Our August trip to Grandma's house!

Aaron, Sarah and I took a trip to visit Grandma Szymanski and my sister's families in Western New York.

We had a relaxing and fun filled week visiting relatives and experiencing the local sites including a county fair, a real maple sugar "bush", an auction and flea market where they actually sold everything from chickens to rocks, a beautiful lake side community, the local Mormon ward which is located on the Seneca Indian Reservation, and much more!

Plus we cleaned up up Grandpa Szymanski's horseshoe pit, mowed grandma's huge 3 acre lawn, were treated to a picnic at my sister's home and played bocci ball, sampled the food at the Amish cheese factory, Timmy Horton's, Buffalo Chicken Wings, Mighty Taco and fresh fruits and vegetables from the neighborhood gardens! The week went by so fast that we look must go back again soon, next spring I hope!

Below are a few photos that I managed to take, I'm sorry I didn't take more.

We began our trip on Friday morning with a stop in Minneapolis. We waited for our plane to be loaded full of peanuts and pretzels to make our flight so much fun!

After we settled in we visited a local Maple Syrup sugar bush called Maple Glen Sugar House in nearby Gowanda NY. Very authentic...

A visit to the Chautauqua Lake community of Bemus Point. I nice lakeside community with plenty of walking paths on the lake shore. The lake is just North of Jamestown, birthplace of Lucille Ball.

We enjoyed a outdoor lunch at the Beach Club, yummi food.

The fun continued at the Erie County Fair, Aaron and Sarah dared enter this space ship, spun around for a few minutes until they were almost sick.

We also watched the goat judging, did you know that a female goat is called a doe! We also enjoyed the fair food including vinegar french fries.

Aunt Jan traded cars with Grandma, so we put the top down and cruzed the highways, hold onto your hat Grandma Szymanski!

After a week of non stop activities with the Szymanski's it was time for a little rest waiting for our return flight.

Thanks to Grandma Szymanski, Julie, Rick, Janis and our cousins. We hope to see you again soon....

A few pretty pictures

The mom on a hike, Granite Quarry trail, note the leaves just popping out

I have collected a number of pictures on my phone and thought I would post them here from time to time before they are erased. All of these were taken from May 15-22, 2010.

Here are some spring photos from the gardens, love the tulips!

and more.....

and even more.

I will add more photo in the future!

We're Not in Kansas Anymore...

Mayville, NY with Lake Chautauqua in the background

This is a photo that I found in the Buffalo News relating the events surounding a tornado that touched down near the Chautauqua Lake community of Mayville, NY. You can read the article below after I tell my little story.

As a young boy I recall having nightmares of tornadoes, which coincided with the annual TV showing of the Wizard of Oz. I need to remind you that when Dadoo was growing up, you could only watch a movie when it was shown on Television or in the Movie theaters. There was no way of recording the show off the TV, (other than my attempts to record the audio with my reel to reel tape recorder, but that is another post), this was way before VCR's!

So back to the story, I was so afraid to watch the beginning of Oz when Dorothy and her house are ripped from the foundation and sent twirling into the air that I would cover my head with a pillow during that scene. Still I didn't associate tornadoes with South Dayton, they just happened in Kansas!

Until....

One night when I was about 7 or 8 years old we had a huge thunderstorm, the whole house shook when the lightening hit and I would count the time from the flash and the sound of the lightening and multiply by 7 (the approx speed of sound) this would tell how many miles we were from the actual lightening. Boom! Flash! Boom! Flash! I have heard that if you are outside and you don't hear the sound you are in big trouble, maybe worse...

But anyways we had a big storm that evening and in the morning my parents told me that a tornado had touched down within a mile of the west of our house on old mud lake road and we were going take a ride to see there it happened. When we arrived there were huge trees laying on top of the houses and doggies were missing. I thought "Oh no, they have gone to Oz with Toto and Dorothy!"

After that Tornado the Fire Department began to sound a special siren that could be heard through the community to signal a Tornado Warning, a long steady tone lasting for a minute that makes your hair stand on end. So now you can understand my thoughts as I read of the tornado damage from Randolph and Mayville this article.

