Looking Forward to Travel

  Next Wednesday I will be off to travel up to British Columbia. I am not sure how long I will be gone for. It will be around a couple weeks.

I will be visiting a couple cousins and family up there. It has been four years since the last time I was there. That trip was for a family wedding while this time to see them and enjoy myself.

I will not be taking a computer however I may have access to one either at a motel or at my cousins so I will probably be off the grid some days.

I will be writing in my journal time to time and will pass on my notes when I can and when I get back for sure. It is very beautiful in those parts of British Columbia. Definitely out in the wilderness that is for sure. I would not be surprised if I see more animals than humans when I go out for my daily walks.

A few days ago when I was out walking on the Cushman Trail in Gig Harbor, Washington I saw a couple rabbits along with some birds. It made me think that I was in Alice in Wonderland and I see her pop out at some point. Who knows reality can happen in the middle of fantasy.

Yes I will be continuing writing up to the time that I leave. It will take two days for me to arrive at my destination. It takes thirteen and half hours to drive without any stops so I would say sixteen hours or more with the stops included.

I know the first day be stopping at Smoking Point rest stop near Marysville, Washington. The second stop will be at Sumas, Washington where I will be crossing the border into Canada. Have at least a third stop if not a fourth one or more before spending the night Kamloops, British Columbia. The second day I will make at least three stops before my destination at Rose Lake, B.C.

I will be taking my camera as well so I will be taking some pictures on the way there and back along with some family photos. I plan to make another trip there again in the next couple years. Until next time I hope that you enjoy your travels.  

Independence

I am sure you have figured a theme for the last few days because this being a holiday weekend celebrating USA’s 241^st anniversary of its independence.

There is something strong about being a person that has independence. I know many parts of the world people don’t have the same privilege that we have here in the USA. I believe being independent does take responsibility however there is a negative side as well.

In my family we are all very strongly independent which leads to do what we want which can be bad if you are unable to take responsibility for your actions. I am not sure how many generations in my family it has been that way but it is the only way that I know for sure.

Being independent means that I don’t necessarily need to have dependency on others. Also it is easy to take things for granted along with the fact that you are entitled to almost everything.  For example the protesting that happens in the United States on days like May 1^st (we call May day) the protestors often do damage to stores and businesses in the areas they are protesting. It doesn’t matter what they are protesting about they feel entitled to do so. I don’t mind protestors who do it in a timely manner and don’t do damage; also that they have a purpose to their protesting however many protestors don’t have a purpose. They will put a label on their protesting but do they really care for what they are protesting. I say not. I am sure there are those who disagree with me which is everyone’s right to do so but that is how I see it.

Growing up in Gig Harbor being a small town it was easy to do what I wanted. Of course now it is harder because of safety not knowing about dangerous people being out on the roads. On the walking trails that I frequently walk on there have been walkers who have been assaulted. In fact it was reported a couple weeks ago it happened to a man. Fortunately they were able to catch the man that did the assaulting and arrest him. So though I am able to do what I want I have to keep eyes and ears open so something like that doesn’t happen to me.

I know to having independence allows me to feel selfish in ways that I wouldn’t be if I had more dependence on others. So I do feel that though independence has some drawbacks in the end it is better than the alternative where others continually tell you what to do and you have to obey them. I am not talking about parents when growing up. There is wisdom in being obedient to your parents; most of all knowing right from wrong.

Enjoy your independence however important to rely on others too. Remember being independent doesn’t mean that you are entitled to everything and that freedom came at a cost. Happy 4^th July to everyone whether an American or living in a foreign land.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Freedom

Here in the United States of America we will be celebrating the 241^st anniversary of our independence on July 4.

We are one of the greatest countries in the world. We have been blessed by God though we don’t deserve it. Our acknowledgment of God though not as much as it used to be has given our country grace.

We base our government and constitution on our freedoms however there is a cost. We have had to build a large military base so that all citizens can maintain their freedoms. Many thousands of people over the years have lost their lives because of freedom.

Freedom means that every citizen has rights to do what they want up to a point. Laws are put into place so citizens don’t run wild and tramp on others freedom. Also there are those who want to take some freedoms away like being able to practice your own religion. Of course the question can be what is considered a religion. I won’t go any further with that though.

