tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102486922011-11-27T18:15:45.263-07:00One Smart and Funny Boy - Colter JacobJay H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16972029654958692307noreply@blogger.comBlogger2211100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-91034267122573919452009-07-29T21:12:00.006-06:002009-07-29T22:20:19.608-06:00

There's nothing as soothing and relaxing after a day of camping and hiking and driving as the sound of my boy falling asleep next to me in the tent. He's even done it in the middle of a sentence, just drifting off in mid-word. Colter and I spent three days in Yellowstone last weekend. That brings the total of nights he and I have slept on the ground this year to seven. Which beats 2008 by six.

Jay H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16972029654958692307noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-55409595205377395542009-06-15T11:35:00.004-06:002009-06-16T20:52:36.233-06:00

Colter and I were planning on camping on Saturday, but the weather didn't look like it would cooperate, so I began making a mental list of places we could go hiking around Bozeman, maybe hit the Bozeman Hot Springs on Sunday. While I was making breakfast, Colter asked, "can we hike up to the 'M' today, Dad?" I thought, why not? While we were coming down, I decided we were going camping no matter

Jay H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16972029654958692307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-90779631678977119512009-04-14T12:38:00.000-06:002009-04-14T12:38:52.911-06:00

Just a little bit of snow in the Gallatin Valley today. Took these on the way home to lunch. This is a mile south of Huffine on Cottonwood. Longhorn steers in the left of the closeup.

Jay H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16972029654958692307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-60054014428755174302009-03-26T17:40:00.003-06:002009-03-26T17:47:59.652-06:00

In the interest of fairness, I feel I should post this correction that was e-mailed to me this evening from (Name):Subj: Try Facts Next TimeNot your made up story...first of all, I've never been on Yahoo personals, Jay. It was Match. Not that it's a big deal...but if you are going to blab all over your blog, then at least get the facts right. And speaking of that...the fact that we lived so far

Jay H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16972029654958692307noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-91665148693761678502009-03-24T19:29:00.002-06:002009-03-24T19:59:22.558-06:00

If you read my previous post this morning, you know that I was having a discussion about how different Facebook users who aren't on Twitter are different from those who are. (Name) sent me an e-mail this evening in response to the post:So I was just going through my bookmarks, deleting ones I never use. I came across your Colter's Blog. Just for kicks, I clicked on it. To my surprise, you created

Jay H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16972029654958692307noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-70214083937911027362009-03-24T06:15:00.005-06:002009-03-24T06:53:31.134-06:00

I've been going back and forth the last two days with a friend of mine on Facebook about sending my Twitter feed to Facebook. Every time I post on Twitter (provided it's not an @ reply to someone), it goes to Facebook as a status update. I've made no bones about who I will and who I won't "friend" on Facebook. Of the 66 I do follow, only 17 aren't on Twitter (that I know of). Those 17 likely have

Jay H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16972029654958692307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-1877862801227789802009-03-07T20:56:00.003-07:002009-03-08T00:32:19.141-07:00

I've been catching some (good-natured) flack for the following post I made on Twitter: Have you been drinking tonight? "Make sure to turn your clocks BACK one hour tonight! Get an extra hour of sleep! BACK one hour."I've gotten responses like:donthorp@JayHMT you're gonna mess up a lot of messed up people. Good Job!QueenofSpain@JayHMT now that's just mean Jay. lolgoaliemom31@JayHMT LOL!wrytir@

Jay H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16972029654958692307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-44895807486216266242009-02-13T13:00:00.005-07:002009-02-13T13:16:20.946-07:00

In a fit of creative passion, I decided to put together a terrific recipe that I could make that would make about six servings, and therefore, I could eat it all weekend long!Not really. I went to Costco Wednesday, got a rotiserrie chicken, and after eating just the drumsticks and half a breast, I'm making a dish I got from Lawry's.Santa Fe Casserole BakePrep Time: 10min  Cooking Time: 20min  

Jay H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16972029654958692307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-68511456322309598012009-01-10T13:27:00.004-07:002009-01-10T13:56:58.943-07:00

When we moved to Bozeman in April, 2000, we needed to find daycare for Colter that didn't consist of me being a stay-at-home-dad or bringing him to Grandma Sue's. His mom did the searching and found a wonderful place called The Children's Place.  Colter took a few days to get used to it, but began to flourish as they recognized how smart my little guy is. The hardest part actually had more to do

Jay H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16972029654958692307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-40789247933851246152008-11-17T18:13:00.000-07:002008-11-17T18:13:22.512-07:00

This morning when I dropped Colter off at pre-school, it marked the end of our longest consecutive-day-spent-together streak. He was with me for seven(!) consecutive days. Momma took a little vacation herself after I got back from Boston. We've never spent more then five days together in a row since the separation last year. I'm not complaining, mind you, we had a great time together. It's just