Tornadoes leave chilling imprint

Communities sustain severe damage but no serious injuries

Randolph, NY

Jordan was helping his friend Nathan Lamper remodel Lamper's Main Street house when the wind began picking up in the Cattaraugus County Town of Randolph. Jordan went outside to grab the garbage cans from the curb. As he did, a quick gust ripped them from his hands.

By the time Jordan grabbed a front porch post, a tornado was at his heels, picking his feet off the ground.

"Nathan was holding on to the door with the rain coming sideways," Brandy Gann said Sunday, recalling the chain of events that Lamper, her fiance, had told her.

What lifted Jordan from the ground was one of a string of tornadoes that ripped through the Southern Tier late Saturday afternoon. There were no serious injuries, but damage was estimated in the millions -- possibly as much as $5 million in just one of the effected communities, the Chautauqua Lake community of Mayville.

Mayville was hit first Saturday when a tornado came through at 4:48 p.m. with winds of 125 mph.

Randolph, located in the western part of Cattaraugus County, about 15 miles northeast of Jamestown, was the second Southern Tier community hit by a tornado. That twister, which was seven miles long and a half-mile wide, traveled 100 to 125 mph as it unleashed its fury over a 10-minute period begining at 5:25 p.m.

A third tornado traveling at speeds of 90 to 95 mph, struck the towns of Carrollton and Allegany, several miles southeast of Salamanca, for nine minutes beginning at 5:49 p.m.

"Three in one day basically within the same time period is pretty rare," said Davecq Sage, National Weather Service meteorologist.

Chautauqua County Executive Gregory J. Edwards Sunday said 20 homes in his county received anywhere from moderate to significant damage. Of eight commercial properties affected by the Mayville tornado, two were being inspected for demolition, including the Sword & Shield restaurant at 5695 East Lake Road.

"People are doing whatever's necessary to get their homes together," said Julius J. Leone, Jr., Chautauqua County's director of emergency services. Leone guessed that the total damage from Mayville could be as much as $5 million.

James and Lynn Kester, of 77 Morris St., Mayville, were playing pinochle with their son and his girlfriend Saturday when they began seeing debris swirling in the air near the house.

"We ran to the basement, just got the doors closed and it hit," Kester said, adding that the event lasted about 10 to 15 seconds.

In that time, a 40-foot limb from a maple tree was deposited in his backyard pool. A heavy plastic fence around the pool had only four of its original 16 sections remaining. Another tree had fallen across his front porch and the siding was torn in several places.

Betty Newhouse, of 72 Valley St., Mayville, lives one block away from some of the heaviest damage. "I saw a funnel full of debris, a flash of light, and then the power went out," Newhouse said. Her family took to the basement to wait out the tornado, which did not damage her house.

In Cattaraugus County, the tornado uprooted more than 250 trees and knocked out power in the Southern Tier Village of Randolph.

"You could build a house in the holes some trees left after being pulled up by the roots," said Chris Baker, Cattaraugus County's director of emergency services and fire coordinator.

Downed trees and power lines caused the town to block off about two blocks of Main Street in Randolph. Roofs were torn from multiple homes and commercial properties. Residents reported heavy damage at Landmark Chevrolet and at the town's Mobil station. There was also concerns over livestock.

"I know they had issues with livestock coming up missing. We're getting some reports of people finding the livestock in different areas and returning them back," Baker said.

As many as 100 calves were swept up by the tornado from Beavers Dairy Farm, according to several Randolph residents. One person said some calves were found as far as three miles from the farm.

It was in Randolph where Jordan was helping remodel his friend Nathan Lamper's home.

Sunday, Lamper's fiance, Brandy Gann, said Jordan is lucky to be alive.

Retaining his grip on one of the front porch's spindles as the tornado came through, Jordan jumped forward and gripped the steps when the wind died down. A few seconds later, the front porch roof fell. The roof protected him from flying debris, and only an upright treadmill and a metal brake bender kept the roof from crushing him.

