My baby is now a young lady.

It seems just a few years back I was reading bedtime stories to her.  She has grown into a beautiful young lady.  She is a multi-sport athlete.  Her academics come first and in just two short years she will be heading off to college.  Morgan we love you and are so proud of you.

RSA Animate - Changing Education Paradigms

Michigan is Screwed

Michigan is screwed.

www.youtube.com

I had said at the end of our last school board meeting to watch out for our new top dog in Lansing.  He did not jump of the band wagon with the other states like Wisconsin.  He is a smart dog just letting others start the dirty work. Next you will see him either take credit or blame others for the results.  

Do things need to change?  Yes we all would agree on that.  The question is on who's back should the cost bear. You all know that I am a pro union man.  If you know your history at all you know of the many great things that unions have done for America.  Yes I would agree not all is good.  Change has come with time.  

Do we need to dictate to those what that change should or will be?  No that is a collect negotiation issue.  Big union have done just that.     

Take the UAW did they like new employees making less for the same job NO.  American Axle which all took a pay cut in order to keep their jobs. The Teamsters just cleaning up everything.  State workers with their mandated time off.  

Lets talk teachers now.  In our state schools are supported by the state not local taxes as they once were.  I must stop now or I will not be able to stop.  That is a blog all on its own.

Spring is coming

SPRING IS COMING

I for one am ready for spring to get here.  We have went from the look it's snowing it looks so nice.  I think I will take some pictures of God's beauty.  To we got some heavy snow coming.  Hope I remembered to gas for the snow blower.  Now, well now we have the I wish it would warm up and melt all of these dirty snow away.  Nothing makes you want spring more than seeing dirty snow.  You know that dark crap that is on top of the snow form the snow plows cleaning the roads.

Spring bring with it a refreshing time.  Baseball training has started.  Fly fishing will be here in just a few short weeks.  Before we know it's time to plant flowers and mow the grass.  We should look at it as being blessed to live in Michigan with it's four seasons.  Winter is that season that you look forward to it.  Just can't wait for it to go away.  

So join with me in thinking the great rotation of earth in its orbit and bring on some global warming.

As always

Tom Sego

P.S. remember you can't take a picture if you don't have your camera with you!

One Man's Castle

Curwood Castle

The weather is warming up at least for a day or two.  Spring will be here before we know it.  The tigers are in Florida starting spring training.  We are seeing birds flying around that we haven't seen in many months. Yes Spring is on the way.

So why a picture of Curwood Castle? I have a couple of reasons.  First its cool; I mean think about.  If I had the means to do it I would build a castle in the bend of a river .  Maybe not to write maybe just to think and relax.  The castle is where Mr. Curwood wrote some of his novels.  Secondly look at it.  The sky is blue the foliage is green.  Yes spring is on the way.  

Reflexsion

Reflection of a warm summer night

Yesterday I was viewing some photos that were taken at night. I choose to share with you this photo.  No it is not the Golden Gate.  It is the original great suspension bridge. The Mighty Mac.  The Mackinaw Bridge connecting the the upper peninsula of Michigan.  The shot was taken from the beach on Mackinaw Island around 11:30 PM.  It was a beautiful night with very still waters.  

I am so ready for summer to be here again.  

IT'S THE SIMPLE THINGS

Sometimes it's the simplest things that bring a smile to me.  Yesterday a friend of mine celebrated her 16th year of sobriety, again a smile. Yesterday my son was confronted by his mother. He got into the truck put his hands together and prayed.  Simple and yet fragile.  http://tinyurl.com/632cjzc

Wyoming Snake

With most any snake comes a story.  Those who no me well know that I do not care for snakes.  That being said this is the story of this snake.  Like any vacation photo the story can be a lot better than the photo.  This is just one of those cases.

Starts out with our stop on the Great Out West Vacation at my dad's place in Clark Wyoming.  We being myself, Kim (my smoken hot wife), Coleman, Morgan and Morgan's traveling friend Julie.  The day before we had just drove cross Yellowstone to get to dads place.  OK, Kim and I could have easily spent a week or more there.  The kids hardly tilted their heads up and away from texting on the phones to see this treasure.  Dad got pissed and made them all put the phones away and take a little in.  You know we exercise our parental right to force them to take it in at least a small bit.

