The Juniper Tree Journey

2015-07-19T23:34:00.000-06:00

I read this to my father today - long after Father's Day has passed, but since he and Mom were with us I preferred to read it to him face to face. My Dad is 85 this year.

Happy (belated) Father's Day Dad.

I wish I could have been with you, and Bill, and John on Saturday as you guys went out for an early Father's Day treat of a movie and lunch together. I know this is exactly why you and Mom decided to make the move to Birmingham - to be closer to family. I'm a little bit jealous that I wasn't able to join the Myers Men for that special outing, but I'm sure you guys really enjoyed that time together.

Maybe it's Father's Day, or it's just a reflection of my age - but throughout the day yesterday I found myself staring off into space for long periods of time, lost in my own thoughts. One of my girls caught me by surprise in one of these "reflective moments" as I was sitting at the table waiting for dinner, and asked me if I was OK. "Yeah", I replied, "Just tired, I guess". I wasn't being dishonest, as Daphne and I were both pretty pooped after taking a long hike with Duke in the intense heat of the afternoon. But there was more going on in my head than just being in Zombie mode. I was "time-traveling" through the years of my life - thinking back over all the places we've lived, and the things we've done. And I suppose part of me was wondering how I've done in the "Father" category over all these years. Will my girls look back on their lives with fond memories, or with regrets? I've made hundreds of decisions over my lifetime that have changed the course of our lives to one degree or another. And with each one of these decisions, there was no way I could possibly anticipate what the impact would be upon my family, or upon our future. When you think about it, that's a heavy responsibility to bear, because every decision I make as a father will, in one way or another, have a direct impact upon my children and upon the course of THEIR lives. Even though we've tried to involve the girls in the most important "course adjustment" decisions these past few years (and we've had more than our fair share of them!), we all understand that the final decision rests with me. So with that backdrop in mind, I want to share with you my own reflections of my life, and the impact that your decisions have had upon me.

In 1950 you made the best decision of your life, and that was to marry Mom. The two of you have been an awesome team all these years, and I know you'll agree that Mom has been the key contributor to all your major life decisions, just as daphne has been for me.

Somewhere around 1965 you made another decision that would influence not only every other decision you would ever make, but would have the greatest impact upon your five children as well - and that was your decision to entrust your heart and life to Jesus Christ. Who could have imagined what that single decision would mean for all 7 of us?

In 1967 - I think - you made the decision to join Campus Crusade, and then to move from Oklahoma to California. That decision not only affected our family, but also had an impact on Uncle Roger and Aunt Betty who followed your example in joining CCC, and then followed us from Tulsa to San Bernardino. I find it interesting, now that I'm thinking about it, that each decision you made to follow the Spirit's leading affected more and more people beyond your own family. There's a principle there somewhere.

In 1973 (?) you made the decision to accept Bill Bright's challenge to move your family to Kenya to direct CCC's fledgling African ministry. And in 1974 six of us left Southern California for a whole new life of adventure in Africa. While I was too young at the time (11) to understand the magnitude of a transcontinental move, I am so grateful that you, again, followed God's leading. I know now that following the Lord often comes at a price, and in this case you were misunderstood and misjudged by Edith and maybe even Papaw. Of course, all that changed when Papaw came to visit us in Kenya and saw the lives that had been changed through your ministry. I can honestly say this move changed the lives of your children, as three of us met our spouses in Africa. I look back on those first 8 years I lived in Kenya as the golden years of my life - years filled with excitement, and adventure, and friendships that would last a lifetime. In fact, in November I will join with five of my closest friends from Rift Valley Academy for what has become an annual reunion. I would never have met any of them had you changed your mind about the Africa move and decided to stay in California - and a compelling case could still be made that this would have been the safest and sanest decision. But who ever said that God calls His children to be safe, or even sane? I can't say for certain of course, but I would say that if you and Mom had simply stayed in California back in 1974, my life might have taken a dramatic turn towards rebellion, drugs, or some other life-destroying addiction.

And so, while there have certainly been many, many hardships, financial challenges, life-threatening accidents and illnesses, the loss of many friends and family members, and innumerable smaller incidents that have undoubtedly broken your hearts - I can say with absolute confidence that God has always provided, always protected, always been our family's constant pillar of strength in a world of instability - and so have you.

Sasquatch and Market Research

2015-06-11T07:05:00.003-06:00

You never know who'll walk through the door of our store. A few days ago a market researcher named Rebecca was out hiking with her husband near Bailey. They decided to check out our fine little town, and of course they stopped in at The Sasquatch Outpost. Here's what she wrote in her blog when she got home (a little unsolicited publicity never hurts!):

A Bigfoot Tale

REBECCA'S SCOOP / 0 COMMENTS

Jun 10, 2015

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Last weekend, my husband and I ventured out on a short overnight hiking trip. After crossing through meadows of burnt trees, hiding from a surround-sound lightning storm, camping at an old mining ghost town, spotting a batman squirrel and personally surviving 25 bug bites (yes, I counted), we crossed back into the world of humans. Since our back-country adventure was located right outside of the little town of Bailey, Colorado situated within the Pike National Forest, we stopped by a couple little stores to “see the town” before heading back home.

One of the places we explored - there really isn’t much else - was called The Sasquatch Outpost. It cohabitates in the same building as the local Country Store - a conglomerate of groceries & gear & any other random odd or end - and is completely specialized with sasquatch everything.

As a market researcher, one of the things in the store I loved most was the map of Sasquatch Sightings:

This Colorado state map is filled with location markers, each different pin color indicating one of the following in regards to Sasquatch:

I saw one
I heard one
I saw tracks
Other

Those “other” responses would sure be fun to code, right? Through my eyes, I saw market research in action - an effort to catch people in the midst of their experiences in Pike National Forest with a unique, interactive approach - almost like a game. I will say nothing of the accuracy of the responses though!

Apparently, Bailey is quite a magnet for Sasquatch sightings in Central Colorado. After our trip, we were talking with a friend who is a Search and Rescue volunteer in Douglas County. He mentioned that he most frequently heard of Sasquatch sightings in Pike National Forest during his time spent volunteering. Additionally, this news report not only features the Sasquatch Outpost when it originated a couple of years ago, but also the firm belief of local residents regarding the existence of Sasquatch or Bigfoot or whatever it is that people want to call him/it.

And from The Sasquatch Outpost website itself:

“It seems that Bailey is a mecca both for Sasquatches (sp?) and for Sasquatch Seekers! There have been a large number of credible (you're laughing, I know) reports of sightings all around Bailey in the past 2-3 years, so much so that last October the Animal Planet show "Finding Bigfoot" came here to film a town hall meeting. … So, do I believe in Sasquatch? Absolutely. My friends and family make fun of me, but I cannot discount over 30,000 reported sightings across the United States as ALL being hoaxes or mistaken identity (bears impersonating Sasquatch, for example). Until the day when real, hard proof surfaces we'll have fun printing Sasquatch T-shirts, mugs and bumper stickers. Why don't you stop by and pick up some Squatch Souvenirs!”

Talk about knowing how to take something unique to your marketing advantage! I think we can all learn a lesson from The Sasquatch Outpost. A successful business plan revolves around knowing who your audience is - in this case, the "Sasquatch Seekers", whether they seek in jest or in seriousness. Furthermore, capitalizing on something fun about your company or location or personality is a fantastic way to attract not simply attention, but even more importantly, involvement. Like we learned in my last post, involvement = remembering and learning. Involvement makes an impression. Whether skeptical or believing of what you offer or claim, everyone appreciates a good time and an effort to stand out from the crowd.

And if ever you ever happen to pass through Bailey...keep an eye out for Bigfoot!

