This week’s article is a doozy: a 12-year old boy allegedly shot and killed a 24-year old man as he sat in his own home. Allegedly the boy was seen running from the home in all black clothing, including a black bandanna covering his face. Check out the story HERE .

Texas penal law prohibits sentencing a person under age 14 to the death penalty. As a result, the boy can be sentenced up to 40 years in prison. At some point after conviction, he’d be certified as an adult and complete his 40-year sentence in an adult facility.

Assuming nothing changes with this story, here are 3 questions:

1. Should society be able to execute a 12-year old boy for capital murder? Explain.
2. Should society be able to lock up a 12-year old boy for capital murder? Explain.
3. What penalty do you believe is fair and just. Explain.

My spring 2019 blog posts will begin this Sunday (1/27) between 8-10 pm. Check back then…

Today is Friday so Alex and I have 7 days remaining before we head back home. Today it was raining when I woke, which is abnormal for GL. The clouds are really low and hide the mountain tops, which make for a somewhat ominous scene. The temperature is 55 degrees so that’s nice.

Made this video the other day on one of my walks by Shadow Mountain Lake. It connects to Grand Lake, but isn’t near as deep. Still beautiful. Still walking 2.5 miles almost everyday. My back is feeling good.

The picture is a group of people we’ve been hanging out with over the summer. We do trivia, karaoke, and softball. Last Monday I pitched my very first game of softball and did fairly well (only 6 walks). We got stomped, but had alot of fun playing. Very grateful for friends!

A little less than 2 weeks left in GL. We’re having such a great time. We’ve met new friends, visited new places, etc. Alex completed the Granby Gut Buster 5k. I recently completed a short article on meditation and pain (click HERE to view it. If you like it, click on “Love it” as I’ll get more coverage on the site).  I’ve completed 7 books this summer. I hope to finish up with 9, but may not make it.

Love this picture from the Gut Buster. These two have made my life wonderful and I’m so grateful for them.

Past week has been really nice and quiet (until yesterday…details below). Weather has been good, but really dry! Below are some pics and a video I took from one of my walks this week. These shots are taken up by Shadowcliff, which is fairly high above GL.

Yesterday a forest fire started about 2-3 miles away from our room. It’s called the “Golf Course,” as it is next to a golf course here in GL. Currently its estimated to have burned approximately 20 or so acres.

It was pretty interesting spending most of the evening watching some serious smoke coming over the trees only a couple of miles away. Lots of planes/helicopters dumping fire and retardant most of the evening. The good news is that it’s been at least 60% contained with no loss of structures and no injuries. Thanks to the firefighters from Grand County and the outlying areas.

Its been a nice couple of days here in the mountains. Alex and I spent the day in Frisco, CO, which is a hub of activities (skiing, cycling, kayaking, hiking, etc.). We picked up a Gopro attachment for Alex’s bike (will hopefully post some video of her rides soon) and ate dinner at Prosit, which is one of your favorite restaurants. I also bought Stepen McCauley’s My Ex-life at The Next Page, which is one of our favorite bookstores (it’s a coffee shop and bookstore). The video above is Alexandrea returning from kayaking on Grand Lake. The video below was taken on my walk by Shadow Mountain Lake.

Below are my top movies ever. Only my top 5 are ranked. This list is in process and subject to change.

1. The Town (this movie and #2 should be co-number 1’s…I just can’t decide)

2. Silver Linings Playbook

3. Sideways

4. Eat, Pray, Love

5. Wedding Crashers

Matchpoint

Jason Bourne series

Clear and Present Danger

The Constant Gardener

Sabrina

A Few Good Men

Before Sunset

Before Sunrise

Before Midnight

Wild

French Kiss

Hollywood Ending

Lots of relaxing going on these days. I recorded the brief video above a couple of days ago. Part of my daily walk takes me “a stone’s throw” from Grand Lake.

The weather has been spectacular, but dry. As much as it hurts to say it, we need some rain around here. Beginning tomorrow there are higher chances of rain forecast. Of course the rain will bring cooler weather with it, which will be nice.

Finishing up Patrick deWitt’s Undermajordomo Minor today. This is the second book I’ve read by deWitt. I’d definitely recommend him. This summer I’m alternating fiction and non-fiction books so tomorrow I’ll begin Thich Nhat Hanh’s Living Buddha, Living Christ.  

Day 16 – It’s Sunday morning. The sky is blue and the air was crisp and cool when I took Sutton out for his morning visit to the park (potty time). Last evening was a first: we picked up dinner (Jumbo veggie burrito and basket of fries) from Sagebrush and took it to RMNP. The first picture below was my view for dinner. Alex biked in Winter Park again and we checked out an arts/crafts show in GL’s downtown park. Today Alex is going to kayak in Grand and Shadow Mountain Lakes. Our plan is to get takeout (probably Grand Pizza) and find another nice picnic area in RMNP (pictures to be posted later).

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the recent death of Anthony Bourdain. Alexandrea and I started watching “No Reservations” then “The Layover” on the Travel Channel. We then followed Bourdain to CNN with “Parts Unknown.” Originally I liked the show for its global review of food, but came to love his holistic coverage of each location’s culture, which was always fair, interesting, and entertaining. Obviously didn’t know him personally, but I always felt like he gave viewers an honest view of himself and it seemed like he lived life on his terms. Honestly, “Parts Unknown” was one of our favorite shows and we will miss it as well as him. RIP, Mr. Bourdain.

Another easy and relaxing couple of days. Below are some pictures of our home away from home. We love this place! We are on the main strip of the town of Grand Lake and about 5 blocks from the boardwalk (shops, restaurants, bars, etc.)

I dropped Alex off at Shadow Mountain Lake and she paddled back to Grand Lake through the inlet. Below are some pictures at the drop off point.

Last are some pictures of a beautiful river I walk across every morning. It’s amazing how loud the water runs through this area. It is lovely.