The kid cleans up pretty good, doesn’t he?

This kid, too. This is Skylar and his friend Conor Swider, who won a first place trophy in the 65cc 9-11 class, and did very well in the 85cc Beginners, too.

Speeches.

About 120 trophies were awarded to 39 champions and over 80 runners-up.

Skylar’s first place trophy.

The inscription.

Posing with his Utah Racing Association 1st place trophy, too.

The champion, posing with his proud dad and grandpa.

Developing….

He did it! Skylar Petersen, my 13 year old grandson, finished the season as series champion in the 85cc Beginners Class at Rocky Mountain Raceways for 2009. Wah-hoo! I think this picture illustrates how we all feel about it.

Just in case anyone doubts this boy doesn’t have the heart of a champion, take a look at this next picture.

This is how he looked after the ER had cleaned him up following a bicycle accident. Four or five days after this picture was taken, he geared up and rode in two motos, for points. His mother made him promise that he’d not take any chances, that he wouldn’t take any jumps, that his wheels would never leave the ground. Can you imagine pulling a helmet on over that face? I can’t. I don’t think I could have done it. He must have wanted it pretty bad.

Then, with only a few week left before the final event, Skylar had an accident while roller blading and broke his arm. I teased him when I saw this picture and asked him if they had given him morphine. He got the cast off on Wednesday, Oct. 14th, and then raced in the final event on Saturday and Sunday, the 17th and 18th.

Skylar rode in every race. It didn’t matter if he had a broken face or a freshly healed broken arm, he showed up and rode. He didn’t win every race, in fact he finished one in dead last. But he didn’t ever quit. If he fell down, he got back up, got back on his bike and went back to racing.

The only other boy that had a chance to beat him had to finish the last race in first place and Skylar had to finish lower than 3rd place in order for the other boy to win the championship. Skylar finished the last race in 4th place. The other boy finished in 3rd place. Skylar won the championship with 5 points to spare.

Congratulations, Skylar, for an awesome season.

Now, I realize that Utah is not Vermont, and we aren’t known nationally for our fall colors. But in Utah’s Wasatch Range, among the pine, juniper, scrub oak and quakies is scattered a generous heapin’ helpin’ of a lovely variety of hardy mountain maples that blaze with the autumnal equinox into a riot of splendid color for an all too brief season, before the rains and winds of autumn and the snows of winter strip the leaves from the trees and fling them to the ground. Seeing a winter storm warning on the news yesterday morning, I hurried up a nearby canyon and got a few shots of the spectacular fall show.

Most of these photographs were taken on Maple Bench Road in Payson Canyon. I parked the Cherokee near this towering maple, got out and took this shot…

…then turned around and pointed my lens up the road for this shot.

This backlit roadside maple was brilliantly contrasted with the dark green scrub oak in the background.

With these red leaves blazing brilliantly against the clear September sky, it was hard to believe that a winter storm was already on the way.

This hardy maple spreads it’s shady branches…

…over this tiny maple baby, which will have to make do with a tiny patch of sunlight.

Here a young maple shares a patch of sunlight with it’s taller quakie neighbor.

This last photo was taken from Pete Winward Reservoir road, which I had never been on before.

Here are some pictures from Skylar’s race on Saturday.

Here are some pictures from Friday night’s races. Skylar finished 2nd overall for the night.

You’ll notice that all the pictures are of #15, Skylar Petersen, age 13. He’s my grandson.

This is Skylar’s first year of competing in motocross racing.

He competes in the 85cc Beginners Class at Plaza Cycle Motocross Park, Rocky Mountain Raceways in West Valley, Utah.

He’s currently in first place in the point standings for the season in his class.

Next year he’ll compete in the 85cc 12 to 15 year olds class.

He has led in the point standings since the first race of the season.

As the season enters the home stretch, the points race is starting to tighten up.

The riders who have raced in most of the races have gained a lot of experience, and are no longer really “beginners.”

At the end of the year a nice trophy will be awarded to the rider with the most points, and Skylar wants that trophy.

If he can keep riding clean races and stay out of trouble, I like his chances.

So does he.

Here he is crossing the finish line in 2nd place. He finished 3rd in the first race and the combined result is 2nd place overall for the night. This performance keeps him in first place in the point standings in his class for the season.

We need health care reform people like you do nothing but spread lies. The people voted for change and thats what is going to happen. And you are always talking about pulling somebody hair out of their head now you cant take it when the shoe is on the other foot.You need to shut up and get out of the way before you get hurt or your family gets hurt. People are under a lot of stress out here it wont take much to set them off.

This was directed at conservative blogger Dana Loesh. Check out her blog if you’re interested.

Have a look at Oregon’s Medicaid coverage. Advanced prostate and breast cancer treatments aren’t covered. Obesity treatments and help with quitting smoking are.  Have a look…

http://hotair.com/archives/2009/08/10/video-how-obamacare-will-ration-care/

Think this is irrational fear mongering? Report this blog at flag@whitehouse.gov .

From: The Green Room.

Obama: I don’t want the people who created the mess to do a lot of talking.

The time for debate is through.

Just STFU, America.

http://hotair.com/archives/2009/08/07/obama-i-dont-want-the-folks-who-created-the-mess-to-do-a-lot-of-talking/

Cartoon by Nate Beeler .

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/NateBeelerToons/