Our famous Father

Gerald was recently featured in the Idaho State Journal:

Teacher takes to the trails




DRIGGS � During the summer, Gerald Humpherys trades a school house for a bunkhouse and a team of hoopsters for a herd of horses.He’s the head boys’ basketball coach at Blackfoot High School, where he also teaches physical education and weight training. And to make some extra cash and pass the time during his summer break, he’s assumed the role of Grand Targhee Resort’s resident cowboy.This is Humpherys’ first summer of offering trail rides at the resort. His corral is filled with seven of his own horses, four horses that he borrowed from his brother Ken, of Arizona, and three horses on loan from a friend in Blackfoot.
He started the rides in June and plans on continuing them through most of September, and he’s convinced Grand Targhee, with its wildflower-laden meadows and panoramics of the Tetons, is about as gorgeous of a place to ride as any.“Horse riding is probably one of the best attractions here. Of course, I’m prejudiced,” Humpherys said. “We have a really beautiful one-hour trail, and we have a really spectacular two-hour trail. Every time you go around a corner, you’ve got a different view.”
On Saturday morning, Gerald and Ken looked the part of cowboys from an old Western movie, relaxing on the porch of their bunkhouse in wooden chairs awaiting the next group ride.Humpherys, a burly Star Valley, Wyo., native who stands 6-foot-3 and wore a red button-up shirt, boots, blue jeans, a big belt buckle and a cowboy hat, grew up on a ranch. His childhood chores included milking cows and cutting and bailing hay.
“You learn a lot of work ethic from the farm that carries over to your teaching and coaching,” Humpherys said, adding his coaching skills also carry over well into teaching novices to be comfortable on horses.Prior to coming to Targhee, Humpherys spent 16 years driving the stagecoach throughout Jackson Hole, Wyo.

“When I quit driving the stagecoach, I figured the dude business was over, but this opportunity came about by word of mouth, and here I am,” Humpherys said.His family also sometimes provides Christmas wagon rides in Blackfoot as a public service.
Until school starts, Humpherys and his wife, Tena, are living in their fifth-wheel at Targhee. Ken has laid claim to the bunkhouse.“I enjoy the scenery just like the visitors do,” Humpherys said. “It’s a little added income for a school teacher in the summer, and I enjoy it as well.”

(This document was originally published online on Wednesday, July 23, 2008)

"Why did Jesus create wasp's?"

"M-O-M-M-Y" and he meant business. There it was, the scream that makes every mother's heart stop momentarily. The scream that is more than I'm mad or I need your help. Hayden came running in to the house, unable to speak, face red and tears pouring from his eyes. I grabbed him and asked him what happened. He had been playing out back so it could have been anything. He finally whispered, I think a bee stung me. Sure enough, he had a wasp bite on his left ear. For those of you that have not recently been stung, it hurts like a bugger with every heart beat. While he had his momentary freak out, I got some ice (because ice makes everything better at my house) and just held him. Once back under control, he asks me "Why did Jesus create stupid wasps?" I didn't have an answer for him at that moment. I hate it when that happens- cross pollination, maybe I could have taught the concept of opposition- if you never knew the bad you wouldn't understand the good? A perfectly good teaching moment lost. Well, Hayden was much better after he was able to call his cousin, Carter, and tell him the gory details.
Here's the swollen ear:

Hayden survived and I could barely get him to sit still for a recovery picture:

Hayden's Island

Shawn, Hayden and Hadley went camping last Thursday. Shawn took them out on Snake River to camp on an island that Hayden has deemed his. Well the name stuck and it is now known to our family and friends as "Hayden's Island". Unfortunately, the island was already occupied when they got there so they camped on a different island but had just as much fun I'm sure. I stayed home with Hallie and finished painting my bathroom. Shawn texted me pictures that night. Here are some pic's he took with his other camera:

Rooster kisses

So Hadley comes running in to the house today to tell us that there is a turkey in our front yard. Shawn and I go out to see what she is talking about and this is what we see (sorry its a little blurry, not until later did I notice my lens had a smudge on it):

Apparently our neighbors across the street recently got a pet chicken. Hadley was enthralled. She wanted to try and catch the poor thing- she said she wanted to eat it. Here she is chasing the fowl little guy (ha, ha):

Here is a little video of her in action:

And the grand finale:

Long story short it pecked at little Hadley, scared her and made her cry. She was quite upset at us for letting it happen. That's me you hear cackling in the background. I really shouldn't have laughed at the situation but I couldn't help it. Afterward, she was embarrassed and didn't want anyone to know about her "rooster bite". I tried to convince her that it was trying to kiss her but she is smarter than that. She also would not let me take a picture of the injury (it was a pink mark that went away almost immediately).

When we got home later that day the rooster was still loose. Hadley followed it home and made friends with it. As for rooster kisses, she said she'd rather just kiss her mommy and I promised that I wouldn't bite her.

4th of July

It was another great Independence Day. Every year we go to Ross Park swimming pool at noon and have a picnic with the Christensen's. It is always fun, the cousins have a blast swimming and playing. Hallie still hates the water so she hung around the picnic table. Her cousin Aria is just a year older and Hallie just wanted to hold her hand. She got a little bossy pulling and grabbing at her.

Here the boys are playing with their float noodles/light sabers.

After swimming Dad and Donita treated us all to a movie Wall-E. It looked like a good movie and I was told it was a good movie but unfortunately I was out walking the hall with Hallie who is not at a sit still stage in her life. As much as I would have like to see the show, I actually had a lot of fun with her in the hall. She was in a playful mood and kept hiding from me in the different theatre doorways and would laugh so hard when I found her.

Later that night we (including Heather and Tena) went out on the Marine Patrol boat and had dinner with Drew and Jessica Lusk. Drew is on Marine Patrol with Shawn. Jessica had bought chicken and graciously invited us to eat. We were the only boat out on the Grove because they had kicked everyone else off in anticipation of the fireworks.

We then went back to our vehicle and watched the display next to Heidi Graham, her kids, and her parents. Unfortunately, I couldn't find my camera so no pictures of the kids. Blackfoot has a nice display, it is not huge but decent and it is so nice not to get stuck in traffic.

After the show, we went to Tena's for our own little show. I stopped in Fort Hall and got a "family pack" on the way home from Pocatello. It was a little scary. Our friends, the Graham's, came over too. Marcus and Shawn lit one that went flying in to the neighbors yard (across the street) first nearly decapitating the group in lawn chairs and then it exploded in the middle of their yard. Oops.

I love the 4th, it is probably my favorite holiday right behind Christmas. I'm so happy that I got to spend the entire day with my family.