Jay H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16972029654958692307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-28934958478726154522008-10-26T19:47:00.003-06:002008-10-26T19:55:20.994-06:00

Yellowstone's roads will the be closed on November 4th, so I thought I would take the chance to take my last available weekend to go to the park. One of the best things about this time of year is the crowds. As in, there are none. It's you and about six other people. No crowding, no traffic snarls. Just you and the animals. Except I saw almost nothing today. Nada. Not one wolf in Lamar Valley, no

Jay H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16972029654958692307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-23206489412820404102008-10-19T16:47:00.002-06:002008-10-19T16:51:39.084-06:00

All of the pictures from our hike up the Middle Cottonwood Creek trail in this slideshow are from Colter's perspective. You can see the album here.

Jay H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16972029654958692307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-69594968483455076142008-10-19T16:44:00.003-06:002008-10-21T13:43:32.941-06:00

All of the pictures from our hike up the Middle Cottonwood Creek trail, were taken by me. You can find the album here.

Jay H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16972029654958692307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-13069645077698799802008-10-19T16:28:00.000-06:002008-10-19T16:28:15.380-06:00

Abandoned homestead in the Gallatin Valley, north of Bozeman. Bridger Mountains in the background.

Jay H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16972029654958692307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-63317616293000052112008-10-18T16:51:00.002-06:002008-10-18T17:12:55.061-06:00

This time of year, in Bozeman, you have to assume every day that's fairly warm and with sunshine is the very last warm day of the year. After last weekend's 30-degree temps and three-plus inches of snow, I didn't want to take any chances of this day going to waste. We were on our way to the car for Colter's swim lessons, when he commented on what a beautiful morning it was. I agreed and told him

Jay H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16972029654958692307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-90958112808168224582008-10-11T09:44:00.004-06:002008-10-11T10:06:36.179-06:00

...since our last snowfall in Bozeman. These pictures are a real good example of why I don't want to leave the house today. The snow started late last night and as of 9:45am, it's still going strong, and expected to continue through Sunday. Honestly, I'm surprised it took this long for us to get snow in the valley. The mountains have gotten snow already, four or five times, in fact. It's only 67

Jay H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16972029654958692307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-85426459393469113352008-08-31T20:19:00.003-06:002008-08-31T20:23:47.459-06:00

Just got off the phone with the Ex. She and Colter have been in Minneapolis since Wednesday. They've hit the half-way point on their way home (Bismarck, ND), and Colter called to say good night. I told Colter to give me a call when they got home tomorrow. Colter's always been more of a Momma's boy, and I didn't expect him to say yes, but this surprised me, and I could hear Ex laughing loudly in

Jay H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16972029654958692307noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-83722053891594137292008-08-31T11:21:00.002-06:002008-08-31T11:34:49.203-06:00

Jay H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16972029654958692307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-59287885671463823162008-08-27T09:07:00.002-06:002008-08-27T09:15:33.565-06:00

Now that was tough. Colter and his momma are going to Minneapolis today. So I let him sleep in my bed the last two nights. The alarm went off at its usual time this morning, but since I was already cuddling with him, I hit snooze. Then again. And one more time. I couldn't let him leave my arms. After three "snoozes" we finally got up, I got him breakfast to eat while I showered. Made sure he had

Jay H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16972029654958692307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-8301877071021598162008-08-24T13:25:00.004-06:002008-08-24T13:52:23.275-06:00

I finally made a trip to Bannack. Bannack is a well-preserved ghost town in Montana. In fact, it was Montana's first territorial capital. It was a two hour drive, and took about two hours to tour the town. Then, faced with so much time on my hands, I decided I should probably drive to Idaho. I went south of Bannack to Lemhi Pass. I went over the pass and came into Idaho about 19 miles south of

Jay H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16972029654958692307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-17230466034537873042008-08-13T22:43:00.005-06:002008-08-13T23:01:47.806-06:00

It bothers me considerably that my boy will grow up in a world where things like Rocky & Bullwinkle, Bugs Bunny & Daffy Duck, Yogi Bear and even Gilligan aren't on. Oh sure, some are buried in "Gold Package" cable plans available only with the digital converter boxes, or the most expensive satellite plans. But unless you spring for the DVDs and actually *gasp* put them in, they're just not there

Jay H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16972029654958692307noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-28265136374058882342008-08-12T20:56:00.004-06:002008-08-12T21:15:18.488-06:00

A couple of weeks ago when the earthquake hit southern California, I happened to be on Twitter at the time, and I knew there was one when all the tweets suddenly said "holy shit, earthquake!", "I think we just had an earthquake" and "Was that an earthquake?"The first time I lived in Bozeman, I slept through an earthquake. "In Bozeman?", you say. Well yeah, we're only 80 miles or so north of

