Summer Fishing Trip

Isaac and my fishing trip this afternoon at the San Jacinto River. They do call it fishing, not catching, right? Here's the set.

Bicycle Ride

Isaac and I took a long bicycle ride at Lake Houston State Park today. We made it 8 miles through trails and jeep roads.

As you'll see in the picture set, we couldn't make it out without dipping our feet in Peach Creak, and building another large sand castle on the beach.

It was incredible to sit on the beach, without hearing a sound outside of the locus and birds singing to us.

First Day Of Summer

Another set showing off my excellent Father's Day gift.

We started off at a children's festival; did you ever notice some people, attempting to show annimation, speak very loudly to children? I was thinking the whole time, "Don't you think the children must hear better than we do"?

We finished at a local park having lunch with Denise (who has to work this week) :( With an assortment of newly constructed playground equipmemnt, we felt quite at home building sand castles in the volleyball court.

Azteca Warrior Boxing Match

We went to see Mr. Valdez's boxing team the Azteca Warriors. We found the matches very cool. Here's the set with the awesome trainer and manager.

Father's Day

A small set for father's day. I received some great homemade crowns from Isaac and Denise. Along with some great dominos at Starbuck's, we also played on a playground, and visited the local swimming pool. All of this on our bikes.

There's nothing better than the sound of a laughing child.

Noam Chomsky Speaks at West Point

Mr. Chomsky speaks some of just war in Iraq in YouTube video.  This is one of the comments left on the video site, which reminds me some of Isaac's Uncle's work.

West Point will only be great if it allows its cadets the same
intellectual freedoms that they swear an oath to protect upon
graduating. That Chomsky was allowed to lecture to cadets makes me
proud to be a USMA grad.

Summer Solstice

Today is the summer Solstice. In the northern hemisphere, it is the longest day of the year. Also when the sun is the furthest north , on the latitude 23 degrees 27 minutes, also known as the tropic of cancer. In the southern hemisphere, today marks the winter solstic, the shortest day of the year for the Aussies.

The image illustrates the angle which the sun shines on the various lattitudes during the summer solstice.

PERCEPTIONS: from the deep

This photo reminded me of Isaac's quest to able to ride the slide at the local swimming pool. They've instituted a new policy where instead of just being able to swim to the side after falling into the water: you have to be able to swim an entire length of the pool, and tread water for 1 minute.

If it would even stop raining, we might meet the restrictions by the end of the summer.

Soldiers Blogging on Birding

Here's an interesting blog.  The author discusses bird watching and other environmental issues while deployed in Iraq.

Sam's Birthday Party

We celebrated our friend Tammy's daughter's birthday on Saturday. I also celebrated a new digital camera for father's day. Here's the set.

Pilgramige Continued

Our pilgramige to South Texas is complete.  We drove nearly 800 total miles visiting The Basilica of Our lady of San Juan del Valle, Don Pedrito Jaramillo (we even witnessed a faith healer working), St. Jude Thaddeus in Pharr (beautiful gardens), and both of Denise's grandmothers in Beeville (thanks to the help of an oddly coincidental bunny rabbit leading our way).

My favorite was the Virgen de San Juan.  We walked the stations of the cross., and received a blessing from the priest finishing a mass.  I think this would be a great trip for all of our family, they even have a mariachi mass on Sunday and very close to Progresso and an excellent border crossing taco dinner.

I had a bit of an epiphany as to why Catholics ask intercession from the Blessed Mother, which seemed very relevant in our specific case.  Mary was both a mother and a wife.  No matter what happens with Denise's condition, she will play both roles in my life, and I will be better for it.

Interesting Friday Quote

Considering our visits to the health care, we've done a great deal of praying and working lately.  I believe this weekend we are going on a pilgrimage.  This religious act seems common in many religions; however, I can't say I was aware of it during my own religious training.  I'll give more details as they become available.

Pray as if everything depended upon God and work as if everything depended upon man.

Francis Cardinal Spellman

No More Allergy Drugs

An accupressure technique for relieving a stuffing nose.  It worked for me immediately, I'll keep experimenting.  And I'm going to show my family, maybe it will end Isaac's frequent prescription to allergy medicine.

Happy Birthday Faith

Happy Fourth Birthday Faith.  If you get time, take a look at the princess website from Disney.  Hope your day was filled with royalty.

Cartoon Skeletons

The skeletal systems of cartoons.  An anatomical view of the "grotesquely distored" figures which are derived from human form.