Traveling to the Homeland?

My next trip is fast approaching; I have been calling it The Journey. The Journey is a trip to Dublin, Ireland; Belfast, Northern Ireland; Edinburgh, Scotland; London, England, and various side trips. Now that it is close, people have been asking me about my trip. After explaining where I am going, they always ask if I am Irish or English. I hem and haw for a while, because it’s not that simple! My ancestors may have come from Europe, but it has been too many generations and too long for me to identify as such. Furthermore, since my family has been in the United States for such a long time, there are many, many different countries that my ancestors are from. At one time I thought it was easy, so I took my family tree and traced back until each line went out of the country. Then, I would jot down 1/16 this or 3/32 that until I traced all of them back. 36% of the lines I haven’t been able to fully trace out of the country. This percentage is higher than all of the other countries listed. Also, there as some issues, like when I traced back a line until someone was out of the United States. I would sometimes find that they people were from Canada or England, but I know that the farther back in the line the family is line is from France or Germany. So, would I consider the line English or German? So, I have come to accept that I should identify as American, and if people ask about my family I say they came from different places in Europe. If you would like to know the final percentages was 36% unknown. 22% came from Ireland, 21% England, 15% Canada, 6% France and less than 1% came from Netherlands, Wales, Scotland and Germany.

Since, I do know about my family tree. I think I will list out the people the last person to be born in another country and then moved to the United States. All of my great grandparents were from the United States except one who was from Canada. So skipping, that because it starts to get very complicated. I will start with my 2^nd great grandparents. Which out of 5 out of 16 were born in another country and moved to the United States.

2^nd great grandparents, on my father’s side:

1)       Thomas Fitzpatrick was born 23 Dec 1846 in Sanfield, Clare, Ireland to Thomas and Bridget Lyons. He died 30 Mar 1910 in Laconia New Hampshire. He arrived in 1868 and was mairred in 1870 to Honora Lynch. They had 4 children. He worked at the Hoisery Mill.

2)       Honora (Hannah, Nora) Lynch was born 1849 in Anna co Kerry, Ireland to Thomas Lynch and Betsy

3)       Edward J Leonard born 25 Apr 1846 England, to Edward and Ellen Connelly according to census they were from Ireland. Died in Massachusetts Unknown dated. He Married Rose A. McLaughin between 1873 and 1879. He had 2 sons and 1 daughter.

4)       Rose McLaughin born 1846 in Ireland to Mary O’Brien and John McLaughin died in Lawerance, Massachusetts

2^nd great grandfather on mother’s side

5)       Arthur Eugene Saegart born 1 Jan 1874 in Lille, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France to Lucy and George Saegart. There are rumors that he was a twin. He died 1946. He married Cora L Sackett 05 FEB 1896 in Poquonock, Connecticut. They had one child

That is it for that generation. The 3^rd great grandparents I had 32 of those. Out of the 32, 4 people were born in another country before moving to the United States.  

3^rd great grandparents on father’s side:

1)       Henry Amrock and Anne Amrock born in Ireland, died probably in Mass. Info from Son’s Census.

2)       Bernard Fitzsimmons born on 15 JUN 1848 in Boston, Ireland to Ann Lynch and James Fitzsimmons. He died 15 Sep 1896 in Weymouth, Massachusetts. He married Bridget Curtin. They had 2 sons and 3 daughters.

3)       Bridget Curtin born about 1844 in Ireland to William Curtin and Mary Sheehan died on 17 JUL 1896 in Weymouth Massachusetts

3^rd great grandparent on mother’s side

4)       Peter Condron born 24 May 1810 in Port Laoise, Laois Ireland. He died 10 Aug 1877 in Montague Texas. He was married twice onse to Margaret Elizabeth O’Brien (my relative) in 1836 in Butler County, Pennsylvania they had ten children and later to Martha Ann Morris 8 Jul 1861 in Livingston, MO they had four children.

That is it for that generation. So far they mostly came from Ireland. So if you take the last 2^nd and 3^rd great grandparents. Then, 14 out of 32 of them were living outside of the United States. That means 18 of my 3^rd great grandparents lived in the United States. None of my 4^th or 5^th great grandparents moved from another country to the United States. At least as far as I know there are some deadends in these generations so it is possible those deadends are because of a move.  

1)       Mathias Kessinger, 6th great grandfather born 1731 in Germany to Andreas and Susanna. He diead 3 DEC 1795 in Virginia he married Judith Wilson and they had 4 sons and 6 daughters

2)       Anthony DeBruler, 6th great grandfather born 1777 in Quebec City, Quebec. Died 1812 in Kentucky of Cholera. He married Marth and had 1 son and 1 daughter.

3)       Martha (Debruler), 6th great grandmother, born 1780 in Quebec City, Quebec. Died 1812 in Kentucky of Cholera as well.

1)       Michael Pearson, 7th great grandfather on mother’s side. He was born about 1700 in England and died 1768 in Orange County, Virginia he married Ann and they had six sons

2)       John McCure, 7th great-grandfather born about 1690 in Edinburgh, Scotland. He died in 1739 in US Probably Mass. He had one daughter

1)       John Lee 9th great grandfather on mother’s side born 1820 in England to John Lee. He died 6 AUG 1690 in Farmington, Connecticut He married Mary Hart in 1658 in Hartford County, Connecticut they had 4 children

2)       Thomas Gleason 9th great grandfather mother’s side born 1 JAN 1606 in Northampton, England to William and “NN”. He died 24 January 1691 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was married to Susannah Page.  They had one son.

3)       Susannah Page, 9th great grandmother mother’s side, born about 1620 in Lavenham, Suffolk England to John and Pheobe. She died in Boston Massachusetts in 1681

1)        Gregoris Storm, 10th great grandfather on mother’s side, he was born in 1656 in Utrecht, Netherlands to Derick and Maria Van Montfoort. Died in 1711 in Manor of Phillipsburg, Sleep Hollow, Tarrytown, New York. He was married to Engeltic Van Dyke in 1691 in Brooklyn, New York they had 3 children.

2)       Engeltic Van Dyke, 10th great grandmother was born in 1656 in Netherlands. She remarried 29 May 1714 in Tarrytown, New York

3)       John Strong II, 10th Great-grandfather mother’s side, born 1605 in England (Taunton?) to John. He died 14 ARP 1699 in Northampton Massachusetts. He married Abigail Ford and they had three children together.

4)       Abigail Ford, 10th Great-grandmother mother’s side was born 8 OCT1619 in Bridgeport, Dorsetshire, England to Thomas Ford and Elizabeth Chard. She died 6 JUL 1688 in Northampton Massachusetts

5)       Samuel C Frazee, 10th great grandfather, born in 1610 in Scotland. Died 1695 in New Jersey. Had 1 son.