Jay H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16972029654958692307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-6774124007449406622008-08-11T20:31:00.003-06:002008-08-11T20:45:04.928-06:00

My biggest problem with writing is that ideas don't strike me if or when I'm sitting down at the computer. They strike me in the shower, on the way home from work, while I'm trying to back-time into CBS news during the 8am hour on the Dave Visscher Radio Show with Dean Alexander (plug), or strolling the aisles at Target.Luckily, I have my iPod Touch, so some times I'm able to jot notes down on

Jay H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16972029654958692307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-21386795668296448592008-08-10T22:02:00.004-06:002008-08-11T21:27:09.520-06:00

Yesterday, Colter and mom were supposed to hike the the "M." Due to a race being run ALONG THE TOP of the Bridger Mountains, they couldn't do it (they will next Saturday). So I promised my little mountain man we'd go on a hike today. Dug into my "Dayhikes in Bozeman" book and found a 4.25 mile trail that led to an overlook.Here we are at the summit, eating our lunch: a peanut buttered bagel and

Jay H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16972029654958692307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-15194513132044145762008-08-06T19:33:00.003-06:002008-08-06T20:09:31.318-06:00

I got this from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune years ago. When I made it about six months ago, I went to my favorite grocery store and was told by the girl at the deli, that "they don't make American Cheese in bulk. I know, I've worked here for years." I told her I'd made this dish four or five times, so I know it exists. She was stubborn. "Nope." So I went down the street and got it. Bitch.CRUSTY

Jay H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16972029654958692307noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-88500828381459236032008-07-31T22:52:00.004-06:002008-07-31T23:24:59.961-06:00

I turned 40 today. No biggie. Just a number. But I have an incredible amount of friends on Twitter that made it a wonderful birthday. Nick asked me if I was 29 again, like he was for the 8th year. My immediate response was "Nahh...I'm taking 40 and OWNING it, cuz I think I'm still pretty fuckin' hot. LOL Got me plenty o' years left." And it's true. The number means nothing to me. It means

Jay H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16972029654958692307noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-12552972586044115102008-07-31T22:46:00.001-06:002008-07-31T22:48:39.693-06:00

I woke up a little early this morning after I heard a tiny cough outside my door. I figured Colter was up early, so I might as well join him. I peeked out of my bedroom and saw this, Colter asleep on the couch...again. My first thought was that he had another accident. I woke him and asked him why he was on the couch, and got the same answer as last time, "my bed was uncomfortable.""Did you have

Jay H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16972029654958692307noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-7192639950171721122008-07-30T21:08:00.000-06:002008-07-30T21:08:21.275-06:00

That's where we went for supper tonight. Blocked-off Main Street with dozens of tents with food vendors. Three bands rocking at various points on Main. Lots of people, and lots of food to choose from. For Colter's birthday, after a successful hike, I took him for his first A&W. Apparently I awakened a sleeping beast. He now has a taste for hamburgers. This is all he kept asking for at the Taste

Jay H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16972029654958692307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-61993665080051299802008-07-30T20:59:00.000-06:002008-07-30T20:59:41.083-06:00

I knew he'd be able to find some place to use his considerable talents. He already has a driver: Me. And he know how to work a pretty mean mic. It's in his blood, what can I say. Grampa Elroy was a jock for years, his dad was on the air for 10 (Dad and I even went to the same radio school in Minneapolis), and now it's his turn.Noooooooooo! You can do SO much better!

Jay H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16972029654958692307noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-51322931828652165312008-07-30T20:50:00.000-06:002008-07-30T20:50:42.442-06:00

Some day I hope to be as famous as Empty Case.

Jay H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16972029654958692307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-64749832084866404582008-07-30T20:48:00.000-06:002008-07-30T20:48:48.176-06:00

There are so many of my friends on Twitter that I thought of when I saw this wine a few weeks ago. And...uh, you know I mean that in the most touching, endearing way, right? 'Cuz I know you like wine. Uh, cuz someone once mentioned Grenache. Um...I was talking about guys, like Pete, Nick and Jonathan. Yeah.*ouch*dammit, that hurt...

