End of a Good Day

I love sunsets.  I love to watch the sun sink out of sight and see the clouds celebrate with an explosion of color, ever changing, lasting but a few minutes.  The sky fades from soft blues to shades of violet then darkens to the blanket of night sprinkled with twinkles of light.
I recently returned from a vacation in Hawaii.  My daughter was married on Kauai.  This was one of the beautiful sunsets that we witnessed. In the foreground is a statue of Neptune--the god of the sea.

After our visit on Kauai, we traveled to the Big Island--Hawaii. This was a total contrast.  Where Kauai was lush and green, the Big Island was a harsh volcanic landscape.  Our house was on a volcanic outcrop, high above the ocean.  But one thing they shared--beautiful sunsets.  The sun would slide downward, painting the sky and ocean with flames of color.

Now, I am back to reality.  There are dishes to wash, laundry, cleaning, and all the necessary tasks that are required in our daily lives, but one thing links my vacation and my routine--sunsets.  Arizona also has spectacular sunsets, blending the colors of the southwest and its scenery at the end of the day. After the sun has slipped away for its night time rest, the doves sing a lonesome song, with crickets chirping a salute to the end of a good day.

She was a Beautiful Baby

3 Months

2 Years

3 Years

I remember a hot day in June, I was sunburned after a picnic at Lynx Lake near Prescott.  Shortly after returning home, it was time, it was TIME.  A few minutes after rushing to the hospital, this cute little redhead entered the world, and things have never been the same.  Independent, strong-willed, determined, an "I can conquer the world" attitude, are words that best describe my daughter.  She makes an unforgettable impression on everyone.  She is going to college full time finishing her degree, she works full time, she manages her home, and now this Saturday she will be getting married.  I think that will be her birthday present.  I am so proud of you!  Happy birthday, my dear daughter.

High School graduation

Just look at her now

Remembering Daddy--Snapshot of a unique man

Jimmy Tuff--Norman Price--Daddy

Born September 9th 1895 in Ontario, Canada, this cowboy moved West and settled near Cody Wyoming when in his early 20's.  He tamed wild broncos, competed in local rodeos, was a stunt double in several Hollywood western movies, and worked on ranches as a cowboy.  Then he bought some land on the side of Logan Mountain on the Northfork of the Shoshone River just east of Yellowstone Park, where he built a log home with the help of a team of horses.  He guided hunting trips into the rugged country of Yellowstone.  He raised Hereford cattle and also raised a family with his bride Elsie--seven children, four girls and three boys.  He never was more happy than when he was on a horse or playing with his kids.

Daddy taming horse at Valley Ranch on the Southfork--Cody, Wyoming 1915

Daddy holding me

He was an honest man, whose word was his bond.  He was a patriotic man--a cowboy who volunteered to fight in World War I. When he didn't qualify in the USA, he returned to Canada, the country of his birth and joined the Royal Canadian Army.  He was an adventurous, fun loving man--once roping a yearling bear cub and having to chase it up a tree, out onto a limb that gave way, sending him and the bear tumbling to the ground.  But he retrieved his good lariat, and the bear took off for Montana, so all was good. He was a loving man both to his wife and to his children.  He was a spiritual man, who had a quiet faith, trusting in God to help him through the many trials of his life.
In loving memory,
Your eldest daughter

Celebrating Flag Day

As the legend goes, it was George Washington and two other members of the Continental Congress who asked Betsy Ross to sew the first American flag sometime in the late spring of 1776. The young widow was only in her early 20's when she completed the first flag with thirteen stars arranged in a circle.
A year later, the Continental Congress officially adopted the design for the national flag, and henceforward the Stars and Stripes symbolized the U.S. around the world.
The first "official" Flag Day was celebrated in 1877 - the flag's centennial. In 1916, a grass roots movement resulted in President Woodrow Wilson issuing a proclamation that called for a nationwide observance of Flag Day on June 14. Although still not an official holiday, Flag Day was made a permanent observance in America in 1949 by Congress who resolved "That the 14th day of June of each year is hereby designated as Flag Day."
Why red, white and blue? To the original members of the Continental Congress, red stood for hardiness and courage, white for purity and innocence, and blue for vigilance and justice.

As we celebrate this day, let's all strive to honor by our lives those original principles of courage, purity and justice.  Let us remember how fortunate we are to live under the banner of the red, white, and blue.

Norman--Jimmy Tuff--Price

On this Memorial Day, I remember a hero of World War I--my father.  Born Norman Price, known by most by his rodeo name--Jimmy Tuff; but known to me as Daddy.  He was working in Wyoming as a cowboy when WWI broke out.  He tried to enlist in Cody, but didn't qualify so he returned to Canada where he had been born and enlisted in the Canadian Army.  He served in the Canadian Railway Construction Corp during the war.  When the war was over, he returned to the United States, enlisted in the National Guard, serving until his discharge on February 18, 1924.  He so valued freedom that even though the United States wouldn't let him volunteer, he made his way back to Canada so that he could fight for what was right.  I salute you, Daddy, and I also honor all of the men and women who volunteer in our armed services and protect our rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.