In our constitution we have the freedom of speech. This is a good thing however there can be consequences though and limitations. For example you can’t threaten the President of the United States and other elected officials. Also you could lose your job over what you say as well. I could lose or not get a job for what I write on this blog. It is the reason why I am careful in what I say. I don’t want to offend others who don’t believe the same as I do. That is another area of freedom to be able to believe what we want however we have to allow others to do so as well.

Freedom is great to have and I am blessed to be born and living in the United States however I can’t ever take for granted these freedoms. Remembering that there are others who want to take these freedoms away and I pray for those of you that live in countries where you don’t have the same freedoms. God bless you for your life. Until next time.

Life and Sport

Just like the name of this blog. We have life and then there is sport to go with it.

We can encourage one another with our words and help give life to each other while at the same time we can learn from sports especially being competitive and sportsmanship.

What I don’t like about sports right now for children is how many teams put them onto different levels. If you are really good they put you on a high level while not so good on a lower level. I liked the day playing little league baseball as a youngster where I was able to play with other kids my own age no matter how good or bad we were. Of course we want to win but at what cost.

Here in my town of Gig Harbor they are looking to build these baseball fields that are really fantastic. It is though parents want the best for their children which I do understand as well but at what cost. I don’t want to be unkind however I think these days’ parents are trying to spoil their children.

Life is tough enough as it is than putting on extra pressure. If you are good whether it is on the sport field or in the classroom you will succeed you don’t need parents trying to add onto it. Other words in my mind let children be children.

Back to what I mentioned at the beginning what we can learn from sports is how to be good teammates. Instead of being selfish it is how we can sacrifice for the good of the team. The best way of winning is how we can score runs or points. There are many ways to get them. In football having a good offensive line will allow the running back to gain more yardage or the quarterback to get the ball to the receiver. In baseball moving the runner from one base to the next will help score more runs than just hitting home runs.

Life works the same way the more we can be teammates the more we can succeed. Let’s learn from one another instead of running over each other.

Believe!

Here in the United States of America we will be celebrating our Independence on July 4 while Canada is celebrating their nation’s 150^th anniversary today July 1.

Although our governments are not run the same way we do believe in much of the same things. We believe that all have the rights of freedom.

Over the years a lot of people lost their lives not only gaining independence but continuing to have the freedoms today. We thank all the people that gave their lives and those today who serve our countries to keep it this way.

I know to there are those who live among us that want us to give up our freedoms however we still believe in  the rights of all. I am sorry for those of you who may live where you have no rights and I believe that someday you will have the same rights that I have.

Believing is like faith. You believe in what you don’t see and the impossible. I believe in the greater good. I believe that all men and women can have love in their lives.

What I am disappointed in are those who have an agenda in their own ways.  Those who speak for their rights when they already have them where I speak up for those who feel that they are lower because of the color of their skin or those who are being abused and bullied. I speak up for those who feel that they will lose their rights of freedom to practice their religion. We all have the freedom to practice whatever religion we want to. Being a Christian I feel there are those who don’t want me to practice what I believe in because they may be offended.  What are they afraid of?

Believe in freedom and the rights of all. Enjoy your weekend.

Oh Canada!

 On Saturday July 1 is Canada Day. They are celebrating their 150^th anniversary.  My mother was born and raised in Alberta. She went to University of Alberta and worked for the Canadian government during World War 2 before coming to USA so her side of the family are Canadians so besides being an American I feel Canada part of my family too.

When I was twelve years old our family set on a summer vacation that none of us would ever forget. I wrote early on this blog about our time traveling throughout Canada on this trip. For you to read here are the links to our story that I titled the Three Musketeers

http://herbslookatlifeandsport.blogspot.com/2013/11/three-musketeers.html,  http://herbslookatlifeandsport.blogspot.com/2013/11/three-musketeers-chapter-two.html

http://herbslookatlifeandsport.blogspot.com/2013/11/three-musketeers-final-chapter.html

 

Enjoy this story and hail to Canada and the 150^th anniversary. Oh by the way in twelve days I will be heading to Canada to visit some relatives for relaxation so you may not here from me for a few days however I will update you how things went.  Until then I have some more writing and you have some more reading.   

