Getting really excited about the progress I've made the last few weeks. I'm currently four chapters and twelve pages away from finishing my rewrite of 'The Eye of Magog'. After which, it will be sent to an editor. 

This story is my best to date. I think the writing is better as I recognize the little bad habits I've had in my writing in the past and hopefully, I've been able to eliminate most of them.

And the story itself is soooo cool! Especially for those who like the Daniel and Kylee Richards series of stories I've written so far. 

My goal is to have it out by the end of the summer or early fall at the latest.

I'm also excited to have my first vacation since October. On Tuesday, the 30th of April, Kim, Logan, and I will be jetting off to the UK. And yes, there will be a Deseret News article about our adventures. 

We plan on renting a car in London and driving to Cardiff Wales for a night, seeing Stonehenge on the way. The next day we will drive to Edinburgh Scotland and spend three nights there visiting Edinburgh Castle, Rossalyn Chapel, Holyrood Palace and so many other things. We even plan on taking a ghost walking tour through Greyfriar's cemetery and the Covenentor's prison.

Our last night, after a long drive back to London, will be spent most likely doing brass rubbings at the brass rubbing center off Trafalgar Square. 

After our return, I'll be doing prep work for my upcoming non-fiction novel about Sgt. James Weldon Mellody; my first attempt at a real meaningful story that in itself is incredible.

Thank you to my friend and rifle collecting partner James and his family for allowing me to write this fabulous story. 

Also thank to my wife Kim for her continuing support, and my children for just being tolerant of me when I haven't always been there.  (Megan, Amber, Heather, Connor, and Logan)

Stay tuned and get excited!

During the 1980's I had a real interest in guns. At that point I'd owned a .22 Winchester model 190 that my father gave me for Christmas when I was about twelve or thirteen. After my mission I became pretty good friends with my Bishop, who was a hunter, and my best friend at the time was also a hunter. During the course of two years, I purchased 4 rifles and a couple of hand guns. 

When my first daughter started to walk, I sold my guns even though I had them locked away in a safe. The money that I got helped to put me through A&P school. I have not owned a gun since until two months ago when I purchased an inexpensive world war 2 Russian Mosin Nagant. Since then, I've purchased 3 other military surplus, world war 2 circa guns.

I have been told that if I'd had this interest when I met my wife, it would have been a deal breaker. 

Wondering now, what has gone wrong.

On March 30th, it will be one year since my father passed away. I'm just wondering, does it continue to get harder the more time that goes by? Lately I've been waking several times a night and dreaming about both my mom and dad dying. Very sad dreams. I miss them both so much! And, for me anyway, it gets harder and harder. I miss their unconditional love and support...their kind words and concern...my dad's sense of humor and my mother's work ethic. I hope at some point, it will begin to get easier.

Working hard on the re-write of 'The Eye of Magog'. Hopefully, it will be completed by the first of May and then sent off to an editor. After editing, Kim will have the final say on any last minute changes. With a little luck and hard work, it will be out in the fall.

I'm extremely stoked to begin my next project. I have no idea what the title will be and it will not be a fictional work in the Daniel/Kylee series. Instead, it will be a non fiction book about Sgt. James Weldon Melody, the grandfather of a friend I work with. His B-26 was shot down over France and he landed in a tree in Elisabethville. After 305 days in a POW campe he came home and didn't say too much about his war experiences. There is some real remarkable events that happened after his death in 2004 that add to the story a great deal. Stay tuned!

It's been a while. It's now a new year and hopefully a better one than last year.

In 1975, my father had his first open heart surgery and i lost 3 of my grandparents to old age. My mom complained to my dad's heart surgeon about what a bad year it had been. He disagreed and said it had been a banner year...You're three parents are happier than they have ever been and we saved your husband's life. This heart surgeon was named Russel M. Nelson, pioneer in open heart surgery and future apostle.

2012 was my banner year. I lost both my parents within five months of each other and then within a month of my mom's passing I lost my dog to throat cancer.

Now it is February and things are looking up in some respects. First, we got a new dog last December. Winston, or Winnie to his friends, was found wandering the streets of Keller Texas and spent some time in the animal shelter before we adopted him. It was a close call because he was slated to be put down. And now, we have a wonderful Daschund mix who loves us every day.

On the other hand....some things aren't any better but instead much worse. My daughter Megan is having some of her own problems which I have been praying about all week. I hope it works out for her so she can be as happy as possible.

