Thanks Canada

Oh Canada.

Thanks Canada for being such a great host for the games.

Ever wonder where the name Canada came from? I tried to link to the Canadian Heritage Site but it would not work so I "lifted" the following explanation.

In 1535, two Indian Youths told Jacques Cartier about the route to "kanata". They were referring to the village of Stadacona; "kanata" was simply the Huron-Iroquois word for "village" or "settlement." But for want of another name, Cartier used "Canada" to refer not only to Stadacona (the site of present day Quebec City), but also to the entire area subject to its chief, Donnacona. The name was soon applied to a much larger area: maps in 1547 designated everything north of the St. Lawrence River as "Canada."

Cartier also called the St. Lawrence River the "rivière de Canada", a name used until the early 1600s. By 1616, although the entire region was known as New France, the area along the great river of Canada and the Gulf of St. Lawrence was still called Canada.

Soon explorers and fur traders opened up territory to the west and to the south and the area depicted as "Canada" grew. In the early 1700s, the name referred to all lands in what is now the American Midwest and as far south as the present day Louisiana.

The first use of "Canada" as an official name came in 1791 when the Province of Quebec was divided into the colonies of Upper and Lower Canada. In 1841, the two Canadas were again united under one name, the Province of Canada. At the time of Confederation, the new country assumed the name of Canada

Sunday Skies over Iowa

Isn't it beautiful. This was the sky when I drove to Des Moines this afternoon to go to the play Almost Maine at the StageWest. Today was the final performance. I had ticket for an earlier performance but (guess what) it snowed that night and my friend advised me not to drive down. As it turned out they were very nice and because I was a season subscriber they allowed me to change to today. There were a lot of people in the same boat. The house was full.

It was a great play and I enjoyed every minute of it. I have been a StageWest subscriber for a couple of years and I have only missed one of the plays and they have all been excellent. Almost Maine was not an exception. Four exceptional actors playing many characters had me laughing and occasionally tearing up (but I am a softie) It was a great way to end a wonderful week-end.

I was planning on going to the Gateway Market after the play to purchase groceries but they were closed. The sky, however, was marvelous.



And then on the way home from the grocery store I saw a beautiful full moon over 13th Street.

I didn't get a great picture but you can see that it is there.

In just two days from now,
tomorrow will be yesterday.

Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate all of you. Hugs, j

Grand Lodge Reception for Justin Dodge

As I approached the Lodge this afternoon there was a wonderful smell of meat roasting. Two of Justin's friends were smoking pork loin with applewood. It smelled wonderful and a little later on we got to eat it and it tasted even better.





Andrea and Justin Dodge. Justin is serving Grand Lodge this year as the Junior Grand Steward

The Grand Lodge Officers and their ladies.

Master of Ceremonies, Councilman and Past Master Jeremy Davis, Past Senior Grand Deacon and his special lady Wanda. You can tell that Jeremy was pleased that she could be with him at this event.
Most Worshipful Craig C. Hummel, Grand Master of Mason, Justin and David Baker, Master of Arcadia Lodge. The Lodge presented a check for $500 to the Hope Lodge project for which the Grand Lodge is raising funds. The rest of the pictures are in the Web Album below. I need to mention that Joel Dorn used my camera and took most of the pictures. He did a great job (except for the ones with me in them.)

Rumor has it

That New York got two feet of snow!

Festive Board at Specialis Procer

It is the custom of Specialis Procer Lodge #678 to hold a Festive Board every other month to eat together and listen to a paper of Masonic interest. We publish these papers on our blog Scire Facias.
Tonight we returned to Baratta's Restaurant and there were so many of us that we had to be moved to a larger room than we usually have.

The Brethren order off the menu and after a delicious meal we have our paper

Worshipful Master Kurt Hoffmann introduced the guests that were with us. We had a total of 22 members and guests at the meal
And then it was time to hear Brother Levent's presentation which was on Masonry in Turkey. It was interesting to hear how Masonry is practiced in his home country. He even showed us a couple of pictures of the Wedding Ceremony which was held in his Lodge for him and his wife. (who is very beautiful)

I have said it before and will say it again. This Lodge provides me with the richest Masonic experience I have ever had. I hope it will continue to grow and prosper. I could go on and on and talk about how good and how pleasant it is for Brethren to dwell together in Unity but perhaps you have heard that someplace before. Tomorrow is the Reception for our Junior Grand Steward of the Grand Lodge here in Ames so stop back for more pictures of that event. j

Found For Friday

Two guys are lost in the desert. They are about to just lie down and wait for death, when all of a sudden one of them (Mark) says, "Hey Dave, do you smell what I smell. It's bacon, I think."

"Yeah Mark, it sure smells like bacon."

With renewed hope they struggle up the next sand dune, and there, in the distance, is a tree loaded with bacon. There is fried bacon, double smoked bacon, Canadian bacon; every imaginable kind of cured pork.

"Dave, Dave, we are saved. It's a bacon tree."

"Mark, maybe it's a mirage? We are in the desert don't forget."