Highs and Lows

When we watch sport competitions we see highs and lows all the time. The same thing can happen in our lives. The key is to have more highs than lows. Not always what we can control that is for sure however we do need to try.

A lot of it has to do with our attitude and faith along with our choices. I have had times of loneliness and despair. During those times I had a lack of faith and hope. I realized after a while I had to have a better attitude to get through it. It does take time to get there though.

It is important for us to keep our eyes and ears open for our family and friends when they are in their times of lows. We should be available to help them out in the same way we hope others will be for us when we are going through something.

Usually when I come out of the lows I tell myself this will be the last time however that never happens. I just hope that the lows are less frequent than the highs. This is why I feel so good about writing this blog because I can share things with the reader. These days I don’t have a lot of lows but not many highs either; other words right in the middle.  I realize that I can’t control everything in my life. The hardest thing is when disappointments come along but the discouragement last only a little while and I look to the bright side instead. Enjoy all the things that are good and hope for the things that I wish in my life.

Today bring joy into someone’s life even if it is only a smile and saying hello. Often all anyone wants is that another person cares and is paying attention. God bless you today.

The Battle Within

Here in my town of Gig Harbor there is a lot of developing going on. There is a question how greedy that the developers can be. In north Gig Harbor they are building homes for families and seniors where they clear cut a lot of land and the houses are right up to each other. Other words one step and you are in your neighbor’s yard. They are promising to add trees but I don’t see how.

Now another project is in the works in downtown Gig Harbor to build at least 55 units of apartments. On Monday Night the city council voted to approve the building of the units although there were a lot of objections from citizens. Actually there was a tie between the councilmen so the mayor had the deciding vote in which she voted on the side of the developer. What makes it really sad is the land is not zoned for such a development and clear cutting will take place there as well. In my mind downtown Gig Harbor is almost already maxed out on development however those who have money can do whatever they want while the normal citizen would not be able to do so. It shows that the laws don’t belong to everyone to follow. If you have enough money you can do what you want. Sounds wrong to me but what can the normal citizen’s do except complain and vote to replace the city council. They certainly don’t care what the citizens want.

Of course this is happening probably many other cities or small towns like Gig Harbor and those who have lived in those places for many years are seeing their towns being overgrown with developments. Gig Harbor is a beautiful small town however everything is changing not all for the good. I am sure those who are moving in like the small town feeling but the feeling isn’t going to be like that for long. What will Gig Harbor be like in the next ten years?

So this comes to my mind that there is a battle within. Not just among those who have been long time residents against outsiders but against ourselves. What I mean by that is that our minds are strong and we have to fight against the thoughts that come into our minds. Regardless how right we want to be there is a force of evil that comes in as much as good. We may feel that we are good people however evil does creep in to. So we must allow the good to overcome the evil. We must fight for the goodness. Even when we want to be unselfish a part of us is selfish at the same time. So our battle is within us as well as the forces that come against us from the outside. Don’t let the developers come into your land and take over. A word we all need to listen too.

Hello Summer

                                           How Gig Harbor looks most of the summer

This last weekend the temperatures hitting records for June felt a bit different that is for sure. Usually we feel that summer doesn’t go into effect until July 5^th however this year it went into the upper 90s. Now this week the temperatures are in the mid-70s which makes me feel better about it.

I have always enjoyed summer especially as a kid because I was able to be out of school and do different activities. Most people around here like the fact we will have sun for a while. This year the winter and spring we had so much rain when we did see the sun it was for a few hours maybe a couple days a week. Even when it isn’t raining the days are cloudy.

I like that we have four seasons here in the Pacific Northwest. I know that places like Southern California and Arizona the seasons don’t change much. The only difference is that the summer it is really hot in those places.  Although we do get a lot of rain especially in the winter we appreciate the sun when it comes out.

I won’t be surprised if we get a little rain before the end of June however the sun will be around in July, August and a lot of September.

I am thinking the change of seasons gives us hope when they come around. Life is a bit different when the next season comes along.

