Barack Obama

“Fired up- ready to go”, bounced from all sides, slightly suspending itself in the air before it dispersed, mingling in the crowd. An estimated six thousand people piled into the Cross Orchard’s field awaiting the arrival of 2008 presidential candidate Barack Obama. Camera in hand, I stood about fifteen feet from the podium. I felt the energy level rise as the secret service sorted through the onlookers and their random belongings before everyone entered to take their place among the crowd. Dan Robinson, Governor Ritter, and Bill Haggerty entered the ring blocked off to make a picturesque seen with the flag mounted by the podium and Mount Garfield in the background. I wonder how much was planned and how much just happened. It was time for Dan Robinson to speak , and then Ken Salazar. Bill Haggerty’s introduction was a bit jumbled and wordy. I know I would be nervous too if I were announcing our possible future president. Then Barack Obama stepped up to the microphone. His speech hit on most of the major issues such as oil drilling, water rights, health care, and education. His speech lasted about 45 minutes. After he spoke, he went around the audience shaking hands and hugging people. My friend was standing on a little grass hill and got a picture of Obama eating a peach Bill Haggerty used in his speech to address agriculture in the Grand Valley. Then everyone filed out to their cars with renewed energy and smiles on their faces.

The Best Use for an Algebra Book!

Torn and bent, resembling an ocean wave or perhaps two vines intertwining themselves. I can still see tiny bits of unsolved equations left from years past. I feel the pain of an angry student who thought this might be a better use for the scattered problems or maybe someone who wanted to preserve the memories that still lay slightly forgotten between the folds of paper. Amazed at how the strips are so perfectly placed, at first glance, the only thing in sight is plain white sheets, after closer examination I see that they hold numbers peeking through the dilapidated corners normally inhabited by a student’s name. With the lights shining from the ceiling, I can almost see one problem. Just seeing half the problem gives me the urge to try to pry the two pages apart. I guess that’s the beauty of the art piece; it leaves me with the mystery of never knowing the finished product. The one thing algebra and this piece have in common is the fact that they both possess something new and creative in every crease of the pages.

Thank you Roberta Smith for making this art piece. It inspired me!

Flooding of the Colorado River

Well, I wasn’t sure what to write for my first blog, but here it goes. It started out a normal summer in this small town, but then in my little bucket town something extraordinary happened. The worst time since 1982 the Colorado River flooded. It was so high some of the lower parts of Grand Junction were closed due to threat of rising water. I went down to the Junior Service League park, where there was a marker protruding out of the fast rushing water, a few feet from the bank. I went down there almost every other day. It was beautiful and exciting that I got to experience that in my life time.

The pier was corroding from the constant stress of the quick flowing water beating up the side of it. It rained numerous times my family and I walked down the winding path. My sister and I the exploring type wandered about the wilderness around us, not staying on the paths. Sometimes we had to though, when the ground between the path and the river was to eroded for even us to venture on. There were various objects that floated down from small to large logs to a banana yellow crock that ended its journey at the base of a monkey nut tree close to the bank of the river. I was intrigued so had to take a picture of it. I guess you could say one persons debris is someone else’s photo opp.The one spot that was my sister’s favorite place was a spot we liked to call the tree grave yard. Its what the picture up top is of. Yes, I take pictures of just about anything that inspires me or makes me laugh. That’s about it. I will talk to you next Monday.