Caryn’s Thoughts
My grand-niece, Aurora Hadlock is growing up so fast. The coming school year will find her in her last year of elementary school, and Aurora has decided that she wants to play volleyball this year. I loved watching my girls play volleyball. Aurora is going to have a great time, and so will her parents, Chelsea and Ryan Hadlock, when they get to watch her games. I loved going to those games. Aurora is very active in many things. She is in her third year of Lego Robotics, and has really enjoyed building the Lego robots. Aurora is a good student and a very smart girl. She is also very social.
She loves to go camping. The family has gone camping at Aurora’s grandparents Casper mountain land, where the family dog, Titan is buried. Aurora loved that dog, who was a part of the family before she was even born. Bringing flowers to put on Titan’s grave is their way of showing Titan that he is never going to be forgotten. 
This year too, the family went camping in the Black Hills. They drove through the Wildlife Loop in the Custer State Park, and for those who don’t know, toward the end of the Wildlife Loop, there is a herd of donkeys. They are friendly little beggars, and Aurora got to feed a donkey a carrot. She loved that it came right up to her. She thought it was very cool. There is so much to do in the Black Hills, and at least 50% of the wonder of the area is driving around looking at the beautiful scenery. Aurora gets that. She totally loves having her face in the sun and fresh air when the family was driving through US Route 16A. It is one of the most beautiful drives in the Black Hills, although there are lots of beautiful drives. It’s no wonder Aurora love to put her face out the window, watch the beautiful scenery, and feel the sunshine on her face.
As Summer came to a close, Aurora, her brother, Ethan, and her cousins, Adelaide Sawdon and Mackenzie 
Moore all gathered in Laramie, Wyoming, where Mackenzie lives with her parents. The cousins all attended Vacation Bible School together. They have been getting a lot of quality time together, and having a great time just hanging out. Aurora is the unofficial leader of the pack…always keeping the little ones busy and having fun. She has a very giving heart…just like her mom, and she wants to be just like her. She is even growing her hair out so she can be just like her mom. Very sweet. Today is Aurora’s 10th birthday. Happy birthday Aurora!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My nephew, Josh Griffith loves to take his family camping every summer. Of course, part of the point of the camping trips include cutting firewood for the family house and shop. For a number of years, the house was heated completely by wood. Some years they buy a truck load of wood, but that is expensive, and if you are willing to put some muscle into it, you can cut your own wood for less money. It’s just putting in the muscle that is hard…I know, I’ve done it too. Susan would prefer to order a truck load, but sometimes it’s worth the savings to get it themselves since they have all the tools, and they’re going to the mountains anyway. Still, this year, things have changed.
Getting wood is a lot of work and that wood is heavy, but this year, Josh made a hoist that attaches to the back of the trailer. Now they don’t have to lift the logs onto the trailer any more. This year, Kaytlyn is getting big enough to run the hoist. When they were done with the loading, they thanked Kaytlyn for doing all the heavy 
lifting for us. I’m sure she giggled at that one, because she just pushed a button to move the hoist around for her mom and dad. Nevertheless, without her there, there would have been more work for Josh and Susan to do, so they really did appreciate her “hard” work.
Kaytlyn likes to learn to do things from Josh. Sometimes its hard for a girl-dad to relate to his girls in work areas, but Josh enjoys teaching his girls how to do things, and lets face it, we girls might be princesses, but when we get older, our prince really needs a partner who can help him with the tough jobs too. Josh also helped his step-daughter Jala Satterwhite do all kinds of things to the vehicle she drives. The Bronco was given to her my her Satterwhite grandparents, but it needed some work to make it something Jala could and would want to drive. Josh has the ability to turn a junk vehicle into gold with all his mechanical and bodywork/painting skills. Josh has his own paint booth, and he does excellent work. Anyone 
who knows Josh knows he is super handy. He can make or fix just about anything. Josh is the kind of guy that always has a pocket knife and a flash light. Susan calls those kinds of guys keepers and usually if they have these things in their pockets that says a lot about their personality. You can always tell the wife of these guys too, because they are very loyal to and very proud of their men. Josh has earned Susan’s respect, but he is also very blessed to have her. Today is Josh’s birthday. Happy birthday Josh!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
Volcanoes don’t just suddenly start erupting without warning. There is always some kind of warning. Things like earthquake swarms, a bulging mountain side, and little smoke and ash showings from the crater, always come first. These may not always all happen, but they do happen. The biggest problem in 1883 is that scientists didn’t really know that then. When Krakatoa, in the Sunda Strait of Indonesia, began to wake up on May 20, 1883, it had been dormant for around 200 years. The first sign was an ash cloud that was reported by the captain of a German warship. It rose nearly 7 miles above the island. Strangely, no one in Anjer, 25 miles from the island, or Merak, 35 miles away, reported anything unusual that day, but the inhabitants of Batvia, 80 miles away, “were startled by a dull booming noise, followed by a violent rattling of doors and windows. Whether this proceeded from the air or from below was a matter of doubt, for unlike most earthquake shocks the quivering was only vertical.” The event started rumblings and blasts from the volcano’s vents that continued for the next three months. But this was just the beginning.