The beginning of fall isn’t much different than the summer other than the temperatures are lower. We have some rain however the sun is still out a lot and the trees change their colors. The last month or so of fall is when the rain comes on a regular basis and before the temperatures start to go lower. The winter doesn’t feel the same now as I remember as a kid. We didn’t have a lot of snow then however now we see little of it during the winter. Besides the rain we have a lot of wind storms beginning in November.  Often February the temperatures get warmer and we see some of the sun before heading into spring. This year we had record rainfall in the spring. We had about ten inches more rain than we are used too. It rained really hard for a few weeks. This is unusual because though we have some rain it usually very light during the spring. It was nice to see the beauty of the trees once again. Fall and spring feel almost the same.

Yesterday I saw three boys with their mother at the coffee shop. I asked them if they played baseball or soccer. They said no that they were more into football. I then asked them whether they were going to camp during the summer. They said that they were having Bible Camp real soon.  I told them when I was around their age I went to Camp Seymour. One of the brothers had been at Camp Seymour. I told him that the last time that I was there which was only five years ago I believe that Camp Seymour had not changed much since I was their age. I told the brothers I had enjoyed my time at Camp Seymour. I met other boys from Tacoma. Not many kids in Gig Harbor went to Camp Seymour probably because it is so close. It is less than 30 minutes from Gig Harbor.  Those who live in Tacoma the camp feels different than their living most of the year while for us in Gig Harbor it is so much of the same.  I liked going to Camp anyway though the feeling wasn’t much different at least I was away from home for a couple weeks.

When I was in high school I did go to summer school for a couple years. Although it was school it didn’t feel the same as when I was in school the rest of the year. I guess because less students and I took classes that I wanted to instead of what I didn’t want to take.  Also I would work some for my dad so I save some money. This was especially true when I turned sixteen years old so I have some cash to do things and get gas. I started driving a car that was once my mother’s than passed down to my sister and older brother.  It was interesting to work around adults and feel responsible too. Before my senior year of high school I worked for my dad most of the summer though I did take a few days off to relax and do some activities.

I am thinking to about the nearby neighborhoods around Gig Harbor. I will get into them in some posts coming up. Whatever you are doing for the summer enjoy the other seasons as well.  

Put a Word Down

I am sure most everyone is familiar with the game of scrabble. I used to play it a lot when I was a child especially during the holidays. Anyway my thought today we should all look at doing a word association game.

What we would do is write down a word and then any other words that associates with it. For example I could write down “house” and then “new” and remodel”. What would that mean to me? Do I consider buying a new house or remodel an older house. Maybe I think of making a new life or remodel my current life.

I think it would be something for us to do for a week everyday put down a new word and associated words. Think about the word throughout the day. At the end of the week look at all the words that we have put down. We can play this game with someone else as well. Discuss the words we put down with one another.

This could be a fun game and one that would change our lives for the better. We could continue this game every week or at the very least look at the words we came up during that week. We can see how our lives continue to change. I hope that you consider doing this either by yourself or with someone else. 

Another idea would be to play the game of scrabble and write down each word on a piece of paper. See if there becomes a pattern with the words and how they may fit in your lives. Anyway the best to having a healthy life.

It’s Windy!

                                            Pictures I couldn't resist

This winter and spring we had record rainfall here in the Pacific Northwest. It matched what we normally get by October 1 though we don’t get a lot during the summer however it felt like we have had a lot of wind as well.

In fact so much wind that even when it hasn’t rained I have felt it windy when I am out walking in the mornings. Also in the afternoons when I make errands or I take my mother to doctor appointments I have felt the wind as well.

Most people don’t use umbrellas around here when it rains. Usually those who do are not natives to the area. Actually a lot of people don’t wear rain jackets either although I do. I find that strange though when it is a downpour. When I come out of the grocery store I see people not concerned about the rain when it is pouring.

The wind is the primary reason I don’t use an umbrella. Most of the time when it is raining it is windy as well and the umbrella just gets in the way. In fact I feel that I would be like Mary Poppins and fly away with the umbrella.

I grew up on the waterfront where we had wind a lot however it feels like more wind this year than I have every felt before. It could be that I was so used to it when I grew up on the waterfront while now where I live the wind isn’t a regular occurrence.

