Inspiration from Electronic Basketball

Before my son Michael got taller than me, he challenged me to a game on this electronic basketball court. It automatically counts the baskets made by each player, which helps a lot when all you're really after is aiming and shooting and making more baskets than the person next to you. After our first round, Michael had beaten me by more than DOUBLE my points. But he was so much younger, shorter, and less experienced than me! "How did you do that?" I asked in amazement.

"I kept my eye on the basket," he replied.

"What about picking up the basketballs?" I asked. "I have to look down and pick them up."

"Just reach down and grab them without looking."

"How can you do that? Doesn't it take more time?"

 He grinned knowingly and glanced at the score board. "Not really. You know they're there. You just reach down and grab one while you keep on looking at the basket."

He had won the game handily, which proved the worth of his counsel, so I tried it. AFter the second round, we nearly had the same score, but he still won. Of course, he'd had more practice, practice, practice!

This impressed on me the age-old point that if you keep your eye on your goal, you'll accomplish it much more easily and better than if you keep letting yourself get distracted. Get your tools lined up where they're near at hand and keep your eye on what you want.

With this technique in mind, what amazing things are you doing this New Year?

Fruit Cake, Hawaiian Style!

You've heard all the Christmas fruitcake jokes - use it as a speed bump - save it for next year and re-gift it - use it as a doorstop. My mother actually liked her grandma's fruitcake, but I haven't seen Mom eat any recently. (Admittedly, I'm not at her house every day. She may be a closet fruitcake eater.)

Why is fruitcake so heavy and dense? Because it's so old! It dates (ha, ha, dates!) back to Roman times when they fell in love with dried fruit. (They could have just stored it in jars, but nooo, they had to bake it into cakes.)

Fruitcake also has a record - it was outlawed in Europe in the 18th century for being "sinfully rich." Even though it tried to disguise itself by changing its name to "Plum Cake," it didn't get away with it. It took a hundred years before it was back in favor. Queen Victoria was a fan, but she reportedly made herself wait a year to eat her fruitcake because she felt it showed proper restraint. (And may I say, the fruitcake had not changed a bit in all that time.)

Personally, I've never cared for fruitcake until my friend, Roy Leabig, who has lived in Hawaii for years, made the delightful cake pictured above. (He didn't call it "fruitcake," but I do!) It's a white cake with tropical fruit, nuts, and coconut on top, sprinkled with powdered sugar. Take my word for it, it tastes even better than it looks, and that is one pretty cake!

So give a try, then tell me, what do you think of Roy's Hawaiian Fruitcake?

A gift they may not have - Bamboo Socks

I'm a little slow to flesh out this blog, but I've been in shock, wondering who would have ever thought of making socks out of BAMBOO? (I have to wonder...do pandas make little hats out of French Toast when we aren't looking?)

Why in the world would anyone take a panda's sole food source and make it something we'd wear on our feet? Well, according to Bamboo Village, it's been used in Asia for centuries for lots of things, from building houses to serving on the dinner table. It's just those of us in the Western Hemisphere who have been out of the bamboo loop. (And I'll betcha they don't know what to do with sagebrush, either! Come to think of it, neither do I...)

Anyway, bamboo grows fast, so when your socks wear out, you can just buy some new ones and throw your old ones away, because they are BIODEGRADABLE and won't clog up landfills! They are also soft and warm (I'm wearing some right now) and have a fancy little logo on the sole.

The only thing I'd warn you against is wearing them to the zoo. Don't get too close to the panda enclosure!

What unusual clothing items have you worn?

Do You Have Your Christmas Tree Yet?

I've heard of sad looking Christmas trees, but goodness gracious, this one takes the fruitcake! Not only does it make me feel sorry just looking at it, but if you tried to hang any ornaments on its branches, they'd just slide off onto the floor. And where do you put the star on top? (Or is your family tradition a tree-topped angel? At my church Christmas party, they listed the white-clad girls as "angles." Some of them were rather gawky, but I didn't think they should have pointed out that fact so blatantly.)

There must be a way that this evergreen could be part of the Christmas festivities. In the olden days, people threaded popcorn onto strings to drape around a tree. In this tree's case, you could forgo the needle and thread and simply stick popcorn kernels on the tree needles. Ditto with the cranberries. Now we've got red and white decorations. Perhaps you could convince a real angel to flutter above the tree top. Or else you could light it the old-fashioned way, with candles that sported an open flame. There is a possibility that the tree could catch fire that way. If it does, then voila! You have a nice cheery Christmas bonfire, and the weeping evergreen tree has served its Christmas purpose of giving warmth and joy to the household.

