Bo Update

Bobo was hit by a car last Saturday afternoon, and in my estimation, was quite nearly killed. That same day, the veterinarian ordered more than $600 worth of diagnostic tests, and had he found any serious injuries, we would have had to pay even more. We agonized over the decision and finally decided to decline any further treatment. We took him home and simply waited.

Yesterday afternoon we got a most unexpected answer. I told Rhonda I was going for a walk, and when Bobo heard that word, his ears perked up and he motioned toward the door. I was amazed. Only three days before, I dragged him off the street; now he wanted to go for a walk. We didn't go far, but we did go for a walk. He ran out the door with all the same enthusiasm and excitement as before. I can't explain what has happened. Other than a slightly slower movement, he seems completely well.

Bo Miracle

An older picture of Bo looking sad.
Una foto vieja de Bo con una mirada triste.

My family lived through a tragic experience this weekend that ended as a miracle.

I took our dog Bobo for a run toward the Little Spokane River, but before we could arrive, he was hit by a boat. Yes, he was hit by a BOAT.

It happened like this. Bobo got ahead of me as we were running on the sidewalk of Mill Road. Thinking of his safety, I called him back to run behind me. He has become very obedient in the last year, so I didn't worry about him running off. He looked at me, and obediently turned back, but as he did so, he stepped off the curb and ran in a circle. A large truck pulling a boat passed by at a fairly fast speed. Bobo saw the truck, and started back for the sidewalk, but he didn't see the boat trailer with the extra wide tires. The back tire of the boat trailer slammed into the dog and sent him flying into the air. Blood and feces splattered onto the street and sidewalk, while the dog fell limp into a silent heap. I just stood in shock thinking he was dead.

The truck sped away without so much as a pause.

Another car stopped right away. A concerned man got out and asked, "Did that guy just hit your dig? Do you want me to run him down?"

"No," I said, "What good will that do me now? Can you just help me contact my family?"

The man offered his cell phone, but then other cars and trucks raced by with no regard for my dog lying in the middle of the street. Several cars almost ran him over again, so I grabbed him by the collar and dragged his rigid body onto the sidewalk. Bobo opened his eyes, but he still looked bad. He could hardly move, and blood was still gushing from his mouth. I thought he would die soon. I had every intention of sitting with him until my family arrived or he died.

My family was in the middle of a yard sale, so I knew they wouldn't answer the phone. Fortunately, another family passed by and agreed to drive to my house and inform my wife.

Meanwhile, the man with the cell phone found a vet down the street and brought her back to examine the dog. She arrived just a minute or so before my wife and Dakota. She helped us load him onto a stretcher and carry him to the car.

By the time the vet examined the dog, Bobo had become more alert and started to show signs of fear. He struggled to get away from the stretcher, but I held my face close to him and tried to speak as many soothing words as possible. The vet was very surprised not to find any broken bones or signs of serious injury. His lungs, temperature, heart rate... everything was normal.

Even so, the doctor wanted to order a series of tests, including an x-ray, at almost $650. For a moment, Rhonda and I were stuck with the dilemma of paying money we didn't have to possibly save his life, or to not pay and possibly let him die. It was a horrible and emotional moment for both of us, and also for Dakota, who stood by watching. We agonized over the decision, but finally decided to decline the expensive treatments. They sent pain meds and an anti-biotic and let us take him home.

In the end, Bobo got out of the car and walked back into the house. This evening, just over 24 hours later, he is up and jumping as though nothing ever happened. He shows no external sign of injury! From thinking he was dead, now he seems totally normal. We called him Bo Miracle, or Bo Lazarus.

Of course, he's not out of the woods yet. The doctor said he may have injured his liver, but we wouldn't be able to tell for a few days. He'll go back in tomorrow to find out. Until then, we'll just keep praying for our miracle dog.

Washington

Our group met with the State Department.
Nuestro grupo se reunió con el Departamento de Estado.

More photographs from our trip to Washington DC...

Más fotografías de nuestro viaje a Washington DC...

With the Capitol Building in the background...
Con el Capitolio en el fondo...


Santiago and Mariela in the National Mall...
Santiago y Mariela en el Mall Nacional...


Victor telling one of his many jokes...
Victor contando uno de sus chistes...


María Fernanda and Alex studying on the metro...
María Fernanda y Alex estudiando en el metro...


