Soccer Dad

Trey and Kassady are playing soccer again this fall. Trey has been begging to play football, but due to the fact that he's actually really good at soccer and had the chance to stay with the same teammates for a third season, I kind of manipulated him into deciding to stick with soccer one more year. He thinks it was his decision. Yeah, I know...awful parent. Get over it! He did tell me last week that he's enjoying soccer but he's definitely playing football next fall. So, there we go. He's the horse on his team. A scoring machine. They lost the first game of the season, but have pretty much dominated since then. Kassady is having fun in her league, though I've noticed her enjoyment comes in knocking boys to the ground. She's my little bundle of dynamite. DO NOT CROSS HER!!! That aggressive personality that never surfaced on the playing field last year has emerged in full force. Actually, she's just one of the boys. They love her. I'm blessed...2 great kids who enjoy sports!

Also, our stunning Canon digital camera is currently being repaired...for the second time. Hence, the lack of pictures. I thought about drawing something, but decided against it. I'm only good at profiles...Picasso-style.

Peace, peace, fina-a-a-ncial peace...

Lori and I have enrolled in Financial Peace University with professor and financial guru Dave Ramsey. I've been a fan of his books and radio show for the last couple of years, and in fact used his "Total Money Makeover" to help get our finances in order. It's a fantastic program, but, I'm telling you FPU takes this to a whole new level. First of all, Dave is a fantastic communicator who keeps the class moving. When you couple that with the fact that he's offering practical solutions that you can use NOW, it creates a passion for doing the right thing. Thanks to Marc and Talisha for offering the class at their home. Marc is the FPU moderator at Boise First and they have been using the program for 2-3 years themselves, so being able to hear how God has used the program in their lives is pretty awesome. Being able to share openly and candidly with friends about the realities of who and where you are is huge. I've found out that if there's one area that people tend to gloss over and try to paint this bright and rosy picture, it's finances. Our egos must be tied to our money. Admitting that we don't have it all together when it comes to money apparently makes us feel like losers, so we fake our way through life, no plan, nothing concrete, continually losing the financial battle just because we can't be honest that we have a problem. I've made up my mind I'm not going to live my life like that. Lori and I have credit card debt that is going to be gone (GONE!) by the end of next year. The facade is crumbling, the charades game is over. If that's where you are, get over your pride and put a plan together. I do highly recommend Financial Peace University. Instead of working with a icepick to knock down this mountain of debt, they give you tools, a jackhammer if you will, to get the job done. Have any of you guys gone through the program? What was your impression? How did it help you?

Ironically, Pastor Dave just started a series on money "Financial Peace for Troubled Times" at Grace. He had told me several months ago to start working on some promo material for the October series, but he had no clue about the financial crisis that would perfect set up the series. You'll have to listen in as they upload the sermons (not quite sure why Sunday's sermon isn't on there). Dynamic material!

Redeeming the Time

We have made the decision at the Waggoner household to get rid of TV (read: cable). It's not that we've had trouble controlling what we're watching, it actually comes down to a growing realization that we waste way too much time watching TV. Many times we watch good (even great) programming. I mean, really, what beats ESPN Gameday or The O'Reilly Factor? But, getting back to my earlier point about zeroing in on what's best as opposed to what is simply good, I'm convinced that this is the direction that my family needs to go for the present time. Does that mean that I will never get cable again? No. I'm just doing what's best for our family right now. And, besides, I'm having trouble justifying paying for cable when we only watch about 11 channels. So, we'll see what happens. I survived without watching TV as a kid and I'm pretty sure my kids will make it, too. I am going to miss Fox News, though.

Lately, I've been reading quite a bit. Here are my current reads:


Ghost: Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent is the memoir of Fred Burton, one of the founding agents of the Counterterrorism Division of the Diplomatic Security Service (an arm of the Department of State). This is a fascinating look into the dark world of terrorism and the personal sacrifices of the men and women who do their best to keep it from striking our country. Burton was part of some of the biggest terrorism investigations during the 1980s and early 90s. I had no clue how close we were to a nuclear meltdown after the Pakistani President Zia was assassinated. Great reading!