What does your tree look like this year? 

CAROL OF THE TALES musical celebration!

This delightfully eclectic collection of Christmas stories, with one tale for each day leading up to Christmas, is being celebrated at concert to honor veterans on Pearl Harbor day by a variety of musicians, including the Saltaires Barbershop Chorus. Don't miss this Saturday, December 7 event!

CLICK HERE for details to treat yourself to a memorable holiday experience!

100% Peanut Oil, or what?

Since nuts are a big part of Christmas gift giving both in the family I came from and in the family I married into, I was curious to take a closer look at this can of peanut oil I saw in the store. The one thing I couldn't figure out is if 100% is ALL of something, how in the world could it fit in "other ingredients?"

Do you know?

Better than Candy Christmas treat!

If you want to give your neighbors something for Christmas, but they don't want sugar, then give them this vegetable Christmas tree treat! You can even make the plate part of the gift. 

Spirit Goat Parking Only

While helping my nieces getting their senior pictures taken in Logan, Utah, we found an interesting little alley in an old part of Logan, which included this intriguing facade on Federal Avenue. 

While wandering in between the charming old-world style buildings, I caught sight of a sign in a window. What did it say? I went closer to see.

Could I believe my eyes? Did it really say, "Parking for the Spirit Goat only?" Who...or what... is the Spirit Goat? Ah, the ever-faithful Internet brings up the information that the Spirit Goat creates goat's milk soaps and lotions. You can see a photo of the goat here:  http://www.spiritgoat.com/ So if you see her driving along Federal Avenue in Logan, Utah, you'd better get out of her parking space before she butts you out!

The trouble with Cars

I don't argue that cars are helpful things. When mine works, I love my PT Cruiser (except for its low clearance. I lost an oil pan from rolling over a rock on a canyon road a few years ago.) When they don't work, cars are just big hunks of junk. Last year, my car got several mysterious flat tires. It seemed like I found a flat tire every other week for a couple of months. Weird.

My sister's tire was weird, too because the tire repair man said he'd never seen a flat like hers with a stick impaled in her tire. He couldn't figure out how it had happened.

But I digress.

This year, I had to have a new alternator put in my hot-rod-red PT Cruiser. Only a couple of weeks later, my car broke down on a highway north of Gunnison while I was rushing to get my prescriptions before closing time. The new alternator had gone junk, but my knight in shining red truck armor came and rescued me in enough time to get my car to a safe place and also get my tasks done. We barely made it! It was so exciting.

Do you like your vehicle? Or would you rather have a horse?

Halloween Costume Reveal!

I was going for Pop Star. (See the sparkly shirt? See the dramatic cape? See the glitter on my eyelids?) (If you missed my pix, see my previous post.)

My 19-year-old went with the Native American theme

 While my 14-year-old chose traditional clothes and pulled funny faces. 

 What was your Halloween costume?

What is Shirley's Halloween Costume?

What Am I?

(Answer to come...)

Bavarian Doughnut Dissection

If I eat a doughnut, it's got to be worth the calories, like a Bavarian doughnut with heavenly cream filling from Miller's Bakery in Manti. When I got this one (it's been awhile ago) it looked to be full of promise.

This is what I expected:

This is what I got:

Moral of the story: Doughnuts are not to be trusted.

If I ever think I want to eat another doughnut, then I will remember that I've had enough doughnuts in my lifetime to recall their taste, and that my imagination will provide a perfect, and calorie free, doughnut for my virtual tasting pleasure.

Do you eat doughnuts? What kind do you like?  

Apple Bobbing Shirley

Bobbing for apples is an age old tradition that must have been invented by mermaids. Here I am, an apple bobbing volunteer, surviving a near-drowning. (I've gotten water up my nose in the shower! That's what comes of having an upturned nose.) Still, I came away without an apple in my teeth. (Chris Adams is victory-fist pumping on the right, because he won. Gerald Wayman is getting water out of his eyes in the background...or is he trying to hide the second place winner apple in his mouth?)

As you can see below, I survived, and snapped up an apple with my dexterous fingers. How about changing apple dunking to apple pie eating? I think I could get my teeth into that!

What are your favorite Fall activities?