Krakatoa began to erupt in earnest on the afternoon of August 26, 1883, sending ash clouds at 22 miles above the island. Along with the eruption came a tsunami that rolled up both sides of the strait. The eruption continued into the night with increasing violence, and at midnight by volcanic lightning strikes to distances of ten to twelve miles. The event was similar to a horror movie, complete with electrical phenomena to a terrifying scale. The glow that surrounded the gigantic column of smoke and ashes was seen in Batava, eighty miles away. Some of the debris fell as fine ashes in Cheribon, five hundred miles east of the volcano.
While the August 26th event was terrifying, the most terrifying part of the disaster happened the next day. When Krakatoa erupted on August 27, the sound it made was accompanied by pressure waves that ruptured the eardrums of people 40 miles away, traveled around the world four times, and was clearly heard 3,000 miles away. That distance is comparable to the distance between New York and und from San Francisco. The 1883 eruption of Krakatoa was one of the deadliest and most destructive volcanic events in recorded history. Explosions were so violent that they were heard 1,930 miles away in Perth, Western Australia, and 3,000 miles 
away in Rodrigues near Mauritius. At least 36,417 deaths were attributed to the eruption and the tsunamis it created. The sound was claimed to be heard in 50 different locations around the world and the sound wave is recorded to have travelled the globe seven times over. Following the eruption, there were increased seismic activity that continued until February 1884, although there is speculation as to whether on not that was because of Krakatoa. Whether it was or not, really makes no difference, because the effects that can be confirmes as part of the aftermath of Krakatoa are big enough on their own. The 1883 eruption of Krakatoa was a major event, and possibly the biggest on in recorded history.
My grand-niece, Adelaide Sawdon has had a very adventurous summer this year. She got to go camping with her grandparents, Allyn and Chris Hadlock, her aunts and uncles for a week without her mom and dad, Jessi and Jason Sawdon. They went swimming in the creeks and exploring…totally having a blast. Then, Adelaide and her parents had to go to Michigan for her great grandma’s funeral. They had been planning to go there for a week of camping, so they actually got to spend a little more time there than they had anticipated, so Adelaide got a full week in Michigan with her grandparents, Richard and Barbara Sawdon and her cousins there. She swam nearly every day in their pond or at a nearby lake. Adelaide absolutely loves swimming. Then, the family went to Hocking Hills, Ohio for the week and explored there. Her mom told me that she has had a really busy summer. I guess so.
Back at home, in Cheyenne, Wyoming, Adelaide is the proud owner of a trampoline, because the yard there is big enough, while the Casper house didn’t have enough room for one. Adelaide absolutely loves it and since there are no kids in her neighborhood, having the trampoline gives her something to do. It’s hard to make friends, as anyone who has ever moved can tell you, but Adelaide started kindergarten on August 23rd, a total shock to my mind. Her parents are excited for her to meet some new friends and hoping they will find out that more kids live nearby, since they have neighborhood schools and not school of choice in Cheyenne.