I have enjoyed getting acquainted with John Ortberg through his books. Ortberg, who pastors Menlo Park Presbyterian (one of Liberty Quartet's favorite California stops thanks to Senior Adult's Pastor Frank VanderZwan), has an engaging writing style that makes that reader feel as though the two are having a personal conversation. Full of personal anecdotes, many humorous, When the Game Is Over It All Goes Back in the Box drives home the point that the "stuff of earth" falls short of the importance of that which is eternal. When your life is over, what will have counted most? Ortberg proposes that the object of life (as Jesus said) is "to be rich toward God". At the end of our lives the only thing left is love. "Every human being you see if cleverly disguised receptacle of eternity. You can take the love with you." Another interesting contrast is God's scorekeeping (Phil. 2:5-7) vs. ours (comparing, competing, and climbing). I'm still reading the book, so I'm sure there's quite a bit yet to discover.


This is a great book for anyone who interacts with a customer, whether it be in business or ministry. In our increasingly connected world of blogs, websites, and mass email, the consumer now holds an unprecedented power over the perception of a business or church. Full of case studies and helpful critique and advice, this book will heighten our awareness of interacting in today's Internet-driven age. When a problem arises, there's only one way to respond: "by creating 100% credibility with consumers on every front". The six credibility drivers proposed by Blackshaw are trust, authenticity, transparency, active listening, responsiveness, and positive affirmation. Fantastic book!

OK, you're up-to-date with my life for now. Now, off to a Liberty concert.

Nose hairs and blogging

During the last few days/weeks, thinking about blogging has been as painful as pulling out nose hairs. How's that for a hook? No, seriously. I have found myself increasingly consumed with good things to do. I probably should look at evaluating what things are good and what things are best (so advises Will Mancini in one of my favorite books Church Unique. You can waste some serious time in doing good things, while not giving the best things the time and energy they deserve. So, I've been trying to figure out if blogging is one of those best things. I've come to the conclusion that it's worthwhile, if for nothing else than giving me space to vent, praise, feature, and link my various passions and happenings. So, perhaps I'm a little self-indulgent, but so be it. Isn't that the point of a personal blog, anyway? It also keeps me writing creatively...well, most of the time anyway.

So, I've decided to quit pulling out the nose hairs by hand and switch over to one of those little trimmers that have become an increasingly important part of my daily routine. Which, when plugged into my shabby little analogy, means I'll be blogging on.

Thanks for reading.

Couric Mocking Palin

Nothing like objective journalism...

Amazed

This has been a whirlwind of a year for Liberty. This sounds crazy...it is crazy...but we are getting ready for the release of our eighth album in 2008. "Amazed" features brand new songs written for Liberty by Rodney Griffin, Phil Cross, Rebecca Peck, Twila LaBar, Doran Ritchey, and others. Dan and I were laughing last week about the fact that this isn't the traditional Southern Gospel album that most people expect from Liberty. Not that it's a bad thing. This has a new, fresh sound (for us, anyway) featuring a variety of styles. I'm looking forward to singing these songs in concert. My early favorites are Into the Water, Why Wouldn't I, and That's What Love Does. "Amazed" will be available Saturday at Family Fest.08.

National Quartet Convention

I am such a pathetic excuse for a blogger. I have the best intentions of updating on a regular basis and then...well, something always comes up. Anyway, more than a week after the fact, here's the inside scoop on NQC.

We got to Louisville about 1:30 AM Tuesday after a long drive in from Casper, WY. We stopped just long enough to grab some Kansas City barbeque. Incidentally, it was worth the stop. Anyway, the next morning when we woke up we were feeling a little cruddy due to our lack of bathing. So, Doran and I headed off to the RV shower facilities, which were about 1/2 a mile away. Literally. On the way back, the skies opened with a deluge of water and we got soaked to the bone. Fortunately, a security guard took pity on the two drowned rats and drove us back to the bus. By the way, I didn't know it was possible to smoke two Marlboros in the span of 200 yards while traveling approximately 30 mph. Well, Doran did it. No, I mean the security guard pulled off this amazing feat. So, by the time we stumbled onto the bus we reeked of soggy cigarettes. Nice.