Jay H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16972029654958692307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-70700024480780668372008-07-30T07:23:00.004-06:002008-07-30T13:21:20.056-06:00

Many of you know what I do for a living and some know that it entails essentially being on call 24 hours a day, much like a doctor. Even if no one is at the stations, if there's a problem, the computer will call me to tell me one of the transmitters is off air, or even if there's a problem with readings. My ears are very sensitive to the phone, no matter how deep a sleep I'm in. Not more than 10

Jay H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16972029654958692307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-26961821098374566722008-07-27T10:16:00.003-06:002008-07-27T10:23:21.599-06:00

So maybe this explains why I was able to build a fishing pole and a shopping cart in record time (and why my hands were shaking so much when I was "engineering"). I got his from my friend, Faith, who achieved levels of goddess-hood. Of course, she has had all of her blood replaced with caffeine, so it's not surprising. My caffeine/poison of choice is Red Bull. Next time I'll take the test after

Jay H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16972029654958692307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-80094754896832702742008-07-27T10:08:00.001-06:002008-07-27T10:14:35.184-06:00

"Daddy, can you make me a fishing pole?""Sure!" That one was easy."How about a Mini Cooper?""uh..." I tried my best, but we ended up with a shopping cart instead.

Jay H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16972029654958692307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-89876893105833216632008-07-26T09:05:00.003-06:002008-07-26T09:18:59.627-06:00

I don't recall ever really having a problem with bed wetting when I was a toddler or preschooler. I still vividly recall, however the time a friend slept over in the 3rd grade and I wet the hide-a-bed we were sharing. "Do you feel that?" "Yeah." "Sorry." "It's ok." I never got teased about it at school, so he obviously kept it a secret.Colter shares one particular "gene" with his mom, and that's

Jay H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16972029654958692307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-18401507748896095292008-07-26T09:02:00.000-06:002008-07-26T09:02:50.054-06:00

"What do you want for breakfast?""Pancake! Can I eat oustide this morning?""Sure, tell you what, how about after I cut your pancake, I put it in a little bowl, so it doesn't slide off like it did last time?""Huh. That's a very clever idea. I think that'll work."

Jay H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16972029654958692307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-73069279666169522442008-07-24T22:38:00.000-06:002008-07-24T22:38:58.752-06:00

Look real close. Looks like Colter and Sam I Am had breakfast together.

Jay H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/16972029654958692307noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-26906769354602965912008-07-24T21:14:00.004-06:002008-07-24T21:25:00.042-06:00

He's already doing pretty well with the ladies his age, now he's learning to woo others with words. Last week at Gramma's:"How old are you Gramma?""65.""You don't look 65."On the other hand, he seems to have inherited my smart-ass streak as well. Gramma tried to be funny and tell a joke. Here's his reply:"I have a joke for you, Colter. What do you call giving a bison money?""What?""A buffa-loan!

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-76525979504238137732008-07-17T13:16:00.004-06:002008-07-24T20:32:48.402-06:00

...but that just his opinion. When his daycare has field trips, Colter's friends spell out words they see and ask him what they mean. And he knows almost every one of them according to his teachers. I have decided that there's no need for me to save for retirement. This boy's gonna be so smart, that he'll be able to support his old man (well, I can dream, right?). Hell, I figure at the rate he's

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-64867246659897689392008-07-01T23:14:00.000-06:002008-07-01T23:15:02.052-06:00

Colter being surrounded by beautiful women that is. This is Liza and Sada helping Colter open presents and eat worms in mud. Below is Colter and his best friend, Brynn. These two are inseperable. "Hey Colter..." "Brynnie, come here..."

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-75999351794886973122008-07-01T23:04:00.001-06:002008-07-01T23:09:50.726-06:00

Where you live might be pretty. This is what the ride to Gramma's house looks like.

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-42299807751375746072008-06-28T20:10:00.002-06:002008-06-28T21:00:37.765-06:00

Colter and I having a discussion after his bath this evening:Me: We need to get you a robe that ties around your waist.C: You mean like Mama's?Me: Yes, this one's too old now.C: How come you don't have a bathrobe?Me: Because I get out of the bath and zip-zip-zip, I'm dry. Momma lounges in hers and takes her time putting on her makeup, drying her hair, and getting ready for work.C: Mommies take a

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-58702603334552830442008-06-28T20:01:00.001-06:002008-06-28T20:02:02.998-06:00

From earlier today:Colter: When are we gonna move?ME: When you get a job and can help me pay the rent on a bigger placeColter: I don't exactly know how to spell.At least he's realistic.

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-25197969543907056042008-06-28T08:59:00.000-06:002008-06-28T08:59:29.580-06:00

Colter and I enjoying a beautiful Saturday morning on the deck. Filling him up with a big breakfast before his birthday party this afternoon.

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-39844225815599775752008-06-27T15:06:00.007-06:002008-06-27T15:30:47.334-06:00

Dear MySpace,I think it's time we went our separate ways. We never spend any together any more, before you ask, yes, I've met someone else. Her name is Twitter. We met back in February, and we've gotten along really well, and although, the last few weeks have been a little rough (she can sometimes be a little unstable), we are sticking together and we'll get through the rough patches together.

