The Humanitarian Service Room

On Wednesday evening last, the Wilcox & Plyer Families spent an evening at the Humanitarian Service Room in the Murray Deseret Industries building. Dustin couldn't go because he had PJ and nobody under 12 is allowed in. That left JoAnn, Senta, Burke, Richie, Greg, and me to carry the load. It all began when JoAnn asked me to look for some kind of service project we could do as a family over the holidays when Richie was here.

After a few calls, I found out that a few of the DI's (with more to come) have what is called a Humanitarian Service Room. They are open during the day and volunteers can walk in and participate. They are open some evenings by appointment. We made an appointment and went in the evening. We were the only ones in the service room which is good since it wasn't all that big. As for the service we provided, Richie and Burke worked on sanitation kits, Greg and Senta worked on the sergers, and JoAnn and I worked on sewing machines, stitching together the pieces serged by Greg and Senta, into book bags. The bag I sewed together didn't look quite as nice as this one, but the Sister who was helping us said she had never seem someone who hadn't done it before, come in and finish a bag in one evening. I actually finished one and parts of two others! JoAnn also brought home the materials for a couple of crib quilts that we will be working on over the holidays.

Those of you who are asking what on earth were they thinking assigning me to a sewing machine should know that I do have some experience. Many, many years ago, I ordered a coat from a company that sent all the pieces to you and you had to sew it. I thought it would be a good experience for me to sew a coat. And I did, and it turned out OK. So everyone had a fun, fulfilling evening where we did something (even just a small something) for someone else and we all felt good about it. We'll probably go again to the West Jordan store when they get their HSR opened up and running.

Unfortunately, there are no photos for this post. I told myself I would take a camera and just as we were pulling out of the parking lot after we were finished, I remembered the camera. Doh!

Thirty First Year

When I went to work on Monday, December 1, 2008, it was the first day of my thirty first year working for the same agency. Known then as the Division of State Lands and Forestry, it is now the School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration. Given this momentous occasion, I thought I would some post some information and photos on this blog to document some of the people I work with and the way things look at SITLA.


This is a panoramic photo of the "Public Room" so-called because this is where the public comes to look at our records (click on the photo to get a better view). The books you see lining the walls contain copies of state land records dating from statehood. There are copies of all the Certificates of Sale and Patents issued, ownership plat books, mineral lease records, and copies of the original surveys of the entire state. Oh yeah, the handsome guy at the desk is Michael.



This is a panoramic shot of my cubicle. It may look messy to the untrained eye but I know where everything is (unless I forgot about it and then it doesn't matter). To the knowledgeable bureaucrat, it may appear that my office is somewhat larger than the typical 10 X 10 regulation size. Several years ago, in an office reorganization, Gary and I ended up with an empty office between us. So one Saturday, we took our tools and went to work and made two offices out of three.



This is my boss, Kim Christy. He's a good guy, really. When he meets someone, it's only a matter of minutes before he has assigned them a nickname and put their phone number in his blackberry. I remember meeting him a couple of years before he started working for us and thinking "I don't trust anyone that friendly".






These guys, members of the "Drinkmobile" all, from top to bottom are: Kurt Higgins, Industrial Lease Administrator, Ute fan, and world traveler; Daran Baggs, the computer guy, painted pumpkin distributor, and inveterate mountain climber; Gary Bagley, Telecommunication Lease Administrator, BYU fan, and founder of the "Drinkmobile". The "Drinkmobile" leaves the office most days between 9 AM and 10 AM and heads for the local Maverik where we fill our cups with liquid refreshment.


This is Adam Robison, the Agency Forester and Cary Zielinsky, Contract Forester. I manage the Forestry Program because nobody else would take it and I got stuck with it. I'm now quite glad it happened that way. I've learned a lot and have been able to spend some time in the woods with a couple of guys who can operate any piece of machinery at light speed, build anything, and fix anything. Cary is even an inventor; check it out. Amazing guys.



From top to bottom, this is Diane Durrant, who was my secretary for a number of years and who now keeps the sales program running smooth, and Linda Bianchi who helps me through the red-tape all bureaucrats have to live with.

So there you have. Just a small sample of the people I work with and the things they do. If they weren't all so great, I wouldn't be looking forward to my next 30 years. OK, maybe 6 or 7 more years.

