Deep in the Heart of Texas

The stars at night are big and bright
Deep in the heart of Texas
The prairie sky is wide and high
Deep in the heart of Texas

The sage in bloom is like perfume
Deep in the heart of Texas
Reminds me of the one that I love
Deep in the heart of Texas

The coyotes wail along the trail
Deep in the heart of Texas
The rabbits rush around the brush
Deep in the heart of Texas

The cowboys cry, “Ki yippee yi!”
Deep in the heart of Texas
The dogies bawl and bawl and bawl
Deep in the heart of Texas

The stars at night are big and bright
Deep in the heart of Texas
The prairie sky is wide and high
Deep in the heart of Texas

The 1941 “Deep in the Heart of Texas” song features lyrics by June Hershey and music by Don Swander. The song was recorded by Perry Como withTed Weems and His Orchestra on December 9 of that year for Decca Recordsin Los Angeles, California. It was a single release on the flip side of the song “Ollie Ollie Out’s In Free.” “Deep in the Heart of Texas” spent five weeks at the top of Your Hit Parade in 1942.

9/11 Tribute Movement

Few human made disasters in recent history have had a larger impact on the United States, North America, and in fact the western world than the attacks on the World Trade tower buildings. I encourage my friends and acquaintances to visit the 9/11 Tribute Movement website and pledge their memorial activity.

Remembrance of those who lost their lives and those who gave their lives in the line of duty is an important act that we all should honor.

 We will be doing our most difficult cross country mountain bike ride and will give a minute of silence at the top in honor of those who lost their lives as well as in support of the survivors.


Visit www.911day.org and tell the nation what you’ll be doing on 9/11/11.

Update: At 6,398′ on Moose Mountain, we gave a moment of silence.Moose Mountain 9/11 Tribute

Mom did it all

Jan Pomeroy passed away in May 2010. This is what some of her family had to say at her memorial:

John:

Mom was the quiet strength behind our family.

We grew up in a very busy household, first on the Acreage then at Vicary Place. The activities that we participated in while growing up, be it; academic, sport or social were facilitated by Mom.

Throughout my life friends have expressed surprise when they learn that I can cook dinner, wash the dishes, clean the bathroom, iron my shirts, and take out the trash. Of course I can, Mom would not have had it any other way.

I started mountaineering when I was young. Dad introduced it as one of the many activities the 31St Tiger Scout Troup was involved in. Climbing became a passion of mine, for many years I spent weekends and the summers climbing at Alpine Club camps or with a few friends. It was Mom that made sure that it was all possible, she made gorpe for breakfasts, she made biscuit and meat bars for my lunches, and she dehydrated everything required for suppers. Mom arranged transportation until I was old enough to drive, she then gave up her own car until I had my own.

The winters where for skiing, again it was Mom that made all the parts come together. Mom sewed gaiters for us. She then taught us to operate the sewing machine so we could make our down jackets and pants.

Mom had that ability to keep all of us kids under her protective umbrella while living a very busy and rich life herself.

It was not until a little later in life when I truly appreciated just how special Mom was. Mom rarely showed or gave voice to her fears about our life style choices. Although it did poke its head up a few times. Once, I was very late coming down off a particular climb on Yamnuska because we got had gotten off the route, a little lost. When the two of us were sitting behind the car taking off our climbing boots a RCMP cruiser pulled up, the constable rolled down his window and asked “Are you Pomeroy” I said “Yes”, and I got told “Call your Mother”.

Whatever I did in life Mom supported it, both the failures as well as the successes.

I consider myself very blessed to have been Janet Pomeroy’s son. I feel like I will always be under her umbrella as I continue through the journey that is my life.

I am very grateful that I was able to return a little bit of that protective care as Mom needed it.

Good Bye Mom.

Allen:

People say that parents set the value and moral goal posts and hope their kids develop the ability to make judgment decisions that would make the parents proud. Jan did it.

Mom could cook. The whole gamut. For example .. Fresh bread right out of the oven; the kids slicing the heel off both sides of the loaf (before we got caught) .. of course smothered in butter and sometimes, brown sugar. Her famous Pomeroy family chili. The chili was just another example of Mom’s consideration for others. If the dinner table included guests that didn’t appreciate the Pomeroy level of spice, she made both Family and Company chili. Jan just did it.

Mom exhibited traits that we kids wanted to emulate .. humour, kindness, loyalty, class, complexity and yes .. clairvoyance. She almost always anticipated what was troubling us or what kind of trouble we got into. Mom’s really do have eyes in the back of their heads .. or maybe they are just very good at reading child behavior. As it turns out, sometimes those forensics really didn’t have to very good .. she just had to look for the abnormally clean house to know there was a party while the parents were away. Then Jan really did it.

Mom really knew how to do things. Whether it was her kids or her long time friends asking for help or advice on how to tackle a particular problem, we all thought: “Jan will know”. Of course. Jan’s done it.

Mom was the organizational glue that held the family and her friends together whether it was camping, skiing, hiking, making wine, or just keeping all of the kids in line, Jan did it.

Mom could make all of us kids (including Dad) and her friends succeed by quietly and gracefully supporting and encouraging us to do the right things. Jan just did it.

Mom will be missed, but she leaves a rich legacy: her kids and grandkids can cook, hike, camp, make beer, build houses and companies, perform forensics, engineer, and continually strive for more education and growth. I know her family and friends are richer because of her influence.

Now we all do it.

I would like to take this chance to extend a deep thank you to all the out-of-town travelers, our in-town friends and family, as well as the skilled and caring staff at EMS, Foothills Medical Centre Unit 100 and Chinook Hospice.

America .. Star Spangled Banner

Oh, say can you see by the dawn’s early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
‘Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps’ pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war’s desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust.”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!