Full Moon And A New Tattoo

We had two full moons in August, the 1st and the 31st. The second full moon of the month is called a blue moon.

My tattoo guy, Chris Bailey, has relocated to California. He returned to Scottsdale to do some work this weekend. He says he'll return every few months, which is a good thing, I have several more tattoos planned and it's Chris I trust.

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Sunset in Scottsdale.


Full moon.


Full moon.

Colorado Movie

[Pause the MUSIC, on the right --->
Then play the video].

Colorado from Hundewanderer on Vimeo.

Random Stuff From 27255

I've been home for a few days, catching up on life.

I'm getting ready to bake the Whole Grain Energy Bites from the Roman Meal website.

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Looking up at the storm clouds.


Stormy evening.


"Mooommm, he's touching me!"


Yuki, helping me send postcards worldwide through postcrossing.


He sleeps.


After a two week separation while Cierra and I worked in Colorado, Yuki is so happy to have his dog home.


It's good to be home, in our own bed.


Sunset clouds.


Sunset clouds.


Stormy sunset.


"No kitty, bad kitty" has become the catchphrase in our house.


He's not a kitten, he's an octopus. He has to touch everything.


Today this box delivered my new shoes and became a cat toy.


They're here! So excited.


Cierra using her stuffie as a pillow.

A Visit With My Favorite Son

I can call him my favorite son, because he is.

He's also my only son.

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I started my morning with chasing airplanes.


We parked My Honey's ride at P48, Pleasant Valley Airport.


Then, I drove to Tucson to see my favorite son.


We picked up his girlfriend and we went to Takamatsu for sushi.


Oshibori (a Japanese wet hand towel).


Decisions, decisions.

Sushi:




Personally, I think sushi is pretty to look at. I absolutely, positively, do not like sushi.


Gen, James and I.


My son.

ABQ to PHX

After a brief visit with My Honey's mom and sister in ABQ, I drove home. The drive was uneventful, it looked like rain in Flagstaff but only rained in the distance. I stopped by my mom's house on the way in and picked up our cat, who was happier to see his dog than his human.

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NM clouds.


AZ sunflowers along the Navajo Indian Reservation.


Our kitten, Yuki, is happy to see his dog.

Trinidad, CO to Albuquerque, NM

Today I drove from Trinidad, CO to Clovis, NM to return the truck and fuel trailer to Aero Tech.
I'm spending the night in Albuquerque and will be home (yay!) tomorrow.

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I thought I would remember the name of the pass I saw these windmills on, but I don't. The most direct route from Trinidad to Clovis took me through some interesting and tiny towns in New Mexico.


Cierra's kennel wouldn't fit in the tiny rental cars trunk, so I had to get creative with it. She was happy riding in half her kennel.

Justice

Personally, I don't think justice can ever truly be served. Our lives are forever changed. I'm not sure it will ever get better, it'll just be different. Below is a news article about the conviction of dump truck driver M. Jakscht:

"Dump truck driver convicted in deaths of 4 bikers"

PHOENIX

A dump truck driver was convicted Wednesday in the 2010 deaths of 4 motorcyclists in north Phoenix.

It was the second trial in Maricopa County Superior Court for 47-year-old Michael Jakscht. A jury deadlocked 9-3 in favor of acquittal in August 2011.

Prosecutors say Jakscht faces up to 21 years in prison for each of 4 manslaughter charges and 15 years for each of 5 aggravated assault charges, which all can be stacked at sentencing. He also was found guilty of 4 counts of endangerment.

Jakscht was accused of plowing his 12-ton truck into a group of 9 motorcyclists stopped at a Carefree Highway traffic light on March 25, 2010.

Prosecutors claimed Jakscht tested positive for methamphetamine after the accident and acted with reckless disregard. Defense attorneys blamed brake failure.

"This is an awesome day for all of our friends and loved ones who have been here for us," said Barbara Rich, mother to victim Dayle Downs-Totonchi.

For her family it's been quite an emotional journey. They were there for nearly every day of the first trial, as well as the second one.

"I hope this never ever happens to anyone else where they go through a trial of this scenario."

Rich testified during the aggravated sentencing phase, where jurors decide if Jakscht deserves a more severe punishment.

"Every moment of the day and night I have her ashes sitting in my bedroom on the TV stand, when all this is over with, we will have a memorial," testified Rich.

Paul Totonchi, Dayle's husband, also testified. He told jurors that for the longest time, he just felt lost without her.

"How do you give words to your life dropped out from under you," said Sandra Nachand, who lost her husband Clyde, a former commander in the navy. They'd been married 43 years.

She says there isn't much she remembers about the day he died, all she remembers is going to bed and feeling alone and empty.

"Whenever anything bad happened he was always there for me and he wasn't, the other side of the bed was empty," said Nachand.

"I broke every rib on my right side, twelve of them," testified Ernie Lizarraga, one of the motorcyclists injured in the collision.

Once a Phoenix Fire captain who taught fitness to other firefighters, Lizarraga suffered a traumatic brain injury and spent 6 weeks in a coma. His wife Lori told jurors the rehab process was just devastating.

"He had to relearn to breathe first. Once he relearned how to breathe he had to relearn how to swallow and once swallowing happened he had to learn to sit up," said Lizarraga.

Jakscht faced all of them during testimony, his hands folded on the table in front of him.

Jakscht could spend the rest of his life in prison. Each manslaughter charge carries a maximum penalty of 21 years in prison.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/story/19288364/2012/08/15/phoenix-driver-is-convicted-in-deaths-of-4-bikers

Leadville, CO

Today was similar to yesterday, I fueled my helicopter in various locations: the forest, a ski resort parking lot, and when we met at the airport, I received word that we're done with the Department of Wildlife contract. It was good to work with Jen (my pilot) and everyone I met along my travels in Colorado. It's a beautiful place.

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