Oh No Again!

Daughter #2 has patiently waited and now has the chicken pox. Get well soon!

Oh no!

#1 daughter has Chicken Pox.

I had it when I was about ten and my mother says I really had it. Guess I even had a little facial scar that disappeared with time. It is hard to remember which itch was which and when it happened between having chicken pox, measles, mumps, and a zillion cases of poison ivy. I do not specifically remember the pox but one case of the ivy was spectacular. The rash was head to toe and all spots in between. All spots. White cotton gloves and calamine lotion were my friends for a while. I became much better at identifying the plant from an adequate distance.

I hope you feel better soon.

Straight A's

My oldest daughter received her grades yesterday for the semester's end. Hurray for Super Nerd! Keep up the good work.

My youngest has received her preliminary report with the same results! Congrats to Thing2!

I am proud of both.

Quail Hunting

Yes, I have been taking some time off and hunting. Yesterday was off to the Tortilla Mountains to chase quail up/down the ridges. It was windy as heck so the birds were like little rockets if you could get them airborne! The quail possessed at the end of the morning was dismal but the hunting was wonderful. How does that saying go? The worst day hunting.......

Pheasant Hunting

I went pheasant hunting with two friends on Tuesday. I used to hunt pheasants regularly when I lived in MI but the birds are not native to Southern AZ. The place we went to is a dog training facility and pheasant "farm". My friends have Brittany Spaniels trained as bird dogs. The pheasants that you pay for are released in a series of large fields planted in alfalfa or clover. What fun to watch the dogs work a field looking for birds and then pointing them out upon discovery. Eventually, the four birds were located and taken. We all shoot trap and skeet so not many birds escape us being the fine shots we are. LOL

I tried to stay out of the way as this is really my friends' event and I was just along for the ride. I shot one bird that I could have let go as it was heading to the other hunters but sometimes reflex gets the best of you.

I had some visions of this really being a simple slaughter as the birds put out are farmed but this was not the case. The birds were active and hiding well. It was quite a lot of fun and I may go again if invited.

What is a Freemason?

What are Masons?
A group (fraternity) of men who enjoy sharing the virtues of honesty, morality, integrity and tolerance.

What do Masons do?
Masons contribute, not necessarily monetarily, but by living their lives in such a manner that the world is better just because they live in it.

What do you get out of Masonry?
Most men get the realization that it is not necessary to receive something tangible for every good act or deed performed.

Is Masonry a religion?
NO! To become a Mason, a man must profess a belief in God; however, Masonry is not a religion, a substitute for, or a rival of any doctrine. Masonry does not perform functions of a church, has no sacraments, and makes no claim to save souls or reform sinners.

How do you join?
You must ask a Master Mason and he in turn will be happy to guide you, and more pertinent information will be provided.

A Mason is a man who professes a faith in God. As a man of faith, he uses the tools of moral and ethical truths to serve mankind.

A Mason binds himself to like-minded men in a brotherhood that transcends all religious, ethnic, social, cultural, and educational differences.

In fellowship with his brothers, a Mason finds ways in which to serve his God, his family, his fellow man, and his country.

A Mason is dedicated. He recognizes his responsibility justice, truth, charity, honesty and integrity in all aspects of human endeavor.

A Mason is all this and more.