Gann was sitting on what was left of the porch's crumbling concrete foundation as she spoke on Sunday.

"I just kept thinking that it's really weird that we're getting a tornado in New York," said Gann, who moved to Randolph from Kentucky 10 years ago. "It blew my mind."

work crews were busy in Randolph on Sunday removing damaged trees and trying to restore electricity to the town's approximately 1,300 residents. Multiple fire companies from Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties have responded, while the local department of public works crews have been assisted by the county, nearby towns, private contractors and volunteers.

Baker estimated 200 to 250 people had been involved in cleanup efforts over the two days. "The cooperation of all the agencies working together in these conditions with a common goal has been just unbelieveable," he said.

The tornadoes that hit Mayville and Randolph were classified on the Enhanced Fujita Scale as being as EF2 on a scale of five. Only 25 percent of all tornadoes are EF2 or stronger, meaning tornadoes estimated at between 111 and 135 miles per hour, he said.

"I think it happened at a good time of the day where there was daylight and people were watching TV [to get updates], because there were no deaths and practically no injuries, and the lead time average was a half hour and as high as 45 minutes."

The National Weather Service aided the emergency preparers by putting a storm assessment package together and providing constant updates, first as the storm developed and as it happened, and then through the night into Sunday.

With electricity out, the Office of Emergency Services has attempted to go door to door in an attempt to keep people updated about what's being done in the aftermath. Anyone with unreported damage is instructed to contact the office at 938-2212.

Buffalo News By By Steve Brachmann and Mark Sommer

Alice

I recently watched the Disney movie Alice in Wonderland, a Tim Burton movie staring my friend Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter. I found the film to be engaging and entertaining.

While I watched the movie while donating platelets where one is strapped to a table with two needles attached to your arms for nearly two hours, I didn't come close to the heebie-jeebies, therefore I award it 3 stars!









So with the film still fresh in my mind, I noted that Disney is closing the classic Disneyland ride for the next few weeks for upgrades.

For the life of me, my mind is fuzzy on the ride, maybe some will comment with their personal memoriesof the attraction.




Here is the LA Times article that spurred my thought on this post

Disneyland's Alice in Wonderland ride closed to install safety equipment
The attraction is shut down temporarily after state inspectors note a lack of handrails for maintenance crews.

One of Disneyland's oldest attractions, the Alice in Wonderland ride, has been closed since last week while workers install safety barriers recommended by California work-safety inspectors. Park officials said they hope to reopen the ride in the next few weeks.

Disney officials said the Anaheim park voluntarily closed the ride July 15 after California Department of Occupational Safety and Health inspectors pointed out that it lacked handrails needed for maintenance crews who work on an elevated segment of the ride.

The Cal/OSHA inspectors were in the park on a separate matter and did not order closure of the ride, Disneyland spokeswoman Suzi Brown said. "We like to have all of our rides ready for our guests," she said.

The ride, which opened in 1958, takes guests on rail-guided cars that resemble caterpillars into a dark tunnel that features glowing characters from Disney's 1951 animated version of the Lewis Carroll classic. Toward the end of the ride, the cars roll outside, along an elevated rail segment with no handrails or barriers to prevent maintenance workers from falling off.

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Brown said park workers would install scaffolding or barriers along the elevated segment.

In 2000, a 15-year-old Arizona boy suffered a broken foot and leg on the ride when his foot was pinched between a guardrail and the car in which he was riding. The ride closed for about six hours. Police said they believed the boy was dangling his leg outside the ride.

Earlier this month, Disney's California Adventure Park temporarily shut its newest attraction, World of Color, after a July 7 earthquake near Borrego Springs.

Only hours after the 5.4-magnitude quake, Disney's officials said malfunctioning equipment forced them to cancel three of the night-time water, light and fire displays that erupts from Paradise Bay Lagoon.

Disney officials said they could not determine if the quake caused the malfunction, but the shows resumed the following night.

I fought the man and ...

After 2 years of servitude to the Direct TV man, today I called to cancel our service. TJ answered the phone and said "how can I help you sir" and quickly before I could answer, "what is your name?" "Joe" I replied, "I would like to cancel my service" There I had done it and and there was silence on the phone and finally TJ replied, "why would you want to do that?"