6)       Stephen Osborne, 10th great grandfather, born 24 FEB 1634 in Ashford, Kent, England to Thomas and Mary Goatly. He died 20 Jul 1698 in Elizabethtown, New Jersey. He married Sarah Stanborough in 1659 in New York they had 7 children

7)       Richard Higgins, 10th Great Grandfather born 1 AUG 1603 in England died 27 Sep 1654 Probably in Mass. Married Mary Yates on 27 Sept 1654 they had one daughter

8)       John Wilkinson, 10th Great Grandfather born 1628 in Bedfordshire, England to John and Prudence. He died 12 DEC 1675 in Essex Co Mass. He married Joana Skelton and they had 3 sons and 1 daugther.

9)       Daniel Robins, 10th great grandfather born 1627 in Blair Atholl, Perthshire Scotland to Richard and Mary. He died 18 Aug 1714 Married Hope Potter 3 FEB 1663 in New Haven Co Connecticut they had 6 children. Worked as Tax collector, constable and overseers of highways.

1)       Josiash Stansborough, 11th great grandfather, born about 1600 in Ashby, Lincolnshire, England to William Stansborowe. He died 1661 in Sagaponack, New York. He married Frances Gransden 1622 in St. Giles in the Fields and St. George, London. Arrived in Lynn Mass 1637. They had four children. He married Alice Wheler.

2)       Frances Gransden, 11th Great Grandfather born 1618 in England to Henry and Alice Harris.  She died 1657 in Southampton New York

3)       Thomas Milward, 11th Great Grandfather, born about 1600 in Derbyshire, England to Thomas and Alsop. He died in 1653 in Newbury Mass. He married Ann Goodale they had 3 daughters.

4)       Ann Goodale 11th Great Grandmother, Born abt 1600 in Yarmouth, Hampshire, England to John and Elizabeth Beachena. She died 27 Nov 1690. She married Thomas Milward and had 3 daughters. Then Married Daniel Pierce 26 DEC 1654 in Newbury Mass

5)       William Potter 11th great grandfather, born 9 Jan 1607 to John and Hannah Mead/Hawes in Moreton, Devon, England. Died 6 JUN 1662 in New Haven, Connecticut. He married Frances Child. They had seven children.

6)       Frances Child, 11th great grandmother born 16 Feb 1609 to Thomas and Jane Basset. Died aft 1644 in New Haven Co, Connecticut.

So, back to the part that I skipped, even though they came in from Canada in 1890. The lines come back into the United States before leaving again. I’m going to add these because I want to be able to look it up quickly while on my trip. I do use Ancestry to store information, but you can’t search your trees except by names. All the people in the last section are from my mom’s side of the family. And the line I’m doing now it my dad’s side. Some of the people on my mom’s side of the tree were in Massachusetts Colony and all of this line on my Dad’s side was from there. They were all 8, 9, 10, 11 generations. So I think there should be a line place where my Mom’s side of the family and my Dad’s side meets, but it’s very difficult to figure out if certain individual are on the tree twice!

Another issue that I have with Ancestry is the DNA test. I am very skeptical about them. They do take DNA and compare it to other DNA samples in their database, but the results could be limited by the other records. The tests do look at your DNA and compares it to other samples, but it’s limited to the sample it has. It might match you with a group in one region of the world, but without a bigger sample sizes it’s hard to know if the same match couldn’t be found some other place. Also, they compare your DNA to DNA of people living there today. In this way you only paint a picture of people that have survived in that region, but that tells you nothing of your ancestor’s whose descendants didn’t survive in that region.

DNA tests could never tell me that my family lived came into the country from Canada, but they were in Canada via the United States, and before that they were in England and before that they were Normans, the Norman bit is from a cousin on my Dad’s side. He visited The Phillips House (my grandparent’s house) when I was eleven or twelve to write my brother’s name and birthday in his family tree book. That probably wasn’t the only reason for his visit, but that’s what I remember. Anyway, he took my brother’s name and birthday down. Then, I was listening him say that he traced the line back to the Normans. Which my uncle said meant that our family was French! But that absolutely couldn’t be true. We were Irish weren’t we? And of course we are Irish, as you saw in the 2nd and 3rd great grandparents on my father’s side. It was just, that, Emerys were not Irish. Now, if looking at the etymology of Emery and knowing a little about Norman history, I think it’s probably likely that Emery’s are probably from Scandinavia. Anyway, as you can see family history can be very complex. DNA test are too limiting compared.

The final issue I have with Ancestry and other online databases is bad information. This really isn’t the website’s fault. It is more about the curious users. Ancestry is has some cool features. If you start to build your trees you do get leaves that help you file in more information. This can be extremely helpful, but you must proceed with caution! If the leaf takes you to a census page where a person with the same name as your relative take the time to try to verify that is your relative. An example is Edward Leonard born in Ireland in 1805. He was marred to Ellen Connelly. There is a leaf that has a marriage record for Edward J Leonard and Ellen Gilday. The record is in Montana County Marriages between 1865-1950. So I understand why this is a hint. It does have Edward Leonard’s name and the first name of his spouse, but the date range could match. However, I don’t think this record belongs to my Edward Leonard. He and his wife were probably married in before their first child which was in 1842. Also, the majority of their children were born in England. So they would probably be married in England or even Ireland. That one is an easy one, but there are some that are more complex! In fact there are a few places in my tree where I wrote big notes that say this relative is NOT related to this other person. I did this because I ran down the path of adding that person and all the persons relating to the other person to my tree. So, when I realized they are not related I had to delete all the people from the tree. Ancestry makes you delete every single person. You can’t just delete the original error. At one place in the tree I think I added and deleted the same people three times before I started adding the notes! The reason that I kept getting confused about this line is because a lot of other people attach the lines together. I believe what happens is eventually this leads to Thomas Jefferson. Since the error leads to a famous person, I think people overlook the error. Ah! I found the note here it is:

Parents William Griffin and Susanna Chiswell? Probably not!:

I have gone back and forth several times thinking that these two people are related to this Gordon William Griffin. But there is no record of them being related. The only record of William and Susanna Griffin having a child is one daughter Anna. There are a lot of records on William and Susanna Griffin because she was married first to John Robinson and he was The Speaker of the House of Virginia. Also Susanna Chiswell is related to the Randolphs and they were also very political during the time. They are also related to Thomas Jefferson.

