Rain Gutter Regatta

The Cub Scout Raingutter Regatta came about quickly. Almost true to form we didn't have the boat kit until the day before the race. Not only that, Samuel and I had an engagement that evening, and we didn't get home until 10:PM. Fortunately Tina had done all the shaping and had painted a primer coat on the boat, so all we had to do was paint , sail decoration, and final assembly. Samuel helped with the color choice and the sail decorations, and I got busy painting.

The finished boat turned out okay. I would have liked more time, but it did what it was supposed to -- float. And float it did, but more on that later. Samuel christened it "The Remphibian" since it had a Frog on the sail and Snake on the sterm.

Race Day

The setup is simple - two rain gutters on sawhorses filled with water. The boats are placed in the gutter and blown gently toward the other end. Simple? Perhaps, but there's obviously some finesse to piloting one of these boats without capsizing it, or burying the bow in the water.

Samuel was undefeated in his races and brought home the 1st Place ribbon! He puffed gently to the finish line each time. After the last race he commented, "I think I'm getting dizzy!"

I was very proud of him. His sportsmanship was at its best and he made sure to commend the other competitors on their effort.

Although we had a lot of fun previously with the Pinewood Derby, the Rain Gutter Regatta was just as much fun -- maybe more. Blowing the boat down the course allowed for the boys to take an active part in the race. That added to the excitement.

So, get out there. Make some boats!

Jim Bought a Road Bike

I'm not quite sure what came over me, but I decided to buy a road bike. It seemed like the right thing to do. I'm not exactly sure if I'll ever make any long rides, but it's nice having a good bike. I figure if I do no more than commute to work as many days a week as I can it will be worth what I paid for it.

I visited the folks are Dalton Bicycles again and wound up purchasing a Specialized Allez Triple. It's a beautiful bike - and speedy. I've only put 10 miles on it, but it was a fun 10. I'm still a little shaky on it, and I'm slowly getting the hang of getting in and out of the toeclips. I figure in a few more days I'll be comfortable with that.

Enough of that for now, but I just had to share! See you on the road or trail, or if not there, in the Banjo Lounge!

Samuel Pankey - Baptism

Title speaks for itself, but first a little background...

It was April of last year. We (Samuel, Tina and I) had gone to Marietta for no particular reason, but wound up shopping. Tina was in one store and Samuel and I decided to walk across the parking lot to the Guitar Center.

A car zipped by us pretty quickly. I said, "Wow, you better stay close; your mom will shoot me if you get squished!" He chuckled. I told him I thought that would just be a mess as we'd probably both wind up dead and asked him what he thought.

His comment was sobering; he said, "You would go to heaven, but I wouldn't."

"Why not?" I asked.

"Because I'm not saved," he replied.

"We need to talk," I said.

We talked and walked to the store. He understood, but I wanted to make sure he really understood. That week the topic came up a couple of times, and we were clear that it had to be his decision alone. Then, here at home Sunday evening (April 9, 2006), after church, he asked Jesus into his heart. He knew he was saved!

Today he was Baptized. He was excited, but you can also tell from the video that he was a bit nervous. This was at the First Baptist Church of Chatsworth; the pastor is Bobby McGraw.

So, without boring you any more, here's the video.

Thanks for letting me share.

-=Jim