Swimming Pools

I think it's fantastic to have friends with pools. I can't imagine anything more enjoyable on a hot Sunday afternoon than to relax in a pool and enjoy cool relief from the heat. :) Perhaps we shall talk Steven & Christie into sacrificing the backyard for a pool! Or maybe not...

Fun Project

One of the assignments in my current (and also LAST!!!) class is to create a sample company and record all accounting activity for a fictitious month in order to complete the steps of the Accounting Cycle. I'm really excited about this project because it allows me to explore the reality of owning my own business ( a dream I hope to realize within the next 10 years) using actual accounting software, Peachtree. It is an educational version of the software, but the usage is practically the same as the actual software. I'm really looking forward to this project! It's going to be so much fun!! Today I had to create the business name, address, type, and description. WHEE!!!

Happy Birthday Heather!

Happy, Happy 26th Birthday to my housemate, Heather!! It was so much fun celebrating last night! I can't wait for the next game of ultimate frisbee and next year's music video.

Heather

Diane, Kerry, & Bryan

Heather w/Frisbee

Rachel & Christie

Erin & Rachel

I'm so glad we're roomies and I look forward to another AWESOME year!

Camping

So, summer has officially started with the year's first camping trip. Dierdre and Darla are out of school and to celebrate the occasion, a bunch of us young adults went camping near Prescott. Our original choice was Lynx Lake campground, but it was full, so we ended up a few miles away at White Spar campground. We found two sites right next to each other and set up camp.


Becky & Heather's tent (a birthday present to me from me last year)


Patrick, Alicia, & Phil's tent


Ben & Dierdre's tent in front, Steve & Darla's tent in back


Joe's te... umm, sleeping setup?? Joe chose not to pitch a tent but rather to sleep under the stars in the bed of his truck. :) Brings back memories of camping at Chena Lake in the back of the big blue van.

The guys brought the sailboat and took it out on Lynx Lake Saturday afternoon. We all went along to watch and read books on the shore. Poor Patrick and Joe were caught by a gust of wind that tipped the boat over. They had a fun (??) time righting it in the middle of the lake. We were cheering for them from afar. It was tough to see them struggle and not be able to assist.

Joe & Pat returning to shore after the tipping escapade.


Much more fun stuff happened, but it's bedtime. Check out the photo album for more pics.

Agricultural observations

I pass these fields every day on my way to work. I thought it interesting to compare agriculture here in the desert to the agriculture in upstate New York.
Differences:
1) Irrigation, of course! It doesn't rain much here, so the fields are set up to maximize absorption. Observe the periodic "buffers" in the field to prevent run-off.














2) Baling process: It is cut, raked, and baled within 24 hours. The bales are dropped in the field and then picked up and loaded onto a wagon by an unidentifiable contraption (shown on the far side of the field in 3rd pic). No muscle usage required!















Similarities:
1) There are mountains in the background in both states! :)
2) If you crop a picture just right, you can't tell which state the field is in!















3) The corn still grows tall and proud. Only the growing season varies. "Knee high by July" doesn't apply here!!

The Graduate

I'm so proud of my baby brother! He is now a high school graduate and, thanks to an advanced course, he's also a college freshman!! He's relieved to be done with high school, but will dearly miss his friends and classmates. It's a bittersweet occasion. He has chosen to attend Hobe Sound Bible College in Florida (HSBC) and I wish him all the best!

WHOO HOO!!! GO JOEL!!!