I"m writing again, I've deleted World of Tanks from my computer and steadily working on 'The Eye of Magog' which is book 4 in the Daniel and Kylee Richards series. Hopefully it will be available sometime the end of this summer or early fall. It's my favorite story so far.

I do have an exciting project coming up after the 'The Eye' is completed. It will be my first attempt at a non fiction story and will require Kim and I to do some traveling to France. More on this as it gets closer to me starting.

I'm still writing articles and had two published this year so far. One on New Orleand and one on Copenhagen Denmark. I am currently writing an article on Sintra Portugal that should be completed very, very soon. Anyway, here are two links for the two that have been published.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865571201/New-Orleans-2-as-foreign-as-America-gets.html

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865571520/My-trip-to-Denmark-uncovered-inspirational-art-and-impressive-castles.html?pg=all


This year is looking up for me. I pray continually for Megan, Amber, Heather, and Connor as well as my new family of Kim and Logan.

Winston Churchill Hale

It has been a very sad 24 hours around the Hale household. Yesterday morning we were forced to take our 9 year old Catahoula/Australian Shepherd to the vet to have her put to sleep.

 

 

Marsha was an incredible dog. She had the sweetest disposition of any dog I've known as she went about her daily duties of taking care of her people. She was a friend to Kim and Logan and made their move to Texas from California much more acceptable. And, for me, she was the last bridge between my families, having lived with both during her life.

 

At the time I married Kim, Marsha was living with me but I was looking for a suitable home for her because I didn't think I'd be able to keep her for various reasons. First, I lived in an apartment. Second, I didn't know how Logan and Kim would accept her after having to give up their dog Kismet to move to Texas. Kim convinced me to keep her and boy were the rewards great for all of us.

 

Marsha, on occaison, would accompany me to work at American Airlines hanager 5 at DFW airport. I would be done with my work and go home to Keller to pick her up and bring her back. During that time there were no more than 8 or 10 people at the hangar on afternoon shift. She and I would take walks through the vast expanse and she was so happy just to be with me. The other mechanics and support people loved to have her around. (She kept the break room floor clean). One night I was asked to change a nav light on and MD-80 wingtip and Marsha watched from the floor as I worked from a ladder. When I was done, she wasn't anywhere around. My crew chief John Kilbane and I hunted through the hangar for her for no less than 30 minutes before John went up the aft stairs on the very plane I was working on and found her asleep under the last row of airplane seats.

 

On these trips to the hangar, and any other time she could ride in the front seat of my car with me, she would use her snout to lift my arm over her body so it would rest on her. She literally loved affection of any kind.

 

When she was young she could leap into the air to catch a frisbee but later on, when she entered the middle aged stage of doggy life, she couldn't jump anymore but still loved to chase balls or her kong. She would drive people nuts barking at them to throw something for her to chase.

 

Six weeks ago, I noticed a lump in her throat. We inquired of the Doctor and it was inconclusive as to whether it was cancer or not. Kim and I decided not to have surgery on her for various reasons. First, it would have been a lot for her to endure just to have the surgery. Second, if it was cancer, we couldn't afford to have it treated and didn't think it was right to put a dog through chemo or radiation anyway. Third, we hoped the tumor was benine and that she would continue to live a happy and love filled life for many years to come. This was not to be the case.

 

Two weeks ago, while Grandma and Logan were watching Marsha while we went to Denmark, she stopped eating and started getting sick on the floor, unable to keep much of anything down. We hoped it was just her emotional response to missing us which had happened before but not quite to that extreme. After we were home a week, it was apparent this was not going to get any better. Then, three days ago, she stopped drinking water. We noticed it was very difficult for her to swallow and she no longer wanted to play, let alone walk outside or anything else. Yesterday, she would stand up like it was very uncomfortable. She was obviously starting to show us that it hurt.

 

Dr. Cox and the staff at Southlake Animal Crossing were very, very understanding and supportive. Just around 830 am, Marsha took her last breath. I visualize her now playing with my other dogs that have passed on. Angel and Erika, Shadow and Hershey, and Annie.

 

Marsha, we all love and miss you so much! You brought us so much joy and I'm so grateful I got to keep you. Thank you Kim for insisting that I do. We will forever remember you and pray you will choose to live with us in the next life.

 

Daddy

 



Kim and I had the opportunity to visit Denmark last week for a few wonderful days. I can't express how much I love to travel with my wife and my kids when given this opportunity. Even though American Airlines is struggling, and generally ticking me off as a company, I do appreciate the benefits we take advantage of.

