Underground Tour -

Aside from Lynette being a guest lecturer, we were also tourists in Seattle. We went up in the Space Needle, visited Pike Place Market, Pioneer Square, visited 'chinatown' and took a tour of the tunnells under Seattle's sidewalks.

To me the thing that was most interesting was the Underground Tour. Since Seattle was founded the town raised the terrain to get the town out of the 'mud flats' created by the sea tides. But the original businesses and home owners did not want to rebuild their buildings. So the streets were raised (by as much as 60 feet in some cases) around the existing infrastructure. This resulted in tunnels under the city. We got to tour some of the tunnells which opened our eyes to another world that existed just below the surface. I never would have believed these things existed if I hadn't seen them myself.

Lynette and I did have a romantic dinner at a little local Italian Restuarant. Afterwards we walked to the Space Needle for a beautiful view of Seattle at night. That night was just about as perfect as it could have gotten.

We wanted to take a harbor cruise, but were unable to fit it into our schedule. I also got to see a friend that I graduated with who is now working for the same company I am, but in Seattle. He showed me his office up on the 23rd floor of a high rise building. That was pretty cool.

Scott

This is a cool pic of an old church reflected off a business building:

Me and Clif:

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Horsemanship -

In January our troop has been working on the Horsemanship Merit Badge. We are lucky because the scoutmaster’s brother owns some horses. His horses are beautiful and very well trained.

We had to go through 2 weeks of ‘book work’ before getting out to ride the horses. The scoutmaster taught those two weeks and did a fabulous job. He came very prepared and the boys responded well.

But the real fun was on Saturday when we got to go out and ride. The boys got to groom the horses and learn to ride. Afterwards they let out some steer and we saw him do some roping. There really isn’t much I can say because the pictures are self explanatory but this had to have been one of the most interesting activities I’ve ever done with the boys.

It was obvious that the scoutmaster and his brother came from the same family. Apparently their dad was a cowboy who rode the range roping cattle to give them medicine and other care. The scoutmaster said he isn’t a cowboy but he sure was comfortable up there on the saddle. You could tell that once he was up there he didn’t want to get down. I guess it’s in their blood.

Here are some pics.

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Our instructor for the bookwork

Our outdoor instructor


Some of the boys up on the horse

Participating in a little competition after learning to ride

Doing some roping on the dummy bull

Christmas Card -

Since I sent out "Holiday" Cards this week I decided make a post just about my blog. (Yes, I know the holiday cards are late, but better late than never).

If this is the first time you've visited my blog I'll give you a quick tour.

On the left I have an explanation for the name of my blog. For more info you can read my first post by clicking here. I had envisioned Lynette posting her stuff here and you would be able to read some of our 'banter' but that didn't ever happen. I'm proud to say she started her own blog instead. Links to her blog and shop are on the right.

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Also on the left is an archive of my posts. This is my 91st post so there are plenty to choose from. I've been blogging since September 2006. I decided to link you to my very favorite posts from the past year and a half.

You can read these links if you want, but you don't have to. I only planned to put 5 links here, but I kept finding other good ones.

Crazy

When Lynette's doors were stolen off her truck. Click Why?.

When our Homes AC went out. Click August in AZ. (Lynette wrote this post)

Scouts

Recent December Outing. Click Integrity.

Fall Camporee 2006. Click Emergency Preparedness.

Eagle Scout Court of Honor for my nephew (Also named Scott). Click Scott.

Soapbox

My conversion to believing in Global Warming.

Go Out and Vote. Click Duty

School

A research presentation I gave at ASU. Click FURI and Abstract

Lynette During Finals Week. Click Finals.

Lynette

Lynette's Undergraduate Portfolio. Click Fine Art.

Thanksgiving at the Boys and Girls Club. Click Thankful. (Lynette wrote this one)

Family

Halloween 2006. Click Swiss Cheese

A tribute to my mom on her birthday. Click To my Mother.

Work

Trip to New York City. Click The How's.

Deciding to leave the best place I've ever worked. Click Hard Choice.

Adventures

Fishing Adventure with Friends. Click Survivor Man.

Fishing with Family and Friends. Click More Fishing.

Hike with some Engineering Friends from School. Click Vultee Arch.

If this is your first time to my blog, I hope you come back again. Oh, and it's ok to leave comments.

Scott

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ps. formatting and colors on the old posts aren't always the best. Thats because I changed layouts several times over the life of my blog. Sorry.

Planning Outing -

This weekend I took the scout troop up to my folks cabin. I was a little reluctant because I think they need to rough it a bit. But, my vision for the weekend was to plan the troops program for the entire year. I think the end result was well worth the fact that our outing was more 'sleep over-ish' than camping.

I told some of the other adults that we would plan the entire year in less than an hour. I think some of them were very doubtful. Last year it took us 3 hours to plan half the year, but that was because we weren't prepared.

This year I had packets for each of the boys and they got to make the decisions. They chose what badges they will work and where they will go camping each month. I gave them 20 camping spots to choose from and let them debate and consider their options. They were very responsible about choosing to get the required merit badges for eagle, except that they had to do the Rifle merit badge first. That was ok with me.

I wish we had taken some pictures of the planning meeting itself. That was a beautiful thing. We planned everything in 47 minutes (I timed it). The next day we took a trip to Tonto Natural Bridge. This was the first time I've been down there in the winter and it was cool to see all the icycles hanging from the roof of the tunnel.

I didn't take many pictures this trip. Oops. I think it's because we went to places I've been to about a million times.

Be Someone -

Ok, so my talk went pretty well. Lynette's talk was great. Her's was better than mine because she told more personal stories and her personality was expressed more. As I said in my talk Lynette knows commitment because she lives it.

Anyway, Lynette found the following story that would have been good to include in either one of our talks. We decided not to include it because of time. But it turned out we had about 15 more minutes to speak than we were originally told. I guess we could have worked this one in to our talks somehow...ah well.

Most of us who have ever heard of the great American leader Abraham Lincoln will recall what he said of his mother: “All that I am, all that I hope to be, I owe to my Angel mother.” (in Abraham Lincoln’s Philosophy of Common Sense, ed. Edward J. Kempf, New York: The New York Academy of Sciences, 1965, p. 60.)

But how many of us know what his mother’s last words to him were? They were “Be something, Abe.”

Not only is this wise counsel, but it also expresses the yearnings of most fathers’ and mothers’ hearts to have their children be something. Simple terms, but, oh, how powerful, “Be something.”

I am so pleased she didn’t say, “Be someone.” She said, “Be something, Abe.” There is a significant difference. In the dictionary someone is defined as “conceived or thought of, but not definitely known,” while something is identified as “a person or thing of importance.”

Abraham Lincoln’s mother knew her son, his potential, and the rocky roads ahead of him; hence, she wanted him to commit himself promptly to being steadfast and immovable in living and promoting deeds of courage and faith in the lives of all mankind.

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Marvin J. Ashton