What A Trip!!!!

I got back from one great trip with my youth pistol team to Flagstaff, Arizona! Not only did 2 of my kids earn top awards, but one, Ryan, made National 9mm Champion! Woohoo!!!! This was accomplished from a field of 800 other shooters. The other member, Joe, made the "National Top 20" list.

On top of that we did some great sight seeing. I got to do something I have always wanted to do. I got to go "stand on the corner of Winslow Arizona"
Now...if you didn't know, this spot in the off the beaten path of Arizona was made famous in a song by the band, "The Eagles". The name of the song is "Take It Easy". The lyric goes, "I was standing on the corner in Winslow Arizona... what a fine sight to see...there's a girl my lord in a flatbed ford slowing down to take a look at me....take it easy......" This is the major and maybe the only attraction in the railroad town of Winslow. Right now the actual corner is fenced off because that brick wall is only being held up by support beams. The actual building caught fire and burned to the ground only leaving the outside walls. The sidewalk at "the corner" are bricks that you can buy and have your name inscribed on. If your a fan and want to do this, you can go to the website of www.standinonthecorner.com , the money goes to the restoration of "the corner" If you notice, up in the far left window is a painting of an Eagle, that was a nice touch.
Then, among the other places we went to, like Snow Bowl, the highest peak in Arizona, 11,500 feet. Sedona and Slide Rock National Park where you can jump off rock cliffs or slide over smooth rock in the 67 degree creek. But the biggest thrill is seeing the Grand Canyon. This photo or any photo can not do this place justice. It is truly one of the wonders of the world. This is my third trip to the "big hole" as some call it, and I can tell you that it never stops amazing me. I was able to get some awesome shots in spite of some haze caused by the fires. I saw some of the damage to the National forests and it is heartbreaking to see. We saw several deer walking in the woods and I even managed to pull off a couple of "shots" [photo shots of course]. We only saw one Elk and he had been killed by a car. A trooper told me that they have "Thousands" of Elk and deer killed each year and hundreds of fatalities to people. Elk are huge and the 4ft. cattle wire fences along the dark highways are nothing for an Elk to clear. Dusk and dawn are the most dangerous times. It was a good trip, but it is nice to get home...except for our awful heat & humidity! It was hot out west, but very dry. Well, until next time...."take it eeeeasy.."

Away...Back Now!

I can't believe how fast the weeks go by, until you get a chance to slow down. I was in Venice, Florida for a week with my youth pistol team that I coach. Proud to say that they won First Place in the State of Florida. Now it's off to Arizona for a National match. Wish us luck!
When I got back, I took my bike out for a little head clearing ride. I made the drive over the Skyway Bridge. That's the bridge that had been hit by a ship a long time ago, causing it to fall. The picture is the bridge that was built to replace the fallen spans. The center uses huge cables to hold the center span up. At night they light up the cables which are painted gold. On a nice clear night it's impressive. The top roadway is about 240 feet from the water. People are all the time jumping to their death. In fact, there are call boxes at the top connected to the Crisis Hot line, as well as a Florida State Trooper is assigned to patrol the bridge.
This has been a busy week end. Not only did I have about a hundred things going on at once...But I had a wedding Saturday the 1st of July. The bride, Jill, was really great. Not nervous at all and never stopped smiling. Lance, the groom...well he was nervous, but made it through like a trooper! Poor Lance...he didn't get a bachelor party. Soooo....all his grooms men decided to sit him in the middle of the dance floor and began striping and giving him lap dances. It was pretty funny!
Now for the BIG news!! I am proud to announce the arrival of the newest member of the M.W. Simpson family. Although kind of sudden and spontaneous, I picked her up today in time to spend her first 4th of July. Something a little different for an Asian. Of course the proud Dad/photographer had to take a "first photo" to get out to friends and family.
Annoucing My newest bike!! A 2006, Honda VTX 1300s, shaft drive, water cooled, mustang seats, windshiled, saddlebags and back rest (on order). I hated giving up my V-Star 1100, but she was already over 5 years old and the price I got the Honda for was pretty sweet, at Performance Honda of Wesley Chapel, Florida. Not to mention adding more power...from the 1100cc to the 1300cc. Got some tweeking to do to it. Gave up my LED accent lights on the V-star, so I guess I will have to start over with those. Still need to add some accesories like Highway bars and passing lights. But in time I will get it the way I want it. I leave soon for that trip to Arizona and will return with some good photos. cya!