Reddick Family Web

Nobility, Humility, Loyalty

Caprock overnight

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Sometimes even a simple overnight camp out can be a challenge.

Aiden Faulkner, Grandpa Randy, Davis Hindson at Caprock Canyon July 21, 2009
Aiden Faulkner, Grandpa Randy, Davis Hindson at Caprock Canyon July 21, 2009

Grandson Davis Hindson spent July with us, and we had plotted an overnight camp out at Caprock Canyons State Park just for the boys. So we loaded Davis, Aiden, Grandpa and Jake into the Element right after lunch on Monday, July 20. The trip to the canyon was interrupted only by a half hour construction delay south of Floydada.

We registered for a camp site, and enjoyed the drive into the park, taking in red cliffs over the green vegetation. When we reached the Little Red campground, someone else already occupied our favorite site; so we had to do a little scouting around. We found a fine place and proceeded to set up camp.

By the time we had the tent up we were feeling the 104 degree temperature. We could tell by impressions in the campsite sand and by the nearby creek beds that it had rained recently. We built four lizard catchers and set out to see what we might find. Jake almost caught one, but the little guys were just to active and too fast.

I spent a fair amount of time examining crystals in the soil and studying the flora. On one slope I found what I had thought was peyote cactus (Lophophora), because its form and habit resembled a photo I had seen in the 60s. I now doubt that conclusion, but the plant was in blossom and was interesting.

As the afternoon wore on, we all became somewhat enervated, and vainly sought relief from the heat in the shade. At night we all slept on top of our sleeping bags.

We had gone to bed without putting the rain fly on the tent, but lightning some time after midnight inspired Jake and me to put the rain fly in place, despite the warming effect it had on the inside of the tent.

Turned out to be a good thing. It wasn’t long before the thunderstorms came blowing and crashing through the canyon. The storm had more wind than rain, but enough moisture to get many things wet. And there was enough wind to blow around anything that wasn’t tied down.

Aiden and I went to Honey Flat to fill our water jugs, and then we had breakfast before breaking camp and looking for more lizards. We found more horseflies than we did lizards. Next year we may go earlier in the season!

Crossing the desert without a/c

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The prospect of crossing California, Arizona and New Mexico in a car without air conditioning or cruise control is bad enough, but this was forbidding.

We got to Paso Robles late Friday (May 15), and Paso set a temperature record Saturday (105) while we were digging in the yard. Our plans were to head east across the desert in Jake’s car (no air conditioning, no cruise control) on Tuesday. Sunday was not much cooler. Running through my head were thoughts like, if it’s this hot in Paso, what’s it going to be like in the Mojave?

Tuesday we left in two cars, headed back to Los Angeles for Linda’s birthday party and to return Ray’s car, which he had so graciously loaned us. It was cool and foggy in many places along the coast, but grew warmer as we crossed the Conejo Grade and followed 101 in toward Studio City.

The party was nice, and we said our good-byes, then headed east in Jake’s Civic. It was hot, but bearable. We made good time, and stopped at a couple of shopping centers near Barstow before grabbing a motel room at the west extremity of I-40. Needles, through which we would drive on Wednesday, was 99 degrees at 9 p.m.

The forecast was for scattered showers between Flagstaff and Gallup. That’s exactly what we encountered. By the time we reached Williams (Ariz.), skies were overcast and threatening. The temperature fell into the 80s. Relief.

As it turned out, we had showers on and off from just east of Williams all the way through Grants (NM).  Temperatures generally were in the upper 70s and low 80s. The first rain smelled glorious, and we enjoyed mild temperatures the rest of the trip.

We got back into Lubbock Thursday evening in time to pick up the dog, bring in the mail and round up the lawn mower before dark. It’s nice to be back home, and we are grateful the trip went so smoothly.

Jake and Ani’s Trip to the Mojave

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We just got back from a Desert Field Studies Center in the Mojave Desert. We went there as a class for Cuesta College and had a blast!!! We started off the trip by meeting at Cuesta College at 6:30 am on Thursday April 30th. That means we had to get up at 5:00 am. Yikes!

First Gila Monster reported in the area for decades.
First Gila Monster reported in the area for decades.

Good thing our bags were packed and we were ready for the adventure. It took about 5 hours to get there with various stops on the way to see Joshua trees and Juniper trees. We already knew about those Junipers!

After arriving at the Center we got our room assignments, unpacked, and then were off to dinner. After dinner we had a lecture and then off to astronomy. We observed the Moon and Saturn including the rings that night. It was so awesome and really interesting!

Friday was a full and fun day. On Friday we went to the Lava Wash and hunted lizards. On the way to the wash we spotted a Desert Tortoise on the side of the road. It was about 8 inches long and estimated to be 20 years old. When we got to the site we started out lizard hunting. This entailed tieing a slip knot with dental floss at the end of a car antenna and catching all you could find. Neither Jake nor I caught any that day, but we had so much fun trying. After all was caught, we observed them and documented our findings.

