Photos by Matthew

Hello everyone this is Matthew! I have been pressured into doing a blog post of all my pictures. Finally, thanks to my dad it is put together. I hope you all enjoy it.

This picture was taken on one of our hikes, with one of our church families (the Schroeder's) about two years ago.

This one obviously was shot during Christmas.

I have always wanted to take a humming bird picture, I never could at our house, because humming birds aren't as friendly here as they are in the valley. This was taken at Grandma's house in Modesto.

My shoes!! Which weren't liked much in Illinois.

This was the Christmas tree. It just looks a little different from the other picture.

I was very bored once, and had a crazy idea to line a row of nails up and take a picture.

This has been our best year ever for tomatoes. My Mom is getting better on her garden.

I have a tendency to take lots of pictures of frogs this is the first of three.

This one was taken in our stove. We were stuck inside, because of snow.

My second frog picture, and my personal favorite. It was taken on a corn plant.

This is a common leaf. I took it at night.

My last frog picture I promise!! I entered this one at our nearby fair.

This one also was taken at my Grandmas house.

This is a potter. It was taken on our 2006 trip.

My last picture of our cutest kitten. It is full grown now, her name is Espresso.

I have reached an end to this post. I would again like to thank my Dad for his help. Until next time. ~ Matthew

All of us: Through the ages pt. 3

Friends,
Hello!!!

Matthew is dragging his heels. Rather than make you wait, I have decided to proceed with our third installment of TTA. I remember saying something about this being the final episode. DON'T YOU BELIEVE IT!! There is much more to come. Let's get started.

If you want a pleasant expression from a Hector, have them hold their thumb in the air. I don't know why that works, but it does.

If it weren't for mirrors, there would be far fewer photos of me. Thanks to this assembly, there are many photos of me.

My favorite airplane ever is the DC-3.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_DC-3
It is the most beautiful plane in the sky, I love the way it sounds, I admire its sterling reputation. This is what a DC-3 looks like on the inside.

Thomas is not choking. He is giving his siblings a tour of his ambulance and is describing how a broken neck is protected.

AAAARRRRRRGGHH!!!

It's hard to get this many Hectors to agree on anything, but we are a sucker for anyone in bronze if they seem to know what they are talking about.

A shark is less likely to attack if you hold your breath and remain very still.

4-H is a great organization, but keeping the uniform clean is nearly impossible.

Purple is usually Laura's color, but Nick does it justice. We love boating, but canned spinach is not one of our favorites.

This is one of my all time favorite photographs.

This highly realistic painting was made in the barracks of Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore in 1814. # 52 was lost in battle. Pvt's Miller and Dement have mixed emotions about the loss.

This photo was taken at Lookright Ranch in the early 21st Century. Conditions have improved only slightly in the last 200 years.

I think that the color yellow was covered in an earlier post.

See what I mean about thumbs up?

OTTO spelled backward is OTTO.

Take three guys, put them in a U-Haul truck in Oklahoma City and send them to San Andreas, CA. This is what you get. The guy on the right is driving. The guy on the left is not. My thumbs are pointed down and I'm not sure about Thomas'.

Marine World has a lot of great rides. At the end of a long day the best ride is the tram that carries you back to the parking lot.

Nick is winning, but it's early still.

Stretching is good for you, but don't sit in the toy box unless you are young and limber. See photo # 2.

Sleeping outside is better than sleeping inside if the weather is good and there aren't too many bugs. This is not a Walmart parking lot.

Mrs. H and her boys love watching the hippos.

No hippos here, but maybe there is a fish or two. This is the edge of our backyard pond.

Mrs. H and I haven't gotten on the trampoline in a long time, but a first time visit by your future daughters is a good incentive to bounce.

This is another of my all time favorite photos. It was taken at the Pacific Ocean, and if you sink into the image you can feel the brisk breeze, hear the pounding surf and taste the salty spray. The Hectors have a dear friend that has never been there, but we hope to change that soon.

be safe,
Hec @ 19

OK Matthew, your up.

Time to eat!!

Friends,
Some of you have been wondering about the horrid working conditions that I am forced to endure. To tell you the truth, there are a few bright spots here and there. One of them is the fact that Inspector Crudele (doesn't rhyme with anything) likes to go fishing. He's very good at it, and always catches more than he can eat. My crew at Station 19 is very kind to Vince (that's a no-brainer), so he is always willing to share his catch with us. But wait it gets better, Vince likes to cook.

