It's been a while--but we're alive and kicking!

I can't believe it's been 5 years since we last posted! I tend to be an old fashioned journal keeper--the pen and paper type--and we take a million photos, so our thoughts and perspectives on life are not left to the whims of long term memory alone. In any case, I think it's time to re-vitalize this blog and hopefully there will be a monthly post from yours truly, as well as from my better half.

Speaking of halves, we've doubled our family in size in the past 3 years! What an adventure it has been.

Here's a picture of our cute little family.

Mother's Day 2016
Taylor James--30 months
Danielle Amanda--4/12 months

More to come from the Harline household--stay tuned!

Baby Come Back!

I recall a time talking with some friends when the realization came that I was in a bad relationship. Over and over they would hurt me, and I just kept coming back. Sure, they promised that it would never be like that again, they'd changed - I was always left hurting in the end. . . Somehow, even after that realization, I did stay.

Of course, at the same time I was secretly seeing someone else, they were completely faithful to me (they didn’t' mind that I was seeing someone else). I can only remember a few small occasions when they actually made me want to cry. As our relationship continued, they just kept giving me more and more. I stayed with them too.

Both of these relationships are still going strong, but somehow the situations have swapped. I'm worried that for the first time in a number of years the USU basketball team will not achieve a winning season (it looks like their 30 win season is already out of the question and a Top 25 ranking is almost laughable). On the other hand, the USU football team is going to its first bowl game in 14 years. They have their first 7 wins in a regular season since back in the 70's!

Well, seems to me that the basketball team deserves my fidelity through their times of trials just like I gave to the football team. I wish them both the best of luck and I'll continue to be faithful, even if you're not.

'Tis the Season for COLD

I don't know how I survived Logan for so many years. I'm not a big supporter of winter, and it lasts for half the year up there. Sure the snow is pretty when it falls and is freshly on the ground. Sometimes it can even be fun (sledding, throwing snowballs, snowshoeing trips that you fear will end in your death . . . guess that's a story for a different time). However, most often winter is cold, difficult to travel in, cold, too dark, cold, too bright, cold, wet, and cold.

As far as I'm concerned, the whole reason why some of the best holidays of the year are celebrated in winter is because it's such a miserable season. (Summer is my favorite, fall would beat spring hands down for second place except for the fact that fall leads into winter.)

Sure, the 4th of July is great. (I mean what's not to love about a day where you get to play with fire and eat lots o' BBQ meat?) No matter how great the other holidays might be nothing ever compares to Christmas and the "gateway holiday", Thanksgiving. Why? It's a holiday that lasts for over a month! It's such a big event that it's become a season unto itself. In this special season all the great treats that were hidden away from the warm summer sun begin to appear. That's when the candy corn creeps onto the racks, the egg nog cartons edge out the healthier dairy products (is egg nog considered a dairy product?), pumpkin pies proliferate in the bakery.

Most importantly though, the whole reason why the Christmas season is so great is the theme spread out by everyone (even marketing, though in a different vein). Everyone is encouraged to give -- be selfless.

There are many more things to be given however than something you found at the store. Sometimes the most special gift we have goes ungiven, our time. How much of our time this season is spent running around trying to find that perfect gift? Time used up trying to place that decoration in the perfect spot (or, for those of us that are still getting our Christmas collection together, buying decorations)?

We spend a lot of time trying to make Christmas so perfect that we tend to not have enough for where it really counts, helping others. This might mean shoveling a driveway, singing some carols, or even just sitting down and having a cookie with a neighbor. (I'll eat a warm baked treat with anyone that's willing to share.)

OK, so it is not too often that my posts end up anywhere near the serious side of things (it's kinda like a cliff face lined with loose rocks). I guess it's just the effects of the month long celebration taking effect early, maybe this season will be able to seep into the way I spend my time.

Here We Go Again

You know when you run into that friend you haven't spoken with in a couple of years and feel really awkward trying to strike up a conversation with them, so instead you pretend you didn't even notice them? (OK, so maybe I'm the only one who's been in this situation . . . just try to imagine it.)

I've been going through this on a weekly basis for a couple o' months now. It seems like every time I work myself up to get another blog posted I hit that block of "what do I say now?".

One option I toyed with was just ignoring the idea that I've been away for so long and just pretending that everything is back to normal. (I've tried that with some of those "old friends" at get-to-gathers, apparently it doesn't work.) The other option that came to mind is my usual stance on things, admit I messed up and then get used to the awkwardness (I'm use to it by now). Instead I'm taking the last option that came into my head.

"Hey why not make your first return post about not writing?"

"Well self, that's not too shabby of an idea."

"Let's try it out."

And trying it out I am . . . Doesn't feel to awkward yet, but then again that's coming from the pre-posting aspect, we'll see how I really feel about it in about 20 minutes or so (yes, I really do expect to take 20 minutes to get it posted from this point. "Why?" you might ask. Well, Blogspot has apparently been revamped and I don't really know what I'm doing, that's why.)

So, here I am, back in the saddle again hoping to stay on track. No promises are being made this time about weekly postings or stuff like that, but I'll sure make an effort. Hope you'll join me.

Here's pretty picture as an attempt to make some amends :)

Not Gonna' Let Three Weeks Get Past Me

According to Michelle, it's OK that I've missed blogging the past two weeks, and I agree with her. Two weeks ago we were helping with my sister-in-law's wedding reception and last week we were moving. Technically we're still moving, but now it's that really annoying part where we have to figure out where everything goes in the new place. Since I'm the muscle and Michelle is the brains I was the key factor in moving out (last week) and Michelle is working as the key factor for the moving in (the rest of this week).

Here's something to tide you over till I get some time to write.

Yes, Post B.S. is a Fly-By-Night Organization

So, for those of you that didn't notice, I missed another posting deadline. However, instead of letting it slide, I'm going to give you a mid-week post with some pictures I took recently in Owl Forest at the Tracy Aviary.
The mesh threw off my camera's focus, but in the background you can see the barn owl.

I just decided to use my long arms to get the camera lens between the wire mesh and got a sweet zoom-in on the great horned owl.

I got a clearer picture of the long-eared owl, with mesh and all.

But I like the shots through the mesh better :)

If you can't tell, this is the face of a saw-whet owl. It was hiding behind a pine branch, so it makes for a pretty curious effect. However, it also gives you an idea of how small these guys are (check out that pine-needle to eye ratio).

Running With a View

Guess I need to start off with an apology. I procrastinated with my weekly blog last week (just like I'm doing this week,) and the little gremlins in the computer decided to throw a rock into the gears.

The thing I was writing about last week (but failed to be able to publish,) was the Legacy Parkway Trail. The good news is that this week, I didn't really need to think of a topic ;)

It's a great trail if you don't mind gnats and bikers that need to make sure you know they're faster on their bikes then you are on your feet. (Yes, I know this is normally to be polite and to give you warning so that you can move over, but the trail is pretty wide and the bikers are pretty noisy so they're not really sneaking up and going to surprise you.)

Just last week on our run we saw a couple of American coots, a Franklin's gull, some red-winged blackbirds, and a double-crested cormorant. The view of the mountains and plant-life is great, it's so wonderful to look at that you almost forget about the running. There are clear markers starting at the southern most part of the trail with 0 and showing every .5 miles up to the 14 mile marker. As I mentioned earlier, the trail is wide and so makes for very comfortable run even when there is more than the usual activity level.

There are plans to run the trail further south and connecting it with the Jordan River Parkway Trail which would be awesome. Anyways, guess this is just my little post to let you know that if you haven't been there yet, check it out.