Thanksgiving 2008

Thanksgiving this year was at Mimi's Restaurant. The food was not nearly as good as home cooked but the cleanup was so much easier. After dinner, we went to see Australia the movie. It was OK but I think Nicole Kidman has done something weird with her lips. They don't look normal. After the movie, we went over to Senta's for pie and Guitar Hero. Burke has quite the setup, one person can sing, two can play guitar and/or bass, and one can play the drums. As you can see here, Parker looks like he is going to be a drummer like his dad. To everyone who reads this, thank you for your love and friendship!

The Pumpkin Part of Halloween

The first two photos are of Parker and Senta's pumpkin creating night. Senta had been to a Plyer family party the night before and they had a lot of colored, sticky styrofoam stuff that they cut out and stuck on the pumpkins. The features are all Parker's decision. The next couple are of the real pumpkin carving a couple of days later. As we were getting ready, laying down the paper, getting the carving tools and sitting on the floor, Parker walked over and said " what doing guys?" We all got a chuckle out of that. The last photo is of the newly carved pumpkin with a lit interior candle on the front porch looking scary.

The Miracle Rod

Many years ago, I was browsing through the junk at State Surplus. Near the door, there was a garbage can full of confiscated rods and reels. Gary Bagley and I were looking through these poles and I noticed a G Loomis rod with a Daiwa reel. I didn't know too much about fishing equipment, but I knew G Loomis was a very good brand. I bought the pair for $15.00 and took them home. Richie was fascinated with the rod and reel and was bound and determined to find what they were worth. He searched catalogue after catalogue. Finally he came in the room smiling and told me the rod was worth $150.00 and the reel was worth $100.00. Needless to say, I was amazed. Several years later,I took Greg fishing at a small reservoir on Cove Mountain above Annabella known as Anabella Reservoir. We were in a small raft and it was a windy day. We weren't catching anything and the raft was filling with water so we decided to leave. Greg was using the G Loomis rod with a cheap reel on that particular day. We we got to shore, to our horror, we noticed that the rod had fallen out of the raft. We went back out to see if we could find it on the bottom (it is a fairly shallow lake) to no avail. The very next year, I again took Greg fishing on Annabella Reservoir (the reservoir has a large population of freshwater shrimp which makes the flesh of the fish bright orange and as the water lake gets lower in the fall, the fish are fairly large and easy to catch). This time, we had Lou Brown with us and a decent boat. I was using a fly and a bubble and Greg was using a spinner. We had been fishing for an hour or so when Greg hooked into what we thought was a fairly good fish. As he reeled it in, it became apparent that it wasn't a fish, it was the G Loomis. That was a good fishing trip.

Pumpkin Patch

Last Thursday, we (me, JoAnn, and Senta) took Parker to a pumkin patch in South Jordan to pick the perfect pumpkin. After giving Parker a ride in a wheelbarrow, he choose a rather sad looking pumpkin (look for it carved in my next blog). The thing is, we moved it around next to other better looking ones but he always choose the same one. Anyway, it was a nice evening in the pumpkin patch. One regret I have is that I forgot my camera and had to use my cell phone. That is the reason for the less than HD photos.

Colonoscopy or "Hello, Mr. Hose"

Well, this last week I visited my friendly gastroenterologist for my 2nd colonoscopy (go ahead, I dare you to click on the link). I won't bore you with the details, but the Dr. told me I don't have to go back for 10 years! That is good news.

Parker and Trey

I finally learned how to get photos from my phone to the computer. I don't know if it is the best way but I just email them to myself and then save them. The phone lady at work will probably have a heart attack when she sees the bill but oh well. These photos are of Parker and Trey Dukatz. . Their birthdays are only a few months apart and they are BF in the WWW. They spend so much time together they are practically brothers. Parker is very lucky to have such a good friend at such a young age. By the way, I didn't take these photos with my phone, Dustin sent them to my phone.