Green and Orange Guys on the Street

When I saw these green and orange guys on the side of the street in Logan, Utah, I had to turn around and go back for a picture.

Then I had to join in the fun!

They were advertising a place called... I think it was "Twizle Berry" or something... where you can build your own cold ice cream treat with enough toppings to scare a mad hatter, and then you pay for it by weight. (By the way, that's my sister Rebecca popping up behind the sign. When she's with me, she lets her playful side out to have fun, too!)

While we were posing, Brent the Bike Guy rode past. Rebecca called him over and told me that he rides his bicycle all over Cache Valley (that's where the city of Logan is.) 

Rebecca said that some bullies took exception to Brent's innocent habit of waving at everyone, a practice that his child-like mind uses as a gesture of friendship to all. For some reason I can't fathom, the bullies beat Brent and broke his bicycle. In response to the attack, the community rallied and got him a new bike. Now the citizens of Cache Valley collectively watch over Brent the Bike Guy. 

Brent was nice enough to take part in a photo op for us, and he never stopped smiling and waving. It was a privilege to meet such an innocent and inspirational human being.

Who have you met who's made an impression on you? 

  

Salad Rolls To Go!

     Once upon a time, I took some food on a trip with me. Along with the standard carrots and celery, I took peppers. Not the mini ones, the regular size. I offered my sister, who was traveling with me, some of my food. She picked up a pepper, turned it over, and said, "It's not cut."

     "You cut it with your teeth," I said. "Just bite it like an apple." I raised my own pepper to my mouth and took a bite.

     My sister shook her head in wonder. "I was going to bring vegetables on this trip, but I didn't have time to cut them up. I never thought of bringing the whole thing."

     I couldn't help but wonder if other people struggle with portable vegetables, so I decided to share my salad roll-to-go technique.

FIRST you start with lovely, nutritious lettuce leaves.

I've really only tried this with broad leaf lettuce. (You could try iceberg lettuce if you want to, but I don't guarantee the results.)

Then choose a large leaf and put a stripe of your favorite salad dressing down the center.

I recommend blue cheese, the best kind of salad dressing ever made, although my husband can't seem to appreciate it. 

Add more leaves. Stack a couple of them beneath the dressed up lettuce, and stack some more on top.

These are fanned out just so you can see the lettuce dressing beneath. Stack them in opposite directions, with the leaf tops up and down and up and down. It rolls better that way.

Now roll your lettuce leaves into a tube.

It's a good idea to tuck a leaf on the bottom up to hold in any dressing that might drip. Creamy dressing is easier to contain than something like a vinaigrette.

This is how it looks when you bite it. YUMMY!

I always like more lettuce than dressing. So refreshing!  You can even wrap it in a paper towel, like a burrito. Just be careful not to eat the paper. You can even roll up other salad ingredients in with the dressing, such as strips of pepper, avocado, carrots, grapes, sunflower seeds, anything your heart and tummy desire. Enjoy your salad to go!

What do you like to eat while driving?

Chocolate Lipstick

Back when I was eating more sweets than I am now, I helped myself to a chocolate turnover from Arby's. Eating while driving can be a little bit tricky, especially with something that has a soft center like a warm chocolate turnover. But, no worries, if it gets on your lips, you can just save it for later.

(Just to reassure you,  wasn't taking pictures and eating while driving. My little sister Carolyn took this photo.)

I found out from watching a snippet of information from Doctor Oz that no one should worry about their weight. What a relief! Instead, you should worry about the tape measure. (If it's enchanted, it might turn into a snakey thing that eats your food before you do!) Not really. According to the good doctor, the ideal waist size is no more than half your height. Interesting. And perhaps with an eye to ruining your appetite, Doctor Oz showed a couple of organs for comparison. One was thin and clean, the other was clogged with fat.

That did it for me. If I overeat now, it involves crunching on green leafy vegetables.

Have you figure out yet what your waist measurement should be when compared to your height? Don't worry, I won't ask, that's between you and your chocolate turnover!

Swinging Along

I already recovered the swing once, but it didn't last.

So I tried again with webbing straps instead of plasticized fabric.

 The problem was, I didn't have enough webbing. So it was back to ebay, wait a few days, and...

 voila! A lovely swing to sit on in the shade. (I need even more webbing to weave the overhead shade, but if there's a tree above, then why bother?)