Then I thought, oh I want to say I how I had been held hostage for 24 months of living with a substandard DVR without Picture in Picture with a remote that is slow as molasses on a cold Buffalo morning, and how they took down the the Versus channel and refused to let me out of my contract. And and, how I missed the Charlie Chat!

But.... I didn't say that, instead I said "I would like to be a free agent without a contract", Free to negotiate a deal like Labron James, Just let me out of CLEVELAND!

TJ offered me a free month credit after which when I could cancel. It's great to be a free agent. Now back to Deadliest Catch!

Here we go again!

I found this article in the Buffalo News today concerning a young Levi E. Detweiler who is now in a bit of trouble with the law due to failure to stop at a stop sign and "overdriving an animal". What makes it even more interesting to me is that it is set in Leon, New York, the birth place of my father. Plus, since Aaron, Sarah and myself will be vacationing at grandma's it helps to get us acquainted with some local news.

LEON—An Amish teen who tried to flee police faces charges of alcohol possession and “overdriving an animal” after he crashed his getaway vehicle— a horse and buggy.

Cattaraugus County sheriff’s deputies reported over the weekend that Levi E. Detweiler, 17, ran a stop sign and refused officers’ attempts to stop the buggy. Deputies chased Detweiler for about three quarters of a mile, and when he tried an unsafe turn into a driveway, he crashed the horse and buggy in a ditch. The teen then fled on foot but was found later in the area.

The Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Bureau completed an investigation and charged the youth with possession of alcohol by someone under 21, overdriving an animal, seconddegree reckless endangerment, failure to stop at a stop sign and failure to yield to an emergency vehicle in the incident that occurred at about 1:30 a. m. last Monday. He is free on $500 bail.

How, when, where, what?

Here are some photos which were among the many we sorted through for inclusion in the Granite South Stake's 25th Anniversary project. The 3 part set which includes a multiple photo DVD's and 2 hard bound volumes is now on our bookshelf.

I have included some questions for the viewing audience, how many can you answer?

Photo#1
Where was this photo taken, what character was he playing and how old was the budding actor?






Photo #2
What year was this photo taken and where?





Photo #3
Can you name some or all eleven individuals in this photo, the event and the year?







Photo #4
Where was this taken and what Szymanski children were at the event?





Photo #5
Who is this pictured with Aaron, what was the event and the year taken?





Photo #6
Name as many of the people in this 2005 photo as possible and who was Bishop at the time?








Photo #7
Name the age of young Sarah, the event and year?








Photo #8
What was the event, year and name the people pictured

Simon 'absolutely loved' Salt Lake

It's hard to believe that American Idol is about to return to the air on January 13th.





By Scott D. Pierce

Deseret News
Published: December 18, 2008
Simon Cowell — the mean judge on "American Idol" — has absolutely nothing mean to say about his visit to Utah.

Simon (Cowell) says he 'absolutely loved' Salt Lake during 'Idol' tryouts
As a matter of fact, given multiple opportunities in a conference call with TV critics, Cowell did nothing but gush about his visit to Salt Lake City for "Idol" auditions in September.

"You know what? I absolutely loved it there," Cowell said. "I loved the city. I loved the air. And, most importantly, I absolutely loved the people."

Yikes. This is the guy who's never been shy about expressing his dislike for anyone or anything. And there have been times when he hasn't exactly showered praise on cities that hosted "Idol" auditions.

But, again, it was nothing but praise for Salt Lake City.

"We literally got all types there. It was exactly what this show is all about," Cowell said. "It was great fun. I was really impressed with some of the people (who) came through.

"And we even had an Osmond — and I liked him!"

While "Idol" thrives on secrecy, it's no secret that David Osmond auditioned for the show in Salt Lake City. And, as is obvious from Cowell's comment, it seems he advanced past the first round of auditions to perform for judges Cowell, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson and newcomer Kara DioGuardi.