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-2972267437159490152008-06-27T09:36:00.001-06:002008-06-27T09:38:03.853-06:00

Colter and I in the car a couple of days ago. Colter asks me for something:Me: How could I say no to you when you asked me so nicely?Colter: I don't know who could say no to me.

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-22205893548942655842008-06-26T08:06:00.002-06:002008-06-26T08:22:44.343-06:00

In radio, if a record label gives you money to play a record, and you don't tell the public, it's payola and very much illegal. If I'm on a remote and someone brings me free food, like I got yesterday from WokKee Mountain Kitchens in Big Sky, it's called plugola. I say, "hey, (blank) brought me some food, and this is great stuff! Go visit them, you'll enjoy it!" (luckily, this happens quite a bit

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-19678616924924891622008-06-24T15:12:00.002-06:002008-06-24T15:14:29.352-06:00

I realized this morning as I was staring at the amazing amount of gray showing up in my goatee that I didn't seem to be losing much weight with all the bike riding I've been doing instead of driving around town. Then I realized it's probably because my caloric intake hasn't gone down. I get hungry from the bike ride home from work and begin to eat like a pig. On the up side, I'm gonna have some

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-11702074056668048122008-06-24T13:38:00.004-06:002008-06-24T13:58:33.395-06:00

I've been riding my bike to work in the afternoons as much as I can. If I have Colter in the morning, I'll go home for lunch and ride it back to work. Then, I'll pick up Colter on the bike if it's my turn. At first it was too damn cold to ride in the mornings, now it's getting to be too damn hot to ride during lunch.From my home to the radio stations, it's a 380' climb for four miles (five miles,

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-37279814297663064062008-06-22T12:45:00.003-06:002008-06-22T12:53:40.891-06:00

As far as I know, Colter's never eaten a hamburger before. I've tried tempting him when we would make burgers at home, but he'd take as big of a bite as he could of the bun without actually getting any meat. Today, out of the blue, I asked him if he wanted a cheeseburger for lunch. He said, "no, I don't want cheese on my burger." Waitaminnit, you mean you'd eat one without cheese? "Sure." We made

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-75315467304254383442008-06-21T17:19:00.002-06:002008-06-21T17:21:31.328-06:00

Look out. Got the blog up and running again. I can't believe it's been more than a year since the last time I put anything up here. Well, at least it didn't expire, or smell like rotten milk (although some of the writing later possibly could). No timetable on this, I'll just post in between tweets on Twitter, just whatever comes to mind and I can manage to get to a keyboard.

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-84048024849126878642007-05-23T18:33:00.000-06:002007-05-23T19:42:28.262-06:00

Now this is what we refer to as a "conifer" tree. There are approximately 500 kinds, most with needles for leaves. This one is what I like to call a "Mama" sized tree. The "Colter" sized trees are a tad smaller than this, the "Daddy" size are larger.

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-5558294289261170142007-05-02T09:31:00.000-06:002007-05-02T09:32:34.240-06:00

That's what Colter will holler out the back patio door while pointing to the mountain. If you click here, you can see the "M" from our bedroom window. If you click here, you can see what it looks like from the Google satellite. If you look below, you can see Colter actually touching the M. It's a helluva walk up, took a little over an hour. That's mostly because we wouldn't carry Colter on the

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-66339283433233323832007-04-26T21:10:00.000-06:002007-04-26T21:19:05.241-06:00

Well, he's been doing it at school, on occasion, for more than six months, and tonight he finally did it at home! Another sticker on the calendar to mark the occasion!(Don't worry, you'll not be subjected to any advancements in this particular field. This is the only photo I'll take. Promise.)

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-29375292302723626722007-04-19T21:34:00.000-06:002007-04-19T21:34:22.942-06:00

It's a trick. There are no stars in this picture. Only the moon and Venus.

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-59253747681685583942007-04-19T20:46:00.000-06:002007-04-19T20:50:08.015-06:00

In the Lamar Valley, there were a group of bison getting feisty with one another. I was sitting on the edge of the road, along with two other guys, across the Lamar River from these guys watching them knock heads. When they decided to cross the river, that's when we decided it wouldn't be too bad of an idea to mosey back to the cars.These are a little over-exposed because I was shooting into

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-37725173670334503392007-04-19T20:39:00.000-06:002007-04-19T20:39:10.123-06:00

This is one of those pictures where you're just going to have to take my word for it.In the Chronicle on Friday, they had a story about how the grizzlies were starting to wake up in the park, and since we had since quite a few in the area I was driving through, I had my hopes up to catch sight of one of those big beasties. No luck on the bears, but once again, terrific luck with wolves. Got to

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-47500605960620843692007-04-19T20:24:00.000-06:002007-04-19T20:25:25.888-06:00

When Jenn and Colter were in Minneapolis, I took a couple of trips, myself. The first weekend, I went to Yellowstone. The only road open is the one from Mammoth Hot Springs to Cooke City, Montana. Could not have had a better day, weather-wise. Near fifty and sunny most of the trip. This was just outside of Mammoth. Not a wolf, but a coyote. Taking his sweet time meandering across the field.