Adelaide and her mom were in Laramie in early August, with cousins Ethan and Aurora Hadlock, and Mackenzie Moore so they could attend vacation bible school together. The kids had such a great time, and it was great for 
Adelaide to get to spend more time with her cousins. Adelaide loves living closer to her cousin, Mackenzie now. Mackenzie lives in Laramie, and it’s only an hour away, so Adelaide and Mackenzie get to see a lot more of each other…especially since their mom’s both work from home. Adelaide is getting so tall now. I can’t believe How much she has grown. And her beautiful blonde hair is getting so long. Like her mom says, she not a little kid anymore, she is growing into a little person. Adelaide got to go to a concert of her favorite people, Cain. They sing her favorite song called, “I’m So Blessed.” Adelaide knows every word by heart. She has had a lot of firsts this year, and she is really loving life. Today is Adelaide’s 5th birthday. Happy birthday Adelaide!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My nephew, Steve Spethman is very industrious. Over the years, he has built his own working guns, knives in his own forge, and most recently, yard art which is really amazing. When he built his own rifle, I was amazed at his ability, because it looked great, but the thing that has most fascinated me is making his own knives in his own forge. Since the television program called “Forged In Fire” came on air, I think more and more people have become interested in the process of knife making. On the show, they not only make knives, but they highlight that many types of knives there are, many of which I had no idea at all. Not only is Steve making knives, but he is teaching his three boys, Xander, Zack, and Isaac how to forge knives too, and I suppose that if his daughter, Aleesia ever shows an interest in it, he will show her how to forge too.
Steve is very talented in knife making, as well as the other things he does, and he even sells his work. After 
getting into knife making, Steve decided that he needed his own forge, where he and his boys could make their knives. So he created one on his property. Now, my niece and his wife, Jenny will never have to buy a knife again. Steve is getting so good at his craft that it wouldn’t surprise me to see him become a contestant on the show. His talent is irrefutable, and for anyone with such talent, competition is the logical next step. Steve’s ability, along with his lack of conceit concerning his talents, make his such a wonderful guy for people to talk to about forging knives.
Steve can talk to anyone, and is also a very helpful person in this and other areas of life. Anyone who finds themselves in a jam or needing some assistance, can call on Steve to get them out of the situation. Steve has been known to pull a vehicle out of the snow and help build a deck, as well as the remodeling work he has done on his own home, which is excellent work, by the way. Steve is all about family, his own, and his extended 
family too. These people are important to him, and they are very blessed to be so. Steve has a heart of gold, and big shoulders to handle any job. There is very little he can’t do, and really nothing he won’t help with, when someone has a need. His friends and family can fully attest to his kind and willing heart. I have known Steve since he was twelve years old, and I can honestly say that I am very proud of the man he has become. Today is Steve’s birthday. Happy birthday Steve!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My Aunt Dixie has always had a creative side to her, and over the years many of us have enjoyed the cool things she made. The family Christmas parties were always very cool the years the Aunt Dixie’s family were in charge of them. Of course, all the families planned great Christmas parties, and I think several of the sisters thought of Christmas as their favorite holiday, as do I. Nevertheless, I don’t have the creative mind that Aunt Dixie does, so most of my decorating ideas are simplistic or copied from what I have seen others do, but Aunt Dixie could really plan a party.
Aunt Dixie has always been a caring person. She helped her in-laws during times when they needed help. She has a great capacity for compassion. When her parents, my grandparents, George and Hattie Byer needed help, Aunt Dixie was there for them, along with several of her siblings. Being a caregiver is not an easy job, even if the patient doesn’t need a lot of help. Helping others…being there for others, is never an easy thing to do. Having done that for a number of years myself, I know that it is both exhausting and rewarding, but it is more about love. Whether you knew the person prior to caring for them or not, you often grow to love them, mostly because, caregiving is all about loving…that and wanting to give someone a better life.
Aunt Dixie has lived in the country for as much of her life as I can remember. She raised chickens, and probably some others animals too, but I remember the chickens, because my moms, Collene Spencer was given a baby chick by one of the kids, and while my mom wanted to raise it and have eggs, it turned out to be a rooster. Mom wanted a hen so bad, that for a time she insisted it was a hen, until it started crowing, that is. Then, she could no longer deny the facts. She knew she couldn’t keep it any longer. She talked to her sister, who agreed 
to take the rooster. Mom had hoped and always told herself that “Queenie” the rooster, who should have been a hen, went on to live a wonderful and very long live at Aunt Dixie’s henhouse, but I think she always knew, deep down, that “Queenie” actually made a great chick and noodle dish at the Richards’ table later that year. It was something the sisters never talked about, but both knew about. It was always an unspoken understanding between the sisters. Today is Aunt Dixie’s birthday. Happy birthday Aunt Dixie!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My grand-nephew, Keifer Balcerzak loves his family. No matter what else he is or what else he does, Keifer wants to do what is best for his girls, and the baby that is on the way. Life is going great for them. Keifer has been helping his daughter, Reece learn to play t-ball this year. With practice, I think she could grow up to become as good at softball as her daddy. Time will tell if she decided to play softball or any other sport when she sets older, but no matter what she chooses, I know her parents will be supportive, and her daddy and mommy will help her be the best at it.