"Dave, since when did you ever hear of a mirage that smells like bacon? It's no mirage, it's a bacon tree."

And with that, Mark staggers towards the tree. He gets to within five feet, with Dave crawling close behind, when suddenly a machine gun opens up, and Mark drops like a wet sock. Mortally wounded, he warns Dave with his dying breath, "Dave, go back man, you were right, it's not a bacon tree!"

"Mark, Mark my friend, what is it?"

"Dave it's not a bacon tree; it's, it's, it's, a ham bush!"

A famous Viking explorer returned home from a voyage and found his name missing from the town register. His wife insisted on complaining to the local civic official who apologized profusely saying, "I must have taken Leif off my census."

Evidence has been found that William Tell and his family were avid bowlers. Unfortunately, all the Swiss league records were destroyed in a fire, and so we'll never know for whom the Tells bowled.

Top Ten Country Western Songs:

10. I Hate Every Bone In Her Body But Mine
9. I Ain't Never Gone To Bed With an Ugly Woman But I Woke Up With A Few
8. If The Phone Don't Ring, You'll Know It's Me
7. I've Missed You, But My Aim's Improvin'
6. Wouldn't Take Her To A Dogfight 'Cause I'm Scared She'd Win
5. I'm So Miserable Without You It's Like You're Still Here
4. My Wife Ran Off With My Best Friend And I Miss Him
3. She Took My Ring and Gave Me the Finger
2. She's Lookin' Better with Every Beer

And the Number One Country & Western song is...

1. It's Hard To Kiss The Lips At Night That Chewed My Ass All Day

Brenda, pregnant with her first child, was paying a visit to her obstetrician's office. When the exam was over, she shyly began: "My husband wants me to ask you..."

"I know, I know," the doctor interrupted, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder: "I get asked that all the time. Sex is fine until late in your pregnancy."

"No, that's not it at all," Brenda confessed: "He wants to know if I can still shovel the driveway."

His request approved, the CNN News photographer quickly used a cell phone to call

the local airport to charter a flight.

He was told a twin-engine plane would be waiting for him at the airport.

Arriving at the airfield, he spotted a plane warming up outside a hanger.

He jumped in with his bag, slammed the door shut, and shouted, 'Let's go'.

The pilot taxied out, swung the plane into the wind and took off.

Once in the air, the photographer instructed the pilot,

'Fly over the valley and make low passes so I can take pictures of the fires on the hillsides.'

'Why?' asked the pilot.

'Because I'm a photographer for CNN' , he responded, 'and I need to get some close up shots.'

The pilot was strangely silent for a moment, finally he stammered, 'So, what you're telling me, is . . .

You're NOT my flight instructor?'

My small grandson got lost at the shopping mall.........

He approached a uniformed security guard and said,
"I've lost my grandpa!"

"The guard asked, "What's he like?"

The little tyke hesitated for a moment and then replied,

"Jack Daniels whiskey and women with big boobs.
A highway patrolman pulls alongside a speeding car on the freeway.

Glancing at the car, he is astounded to see that the blonde behind the wheel is knitting!

Realizing that she is oblivious to his flashing lights and siren, the trooper cranks down his window, turns on his bullhorn and yells, "PULL OVER!"

"NO," the blonde yells back, "IT'S A SCARF!"
The strong young man at the construction site was bragging that he could outdo anyone in a feat of strength. He made a special case of making fun of one of the older workmen.

After several minutes, the older worker had had enough. "Why don't you put your money where your mouth is," he said. "I will bet a week's wages that I can haul something in a wheelbarrow over to that outbuilding that you won't be able to wheel back."

"You're on, old man," the braggart replied. "Let's see what you got."

The old man reached out and grabbed the wheelbarrow by the handles. Then, nodding to the young man, he said, "All right. Get in."

MAN KILLED ON GOLF COURSE

A foursome of guys is waiting at the men's tee while a foursome of women is hitting from the ladies' tee. The ladies are taking their time. When the final lady is ready to hit her ball, she hacks it 10 feet. Then she goes over and whiffs it completely. Then she hacks it another ten feet and finally hacks it another five feet.

She looks up at the patiently waiting men and says apologetically, "I guess all those f--king lessons I took over the winter, didn't help."

One of the men immediately responds, "Well, there you have it. You should have taken golf lessons instead!"

He never even had a chance to duck.

1. DON'T SWEAT THE PETTY THINGS AND DON'T PET THE SWEATY THINGS.

2. ONE TEQUILA, TWO TEQUILA, THREE TEQUILA, FLOOR.

3. ATHEISM IS A NON-PROPHET ORGANIZATION.

4. IF MAN EVOLVED FROM MONKEYS AND APES, WHY DO WE STILL HAVE MONKEYS AND APES?

5. THE MAIN REASON THAT SANTA IS SO JOLLY IS BECAUSE HE KNOWS WHERE ALL THE BAD GIRLS LIVE.
6. I WENT TO A BOOKSTORE AND ASKED THE SALESWOMAN, "WHERE'S THE SELF- HELP SECTION?" SHE SAID IF SHE TOLD ME, IT WOULD DEFEAT THE PURPOSE.