Copenhagen was so cool; literally. We escaped the 90's of Texas and enjoyed the 50's of Denmark. We even enjoyed the rain that soaked us a couple of times.

The Danish people were wonderful and surprisingly literate in English. In fact, several times while speaking with them I got the impression I was talking to someone from the states. There was hardly any accent detected.

The country is beautiful. We enjoyed seeing Fredericksborg Castle as well as Kronberg Castle which is known as Hamlet's castle. We loved entering the queen's chamber at Fredericksborg and seeing Danish paintings of Christ that Mormons have in their library and often times hanging in church hallways and temples.

Not only did we see the paintings but we also saw the original Christus statue by a Danish artist in a church in Copenhagen. For those not from Salt Lake City, the Christus is our statue of Christ that is in the Salt Lake City temple square visitor center.

We saw the Little Mermaid sculpure in the bay as well as Hans Christian Anderson's statue in the heart of Copenhagen by city hall. Of course, Hans Christian authored the story of the Little mermaid.

We saw many interesting buildings and artwork; some of the artwork in the outdoor parks. We saw Danish people riding bikes everywhere. We even enjoyed our cookie cutter room in the Copenhagen Star Hotel. BTW- they even provided a fire alarm for us to participate in.

I recommend Denmark to everyone. Beautiful country and wonderul people.

For the last 49 years, my entire life, my parents have always been there for me as a manifestation of stability. They may not have been perfect people but they were perfect for me. They have always been my biggest support in no matter what I was trying to do. Be it, writing, working as an aviation maintenance technician, or going to school, they were always there to encourage me and let me know I was loved.

On March 30th, my father passed away at the age of 90. Five months later, on September 1st, my mother joined him for eternity and now all I have left in my mortal existence is memories.

The other day I was passing a candy vending machine and saw the yellow wrappered Milky Way bar with caramel. A pang of sadness impaled my heart as I remembered buying bags of these very candy bars for my parents just within the last year. In fact, I gave my mom 3 bags after my dad's funeral so she could take them back to Logan where she lived. These were their favorites snacks and they had one every day.

This picture is my mom and dad in 1987 on the beach in Barbados. Because of my job at the time, with Eastern Airlines, I was able to take them to visit the beautiful island. I'll never forget the trip for several reasons. First, I was able to do something for them after years and years of sacrifices they made for me. Second, my dad loaded the same roll of 35mm film in his camera twice so all his pictures ended up being double exposed and of great entertainment to us. Third, while walking around Bridgetown, my mom passed out and I remember thinking that perhaps that was it for her. The residents came running from everywhere. One person brought smelling salts. Another brought a box for her to sit on once she came to. The people were so friendly and helpful and I think it was because of this trip that I started having the desire to see the world.

Over the course of the last thirteen years. I've done a lot of traveling internationally. After visiting Denmark and Sweden next week, I'll have visited 30 different countries during this time. I think its a wonderful way to better understand and appreciate the world and also the United States. I've had the opportunity to take my kids on trips and show them so many beneficial things. I love to travel still and will take advantage of it as long as I'm capable.

In two days, we head to Denmark. This is a last minute change from the original destination we had planned for to Romania. Why the change? Well, my daughter Heather was suppose to go with us but she is unable to go this week and we didn't want to go without her so we altered the plan until she can go. Denmark is the birthplace of my great great grandmother on my mom's side. I think that after seeing it, and walking through the streets, I'll feel a little closer to her and my grandmother who I never met.

My parents were really remarkable people. I love and miss them so much.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865558889/Big-Bear-Village-is-a-vacation-getaway-for-more-than-just-Californians.html?pg=3




New article written for the Deseret News on Big Bear California

Very excited! After 6 months without publishing a travel article for the Deseret News....My Turkey/Istanbul article was just published today online. Hopefully it will be in the paper tomorrow!