After getting the booth set up, we wandered around the exhibition hall looking for freebies. For those of you familiar with this, it's a lot like IHC. You know, free candy, pens, and pads of paper. We eventually headed over to the Featured Artist Showcase to hear some new groups (to us anyway). Doran and I also spent some time at the Regional Artist Showcase. By the time the exhibition hall opened, we were stationed at our booth. Seven people came by to make our day. No, I'm just kidding. There were at least nine. We took turns going into Freedom Hall to listen to the evening performances. About 10:45 PM we checked out. We were tired and the night caught up with us.

Wednesday was our big day. We were scheduled to sing in the Artist Spotlight showcase at noon. Every morning, the showcase directors and Phil Cross meet with the artists to let them know what to expect. At that time, we also give the sound crew our soundtrack. For those uninitiated, let me explain that we use a 360 which is a machine with hot buttons that can be pressed to quickly bring up a song. Well, they only accepted CDs (which we weren't aware of). So, Doran and Dan raced out to the bus to figure out how to burn a couple of songs onto a CD. They got back in just in time and away we went.

Dan, getting his groove on, ripping "Glory Train" and "I'm His" from the 360.

Unfortunately, our showcase was was up against another concert going on in another part of the building featuring Brian Free & Assurance, the Kingdom Heirs, the Dove Brothers, among others. But, I will say that the 39 people who showed up for our showcase had a great time (including my esteemed family, Uncle Ray and Aunt Pansy McCrary). Hey, at least we weren't going up against the GVB/EHSS showcase. Anyway, our performance went very well (in fact, Scott Fowler told Doran as we were leaving that he wants Legacy Five to record "I'm His"). After we had finished, I wandered to the back of the room to listen to the other groups. While I was standing in the back, Dennis Sparks, the co-director of the regional showcases, came up and told me that he would like to put us in one of two empty slots on the main stage on Saturday night. He said that he wouldn't be able to let me know for sure until Friday, but that it was a good possibility. Well, on Friday somebody from the regional artist committee told us that they wanted to have us sing at another afternoon showcase so the entire team could hear us. They also specifically requested that we sing "I'm His". We sang, this time remembering to have a CD ready to go. To make a long story short, they offered us a slot for Saturday evening. And, that's how we were honored to sing on the main stage at NQC. Go figure! It was definitely one of those cool, surreal moments that can only be understood if you've followed Southern Gospel music all of your life. There's no doubt that God gave us that opportunity. It's pretty cool what happens when you let Him open the doors and don't try to force them open with your own strength.

See that bald dude up there? Yep, that's me. I actually started off on the other side of the stage and realized that I was singing to all of the Southern Gospel royalty. I mean all of the groups were assembled down there due to the Awards Show that followed our performance. I made sure that we eventually made it to the other side of the stage.

You can tell Bill Gaither has been to town. Look at all those little lights that everyone is holding up.

This was the first time that I had been able to be at NQC for most of the week. So, in a nutshell, here are some thoughts:

First of all, if you want to witness some great performances, head over to the regional artist showcases. Full disclosure here: Liberty did sing at the RAC on Wednesday and Saturday. But, that’s not why I showed up every afternoon for at least part of the performances. Every group or soloist who has a booth and isn’t slotted for another showcase or main stage performance is given a slot in the regional artist showcase. Most groups are given the opportunity to sing one song and you have that one chance to make your mark. Over 90% of the groups involved, travel on a part-time basis. Some of the most inspired performances of the week weren’t delivered on the main stage of Freedom Hall, but rather in the boxy confines of the South Wing Conference Center. Some of the deliveries were admittedly poor, there were pitchy notes from time to time, and some of those suits should have been left on the bus (I wish I would have had a camera, folks), but, overall, there was a sweet presence in that room each afternoon. And, I want to point out, some incredible groups that are just coming to people’s attention including Old Paths Quartet (they remind me of the 1970s-1980s Kingsmen), Father’s Daughter (a fantastic vocal group from Canada who happen to be the sweetest girls you'll ever meet anywhere), the Needhams (an energetic, big sound reminiscent of the early Greenes), McMillan & Life (featuring my good friend Josh Arnett) , among others. These are just a few that I caught throughout the week. My hat is off to the RAC crew and the other artists who make it a point to encourage and give a platform to many groups who otherwise wouldn’t have that opportunity.