There are more sources that state that Gordon was brother to Isbella and William:

 http://genforum.genealogy.com/griffith/messages/2429.html

Please see webpage below there were at least two William Griffins that were in Virginia that could be Isbella, Gordon and William, but there is no evidence that they had a father by that name William:

http://dgmweb.net/FGS/G/GriffinWilliam-SusannahChiswell.html

As you can see it can be easy to make mistake and hard to undo them! The hints are useful, but they can lead people in the wrong direction. So please be careful when using these hints and tools. If you are unsure about little things like the exact birthday, then it’s okay to add a question mark after the date, but if you are unsure about an entire person it’s better not to add them. That way you don’t mess other people up!

Alright now I am really going to go back to the part that I skipped. So a lot of this information comes from the Mormon family tree records. The Leavitt has a long history in the church. They were very good at keeping these kinds of records and  the website familysearh.org is a good place to start if you want to look for information on your family. I am going to continue the numbering from the list above. So generation 9 ended at 3 and will start with 4.

1)       Albert E. Emery, great grandfather, born 12 NOV 1872 in Hatley, Quebec, Canada. To Alonzo and Maryetta Leavitt. Died 7 Jun 1927 Laconia, NH. Married Annie Fitzpatrick 23 JAN 1895 in Laconia they had 8 children. He moved to US in 1891.

1)        Deacon John Leavitt, 8th great grandfather born 1608 in Beverley, England to Percival Leavit and Margaret Linkley. Died 20 Nov 1691 Hingham, Mass. Married Sarah Gilman DEC 1646 in Mass. They had 1 son.

2)       Sarah Gilman, 8th great grandmother, born 19 Jan 1622 in Caston, Norfolk, England to Edward and Mary Clark. Died 26 MAY 1700.

3)       Rev. Samuel Dudley, 8th great grandfather, born Nov 1608 Northhampton England to Thomas and Dorothy Yorke. He died 10 Feb 1683 in Exeter NH. He married Mary Winthrop. Then Elizabeth Smith. They had 1 daughter. The thing I like about him. Is that his sister was Anne Dudley Bradstreet. She was the first American author and first female author. So she wrote a poem about their mother Dorothy Yorke. Which is an interesting artifact to have about a 9th great grandmother!

An Epitaph on My Dear and Ever-Honored Mother, Mrs. Dorothy Dudley, Who Deceased DECEMB. 27 1643, and of Her Age of 61.

Here lyes

A worthy Matron of unspotted life,
A loving Mother and obedient wife,
A friendly Neighbor pitiful to poor,
Whom oft she fed and clothed with her store,
To Servants wisely aweful but yet kind,
And as they did so they reward did find;
A true Instructer of her Family,
The which she ordered with dexterity.
The publick meetings ever did frequent,
And in her Closet constant hours she spent;
Religious in all her words and wayes
Preparing still for death till end of dayes;
Of all her Children, Children lived to see,
Then dying, left a blessed memory.

4)       Martha Smith, 8th great grandmother, born 1640 in England to John and Deborah Parkhurst. Died 1676 Hampton, NH. Married Nathaniel Batchelder. They had 8 children

5)       Samuel Buswell 8th great grandfather, born 1662 in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England to Samuel and Sarah Keyes. Died 1696 in Kingston, NH. Married Jane Simmons. They had 5 sons and 3 daughters

4)       Thomas Hale, 9th great grandfather, born bef 18 NOV 1633 in Watton-at-Stone, Hertfordshire, England to Thomas Hale and Thomasine Dowsett. Died 22 OCT 1633 in  Newburyport, Mass. He married Mary Hutchinson 26 MAY 1657. They had 9 children.

5)       Mary Hutchinson, 9th great grandmother, born bef 28 DEC 1630 in North Muskham, Nottinghamshire, England to Richard and Alice Bosworth

6)       Ezekiel Northend, 9th great grandfather, born Feb 1621 in Ripplinham, England. Died 7 Sep 1698 in Rowley, Mass. Married Edna Halstead. They had one daughter

7)       Edna Halstead 9th great grandmother, born 10 FEB 1620 in Halifax, Yorkshire, England. Died 3 Feb 1705 in Rowley Mass.

8)       William Hilton, 9th great grandfather, born 1617 in Cheshire, England to William and Mary. Died 1675 in Charlestown Mass. He married Sarah Greenleaf. They had 5 children. He then married Mehitable Nowell they had two children.

9)       John Emery Sr., 9th Great grandfather, born on 29 Sept 1598 in Romsey Hampshire to John and Anges. He died 3 NOV 1683 Newbury, Mass. He married Mary Alice Grantham and they had 4 children. Then he married Mary Shatswell they had 1 son and 1 daughter. He arrived aboard James from Southhampton with his brother Anthony 03 Jun 1635 in Boston. Many of the Emerys in the country and in Canada are related to these two brothers! Something I like to say about him is that he wasn’t a pilgrim. He was even tried because he entertained and allowed Travelers and Quakers to stay in his house overnight! He did get fined for it. He petitioned for remission and 50 citizens signed the petition but the fines weren’t remitted! Prior to this he signed the Right to Petition. So he was probably able to petition in the first place because he signed the right to petition.

10)   Mary Shatswell, 9th great grandmother, born in 1606 in Ipswich Engalnd to John and Judith Dillingham she died 28 APR in Newbury Mass. She married John Webster and they had 1 son. She married John emery and they had 1 son and 1 daughter.

11)   Edward Woodman II, 9th Great grandfather born 1628 in England to Edward and Johanna Salway/Bartell. He died 1694 in Newbury Mass. He married Mary Goodridge. They had 1 daughter.

10)   William Goodridge, 10th great grandfather born 1608 in England. Died before 1645 Watertown, Mass. Married to Margaret Butterfield. They had 4 children.

11)   William Boynton 10th great grandfather, born 1616 in Yorkshire, England to William and Elizabeth Janet Chambers. Died 8 DEC 1686 in Ipswich Mass. He married Elizabeth Jackson. They had four sons and four daughters.

12)   Elizabeth Jackson, 10th great grandmother born 1607 in Knapton, Yorkshire, England to William. She died 1687 in Probably in Mass.

13)   Thomas Davis, 10th great grandfather, born 1587 in England to John Davis and Agnes. Died 1683 in Mass. He married Christian Coffin. They had 1 son.

14)   Christian Coffin, 10th great grandmother, born 1604 in England. Died 1688 in Mass.

15)   Increase Nowell, 10th great grandfather born 1603 in England. Died 1655 Charlestown, Mass married Parnell Gray. They had seven children.

Well that is it! If you are wondering at generation a person as 256 6^th great grandparents! At 7^th great there is 512 great grand parents. 8^th; 9^th; 10^th; 1,024; 2,048; 4,096. So the 11^th great grandparents I listed were 6 out of 8,192! When I look at it like that, I think, that probably isn’t enough to make me English. But I’m not sure 15 out of 4,096 does either! Or 11 out of 2,048. So, that is why when people ask me if I’m Irish or English. I hesitate. Next time, I’ll just send them to this post! 

