A couple pictures from the weekend

Seems like whenever I got my camera out, I heard, "Don't get me on there!" "Please don't take my picture."

But, here a few willing participants.

Violet

Ledge has been unhappy the last few days because he is teething. He seems to be in pain, cries a lot and just wants to be held. So, today Alyssa was just holding him and thinking that Violet was not getting much attention. Alyssa told Violet, "I really want to play with you." Violet said, "No, baby." Then she made a sound like a baby crying. So, the translation was: "No, you have to take care of the baby because he is crying."

So, Alyssa continues to hold Ledge. She is standing for a long time with Ledge, just swaying back and forth, trying to get him to drift off to sleep. Then, Alyssa wonders what happened to Violet. All is quiet. What is she up to? She turns around to look for Violet and sees her standing right behind her. Violet has her doll in her arms and she is swaying back and forth just like Alyssa is doing with Ledge. Isn't that the sweetest?

Well, Ledge fell asleep and Alyssa put him down in his crib. Then, I got a phone call from Violet. (She knows how to speed dial me from Alyssa's phone.) She told me, "Baby down." So, it was time for mommy to spend time with Violet now that the baby was down for a nap.

Tavia's Landlord Saga

Tavia’s landlord just took the place over from her daughter and son-in-law. Tavia had no problem with the daughter, but the mother, Lynda, is really something. Tavia says:

"It has been hell. She is over here every other day. "

For more details, click in the comments.

Halt! Can you identify what phrase is represented here?

nasmetofolopve

Ron Paul on Planned Agression Against Iran

The Iran War Resolution may be passed next week.

Watering her Garden

Tavia sent Violet the garden gloves. And also the carrot seeds. Here is the first carrot pulled. It tasted good. But, she's waiting for them to get bigger.

Bumper Sticker Contest Winner is....

...Tavia!

Tavia's entry:

"SAVE THE TROOPS. DRILL IN ANWR."

Tavia's bumper sticker phrase was original and was relevant to current events.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT ENERGY SAVER LIGHT BULBS!

About those light bulbs

Just as true today

The late Harry Browne, the Libertarian Presidential candidate in 2000, said to Tim Russert, "No. You know, I know, everybody watching this show knows that four years from today, whichever of them is elected, government will be bigger, more expensive, more obtrusive, and more oppressive. If you vote Republican or Democrat, you are giving up. You’re saying ‘I’m never going to be free. America will never be a free country again. I will never get smaller government. So I’m just going to vote for the one I think will take me to hell at the slowest-possible rate.’"

Who Owns the West?

The United States government has direct ownership of almost 650 million acres of land - nearly 30% of its total territory. These federal lands, which are mainly used as military bases or testing grounds, nature parks and reserves and indian reservations, are managed by different administrations, such as the Bureau of Land Management, the US Forest Service, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the US Department of Defense, the US Army Corps of Engineers, the US Bureau of Reclamation or the Tennessee Valley Authority.

This map details the percentage of state territory owned by the federal government. The top 10 list of states with the highest percentage of federally owned land looks like this:

Nevada 84.5%
Alaska 69.1%
Utah 57.4%
Oregon 53.1%
Idaho 50.2%
Arizona 48.1%
California 45.3%
Wyoming 42.3%
New Mexico 41.8%
Colorado 36.6%
Notable is that all these states are in the West.