Of course, I enjoyed the other showcases. Dino and Kim Collingsworth just tore it up (though, I'm thinking that they just need to give Kim her own showcase), the Crabb Family still has it, and the Gaither Vocal Band and Signature Sound concert was a hit. I was also able to slip into a few of the featured artist showcases and enjoyed hearing several groups for the first time.

Speaking of the Crabb Family Reunion, I have to give props to the band mates of Jason Crabb and Crabb Revival. They were incredible! I've heard a lot of bands live: country, Christian rock, Southern Gospel, you name it. I've never had a band wow me like the Crabb band. Doran and I spent the whole showcase grinning. Justin Ellis, the pianist for Jason Crabb, is quite possibly the best pianist I've heard live. I didn't think that was possible after hearing Gordon Mote. That kid is unreal! It was one of the week's highlights.

My personal favorite, though, was the Song of a Lifetime showcase that featured Southern Gospel's most beloved songwriters. Despite the technical glitches (of which there were way too many), the audience was able to catch a glimpse into the heart of the writer and view the journey from initial inspiration to finished masterpiece. And, I'm glad that Phil Cross (showcase emcee) didn't just feature the performer/songwriters such as Rodney Griffin and Jim Brady, but also recognized the contributions of Diane Wilkinson, Rebecca Peck, Joel Lindsay, Kyla Rowland, and others. We were able to put a face to names that have just been size 9 font in album credits. These gifted lyricists have penned many of today’s classics with little or no recognition. It was nice to hear their stories. Mom and Dad, along with Sharilyn and her friend Beth were able to come down for a couple of days of NQC. I was pretty sure Dad was going to take off shouting when the Greenes sang "There's a Miracle in Me". WOW! The tears were flowin'.

Anyway, I could go on for quite awhile so let me tie it up neatly with some pithy observations:

• The north wing exhibition hall oddly resembles a flea market during NQC week. Do people really go to NQC to buy gaudy clothes or jewelry? It's almost embarrassing.
• The Booth Brothers need at least 10 more booth spaces to accommodate all of the fans who are trying to buy product. Seriously.
• It was good move to have the Gaither Vocal Band back at the convention. Freedom Hall was almost packed on Friday night.
• Les Beasley is still one of the funniest guys you’ll run into at the convention. He reminds me of Walter Matthau. Actually, he and Claude Hopper together remind me of the Odd Couple. Everyone needs to be privileged to talk to both of them at the same time. They're like a married couple.
• I would not want to run sound in Freedom Hall. Props go to Greg Shockley for providing us with a great monitor mix on the stage.
• As I've already noted, NQC really reminds me of IHC. The only thing missing is Bro. Sankey saying "if we could please shut down the booths and make our way into the service..."
  
• The fried biscuit with apple butter sold in the north wing is quite possible the most delicious concoction I have ever tasted. Fortunately, NQC only lasts for a week or I’d be riding around the exhibition hall in one of those oversized go-carts with baskets in the front.
• Speaking of which, there are many SG fans who could stand to walk away from the buffet.
• Wear dress shoes with rubber soles if you’re going to be walking around a lot. Those concrete floors will kill your feet!
• Michael Booth doesn’t even know what he’s going to say next.

All in all, a great week! We'll see what happens next year.

Women Pastors

I came across this interesting article today. What's your take?

Liberty at NQC

I've got a lot of pictures to post from our 12-day trip back east, but in the meantime you'll have to settle for this. After singing in two showcases at National Quartet Convention, we were honored to be asked to sing on the main stage prior to the Singing News Fan Awards on Saturday evening. Thanks to Daniel Mount for capturing this video of Liberty.

Need a Laugh?

Thanks to Dave and Julia I have been re-introduced to Tim Hawkins, a Christian comedian. I say re-introduced because I saw some of his early material way back in the day. He's very funny, though. So, enjoy the two videos. I know I did.