A life of Adventure

2015-06-10T09:50:00.005-06:00

Daphne and I enjoyed a quiet breakfast for our 24th anniversary on Monday, and we were served by our beautiful daughter - waitress Nicole, who's working at Kenosha Cafe this summer to earn money for college. We were alone in the cafe for maybe 30 minutes before other customers arrived, which was a good thing as I wanted to tell Daphne something important.

For those who don't know our story, prior to getting married I went through a period of cold feet... well, rock-hard frozen feet is a better description... to the point that Daphne gave me back her engagement ring and told me to make up my mind. I can't really describe how hard this was for her, as she'd re-arranged her entire life in preparation to marry me - and now she was facing even giving up our relationship as well. It took several weeks and God breaking into my world in a supernatural way for me to understand where my fears were coming from. In short, I was afraid of failure. I was leading the CCC ministry in Senegal at the time. I was a new leader and pretty insecure in my role. The Lord helped me to realize that I was living in the fear of what "might" happen; that Daphne would join me in Senegal, that it would be too hard for her to adapt to the culture, learn French, make a whole new set of friends (yikes, what was I thinking!!!) and that we would have to leave - and I would be a failure. Here's what the Lord said to me: "I want you to marry Daphne. If, for whatever reason, Daphne can't cope and you have to leave, then it's because I have a better plan for you and your family. Don't be afraid - go ahead in faith."

Looking back now, (and this is what I told Daphne over breakfast on Monday) I realize that my fears were totally unfounded, because I married the most adaptable, hardy, faith-filled woman on earth. She didn't just survive, she thrived - and we enjoyed many wonderful years of ministry in Senegal. On our wedding day 24 years ago, I couldn't promise her we'd ever be wealthy or famous, but I did promise that we'd have a life of adventure. I asked her if I made good on that promise, and her reply was, "Well, let me see... lived in three countries, on three continents, had four nationalities, speak three languages, have three beautiful daughters, and we're now running a crazy little store called the "Sasquatch Outpost" in the Colorado mountains... yeah, I'd call that I life of adventure!" And it's not over yet

Forever

2015-01-07T07:39:00.001-07:00

My dear friend Sean Renfro is gone. He was killed on January 3 while assisting a stranded motorist during a snow storm. Sean was a Sergeant with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department, and even though he was off-duty that frigid day there was no question that he and his friend Sam would pull over to help when they saw that a car had slid off the road and into the side of the mountain. Sean and Sam moved the occupants of the damaged car into their truck to stay warm, while they stayed outside to wait for the Highway Patrol to arrive. One small, seemingly insignificant decision to stand outside, and life would change forever for Sean's wife and four children. Huddled in front of the truck to stay warm from the heat of the engine, they never even noticed the SUV that came spinning out of control on the ice, jumped the median, and slammed straight into their vehicle.

Sam woke up in a snow bank. Sean woke up in Heaven.

The first Sean's wife Crystal knew that there was a problem was when Sean's Captain arrived at her door with the terrible news: Sean had been killed. No discussion. No alternate endings. Just....gone.

The hours (and now days) that followed have been a blur. I've been doing my best to help Sean's wife Crystal, his Mom Linda and their family to work through the hundreds of details that follow a death - informing family and friends, arranging a funeral, picking a gravesite. Every decision is gut-wrenching but absolutely necessary. Waves of grief come unexpectedly and inconveniently. The initial shock has begun to fade, only to be replaced by a deep weariness and resolute sorrow. Sean isn't coming home to take care of all this. Ever. There's no option for Crystal to just give in to her grief and hide. There's just too much to do - too many decisions to make. I watch how the kids deal with the loss of their Dad; It's as though God gives them a supernatural ability to step outside their life and the crushing grief for a time, because it's just too much to handle. They play, they watch TV, they talk with their friends. I know it will all come crashing down sooner or later, but not now.

What makes all of this so much harder.... so impossibly harder.... is that Sean's Dad passed away almost exactly one year ago, on January 9th. They haven't even worked through one load of grief when another, even greater one has hit them. Each of the kids have asked me the questions that preoccupy their minds: Can we keep the house? Will we have to move? Can we stay in the mountains? I have no answers.

I am amazed by the strength I see in all of them - Sean's wife Crystal, his Mom Linda, his sister Heather, Crystal's folks and her sister... they are showing so much courage, and I'm so proud of them. There's a million things to work through for this funeral: Sean will be honored by a full military-style procession by the Sheriff's department, with an honor guard, three gun salute and all the pomp and circumstance. And this is how it should be, because Sean was a cop's cop - a man of honor, a man who stood for the truth, a man who gave his life to protect others. The Sheriff's department and all the victims advocates have been truly awesome - and I am so, so grateful for all their help and support for Crystal and her family.

I want to write more about my love for Sean as a friend, but I'll save that for later.

Anyone reading this post can make a donation to help Sean's family by going to the link below. We are grateful for the amazing outpouring of generosity from across the country.

www.gofundme.com/jocxks

The courage to speak the truth

2014-11-05T17:07:00.001-07:00

I am re-posting a blog written by a good friend of mine. I am posting it here because I believe it describes in brief what Daphne and I - and scores of others - have experienced in our former church, but written honestly and I believe graciously. My friend has given me much food for thought, and as a result I've begun to write down some of my own reflections - some very similar to his, but many quite different as our level of exposure to the harmful behavior he describes was far more personal and intense. There has been a blanket of silence among former church members, mainly due to an intense level of fear and intimidation that is, in and of itself, very revealing. I believe my friend's courageous reflections have opened a floodgate of pent-up emotions for many people, and his blog has had upwards of 600 hits today alone.

"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap"
Galatians 6:7,

Anyway, here's what he wrote:

An Open Letter To My Former Pastor

Posted on November 4, 2014 by Romans8:28

A few weeks ago I ran into a friend I hadn’t seen in a long time. We attended the same church for a couple of years and while we weren’t close, I think we would both agree that we shared a special bond because we were baptized together. But one day she just stopped coming. I wondered what had happened to her, but honestly the church was in turmoil and not long after she left I did as well. It was great to see her and we talked for quite a while but what she had to say was heartbreaking to hear.
She told me that when she found the church she was recovering from an abusive relationship and that while she hadn’t been a Christian, she found meaning and a new purpose in her life. She accepted Christ, was baptized that day and decided to devote her life to serving God. But then something happened, she wouldn’t elaborate any more than to say that she had been offered a staff position at the church but as she prepared to quit her job and devote her life to God, promises were broken and she was viciously rejected. She said that she was verbally assaulted by the pastor and he told her that he didn’t owe her anything and if she didn’t like it, she could leave. She told me that after that she tore up her baptism certificate. She said that she couldn’t believe that any God would allow someone like that to represent Him and that she has no faith in God or the church. She said that she didn’t need God before and she doesn’t need Him now, and she will never set foot in another church again.
I could see the pain in her face, and I didn’t know what to say. What could I say? I had recently left the same church after seeing some dark revelations of my own. In the last year I got a close look “behind the curtain” and I didn’t like what I saw. It ranged from irresponsible and negligent to dishonest and immoral. So like my friend, I left, appalled at what I had seen and like her, I was treated badly on my way out. Honestly I am ashamed and embarrassed that I had been a part of it for so long. But unlike her, I grew up a Christian, my faith in God was unbroken but my trust in those who represent him was badly damaged. I can differentiate between the two of course, I know God’s word is true and he will never forsake me. But I made the mistake of putting my faith, for several years, in a man and I allowed that misplaced trust to blind me to what was really going on.
I told my friend that I was very sorry for what happened to her. I told her that what she experienced and the pain she endured was not from God and that the way this man treated her was not God’s way. I told her that I hoped that one day she would find peace with it all and trust God again; He loves her and still wants to have a relationship with her. I told her that “that church” was a poor representative of what church is supposed to be. He said the right words on Sunday but didn’t live the message. She appreciated my words but I could tell that she’s not ready to trust again, and I don’t know if she ever will be.
So what would I say to my former pastor?
People matter to God, and they should have mattered to you.
Sure, your church helped people but there were strings attached and you always kept score. If anyone crossed you or left after receiving your “generosity,” you used your sermons to point out how benevolent you were for tolerating their ungratefulness. You covered up and committed immoral and unethical acts and hid your true character and that of those around you. Is that how a pastor behaves? Is that how a Christian behaves? Is that how a man behaves? You, my friend, are a coward.
In 1886 James Freeman Clark wrote a fantastic essay on “manliness” and this excerpt sums it up well:
Lies usually come from cowardice, because men are afraid of standing by their flag, because they shrink from opposition, or because they are conscious of something wrong which they cannot defend, and so conceal. Secret faults, secret purposes, habits of conduct of which we are ashamed, lead to falsehood, and falsehood is cowardice. And thus the sinner is almost necessarily a coward. He shrinks from the light; he hides himself in darkness. Therefore if we wish to be manly, we must not do anything of which we are ashamed. He who lives by firm principles of truth and right, who deceives no one, injures no one, who therefore has nothing to hide, he alone is manly. The bad man may be audacious, but he has no true courage. His manliness is only a pretence, an empty shell, a bold demeanor, with no real firmness behind it.
The last time I attended your church you made an interesting comment about introspection in your sermon and it was very telling. You said that you can’t look at yourself introspectively because it would destroy you. You implied that it is because you’re your own worst critic, but I don’t believe that explanation is the real truth. I think you lack the courage to allow God to reveal your true self to you. I believe that deep down you know that to look at yourself introspectively would destroy you because what you would see is not what God intended you to be. Instead you would see a man who puts himself before God, a man whose gluttonous hunger and insatiable need for adoration and obedience overrides your obligation to do what is right. A pastor who shamefully turned on his flock and rather than leave it to the wolves, you became the wolf and devoured it yourself.
You did the unthinkable, you ate your own.
You now commune with only a handful of loyal automatons, your congregation of over 700 souls long gone and only your “yes men” are left to worship you. Through your writing and social media you have created an inauthentic world that you describe as a hurricane that only you are strong enough to stand against. And as you now publically converse with the storm that you created, you share your conversation with a ship of unknowing fools. You spout your drivel to an online audience that sees only what you allow them to see. You silence any criticism, ridicule truth seekers and block those who know the truth.
I know you have suffered loss and pain throughout the massive crash of the church that you built. You lost your congregation, you lost friends, and you even lost your marriage. But until you realize that you need to lose yourself, give your life over to God’s will and not your own, you will never achieve your true potential. You say they left because they weren’t strong enough, weren’t committed enough, and didn’t have vision enough. What you don’t see is that the church failed because you convinced the members to put their faith in you rather than in God. You could never possibly live up to that standard, and you need to realize that they left because it was your church and not God’s church.
You do have amazing potential, you are a talented and inspiring speaker and I think you can still be the man God wants you to be. But you are going to have to first recognize the pain you have caused and the incredible damage you have done. You may never be able to undo that damage but if you genuinely seek forgiveness, it will come. For many it won’t come easily and it will take time, you will have to humble yourself and acknowledge your failures, but if you do you will be forgiven. I have hope for you and there is forgiveness in my heart.
Ironically this experience has taught me something I’ve needed to learn for years. Over 15 years ago I was seriously wronged by another and while I often said that someday I would forgive, I also said that I wasn’t ready. Well thanks to you that day has come. I realize now that for all these years I have not been living as God would have me live, with forgiveness. So in an odd way you have been the catalyst to help me find forgiveness, to let go of my bitterness and be free of its burden. It has been a painful lesson to learn, but I thank you for it, and now I have another more important letter I need to write.

Car Wreck

2014-11-03T09:14:00.002-07:00

I was going to the bus stop with Jacqueline this morning, she was driving, when we hit a patch of black ice and started to slide. There was nothing I could do from the passenger seat except to tell her to take her foot off the gas. She hit the brakes, we slid across the road, did a 360 and slammed into the hillside... then did a slow roll onto the side. We were both very shook up, but Praise God no injuries. Amazingly, several cars raced by and did not even stop. A friend of ours thankfully pulled over, and there was an off-duty hwy patrol woman who flipped on her lights. Even with her being there, cars were still racing by - and several of them started to slide and another truck did a 360 before he regained control. We had to climb out through the passenger side window and drop down. I am guessing there's a good chance the car will be totaled - the second one since Karine had her accident several years ago and totaled our first blazer. Hard lessons learned for young drivers, but God was good and kept us from hitting another car or rolling down the opposite side of the highway where there's a steep embankment.

Unbelievable

2014-10-29T03:35:00.000-06:00

It's 2:00 am, and after tossing and turning for a fitful hour or so I finally got up. Daphne and I just returned yesterday afternoon from a brief, but much needed, time away together. Several months ago I'd purchased a Groupon for a hotel and spa in Crested Butte that seemed almost too good to be true - less than half price for the hotel room and vouchers for the spa. I jumped on it, knowing that we REALLY needed to get away. I told Daph that we can use it to celebrate our 23rd anniversary (back in June) and my birthday (last Sunday).

Fast forward to the present.

The date finally arrived last Sunday for us to make our three-day escape to Crested Butte. There was only one problem: we were literally out of money. I had a pile of bills stacking up at the house that I couldn't pay, and the responsible part of me kept saying that I shouldn't be spending any money now... money we don't have ... just to go relax for a few days with Daphne. But I bit the bullet, borrowed from Peter to pay Paul, and we took off. It was a great, quiet time for the two of us ( I think we were the only guests at the hotel!). I brought cash to pay for our gas and meals, since I didn't want to overdraw our bank account. You'd think that after knowing God for nearly 40 years I would have learned to trust Him with all of our needs and just relax, but in the back of my mind was the nagging reminder of all the unpaid bills waiting back home. We skipped a meal or two to save money, and decided not to use the spa vouchers since we couldn't afford the difference between our $30 vouchers and the $110 actual cost for a massage. So we slept late, went window shopping in town (Daphne), did some fly fishing (Jim), and bought popcorn and snacks to eat while we watched movies in the hotel room. It was great.

On our way there and on our way home we talked about many things: about how we ever ended up running a country store in Bailey, Colorado - something neither of us had ever thought about or even imagined. And we talked about some of our dreams and the things each of us is asking God for, but that we'd never shared with each other before. Daphne is trusting God that one day I will sleep through the night and not be up at 2:00 am writing on my blog (no comment), and that our girls will all walk with God and marry men who will love them and lead them spiritually, and that she will grow to be a woman of faith - to believe God for impossible things. I'm embarrassed to say that my requests are not nearly as spiritual or selfless as Daphne's - like asking God to give me a friend who owns a ranch and horses... someone I can go riding with, where I can satisfy the cowboy within me who's dying to get out. Or that God will bless our store so that one day we won't have to struggle to make ends meet, and we'll be able to employ other folks who desperately need the work. Or that we can enjoy a meal at the Steakhouse in Crested Butte, rather than just going for pizza. Or that we'll earn enough so I can help pay my daughter's way through college so she doesn't have to work so hard. At breakfast this morning Daphne made the timely comment that even though we've always been living by faith with our finances, we've had the privilege of living in and traveling to exotic places that most people only dream about (and a few that most sane people stay away from). She's totally right. Like I said, she's the more spiritual one of the two of us.

We stopped by the store on our way home to check on Dana (our friend and part-time employee), and she handed me an envelope that someone had dropped off for us. I stuck it in my pocket with some other stuff and forgot about it. As I got up this morning I was again thinking about our unpaid bills, and I remembered the envelope in my jeans pocket. I opened it, and inside was a check for $700 and a note from some dear friends, "Use this in any way God directs. We love you guys." I began to weep, overwhelmed at such a direct, on-time provision from God through friends who had no idea of what our financial needs are. He is intimately acquainted with all our ways, just like the Scriptures say. Jehovah-Jireh. God our Provider.