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-27086837761642349982007-04-19T20:09:00.000-06:002007-04-19T20:09:50.757-06:00

If there's one thing you can count on here, it's that you can never put away the snowbrush. It should always be left in the car. When we went to bed last night, it was raining a little. When we got up, there was about two inches of snow on the lawn (but the streets were clear). We had about four or five inches at the studio at the peak of the snowfall. By noon, there were green patches already

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-88194085591164791182007-04-19T19:52:00.000-06:002007-04-19T21:35:53.290-06:00

This is from last night. Again, no coaching or suggestions or anything said by me or Jenn. He was kind of singing the song as he started putting the letters together. We're slightly torn...my god, he can spell, already! I mean, he's spelled "house" now, based on how to spell mouse. He know "mom," "dad," and also "car." But on the other hand, could such a big phrase like Mickey Mouse, be done if

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-83224271851853895502007-04-19T19:45:00.000-06:002007-04-19T19:45:34.145-06:00

This is from Tuesday night. Colter managed to lose most of this set of letters before we left Minneapolis, but still loves to play with them anyway. He did figure out there were just enough letters to spell something, however. Neither Jenn nor I did anything to coach him on this. Jenn was washing dishes at the time and I was sitting at the table when he said out loud, "H, Woo, B, E, R. Colter

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-18746078451736197502007-04-19T19:21:00.000-06:002007-04-19T21:36:44.205-06:00

This is something Jenn drew, copying it out of an ABC book about Wyoming that we have. We also have the Montana book and gave Jackson Barnes the Minnesota book. North Dakota's book sucks, I mean, it's REALLY bad. That's the only reason Dawson doesn't have it. I read it at the bookstore and told Jenn I'd be embarrassed to give this to Dawson, because I wouldn't want Kev to read it to him and say,

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-77992034346990575982007-04-08T08:46:00.000-06:002007-04-08T08:46:33.642-06:00

Happy Easter from Colter! Grandma & Grandma and Grampa all sent cards and booty to put inside Colter's eggs, and he found them all! Of course, his first real Easter egg hunt brings about 8 pounds of candy for him to ingest along with all the nickels and pennies Momma got for the eggs and the quarters Grampa Elroy put in the eggs he sent. Don't worry, they're in separate bowls, he won't be

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-49277509789246318752007-04-04T20:53:00.000-06:002007-04-04T21:01:59.228-06:00

Now, don't let the title mislead you. Colter has been able to spell his first and last name, out loud, for almost a year. He can spell mom and dad out loud as well, and a very small handful of other words.Colter and I were drawing with colored pencils tonight when I saw that he did a 1 and a 2 on the paper. WOW! He very rarely decides to draw a 2, usually only 1's. That was only the start. When I

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-89465064712321279352007-03-12T13:38:00.000-06:002007-03-12T13:42:59.086-06:00

This is a picture of something that's not around here much anymore. Last weekend, we had about two feet of snow in the yard. Right now there a couple of spots where the sun can't get that's still harboring some snow, but with another day like today, there's not much left in the valley anywhere.It's 70 degrees right now.This is the view from the parking lot at KBOZ facing southwest.

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-5516045724335493312007-02-26T18:59:00.000-07:002007-02-26T18:59:39.132-07:00

You may remember here we wrote of feeding the ducks at MSU. A couple of weekends ago we went to the symphony(!) and afterwards, took a couple of loaves of bread we had been saving along with some buns to the duck ponds. I also brought some lettuce thinking that might be a treat for them. Turns out ducks don't like lettuce...or at least Romaine. The ducks at MSU have no fear of humans.

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-47910535713051302792007-02-26T18:51:00.000-07:002007-02-26T18:52:06.472-07:00

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-77743403299800738602007-02-26T18:49:00.000-07:002007-02-26T18:49:45.856-07:00

Snuggling with the Duck.Snuggling with Mama.

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-46222479609754540522007-02-25T21:47:00.000-07:002007-02-25T22:32:10.777-07:00

This is how you get ready to do the wash:First, sort the clothes.Second, beat the dirt out of them.Third, put them in the washer.(Colter demonstrates step #2)

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-1170829540592283322007-02-06T23:20:00.000-07:002007-02-06T23:31:22.476-07:00

"Hey, look! Daddy's home. Let's watch him get the mail.""That's not a man.""Daddy's a man.""No, he's a Jay and you Jenny."

