Fw: weekly update

From: JACQUELYN ASHCROFT

To: Amy ; Brock Taylor ; Chelsey Raymond ; cashcroft ; David Shaw ; Dee and LeAnn Ashcroft ; dee.ashcroft ; Michael.Lemon ; Pauline Allen ; Scott Billings ; Shane Larsen

Sent: Monday, September 10, 2007 11:09 PM

Subject: weekly update

On Tuesday night I took 8 boys to Chatfield reservoir in pursuit of the canoeing merit badge.  I am proud to report that with no formal training, I pretended to teach the boys all of the required strokes, how to move from the bow to the stern, how to get in and out of the canoe while in the middle of lake, and how to swamp and empty a swamped canoe.  I am quite sure the boys didn't learn anything, but since no one drown they are all getting their award.  On Friday morning Jacque's brother Wesley flew into town.  That evening Wesley and I went with the young men of the Littleton First Ward on a campout.  Our campground was located on West Tennessee Pass which is just outside Leadville, CO.  Leadville is the highest incorporated city in the lower 48 states at 11,200 feet.  Our base camp was near tree line, which as around 11,500 feet.  From camp we hiked approximately 4 miles into the Holy Cross Wilderness Area, which is located in the San Isabel National Forest.  Our final destination was the Tennessee lakes, which are located at the base of Mount Massif, which is one of the highest peaks in Colorado (approximately 14,500 feet).  During the hike I had the opportunity to teach the boys the importance of wilderness and leave no trace.  My goal is to indoctrinate the youth by teaching them the evils of anthropocentrism and the value of ecocentrism.  I am thinking that next year for scout camp we are going to get shirts that say "in wilderness is the preservation of the world" (Henry David Thoreau), "the most common form of terrorism in the U.S.A. is that carried on by bulldozers and chain saws" (Edward Abbey), or "the idea of wilderness doesn't need defended, only defenders" (Edward Abbey).  We were the only visitors to the high mountain lakes and we had a fabulous time fishing and swimming.  Wesley and I shared a fishing pole and we managed to catch around 25 fish in a 3 hour period.  For the first time in my life I actually found enjoyment in fishing. It is amazing how fun it can be when you actually catch something.  Wesley, who has been living at sea level this summer, spent a little too much time at high altitude and developed a migraine headache, which made for a miserable hike back to camp.  We returned to Littleton at around 9:00 PM.  When I went to pick up my Honda Civic that I had parked on the road about a block from the church, I discovered that it wasn't there.  I have been trying to find a way to get rid of the Civic for a few years, but I didn't ever think that someone would steal it. Who in world wants a previously wrecked car with 208,000 miles, a missing door handle, no air conditioning, no stereo, and a broken axel.   According to the police, a young Hispanic male that lives in Wheatridge, CO, which is just north Denver.  At least that was the last person identified driving the vehicle Saturday afternoon.  So far the police have not been able to recover our vehicle.  The officer said that there is probably a 50 percent chance of recovery, and slightly less of a chance that the car will still be operable.  After my civic is taken on a joyride by unidentified Hispanic male, it will probably be stripped of its few remaining valuable parts and left abandoned in a grocery store parking lot somewhere outside of Denver.  Although I am making light of the fact that my car was just stolen, it really does have a negative impact on Jacque and I.  The Civic may have been on its last leg, but it was all that I needed to make it to work and back, which is less than 5 miles from our home.  In addition, we only had liability insurance, which means that the car is a complete loss, even if it was worth less than 2,000 dollars.  In addition, we now have to try to find a way to operate as a one car family.  While I was gone camping, Jacque, Macy, and Keaton decided to have a special night, which started with a trip to Toys-R-Us, which is on the same level as Pottery Barn kids and the Disneyland store.  On the way into the store Macy managed to fall out of the shopping cart and hit her head on the pavement.  Jacque called to tell me Macy's face was bruised and bloodied and that she may need to take Macy to the emergency room; however, Macy calmed down when Jacque promised to buy her a princess jewelry set complete with a crown with flashing lights.  On Sunday, following our lesson on keeping the Sabbath Day Holy, we went to the amusement park.   Jacque, Wesley, and I took turns riding with Macy on the airplanes, bus, train, tea-cups, boats, hot-air balloons, carousel, and Ferris wheel.   We had a really good time. 

 

Hope everyone is doing well

 

Tyler