I'm off to try to get some more sleep before I have to drive Jacqueline to the bus stop at 6:30.

2014-08-12T06:14:00.001-06:00

Settled in our new home. It's much smaller than the home we had in Conifer, but seems to suit us better. All three girls are with us at present, though Nicole will leave to had back to Chapman in a week - a sad day for all of us. We love her dearly and miss her terribly when she's gone. Karine will stay here until the weather turns worse and she'll need to be closer to Evergreen where she works, at which point she'll move back in (I assume) with one of her employers.

We've had the country store for almost 14 months now, and thanks to the Lord and lots of help from friends the store is doing very well. There were those who believed and said that we would never even get it open, but God had another plan. We've met literally hundreds of people in the past 14 months who have enriched our lives and who have made our store a regular hang-out. Even as recently as yesterday we had a French family come in who were passing through on their way to Salt Lake City, and we enjoyed 20-30 minutes of French conversation about all the things we miss about France, like the cheese, and the wine, and our friends. It was like a breath of fresh air, and I loved every minute.

Last weekend Daphne graciously ran the store while I went off with my band of Marauders to perform several reenactments for Living History Days in South Park City, a restored old west town and museum that's a perfect venue for gunfights. And the Sunday before we performed in another small town called Hartsel for their annual festival. It just so happened that our friends Lewis and Lacy Alexander were with us that weekend, and I somehow managed to convince them to join in with our reenactments. Everyone agreed that Lacy made a perfect brazen hussy in her saloon girl attire :)
I managed to rustle up a couple of horses for me and another of our crew to ride in the parade, and when our guys at the front starting shooting off their revolvers and double-barreled shot-guns the horses did a pretty good rendition of the cha-cha. When the parade was over I rode over to where our guys were waiting and said, "Next time, you ride and I'll shoot!" The whole thing was a great deal of fun.

Some of our group with other reenactors in Hartsel, Colorado. Lacy's on the right.

Jim a.k.a. "Cherokee Jack" Myers posing for a photo during the Hartsel parade

Lewis looks pretty B.A. if you ask me

Wild Frontier

2014-05-27T06:24:00.001-06:00

The past few days have been exciting, challenging and crazy!

A New Home

First off, we've made an offer on a home, and it was accepted! It's much smaller than our previous home (1800 sq feet vs 2900) but we wanted to downsize anyway. It's located only 10 minutes from the store, and was built in 1999 - so hopefully there are no major issues. We've done most of the inspections and we'll submit our inspection objections tomorrow. The only real downsides are the steep driveway and no dining room to speak of. It even has a hot-tub, which was one of my personal requests of the Lord, so I can get some relief during the bad nights with restless legs. We're taking a calculated risk to buy the home, since we would not qualify for a home loan until we can show 2 years of profit from the store (and the store has shown no profit so far, which is the norm for small start-up businesses) which requires us to use IRA funds along with the equity from our home in Conifer. Our home for the past six months has been the apartment above the store (and three storage units) which has worked out fine for the short term, but we've all been sleeping in one room which has it's definite drawbacks... I'll leave that one to your imagination. The house was only on the market one day and already had one offer on it, so we had to jump on it to have any chance of getting it. We'd already had three other homes that we were ready to make offers on (all of them on the market 3 days or less), and each time they were already under contract. No question the housing market is heating up. Our trust is in the Lord and His faithfulness. God is good, all the time!

MYERS MARAUDERS

I've started an old west gunfighter reenactment group called The Myers' Marauders. The whole idea came about last year when I invited another reenactment group to come perform on Bailey Day. I wanted them back this year (June 14), but they were not available. I started doing some research, recruited a few other guys who enjoy playing cowboy, and we're now in the process of joining the American Frontier Reenactment Guild. The guild is very particular about the actors wearing authentic period clothing and using period guns - so I traded in my .357 for a replica colt .45 revolver. We're scheduled to do five shows on Bailey Day, and we're working out an agreement with South Park City (very popular 1800's ghost town in Fairplay, CO) to perform multiple times this summer. We had our first performance in Shawnee (couple miles from Bailey) for their history day. The gal who was organizing the event wanted it to be a surprise, but I know how many people are packing heat up here and told her that we needed to put a sign up to alert people that a western gunfight would be taking place. Part of the skit involved me coming in with a scarf over my face and my gun drawn. I yelled, "This is a hold-up! Get your hands in the air!" At which time the musician who'd been playing up front points a gun at me and yells, "Oh yeah! We'll see about that!". My immediate thought was, "This wasn't part of our script", and I stood there for a couple of seconds wondering what to do - since I only had blanks, and depending on whether that's a toy or not that he's pointing at me this could get tricky. I decided to ignore him and went on with the show. Found out later it was a toy gun... that's all I need is a hero who guns me down in the middle of a show! The following weekend we were asked to do two performances for the first anniversary of the new Staunton State Park near Conifer. I have a feeling this hobby could get out of control real fast!

What does believing in God have to do with Sasquatch?

2014-05-08T08:59:00.001-06:00

A recent article I wrote for a local newspaper. Enjoy :)

A few weeks ago I went squatching with a couple of friends. “Squatching” is an Indian word that means “White people walking in the woods who see nothing.” However, seeing nothing never stops me. Kind of like killing nothing has never stopped me from hunting. My so-called friends say the safest place for an elk to be is right in front of my rifle. Very funny. The safest place is actually a little to the left in front of me. Anyway, we started our hike where we'd seen some promising signs in previous weeks, and it wasn't long before we found a bunch of sapling tree breaks. No one knows why Squatches (that's what we Squatchers call them) break trees, but it's assumed to be some kind of territorial display. It's the Sasquatch version of big tires and lift-kits on pickup trucks, only much less expensive. The (top secret) place where we were hiking was literally covered with deer and elk tracks, which is a good sign since Squatches really like their protein. After a couple of hours of walking we came across something really strange: there in the snow was a perfect, elk-shaped impression – but no elk. It was like someone had pressed in the snow with a gigantic elk stamp. And we noticed something even weirder (is that a word?): there were no elk tracks leaving the site, nor lion tracks, nor drag marks, nor any blood. There weren't even any signs of a struggle. That elk just hit the snow like it ran into an invisible wall at full speed. We stood there like three Sherlock Holmes actors trying to figure this one out, and we could only come to one conclusion: the elk was picked up and carried away. And at 400-500 pounds that's no small feat of brute strength. There was another set of prints that paralleled the elk trail – only these were much larger and more shallow than the elk tracks with about a ten foot stride. But, of course, they were too melted by the sun to give any clear idea if they were Squatch prints. Yes, this is the footprint version of the fuzzy squatch-blob photos.

I've never personally seen a Sasquatch. I know quite a number of people who say they have, and in most cases I believe them. The first eye-witness I ever met was my friend Kate, who saw a large Squatch in May of 2012 along with a friend with whom she was hiking. Since then, we've met scores of people who come into our store in Bailey to stick a colored pin on the Colorado Sasquatch Sightings Map we have up on the wall. There's over 70 pins on that map already, and we only put it up six months ago. Course, that's about the time the grow store opened up down the street... just kidding. All joking aside, the legend of Bigfoot has to go down as one of the great mysteries of the last two centuries: how a creature that stands eight feet tall, weighs somewhere around 800 pounds, walks on two legs, is covered with hair, stinks like a skunk, and has never, not even once, been caught or confirmed killed. And yet there are hundreds, possibly even thousands of stories that come from every state in the union. EVERY state. Even Arizona and New Mexico. They can't possibly all be hoaxes or drunken hallucinations. There is definitely SOMETHING out there.