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-1169427756369128522007-01-21T17:40:00.000-07:002007-01-21T18:02:36.433-07:00

Each child at Colter's school has a mailbox. The teachers will provide the parents with bills, of course, but every now and then we'll get a project that the kids have been working on. You know, the various pasting project, a painting or marker drawing, sign language chart. Yes, I typed that correctly, a SIGN LANGUAGE chart. Apparently Colter has been interested in signing his A,B,C's. Not only

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-1169350723400539482007-01-20T20:26:00.000-07:002007-01-20T20:38:43.406-07:00

and 12 hours later he decided to open the rest of his gifts from Santa. 

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-1165904975090508062006-12-11T23:27:00.000-07:002006-12-11T23:29:35.100-07:00

Any more doubts why we wanted to move back here?Merry Christmas from Montana! 

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-1165903973904356922006-12-11T23:09:00.000-07:002006-12-11T23:18:25.303-07:00

This is what Colter looked like BEFORE he and Jenn started to make Christmas cookies. To see how it all turned out, go here

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-1165554943254724432006-12-07T22:13:00.000-07:002006-12-07T22:15:43.256-07:00

 

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-1165554578151050842006-12-07T22:03:00.000-07:002006-12-07T22:09:38.153-07:00

I've been looking at that big sealed up box since my birthday. Mommy and daddy finally got around to opening it and putting it together. It's a tool bench with real goggles! Mommy, daddy, move all your stuff out of the "libin rom." I need space to work. 

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-1165554028506916892006-12-07T21:53:00.000-07:002006-12-07T22:00:28.513-07:00

Yep, the "tee" was up the day after Thanksgiving this year. I'm feeling the spirit since Colter kinda has an idea of what's going on. However, he's not so fond of the big red guy just yet. We saw one of Santa's helpers at a pancake breakfast we recently attended and Colter gave the jolly old man the stink-eye. 

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-1162010032044571832006-10-27T22:28:00.000-06:002006-10-29T05:24:44.586-07:00

We spent a beautiful fall afternoon at a local farm that had hay rides, a pumkin patch and goats. Yes, goats! I bet the big city folk don't run into goat-jams on the freeway! Well, we don't here either, but...hey, we have hay!

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-1161056647523215122006-10-16T21:40:00.000-06:002006-10-17T07:08:14.766-06:00

Well, had to break down and go find a shovel at Home Depot today. Nice snow for the first real one of the season in the valley. Out at work, there was close to two inches on the car when I left at 6:30 tonight. Colter shows no signs of wanting to get out into the snow so far. Of course, as fastidious as he is (neat-freak-genes from Mom), he may have a bit of a fit if he actually gets snow on

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-1159751068419672692006-10-01T19:02:00.000-06:002006-10-01T19:11:34.936-06:00

Momma works with the ducks, and Daddy works in the mountains. At least, that's how Colter sees it. You can see the view from my work below. This is the duck pond at MSU where Colter and Momma went to feed the ducks yesterday. We took another trip to Yellowstone today. More pics from there to follow very soon.

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-1158592749932633122006-09-18T09:15:00.000-06:002006-09-18T09:19:09.940-06:00

This is what happened on Thursday night last week. It got a tad chilly and some precipitation fell. Of course, it wasn't until Friday afternoon when the clouds lifted that we could see the snow on all the mountains around us. The snowline on the Bridgers fell a little farther each day as did the snowline out by my work in Hyalite Canyon. It was cloudy and sprinkly all weekend, but this

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-1157782397460279712006-09-09T00:10:00.000-06:002006-09-09T00:13:17.466-06:00

Our little Jay, er, Colter reading at the "cabin" in Billings. This was taken precisely 6 hours before he spilled his cookies on mom. He was out of daycare for the week with fever, malese and general "icky-ness." 

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-1157781238777972782006-09-08T23:52:00.000-06:002006-09-08T23:53:58.776-06:00

or what I like to call "mama, 34 years ago." 

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-1157781007055725352006-09-08T23:41:00.000-06:002006-09-08T23:50:07.063-06:00

We spent part of our Labor Day weekend at Chico. This was Colter's first trip. He was a little hesitant of the water at first but once he got his feet wet we couldn't get him out. Unfortunately the forest fires have been so bad this summer that we were unable to enjoy the beautiful scenery.Chico is surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery in the country and we felt like we were looking

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-1155921870719880742006-08-18T10:47:00.000-06:002006-08-18T11:24:30.890-06:00

On my way home last night, I was treated to something special. A Sheep Jam. No, not something one would spread on an English Muffin, perhaps with a bit of mint jelly, but a road blocked by sheep. As I turned the corner, I saw a car stopped to let a herd of sheep and one llama go by. After the car got around them, I noticed something strange. No humans. About 50 head of sheep and one