I do hope that the wind will continue throughout the summer so I will feel cooler that way. I have heard the temperatures are supposed to be more normal this year than the last couple years where it was more in the 90s than I ever remember before. A normal year the temperatures usually are in the upper 70s to mid-80s. Until recently the 90s were not even thought of really ever happening. Already today it is supposed to hit the 90s or at least the upper 80s for the second day in a row. The temperatures are supposed go down into the 70s during this week though. I will feel much better that way.

Another thing happened while I was growing up my mother always made sure that I always wore a shirt and had suntan lotion on because she felt that I would get sunburn. Being fair skinned the possibility being sunburned was going to happen without the suntan lotion. I know that I rarely ever got sunburned unlike other children. Today I only put on suntan or sunscreen on occasionally. I do watch how much time I spend in the sun and usually when I am walking or sitting for that matter I am wearing a baseball cap.

So the winds keep doing your thing so I will feel cooler that way and I am refreshed. The wind is my friend unless it is raining at the same time. I will be going out for my morning walk soon so wind come and get me.

Adding On!

 A reminder that this year is for us to press on toward the goal we want to meet. If you think about a championship team they never stop wanting to get better because other teams are wanting to become champions as well so they have to add on to their team.

Adding on may have to do with getting another player or more or improving their offense or defense. This is what we must consider doing as well. In our purpose and destiny we have been given talents and gifts. We can’t just stay with the ones that we have been given we must add on more talents and gifts. We have to discover what those additional talents and gifts are. Sometimes it is going out and trying new things. We might not realize that we have certain talents and gifts. We actually might surprise ourselves by trying new things.

The most important aspect about our purpose and destiny is that it is not about us at all. The purpose and destiny is about other people. What we are accomplishing is for the benefit of others. This is sometimes hard to comprehend because the world tells us we have to do things for ourselves. Others may benefit but when it comes down to it all about us which not true at all. Even the best of us when helping others fall in the trap of helping ourselves too.

I hope this helps us all out. What I am writing here is for my benefit as well as others. I have to take my own advice as well. Have a wonderful weekend and continue pressing on toward your goal.

Summer Here?

                                                  My home of Gig Harbor, Washington

It is officially summer in the Pacific Northwest however the question always is summer here? 

This year it does look like summer in the Pacific Northwest. This weekend the temperatures will be in the eighties and it will hit ninety on Sunday.

This doesn’t happen often in the summer where the temperatures will get to high eighties or nineties. In fact the temperatures usually will vary between mid-70s and 80s. Next week the temperatures are expected to be in the mid-70s which is just fine for me.

You see I have fair skin and I am a natural Pacific Northwest resident so I don’t care for the temperatures to go into the 90s. I don’t mind a few times during the summer but not for several days in a row.

Like many other residents of the Pacific Northwest I believe it is the most beautiful place in the world during the summer. I am sure most people feel that way where they live as well.

There is so much people can do in the summer around here. There is hiking, camping, kayaking, and sail boating to name just a few of the activities. We have the Mt. Rainier National Park, the Olympic Rainforest and the Wenatchee Rainforest to visit. There are a number of hiking trails that can be hiked on either for the day or a week. When I was in Boy Scouts every August we would go on a fifty mile hike in the Olympic Rainforest. We usually took ten days to hike figuring a couple days to relax if it rain too hard and it usually did. I had a good time though my feet often said otherwise. We usually played cards on those days that we took time off to relax.

Also I can’t forget to mention the Oregon and Washington coasts are wonderful to see as well. There are a lot of spots to stop at along highway 101.

For me summer is not only good to enjoy the weather it is great to meet people whether old friends or new friends. I enjoy being around people and there are a lot of them during the summer. This is especially true when it comes to kids. I love watching kids and what they do.

In a month I will be up visiting a couple of my cousins in central British Columbia, Canada. I expect it to be very beautiful and I will report back here how things all go. I look forward to seeing some of their grandchildren as well. It has been four years since I was last there so the children will look different and most likely won’t remember me from four years ago since they were small.

So enjoy your summer wherever you are at. Have a great time with your family and friends. Many blessing to you.