Pumpkin Time

Happy Halloween to all!!!!! Just a quick blog regarding some Pumpkin Carving we did last night. Not really a big deal, except that we really haven't done a lot of pumpkins since the kids have all moved out on their own. But we have a friend who thought she would like to carve a pumpkin and we are always up to having great company...so we set the date for dinner and pumpkins, bought the pumpkins and went to work. Louise (McMurtrey), Kim and I each picked our design of choice and got started.. I finished first..could have had something to do with the fact I picked the easiest design I saw. I'm not really into pulling out pumpkin guts and all that stuff, so I looked for the quickest way out and found it. Turned out pretty good. Those little pumpkin carving kits are pretty good if you are a serious carver!! Kim chose a more aggressive pattern with a cat, a spider, and a pumpkin all on the face...and Louise, well she chose what I thought was the hardest of all. The "Happy Halloween-Tree" pattern. A lot of intricate cuts and designs. She really did a great job, everyone did as you can see from the pictures below. So we had a great dinner, great conversation, and an awesome time together. There is much to be said for simple family activites that bring tremendous rewards, and this was one of them. I'm sure Kim and Louise would agree. Happy Hallowen to all!!!!!
BLOG THOUGHT.....In a material world we easily forget that life is lived from within, not from without!!!!...........kjb

Here are 2 of the 3 pumpkins before the major operation started!!!!



All lit and ready for Halloween night, Kims is on left, mine in middle, and Louise's on right!!!!
And then what the will look like sitting on the porch, on a dark and haunting night in October. "Trick or Treat". You can really see the amount of work that went into Kim's and Louise's!!!!!!

HOG Fishin!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today Friday, Oct. 10, 2008 was a non typical October day. At least in my mind I am thinking faling leaves, falling temperature, and falling desire to be outside. But yesterday and today we have seen 70 degree plus temperature and beautiful sunny days. Since I had a cancelaation of an appointment this morning and then only one other appointment at 1200pm, I had a pretty easy work day ahead of me. After finishing my one actual work related appointment at 100pm, I was riding home and thought what a great day to go fishing. I didn't really have anyopne I could call to go with me oin short notice, but I knew the opportunities to go HOG Fishin were getting less and less, so after gettting to the house I called Sharon Zobrist to ask if I could come and fish their pond. She is always more than gracious and inviting to come up, so I loaded some gear in the car and took off. I was at the poond by 300pm. Things started off really slow. It was hot, the pond w2as covered with algae, and my thoughts turned to thinking "well it's still a great day to fish even if they don't bite. At that very moment a hit...definitely a bass, and definitely hooked solid. Gave a good fight for a 3 lb bass. Next couple casts and as Emiril would say "BAM". Another 3 pound plus bass. Caught them both on a yellow crank bait with silver spoon attached. Changed to another rod with pink worm,...always a favorite...but not a single bite all day on that?????? Went to another rod with a small Hula Popper that Holly and Micah had gotten me for my birthday. BAM, another 3 pounder followed by a frisky 4 pounder. Went back to the yellow crank bait and right beside the overflow on the rock wall, as the bait came by, and only 4 feet away the water rocked, and in came with some effort a nice 5 pounder solidly hooked with another hook caught in his throat from long ago. I tried to get it out, but it was lodged so far down that to remove it I would kill him. So I cut as much of the line off of it as I could to give hime/her a little less aggravation of dealing with fishinh line hanging out his/her mouth all the time. Went about 20 minutes with little action and then around the overflow a hit again on the Yellow crankbait. This one was what Hog Fishin is about. It took all I had to get that fish into where I could grab him and get him out of the water. It has been a while since a fish actually took my drag and ran with it. I really thought he would get a way, but after about 10 minutes of manuvering and hanging on tight I finally pulled in what was every bit of and eight pound bass. Not a huge fish, but a really nice catch, and the best for me this year. I wish I had had some of my boys or girls to go with me, and I would have rather them made the catches and just been there to applaud them, but since they could not I am thankful for Sharons encouragement to come up. She told me I would probably catch the BIG one today. Don't know if he is THE BIG ONE, but was definitely worth the ride to Crozet to enjoy a great afternoon of fishing. Attached you will see some of the fish I caught. Each picture is a different fish. Caught 6 in 2 hours with a total weight of right around 26 pounds. Wow if there had been a fishing contest I miught have been in the running to win some big money. Enjoy the pictures and sorry all you fisherman/women could not have been there with me. Hope the pictures prove this was not fishin story....at least not today...love you all....kjb

Family Dinners,,,,Yummmmm!!!!