Corporate Worship (literally)



A Parent's Prayer

Kids and Composing

Tonight, Trey and Kassady decided to begin their foray into songwriting. Here are the results:

Let's Go Over the World

by Kassady Waggoner

The stars shine in the sky
I wanna go over the world
To see my friends
If I could go over the world to see the trees
Then I can go on an adventure
With all my friends and even you
On an adventure
So, if you wanna come
I can do it by myself
On a day if I could shine in the sky
And I could see a rainbow
So if you wanna come
Let's go over the world

I can almost hear her song on a Top 40 station. And next we have Trey's masterpiece:

I'm a Basketball Player

by Trey Waggoner

I'm a basketball player
I'm a basketball player
I can dribble, I can rebound
I can shoot, I can steal
I can be aggressive on the field
Maybe it's a court
But don't be a dork
If you mess with Trey
Then you're gonna pay
If you mess with me, the Dad
You are bad
I'm a basketball player
Maybe an All-Star
Who knows
I'm an All-Star basketball player

The results are in

It's a boy! The balance of power has shifted to the men after 4 years of stalemate.

****NEWS FLASH****

You've probably heard the saying that "the first shall be last." Well, I'm here to tell you that "the third shall be last". We're expecting our third child in February.

If it's a boy, I'm not sure what we'll call him. If it's a girl I'm leaning toward Lori, Jr. We'll just call her Junior. I haven't broached the subject with Lori yet. For some reason my name ideas are always shot down rather quickly. Anyway, there you have it. The latest news from the Waggoner front (literally, in the case of Lori).

The Call

I've been fascinated with the hows, whys, and wherefores concerning God's call for quite some time now. This is often a confusing and sometimes frustrating topic to sincere Christians. God's clear direction and calling in my life have helped me retain focus in confusing times. Have I ever doubted His calling in my life? Yes, but at the end of the day I've always been able to go back to a specific time and place where he called me to ministry. I can also point to a specific point in time where God clearly reconfirmed my call to ministry. However, I know that God calls individuals uniquely, and calls them into many different areas of life.

So, I'm embarking on a study of God's calling as represented in Scripture. I want to study the means by which he called, the emphasis of the call, and the end result of the call.

At the same time, I want to compile case studies of friends and colleagues who have been led by God to a certain occupation or ministry. If you would be willing to share your unique experience in hearing, answering, and following the call of God please email it to waggoner_keith@hotmail.com. I know that we're all busy, but your willingness to help me in my quest would be greatly appreciated. Let me emphasize that this is for God's call to any profession. I truly believe that God calls His people to be involved in many different areas of life.

I'd like to hear your story. It can be as short or as long as you want it to be. Answer this question: Is the call still relevant today? While I don't currently have any intention on publishing this, I am going to be chronicling my research and would be open to sharing it with anyone who is interested. If you want your story to remain anonymous, I'll be sure to honor your request.

Thanks for your response.

Another Kassady Candid Comment

Kassady's latest came as she was chowing down on McNuggets at MickeyDs yesterday. She was sitting between Trey and me at a long table with barstools, when she complained loudly: "Great! I'm boytrapped!"

I hope she maintains that attitude of disgust 'til, oh I don't know, 19 or so. I'll definitely be able to save on ammunition.

Lagoon

Nothing beats a family vacation! We just got back from our first vacation that didn't include going back to visit family (not that that isn't fun or anything). Lori and I took the kids to Lagoon, a theme park near Salt Lake City, UT for a fun getaway. Marc and Talisha Taylor, along with Emme and Addison, went too. What a blast! I was coming in from a Wyoming trip, so I met everyone in Pocatello, ID early Monday morning at the hotel and we took off. Fortunately, Talisha was along with us to give us directions ("if you just follow these mountains you'll eventually get to Lagoon") and weather reports ("you can tell that there's a cold front moving in; see the temperature's even dropped since I said that"). In spite of her efforts to derail the excellent navigational skills that Marc and I are inherently blessed with we finally arrived at our destination.

Fortunately, Talisha brought her camera along. I pulled out our digital camera and the shutter was messed up. I love Canon cameras, but we've had more trouble with this new one. I don't know what the deal is. Fortunately I purchased the warranty this time. Anyway, Talisha was kind enough to forward these pictures to me. However, I did notice that she left out several shots that could cause her potential embarrassment.

The kids, never having been to Lagoon, were sufficiently impressed with the Holiday Inn facilities on Sunday night and Monday morning that they entertained the notion of just staying there for vacation. Holiday Inn did have a nice pool and great props for indoor forts.