The kids were all back at the WDC.  That is Wyoming Deer Camp, or Women don't count or it's Women don't care its all in who is telling the story.  It is my story so Wyoming Deer Camp.  Kim and I jump into the jeep and travels to the canyon to take in the sites.  This is one of my favorite places in the world that I know.  The dark came on fast so we headed back to camp.  Dads place sits just below a small drop off.  Their is a cattle grate at the top of that hill.  Maybe 40 yards from the driveway.  Slowing down for that grate Kim informs me that I just ran over a snake.  So I put it in reverse to see.  Yep I did.  Oh I forgot now I'm stopped and asked where.  Her reply was "I think we are right over it".  Backing up so we could see with the lights from the Jeep she was right once again.  Being the photographer that I am I grabbed my camera along with my 45 on my hip to see if I could get a shot.  Photo that is not from the 45.

This is where it gets interesting.  What kind is it? she asked. It is a rattlesnake.  I don't think so, she replies.  All the while I am doing all I can to take the shot.  Max out the ISO.  Max the shutter with the  available light from the Jeep.  Again I here "I don't think it is".  My reply at this point is "why don't you toss a little stone at it".  The next thing to happen was she did.  I don't mean a little one the size of maybe a penny.  I mean one the size of the snakes head and she hits it.  Needless to say I was right and we both are now in the Jeep.

One might think that is the end of the story.  Did I say anything about a cattle grate.  Well said grate is not very wide.  Pissed off snake is in the middle of the road.  Only about 10 yards from the grate.  So to get to our driveway we have to go around the snake (pissed off rattlesnake).  Having to go half off the road to get around it I look out my door just in time to see the thing make a stride at me.  Let me tell you I let the clutch out.  Getting to dads and parking the Jeep outback I got out to take a leak.  Hopping that I didn't already do it in my pants.

My Big Sister

This best part of showing this picture of my sister (who is older than I am) is she can't show any of me.  See this is the thing both of my siblings are a lot older than myself.  This photo is one from my dad's old slides.  The family has tons of pictures of my brother and sister yet very few of me.  Mom says that I was the only planned one.  Sure and the also; well lets just you fill in the blanks.  I think it is more like aah crap do we still have a camera?

Even better is the fact that anyone who knows my sister would wonder as I do, what happened to the ballerina? OK enough with the jokes at my sister expense.  She is the best, the rock and anchor of my family.  I only hope that others have a sister as great as mine.

I am still snickering to myself at the picture.  

Great Out West Vacation

This Photo was taken in Utah on our way to Wyoming.

I'm on Schedule.

Yes it is true I am on Schedule.  I can't be off of schedule.  It's my schedule. You get my point.  I did leave my disclaimer that I will post when I am good and ready to.  I'm on schedule.

Ok with this new year we or should I say I lost a few friends.  It is sad that they passed so young. One of which I share the same birthday (4-7-1960).  That was Paul Pottier.  We grew up together and were great friends until after graduation.  Sure we seen each other a few times since; just never keep that friendship going.

The other is Jeff Crawford.  Jeff and I shared time together manly watching our boys grow up and playing sports.  Jeff too is missed by the community for all of what he did.

It's a new year.

One of the things that I have been wanting to do for some time now is start a Blog.  Why you might ask?  That is a very simple question to answer.  I have a lot to say and share and I am tied of doing it with myself.  What do I have to say?  Well pick a subject and like everyone else I have my take on it.  I'm not saying that I am always right.  I am just saying we can agree to disagree as long as you realize that in my mind I and right and you are wrong.


As anyone who knows me I have passions.  First is my wife and kids.  Second is photography; that being said I will being sharing a lot of photos.  I am not committing to posting everyday or anything like that.  I am retired and everyday is the weekend.

Tom Sego