Jesse McCoy Bracken

We were all saddened with the premature birth and subsequent passing of our little Grandson Jesse. He was buried near some of our other loved ones following a family graveside service that was very comforting and uplifting.

Paria Wilderness ATV

Looking out the window of an old rock cabin along the Paria river at the scenic beauty and colors found in the canyon. We rode up the canyon about 25 miles crossing the river more than a hundred times. The rocks changed from lavendars and whites, to bright red, and finally to white.

Charlene kicked back on our new Honda ForemanES 450. This was our first real ride since buying it and it made riding a much more pleasant experience.

ShaRee and Paul at the mouth of one of many scenic slot canyons on the Paria.

Ever Driven a Train?

This is better than any amusement park! Howard is setting in the pilot's (engineer's) seat as we wait permission to proceed with the train from Caliente to Modena. We had an enjoyable day as spectators as we learned all about trains.

This is our work train on a siding near Islen, Nevada. Unfortunately an univited passenger fell from the train in front of us, so we were delayed for several hours while they investigated the accident.

ATV Ride

On Saturday, Sept 6 Charlene and I joined with 4 other couples for a day ATV ride. (Ron and Elaine Terry, Mike and Dori Singleton, Rulon and Shirley Jones, Kendall and Ilene Simkins.) After an early morning breakfast at Dennys in Cedar we drove to the mouth of Parowan canyon. From there we unloaded and went over the mountain. We stopped at Yankee Meadow reservoir and then proceeded to Panguitch Lake. After a loop north of the lake we returned back over the mountain. It was a beautiful day and a very scenic trip. To view more pictures go to:

http://groups.msn.com/BrackenGolfClassic/atvride.msnw

Labor Day

For Labor Day we joined with Rand, Shem, Jake, and Braden for a day long journey. It started with a stop at Mountain Meadows, and ended up in the red rocks west of Gunlock. There was a log of rigorous climbing and exploration that included a cave with lots of indian writings. Rand, Jake, and Lee navigated through a very narrow and steep slot wall that ran clear through the rock formation. To view more pictures, go to: http://groups.msn.com/BrackenGolfClassic/laborday.msnw

GUESS WHERE I AM?

For more pictures go to: http://groups.msn.com/BrackenGolfClassic/texas.msnw

July 2008

The week of July 24th was a busy and memorable time for the Bracken family. Unfortunately the 2nd crop hay became ready at the same time as many other things happening. It meant for many sleepless nights and tired days, but that didn't stop a lot of other fun things from happening.
On July 24th we helped to celebrate the 90th birthday of Grandpa Pollock with a party and dinner at the church. It was a fun time and attended by most of his family. Mical, Diana, and Abbey came from Salt Lake and the McOmie Family came from Portland. They joined Colten and Megan along with Paul and ShaRee and family and Rand/Shemri and kids from Mesquite for a fun weekend and week of play and family fun. There was lots of games and backyard play. Many attended the rodeo in Enterprise and many attended the production of Les Miserables at the Tuacahn. Dylan had the misfortune of breaking his arm while power skating in the kitchen but otherwise it was a fun and safe weekend.
The final court action for Brayden was held in St George and his sealing was held in the St George Temple the following Saturday. It was a highlight to a very busy and fun period for the whole family.
For more pictures of some of the events, go to: http://www.msnusers.com/BrackenGolfClassic/july2008.msnw

4 Wheeling

We spent part of Saturday with Rand, Shemri, Jake, and Braden on 4 wheelers behind the reservoir. We had fun riding and exploring and especially catching pollywogs. For more pictures go to : http://groups.msn.com/BrackenGolfClassic/4wheeling.msnw

Buddies

Cousins pose for a quick photo.

Show me your tongue ?

Bet you can't touch the bottom of your chin with your tongue . . . . . . . . . . . Braden can.

First Tractor Ride

Braden came to spend a couple of days and helped with tilling the garden. He loved the tractor.

Charlene and I spent the weekend with Dallin, Paula, Gavin, and Shelbi in Fort Worth, Texas. We had a wonderful time with them. We rented a mini-van so we could all travel around together. We visited downtown Dallas where we saw the Dallas aquarium and the Kennedy assasination museum. We attended a Texas Rangers baseball game where they beat Oakland 4-0.
A funny thing happened at the game. Gavin was digging into a cup of frozen watermelon ice with a spoon. Suddenly a large chunk flipped out and went down the back of a mans pants who was sitting in front of us. Needless to say he wasn't happy, but it was quite funny.
We also went to the Fort Worth stockyards and saw a cattle drive reinactment and attended a rodeo. The trip went really well until the morning we left when Dallin developed some kidney stones and spent some time in the hospital. He is slowly recovering and we are glad that it happened at the time it did and not during his finals. Dallin and Paula were great hosts and it was a memorable weekend. For more pictures go to:
http://groups.msn.com/BrackenGolfClassic/texasmay08.msnw

Orlando

Charlene and I spent a long weekend in Orlando Florida March 13-18. The weather was pleasant and our trusted new Garmin GPS helped us navigate our rental car like a local resident. We attended the True Value market with its usual grueling walking and meetings. In addition we took some time to see Cirque de Soleil at Disneyworld and attended a local ward Church meetings. We spent one whole day at SeaWorld which turned out to be a highlight to the trip.

I took an early morning helicopter flight to inspect the snow pack, the flood channel, and the construction progress on the upper Enterprise Reservoir dam. There is more than 40 inches of snow above the reservoir area and the dam is still not ready to hold water due to the delays in construction. It might lead to an interesting spring. For more pictures go to:

The news media immediately picked up on it and as usual did their spin on what what was really taking place. Some of them seem compelled to exaggerate, embellish, and try to make dramatic the reality of what was actually happening. Before I knew it some media was reporting about evacuation plans in case of a possible a dam failure. The Red Cross even called and offerred their help with sheltering and feeding the evacuees. WOW, and all from simply trying to be prepared and keeping the public informed.

Shotshow 2008

UFC Champion Tim Sylvia poses with two former UFC contendors at the Shot Show in Las Vegas. Paul Hirschi, Ian Mcomie, Rand Bracken, Mical Bracken, and Colten Bracken joined with me at this two day event. We had a great time. For more photos go to: http://groups.msn.com/BrackenGolfClassic/shotshow2008.msnw

The Bracken Family ????????

Occasionally even the best families will buckle under the stress and presure.

(click on photo to enlarge)

Christmas 2007

Christmas 2007 was a memorable one for the Bracken Family. Everyone was home this year and although the house was a bit crowded and hectic, it was a fun time to enjoy each others company and friendship and to allow the cousins to play together. Whether it was snow boarding, eating, playing board games, rabbit hunting, sledding behind the 4 wheeler, watching movies, or just hangin out, it was a fun week. View 125 pictures of the Christmas event by going to: http://groups.msn.com/BrackenGolfClassic/christmas2007.msnw . Email me to request a cd of all 300 photos.