Keifer has loved his wife, Katie for years and years. They have been married for six years, and they are so happy. They are a perfect couple, and Katie is Keifer’s soulmate for life. They are such a great team, both going in the same direction with the same ideas. They are so sweet together, it makes me smile. Not everyone finds their soulmate so early in life, but in the rare occasions when it happens, it is very obvious, and very sweet. Now, as their family is growing, they have even more to celebrate.
Keifer has been working out and getting in shape these days. He loves sports, especially softball, and this year has been a great year for his team. In order to be a good athlete, you have to be in shape. Keifer has been working hard to be in good shape for his team, and it has paid of. Not only is he in great shape, but the rest of 
his team has worked hard too, and they have reaped the benefits of their hard work. This year, Keifer’s team was had the great pleasure of being the top team, the Men’s D3 Champs!! That takes a lot of hard work, a lot of skill…and a lot of practice. When everyone is willing to put the effort in, the team does well, and has a good chance of winning.
Keifer has had a great year in many ways, and the future looks exceptionally bright. He has a job he loves as a computer tech, and a great family. We are all so happy for him. Today is Keifer’s birthday. Happy birthday Keifer!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
If you visit the Colosseum in Rome these days, you will see a rough-looking shadow of its former glory. The Colosseum was built between 70 AD and 80 AD, under Emperors Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian, the Flavian Emperors. The original name of the Colosseum was the Amphitheatrum Flavium, or the Flavian Amphitheater. Viewed as a populist undertaking by Vespasian, the Colosseum was, at least in part, commissioned as a means to regain the favor of the people, who were restless and unhappy with the imperial institution after Nero’s reign. Planning began in 70 AD and construction in 72 AD. The site of the artificial lake that Nero had constructed as part of the Domus Aurea was chosen for the Colosseum.
Most of the labor for the construction of the building was provided by Jewish slaves, who had been taken as prisoners following the first Jewish-Roman war. The Colosseum was constructed of several materials, mainly travertine, limestone, and marble for decorations. They used tuff, volcanic rock, brick, and lime for links. Metals, mainly bronze, were used to bind the stones together. Travertine is a sedimentary limestone, that is found where rivers, springs, lakes used to exist. Beige in color, travertine typically forms in hot springs. The area around Rome is rich with travertine. It forms by the precipitation of calcium carbonate. The travertine that was used to build the Colosseum came from the town of Bagni di Tivoli, formerly Tibur. Travertine is the majority of the stone in the Colosseum, and most of what is left.
The Colosseum’s decorations were in mostly made of marble, but if you go to the Colosseum today, you will not find much of that marble. It has all but disappeared, because it has been reused in the construction of other buildings in Rome. I find that fact to be very strange, since the Colosseum would have been seen as an important center in Rome…or maybe that is just what it is today. The entrances of the cavea and the balustrades were decorated with marble pieces as well. The first 3 rows of seating were also made of marble, a luxury reserved for the most affluent social class. The columns on the outside had marble capitals, and some columns were also in marble.
Of course, metal was needed too. They had to be able to attach the marble to the structure. In the Colosseum, bronze was the primary metal used, but they also used iron. The metal, was heated and stretched into a bar, then curved into a U shape. Adapted to holes intentionally dug into the stones of the facade, these structures served as agraphs to help keep the Colosseum upright. The first fires got the better of these agraphs which were gradually recovered to be melted. Nowadays only the holes in the stones remain, vestiges of this originality in the construction.
The Colosseum was originally clad entirely in marble. When you visit or see the Colosseum these days you’ll notice how the stone exterior appears to be covered in pockmarks all across its surface. Some say that it was not the reusing of the marble in other buildings that brought the Colosseum to it’s current pockmarked state, 
but rather that after the fall of Rome, the city was looted and pillaged by the Goths. They took all of the marble from the Colosseum, and stripped it down to its bare stone setting. Whatever really happened, or even if it was a combination of the two, the Colosseum that stands today looks like a war-torn, broken-down shadow of what it used to be, and yet the fact that it still stands, continues to draw many people from all over the world to visit it every year.