La Sal Mountains Again

I think I've mentioned that my work takes me to the La Sal Mountains several times a year. These photos are from a trip this summer to inspect a couple of timber sales that are finishing up. We (SITLA) have an agreement with an excelsior mill in Colorado where we furnish them with at least a million board feet of aspen each year (they pay $10.50/ton). They use the aspen to make excelsior for use in erosion blankets. The harvesting of aspen is more important now because hundreds of acres of trees are dying due to the poplar beetle. If we can harvest it soon enough, the clones will sprout and in a couple of years, a beautiful replacement stand of aspen will be tall enough to escape the jaws of hungry cows, horses, elk, and deer. Click on a photo to get a better view.

Parkie and Nana

Sunday when Dustin and Parker came over, Parker was tired and cranky. He didn't want much to do with anyone. But Nana changed his mood by reading some books with him and then taking him outside to the sand box. This photo shows them in the hammock watching the planes fly over. It seems like they lower their landing gear directly overhead. The photo is blurry because they wouldn't stop swinging.

Sandbox

Another summer project almost finished (a few minor details remain)! A sandbox for Parker. He seemed to have fun in it and, since Daddy threw some sand at him, he promptly threw some sand on Daddy. It's not quite as big as the one we had in West Jordan (remember the "beach") but it'll do for a while.

The End of a Project

After about 5 years, my "brick walkway around the house" project recently came to an end. With the help of Richie and Greg, the last section was completed the first week in July. I'm here to tell you, those railroad ties are heavy!

Parker and the Dirty Dogs

It seems that Boomer and sometimes Sadie escape from the yard about once every couple of months. Two or three weeks ago, they both escaped and we spent the evening looking for them. Around 8 PM, a guy up by the firehouse called and said he had them. Dustin went up and got them and when they got back, the dogs appeared to have spent the day rolling in something unpleasant. Dustin volunteered to give them a bath and, like a real trooper, Parker lent his dad a hand.

Tough Place to do Business

One of the places I get to work is the La Sal Mountains of southeast Utah. Last year, Richie and I went down to help with some road work we had going. We saw some dinosaur tracks on the way and yes, that is Richie on the heavy equipment.

I haven't posted any photos of Parker in the last few weeks so I guess I will today. Like all kids, he likes the water and he had a lot of fun playing with the hose. These were taken before I had time to mow the crabgrass.

I was out irrigating yesterday at 6:30 AM and was delighted to see a flock of white-faced ibis land in the pasture, along with a pair of mallards who seem to think it is their home as evidenced by the drake's surprise attack on another pair who attempted to land. Anyway, I thought I'd post a couple of photos of the ibis as well as some other birds who have recently been spotted. There are photos of a turtle dove (probably escaped from someone's coop), lazuli buntings, northern (red-shafted flickers), white-crowned sparrows, and a bonus photo of our recently sheared sheep, the ewe can be identified by the numerous wounds on her body which were given first aid by JoAnn.

Science vs Religion

I've been reading the biography of Henry Eyring, a Nobel prize-class chemist who was also a very orthodox Mormon. The title of the book is "Mormon Scientist". One facet of the book that fascinates me is the discussion throughout about Dr. Eyring's ability to reconcile science and religion.

"I have been announced as a student of science. But I also like to think of myself as one who loves the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For me, there has been no serious difficulty in reconciling the principles of true science with the principles of true religion, for both are concerned with the eternal verities of the universe.
And yet there are many people, and particularly among our youth, who regard the field of science and the field of religion as two wholly different spheres, the one entirely separated from and unrelated to the other. In fact, there are those in both fields who have done themselves and the causes to which they give their interests a distinct disservice in teaching that the two are opposed and that they cannot be harmonized with each other."

As a scientist myself, MS in botany, BYU 1976, this subject is of great interest to me (OK, I was a scientist 30 years ago and not since, but I'm still interested in science).

"Henry argued that apparent conflicts between science and religion are the result of incomplete understanding, an inevitability given our modest intelligence relative to God's. In the case of the creation of man and the Earth, for instance, he recognized the incompleteness of both scientific and religious understanding of the complex processes involved. He was sure, though, that however man and the Earth were created, "God was at the helm."

Dr. Eyring wrote this response to a person who had written him about a scheme for "dismantling Evolution once and for all."

"As a devout Latter-Day Saint the important fact for me is that the Lord is directing the affairs in His Universe, not exactly how He does it. Whether or not some organic evolution was used or is operating seems to me to be beside the point. He is infinitely wise. I just work here. If He told me in detail how He works I'm sure I wouldn't understand much of it. The effort spent on the crusade you envision would be better spent trying to understand a little better how God works. Sorry if we see things a little differently."