We get a lot of Sasquatch enthusiasts coming to our store, and they will eventually get up the courage to ask THE question: “Do YOU believe in Bigfoot? Hmm...Do I Believe? The question almost feels religious, as if they were asking if I'm a Bigfootist, or if I practice Sasquatchism. I've even had someone ask me how I, as a religious person, can believe in Bigfoot. Why? What does believing in God have to do with Sasquatch? Apparently, many people look at God and Sasquatch in the same way – as mythical creatures with no scientific foundation for their existence. To a certain point I agree with them, because to believe that God or Sasquatch exists takes a healthy dose of faith. But of this I am sure: there's only one thing that will turn a skeptic into a believer – and that's a personal encounter. Then there's no convincing them that God or Sasquatch DOESN'T exist! I can attest to the fact that God is real, He is personal, and He is seeking a relationship with each of us. He has broken through into my world numerous times in dramatic, unmistakable ways. I love to tell these “ God moment” stories, because my life will never be the same. So who knows? One of these days when I'm out in the woods I just might have a personal encounter with Sasquatch, and after I've cleaned my trousers I'll tell you about it.

Pushing Snow

2014-03-10T06:23:00.002-06:00

Snow plowing. Up at 3:00 am after a fitful night. Drive through the Star Wars, warp speed simulator
(snowstorm at night). Plow three parking lots, then start on the driveways. I have to be extra careful with the driveways as I damaged more than one garage door last winter due to heavy snow and sleep deprivation. My insurance agent warned me not to make another claim. I thought insurance companies existed to sell insurance??? Must have been in the fine print: "Last but not least, don't file any claims or we'll cancel your policy. Ha Ha."

Get a phone call mid-morning, "Do you plow snow in Shawnee?" After a minute or two of discussion I agree to swing by his house, since he assured me it's an "easy driveway". Should have learned my lesson by now; the "easy ones" are always the worst. We live in the mountains, and every home builder up here must be from Florida or something. They love to build driveways one of three ways: straight up the side of the hill at a 60º angle, or with 3-5 hairpin turns that will only accomodate a mini cooper, or 1/2 mile long. This driveway was the second variety. The gentleman I spoke to was obviously quite elderly, so I decide not to charge them the full price. That's the next lesson I should have learned by now: charge by the minute, not by the job. As soon as I arrive I can tell that one end of the circular driveway has at least 2 feet of snow on it, and the other end has three tight turns that my truck can barely make while I try to keep from crushing the ornate solar driveway lights that every snow plower just loves. I end up spending way too long on his driveway, but I still want to cut them a break on the price. Just before I leave I find out that this is their second home. They normally live in Highlands Ranch, a Bourgois suburb of Denver. C'est la vie.

Gotta Love The Beauty of Fresh Snow

We Are Bailey

2014-03-06T07:57:00.001-07:00

Not quite sure how all this happened. I joined the local Platte Canyon Chamber of Commerce last year and was elected to the board, then asked to serve as Vice President. Really? But I just joined! Welllll, I guess so. My "main" responsibility as Vice-President was to plan and organize Bailey Day - the main fund-raiser for the Chamber of Commerce and biggest party day of the year for Bailey's 8,000 + residents. While I was planning and organizing, I was also trying to finish all the renovations on the Bailey Country Store (our store). We were scheduled to open in April. Then in May. And we finally opened our doors - our official grand opening - on June 15th... Bailey Day. So we were pretty darn busy last year! Bailey day was a huge success, as was our Olde West theme (complete with wild west shoot-outs, old tyme photo booth etc). We made more money for the chamber than almost any event in the recent past. This year when election time rolled around again for the Chamber of Commerce board, our awesome President Marcel Flukiger stepped down after serving three years. Marcel is an idea guy, and he's Swiss, and he owns the greatest little winery this side of Nappa Valley. Marcel moved the Chamber forward by light years during his three year term, and Bailey is a better place because of his investment. Anyway, last month I was elected to replace Marcel as President. Here we go! It's the salary and perks that make it all worthwhile :)

The first initiative that I wanted to bring to the chamber is a campaign to build a "branding" or a community identity for the town of Bailey. Bailey is a true community, whereas Conifer and Evergreen (in my opinion) are more bedroom communities for Denver. Bailey has taken more than its fair share of hits in recent years (economic hardship, Platte Canyon High School hostage incident) and yet the people here just keep bouncing back. I've been genuinely impressed in this town to see how the Bailey residents consistently look out for each other, support each other and do whatever they can to help those who are down on their luck. I'm a student of culture, which comes from having grown up overseas and living in multiple countries. And Bailey has its own culture and identity. All I did was try to put these characteristics into words and bring out the great things about this town and its people. And here is what I came up with (with help from the chamber board members). More on this later.

Gearing up for summer

2014-03-04T06:14:00.002-07:00

We're in the "dead" time of year right now as far as business goes. Every other business owner in Bailey is telling us the same thing: Just get through winter and hope for a great summer. In the meantime we're constantly re-arranging the layout, trying to find the best way to arrange the store to make it both efficient and attractive. I went to the Denver Gift Mart last month and bought a ton of merchandise to get ready for a busy summer of hikers, campers and other tourists coming through Bailey - like walking sticks, coonskin caps (Daphne's request), teddy bears, knives, rustic iron signs etc etc. To display all of this stuff (not to mention our own t-shirts, mugs, bumper stickers) I am building new shelves in the "Sasquatch Outpost" room out of rustic log planks and log bannisters that I'll use as legs. I also bought two peeled 10 inch logs that will go from floor to ceiling and I'll build shelves in between them and insert dowels all around to hang stuff from. When it's all done it should look pretty cool.

I've been out Squatching a couple of times lately, and we found some signs that are hard to explain. In one spot we found a set of elk tracks that we could follow in the snow for over 100 yards. The strange thing was that the elk was apparently crapping as it ran and it left droppings along the entire length of the tracks. Then the tracks suddenly stopped and we found an elk-sized body imprint in the snow. There were no tracks leading away from the spot, no drag marks and no blood (though there was some hair in the imprint of the body). Then we found some strange tracks that paralleled the elk tracks that were 10-12 feet apart (more than one print in each place, but made by something very large). These tracks went up to and past the place where the elk fell, which makes me wonder if a Sasquatch could have possibly killed the elk and carried its body away?? As I said, the elk clearly did not leave that spot on its own... so what happened to the body? No way to prove one way or the other, but i've never seen anything like it. Here's a picture of the imprint in the snow. Judge for yourself.

The imprint of the body in the snow: legs to the right. My footprints in the foreground. No elk prints could be found leading away from this spot, nor drag marks made by a lion or bear.

You can see the droppings in the elk tracks leading up to the place where it fell. Droppings were along the entire length of the tracks.

The larger prints we found paralleling the elk trail

could this be BIGFOOT?

2014-01-07T08:37:00.001-07:00

This just in: Rick Dyer, a self-proclaimed Bigfoot Hunter, who's been saying for over a year that he shot an adult male bigfoot outside San Antonio now says that (after a legal battle) he's finally in possession of the body and will tour the country with it. He also says that the body has been examined and tested in every way possible, and over 130 people have seen it now. Well, this could get interesting! Has the mystery finally been solved?

Rick Dyer is well known as the hoaxster who claimed to have a bigfoot body back in 2008, and who was discredited as a result. Soooo - we'll wait for more info before we make a judgement.

COULD THIS BE THE FACE OF A REAL SASQUATCH?

Too little magic, too late

2014-01-07T08:18:00.001-07:00

My Tigers weren't able to pull the magic rabbit out of the hat one last time, and Florida State came away with the BCS national championship this time. Good for them. Both teams fought a hard battle, and as I expected the game came down to the very last seconds - but FSU had the last score and Auburn just wasn't able to do anything with only 13 seconds left. But I'm proud of Auburn, knowing that last year was the worst for Auburn football in recent history. So from a 3 and 9 record to playing for the national championship in one year... pretty darn good. It's all good. I have a feeling that with Gus Malzahn behind the steering wheel Auburn will play a prominent role in the years to come. War Eage anyway!