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-1153286869934323072006-07-18T23:18:00.000-06:002006-07-18T23:27:49.946-06:00

Proof that a little speech therapy and peer interaction works - words this week...Colter - Yes! He can say his name!butterflymolefroglapelbowneckfootleftrightKelsie ("Kelkee")Heather ("Header")"Gramma Jane""Grampa Jim""Grampa Hooba"MickeyDonaldGoofypinkorangeHe's also stringing 3 to 4 words together constantly and can count to 4. Oh, and thanks to his new favorite show, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, he

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-1153286119767130832006-07-18T22:50:00.000-06:002006-07-18T23:15:19.776-06:00

Mama cried this weekend.Colter and I spent a small portion of Sunday morning taking down his crib. He helped by keeping all of the screws in one tidy pile until we were finished. After lunch he crashed.The transition to the big boy bed was seamless, proving that he's growing up way too fast. When Colter saw the new bed that daddy put together he was so excited he jumped right up on the mattress

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-1153200360460755002006-07-17T23:14:00.000-06:002006-07-17T23:26:00.480-06:00

Colter will be doing some movie work over the rest of the summer and into the fall.First up on his schedule is a remake of Francis Ford Coppola's "Apocolypse Now." Colter will be reprising the late Marlon Brando's role as Colonel Kurtz.Then some lighter fare when that shoot wraps up as Colter will play a toddler-aged Steve Stifler in the seventh "American Pie" movie called "American Pie VII - 'P

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-1153197680891426732006-07-17T22:39:00.000-06:002006-07-17T22:41:20.893-06:00

Try your own version here. 

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-1153197389989827122006-07-17T22:32:00.000-06:002006-07-17T22:36:29.996-06:00

Colter really knows his colors now. He'll identify everything from red and blue and orange, to yellow, green, black, white and even purple. He always wants more purple when he creates his bathtub masterpieces.You can make your own Jackson Pollock if you like, click here. 

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-1153197070888631832006-07-17T22:23:00.000-06:002006-07-17T22:31:10.900-06:00

It never fails. Whenever we go somewhere, those two always fall asleep on the way back. On the way to our destination, everyone is wide awake, taking in all the sights (even if we've seen them dozens and dozens of times before). But the minute that cars comes back around the other way...ZZZZZzzzzzzzz. Well this time, I figured it was high time to see just how good the cruise control would

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-1153196559074649112006-07-17T22:19:00.000-06:002006-07-17T22:22:39.140-06:00

We've been to Red Lodge well over two dozen times since we got married there in 1992, and it never fails...it WILL rain right near 4:00. At least we had our jackets with us.The effects? There are none. It's simply the "I Feel Lucky" button on Picassa that adjusted the fill light, the highlights and shadows. Click for a larger view. 

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-1152768376430530142006-07-12T23:20:00.000-06:002006-07-12T23:26:16.503-06:00

We spent July 4th weekend celebrating Colter's birthday in Red Lodge. Needless to say, it rained every day. We spent one of the more beautiful evenings hiking here, Wild Bill lake. 

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-1152767961856771402006-07-12T23:15:00.000-06:002006-07-12T23:19:21.863-06:00

After a bit of re-arranging and sampling, Colter decided the frosting on the cake felt better between his fingers than in his mouth. I don't know if you can tell or not but his hands are as red as a fire engine. He seemed pretty pleased with the outcome. 

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-1152767402515098242006-07-12T23:08:00.000-06:002006-07-12T23:10:02.523-06:00

 

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-1151610495147351212006-06-29T13:34:00.000-06:002006-06-29T13:48:15.170-06:00

I guess once you can string togther two- and three-word phrases like, "Daddy toot," or "Mama's boobs", or "me poop" and "Da-da, run, now", you are no longer considered a viable candidate for speech therapy. That's the good news we got from Colter's speech therapist, Nicole today. Nicole helping us to be able to help him and being in daycare has brought out all the words that were stuck inside

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-1151558272471094282006-06-28T23:16:00.000-06:002006-06-28T23:17:52.473-06:00

"I think you finally have the hang of it," Colter told me and let me put the last few stakes in all by myself. 

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-1151558062946210082006-06-28T23:12:00.000-06:002006-06-28T23:14:22.953-06:00

I think you need to work on this a little, Daddy. Try it again... 

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-1151557939624062052006-06-28T23:10:00.000-06:002006-06-28T23:12:19.626-06:00

Colter makes sure I'm lining everything up correctly. A natural supervisor. 

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10248692.post-1151557817037109132006-06-28T23:09:00.000-06:002006-06-28T23:10:17.043-06:00

Colter shows me how to put up our tent at Snowbank Campground in Paradise Valley (about 20 miles south of Livingston). 

Jay H.noreply@blogger.com0