Alot Has Happen In Three Months!

Here are some pics of our new Home! 

Escrow closes in 45 days and we will be moving in.

We are so excited to buy the home my boys will grow in.  

Dreams do come true. You just have to work hard.

Lovin' Life!

A thought for your day

"The art of being wise is knowing what to overlook."

William James

"Whatsoever things are pure . . . lovely . . . of good report . . . think on these things."


This I must remind myself every day.

Dam On Your Property

This is a riot! It just goes to show you how SMART our environmentalists are.... Enjoy! And HAPPY FRIDAY! oh and thanks Dad for the GREAT email.

The Dam

This is an actual letter sent to a man named Ryan DeVries regarding a pond on his property. It was sent by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Quality, State of Pennsylvania. This guy's response is hilarious, but read the State's letter before you get to the res ponse letter.

SUBJECT: DEQ File No.97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20; Lycoming County

Dear Mr. DeVries:

It has come to the attention of the Department of Environmental Quality that there has been recent unauthorized activity on the above referenced parcel of property. You have been certified as the legal landowner and/or contractor who did the following unauthorized activity: Construction and maintenance of two wood debris dams across the outlet stream of Spring Pond.
A permit must be issued prior to the start of this type of activity. A review of the Department's files shows that no permits have been issued. Therefore, the Department has determined that this activity is in violation of Part 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, of the Na tural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, Act 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.30101 to 324.30113 of the Pennsylvania Compiled Laws, annotated. The Department has been informed that one or both of the dams partially failed during a recent rain event, causing debris and flooding at downstream locations. We find that dams of this nature are inherently hazardous and cannot be permitted. The Department therefore orders you to cease and desist all activities at this location, and to restore the stream to a free-flow condition by removing all wood and brush forming the dams from the stream channel. All restoration work shall be completed no later than January 31, 2007.

Please notify this office when the restoration has been completed so that a follow-up site inspection may be scheduled by our staff. Failure to comply with this request or any further unauthorized activity on the site may result in this case being referred for elevated enforcement action.. We anticipate and would appreciate your full cooperation in this matter. Please feel free to contact me at this office if you have any questions.


Sincerely,

David L. Price


District Representative and Water Management Division.





Here is the actual response sent back by Mr. DeVries:


Re: DEQ File No. 97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20; Lycoming County

Dear Mr. Price,

Your certified letter dated 12/17/05 has been handed to me to respond to. I am the legal landowner but not the Contractor at 2088 Dagget Lane, Trout Run, Pennsylvania. A couple of beavers are in the ( State unauthorized) process of constructing and maintaining two wood "debris" dams across the outlet stream of my Spring Pond. While I did not pay for, authorize, nor supervise their dam project, I think they would be highly offended that you call their skillful use of natures building materials "debris." I would like to challenge your department to attempt to emulate their dam project any time and/or any place you choose. I believe I can safely state there is no way you could ever match their dam skills, their dam resourcefulness, their dam ingenuity, their dam persistence, their dam determination and/or their dam work ethic.










These are the beavers/contractors you are seeking. As to your request, I do not think the beavers are aware that they must first fill out a dam permit prior to the start of this type of dam activity.

My first dam question to you is:

(1) Are you trying to discriminate against my Spring Pond Beavers, or

(2) do you require all beavers throughout this State to conform to said dam request?

If you are not discriminating against these particular beavers, through the Freedom of Information Act, I request completed copies of all those other applicable beaver dam permits that have been issued. (Perhaps we will see if there really is a dam violation of Part 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, Act 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.30101 to 324 .30113 of the Pennsylvania Compiled Laws, annotated.)

I have several concerns. My first concern is, aren't the beavers entitled to legal representation? The Spring Pond Beavers are financially destitute and are unable to pay for said representation -- so the State will have to provide them with a dam lawyer. The Department's dam concern that either one or both of the dams failed during a recent rain event, causing flooding, is proof that this is a natural occurrence, which the Department is required to protect. In other words, we should leave the Spring Pond Beavers alone rather than harassing them and calling them dam names. If you want the stream "restored" to a dam free-flow condition please contact the beavers -- but if you are going to arrest them, they obviously did not pay any attention to your dam letter, they being unable to read English.

In my humble opinion, the Spring Pond Beavers have a right to build their unauthorized dams as long as the sky is blue, the grass is green and water flows downstream. They have more dam rights than I do to live and enjoy Spring Pond. If the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection lives up to its name, it should protect the natural resources (Beavers) and the environment (Beavers' Dams).

So, as far as the beavers and I are concerned, this dam case can be referred for more elevated enforcement action right now. Why wait until 1/31/2006? The Spring Pond Beavers may be under the dam ice then and there will be no way for you or your dam staff to contact/harass them. In conclusion, I would like to bring to your attention to a real environmental quality, health, problem in the area. It is the bears! Bears are actually defecating in our woods.