I thought Daphne and I would be on TV today, but the gal from 9 News told me that it's probably not going to air until next week. And here I was, ready to make my TV debut this morning. Now I've got to wait another whole week! Oh well, fame can wait I guess.

_____________________________

Daphne and I are learning everything we ever wanted to know about running a country store, and a whole lot more! I'm grateful that we've got such a faithful group of volunteers who come in and help us several times a week, which gives us a chance to take care of some of our other family responsibilities. Running the store is actually a lot of fun, and we're getting to meet so many fascinating people from Bailey and beyond. My role in the local chamber of commerce is likely to increase this next week when the chamber board will vote on the new officers. I've been asked if I'd be willing to serve as the chamber President, and if the board members agree I'm up for a new challenge (like I don't have enough challenges on my plate currently!). I'll have to take a hiatus from the Conifer Rotary Club, as I can't manage both civic groups at the same time, given the increased time the chamber of commerce role will require. I see this as one more great way to serve this great community and build stronger friendships, although I'm feeling more than a little daunted by the idea of leading the whole Chamber of Commerce.

Onward and Upward!

We'll be on the news!

2014-01-05T05:02:00.001-07:00

It's snowing outside, which hopefully means that I can make a little money plowing today. We're only supposed to get 4-8 inches, but that translates into several hundred "plow dollars", and at this point every buck counts. But God provides, and as is usually the case we don't often know how or from where He plans to provide. A couple of weeks ago we were getting pretty tight, and then we received a check in the mail from the bank for the balance that was in our escrow account after our loan had been paid in full. I didn't have a clue that there was any money left in that account, so it was a welcome boost to our bank account. So God provided from an unanticipated source. There's an interesting principle at play here, and I'm still chewing on this in my mind (I haven't established any firm conviction... just wondering). I read throughout the Scriptures that God promises to provide for His children - and not just His children, but for all of His creation. Jesus makes a very strong statement in Matthew 6 that worry has no place in our lives as believers, knowing that God promises to provide for all our needs. He even says Nowhere in that passage does he mention savings accounts, or IRAs, or mutual funds - even though saving and investing was a common practice even back then. I don't think that God is against us investing in the future, but I do believe that He wants us to depend on Him with all our heart... and sometimes wealth and trust in God can be mutually exclusive. How will I ever know that I can trust that God will provide for all of my needs, until I actually need Him to? I know my own propensity to trust in my assets rather than trusting in God - which is probably why the Lord has never blessed me with unlimited finances. But I can also testify to the wonder and excitement of watching God provide for us on a daily basis. "So do not worry about what you will eat, or what you will drink, or what you will wear. For your Heavenly Father knows that you need all these things... but seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and He will take care of all these other needs." Great food for thought.

On a completely different note: channel 9 News from Denver came to Bailey two days ago to do a story on our store, and in particular on the Sasquatch Outpost. They stayed for over an hour and interviewed me, Daphne and a friend of ours who's actually seen a Sasquatch. The reporter was very intrigued by the map that shows all the local sightings, and I think our friend's story of her sighting really caused her to wonder if all the stories about Sasquatch might not just be true.
The news story is supposed to air on Tuesday morning sometime, but they'll also put it on You Tube so we can download it later. We're hoping this will be some great, free publicity for the store!

A Christmas Reflection

2013-12-21T08:07:00.000-07:00

I lead a couple of Bible studies each week, and we've been looking at the passages in the Gospels that deal with the birth of Christ. While it's true that we are never instructed in the scriptures to celebrate Christ's birth, and the whole idea behind Christmas trees, red and green colors, Christmas ornaments etc actually goes back to the pagan middle ages. I don't really care about the origins of those symbols, because in our context today I don't personally know anyone who worships their Christmas tree. We have a tree too that we cut down in the forest about 20 miles from here. The forest service is pretty serious about this whole permit thing too; they set up a roadblock at both ends of a 4 or 5 mile stretch of highway that's been designated for tree cutting, and you have to stop to show them your permit before you can go through. It dawned on my as I was trudging around in the snow with Daphne and the girls that the forest service guys are geniuses - they get tons of fire mitigation done without having to do the work themselves, and they even get paid by those who do the cutting!

Anyway, my train of thought got derailed there for a moment. Where I meant to go was to talk about Mary and Joseph and the Christmas story. It's fun leading these bible studies because most of those who attend are young believers or they're still trying to figure out this whole Christianity idea. For several of them this is the first time they've ever opened a Bible, so everything they're reading is new and (sometimes) pretty confusing. I've been around the church and the Bible for so long that I can approach all of this with a "same 'ol same 'ol" attitude, and in the process I miss the wonder of reading the very words of God written for us - words that have the power to change us and heal our hearts. So as we've been reading through the various Gospel accounts of Jesus' birth, several things have grabbed our attention. For instance, when Gabriel appeared to Mary, Joseph and Zacharias (Elizabeth's husband and Mary's Uncle) one of the first things he said was, "Do not be afraid". Why? while I'm sure that it must have been terrifying to have an angel suddenly show up in your room, I believe there's more to it than that. Throughout the bible God says over and over and over, "Don't be afraid." I think fear is probably Satan's most effective weapon against Christians. Fear, worry, and anxiety can so overwhelm us that for all intents and purposes any influence we might have in our society is eliminated. Joyful, peaceful, restful, thankful Christians are so rare that anyone on the outside would look at the church and wonder what possible benefit they would gain from becoming an insider. All the same worries and problems, and more rules on top of that. Yeuk.

When Gabriel told Mary and Joseph that she would become pregnant by the power of God, they both had to realize the obvious implications of her pregnancy, and what everyone else in the village would be thinking - "Oh, so God got her pregnant? Right. That happens all the time!" They knew they would be rejected, misjudged, and possibly run out of the village - or even worse. So Gabriel starts by telling both of them not to be afraid, because God is in the middle of this whole bizarre situation. And to their credit, both Mary and Joseph (who were only in their teens in all likelihood) responded by saying, "OK God." That's why God chose them, because He knew they had child-like faith that would carry them through the turmoil and distress of the coming months and years. That's the kind of faith I want - to be able to rest in God's peace, knowing that I am never forgotten and never alone. Peaceful. Restful. Thankful. Our lives are full of unknowns right now, so I'm encouraged by the example of Mary and Joseph to hold on to what I know to be true about God.

2013-12-17T07:35:00.001-07:00

A parade truly Bailey-style

Last Saturday evening we co-hosted (with Chip and the Cutthroat Cafe) this year's annual "Drive-By Christmas Light Parade". I once asked Chip why he calls it that, and he replied, "Cause that's about it... we just drive by!" You never know who's going to show up to be in the parade, and we had to postpone it one week due to the absolutely frigid temperatures last weekend (well below freezing). This time around we had Logan's trailer stacked with hay bales for the hay ride, a vintage fire truck to lead the parade, another fire truck with lights flashing, two horses decked out with electric lights, my truck strung with intermittent Christmas lights (more on that in a moment), and two Park County deputies to block the highway as the enormous parade crossed on our way down and back. We had a few people who gathered at the country store to wave us off, and I think one or two who peeked out of their curtains as the procession passed by on our way down county road 64. We'll have to work on getting our fellow Bailiens (Bailyites? ) more involved in this momentous event next year.