Santiago near the pool outside the National Museum of the American Indian...
Santiago cerca de la piscina fuera del Museo Nacional del Indígena Americano...

Blake

I met Blake Lewis at the National Museum of the American Indian.
Conocí a Blake Lewis en al Museo Nacional del Indígena Americano.


Blake Lewis from American Idol.
Blake Lewis del Ídolo Americano.

As many of my friends and family already know, I traveled to Washington DC as part of the Ecuador Youth Leadership Exchange. The experience was both exciting and exhausting. In fact, the exchange set me so far behind in my work and personal strength, that I am only now beginning to fully recover.

I was so far behind that I have never completely blogged my experiences from the exchange. One such experience was a chance encounter with Blake Lewis from American Idol. We were just leaving the National Museum of the American Indian at the end of the day when Flor spotted the famous singer. The group ran over to him with all the excitement of any typical teenage fans. They took a massive number of photographs until Blake's friend finally said, "We have to go." At the very end, I jumped in and asked for a picture with me. He graciously obliged and then slipped away.

Afterwards, I laughed because I realized that during the entire visit I never spoke a word of English, only Spanish. In fact, not one of us spoke English. He must have thought it strange to pose with so many people who never spoke his language.

Blake Lewis

Como ya saben muchos de mis amigos y familiares, viajé a Washington DC como parte del Intercambio de Liderazgo para Jóvenes del Ecuador. La experiencia fue emocionante y agotadora a la vez. De hecho, el intercambio me atrasó en mi trabajo y en mis fuerzas personales de tal grado que apena voy recuperándome.

Estaba tan atrasado que nunca escribí de toda las experiencias del intercambio en mi blog. Tal experiencia fue un encuentro por casualidad con Blake Lewis del Ídolo Americano. Estábamos saliendo del Museo Nacional del Indígena Americano al final del día cuando Flor vió al cantante famosos. El grupo se fue corriendo a su lado con toda la emoción de cualquier grupo de admiradores jóvenes. Tomaron una cantidad enorme de fotos hasta que el compañero de Blake dijo, "Tenemos que irnos." Al final, le pedí una foto conmigo. Cordialmente nos hizo el favor y se fue.

Después, me reí porque me di cuenta de que durante toda la visita jamás hablé ni siquiera una palabra de inglés, solamente el español. De hecho, ni uno de nosotros hablamos inglés. Deber haberlo pensado algo extraño tomar fotos con tants personas que no hablaban su idioma.

Anniversary

Rhonda and I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary by spending the weekend in a cabin on the Pend Oreille River. We were married on June 16, 1994 in the Portland Temple.

Rhonda y yo celebramos nuestro aniversario de matrimonio número 14 pasando el fin de semana en una cabaña cerca del Río Pend Oreille. Nos casamos el 16 de Junio, 1994 en el Templo de Portland.

Pend Oreille

This look is dedicated to Paul.
Esta mirada se dedica a Paul.


A view of the Pend Oreille River from above Manressa Grotto.
Una vista del Río Pend Oreille desde Manressa Grotto.


The sky above the Pend Oreille River
El cielo sobre el Río Pend Oreille.


The buffalo on the Kalispel Indian Reservation.
Los búfalo en la Reservación Kalispel.

My wife and I spent the weekend near the Pend Oreille River for our anniversary. The photographs in this blog represent some of the sights we got to appreciate.

Mi esposa y yo pasamos el fin de semana cerca del Río Pend Oreille para nuestro aniversario. Las fotografías en este blog representan alguna vistas que pudimos apreciar.

Douglas Cave

On the border between the United States and Canada.
En la fronters entre los Estados Unidos y Canadá.


The border is visible among the trees.
La frontera está visible entre los árboles.


I saw this frog near the entrance to the cave.
Vi este sapo cerca de la entrada de la caverna.


The entrance to Douglas Cave.
La entrada de la Cueva Douglas.

During our mini-vacation this weekend, we drove to Douglas Cave, near Metalline Falls. The Canadian border is only a 15 minute walk from the entrance to the cave. I think our hike was perhaps the most enjoyable part of our trip.

Cueva Douglas

Durante nuestra mini-vacación, fuimos a la Cueva Douglas, erca de las Cascadas Metalline. La frontera canadiense está a unos 15 minutos a pie de la entrada de la cueva. Pienso que nuestra caminata fur la parte más disfrutable de nuestro viaje.