Reportedly, Osmond, 29, the fourth son of Alan Osmond, advanced from the Utah auditions to the Hollywood round of the competition, although Fox doesn't confirm such information before the show airs.

The eighth season of "American Idol" begins on Jan. 13, at 7 p.m. on Fox/Ch. 13. The episode featuring the Salt Lake auditions has not yet been scheduled.

The show continues through May, and Osmond and his wife, Valerie, are expecting their first child in April.

But it wasn't just the guy with the famous last name who impressed Cowell, although the most famous (or is that infamous?) of the "Idol" judges did sound a bit surprised that he liked it as much as he did.

"I thought it would be a bit more serious, to be honest with you," Cowell said, "because I'd only heard about the place; I'd never been there before.

"But I couldn't have been more wrong. It was really, really good fun. And it was one of my favorite cities."

Trader Joes

There are Trader Joes all over the West including Southern California and Arizona. Our daughter took us to one near her home while visiting Phoenix this fall. The products available range from exotic fruits and vegetables, health foods, candies and drinks.



Utah has one similar store called Pirate O's located in Draper. It's a strange store with many rooms connected by narrow passages, it's worth the time to visit if you are nearby at 11901 S 700 E Draper, UT

What is a date?

Today while touring the Palm Springs area I saw signs for "Date Shakes" It sounded kinda weird and then I realized I didn't know much about dates.


What is a Date? Well, a date is grown on a Date Palm. They are grown in Iraq, Morocco, Southern California and Arizona. This week we stayed at a resort just off Date Palm Drive, so Dates are or were an important agricultural product of Palm Springs. Dates can be eaten as is or may be pitted and stuffed with fillings such as almonds, walnuts, candied orange and lemon peel, marzipan or cream cheese. They are commonly used as a key ingredient in fruit cake. My Grandmothers loved dates and would make great date cookies. I'm afraid that there use has diminished greatly today and they are rarely found in the modern kitchen.




In an effort to revive the date and bring it back to light I provide the following recipe, bring on the date!



Drop Date Cookies

* 1/4 cup butter
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 1 egg -- beaten
* 1/4 cup warm water
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 2 cups flour
* 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt

FILLING:

* 1 package dates (small pkg) -- chopped
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 3/4 cup warm water
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
* OR maple extract
* 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Cream butter and sugar; beat in eggs, water and vanilla. Stir dry ingredients in.
Boil the filling ingredients slowly until dates are cooked then thicken with cornstarch.
Drop cookie dough on cookie sheet. Put some date filling on top, then put a dab of cookie dough on top of the filling. Bake in 400° oven for 10-15 minutes.

We made it!

After 12 hours of driving (it really was quite enjoyable) we made it to Rancho Mirage, near Palm Springs.



We began the day at around 8am (just on time for a scheduled 6:30 am planned departure) stopped in Beaver at the cheese factory, without getting any cheese, a first and continued with short stops in Street George and Baker CA. There were opportunities to recall trips of days gone bye including Bun Boy, its now a Big Boy and the infamous ZZYZX Click here to find out more than you wanted to know about the ZZYZX exit south of Baker. Other than being the last word in the English dictionary it was home to Soda Springs a spa and resort but never like our present hotel.

The mom will be posting an entry concerning our trip and how it turns out, I can say know that it is off to a hot start, it's 101 at 8pm! See ya, the dadoo.

It's Corn Time!

I can't believe that fall is here, the long days of summer is fading to shorter days and cool autumn breezes. The other day at the PGA golf tournament, I spoke with a golfer from Georgia who was enjoying the great weather we are experiencing of late. He related how humid and uncomfortable it is in his home state. We do live in an exceptional area, and noooow it time for the return of the CORN MAN!

Yes, one my favorite celebrations is Halloween which leads to my all time favorite Thanksgiving. A unique Utah tradition is the Corn Maze or Corn "Maize" in some circles. I am not aware of another part of the country that does Halloween like our state. Possibly because of the number of young people who live here, or that we seem to have avoided the mischief and mayhem that accompanies Halloween in many other states.