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865557135/Enjoying-Istanbul-a-true-Turkish-delight.html

An amazing trip to Beijing

Kim and I on the Great Wall of China

Tiled 9 dragon picture in the Forbidden City

At the Forbidden City

Amber with Flora, our tour guide and new friend

 Because I take advantage of my flight benefits from working for a major airline, I've had the opportunity to visit many countries around the globe. Never have I had as much trepidation to leave America as I did the first week of May of this year. When asked where she wanted to go, my twenty year old daughter Amber answered definitevly with "China".
 I said, "Okay, we can do that." but I really wasn't convinced. Yes, my airline had service to Beijing. Yes, I had worked enough overtime to pay for any expenses. Sure, there were lots of cool things to see. But, this was a Communist country that I had read really didn't welcome westerners, let alone Americans because of our views on democracy as well as supporting a free Taiwan and Tibet. Also, I'd already found out you had to jump through hoops to even get a visa to enter.
 Not wanting to disappoint Amber and my wife Kim, I went through the motions of planning and acquiring everything we needed to go.
 After arriving in China, it didn't take long before all three of us were convinced it was well worth the effort. That is not to say that there weren't any difficulties.
 We had reservations at one of the most charming hotels I've ever stayed in. Within the midst of surrounding skyscrapers in the business and shopping center of Beijing, is the nearly hidden oasis known as the Beijing Jingyuan Garden Hotel. More than two centuries old, it was once a large one story house which has since been converted into individual rooms for visitors. Within the midst, is a large, beautifully kept garden with covered walkways and numerous plants. Staying in such a place, helped convert our western way of thinking into a more traditional Chinese cultural attitude. Kim spent every morning and evening listening to the birds sing while sitting under the stars and marveling at the skyscrapers towering above the tiled roof of our little inn.
 Abandoning our western thought was essential for our survival in the busy streets of Beijing. Visitors should keep in mind that the lines on the roads, which we call lanes, are merely guidelines for the Chinese. We also found that crosswalks did not guarantee the right away for pedestrians. More than once we were almost brushed by a city bus and even a police car.
 Another concern we had, was the quality of the air. I remember the news reporting the problem for the athletes health prior to the Beijing Summer Games in 2008 and apparently nothing had changed. Getting enough satisfying breaths of oxygen was similar to my gasping for air in the high altitudes of Cuzco, Peru a few years before.
 One last negative before I hit the magical and amazing aspects of our trip to China. For us, getting a taxi to take us to our destination, was paramount to Chairman Mao parting the East China Sea with a wave of the hand. It's not the cab drivers fault that most Americans can't read or write in Chinese characters. Communicating what we needed, was a major problem but somehow, after time we still managed.
 Chairman Mao once said "If you haven't been to the Great Wall, you aren't a real man." Fortunately for me, visiting the most famous of border structures was on the top of Amber's list of things she wanted to see. I'm pleased to announce my maturation process towards masculinity is complete.
 A couple hours north of Beijing, is the less crowded and touristy section of the wall known as Mutianyu where we boarded a gondola that took us from the valley floor to the wall. Honestly, I have never seen anything as impressive as the Great Wall anywhere in the world; at least not anything that was constructed by man. After walking along the precipice a little way, Kim and I sat down and waited for Amber to run up the incline to a watch tower more than a mile away. We looked around, marveling at just the one section of the 6,000 kilometer long wall. Kim, being a little more in tune to her spiritual side, practically felt and heard the ancient voices of the men guarding the northern border with an occasional dog barking in the distance. For me, I could only imagine what it would have been like centuries before.
 As equally impressive is the Forbidden City right in the heart of Beijing. From the outside, you can't imagine how expansive it is until you buy your ticket and enter. Structure after structure separated by enormous courtyard after courtyard; all having a similar appearance.
 Home of twenty-four emperors between the Ming and Qing dynasties, the once imperial palace is now a thought provoking museum of surviving treasures, thrones, gardens, and incredible tiled art. We walked through the ancient city for an hour looking for a tiled picture of 9 dragons which didn't disappoint. Unfortunately, for the Chinese, most of the artifacts are now on display in Taiwan; a sore spot for the Chinese government.
 During our stay we also visited Tiananmen Square, the Summer Palace, the Llama Temple, the Ming Tombs, and even the Beijing Zoo to see a real, live Panda. We sat through a never-ending performance of the Peking Opera as well as an incredible and rewarding acrobatic show the following evening. I highly recommend the latter but the former, well, eh........ During both performances we listened to people talking loudly on their cell phones without even a thought of consideration for the patrons or the performers.
 No matter where we visited during our stay, Kim and I were amused to see family after family ask if they could take a family picture with Amber. We guessed seeing a tall blonde girl in Beijing was not a very common sight.
 Someday we will visit China again. Once you look past the little idiosyncrasies' of China and the differences between east and west. The land of guardian dragons and Tai Chi in the park is a magical place to visit.