Madonna and Loren

Madonna writing on the train track.
Madonna escribió sobre la vía del tren.


Madonna and Loren walking on the tracks.
Madonna y Loren caminaron sobre la vía del tren.

We spent the weekend with Madonna and Loren near the Pend Oreille River. We hiked on the train tracks above the river.

Pasamos el fin de semana con Madonna y Loren cera del Río Pend Oreille. Caminamos sobre la vía del tren sobre el río.

Father's Day

My children make Father's Day possible. As always, they honored me with homemade gifts, lots of love, and a song.

Día del Padre

Mis hijos hacen posible el Día del Padre. Como siempre, me honraron con regalos hechos en casa, mucho amor, y una canción.

Cathedral

Saint John's Cathedral against the storm; a rainbow was in the background.
El Catedral de San Juan contra la tormenta venidera; un arco iris estaba en el fondo.


The setting sun against the gathering storm created a magnificent contrast.
El atardecer contra la tormenta hizo un contraste magnífico.

After last week's graduation ceremony, Rhonda and I attended a staff party across the street from Saint John's Cathedral. The storm created a beautiful lighting effect on the gothic structure of the church.

Catedral

Después de la ceremonia de graduación la semana pasada, Rhonda y yo fuimos a una fiesta para empleados frente a la Catedral de San Jaun. La tormenta hizo un efecto de luz muy bello sobre la estructura gótica de la iglesia.

Storm

As Rhonda and I left the IEL graduation last Wednesday, we saw the sky beginning to darken in the west. At first, I thought the storm was moving away because the prevailing winds usually move easttward. However, as we continued to drive through town, we noticed the wind was blowing directly out of the east. It was not normal.

Tormenta

Mientras Rhonda y yo salíamos de la graduación del IEL, vimos al cielo que empezaba a oscurecerse. Al principio, yo pensé que la tormenta se alejaba de nosotros porque los vientos normales se van haci ael oriente. Sin embargo, continuamos por la ciudad y vimos que el viento se venía directamente del oriente. No era normal.

By the time we passed Sacred Heart Hospital, the sky had turned nearly black.

Ya cuando pasábamos el Hospital del Sagrado Corazón, el cielo se había vuelto casi totalmente negro.

The sun shone over the western part of the city, even as the sky turned black in the east.

El sol brillaba sobre la parte occidental de la ciudad, aun mientras el cielo se volvía negro en el oriente.

A view of the city from the south.

Una vista de la ciudad desde el sur.

A rainbow over the South Hill.

Un arco iris sobre el Cerro Sur.

Graduation

Ward, Carol, and I dressed in academic robes.
Ward, Carol, y yo vestidos en ropas académicas.

On Wednesday I attended the graduation ceremony for the Institute for Extended Learning. I was honored to witness many of my students receive their diplomas. I also had the privilege of reading the names during the ceremony.

El miércoles asistí la ceremonia de graduación para el Instituto de Aprendizaje Extendido. Me sentí honrado presenciar muchos de mis estudiantes mientras recibían sus diplomas. También tuve el privilegio de leer los nombres durante la ceremonia.

The River

Spokane Falls at its highest level in years.
Las Cascadas Spokane en su nivel más alto en años.


The Spokane River...
El Río Spokane...

On the day of Dakota Boyd's graduation, I walked down to the river to appreciate the force and beauty of the water. The water levels have been extremely high and quite impressive.

El día de la graduación de Dakota Boyd, caminé al río para apreciar la fuerza y la belleza del agua. El nivel del agua ha estado extremadamente alto y muy impresionante.

Dakota Boyd

Last week, I attended Dakota Boyd's graduation ceremony as part of the Medicine Wheel Academy. Congratulations to him. As many of you know, I used to work there, so it was nice to see everyone again.

La semana pasada, presencié la ceremonia de graduación de Dakota Boyd. Felicitaciones a él. Como muchos saben, antes trabajaba allí, pues fue bueno ver a todos una vez más.

Restoration

My grandfather's belt in its deteriorated condition.
El cinturón de mi abuelo en su condición deteriorada.

Recently, I inherited a beaded belt that had once belonged to my grandfather. The belt was in very poor condition when I received it; almost all the strings had broken, allowing the beads to fall away. Fortunately, enough of the beads remained to reveal the original pattern.