I don't know if you can see it, but I didn't cut individual strips and fasten each end. I looped the straps over the bar and then ran them back the opposite way, then looped and turned, looped and turned. It took less time, well, not considering all the attempts I made, but it didn't take as long as fastening all the ends. Still, when a little boy who lives around the block sat on it and his bum fell through to touch the ground (he liked it that way) I realized I still had to stitch each end so the straps wouldn't slide around and separate.

Have you already discovered that figuring things out can be oh, so frustrating, and ever so much fun?

It's not just what he says, it's HOW HE SAYS IT!

THIS GUY AMAZED ME! He made me laugh when I was so depressed I didn't want to leave my room (yeah, I get that way sometimes)...it's not just what he says, it's how he says it! And he made me think, "Do I want to be like him when I'm 93?" (Answer: Oh, yeah!) I challenge you to take 15 minutes to see if a 93 year old man can inspire you. (I don't necessarily mean the first couple of minutes when he tells about getting squished against a tall lady in a crowded room. It began for me with him rowing a boat at the age of 91) but you should hear him tell it!

Simple way to Diminish Obesity and Beat Depression!

I suspected it when I got on my bike in a grumpy mood and got off feeling happy. (It's not just riding a bike, though.)

This video lets you in on the secret of the most fun way to DIMINISH OBESITY and BEAT DEPRESSION...it only takes about three minutes to find out how! Just watch this entertaining video! 

  Are you READY? Then GET SET, and GO! (Click here!) 

Finding A Rock in an Unlikely Place

Would you be surprised to open your car door and find a rock in your car? I mean, if you didn't leave one there the last time you drove. I was puzzled by the rock I found in my car. It hadn't been there the last time I looked. Sometimes Bron borrows my car, but why would he put a rock in it, especially on the floor of the driver's side?

Hm.

It could be to put behind a tire to hold the car in place in case it's parked on a hill and the brakes give out.

It could be to break out a window in case the car plunges into a deep body of water.

Maybe it's intended for use against a car jacker... although a car jacker just might see a bright white rock coming at him. Yet ducking might not work to totally avoid injury, since rocks are prone to follow the law of gravity, and so could still fall on an attacker's head.

Perhaps it's really a petrified dinosaur egg.

There could be a diamond hidden inside.

Maybe it's an alien skull.

It could be ballast for an unexpected boat ride, or be used to hold down the corner of a tent constructed from the blankets I keep in the back of my car.

I finally asked Bron about it, and he said, "I saw one of those flags the Scouts stick into lawns tipping over, so I found this rock and used it to hammer the flag back in. Then I put it in the car and drove home."

Mystery solved! Now I can write a story about some of the things I contemplated before finding out the truth. 

What did you think the rock was for? 

A Dressing Room Without WHAT?

When I went to try on some clothes, I came across this most unexpected sight of a dressing room with a view.

Yes, you're seeing it right. There was no door on this particular dressing room, and no "Out of Order" sign, either.

Did they expect you to get dressed really fast so all anyone saw was a blur as you whipped off your old clothes and threw on the new?

Was there an unspoken "no looking" rule?

Was there an invisible barrier that made it LOOK like a door once someone crossed the threshold with bundles of clothes in their arms?

Perhaps this was the "bring a friend" dressing room, where someone you know, love, and hopefully trust could hold up a blanket or other large, opaque item while you tried things on, trying to finish before their arms got too tired.

Or maybe this was the dressing room for people who just didn't care who saw them in whatever state of undress they needed to accomplish their shopping in. (That makes me wonder... could anyone get arrested for indecent exposure if they were inside the confines of a designated dressing room that didn't happen to have a door?)

And why doesn't it have a door?

Ah. That leads to a whole other set of questions.

Questions are good, especially when plotting a story. If you let your mind go to the most varied ideas ever (this is the newest anti-shoplifting technique, this is a black hole to another dimension where no one uses dressing rooms) no matter how weird, then you have more material than you need to finally settle on a storyline that feels right to you. Letting your mind draw "weird" conclusions keeps your storyline from being cliche and stale.

Here's how I handle doorless dressing rooms - I almost always wear black bike shorts under everything, so I just take it all off except my bike shorts and t-shirt and try things on anyway. No waiting! No muss! No fuss! Just funny looks from other shoppers.

But I'm used to that.

What would YOU do with a doorless dressing room?

Misty Moncur's "Fight For You" author interview!

BOOK SUMMARY:

Keturah fought her way into the army, but now she's in Judea building fortifications, and the only thing she's fought so far is boredom. The work is hard, and the other soldiers don't think she can pull her weight. Her brothers are becoming strangers, and Zeke's jealousy is getting worse - because Keturah is falling in love with the wrong warrior.