Been too long since I have updated our BLOG. Seems there are so many things that will eat up our time...and they are all legitimate. I've come to realize that if we could get by without sleeping there might be enough time in a day to do it all....nah, we would just have more to do and still not enough time. So I'm back to sleeping being an ok thing. Anyway the subject of this BLOG is one of much discussion and hope. Kim and I have wrestled with finding a good time to have Family Dinners. Many, many months back when our Sunday Schedules were not complicated by having 3 Wards in our building we would all get together after church. But now, schedules and commitments clash and Sunday Dinners are very hard to make happen, if we want everyone to be there....and theat for me is the whole purpose to have as much family there as we can get!!! Anyway after much evaluationa and discussion, Kim came up with the novel idea to do them on the 1st Friday of each month. I never gave much thought about Friday's, since I thought everyone would be busy getting ready for the weekend, but after we discussed it we felt it was a really good time and so the new "Brown Family Dinner Time" has been resurrected. WE had Jacob and Tiffany over for Dinner this past Monday to celebrate his birthday since we were out of town on his birthday. As we talked about the Family Dinner, he offered to have the 1st one at his house. We gladly accepted his offer, and looked forward all week to good food, but more importantly, time together. Family time is under-rated by the world, but I know in my heart how important it is to not only maintain the ties that bind, but to also nurture and build them. Momma Louise has so often remarked how family never gets together anymore, and how good it was when she was younger to see sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, and even the dogs and cats. So that is what we did at Jacob and Tiff's. We bought together sons, daughters, brothers, grandmoters, friends, dogs, and cats....ummm maybe no cats, don't remember any???? And the end result was at least for Kim and I a wonderful opportunity for relationships and love to grow. Of all the adventures ann opportunities I have had this year...this was number 1 for me. What a joy I had to be able to sit back and see my little kids grow up in front of me and mature into the young adults they were that night. Since we were not hosting, it was one of the rare events where I actually could sit back and do that. Of course we helped were we could, but it was so nice to watch with wonderment the fulfillment of family life. It wasn't all mushy, family, huggy stuff, we had some fun times too. I got to show Jacob and Tiff some stars after everyone had left, we had a "Most Pregnant Contest", we told stories on each other, we ate some reaqlly good hamburgers, and some really burnt hotdogs, (compliments of Mark)...I really liked them. It was what getting together as family should be like...fun, laughter, and love. The one low point was that Josh and his family are in Northern VA, and it is really hard for them to get down. So that was an intricate part that was missing...Josh, Ellie, Emma, and Luke. But we hope to give them enougth notice in the furture.....1st Friday of each month.....(Here's your notice), that they can join us as often as they can. Anyway I have attached a few pictures of the event for your viewing pleasure. Not sure they will end up in the order I want. I will close with a thought for "The Blog"....There are two ways of exerting one's strength: one is pushing down, the other is pulling up.....Booker T. Washingtone 1856-1915)....love you all...kjb

Here is Jessie showing us her little pregnant belly. She is so excited about being a Mom.













Holly and Jessie sharing a Pregnant together Sister moment!
And Gino, Mom and Charlie having some couch time! AND OF COURSE THE INFAMOUS .....I look the most pregnant contest. Everyone aggreed it was a draw between Holly and Mark!!! And there I am with Jessie and Tiffany getting in my couch time.

Busch Gardens or BUST!!!

Well, it's been a while since I have made an entry
on our BLOG site. Catching a lot of grief from the blog every event girl, so thought I better catch up. My challenge is time, first finding enough to actually present an acceptable blog and then just to find time to sit and do it. I'm afraid this one will not be up to MY standards, but it will be a BLOG!!!!!!! Just going to Busch Gardens is a challenge for me. I love roller coasters and would love having the job of testing them all out, but I dislike the driving to get there. But with determination and hope of riding a new coaster, and of course family support we took off on Friday 2 weeks ago. The trip was not really too bad, Holly and Micah had season pass and wanted to go one more time this year, so we agreed to make the trip with them. Started out a little cloudy and iffy, but it was cool and for August that made going to an amusement park a little more inviting. We drove into the parking lot at 10;10am, got out of the car, and the Sun busted out from the clouds and we we immediately immersed in what felt like 99.99% humidity. Of course after a while your body adjusts and it did, but it was really miserable at first, and I think everyone had the same idea we had to wait till school was in to go there...it was pretty packed. But of course it is big enough to accommodate a lot of peeps!! After gondolaing across the park our first ride of the day was on the new coaster "The Griffin" Holly could not ride because Emily is not used to roller coasters yet, and that was a good excuse to hide her fear of this one. But Kim, Micah, and I took the plunge. In the picture above that is the actual picture of us coming over the first really steep 90 degree drop from 720 feet up. It is a freaky drop, that Will definitely get the adrenalin flowing. the 3 of us are on the very back left hand corner as you look at the picture. To see the real effects of that drop go to Holly and Micahs blog and get the close up view of fear and excitement all wrapped up in 3 faces!!! WE stayed until almost closing time, ate at the picnic site outside the park, drank lots of fluids, and walked for miles and miles and miles...well you get the picture. I would absolutely recommend to get a map of the park before going and plan your route out before you get there, then stick to it. You will enjoy the trip much more and get much more done. Overall, it was a great day. Got to spend time together as family, wish all the other kids could have been there, got to ride every major coaster there except "The Big Bad Wolf", (did not want to walk across the park again to get that final one in), got Micah on a few coasters he had not ridden, had all day to spend with Kim, blue skies and sunshine, just a great day...even if I really had not wanted to go at first. Below you can see Kim and I in front of Mount Vesuvius. And if you want to get a vague idea of what the Griffin is like...click on the video.... It is the most intense 6 seconds you will spend at Busch Gardens, VA.
Pessimists calculate the odds. Optimists believe they can overcome them! Is your glass half full today???................kjb