Just this evening I began to restore the decayed beadwork, and found the process much more difficult than I first imagined. The holes in the leather are perhaps 50 years old and have begun to close, causing my needle to bend nearly in half. After working more than two hours, I had restored the beads onto less than a square inch of the original surface. Now I appreciate more than ever the patience required to do this kind of work.

They say our Indian walk is a prayer. The beadwork is a prayer. Tonight, I'm reminded how true the saying is.

Restauración

Recientement, heredé un cinturón hecho con cuentas que una vez había pertenecido a mi abuelo. El cinturón estaba en una condición muy pobre cuando lo recibí; casi todos los hilos se habían roto, dejando que las cuentas se cayeran. Afortunadamente, lo suficiente de las cuentas quedaron para revelar el diseño original.

Justo esta noche, comencé a restaurar la obra de cuentas decaídas, y encontré que el proceso era más difícil de lo que me había imaginado. Los hollos en el cuero tenían quizá más de 50 años, y muchos se han cerrado, causando que mi aguja se doblara casi en medio. Después de trabajar más de 2 horas, había restaurado las cuentas sobre un área menos de una pulgada cuadrada del superficie original. Ahora aprecio más que nunca la paciencia que se requiere para hacer este tipo de trabajo.

Dicen que nuestro camino indígena es una oración. La obra de cuentas es una oración. Esta noche me recuerdo de la verdad de este dicho.

The Museum

The Ecuador youth contemplating a work of art.
Los jóvenes del Ecuador contemplando una obra de arte.


Alex and Alexis making a written reflection of their gallery experience.
Alex y Alexis haciendo una reflección escrita de su experiencia en la galería.

The Museum of Arts and Culture

This blog is out of chronological order, but I took so many pictures during the Ecuador Youth Leadership Exchange, that I couldn't possibly keep up with the whole story. The photographs appearing now are simply a highlight of the important events.

During the exchange, the Ecuador youth went to the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture. They visited the galleries and did a quiet reflection of everything they saw. It's interesting that one of the exhibits related to the destruction of the environment, which was one of their main themes of study. The youth offered many insightful comments into why we should do more to care for nature.

El Museo de Artes y Cultura

Este blog está fuera de orden cronológico, pero yo había tomado tantas fotos durante el Intercambio de Liderazgo para Jóvenes del Ecuador que simplemente no pude mantenerme a paso con la historia completa. Las fotografías que ahora aparecen representan un resumen de los eventos importantes.

Durante el intercambio, los jóvenes del Ecuador fueron al Museo Noroeste de Artes y Cultura. Visitaron las galerías e hicieron una reflección de todo lo que vieron. Es interesante que una de las exhibiciones se relacionaba con la destrucción del medio ambiente, lo cual fue uno de sus temas principales de estudio. Los jóvenes ofrecieron muchos comentarios en cuanto al porque debemos hacer más para proteger la naturaleza.

Victor received a charcoal drawing that I made.
Victor recibió un dibujo de carbón que yo hice.


Victor painted my face black.
Victor me pintó de negro la cara.


He also painted Valentina and everyone else.
También pintó a Valentina y todos los demás.

Charcoal Drawings

After visiting the galleries, the group participated in a special art lesson in the museum classroom. We made charcoal drawings on themes related to the environment.

After quietly observing the galleries, the art lesson became much less reverent. Victor went around the classroom and starting painting everyone's face black. With so much laughter and noise, I was surprise the museum officials didn't throw us out.

Dibujos de Carbón

Después de visitar las galerías, el grupo participó en una lección especial de arte en la clase del museo. Hicimos dibujos con carbón sobre temas relacionados al medio ambiente.

Después de haber observado tranquilamente a las galerías, la lección de arte fue menos reverente. Victor iba por toda la clase pintando las caras de todos con carbón. Con tanta ris y bulla, me sorprende que los oficiales del museu no nos expulsaron.

Bitterroots

A few days ago, I went back to my secret location and spent several hours digging bitterroots. As many faithful readers already know, the roots form a central part in the cultural and spiritual identity of my family, as they provide a direct communication with all the spirits of the land.

Raíces Amargas

Hace unos días, fui a mi lugar secreto y pasé varias horas cavando raíces amargas. Como ya saben muchos lectores fieles de mi blog, las raíces forman una parte central de la identidad cultural y espiritual de mi familia, como ellas proveen una comunicación directa con todos los espíritus de la tierra.