Here we are upon arrival at the Desert Studies Center
Here we are upon arrival at the Desert Studies Center

After lizard hunting we came back to camp and had another lecture about desert fish and then off to dinner. After dinner, and when it was dark enough, we were off to scorpion hunting. Jake and I each had our black lights, which when shined on a scorpion will cause it to become florescent. That was fun until my shoe got caught in some barbed wire. I couldn’t see, and it ripped the front part of my shoe. Im just lucky it wasn’t my leg!

Saturday was our absolute favorite. Jake and I and our class woke up very early and we were off to the Kelso Dunes. Once there, we loaded up on water, our lizard nooses, and sunscreen (which I seemed to forget) and were on our way up the dunes. It was 1.5 miles to the top and 700 ft up – in sand. Jake caught a Leopard Lizard on the way up. He noosed it, and then wrestled it to the ground. Maybe not that extreme but it was a big lizard and it was quite the sight. We continued on our way and it was getting harder and harder for me.

I wanted to quit several times but Jake was there cheering and encouraging me on. Did I mention how wonderful he is? We both made it to the top and what an experience it was! Seeing the 360 degree view of the dunes was breathtaking. I would do it again! We also saw another tortoise at the dunes. After the dunes we visited the Vulcan Mines. It was awesome to see all the Iron filled rocks.

On our way back from that we see our instructor slam on his brakes and pull over to the side of the road (we saw this with the first desert tortoise). We assumed it was a large snake or something. We all get out and it was a Gila Monster. This was awesome because there have been no Gila Monster sightings recorded in 40 years.

Our instructor, who specialized in Herpetology, was in a state of euphoria. It brought him to tears. It was so incredible to see. We came home today after a 5 hour car ride. I would do it again in a second. We both learned so much about the desert life and would love to learn more in the future. Here are the photos from our trip. Hope you enjoy them!

The blessing of friends

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My daddy was fond of saying “friends are your most valuable possessions.” I always had trouble thinking of friends as possessions, but I understood the principle. This week (April 6-10), I gained a new appreciation of my daddy’s aphorism.

One of our students secured a summer internship with the Today Show in New York. His plan was to fly to New York on Easter weekend and look for an apartment. He asked if I knew anything about housing in New York.

Enter Sandi. Sandi Bachom. A classmate at Harbor High whom I have not seen in more than 45 years. 

Sandi Bachom, NHHS grad, producer, filmmaker, digital activist
Sandi Bachom, NHHS grad, producer, filmmaker, digital activist

Sandi lives in New York and clearly loves New York and New Yorkers. She wanders streets, subways and Times Square filming the life of New York, measuring its pulse, capturing its atman.

We are at this point in life e-mail buddies and Facebook Friends who share much history. Could she help Bruce? I asked.

Within an hour she had word out to a number of girl friends in her circle, explaining the situation and the need. The outcome? Bruce is sharing an apartment with an older woman for the summer. He is only a couple blocks from NBC. 

Praise the Lord for friends.

A hymn and a court of honor

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I know that “America the Beautiful” has been in our hymn books as long as I can remember, but I don’t think I’ve ever really thought of it as a hymn to God. After all, it is stuck at the back of the hymn book (#338) with the likes of the “Star Spangled Banner” (#340) and “God Save the King” (#341), and we tend to dust it off in summer and forget abut it the rest of the year.

So that song’s status as a hymn has just not impressed itself on my mind and heart, the way say “I Stand All Amazed” has and does.

That is, not until Tuesday evening.

Immediately following the invocation at her nephew’s Eagle Scout court of honor AnnaLisa Stratton sang the hymn, solo and a capella. Her rendering of the hymn – all four verses – was as much a prayer as the invocation offered by her brother-in-law, Lance. He had prayed, among other things, for a spirit of patriotism to be felt by those present.

When AnnaLisa concluded “America the Beautiful,” there was a silence and a discernible spirit of God and country so strong, that for several seconds no one moved (if they even breathed) until Eagle Candidate Cameron Nettle’s soccer coach Donny Matticks started clapping and urged all to join. 

The Nettles: Zachary, Shelley, Cameron and Steve
The Nettles: Zachary, Shelley, Cameron and Steve

That spirit tangibly invoked the theme of Cameron’s court of honor. It is a theme expressed in the Scout Oath, which begins “On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country….”

On the patriot side of things, Cameron’s uncle Scott, a fighter squadron commander in the U.S. Air Force and himself an Eagle Scout, recited the oath as he spoke of God and country and of leadership. 

The Oath also speaks of helping other people and of obeying the Scout Law, a collection of 12 principles to guide moral behavior. Cameron’s grandfather, Lorum Stratton, himself a former Scoutmaster, gave a demonstration on the Scout Law. Aided by six Scouts in his demonstration, Grandpa Stratton identified in Cameron’s life 12 men who exemplified each one of those virtues until all 12 virtues were described.

Cameron’s high school soccer coach spoke of Cameron’s leadership and teachability.  Another of Cameron’s uncles – Jess Karren, who was cited by Grandpa Stratton as an exemplar of bravery in his service as a peace officer – provided the benediction.

It was a lovely way to spend an hour or so of a Tuesday evening, and inspired gratitude for the blessings of God, of this nation, and of the Boy Scouts of America.