Throwback Thursday

Jojo at 2 months!

Hey, so this Monday was my dog's 3rd birthday. He and his siblings were left at a vets office at 2 weeks of age. The vet sent them to the Maricopa Humane Society, where Mini Mighty Mutts rescue picked them up. A lot of times, rescues will take litters of puppies especially if they need to be bottle fed. A few months after that he was ready to find his forever home. His name was Jonny, but I changed it to Jojo. I was actually on my trip in Hawaii while communicating with the rescue!

Since it is his birthday I was thinking I would post a doggie steps article I wrote a decade ago. A throwback of sorts. This one about picking a dog that is right for you and your family:

When people see a well-behaved, cute dog performing tricks on the big screen, they often think that dog would be a perfect dog for them. They head to their local pet store or to the closest animal shelter hoping to bring home a new friend. They want their new dog to be just as well-behaved and cute as the dog they saw on-screen. But after only a few weeks they begin to notice that the dog has too much energy or that all the dog wants to do is play fetch! They realize this dog is not the kind for them or worse, that they are not dog people. Maybe they will stick it through and hope their dog gets better, or maybe they will find their dog a new home, but in most cases these dogs end up being abandoned.

It is not the dog’s fault. The dog’s owner did not do any research when it came to what breed of dog would be best for the owner’s lifestyle. When picking out a new dog or puppy, research is the key.

So where should a new dog owner start? First, a new dog owner, or an old dog owner who is looking for a new dog, should think of some dogs she already has some interest in. Maybe her neighbor has a German Shepherd, and maybe she has seen a Golden Retriever on television, and she likes the way he looks and acts. With over 150 different purebred dogs, narrowing down to a list of five to ten different kinds is the best place to start. The next step is to find out some information about the dog breeds. The AKC.org website is a good place to start.

They also have listings for different dog breeders. Getting in contact with breeders, or a local vet will also help future dog owners collect information about the kind of dog that is right for them.

There are several areas that a future dog owner should be concerned about. Once the future dog owner knows these areas she will be able to ask good questions about the breed of dog that interests her.

Temperament; every dog owner wants to make sure that they get a dog with a personality that they can live with. Is the dog active? Is the dog easy to train? Is the dog friendly with strangers? Can the dog be left alone for long periods of time? All of these questions will help a future dog owner pick a dog that is right for them.

Size is another concern that a dog owner should have. A larger dog will need to eat more, and have enough room to fit his needs. Grooming is also an area that a future dog owner should be interested in. All dogs need some grooming but some dogs need more than others. A dog owner should think about how much time and energy that she wants to spend on grooming the dog. Health is also a concern with different dog breeds. Some dog breeds are genetically prone to different illnesses, this can cause a problem if owners are not willing to take care of a sick dog.

Different dog breeds need different amounts of exercise as well. Some dogs need more then an hour of exercise a day while others need very little. If a dog owner is not willing to properly exercise her dog then the dog may become bored or depressed and this can lead to unwanted behaviors.

A future dog owner should also think about the people and other animals in her family. Some dog breeds are less child-friendly than others, especially young children. If a dog owner already has a dog, she will want to get a dog that is good with other dogs. Some dog breeds are not known for being good with cats, so that should be looked at as well.

Maybe a new dog owner is thinking about getting a Golden Retriever puppy. He may have seen Golden Retriever puppies on television or knows someone that owns a golden. This breed was ranked number 4 in AKC top dog breeds of 2007. Golden Retriever dogs are well-mannered and intelligent dogs. They are fairly easy to train because they like to please their master. They can get along great with children. These dogs are loyal and a great family dog. While they are more prone to lick a stranger then attack, these dogs can loudly signal a strangers approach so they are able to become good watch dogs. They do not like to be left alone for long periods of time, and they can get into mischief if they are isolated too much.

The size of these dogs can range from 20-24 inches and 55-80 pounds. Grooming is fairly easy, just comb and brush regularly, but make sure the undercoat is brushed, shampoo and wash normally. The dogs shed an average amount. Golden Retriever dogs are prone to hip dysplasia and cotangential eye defects. When looking for a puppy make sure that the dog parents are tested for Von Willebrand’s disease and any heart problems. These dogs are also prone to skin allergies. Golden Retriever dogs can live 10 to 12 years.

Golden Retrievers need daily exercise, a good brisk walk or jog is a great way to do this. These dogs also like a good game of fetch. Be careful not to overfeed these dogs because they will gain weight.

German Shepherd Dogs were number 3 on 2007’s top breeds and they can be a great dog to own. German Shepherd Dogs are a very active dog. This is a herding breed but are so versatile that they are often used as working dogs. They are bold, obedient and eager to learn. They love to be close to their families and are very loyal, but they are wary of strangers. This breed should not be isolated for long periods of time. They are not prone to excessive barking. They have a protective nature, but they need to be trained properly to prevent over guarding. German Shepherd Dogs are very smart and respond well to training, but if the dogs do not get the right kind of training they can become aggressive and attack.

These dogs are only a little bigger then the Golden Retrievers between 22-26 inches and 77-85 pounds. They shed normally, but these dogs do have a seasonally high shedding period. To avoid having to vacuum every day just run a brush through the dog’s coat daily. Avoid bathing the dog too much because that will deplete the skin’s natural oils. German Shepherd Dogs are prone to hip and elbow dysplesia, blood disorders, digestive problems, epilepsy, and other genetic related problems. These health concerns can be avoided or minimized by getting a puppy from a reputable breeder.

Working class dogs love to work and exercise. Make these dogs work by briskly walking or jogging them, and combining some mental stimulation. If under exercised, these dogs can become restless and destructive. With proper training these dogs can do well with children and other pets, but training and socialization need to start at an early age.

Maybe a smaller dog is better suited for a future dog owner; a Maltese dog can make a good pet. These dogs are playful, gentle and trusting of a good owner. The dogs are very intelligent, and will learn tricks if the dog thinks he is getting a good reward. They make good watch dogs because they will sound the alarm. They may take a little longer to potty train than most dogs, but a regular schedule early on will help with accidents.

These dogs only get to be about 8-10 inches in height and weigh about 6-9 pounds. Maltese shed very little, so they are great dogs for allergy suffers. The dog’s grooming can take more work. They need to be brushed daily because they have long hair, and because the hair is soft it’s important to be gentle. A dog owner should clean the dog’s eyes and beard daily to prevent staining Baths, and ear cleaning are important too. Some Maltese dog owner’s take their dog to professional groomers and have the dog’s hair clipped so that it is easier and less time consuming to take care of. Health concerns for Maltese dogs include: sun burns, skin, respiratory, eye and tooth problems. They also may be picky eaters. These dogs live about 15 years but they can live as long as 18 years.