Anyway, I decided to decorate my truck this time year, and borrowed a voltage inverter to run the lights (you plug it into the cigarette lighter). I wish I had a picture of the finished product, but I was too busy trying to get the whole thing to work for more than 60 seconds to snap a photo. Don Morrison and I spent at least two hours duck-taping the strings of lights all over the truck, plus we had a metal "sculpture" screwed down in the back with string lights in the shape (loosely) of snowflakes. We were going to stand one of our wooden sasquatch cutouts wearing a Santa hat in the bed of the truck, but when the wind kicked up I thought it wiser to keep him on terra-ferma. (I could just imagine sasquatch flying through the air and killing someone on the side of the road - it would be the first confirmed death by sasquatch). We managed to get all the lights working by 4 in the afternoon, although we blew at least 4 or 5 fuses in the truck in the process. When "showtime" arrived, I started the truck, turned on the lights, and promptly blew another fuse. Then another. Then another. I was ready to give up and park the truck, since I was holding up the parade while I tried in vain to bring some Christmas cheer. Then one of the firemen said that he had an inverter in his car, and if I had a really long extension cord we could run my lights from his vehicle. What a great idea! So we ran the cord out of his window and up to the bed of my truck, and the whole thing worked like a charm... for about 3 minutes. After that the lights would come on, then go off, then on again. Only in Bailey could you have two vehicles connected by an extension cord driving in the Christmas Light Parade.

After the parade we all gathered in the store for coffee and hot chocolate and for the giving of the coveted Green-Bean-Can trophy. It's actually about ten different cans - all unopened mind you - of vegetables, marshmallow cream, and whatever else all glued together. Whoever wins the trophy is supposed to add something else to the "structure", which is now about 4 feet high and weighs a good 25 pounds. It was great fun.
__________________________________________

One last thing: this coming Thursday morning, the Bailey Country Store and Sasquatch Outpost will be featured on Denver's 9 News! They were up here a couple of weeks ago during the power outage, and they ended up broadcasting from the Cutthroat Cafe all morning. The reporter and her cameraman stopped by the store for a snack on their way back to town (when she walked in wearing black tights and a fur coat, I had an inkling she wasn't a local) and she was so enthralled by the whole Sasquatch theme that she wants to come back and do a story on us (since, as she put it, Christmas is the "season for believing"). We're not sure what to expect, but we're excited about the publicity this could give our store. Stay tuned for more!

Creepy Dummys

2013-12-11T06:38:00.001-07:00

Last night I decided to take care of an issue that I'd been avoiding for a long time: I bought a roll of 9 inch thick insulation to attach in between the floor joists under the store floor. I've been avoiding it because 1 Its butt cold under this old building and 2 I hate working with fiberglass insulation because it gets all over you, makes you itch and sends you into coughing fits if you don't wear a mask and 3 I hate wearing masks and 4 its really, really creepy down under the floor. We'd already closed the store, so it was just me down below with my thoughts... and its interesting what kinds of thoughts one has while climbing around in the dirt underneath a 130 year old building. "I wonder if there's a body down here that someone dumped 100 years ago? Or what about giant rats, or brown recluse spiders?". Needless to say, I got the job done in record time. Some jobs are better left for the daytime, especially if you're afraid of the dark as I am. Yes, I'm 51 years old and I still hate the dark. I attribute this lifetime phobia and dysfunction to my older siblings, who used to lock my younger brother John and I in various rooms in the house, in the dark of course. I vividly remember banging on the door and yelling, all the while imagining the monsters and ghouls crawling up behind us, ready to snatch us under the bed forever. At the last possible second when the trio of torture would open the door and save our lives as we came tumbling out of the room. It wasn't all our imagination either. My older brother had one of those dummys that you could make talk, move its head, and make the eyes open and close. It was totally creepy. One day John and I were rummaging through my parents closet and we found that dummy on the upper shelf. We looked at it and played around with it for a few minutes and put it back. When we went back to get it a few days or weeks later, it wasn't there. It had MOVED, BY ITSELF! All our fears were confirmed... the dummy was ALIVE! So when older brother and chief torturer Bill would shut us in that room, we just KNEW that the dummy was crawling out of whatever hiding place it had found and was dragging itself across the room to attack us.
Of course, I'm not afraid of the dummy anymore. My fears are much more rational, like finding a 100 year old corpse half buried under the country store.

Just too creepy

Bitter Cold

2013-12-07T08:34:00.001-07:00

We've experienced record-setting cold temperatures for the past few days, with the mercury falling to minus 20 or lower. A couple of days ago we had 10-12 inches of snow as well, but it was the bitter, bitter cold that was the hardest to take. I was out plowing from 4am until 8pm. A very long day. The power went out at 1:40 that morning and stayed out for four hours (something to do with a line or a pole that snapped in the -25 cold). In that short span of time pipes froze all over Bailey and many were without drinking water or showers for one or two days.

Things are slow in the country store, probably a reflection of the weather more than anything. On the morning of the power outage, channel 9 news from Denver sent a team up to the mountains to find a good story and they ended up at the Cutthroat Cafe next door. I didn't see the broadcast, but they stayed at the cafe all morning and would cut out to the news, then back to the cafe again. We've got some colorful characters up here and I think they interviewed every one of them - tatoos, cowboy hats and all. Later on the woman presenter stopped in to the store to buy a snack for the drive back to Denver. I knew- through my keen powers of observation - that she wasn't local. Course, the tights and fur coat were a dead giveaway. She was immediately enthralled with the store and the whole Sasquatch theme, and she wants to come back up and do a story on us before Christmas... since this is the season of "believing". Believing... in Sasquatch? Hey, maybe we should start a new religion called Squatchism ("I'm a Squatchist; what are you?"), and I could be the Right Reverend Jim "Squatch" Myers! Hmmm... maybe not. Anyway, I hope it works out cause it would be great advertising for the store. Speaking of Sasquatch, I'm thinking of asking one of the local micro breweries if they would make a special batch of just for us that I would call "You Don't Know Squatch" beer. I think it would be a huge hit! I've already bought the domain name - youdontknowsquatch.com Yes, I'm serious. I know a great idea when I hear one.

On to more serious matters: Today is the SEC CHAMPIONSHIP game between Auburn and Missouri, and Auburn is a 2 point favorite. 2 points?? Never heard of a spread that small. Two days ago it was 1.5 points, so I guess the bookies suddenly gained .5 points worth of confidence in Auburn. Who knows? By this afternoon it could be all the way up to 2.25 points. Anyway, today is also the annual Conifer Christmas parade that starts around the same time as the game, so I may end up watching the game with me, myself and I.

2013-12-01T08:08:00.000-07:00

The headlines of the Birmingham News newspaper this morning:

WAR DAMN MIRACLE!

Yes, Auburn did it again: a last second, totally impossible, game of the century win - this time over arch rival #1 Alabama. I was watching the game with friends and family, along with at least 300 screaming Auburn fans, at the pub where the Rocky Mountain Auburn Club meets. Below is a video of the bedlam that followed the 109 yard touchdown return of Bama's missed field goal attempt with 1 second left on the clock, an event - I might add - that has only happened three others times in all of college football history. Two weeks ago was the "Immaculate Deflection" where Auburn beat Georgia with what was - until last night - considered to be one of the most improbable endings in college football. Yesterday's Iron Bowl will now go down in history as not only the greatest Iron Bowl ever, but one of the most incredible college games of this decade, if not ever in the sport. The crowd of 90,000 stormed the field for the world's largest block party as the Alabama team and coaches slunk out of the stadium in defeat. It's on to the SEC Championship game against Missouri next week and then... the BCS National Championship??? With this incredible, most amazing comeback season in Auburn's history, who can predict how this will all end? All I know is this: IT'S GREAT TO BE AN AUBURN TIGER!

