Reading does a body good

When I was in middle school, I had a book report due for my English class. I hadn't finished reading any books, but I had read Alma — so I did my report on that. Hey! It was a chapter book, right?!

Our kids were always super excited for the summer reading program at our local library. They offered weekly prizes, and culminated with the coveted free pizza coupons for participants.

I don't remember what grade or feedback I got on my Alma report, but I wish I had kept it. Dang.
 

Word.

There may be a Paris Olympics influence to this.
 

Sketchbook: Bugs

One last pioneer-related gag before July is over. 
 

You only live twice

They say that government agencies like to recruit at BYU. I wonder if the same is true for MI6?
 

New and improved

And then they discovered advertising!
 

Hot times for pioneers

I’ve said it before, and I’ll likely say it again: I hope Brigham Young (and many of the other prophets) has a sense of humor. 

Have an enjoyable Pioneer Day wherever you are!
 

All the amenities

I know what the back of a minivan can look like after a weekend trip to the coast with the kids. Can you imagine the back of a Conestoga after a months-long trip across the plains?
 

Sketchbook: Trail mix

In the Oregon Trail game, you could go hunting if you were hungry (and if you had ammo and weren’t dying of dysentery). But what could they do on the Mormon Trail?
 

Take your time

It's probably good that there weren't a lot of traffic engineers around during the westward migration in the United States.
 

He can get the job, but can he do the job?

I had this idea about a seagull who didn't like crickets, so I played around with a few ideas. I wasn't sure which one I liked best, so I drew them both up. What do you think?

 

The songs they were singing

You know how family stories sometimes take on a life of their own and get modified a bit as they go on? I wonder how often that happened with pioneer stories?
 

Trendhopping

Cricket and seagull jokes just never get old!
 

Sketchbook: Share the trail

One of our axioms in the transportation world is, "Share the road." There's room for cars, pedestrians, bikes, trucks, skaters — whatever. Transportation is for everyone!

The overland trails across the American west were probably much the same. Lots of wide open country with room for horses, oxcarts, Conestogas, handcarts and the occasional stampede of bison. Gotta yield right of way to the bison!
 

Why she had to go, I don't know

There are some days on trek (or camping) that are just plain miserable! But without the misery, how could you know of the fun you're having?

 

Constant peril

Another pioneer game show. I’ll bet they could have had some interesting categories!

On a side note, I think Alex Trebek would have looked good dressed in pioneer garb — which begs the question: how many trek reenactments has Ken Jennings been on?
 

Looking for a few good men

As I was flipping through the channels the other day, I cam across an old game show called Password Plus. The technology was a bit rough around the edges, not nearly as slick as what we see on TV today. 

The rustic technology got me thinking what game shows would have been like back in the pioneer era? Some of those ideas may be showing up during the next couple of weeks. Be prepared.
 

Facing the valley

Beauty will only get you so far. Brigham Young will get you into the Salt Lake Valley.
 

Sketchbook: The natives are restless

Some of the kids we sit near in church get a little restless toward the end of the meeting. That's part of the inspiration behind this one. The other part was the deacon's bench back in the day. There was a time when the Aaronic Priesthood holders stayed at their sacrament positions throughout the entire meeting. One day someone figured they could increase reverence exponentially if they sent the deacons back to sit with their families once the sacrament was over. Good call!

 

Why can't we liken unto them?

What is it they say? Don't compare missions; each one is different. 
 

He who hath ears to hear...

For all you readers in or affiliated with the United States, happy Independence Day! For the rest of you, happy Thursday!

It's time for the annual reminder to protect your pupper's hearing! There are a lot of dogs (and cats, I understand) that get upset at the noises that go along with the firework celebrations on the Fourth. 

I'm lucky. My last few pets have actually liked fireworks! I had one, D'Artagnan, who tried to fetch the ground flowers — not an activity I would recommend for either dogs or humans!

 

Tie food

Some kids chew on their fingers. Some kids chew on their clothes. I saw a kid the other day happily gnawing on his (or her) dad's clothes! Yeah, it may mess up the tie a bit, but you don't have to worry about crawling under the benches to pick up all the spilled cereal snacks!
 

Good fencers make good neighbors

I'm going to have to look again, but fencing may be part of the updated Preach My Gospel manual. I'm not sure.

An interesting side note: many of the elders in my mission in Korea took taekwondo lessons. Not exactly fencing, but it is a martial art. I wonder what the handbook says about that?

Sketchbook: The True North strong and free

We stand on guard for thee.