Play will take care of much of the Maltese’s exercise needs, but a daily walk is still a great way to lessen behavioral problems. They are good in apartments because they are very active indoors and do not require a yard to play in. These dogs can be snappy towards children especially young children and infants. Maltese are great with other animals however.

There are over 150 breeds of dogs to choose from, and there are many more mixed breeds. Whether or not a dog is a mixed or a purebred, a future dog owner should take the time to do some research on the type of dog that will be best for them. Finding the well-behaved, trick performing dog, may not be as easy as it seems on television, but with  proper research and training it will benefit the dog and the dog’s family in the long run.

For more information or general dog questions, go to:   " http://www.doggiestepsdogtraining.com/index.html or call Mark @602.318.0122.

Pokemon Go!

Some thoughts on Pokemon Go! Shortly after the initial announcement of the game my brother, Tyler, told me about it. Let me go back. When Pokemon Red and Blue was first released in 1996 it didn't impact me at all. I was ten and worried more about Pogs and Slammers. Anyway, my interest in Pokemon stemmed from my brother. He grew up watching the show. He also played with the cards for a long time. I spent a lot of time in High School babysitting my brother so I saw a lot of the show. It wasn't bad. The movies were better, but better still was when I bought him a used copy of Pokemon Red, it had Chaizard on the cover! We kind of played it together. He liked the battles, so I would give him the game for the battles, but that was about it. So I got to do all the walking and was able to follow the story. The story was amazing and the game play was like nothing I had ever seen up to that point. So I loved the games. After a while my brother and I didn't play the games like that. We would just play on our own. It was because of that original way that we played the game that had the most impact. So, I think that's why he told me about Pokemon Go after the announcement

I wasn't sure about it at first, but the various announcements and ads had me interested. It was almost embarrassing how many times I refreshed the play store the night it was released. I was pleased that it starts like the original game. I accidentally picked Squirtle as a starter. While I was learning to throw the pokeballs I figure that if I caught the Squirtle it would be my starter pokemon. There was an option to run. So it was at that point that I decided that Squirtle could be my starter. In the original game Tyler made me pick Charmander. Later when I played the game solo, I also picked Charmander since picking Charmander makes the game more difficult. I couldn't think of a reason why picking Squirtle would make Pokemon Go more or less difficult. 

So I picked Squirtle. It took me forever to catch him, but he was standing on my couch! So cool! So for people that have not played. The game will use the camera on your phone to capture your surroundings and make it the background for the pokemon as you catch them. That is one of the best things about the game. It's called Augmented Reality. You can turn this feature off, sometimes I do and the background is just a grass meadow. I turn it off sometimes because the area is too dark so then I cannot see the background or the pokemon. Also, sometimes I turn it off because if the pokemon is to the side of me or behind me, then I have to turn my phone towards the pokemon to catch it. But if I turn off the augmented reality then the pokemon is just on the screen. So sometimes it is necessary to turn off. But it is much cooler to play with it on!

By the time I downloaded the game and caught Squirtle, I went to bed. But there was one thing I knew above all else and that was: join team Mystic. Tyler said it was important that I do, otherwise, we probably couldn't sit down to dinner together. He didn't say it in that many words, but I understood.

Three Dogs...or is there?

The next fun thing about the game is that it uses maps from google...I believe it's from google, that's what the game says. So it uses real maps. There are points, PokeStops on the map that are really cool Stops. So, I guess the points are based off a different game from the same company. I'm not sure how the points were decided or how they found them, who took pictures of them, but some of them surprise me. Some of them are things I know. Like the picture I put on the photo lab of the bug art, some of them are things I noticed before, but I never thought of. Like there is one called the Shaking Hands. It's a wall of different hands shaking. Which I have seen before, but I never really thought about them. When I saw it as a spot, I thought about them. I thought what a weird wall! Apparently, there are two Stops at the Shaking Hands, or maybe that is a mistake the one is right in front of the wall, the other is not. So maybe it was accidentally added twice? There are also things I walked by and I never noticed before. Well perhaps I noticed them, because I recognized them, but I didn't know I noticed them. There is one noodle street art stop. I have seen it a bunch of times, but never noticed. People walk under it, all the time, and I think they don't notice it either. I really like that about the game, seeing things I didn't notice. I only really play it when I am walking around the city to work or the gym or my car. But, I think it would be fun to play in a city that I'm not as familiar with. Then I can find all these little things about a city that a tourist wouldn't notice. A local might not even notice some of them! 

Poke Stop. The eye is cool

After the first night, I was able to play the game a little the next day. I visited my first Stops and caught a few pokemon. I was so geek about every little bit of it. At first everything was new. I learned to throw the ball with my finger instead of my thumb, now I'm trying to learn to throw better curveballs since they give you more points, but I had to learn the strike ball first! So, I don't know when I started to do this, but it wasn't that long after I started playing. On the old games when you catch a pokemon you have better odds at catching them if you hold the A button down as the ball shakes. You have to hold the A button down through 3 shakes. I don't have that button on my phone, so I just started to hold my finger over the ball as it shakes on Pokemon Go! I think it makes it easier to catch. I have had a few pokemon break free and flee, but it seems like a lot more pokemon are fleeing from other people, or they have to give them berries. I didn't start giving pokemon berries until today, and that's mostly because I started getting tired of the PokeStops saying that my bag is too full. You still get points at the PokeStop even if your bag is too full. So I still visit them, but I like them better when I collect things.

Another thing that I like about the game is that it makes people walk. In the games there a Pokemon eggs. In order to hatch them you must put them in an incubator and then walk a certain amount either 2 km, 5 km or 10 km. There are ways around walking I guess, but I think it is easier just to walk! Plus if you walk, then you might run into pokemon to catch!

Things that I do not like about the game are that sometimes the servers are down. The servers are much better these a few weeks later than when the game first came out, but there are still some nights where it's very glitchy. I don't mind having to restart the game once and a while. I have seen increasing improvement over the weekend, so I think perhaps the worse is behind us.