When asked by one of his scientific colleagues who was also a member of the church, "How do you think it was?" referring to the apparent problems with evolution and early man, Dr. Eyring replied "I believe whichever way it turns out to have actually been."

In response to another letter from a crusader with a scheme to defend religion against science, Dr. Eyring wrote:

"We are not told who Adam's father was. To me the important thing is that Adam is the spirit child of God. He came into this world when he received a mortal body. The Fall consisted of becoming subject to death, and everyone born into the world is subject to death and so partakes of this fallen state with Adam. Finally, through the atonement we will all receive a resurrected body.

Whether Adam's father lived on this earth or somewhere else would seem of secondary importance to me. Adam was the one whom God recognized as presiding over the first dispensation and as such, with Eve, his wife, became our first parents.

If God did or did not use organic evolution to prepare the bodies to house His spirit children I remain unconcerned. I think the scientific evidence on organic evolution, like everything else, should stand or fall on its merits. Being trained as a geologist, it answers many otherwise difficult problems for me, and I find no conflict with it and the Gospel."

This attitude of Dr. Eyring's reminds me of something Hugh W. Nibley wrote in an essay entitled "Before Adam". Hugh Winder Nibley was one of Mormonism's most celebrated scholars. The following is a quote from that work.

Do not begrudge existence to creatures that looked like men long, long ago, nor deny them a place in God's affection or even a right to exaltation—for our scriptures allow them such. Nor am I overly concerned as to just when they might have lived, for their world is not our world. They have all gone away long before our people ever appeared. God assigned them their proper times and functions, as he has given me mine—a full-time job that admonishes me to remember his words to the overly eager Moses: "For mine own purpose have I made these things. Here is wisdom and it remaineth in me." (Moses 1:31.) It is Adam as my own parent who concerns me. When he walks onto the stage, then and only then the play begins. He opens a book and starts calling out names. They are the sons of Adam, who also qualify as sons of God, Adam himself being a son of God. This is the book of remembrance from which many have been blotted out. They have fallen away, refused to choose God as their father, and by so doing were registered in Satan's camp. "Satan shall be their father, and misery shall be their doom." (Moses 7:37.) Can we call them sons of Adam, bene-Adam, human beings proper? The representative Egyptians, Babylonians, Greeks, and Romans, to name only the classic civilizations of old, each fancied themselves to be beings of a higher nature, nearer to gods than others who inhabited the land with them (and before them), or who dwelt in other lands. And yet they did not deny humanity to them. Adam becomes Adam, a hominid becomes a man, when he starts keeping a record. What kind of record? A record of his ancestors—the family line that sets him off from all other creatures."

If you are worried about how new scientific discoveries (which seem to occur almost weekly) may or may not have a bearing on some aspect or other of the revealed Gospel, a good place to get information about scientific discoveries and their relationship to the Church is the Foundation for Apologetic Information & Research (FAIR). FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of LDS doctrine, belief and practice.

Another very interesting essay by Dr. Nibley is "Archaeology and Our Religion". The continuing debate of Science vs Religion, with the particular science debating religion being archaeology, is discussed, with archaeology (is it a science or an art?) coming out looking rather ragged.

A recent article in the Deseret News shows how a seemingly small discovery can change an entire scientific outlook. Who knows when the next discovery will occur? Who knows how the landscape of scientific knowledge will change?

Friday, April 4, 2008 Deseret News

Humans in N. America over 14,000 years ago WASHINGTON (AP) — New evidence shows humans lived in North America more than 14,000 years ago, 1,000 years earlier than had previously been known. Discovered in a cave in Oregon, fossil feces yielded DNA indicating these early residents were related to people living in Siberia and East Asia, according to a report in Thursday's online edition of the journal Science. "This is the first time we have been able to get dates that are undeniably human, and they are 1,000 years before Clovis," said Dennis L. Jenkins, a University of Oregon archaeologist, referring to the Clovis culture, well known for its unique spear-points that have been studied previously. Humans are widely believed to have arrived in North America from Asia over a land-bridge between Alaska and Siberia during a warmer period. A variety of dates has been proposed and some are in dispute.