But she's not about to let cruel pranks and hurt feelings keep her from doing what she knows to be right. She completes every order with faithfulness - a hasty retreat from the Lamanite army, a spy mission into the enemy stronghold, a midnight assassination. From burying the dead to whiling away hours on guard duty, Keturah will do whatever it takes to protect her religion, her freedom, her peace, and her family.
But in a camp of two thousand boys, the most important thing she has to protect is her heart.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW:

Shirley: No, Misty, step aside. I’ll be the first one going down

that jungle path. Last time you led the way, you let a branch loose and it whapped me across the stomach. I still have a welt. Is that one of the battle strategies you learned from writing the book “Fight For You?”

Misty: You bet. It’s whap or be whapped.

Shirley: It figures. Ahhh! Look out for that snake! Oh, wait. It’s just a stick. No, no, I’ll still lead the way. After all, the Lamanites are following behind us. What is it that made you think of writing about a female warrior?

Misty: I've always loved the story of the stripling warriors in the Book of Mormon. I remember learning about it in seminary – where I was sitting in the classroom, the things the teacher said, the pictures I had in my mind. It was a very vivid story for me, and I always thought there was more to it than just some boys who went to war because their mothers taught them to have faith. When I liken that scripture story to myself, I've always identified with the warriors, not the mothers (though I can identify with both now that I am a mother). I have to put myself there – in the villages, among the warriors, beating a hasty retreat from the Lamanites. And I guess I had the question every writer has—What if? What if there was a girl there? What then? How would the other warriors treat her? What challenges would she face? Why not create a story about a girl warrior since metaphorically it is a story that is clearly meant for all of us?  

Shirley: Interesting. I never wanted to fight, unless someone called me "Rock Brain." Then I was all fists. Ahhh! Where’s that screaming coming from? No, besides me…look! Lots of sharp-toothed monkeys coming down from the trees! We've got to hide! Misty, your hair is showing. Duck down lower! Whew. Are they gone? You know what, Misty? You can go first. But tell me this: are you a fighter?

Misty: One hundred percent no. I am a peacemaker – always have been. I avoid confrontation when possible. But I think there is a part of me that would fight to the death if it was necessary. I will definitely not let those monkeys hurt you!

Shirley: Thanks!  I'll only throw punches if any of them calls me "Rock Brain."

Misty: There is a part in Fight For You where Zeke is fighting Muloki, a Lamanite warrior, in the battle of Cumeni. He breaks Muloki’s arm, and Muloki switches his weapon to the other hand and prepares to continue fighting. When I read that part, I don’t see Muloki. I see myself. So, sure, there’s some fight in me somewhere.

Shirley: Then I'm glad we're on this trail together. Hey, who’s spitting on us? Is it those stupid monkeys?

Misty: No, it’s raining.

Shirley: Ahhh! Find a leaf! No, a BIG leaf! There, there’s one. Hey, it’s mine! I saw it first! Get your own! You’re the leader now. Do you think Captain Helaman would get an umbrella before he made sure all of his Stripling Warriors had umbrellas? I don’t think so. You talked about Keturah losing old friends and making new ones. How did she lose friends? (Did it have anything to do with leaf umbrellas?) How did she make new ones?

Misty: Losing friends had very much to do with who Keturah chose to share her umbrella with. Keturah’s practically betrothed to Zeke, and he just can’t stand to watch her falling in love with someone else. It’s easier for him to stay away, and their lifelong friendship suffers because of it. She used to be close to her brothers, Micah, Kenai, and Darius, but now they work, camp, and fight in other units. As they all learn to rely on the men in their units instead of their family, they begin to drift apart. Sometimes if feels to Keturah as if they are strangers. And relying on her unit would at least be some consolation, but the boys in Keturah’s unit resent that she’s there. She’s not as strong as they are, and they don’t think she can pull her weight. They give her all the domestic jobs, like cooking for them and laundering their tunics. But slowly, her determination and hard work begin to win them over. Saving Reb’s life doesn't hurt either. But once she wins their hearts, she has an entirely new problem on her hands.

Shirley: Does it have anything to do with burying people? You mention that Keturah has to bury people. Did you have to research that? How did you do it? (Or do we even want to know?) Any other research tips you’d be willing to share?