I haven't really spent much of the game at the Gyms. So like Poke Stops the Gyms are based off portals from a different game. The Gyms are the most popular portals I guess. While Poke Stops and catching pokemon is like a big scavenger hunt. The gyms are like capture the flag/king of the castle. The gyms are also where the teams come in. There are three teams, Red, Blue and Yellow. I think red is Valor and yellow is Instinct, but maybe I mixed them up. The Blue team is Mystic and that's the team I'm on. The gyms start out a neutral grey color, but when a trainer goes to the gym they capture it for their team and they assign one of their pokemon to defend the gym. Now other people on your team can also assign their pokemon to defend, and people on other teams can try to battle your pokemon and take the gym from your team! I have only gone to a few gyms. So I am a bit confused still, but I think I have the overall picture down. I really want to explore it more, but I think I need stronger pokemon. I know that people assign weak fodder pokemon at gyms too, but I think I need to visit them a little more before I do so. When you use a pokemon to defend you get a defender bonus at the shop. This is a way to earn coins in the game for free. You get a defend bonus every day, but if your defender pokemon gets knocked out of the gym then you don't get the bonus.

Speaking of bonuses. One of the best ways to get points in the game is to catch a lot of Pidgeys and evolve them. Then trade them to the Professor. Pidgeys only need 12 candies to evolve. So you can quickly get points and level up. Rattata and some of the other pokemon are helpful with this too, but you need more candies for the Rattatas. So it's not as quick. However, I heard that sometimes people use the Raticates at the Gyms as "fodder" so that has it's own advantages. I will have to see for myself how this works.

Okay, I think that is all I should say about Pokemon Go! For now, I will probably update later. Probably when I catch a Snorlax.

Two Tucson Trips

As I mentioned in the 2nd HOSA post I was able to take two side trips to Tucson in the last two weeks. So I decided to combine them into one post. The first trip was June 26th and we went down to visit because my cousin moved to Michigan and we were sending her off. The second trip was July 3rd and 4th. I went down because Mary and David were hosting for the 4th of July celebrations. I went down on the 3rd to visit my Grandma (G'ma Mary Lou).

Sunday, June 26th, 2016

Megan, Carson, Mary Lou, Bernadette, Karen

The morning was quite a juggle. We had to situated the dogs, stop by the store for beverages, chips and dip, and meet up with Caitlin so that we could all arrive together. At the store, my mom got the drinks I brought the chips and dip. I picked out Cape Cod Chips which are so good. I heard they are a favorite of people in New Hampshire, where my Dad is from, so perhaps that is how I knew about them. The best part is that everyone can eat them since the ingredients are only potatoes and salt! It's not easy to find food that is delicious that everyone can eat. I also got Mission strips tortilla chips and salsa. I picked Missions because they were the only chips that I could find that were strip. I prefer these shaped chips because it keeps people from double dipping!

When I found my mom she had a 12 pack of Summer Shandy. Shandy in my opinion is just average, and if I can drink something else I probably will. So I got a 6 pack of Mr. Pineapple for me and anyone who wanted one. Also, we tried to find Cider by Ultra, but the store didn't carry any so we ended up with Angry Orchard's. Caitlin prefers Ultra's Cider over Angry Orchard's because Ultra's isn't too sweet.

Bernadette, Bre, Caitlin, Megan

After our adventures in shopping we went to meet up with Caitlin. She volunteered to be the DRIVER mostly because she has recently bought a car, which I have name Great White because it is white and my Mom has a BMW, also white, which I named Beluga! It may seem strange to name cars, but it is fun.

We arrived at the meet up place just a little bit before Caitlin and we were off pretty quickly. We drove all the way to Oro Valley without stopping.

Mary Lou, Bernadette, Karen, Bre, Caitlin

We arrived first, but everyone was there within a few minutes of each other. We all selected beverages and chatted for a while first inside and then outside. It was very hot that day, but the week before in Phoenix the highs were in the 120s so by comparison it was nice weather. Tucson tends to be about 10 degrees colder than Phoenix, it is a higher elevation which is the main reason. Also the weekend wasn't as hot as the week. So we moved outside. Then we were forced into the pool. By both Karen and Melissa, but Melissa didn't even get in the water for a while. All the other girls did go in including Grandma. Bernie also got in the water. Jim cooked and Carson soaked his feet. Melissa got a few pictures in the pool. We are so cute!

When Jim was finished smoking the meat with his new smoker we helped got out of the pool and sat around the deck table for lunch. The deck table is made for four people, but we made it work just great. They made some delicious corn that was white. I have never had white corn before, at least not on the cobb. It was so good and sweet! I used to refuse to eat corn because it is so messy! I still think it's messy, but it is worth the mess. We chatted more mostly about Bre's impending drive to Michigan. She had to travel with her dog, Odin, and her cat, Booger. At least she had Jim to go with her. What a dad! Better them than me.

After lunch we went back into the pool for more swimming, and the spa was put on as well. Eventually Jim, Megan, Bernie, Carson and I were in the spa talking and chatting, while everyone else was inside doing the same thing. We slowly made are way inside too and I think the deciding factor was that Carson was using his hand to squirt water at Megan! It was hilarious, but I had to leave when she did because I didn't want to be next!

We sat with Bre in the family room for a bit longer to say well wishes and will-miss-yous, which was fine until Grandma decided that she should be going home, and then everyone was in tears. At first cute little tears, but then there was some snot and stuff. I am lucky because I only cried when I was changing out of my bathing suit and I saw a picture of Bre at her high school graduation. So I waited in there until I wasn't crying. Then I was able to not cry while everyone else was crying. I had wanted to take nicer pictures than the ones in the pool and when I realized I had forgotten, I was so upset! It was a silly thing to cry about, but I guess since I know I won't be able to see her soon to correct the lack of picture taking, it made me sad!

That is a bit embarrassing to tell, but all in all the day was fun and nice so a few tears is okay.

Sunday, July 3rd, 2016

So, on July 3rd I went back to Tucson. I wanted to try to get an early start. I would rather get to places as early as possible and stay as late as possible if I can help it. However, I was granted permission to stay with my Grandma, Mary Lou, who is a young Eighty-Five years of age. She is awesome! And I like to see her as much as possible, but I also don't want to over burden her. So the plan was to get to Grandma's at around lunch time. I left a little earlier than I intended, I was antsy to get going, but I wasted some time picking up beer. The plan was after a few hours at Grandma's I would drive us to Carson and Megan's new house! They just moved in this summer, they would make dinner and we would play Ticket to Ride, a board game. I wanted to get beer for that. The problem is that Megan cannot drink most beers, so I had to find one that she could drink. I KNOW she can drink Beck's. So I decided to go with that to be safe, but I also wanted to spice it up and picked up Sapphire Beck's. Unfortunately we couldn't determine if this beer was made with corn or not so she could not drink it. The beer was very good and light. A good summer beer. 

