Odds & Ends From the Fairly Odd Parents

I'm pretty sure none of you have ever watched the cartoon show "The Fairly Odd Parents" (I haven't either), but I really like the title. Something about it speaks to  me.

So a couple of weeks ago I rode my bike north along the levee (I usually ride south), and saw this interesting  sight below. A pretty nicely set up homeless camp on the banks of the Feather River. Shaded and with waterfront access. Oh, and the sign says: "Absolutely NO Camping." 

Last week we had a guy deliver 10 yards of top grade top soil for our backyard garden. The pile below may not look like it, but that's the whole 10 yards.  ;- ) Anyway, with some help from Peter O. I managed to get it all moved with a wheelbarrow by Saturday so that someone could come in and start laying the sprinkler system. We're making progress.

The bad news is that Friday after school I drove over to take a little treat to Mom after work. I just missed her, because I passed her on the road going the other way. So I make a quick U turn and see that she is parked in the middle of the street, in the midst of making a left turn, and appears to be talking to some guy in a red Toyota Camry. I think: what the heck is she doing? Then I realize that she was broadsided by the Camry while turning. The good news? Not her fault. Not much damage. No injuries. Other guy is very apologetic. Still a pain to have to deal with. See her poor little blueberry below.

And finally, our stake held a Youth Conference at Zion's Camp last Saturday. A huge success! The theme was "A light in the Wilderness." Part of the deal was this 15' tall tower that was assembled just for that day. In some ways, vastly different from the ones we used to lash together when I was a kid. for scouting adventures. But in other ways, not so different at all. 

 I'm at the top, from which I delivered the opening lines of my address, mostly about the importance and advantages of towers in a spiritual sense. The rest of my remarks were given from below, on the stage. If you want to know the gist of my comments, read the chapter in "It Was On Fire When I Lay Down On It" by Robert Fulghum where he talks about Alexander Papaderous and the meaning of life.

Exciting times in deed.