The kids loved the bumper cars. This picture was taken shortly before Addison attempted to bail. He experienced great frustration over the fact that his car just spun around in circles. He couldn't quite figure out the steering part. Kassady put some gargantuan hits on her adversaries. She drove with a maniacal gleam in her eye, cackling evilly every time she broad-sided someone. Unfortunately, we didn't get her in this shot.

Kassady's favorite ride was the helicoptors. She pulled the bar all the way back and soared into the sky.

Trey was pretty sure that he could handle all of the roller coasters at Lagoon...that was, until he rode the Wild Mouse. He was not impressed at all. He looked very pale after clambering out of the ride. Which I can understand. That crazy ride jerks you all over the place, many times giving you the impression that you're going to go over the edge. He said that it tickled his stomach and made it feel like "things were jumping in there". He wasn't convinced by my argument that this is what makes roller coasters so fun. I finally cajoled him into joining me on the classic wooden roller coaster, which he loved.

Marc and I rode a few rides by ourselves, rides that our wives refused to accompany us on. This is one of my favorites: the Rocket. They have two sides to the ride, "Blast-Off" and "Re-entry". We rode the "Re-entry". They take you way up and then drop you. Marc thought he had it figured out when we would drop, so he did his countdown. He didn't have it calculated right. He screamed like a little girl all the way down.

We also rode the new roller coaster at Lagoon called "Wicked". It features a hill that goes straight up 110 feat. And I mean straight up. It's a 180 degree climb and then a 180 degree drop. No obtuse angles here. It's breath-taking. It was worth waiting an hour for.

Another fun ride was the "Cliffhanger". You sit on a long platform which then rotates, spinning you upside down, forward and backward. All the while water is being shot up at you. I forgot to take my glasses off, so I wrinkled my nose and squinted my eyes hoping that my skin would bunch on either side of the nose piece, thus ensuring that they wouldn't slip. It worked, even though I looked like I had some sort of facial tic.

This roller coaster was more the kids' speed. Look at Addison's face (third from right; sitting by Trey). Kassady really liked this one, too.

It's very difficult to watch your head. Really.

The happy family after a long, fun day at Lagoon. This is going to be a yearly event. At least, I hope so.

We took it easy coming back. We stopped in Twin Falls, ID and had a photo op at the Snake River Canyon. For you Evil Knievel fans out there, his unsuccessful attempt to jump the canyon happened just to the left of us.

As we were waiting for the kids to finish yet another ride, it occurred to me that I have morphed from a 23-year-old thrill junkie to a rather sedate Dad who gets just as much enjoyment out of watching his children have fun. I like it.

Open up the archives

OK, it's hard to believe that Trey was this little. Kevin Moser took what has to be my favorite picture of the two of us together at a GBS spring picnic in 2003.

Side note: I just threw away the shoes I'm wearing in this picture. They lasted 6 years. It was a sentimental moment. Listen, if you want to buy shoes that last go with Nike.

Great Kids

Last night, Kassady clambered onto the bed with an armful of books, as is her evening custom. She didn't get too far, though. Reading is tough work!

Trey has been having a tough time lately. I've tried to influence his priorities for the good as he has matured. More than anything I want him to be a passionate Christian. A little lower down the priority list has to be a loyalty to the Cincinnati Reds. He's doing great in this area (thank the Lord he hasn't backslidden and become one of those evil St. Louis Cardinals fans), but he can't figure out why in the world the Reds would trade Ken Griffey, Jr. and Adam Dunn, his two favorite players. Since he saw them play a few weeks ago they've unloaded both of these guys. He now says his "next-favorite teams" are the White Sox and Diamondbacks. Here he poses with his Adam Dunn bobblehead he got at the game.