Misty: You’d be surprised some of the weird stuff I get to research. I've watched tons of videos of Native American dancing and costuming. I've learned 52 ways to tie a sarong. I've learned how to cook and eat a rattlesnake (my Facebook friends were surprisingly knowledgeable about that). And I've learned how to skin an animal and tan its hide. The thing I find my readers are most interested in are the plants Keturah uses as medicines and food. I've done a lot of research, but I’m not an herbalist and have little personal experience. I do try to write in plants that are purported to have the properties my characters need them for, but there comes a point when you just have to go with what you know and take a little poetic license with the rest. As for wartime burial practices, I used my imagination on that.

Shirley: Imagination is good. Hey! There’s light up ahead! Is that blue sky? Is it the ocean? Oh, I hope it's both! Let's hurry! But tell me, how in the world did you manage to weave romance into a story about war?

Misty: It’s more like I managed to weave war into a story about love. The war is the setting where Keturah falls in love for the first time. It is the backdrop to the story of how she formed lifetime bonds with the boys in her unit. It is under the conditions of war that she learns what her family really means to her. It is the construct in which she learns to recognize the Holy Ghost and follow his promptings, in which she learns to rely on God’s love. The war we fought in heaven is continued here on earth, and we all learn and experience these same things Keturah does in a battle of our own. Besides, I just can’t get into a story that doesn't have romance in it.

Shirley: Hey, it is the ocean! This beach would be a great setting for romance, don't you think? Soak up the sun! Too bad the Lamanites are on our trail. Now, Misty, what do you know about boat making? Can you build a boat as well as you battle monkeys? And where can people get your book?

Misty: I just finished writing book eight in the series, a book about Hagoth’s ship, which did involve some research about sailing vessels and a careful reading of the scriptural account vs. what modern archaeologists say about sailing in that time period. If you’d like to read more about how all this research and imagination come together, the first two books can be purchased at online retailers or in a bookstore near you. The rest of the series is currently FREE on Wattpad and can be read in its entirety.

Daughter of Helaman         Amazon         Barnes & Noble

Fight For You                       Amazon         Barnes & Noble

Thanks so much, Shirley, for taking the time for this fun interview. And thanks to everyone else for stopping by the tour today. 

Fight For You is the second novel in Misty Moncur's Stripling Warrior series. Fall in love with these romantic novels set against a vivid Book of Mormon backdrop.

Misty Moncur wanted to be Indiana Jones when she grew up. Instead, she became an author and has her adventures at home. In her jammies. With her imagination. And pens that she keeps running dry.

Misty lives in a marsh near a very salty lake in Utah with her husband and children, where they cuddle up in the evenings and read their Kindles. Well, she does anyway.

Connect with Misty at the links below.

Visit Misty's blog
Like The Stripling Warrior Series
Connect with Misty on Goodreads
Follow Misty on Twitter
Follow Misty on Wattpad

A dress made out of WHAT?

My dad saved everything, including every necktie he ever owned!

Now that he's gone, what should we do with them all?

They could be re-gifted...recycled...donated...or made into a dress.

What?

Yes, made into a dress.

Impossible, you say?

Is it impossible to fly to the moon? Break the four minute mile? Write a book? Not to me, it isn't.

My son Bron said it looks like a Tinker Bell dress. Well, Tinkerbell didn't get her dress from her dad's neckties.

Don't be afraid to create!

A Mysterious Big Rock Ball

When writing, you can find interesting things to add to stories just by taking a walk instead of driving. Then on your way back, if you walk a different route, you can find even more intriguing things.

My son Scott and I came across this giant rock ball on BYU (Brigham Young University) campus. It originally came from Costa Rica, but yours could come from anywhere you want it to. Think of all the things you can do in your story with a giant rock!

(For one thing, it provides a convenient arm rest for an author.)

What would you do with a giant rock in your story?

A Brief Photographic Adventure at the Falls in Idaho

While we were in Idaho, Monkey had the great idea to see the Falls. So here they are! (You could see them better if those two people would move their heads.)

Who's supposed to push the button? (Is there a button?)

There it is! (We still can't see the falls very well.)

Thanks for moving your head...

and moving your mom out of the picture!

Don't fall in unless you packed some dry undies.

Proof that we weren't standing in front of some Hollywood Idaho Falls backdrop poster (read the bench.)

The photographer moves in for a close up...

and closer...

even closer...

almost as close as you can get without a nostril view...

exit laughing!