I definitely believe you should be persecuting the defecating bears and leave the beavers alone. If you are going to investigate the beaver dam, watch your step! The bears are not careful where they dump!

Being unable to comply with your dam request, and being unable to contact you on your dam answering machine, I am sending this response to your dam office.

THANK YOU,
RYAN DEVRIES &
THE DAM BEAVERS
********************

Independence Day

With our Independence Day Holiday coming up I thought we should think about these two words and what they mean...

FREEDOM: 1. The condition or quality of being free. 2. Exemption from political restraint or autocratic control; independence. 3. Liberty of choice or action. 4. Exemption; immunity. 5. Exemption or release from obligations, ties, etc.. 6. Ease; facility. 7. Frankness; candor. 8. A bold or excessive familiarity. 9. Unrestricted use.

LIBERTY: 1. The state of being free in action or thought fromt he domination of other or from restraicting circumstances; freedom. 2. The possesion and exercise of the right of self-government. 3. A particular permission, right or priviledge.

Wedding Ring Finger

I copied this from an email I recieved today... I thought it was great! So I had to share it will everyone....VERY COOL!
Why should the wedding ring be worn on the fourth finger?

There is a beautiful and convincing explanation given by the Chinese.....

Thumb represents your Parents

Second (Index) finger represents your Siblings

Middle finger represents yourself

Fourth (Ring) finger represents your Life Partner

& the Last (Little) finger represents your children

Firstly, open your palms (face to face), bend the middle fingers and hold them together - back to back.

Secondly, open and hold the remaining three fingers and the thumb - tip to tip
(As shown in the figure below):

Now, try to separate your thumbs (representing the parents)..., they will open, because your parents are not destined to live with you lifelong, and have to leave you sooner or later.

Please join your thumbs as before and separate your Index fingers (representing siblings)...., they will also open, because your brothers and sisters will have their own families and will have to lead their own separate lives.

Now join the Index fingers and separate your Little fingers (representing your children)...., they will open too, because the children also will get married and settle down on their own some day.

Finally, join your Little fingers, and try to separate your Ring fingers (representing your spouse).

You will be surprised to see that you just CANNOT....., because Husband & Wife have to remain together all their lives - through thick and thin!!

try this out.............
ISN'T THIS A GREAT THEORY?

Candy Gram from God?

At work we have been eating Promises Dove Chocolates. One of the owners had brought them in for us. Each little foil wrapped candy has a message inside. Well since last Friday I have gotten the same message three times in a row. It says, "Don't think about it so much". I really do think that God is trying to tell me something and I am going to try to listen.

Word of the Day

Obstreperous:

1) Making a great disturbance; clamorous; boisterous.
2) Unmanageable; unruly.


Example: Like everyone else here, I am feeling obstreperous today.

LOL! I crack myself up.

2+2 sometimes = 3?

Like doesn't always give you what is expected.
Expected the unexpected at all times and then maybe you won't be so surprised.

7 Rules to Live By

Rule # 1 Thank the Lord everyday for everything.
Rule # 2 Play. Must find time to play...if you aren't enjoying life, what is the point of living???
Rule # 3 Vacation. LET'S GO! Go Where next? There are affordable options.
Rule # 4 Eat Well... that means to eat healthy too.
Rule # 5 Live life to the fullest - cry hard, laugh harder.
Rule # 6 Don't forget to stop and smell the roses...and all the other flowers while you are at it.
Rule # 7 Don't forget your camera!

Mark 16:25-33

25
And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
26
And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.
27
And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
28
But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
29
Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
30
And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
32
And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
33
And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

Do you want to ROLL WITH THE FUNK?

Do you want to have a good time?

~ Black Eyes Peas

Should have stayed home...

So I went to the doctors yesterday afternoon.... he said my eardrum looks as if it is about to burst!! Well that sounds about right cause my ears are KILLING me!!! One worst than the other (that is the one he said looks like it may burst). He also explained to me that the pressure is dropping because there is a storm coming which will make me ears feel worse (something I never really thought about but it made sense) which is why my ears were even worse yesterday and last week when we got the lightning/thunderstorm... He told me not to go to the beach or to the mountains the next fews days. He gave me two medicines and an antibiotic then told me to stay home a day or two to rest. He wanted to know if I needed a note. I told him I wouldn't need one, that I will go to work..... he sort of frowned at me and say okay - then sent me on my way.

Welp, now here I am at work miserable again :-( I should have listened to the the doctor and stayed home! At least for a day. AHHH! I could kick myself in the A$$ right now. Oh well! I guess it is better to be paid to be miserable than to be home miserable - but then again I am not resting am I? UGH! Oh well! Someday I will learn to listen to what the doctors say. They are much wiser than me.

Beautiful!

some intelligent ananoymous person:

“If you’re photographing in color you show the color of their clothes - if you use black and white, you will show the color of their soul.”


I love this! Makes me want to create some B&W's...