I found that this Corn Maze is patterned after none other than our own David Archulta. Cornbellys Corn Maze and Pumpkin Fest begins September 21st at Thanksgiving Point. Hi CORN MAN!

Dog Town

This week Response Agency we began a project to help raise funds to support the Best Friends Animal Society. Best Friends has been working towards a goal of "No More Homeless Pets". For over 25 years Best Friends has helped reduce the number of dogs and cats being destroyed from 17 million to 5 million.

National Geographic Channel started the second season of Dog Town which is kind of like a reality show for dogs and the care provided by the vets and other personnel of Best Friends. The season opener was on the pit bulls that were owned by NFL Football player Michael Vick. Vick is serving prison time for an abuse of animal charge

Best Friends Animal Society is located in Kanab Utah and has a nationwide network of groups encouraging neutering of pets and a huge ranch where unwanted dogs, cats, horses and other creatures.

It's a fun project, I'll keep you informed as we move forward.

More on 4

It seems that Paula is none too pleased with the addition of Kara to the Idol format. I sense a cat fight in the making!

This from the fair and balanced Fox News:

"I am concerned about the audience and acceptance. Time will tell. We'll see," she said.

She also said producers hired the Grammy-nominated songwriter because they "wanted to try a change.

"They always tried for a fourth judge because it followed the format of the original show, 'Pop Idol,'" Abdul said. "We haven't had much luck with that working, but we're gonna give it another try."

Asked if she, Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell have sat down with DioGuardi to test their chemistry, Abdul replied, "Nope," and laughed.

What happens if she and Jackson vote one way, but DioGuardi disagrees?

"That's gonna be weird if it's a split decision," Abdul said. "I'm sure Simon will get to make the final [call]."

"It takes the fun out of all the hard work I do to push those kids through," she added.

DioGuardi begins her "Idol" journey Tuesday during auditions in New York. It will be the judges' first time together in one room; DioGuardi said she only just met host Ryan Seacrest on Monday morning.

DioGuardio's songs have been recorded by Kelly Clarkson, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, Celine Dion, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood and Pink, among others. Her recent Top 40 hits include Stefani's "Rich Girl," Aguilera's "Ain't No Other Man," Clarkson's "Walk Away" and Dion's "Taking Chances."

A Fourth Judge!

It seems that Paula will be getting a soulmate! Kara DioGuardi a songwriter will join Randy, Simon and Paula for this coming years American Idol. I can't wait for the new season.

The Golden Bear!

Recently, Sarah and I had the great privilege of spending a few hours with the great Jack Nicholas, AKA the Golden Bear and LPGA legend Annika Sorenstam while attending the Champions Challenge golf event at Thanksgiving Point. Johnny Miller sponsors this tournament each year which pairs father/son, brother/brother, sister/sister and friends in a best ball tournament for a two day golf extravaganza.

Over the years I have carried on conversations with the likes of Sergio Garcia, Gary Player, Lee Trevino, Mike Weir, Jim Furyk Fuzzy Zoeller, Hale Irwin, David Duval, Tom Kite, and even the colorful John Daly.

The weather is usually quite toasty and this year we saw more of the same, Sarah put up with another of Dad's odd hobbies and was very supportive, she even received and nod of the head and a wink from host Johnny Miller himself. I still recall an exchange with Arnold Palmer some years ago when Aaron was a young lad of some 8 or 9 years old.

Harry Potter, coming to a theater near you!

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will be shown in theaters, November 2008. That's only a few short months away, even before the return of 24!

What is your favorite Potter Movie? I liked the 4th, Goblet of Fire, the tri-wizard tournament with Victor Krum and Cedric, oh my oh my!

Here is a list of the movies and a short plot summary, the last book will be broken into 2 movies and released in 2010 and 2011.

Vote for your favorite......

#1 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Harry Potter is an 11 year old boy. At a young age, he was attacked by Lord Voldemort who killed his parents; his survival brought unknown fame to Harry. He was taken by Hagrid to live with his aunt and uncle. Eleven years later, in 1991, Harry enters his first year of Hogwarts along with his new friends Ron and Hermione.


