Granitepeaks Photo Album: 01/20/06

Childhood Photos #1

Well, Clarice and Dad sent me 2 CDs full of childhood photos today, and I must say it was very very cool to wade through them. They probably won't interest anyone but family, but for those of us in our family, I think they will be very meaningful. So I'm posting all of them, with brief commentary. Feel free to correct me if I've gotten some details wrong...

The best way to view them is to click here to jump to the bottom and then scroll up as the story unfolds...

Here's a shot of me, in my Dad's workshop. Note the "Hogs are Beautiful" bumper sticker in the background. See what living in eastern Montana does to you?

Nick and Sam, cooling off in the summer

An early shot of Nicholas playing in the sandbox (I think this was in Lockwood)

Did I mention that Chesapeak's really like water?

A few more shots of Nick, back at our home in Lockwood (Billings)

Out in front of my grandparent's cabin in Sun Valley. This area is completely built up w/ multi million dollar homes now

Grandpa Cryder, helping Nick open his presents

Nick opening presents

Here's a cool shot of Nick, looking down from the balcony

And then sacked out over dessert.

Do you think he's a little excited?

Here's Jake, reclining in Grandpa Cryder's chair

So while we were staying at my grandparents cabin in Sun Valley, we celebrated Nicholas's birthday (he's sibling #3).

Hey, it wasn't my fault. Honest!!!! (My Dad will tell you that it's only the last couple inches of a plane crash that hurts). This was when we landed in Hailey, Idaho - we were on the ground (about half way between landing the plane and taxi-ing to the tie down area) when we got hit by a cross wind and the plane flipped. Fire engines came racing out, we were half expecting the thing to explode in flames. And the first thing the crew chief said when he got there was "Hey, you're the second one today that's done that! And the third one this week!"

Wow. So we're going to fly all the way to Idaho in this thing?

And here we are again, shortly before my parents divorced. When we lived in eastern Montana, my Dad had found an old 1948 Stinson in some farmers barn. He told my grandpa, and my grandpa bought it, and then my Dad and I flew it down to Sun Valley Idaho (Hailey, actually) to deliver it to my grandpa.

And here's Dad, fishing in Black Canyon. Man we caught some nice fish in this lake. And every night Mountain Goats would walk through camp...

Another good shot of my Dad, along with Sam...

This is on a snowfield on our way up to Black Canyon Lake.

Now I know this is Keyser Brown lake. I really like this shot.

Me, next to Keyser Brown lake. Actually, now that I look at it, this may be Lost Lake.

Me and dad, on my first real backpacking trip to Black Canyon Lake in the Beartooths. I would have been in 4th grade here. That's Sam, the Chesapeak Bay Retriever that suceeded Molly when she got old.

We're moving on in life again. At this point, I'm pretty sure we've moved back to Billings. I would have been 7 years old here, probably, and we have just caught a load of fish up at West Rosebud Lake.

Here's a shot of me, on that same heap.

Dawn, on the silage heap.

And here's Jake, pretending he's riding a horse. This is a great shot...

Here's Nori, with Kim Haidle, riding a horse. Think she's excited?

Here's a shot of me, on that same heap.

Here's me, looking at a coyote my dad trapped. That's my very own .22 rifle I'm holding...

They're probably watching me. Trying to wrestle a calf. I think the calf is winning... (Like I said, these were good times. Every kid ought to get the chance to try and wrestle calves and catch pigs and stuff like that)

Mom and Nori, in the barnyard. Wonder what they're watching?

Me, Jake, and Molly. On the pig farm. These were good times.

Now this I know for sure is in Fallon, on the pig farm - me learning how to use a saw, with that old 72 Datsun station wagon there in the background.

Great shot of Jake, in our old Ford truck

And, so did I!

Hey, look at that - Nori caught something!

Here's another good shot of my dad

And here's me - waiting for a bite

Here's dad and (I believe) Jake. And that is my best friend Molly (the yellow lab!) there in the background. I'm not entirely sure where this shot was taken - Jake is young enough that it might have still been back in NC... or it could have been down on the Yellowstone near Fallon, MT

Here's a great shot of what it looked like in our little trailer on the pig farm. Home of many happy memories (every kid ought to spend a couple of years living on a pig farm in eastern Montana)