7. WHAT IF THERE WERE NO HYPOTHETICAL QUESTIONS?

8. IF A DEAF CHILD SIGNS SWEAR WORDS, DOES HIS MOTHER WASH HIS HANDS WITH SOAP?

9. IF SOMEONE WITH MULTIPLE PERSONALITIES THREATENS TO KILL HIMSELF, IS IT CONSIDERED A HOSTAGE SITUATION?

10. IS THERE ANOTHER WORD FOR SYNONYM?
11. WHERE DO FOREST RANGERS GO TO "GET AWAY FROM IT ALL?"

12. WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU SEE AN ENDANGERED ANIMAL EATING AN ENDANGERED PLANT?

13. IF A PARSLEY FARMER IS SUED, CAN THEY GARNISH HIS WAGES?

14. WOULD A FLY WITHOUT WINGS BE CALLED A WALK?

15. WHY DO THEY LOCK PETROL STATION BATHROOMS? ARE THEY AFRAID SOMEONE WILL CLEAN THEM?

16. IF A TURTLE DOESN'T HAVE A SHELL, IS HE HOMELESS OR NAKED?

17. CAN VEGETARIANS EAT ANIMAL CRACKERS?

18. IF THE POLICE ARREST A MIME, DO THEY TELL HIM HE HAS THE RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT?

19. WHY DO THEY PUT BRAILLE ON THE DRIVE-THROUGH BANK MACHINES?

20. HOW DO THEY GET DEER TO CROSS THE ROAD ONLY AT THOSE YELLOW ROAD SIGNS?

Have a great week-end. Thanks for stopping by. Big Hugs

Yesterday and Today

Last night we went to the University of Freemasonry and saw a great program on the Dead Sea Scrolls. Kurt and Craig are in the Albert Pike Room. If you want to read about it on the Consistory Blog click the picture above or this link.

Jon went out to McFarland Park with Miles tonight. He encountered an own in a tree and used the zoom on my camera to get this great shot. There are more in the Album below.

I think this an an incredible photo. My nephew is a talented photographer.

Also these are great.

A Fellow Craft Degree

The sun shot a pillar of fire into the sky tonight. It was awesome.
Once again my camers caught this as I was driving about 65 mph on my way to Ankeny to attend a Lodge Meeting.

Just beautiful

Logic Lodge in Ankeny meets in a beautiful room on the top floor of the Community Activities Center. I had been there before for an Eastern Star meeting so I was pretty sure I could find it.

And I did. They put everything away after each meeting but it serves their purpose.
Besides it is the Brothers who make the Lodge and these Brothers are great. I knew a lot of them.

The son of one of our Past Grand Matrons of Eastern Star was getting his Second Degree tonight. His mother told me about it on Facebook so I wanted to go. He is getting his Third Degree next Tuesday and I can't go to that because it is Star night in Ames and I am an officer.
This is Grant and his dad. I have known Grant for several years. He was around a lot when his mother was Worthy Grand Matron. I knew that someday he would join the Lodge and will also join Eastern Star. He must have just turned 18 (the youngest you can join in Iowa) and will graduate from High School in (as he puts it) 57 days. And you can tell he is ready.
Russ was there also for the Degree. Russ was Worthy Grand Patron for Grant's mother and it was nice to see him there for the degree. Bryce Hildredth was in charge of the degree and he put me to work as Chaplain for the degree and then had me close the Lodge. I have not closed a Lodge since 1980 when I was Master. Scary.

Bryce does a wonderful staircase lecture for the Fellow craft degree and uses a slide show as visual aides when he gives it. He uses one that was written by Ralston James and it is very meaningful. At one point he mentions the candidate's mother and he used a picture of Grant's mother when he gave it. I was seated where I could see Grant's face and he grinned from ear to ear.

When we did our Degree Study at Specialis Procer Lodge on Saturday and one of the things we worked on was the Staircase lecture. Brother Wade wrote a paper on the lecture which you can read here. Speaking of Wade. When he came in to preside for the second section of the degree I noticed that he had a very good looking hat on. As I looked closer it was mine. He had borrowed it. I don't think that either of the officers who presided had advance notice but they both did a great job. It was also neat to talk to one of my Blog readers at the meeting.

On the way home I got to thinking about the number of Masonic Meetings that are being held all around the world each and every day (except Sundays and holidays) and how much volunteer memory work Masons to to bring in new members and of course the other good they do and it bothers me that some folks trash us. I helped a man in Arizona become a Mason and then he repudiated the fraternity in his public blog I still feel betrayed by him. I don't care if a person joins and does not find that it is for him and leaves. But to trash us and state in a public forum that we are evil and anti-Christian is just not right. I guess, however, that he is his own problem. There are six billion people in the world and when I find someone like him I can just cast him into my "outer darkness" and not have to deal with him.