Passed on Church by EHH295

This guy passed me on Church.

No big deal. He was within his rights. It didn't hurt my ego.

Lots of people get passed on Church.

Still trying to figure this new one out...

Click to enlarge.

Here you see an "old" picture of a still pretty new Jobe on the refrigerator and a new one of him sitting on the coffee table, with baby Lynxton lying at his side. At the time of the refrigerator picture, Jobe was extremely happy and comfortable with his place in the chain. He was the little one, the cutest person in any room that he entered, and he got all the attention that he could possibly want.

Now, attention that was once his has been diverted to baby Lynxton, who has a great need for that attention. Since Lynxton's birth, Margie has spent a considerable amount of time in Anchorage helping Lavina and Jake care for all three siblings and on weekends, we have been bringing Jobe home with us to make it a little easier at the Anchorage household.

Kalib has been staying put on weekends, because he has proven to be a good little helper in the care of Lynxton.

But poor Jobe has been feeling a bit displaced.

So this past weekend, we did it the opposite. Kalib spent the weekend with us and Jobe alone with his parents and Lynxton, so that he could get some special parental attention and bond more deeply with little brother. One day, Jacob took a long walk through the park with Jobe running about in front of, behind and beside him. Lynxton was strapped to his dad's torso in a baby carrier. All through the walk, Dad snapped iPhone images and then texted them to us.

Jobe was having a great time. He was smiling, laughing, figuring out how to make his way through downed trees. Lynxton slept through it all.

The time finally came when they had to come out here, pick Kalib up and take him back to Anchorage.

I think Jobe is adjusting to the idea of a new little brother, but he hasn't totally figured it out or come to terms, yet.

A brief conversation with a black horse

Up ahead, I could see the black horse standing on its hind legs, holding one hoof in the air in a way that reminded me of a human hitchhiker. I sensed nonsense and trouble, and so resolved not to stop for anything. Yet, I could not just be rude, so I slowed to a crawl and rolled my window down. The horse dropped down to all fours.

"Hey, Bill!" the horse shouted as I rolled into conversation range. "I need a ride into town. Open your car door so I can get in!"

"No," I protested. "You're too big! You can't fit in my car! And you might poop on the seat!"

"C'mon, Bill, lemme in! I really need to get to town. I have a haircut scheduled, and a rally to go to."

"No!" I insisted, as I rolled slowly by. "You're a horse! Horses don't get rides from people - horses give rides to people!"

"If you don't come back and give me a ride, then one day I will give you a ride!" the black horse threatened after I had rolled completely past. "I'll buck you off and then I'll stomp on you!"

I drove away. I did not go to town at all. I went home instead, and ate a cupcake - chocolate, with banana frosting.

Lynxton had made it, especially for me. It was damn good.

Kalib reaches out and touches a falling snowflake

Yesterday, out in the back yard, I took a very nice picture of Kalib, his grandma and a pair of pruning shears and decided immediately that, no matter what else I photographed that day, that would be my single picture for this post, as I am still in single picture mode.

But, that was yesterday - today it is snowing, lightly, tiny flakes drifting down, and so I am running this image instead.

Kids get off the bus and go home

Truly, I am tempted to put in one of my multi-picture posts and to tell little stories with each picture, because a good number of pictures have accumulated in my archives these past two or three days and there are a multitude of little stories within them - including Lynxton on his one month birthday, which was yesterday and he came to the house.

But I haven't the time. Or the energy. I am way behind where I had planned to be by now and instead of racing along I am crawling toward my deadline, inch by inch, barely getting anywhere, but still I must get it done.

So, I post just one picture - this one - and not a single written story today.

This will change, soon. I will be shooting and posting and writing like mad, like a man insane, which right now I am pretty convinced is what I am.