After purchasing the beer, and filling up my tank, I drove down to Tucson. I used to drive down often because I attempted to go to school there, except then I needed to take a gap year! Gap years are probably better BEFORE you start school, but I made some great friends there and memories, so I guess I'll say that was sunk costs. The drive this time was much faster. The 10 used to only have 2 lanes, but now the majority of the trip is 3 lanes. The 3 lanes really speeds things up. Also, the radio stations all had themes because it was a holiday weekend, and one station had a 90s theme! Said it was music that we listened to in High School. I am not sure how that makes me feel, but I did enjoy the throwback. 

So, I arrived at Grandma's just around 1 PM. I put up my stuff in the spare room, which used to be my mom's old room. I'm not sure how I feel about that either. Then, Grandma made lunch. I know what you are thinking, but the lunch was a Sonora Hot Dog. Grandma found this pre-cook bacon wrapped it around the hot dog and popped it in the microwave. Yum! And she had one as well. She also showed me her iced tea maker. Which is really pretty cool. I want to be a person that drinks more tea, but I'm not sure that I am. If I was I think I would have to get one.

Helping Grandma with her Phone, Selfie!

After lunch I helped Grandma with her cellphone. She had an android powered cellphone, just like I do. So she tries to save questions for me. Almost all of the rest of the family has iPhones. I know that a few of them could help her even if they usually use iPhones, but I am glad she saves them for me. I love to help her with it. This time she was asking me questions about Instragram. Like how come I don't post pictures on Instragram...she accidentally added an account that I had a LONG time ago. I originally got instragram super early and I didn't have to use a truncated form of my name since no had taken it yet. So I took that one, but since then I really like my normal username. So I ended up starting a new account...oh and I may have completely forgot that I had that first account! That could have been the problem too. So I added my real account, but of course that doesn't have very many pictures either. As you can tell my challenge on taking pictures every day is NOT working out. So you can imagine how I am with instragram. I also added a few other family members, and Reggie haha! Reggie is my family's dog. A friend(s) of my brother decided that Reggie needed his own Instragram account. He only has 3 pictures, so who ever set it up may have forgot. After the cellphone help, we rested for a little bit before the dinner.

The Table

The ride to their house only took about 30 minutes. The house is kind of like my house, except their house is newer. Also, when I brought my house it was built originally for someone else, but they backed out! So there are a lot of things in my house which I would have done differently if I had picked. Anyway, their house was so cute I loved their floors and kitchen. I also loved their snake's room. The snake home is huge! I liked their tables too, both built by the Scott's one by Jim and one by Carson and Jim. I wish I knew how to make a table! The table that Jim built is a coffee table that was in my parents house for the first ten years of my life. That was crazy! But pretty awesome.

Jim and Megan

Jim and Karen arrived after we did, I wasn't sure if they were coming, but I am glad they did, because I got to beat even more people at Ticket to Ride. Woo! Woo! (Train sounds are cool). So I would like to say that I won the game because I have skills and I had a plan, but I didn't really know what I was doing at first. I just picked the longest routes I was dealt; from LA to Miami and then Miami to Boston. I thought I could make a really long route that way. So I built towards Miami mostly, but if I found a good spot near Miami I took that route. I ended up connecting them the two routes to a route that went to Miami. I tried to collect more cards to finish the route to Miami and to get the longest route that way, in the mean time I added to the other end of my routes, and I blocked Carson's route! But after I did that I realized I needed 6 train cars and I only had 5 to get the initial route I wanted. So I ended up not getting the longest route, but I still won!

I admit the main reason why I won was because Carson and Megan who were on a joint team were also taking turns making dinner. So, they were moving back and forth between cooking and playing, I think perhaps they weren't able to play as well. Megan even burned her hand when she tried to pick up a hot pot with just her hands! Ouch! I think we will have to have a second game in the future to really decide who won.

After the game we ate dinner which was so delicious! Lots of veggies, meat and ice cream! It was so good. I don't have a grill at my house so I usually just use a crockpot. It was nice to have something well cooked.

After that Grandma and I went back to her house made some martinis and watched The Match game which was a little risque, but Grandma matched more than I did. After that we headed to bed for the night.

Monday, July 4th, 2016

On Monday, I was able to sleep in a bit because I didn't have my dog with me. He doesn't wake me up too early anymore, but he does wake me up about thirty minutes after my normal wake up time for work. Getting up at the same time every morning is good for healthy sleeping habits, so I don't mind too much. However, I also was glad to sleep in a bit. After I woke up I went out into the living room. I was surprised that G'Ma was wake, not because it was early, but I didn't hear her moving around before that. So she must have tried to be quiet. What a great host. After getting a cup of coffee, she made breakfast for us. I tried to help, but she made a fried eggs and put it on top of a waffle. She also used some of that pre-cooked bacon. She heated it a little on the stove, so breakfast was very simple. It was also really delicious. I haven't had a waffle with an egg on it, but I recently have had burgers and pasta with eggs on them. I liked that so I figured I would like the egg on the waffle. I did of course! Yum!

After breakfast G'Ma showed me some family heirlooms, some is very nice and none of it is rotten, but I think I lot of it she keeps because they used to belong to someone else like her Grandma, Mom, sister or cousin. So she doesn't feel like she should give it away. She has everything put away nicely, but she has been going through it trying to give it to family members. I already have a set of dishes at my house. I know she said that she has other sets that she plans to give to other people, so I didn't want to take another set. I also have a lot of little genealogy related things, like the Journals and photos. So I thought maybe I shouldn't be taking things that my Mom, Aunt or Uncles will want. Some of the stem wear was so so nice. I just didn't feel right about accepting anything.

We did that for almost the entire morning, and by the time we looked up we needed to leave to get to the 4th of July lunch held at David and Mary's! We would be playing games, eating steak and potatoes, and drinking. I asked Grandma if I could drive her Prius, because I might consider a Prius in the future. She brought hers so long ago, but it was still running great. I will really have to consider it more, but I'm not really in the market just this minute to get one. My car, Big Red is still running, so I will keep that until it doesn't run anymore.

So, I drove west to David and Mary's. It is not far from Grandma's house and we arrived first. Grandma volunteered to bring prizes for the games. Which were some of the very nice things like a hand of fertility, a candle holder, and a vase. The only problem was that we kept playing games in teams. Like Pictionary and darts. An thing about pictionary I'm pretty sure as a kid the adults would play pictionary, charades or cards after dinner. The kids would play other things, mainly whatever I could get Carson to agree to do. Which was a lot, then Caitlin had to agree because she was out voted. Anyway, I think they just wrote down things on a piece of paper and picked them from a hat. Then they would draw or act out while their team guessed the answer. Now pictionary is fancy and has a board with pieces and mainly whoever goes first spends the entire time drawing pictures while the other team waits for their turn. I think the first way is more fun, but I guess with a board there is a true winner. I also am not sure if a dice is necessary in the game, but it's there.