Back in the Saddle

2013-11-30T08:17:00.002-07:00

Yes, I know, it's been ages since my last blog entry. I don't have an excuse... and come to think of it, I don't really need one.
But before I get into my runaway train of thought - first things first: Today is the annual Iron Bowl game between Auburn and that other team across the state. We are playing in AUBURN, and we are playing for the highest stakes ever in the history of arguably the greatest rivalry in all of college football: to clinch the SEC West championship, then play for the SEC championship and possibly the National Championship. Auburn came roaring out of nowhere this year, just like we did in 2010, and now we're knocking on the door to kick Alabama OUT of the race and ruin their chances for another national title. It doesn't get any sweeter than this folks. The stars have aligned to bring us to this momentous day. To all my dear Bama friends: we're gonna run smash-mouth football all over you today and there ain't nothing you can do about it. Prediction: Auburn 28, Bama 24. Thus sayeth the Lord. I'm going down to Denver to the Irish Snug pub to watch the game with my sister Cathi, her husband Gary and my fellow Auburn grad nephew Nate... and about 300 insane fans from the Rocky Mountain Auburn Club. WAR EAGLE!!

PS: sure hope I won't be eating crow pie this evening!

OK, where was I? Oh yeah - Since I last wrote, we made a decision to leave the staff of the Journey Church and Daphne and I have taken over the lease of the Bailey Country Store and Sasquatch Outpost. I could write volumes on all that transpired to bring us to that decision, but suffice it to say that it was the right move and we're grateful that God has given us a ministry in the lives of Bailey folks through this awesome little grocery store and mercantile. Much more to write on that later.

Praise God that we closed on our house in Conifer three days ago (We had the house on the market since the beginning of August), and we're now (sort of) comfortably installed in the apartment above the country store. We could no longer afford the mortgage on our five bedroom home, and I'm GREATLY relieved that we can take our time to find a smaller home. The store is doing well and paying its own bills - but not much beyond that. The folks in Bailey are slowly but surely getting the idea that the store is open and that we're a lot closer to drive to than Conifer if they just need a few groceries. We're now getting calls every day like, "Do you have any vanilla?", or "Do you carry that stuff to hold your dentures in?". Because it was closed for four years it will take time for the locals to realize that it's back in business again. Since the store won't earn enough for a long time to come to actually support us, I've gotten back into the snow plow business, and I'm trying to ramp up my Storm Guides consulting business. I Just added Denver Seminary as a new client, and I'm very excited about that. AND, God has provided a job for Daphne doing part-time data entry, which will really help our bottom line in the short term. So we just keep pressing on, taking it one day at a time. I had a funny thought the other day: all the years we were overseas as full-time missionaries we thought we were living by faith. But we really didn't even begin to learn what that means until we moved back to the States and we're now having to trust God to provide for our needs literally day by day. I never imagined that was one of the life lessons that He brought us back here to learn!

And now, just to brighten your day and for no other particular reason, I took a bunch of pictures with my computer this morning using the various special effects with the Photo Booth App. Enjoy:)

Cuckoo! Cuckoo!

Chipmunk

Blockhead

Alien among us

Bug Eyes

????

There's a little frog in all of us

A very different kind of hike

2013-08-19T07:05:00.001-06:00

Last Monday I went on an unusual hike with my friend Chip who owns the restaurant next to the Country Store. I'd heard the story of a B-24 bomber that crashed on Mt Logan in September 1943, apparently on a training mission from Lowry Field in Denver. Since there was no such thing as a flight data recorder back then, one can only guess as to what happened. Witnesses said two of the planes four engines were on fire as it came down. The pilot managed to arrest the downward spiral for a moment, then plunged straight into the mountainside. The top gunner managed to bailout and drifted into a wooded area 10 miles away. The remaining 11 men went down with the plane. Chip and I climbed up near the tree line, but couldn't find the wreck. I had enough cell signal to call a friend, who called another friend and got the lattitude and longitude of the wreck. I then downloaded an app where I could input the coordinates, and in about 2 minutes I had a graphic image on my phone of our location related to the wreck site. We were probably 300 yards from the spot, and we managed to climb down to the wreck in about 30 minutes. Chip (who's a flip-phone hold-out) was so amazed that I could find the wreck just using my iphone that he became a "convert" and decided to buy one himself. All told, It took us over 4 hours to reach the plane and it was a pretty intense climb at times. Duke was with us and he kind of freaked out when we had to cross three boulder fields. Although he has four legs to my two, he can't grab with his hands. Chip and I had to lift him across several large gaps between the bigger boulders. When we reached the wreck, both Chip and I were stunned by both the amount and spread of the wreckage. Apparently, once the bodies had been recovered the army blew the plane up to prevent someone from stealing any technology (seems like a joke now, but I suppose the planes were technically advanced for their time). We combed the wreckage for over an hour. I can't speak for Chip, but walking around all those twisted pieces of metal was a surreal experience for me, knowing that 11 men died on that spot almost exactly 70 years ago. We left when the thunder started rumbling in the distance, but it was a FASCINATING day spent with a good friend. Life is great.

The Evolution of a Dream Part 2

2013-06-26T15:44:00.002-06:00

This is part two in the story of how the Bailey Country Store and Sasquatch Outpost came to be.

We had to move all the old fridges & freezers out of the store,
some of which dated back to the 50's.

"They don't make 'em like they used to!". These machines were made of steel - I think we
took four of them down to the metal recycling place and they weighed 3000 lbs plus!

One day our new friend Dan - who called himself an atheist - pulled up in front of the
store with a trailer and donated every power tool he owned to the church. He'd decided
to move to Texas and felt "impressed' to give us his tools. We rebuilt the whole store through
his generosity. He's not an atheist anymore.

RED TAG DAY

September 5th, 2012. I was planning out our next steps for the store when a fellow walked in and in a very gruff manner asked me what were were doing. Without really waiting for an answer, he declared that we were remodeling without a permit and

cited us for being in violation. As he attached the red tag to the door he made it very clear that "No Work" was to be done until we applied for and received our remodel permit. This would prove to be a very frustrating, two-month process. The county building inspector became my ever-present nemesis. It seemed like he showed up every second day due to some complaint from our neighbors. One time a deputy Sheriff showed up and told me that the complaint they'd received was that we were "blowing asbestos" out of the building (??) How exactly does one do that? We got to the point where the rumors and gossip going on about us and the new store were really amazing! I got tired of all the whining, so I made a couple of signs that I put in the window: "We're doing Asbestos we can to get back to work!" and "Free Asbestos; inquire within". I thought it was hilarious, but the next thing I knew an agent from the State Health Department in Denver was at the store, looking through the windows. He called me and declared that we had a "probable Asbestos spill" and that no one should be in the building. I asked him if it took special training to identify Asbestos by looking through a window. He didn't think it was funny.
All that's behind us now.

The Evolution of a Dream Part 1

2013-06-21T07:02:00.003-06:00

Last Saturday was a very big day for Daphne and I and for our whole church. Not only was it Bailey Day - the main festival of the year for the town of Bailey (and my first attempt at organizing the entire event), but we officially opened the doors of the newly renovated Bailey Country Store for the first time. Nine long months of hard work, sweat, frustration, delays, financial shortfalls, amazing partnerships, generous donors -- and we're finally here. The Bailey Country Store and Sasquatch Outpost are officially and legally open! But I'm getting ahead of myself; there's an amazing story to be told here, and I want to tell it with pictures.

August 2012

When Michael (our Senior Pastor) first proposed the idea that we lease this old country store, I thought he was insane. The paint was peeling off the walls, half the lettering gone - it was in truly horrible shape. Vacant for four years, time and the weather had taken their toll.

The state of the inside of the store was - if this is possible - even worse than the outside! The floor was uneven and rotten, most of the old fridges and freezers didn't work anymore and

it was full of accumulated junk from countless owners. The building itself is over 130 years old... and it looked every bit of it!

This is how the old shelves looked when we took over the lease. The former owner was known for his meat - and that is virtually the only question people asked us when we started working on the building, "Are you going to sell the Tri-tip roast?" Seems no one really cared about the groceries, just the meat!

This is how the back room looked - bare concrete walls, concrete floor. The plywood square in the corner covered a 12 foot deep cistern... probably the original well. The transformation in this room is probably the most dramatic of all... but I'll save that for Part 2 or 3 :)