#2 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry, Ron, and Hermione return to Hogwarts for their second year which proves to be more challenging than the last. The Chamber of Secrets is opened, leaving students (and ghosts) petrified. Harry learns that he can speak parseltongue which leads to many students believing he is the heir of Salazar Slytherin. Near the end of the year Harry, Ron and their new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Lockhart, discover the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets. There he battles the young memory of Lord Voldemort (Tom Marvolo Riddle) and his basilisk. During the battle Godric Gryffindor's sword appears out of the sorting hat (brought by Fawks), which we later learn from Dumbledore that the sword would have only appeared for a true Gryffindor.


#3 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry's third year truly begins when the Hogwart's express stops moving, a Dementor attacks Harry and is dispatched with the help of new professor, Lupin. The Dementor flees but not before it causes Harry to faint. A prisoner named Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban prison, he was incarcerated there twelve years previously for apparently aiding Voldemort and the Death Eaters. Harry, believing it was Black who caused his parent's deaths, finds out at the end of the year the real truth.


#4 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire:

Harry's fourth year begins with him having a nightmare about Frank Bryce being killed by Voldemort. At Hogwarts, there is a new professor, Alastor Moody, Hogwarts is hosting the Triwizard Tournament, a dangerous tournament between three schools of magic. Fleur Delacour, Viktor Krum and Cedric Diggory are the three champions. But Harry's name appears out of the Goblet of Fire making him a fourth champion.


#5 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry's fifth year begins with Harry being attacked by Dementors in Little Whinging. He finds out later that the Ministry of Magic doesn't believe that Voldemort has returned and is in for a hard year. Professor Umbridge, a representative of Cornelius Fudge, is the new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher, and the rebellion between the students of Hogwarts and the Ministry of Magic begins.


#6 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry believes that Draco Malfoy and Severus Snape are up to something. Harry falls in love with Ginny Weasley, Ron's sister. Towards the end Professor Dumbledore and Harry face an army of Inferi and return to Hogwarts to find that Death Eaters have attacked. The film is due for release in November 2008.


#7 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Harry, Ron, and Hermione's quest to find all of Voldemort's remaining horcruxes begins. It's meant to be Harry's final year at Hogwarts but Voldemort's rise to power prevents him from attending. The trio undergo a long adventure to destroy Voldemort once and for all.

Can anyone identify this photo?

I have been trying to organize the many photos collected over the years and came across this one which appears to have been taken in a hotel. I think I know who these characters are, where was it taken and when?

There are many others that I will post in the future, some from the Ward history project that coincides with the Stake 25th anniversary and our very own family files.

Dadoo!

Rained out

We had plans to hike Neffs Canyon over the holiday weekend however the weather went from iffy to bad, as a result we enjoyed a Movie/BBQ/Yardwork weekend. Below are some photos of Neffs which we hope to hike Saturday


Neff's Canyon is located at a lower altitude in the Olympus Cove area, I believe we hiked this area in the past for Geocaching in the early 2000's. I'm told that it is snow free and will result in some great views and lots of opportunity for calorie burning excitment, yum!

Is that Amish or Amish?

I found these photos in the local Dunkirk NY newspaper, describing an annual auction of Amish furniture and other hand built items. The amish people do not have health insurance and as a result they accumulate large bills at hospitals for emergency care. The proceeds of the auction pays for these expenses. The auction is held in the same community as that of my sister Julie, many people attend from in and out of state as there are some great deals to be found...



"Six years ago, the Conewango Amish community found out they had racked up over $750,000 in hospital bills. Without health insurance, they were charged the full price for doctor bills and hospital care.

Cullen, who has spent time advising the Conewango Amish said, “We have health plans, the Amish are charged retail. We hire lawyers, they choose not to negotiate like this. They told me that they want the Children’s Hospital to make this money.”
Nearly 40 Amish communities participated in the sixth annual Amish Relief Auction at the Empire Livestock Cherry Creek Market. None of the Amish members interviewed would give their names and it’s against their beliefs to be photographed."