Before we started pictionary, Karen, Mary and I played Jenga. I think I played pretty well, but I tried to make the Jenga tower easy to topple on the other two. Which meant that it was easy to topple on me, and topple it did. They tried to say that I got a prize, but I had lost the game not won it!

When Jenga was over we and Carson, Megan, Jim, David and Grandma spent some time catching up, and also playing with the cats! Trying to make them jump for a toy, or get into a paper bag. I neither like or dislike cats so it was entertaining, but it didn't make me want a cat. When the cats wouldn't jump for a toy, we started our pictionary game. I think my team lost, but I blame it on the fact that our team didn't get to draw for a long time. We only ended up getting a chance to draw after winning an all play, but it wasn't long before we lost an all play either. Oh well.

We ate lunch after pictionary, but before darts. The dinner was steak and potatoes, with onions. There was salad and asparagus. Delicious! We chatted for a while. Then told stories about what troublemakers we were as children. Except Carson because he was very well behaved, everyone else however, had stories to tell. I think even Grandma, but no one asked her.

Darts was fun! I am not very good at playing darts, but I still liked it. I was watching other people play most of them put the same foot forward as the hand that they used to throw the dart. I didn't do this. I put my right foot forward and threw with my left hand. I also used to do a similar thing in bowling, but I always bowl with my right hand, but I would put my left foot forward! Bowling is not a fine motor skill so using my right hand for bowling isn't a big deal, but I'm not sure why I would do the goofy footed thing. I think I understand in darts because I haven't really played darts too many times. So I don't really know what the best way to stand is. Standing like that is the most comfortable so that's what I do. I played baseball a bit as a little kid, so I think that's probably why I stand with my right foot in front. I am not sure if this is a bad thing or not, and I don't play darts enough to know. Anyway, our team really did lose at darts. We play 301 which is where you start with 301 points and work to zero, but at the end of the game you have to get the exact number to win. The other team got down faster that our team, but were stuck for a while trying to get exact numbers. We got down to 6 which was lower than the number they needed, but they ended up winning! I think it might have been better if my team didn't include me! Because I wasn't very good at aiming. So I kept getting higher than a 6!

We then had to figure out the prizes. I ended up with two even though I lost every game I played. So I think what happened was that winning Ticket to Ride still earned me a prize. I took the fertility hand. It is kind of cool, also, I have another hand that I think is supposed to be for rings, but I use it to hold a wand that I bought at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. So I put the hands together. They are friends now. I also won the candle holder.

It wasn't long after the prize distribution that people were ready to get going. I had to get back to Phoenix, pick up my dog and my parent's dog, I was dog sitting for them, before getting to my house. I left a little earlier that I probably would have, but I noticed some monsoon clouds swirling in the south. So I decided to leave before they reached Tucson. The storm never reached Phoenix, which is disappointing. I love storms!

Oh one last thing that isn't really trip related. When I arrived home it was just about the time when the fireworks were starting. I love seeing fireworks from the highway/freeway because you can see a bunch of different displays. It's funny to see them from a distance as the fireworks don't go as high as you think they do! Anyway, I noticed that on the mountain a jeep was parked up on one part. I have never seen a car in this place, so I'm not sure there is a road there, but I am pretty sure this jeep was sitting there because they could see most of Phoenix from there, and from that position they could see every fireworks display going on for miles! I am pretty impressed! I'm sure the view was amazing.

Photo Lab 2

Photo Lab 2

Saturday, June 25, 2016

Here are a few more pictures that I took to practice using my cameras for my big trip coming up. I am going on the Journey in the fall, and I heard last week that it is best to practice taking pictures before you go on trips. I think this is good advice, especially for me because I don't spend a lot of time taking pictures. In fact, I had a plan to take pictures, of my family, on Sunday, the 26th of June. I remembered a few times during the day, but kept thinking it would be better to take pictures later. Then, I completely forgot! So not only is practicing picture taking good for leveling up my photography skill, I also need to practice the art of remembering to take pictures. I have two cameras the first is my phone a Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge , the second is my Nikon Coolpix S570 camera, which I love because I can point, shoot and get great pictures! So I'm taking pictures with both so that I am comfortable with each.

Grant of Land - Phone

The pictures I took on Saturday are of pictures or framed things at my parents house. I mainly did this because I'm a bit nerdy and I love family archival stuff. This one below is a picture of a Grant of Land to my Greatx4 Grandfather John Clark. He purchased land in Scott County Indiana. The cool thing about his document is that it is signed by Andrew Jackson. Though from my knowledge of signatures, sometimes these documents were signed by the president's secretary or a stamp. It's still cool in my opinion.

This next picture is a photo of my Dad in high school. It is in my sister's old room and she has it next to a snow globe of a piano? Wait I think that might be a vanity...um that's weird. I think perhaps the snow globe was a gift. But wasn't my dad adorable!

Dad and Snow Globe - Coolpix

Tuesday, June 28, 2016

On Tuesday, I took some photos on my way from my work to my gym. The first picture I took was of a door. My cousin Bre, who is practically the best photographer I know went through a period of taking pictures of interesting looking door. On their trip to Alaska there were quite a few. Since she is a good photographer, I think perhaps, she knows what to take pictures of. So I tried to. This door is at the Dioceses in Phoenix. The whole building is pretty, but it's hard to get the entire building in a photo, so I just took a picture of the door! 

Door Photo - Coolpix

Then I continued walking and I took a picture of this street sign. There are usually street signs around the city that change from time to time. But the ones around Phoenix currently are quite confusing to me. They read: "The door is open." There are a bunch of them that say this, but nothing else. I'm not sure what this is supposed to mean, but I guess it runs in the theme of the door photos for the day. Also, I think there is a quote from Mother Theresa about Happiness and the door is open. So I think that it fits with the diocese photo as well. Which was not my intention, but kind of fun now that I'm see it!

The Door is Open -- Phone

After I went to the gym, I walked to my car, before I got inside. I saw this iconic sight from my garage. It is a Camelback Mountain, called such because it looks like a camel. Even though camel's died in the Americas thousands of years ago, I guess America doesn't forget! The mountain has an amazing hiking trail and a great view of the city. So if you are ever in Phoenix you must check it out...actually, I advise only visiting the hiking trail in the fall, winter or spring, in the summer it can be hazardous and quite a visitors get overheated and stuck while climbing. I also thought it would be a good picture to take, because if there is a haboob, a dust storm, this summer this spot will be a good place to get a picture of the wall of dust. So hopefully, I can get a picture of that.

Camelback Mountain - Coolpix