No Child left Behind

I took the opportunity this week to go visit my second oldest Son, where he works at Snow's Garden Center. He stays pretty busy and lives way outside of town, so visits don't happen near enough for me, so when I have a little chunk of time during the day, I try to visit each of my children, as I can.

As Mark and I had time to talk a little, we talked about my BLOG and the things I write about, and he wanted to know why there are never any pictures of him. Now I know there is no partiality in my heart, but I guess with Jessie and Holly being pregnant and the Grandchildren getting spot lights, well I can see where he would feel a little left out. So I have resolved that the next few blog posts will be "Spotlight Posts" of each of my children...and guess who is first....Mark Daniel Brown.

Let me begin by telling you a little about Mark, that I know. With his shaved head, and beady eyes he sometimes comes across as a "Bad Dude". He is anything but a bad dude. He has a tender heart and has great love for children, and animals. He may growl about helping with things, but will always be there when he know you need him, He is a very hard worker...though this week when I visited him he was burning the PC up checking out "You Tube" and reading emails and Blogs. But that is the exception. He is very dependable, kind, and one of the things that I admire about him the most is his sharp and quick "wit". He is not the neatest person, but I think Danielle is helping to re-train him in that area. He is an excellent host and always makes you feel welcome when in his presence whether it is at his home or on the street. He loves his wife and he loves his family. He also has a passion that we both share and that is "FISHING". I know that for both of us there are never enough fishing days in a year. Mark is very good at the sport and will always outfish me, except on those occasions when we both come home skunked, but I am OK with that because my greatest joy dealing with my children is to see them enjoy life and feel good about themselves.

I love Mark Daniel Brown with all my heart, find great joy in being in his company, and admire the young man that is becoming and has become. So Mark this is your Spotlight. There is a lot more that I could write but I want to be careful to not embarrass or cross sensitive lines as I do this. You are always on mine and Kim's minds, we love you, and want you to know we are very proud of you, Son.

Now it is picture time, here Mark is heading up the James River. He always like to drive the boat so he can maneuver himself into the "Good Spots"..??? HUM..maybe that is why he always out fishes me, but at least I get to take the pictures!

Here is Mark and Danielle on their wedding day with all of Mark's family from the "Brown" side.
This is a "Happy Man", fishing rod in hand, a day of fishing to look forward to, and not a cloud in the sky
Makes him happy to get presents too, Christmas 2006. Not sure what he got, but looks like a lot more behind him!!!!
And last but not least, his best present and greatest passion ...even over fishing, Mark with Danielle just after the wedding ceremony....she said you done good Mark, and I second that!
So Mark, I hope you feel a little more loved and appreciated, and know that you are never far from us, nor will you ever be. May you catch many fish, find happiness in where you are while you work on what you want, and always remember your greatest earthly treasure is your eternal companion on your right hand..........love Dad and Kim

Astronomical Easter Eggs found!!!

AS most of you who would even go to our blog know, one of the recent hobbies that has been re-kindled within me is the love of and search of the Night Skies" At the age of 12 my Mom, (Louise DiFiore), bought me a Meade 60mm refractor telescope. Much like the ones you find today. Pretty inexpensive pretty basic, pretty poor for real sky study, but the 1st time I saw the craters and seas of our Moon, I fell in love with the things of the night sky. Time and responsibilities caused a drifting from this love for most of my adult life. But one Christmas Kim bought me a similar scope to the one my Mom bought me, and the love of the sky was re-kindled again, with one major difference......Pres. Bush said we would get an "Economic Stimulus Check" this year. So with a re-kindled desire and the check in the mail I upgraded to a 150mm 6 inch Celestron Reflector (uses mirrors instead of lenses). Well that drastically changed my capacity to study the skies and I found and continue to find things that both fasinate and amaze me.