Concert in the Courtyard

Wednesday, Liberty sang at Valley Shepherd Church of the Nazarene in Meridian, ID. Paul Ellis, former tenor, for Liberty is the Worship & Arts Pastor at the church. They have a monthly music series called "Concert in the Courtyard". It was one of those fun, relaxed outdoor concerts. A lot of our friends showed up for the concert. It was good to see my former college pastor, Edsel Trouten, at the concert. He's on my favorite persons list, for sure. He has had a great impact on my life and ministry. It was a fantastic night! Here are just a couple of entertaining pictures (thanks to Dee Sienknecht):

Paul joined us on "God Bless the USA". The boy can still bring it! That was a lot of fun. I'm still trying to figure out what's going on with Dan's shirt. Either he's put on a lot more weight or he caught a sudden low breeze. Nice! Also, Doran has started grabbing his belt buckle to hit those high notes. As you can see, he's supporting the note quite well.

Yeah, we're still doing Doran's favorite song. "Gospel Plow" has kind of taken on a life of its own. Really, there are no words to explain what's going on here. So...there I leave it.

Waterlogged

We had a fun-filled trip last weekend. The wonderful folks we sang to in California and Nevada enjoyed some of the new music Liberty debuted. I do have to tell you about one of those funny incidents that just seem to happen naturally to our quartet. We got to Lake Almanor, CA early in the day on Saturday. It's not too far from Gerber, CA, where we had been the night before. Doran had called one of our good friends, Dan Foos, and asked if there was any chance of getting out on the lake in one of his boats. Dan is a fantastic singer who occasionally sings a few songs with us when we're in the area. Well, he graciously agreed to take us out and we set off around noon. It was an absolutely gorgeous day. The temperature was between 80 and 85 degrees, blue skies, and bright sun. We headed off across the lake to Prattville, a trip of a few miles, where we had a delicious lunch at a RV camp cafe. After lunch, Dan took us around the lake showing us the sights. As you can see from the picture, it's beautiful.

While we were drifting around, just enjoying the weather and conversation, Dan's wife called and told him that the wind was starting to blow and the water was getting rough on their side of the lake. Well, he decided we had better head back to shore. On the trip back we started to hit a few waves and it was throwing a little water into the boat. Doran had been sitting up front, but wasn't a big fan of getting soaked so he came back to where I was sitting in the boat. These guys with hair are wimps! So concerned about what might happen to their "look". I enjoyed the spray so I went up to the front of the boat, the splash section if you will. Before too long, we started to rock and roll. Let me provide you with some context before I go on. Dan Gilbert was in the Coast Guard for four years; he's an excellent swimmer. In fact, he has fins for feet. Royce is a pretty good swimmer. He's no Michael Phelps, but he can stay above water. I'm a mediocre to poor swimmer. I'm pretty sure I could save myself if for some reason I found myself in water a little ways from shore (I mean, after all, I learned in Gordie Howe's pool; remember those days?). Well, maybe that's a little ambitious . Doran can't swim to save his life. That's no exaggeration. So, here we are in the boat heading into what are becoming good-sized waves. As we're about half a mile away from the dock, the boat suddenly dipped into the water and a huge wave just came crashing over the front of the boat. Royce and I were in the front and were instantly drenched. It partially tore off the front panel of the boat. Royce decided he was going to play Bob Vila and bent down to make the repair. As Royce leaned down to try to push back the panel, we got hammered with another massive wave. By this time, there are several inches of water in the boat and it's beginning to seriously lean to the side (this is a large boat, mind you; not some little rowboat). Dan Gilbert yelled for me to grab some life jackets, and I started throwing them back to the guys. When I heard Dan asking for a life jacket, I knew it was pretty bad. However, I didn't have enough sense to get scared because as I looked to the back of the boat, Doran had scrambled for the top of the seat and was making his way to the roof. I have never seen anyone put on a life jacket so fast! He was trying to balance on the top of the back seat, while grabbing for the roof. His teeth were chattering at about 208 bps and he wasn't humored. Between that and Royce looking like a drowned rat, standing with his shoulders hunched, water pouring off him, I couldn't take it. I laughed so hard I was crying. Dan Gilbert was leaning over the side of the boat laughing. I'm sure I looked as bad as Royce...no...there's no way I could have looked as bad as Royce! We bailed what water we could out of the boat and a very pale Dan Foos took us on in to shore. Dan has boated on Lake Almanor for 32 years and he said he had never had anything like that happen to him. I truly wish I had some pictures. It was one of those experiences that is going to be laughed about for a long time. Well, except for Doran. He still isn't laughing.