When it became necessary to improve the condition of the wounded soldiers during a war, 12 nations adopted The Geneva Convention of 1864 for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick of Armies in the Field during a meeting in Geneva. Basically, the agreement, which had been advocated by Swiss humanitarian Jean-Henri Dunant, provided for the neutrality of medical personnel, so they could provide care to the sick and wounded in times of war, without considering the nation the soldier came from. It’s hard for me to think of refusing a soldier care because he fought for the enemy. He is still a human being, and still needs care. Nevertheless, there were times when the medics were not allowed to care for enemy troops.
When the proposal was adopted, is was necessary to design an international emblem to mark medical personnel and supplies. In honor of Dunant’s nationality, a red cross on a white background…the Swiss flag in reverse…was chosen. Most of us have seen it, in person or on television. The MASH units had the symbol on the top of their tents. Military ambulances had it on the top of the unit. The organization became known as the International Committee of the Red Cross. Of course, we know it as the Red Cross. After a time many nations formed their own branches of the Red Cross.
Clara Barton founded the American chapter after hearing about the Red Cross in Geneva, Switzerland. In 1869. Barton went to Europe and became involved in the work of the International Red Cross during the Franco-Prussian War. After the war, she was determined to bring the organization to America. Barton became President of the American branch of the society, known as the American National Red Cross in May 1881 in Washington. Barton had connections in New York, so she opened the first chapters there. Money was donated by John D Rockefeller and four others to help create a national headquarters near the White House. Frederick Douglass, the abolitionist and a friend of Barton’s, offered advice and support as she sought to establish the American Chapter of Red Cross. As Register of Deeds for the District of Columbia, Douglass also signed the American Red 
Cross’ original Articles of Incorporation.
Barton led one of the group’s first major relief efforts, a response to the 1881 Thumb Fire in Michigan’s Thumb region. Over 5,000 people were left homeless. The next major disaster was the Johnstown Flood on May 31, 1889. Over 2,209 people died and thousands more were injured in or near Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in one of the worst disasters in US history. The American National Red Cross, became an organization that was highly respected. Over the years they have done much to provide humanitarian aid to victims of wars and natural disasters in congruence with the International Red Cross. In 1901, Jean-Henri Dunant was awarded the first Nobel Peace Prize.
On this day, August 21, 1911, an amateur painter decided to paint a painting near Leonardo da Vinci’s famed Mona Lisa, only to find out that someone had walked into the Louvre that morning, taken the priceless painting off the wall, hidden it under his clothing, and walked out of the museum. The first thought is, of course, who would be so brazen, but my second thought is how could he have pulled that off? How much clothing would it take to simply “tuck” a 20 inch by 30 inch painting into his clothing. Nevertheless, earlier that day, Vincenzo Perugia had walked into the Louvre, removed the famed painting from the wall, hid it beneath his clothes, and escaped.
The theft, somehow carried out in complete secrecy, left the entire nation of France is shock. There were many theories as to what could have happened to the priceless painting. Strangely, professional thieves were not on the list of suspects, because they would have realized that it would be too dangerous to try to sell the world’s most famous painting. I suppose that a private art collector might have hired a professional to steal it for a secret collection, but that didn’t seem to be the case. One theory, or 
rumor really, in Paris was that the Germans had stolen it to humiliate the French. I’m not sure that made any sense before either of the world wars, but I guess tensions between the nations could have been on the rise then.
For two years, investigators and detectives searched for the painting without finding any real leads. Then in November 1913, the thief mad his first move…the one that would eventually bring his doom. Italian art dealer Alfredo Geri received a letter from a man calling himself Leonardo. It indicated that the Mona Lisa was in Florence and would be returned for a hefty ransom. Why he waited two years to ask for a ransom is beyond me, other than the fear of getting caught. The meet was set to pay the ransom, and when Perugia attempted to receive the ransom, he was captured. The painting was recovered, unharmed.
In a way, you could say that this was an inside job. Perugia knew his way around, and knew areas where the 
Louvre might be vulnerable. Perugia, a former employee of the Louvre, claimed that he had acted out of a patriotic duty to avenge Italy on behalf of Napoleon. That claim was disproven when prior robbery convictions and Perugia’s diary, with a list of art collectors, caused most people to believe that he had acted solely out of greed. Perugia served seven months of a one-year sentence and later served in the Italian army during the First World War. The Mona Lisa is back in the Louvre, where improved security measures are now in place to protect it. I guess that one good thing came of the theft…better security. Of course, that might have come with technological advances anyway.