This past Friday Kim and I (Mainly Kim) got the idea to go down to Jessie and Tanner's on James River Farm, and do some star gazing. Jessie has been wanting to see Saturn (which has already disappeared over the horizon for the year), and I was excited about actually having such a wide field of view and some really dark skies. In the city the light pollution really disables us to see as acutely as we would like, but at the farm....WOW!!!!! I saw into "forever" and figured out that is a long ways out. We got to see Jupiter with it's four moons all lines up in a row, I found the Globular Cluster M$ in Scorpius, we saw 4 meteorite shoot across the southern sky, found the double stars Mizar and Alcor in the Constellation Ursa Major (where the Big Dipper is located), and for the 1st time in many years actually saw the Little Dipper with all its designing stars. Around the house here I am lucky to see Polaris much less the asterism. We got to see the Teapot in Saggitarius, and the infamous fish hook/Scorpius. And the list continues and I can not remember it all because I was like a little kid on an Easter Egg Hunt. I just put the eggs in my basket and after a while had so many I did not know where or what I had found. And on top of it all I got to spend the night and part of the next morning with 3 of my favorite people....Ki, Jessie, and Tanner, and got to share with them many of the things I hold in wonderment. What an awesome night.

And not to forget on top of all this, when we got to Jessie and Tanner's ...Kim and I got to listen to the heartbeat of the baby Jessie is carrying inside her right now. Not really sure which was more exciting, but certainly the heartbeat was by far the most important and fulfilling for me. Jessie had borrowed my MP3 player to make the recording, so I hope in the near future to be able to download it to the blog and share with each of you.

Below you will find pictures of many of the things that fasinate me in the night sky. As I talk to some of my astronomy friends, many see only and can not except anything other than the things which are scientifically proven, but for me when I look into the sky my testimony of the reality of a greater power is reinforced. I have very specific feelings and thoughts on this matter, and stand in amazement that others when they see the things I see in the skies and very often see much more...see only stars, planets, nebulae, galaxies, etc..... where I see the crative forces of a loving and all powerful Heavenly Father and that His creations are here for our benefit and his purpose..."to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of Man (woman)." I am absolutely convinced that there are other worlds and other creations that exist because of the omnipotence of God, and his eternal purpose of life. There is a recent picture taken by the "Hubble Telescope" that has taken a picture of the cosmos' as far as any has ever been taken. In that one miniscule area of space...that picture showed literally 1000's of galaxies much like our own. What is the possibility that at least one (and probably many) do not host others just like us, with the same wondering as they look back in our direction. I know there is so much more to life than we can even comprehend, and so much to living that we enjoy at the hands of a loving and caring Father in Heaven. And that he has much more prepared for our eternal jouney that we can not even come close to comprehending! Not trying to sound "Preachy", but stop, reflect, and even take the challenge to pray and ask your Father in Heaven if this is not a real possibility...and I know you will understand too. We are not alone, nor have we ever been, someone has always and will always watch over each of us personally.

OK, enough of that,,...let' get to the really cool pictures that will help you understand my excitement...As a disclaimer...we did not take these picture Friday night a Jessie's, but these are many of the things we found in the night sky at James River Farm on August 8, 2008.

This 1st Pic is actually the closest galaxy to our own, and belongs to a group of galaxies near to us. It is M31...The Andromeda Galaxy, and on a dark night can be seen with the naked eye...that is how close it is to us
This is M4 found in Scorpius. It is one of the new Messier objects I found at Jessies. I have been looking for it for weeks, but only in a big sky could I find it becuase it lays low on the southern horizon. My trees on the back porch allow me to see "NO horizon!!!!
This next Pic in M41 is a open Cluster with a diameter of approximately of 25 light years (that is the distance light travels in 25 years at the rate of approx. 196,000 miles a second), is this giving you any idea of the space you live in????
This is NGC 5139 the brightest globular cluster in
OUR" sky. there are thousands of stars in this one cluster that occupies a little speck of space.
Below is "the Whirlpool Galaxy"...37 million light years away from us!!!!!!

Well I hope you found this both interesting, educational, but most of all thought provoking. If you ever want to have a star party,,just give me a call...I'd love to be there.....kjb