howled. Raymers looked at us so seriously and we tried very hard not to laugh.

I went in to change my pants…

When I got back out Christy had convinced Raymers we needed to bury his "pet" and then suggested we bury him in the garden. Raymers stated an emphatic "NO.. WE CAN'T BURY HIM IN THE GARDEN.. HE'LL GET TILLED BY PAPA!!!!"

Up until this point Christy and I were still laughing; trying to hide it but still hysterically laughing. With the “bird getting tilled” remark we doubled over laughing again. We were both in pain and telling each other to “STOP IT”.. Poor little Raymers was watching us with a confused look and still being totally serious. He kept asking us "why are you laughing?". Christy, with tears streaming down her cheeks, explained to her confused son that we weren’t really laughing.. we were sad and were crying. How else would you explain our hysterics to a child attending his first funeral?

We decided the bird might, indeed, get tilled if we buried him in the garden and instead we found a corner by the fence that had been tilled so the ground was soft but was out of the "Papa might till again" area. Christy dug a hole and Raymers poured the bird out of the flowerpot into the grave. We were still weak from laughing and couldn't see for the tears in our eyes but Christy managed to ask Raymers if he wanted to name the bird. Raymers looked into the hole at the bird; it’s graying skin showing through the scattering of white feathers, its head twisted weirdly to one side, one leg almost gone, one skinny pink “elbow” where a wing could one day have been, and said seriously "his name is Rocket Power".

I went in to change my pants…

After we finished burying Rocket Power, Christy built a little cross and we talked about Rocket going to heaven. Raymers wisely stated, "yes he will go to bird heaven". As we carried the cross out to put it in the ground, Raymers said, seriously, "I hope we don't stick it in the baby bird".

I went in to start the washer…..

Raymers found two more dead birds that summer and both were given a proper burial and laid to rest beside Rocket Power. Eventually the crosses were pulled from the ground and nailed to the fence as a permanent monument to the Rocket Power family.

Raymon and Kyle at the Coast

This is my grandson Raymon and his brother Kyle. These two high energy 10 year olds were the reason for my coast trip over the weekend. The two boys, my daughter, Christy, and I all had a lot of fun.

Raymon was an only child for a lot of years but when his dad remarried a few years ago he gained 2 sisters and 3 brothers. He loves being a part of this large family and especially loves his brother Kyle. They are best buddies as well as brothers.
They don't like to be called step-brothers. They are BROTHERS!

These two are such good kids and can be soooo funny at times. We laughed a lot. It was a good weekend.

Mud Slinging... Fun Style

First I apologize to Salty and others who have dial up, for so many photos in one post.

These photos were taken last summer. My grandson was looking forward to his base ball game one Saturday but when we got to the field we learned that the game was called because of a huge mud puddle in the middle of the field. He was very disappointed and on the verge of tears until his mom came to the rescue!

My daughter, Christy, is a very hands-on totally-involved mom. She not only doesn't mind muddy/sloppy/yukky things that would have made me cringe when I had young kids.. she encourages them!

So.. not to let this mud puddle ruin the day, she took off her shoes and splashed right into it. Needless to say she was followed by my grandson who quickly forgot his disappointment.



This is my muddy grandson Raymon :)



Most of the other parents were quickly hurrying their kids away before they got wet but the coach, after some convincing, let her kids join the fun.





These kids will remember the fun they had this day MUCH longer than they would ever have remembered the ball game or the disappointment they felt when it was cancelled.

You rock Christy!

Where I was yesterday

Recently our daughter remarried and moved to Tennessee. Her son, our 9 year old grandson, Raymon, stayed in Oregon with his daddy for a few weeks. Yesterday we took him up to Portland to catch a plane to be with his mom and her new family.



We had a lot of fun on the trip up.



Raymon has been a close, almost daily part of our lives since he was born. Its going to be a big adjustment for us.. and for him too.





Raymon's Papa stood with his back to me so I wouldn't see his tears as he watched the sunrise and waited for the plane to take off.

We're really going to miss that kid.

The Power of Nature

We went to Bandon, Oregon yesterday. The ocean was rough and beautiful.

Chained Rock and Grandsons

My daughter recently visited Kentucky and came back with some amazing photos so I thought I'd post some of them here.

This is the legend of the Chained Rock

Some children of Pineville, Kentucky were having troubles sleeping at night because they were afraid that the large rocks that loomed over Pineville on Pine Mountain would break free and come tumbling down the mountain and smashing into Pineville. Well, the parents of these children invented the story that the rocks were chained to the mountain so the children wouldn't worry and sleep. Before long the story of the chained rock spread to neighboring communities and people started showing up in town inquiring about the locality of the chained rock. So as a publicity stunt,
in 1933, the rock was "chained" to the nearby cliff.

The steel chain is 101 feet long, spans 75 feet and weighs 1 1/2 tons. Each 4- by 6-inch link weighs 4 1/2 pounds. They are made of steel and are 1 3/8 inches thick.
It was acquired from a quarry in Virginia and was moved up the mountain by mules, Kiwanis Club members, local Boy Scouts and the Civilian Conservation Corps.



This is my grandson Raymon on the left, my daughter Christy on the right and my new grandson Alex who I have yet to meet in the middle.

Grandson Raymon and Watermelon

I'm headed up to Salem for a couple days. I have a meeting on Wednesday so decided to go up a day early and visit the Oregon Gardens in Silverton and Silver Falls State Park just out of Silverton.

I've never been to Silverton or the Oregon Gardens so this should be fun. I hear Silverton has lots of murals around the town so I'm looking forward to that too.

This is my grandson sticky from watermelon juice :)



See you Wednesday night

Young Eagles

This is another multiphoto post but I need them all to tell the whole story here.

The Young Eagles Program is a nationwide program that provides free airplane rides for children. Over a million kids have "experienced the thrill of flight" because of generous local pilots who donate their planes and their time.

Today my grandson, Raymon, got to experience this thrill. Three children get to go up on each flight and today 45 kids were scheduled.

This is Raymon (looking only a little nervous)and the pilot, Larry Durst.


After everyone was registered and accounted for, the kids were loaded on to the plane...


...and buckled in and ready to go...


After a short taxi down the runway...


...they lifted off


This lovely lady is Maxine Durst, wife of the pilot. While the kids were in the air, Maxine explained the program to the parents, talked about the flight and answered questions.


The flight was exactly 20 minutes and part of the flight was over Wildlife Safari where they could view the larger animals.

The plane returned right on time...


...and the children returned happily displaying their flight certificates.


Thanks so much for your kindness and generousity Larry and Maxine.


Larry and Maxine and any of the other parents who come to look at the photos, please feel free to download any pictures you would like.

Christy and Raymon

I want to learn to do portrait photography. I need a decent lighting system to start. My daughter had me take photos of her and and my grandson for their Christmas cards. She was satisfied with some of the takes but I know I have a lot to learn. I like the pose but the colors are splotchy.