Vince and his buddy went out onto the San Francisco Bay and searched for a flock of seagulls that were diving into the water. Upon finding the birds, they cast multi-hooked lines baited with shrimp into the spot where the birds were diving. This resulted in Vince and his buddy catching mackeral. End of story? Not hardly!! The mackeral served as live bait for the fish that they were really after, namely striper bass and halibut! The pan holds Vince's share of the catch which have been sitting all day in a marinade that he concocted from scratch.

Onto the grill it goes.

Vince takes a test taste (two or three actually, plus the one he gave me) and declares them perfect.

Back into the freshly washed pan...

...and now for a time honored tradition, the ringing of the bell. I ring the bell to alert the other members of our crew that dinner is ready. I also ring the bell when we are dispatched to a fire, but that isn't nearly as important.

Voila!! You've done it again Vince. He can fall asleep in front of our TV any time he wants!!

Tracy, our regular (and just as wonderful) chef gets a much deserved break, and we all get a bit more insulation from the horrors that await us around the next corner.

bon appe'tit!
Hec @ 19
(I can't eat another bite!)

All of us: Through the ages pt. 2

Friends,
We are back (by popular demand) with the second (of three) installments in the world famous Through the ages series. Call in the kids, make some popcorn and have a good time as we stroll down memory lane.

Please let me apologize in advance to our dear friends from Illinois who have recently suffered serious water damage in their home. There are a lot of water themed photos in this collection. Water is an asset unless it is given the freedom to choose its own course. Water in lake = friend. Water coming through the ceiling = enemy.

Here we are back at the carnival. Midway rides make for great smiles. Great smiles make for great shots. You just have to be quick about it. Matthew and Thomas' casual grip is an indication of their extreme bravery.

Some interactions with supposedly friendly water are not always pleasant. This is Mono Lake, one of many remarkable lakes in the great state of California. It was crazy cold and very windy that day and Nick was a most reluctant model for this shot. Ben, being the nature lover that he is, was more cooperative. There are no boat ramps on Mono lake which earns it a spot on my "B list" of lakes.

This was taken on the day of the Six's first visit. Thomas was showing them how to turn a blade of grass into a whistle. To the best of my recollection, this was the last time that this skill has ever been used by anyone in our family.

LET"S MAKE A CONTEST OUT OF THIS PHOTO!!! Can you figure out (just by looking at the photo, no cheating!) what song was being played?

Carnival shot; gotta love it! Study the background if you are getting bored.

Haircut shot; gotta love it. Study the background if you are getting bored.

Ditto.

For a little variety, let's look at another soccer shot. This was an informal game at the park in San Andreas.

There is no known explanation for why Mrs. H and Nick have the most reflective retinas in the family.

One way to judge the success of a lake trip is by assessing how wiped out everyone is by the middle of the afternoon. This is Pinecrest. They have a boat ramp (A list). They rent pontoon boats (A+ list).

It's been too long without a silly hat photo. Please read the wall plaque in the background. The wrist bands are a mystery to me. Perhaps Ben or Thomas can explain.

Jigsaw puzzles require that the pieces be assembled in a very specific manner. Sand boxes are just the opposite, but Sara enjoys both.

I really am having a good time, my challenge lies in properly expressing it. Ask Mrs. H if you don't believe me. Nick has never had that problem.

Becky outgrew the booster seat long ago, it just seems like it was yesterday.

Checks (the horse) is sarcastically referred to as a weed whacking lawn ornament. He is rideable, you just have to be able to demonstrate that you have what it takes to be the boss. If you don't, Checks will happily serve in that capacity and your ride will be no fun. Nick is the victim of an over exposed photograph; he isn't really that pale.

The Hectors steadfastly hold to their position that water is fun. We again apologize to those of you that see things differently.

Ben gives Jonathan a virtual driving lesson.

The horse and water are fun, but the swing requires a lot less set-up. You never have to feed it and it won't drip through your ceiling. Thomas is still trying to figure out how it works. Maybe there is a computer program that can help him out.

Uno is a family favorite, especially with me. We've had the Star Trek deck for a long time now. The cards are so worn that they don't slide on each other very well. the Rubik's cube sees a lot less action, and is in perfect condition.

I'm not really scowling, I'm just lost in thought. I do that a lot. Laura and Thomas have an easier time staying focused. You can see it in their faces.

If you want to have the most fun possible, find the biggest body of water possible. That would be the Pacific Ocean. It will work your muscles, chill your bones and soothe your soul. It even grows toys for your enjoyment. If you haven't ever been there, put it on your must-see list.

The idea of Matthew putting up a blog post of HIS photographs (he's very good!) was recently tossed out, but he's a bit bashful. Perhaps with a little encouragement he'll come through for us. What do you think?

be safe,
Hec @ 19