Nancy and I went to see National Treasure: Book of Secrets this weekend.  We were both fans of the first movie and were hoping that somehow the sequel would be a least "as good" - and we weren't disappointed.  In my opinion this was even better than the first movie and if you are a fan of Action/Adventure you should absolutely love it.

The original cast are all there, Nick Cage is fantastic, John Voight plays a larger role in this story, and there's the introduction of 2 new characters with Ed Harris as Mitch Wilkinson (the bad guy) and Helen Mirren as Emily Appleton  (Ben Gates' mother).   Mirren's character is brilliant and a huge bonus to the story, and Ed Harris is brilliant as usual.

The puzzles are solved pretty fast here but there are more of the puzzle-solvers collaborating.  The Gates family name has been implicated as co-conspirator's in the Lincoln assassination so father and son team up to restore the Gates' good name and reputation and it just so happens there's an immense treasure that could be uncovered at the same time.  I won't ruin the story for you but I will recommend the movie to all history buffs and action/adventure movie lover's.

Nancy's daughter Andrea graduated from New Mexico State University this past weekend - Congratulations Andrea!  Nancy and I went to Las Cruces, NM (home of the Aggies) for the ceremony and to celebrate with Andrea and it was a spectacular event.  The ceremony was exciting and the speakers were fantastic, delivering speeches and words of wisdom that were inspiring and motivating for everyone there. 

Andrea graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Nutrition and will stay in Las Cruces for now to study Midwifery.  She intends to specialize in pregnancy nutrition and couple that with a career as a Midwife.  Andrea graduated with Honors from Hope Christian School in Albuquerque and was an outstanding student as well as an excellent artist and photographer.  She's applied her self so professionally in her academic career that I know it'll be exciting to watch her as she continues her journey.  Congratulation's Andrea!  We're all very proud and excited for you!




Any visit to New Mexico always has potential for great food and interesting information and this trip was no exception.  We had a great meal our first night there - typical New Mexico cuisine of chips and homemade salsa (w/cilantro, of course), chile releno, tostada's, flauta's, etc., all fresh, smothered in cheese and Hatch green chile

Another great spot to grub in New Mexico is Dion's Pizza which is a family owned chain you'll find only in New Mexico (right now).  Their hot sandwiches are incredible and the pizza is pretty darn good.

On the information tip, we found out (verifiably) the New Mexico SETI support mission now has over 700 employee's on staff including many USAF personnel.  Seems pretty incredible that so much in government resources would be allocated to a program that isn't actively fulfilling it's intended mission in some way, shape or form.  Think about it  - facinating.

Here's a little music treat for those of you who haven't heard this one.  I wrote it and recorded it about 2 months ago and call it "Eagle Dancer Learns to Fly" - I hope you enjoy it.  To Listen Click Here  Eagle Dancer mp3

The instruments are Djembe, Udu, Ankle Bells, Native American flute, Acoustic Guitar
Written and performed by Ken Lusk

     Mom had planned a 2 day trip to Sedona for all of us as part of their visit to me in Arizona this November and it was spectacular.  Me, Nancy (my Sweetheart), Mom and Dad all drove up to Sedona on a Saturday morning.  If you've never been to Sedona and ever have a chance you really must go.  The red rocks are so beautiful and dramatic, the town has really neat architectural structures, the shopping is so much fun, the food is awesome, and of course there are the famous energy Vortexes that you have to experience to really understand.  The Vortexes are responsible for making Sedona the spiritual power center that it is.  People come from all around the world just to visit Sedona and the nearby Grand Canyon.  Walking through the streets and sitting in the restaurants I heard so many foreign languages.  The picture above is me Dad and Nancy at The Chapel of the Holy Cross which is nestled in the foothills of a beautifully sculpted red rock cliff.  We were able to light candles in memory of loved one's who have passed and count our blessing's and give thanks for the abundance we have in our lives.  The chapel was one of the highlight's of the trip and happens to also be built in one of Sedona's famous Vortexes.  For the family we collectively lit candles for Nanny (Lou Boyd), Granddaddy (Ray Boyd), Granny (Virgie Lusk), Cora and George Boyd, and I was able to reflect so fondly on my dear cousins Brenda and Teresa Lusk and the unforgettably sweet and happy childhood memories I will always have of them.  Mom and Dad's dear friend Jeanne Baines was in our thoughts as well.  She passed away just this August and will be missed by everyone who knew her.  May God continue to bless us all with such loving family and inspiring friends.



Me, Nancy and Dad at The Chapel of The Holy Cross - Photo by Mom

     Another highlight of the trip was driving up to the Sedona aiport for lunch one day and breakfast the next.  There's the usual single engine Cessna's and helicopter's of course but one thing that makes the airport so much fun is a little air-tour outfit up there called Red Rock Bi-Plane Tours where they sport a whole fleet of the coolest little bi-planes.  Check it out.  The food is good at the airport and you can sit outside on the patio to enjoy the sunshine.  We also had fun eating at the famous Picazzo's Pizza restaurant.  They have the absolute best brick oven pizza I've ever tasted and incredibly delicious salad's.

     Mom and Dad's visit was really special and we all had so much fun.  I can't wait until the next time they come out.  Thanks Mom and Dad for the awesome memories.

     During my folks' visit this November my Dad and I had the chance to get out of town together for a day trip - just the two of us.  I thought it would be fun to show him Salt River Canyon which is just a few hours north of the Phoenix area.  So we took off and made a day of it, stopping in Superior for brunch at the Buckboard City Cafe for a breakfast burrito and a homemade cinnamon roll.  The food is good, the service is friendly and the atmosphere is (of course) Wild West.  It's also located right next to the World's Smallest Museum which actually has some pretty interesting memorabilia from politics to rock and roll.  The town of Superior is nestled in some rocky hills off of Route 60 just as you start to gain a little elevation east of Apache Junction. 

     Salt River Canyon is really breathtaking, Dad calls it a mini Grand Canyon.  The river itself divides the White Mountain Apache from the San Carlos Apache.  The drive to the canyon cuts through the Natanes Plateau right along the border between the Tonto national Forest and the Gila.  It also puts you pretty close to Fort Apache Indian Reservation.  On the drive up as we were gaining elevation we were lucky enough to see a huge Redtail Hawk.  It was a great day filled with lots of Father/Son chat and unforgettable memories.

     I was so lucky this year that my daughter Krista was able to come out from Virginia and visit me.  Between college, a boyfriend and trying to spend time with her mother (Kim Thompson) it's hard for her to get out west.  Krissy and I took a trip up to the Grand Canyon while she was here.  We drove up to Williams, AZ and stayed at the famous Grand Canyon Railway Hotel and rode The Train up to the canyon.  It was fantastic to ride the train across the lowlands and watch the landscape slowly change as we got into the higher elevations.  We saw a bull elk on the way up, a redtail hawk and some of the biggest ravens I've ever seen.  The ride back down to Williams was just as interesting with a little excitement at the end when our train was stopped by a group of train robbers on horseback and boarded - Good thing we had a Sheriff on board to chase them off.  I did happen to get a picture of one of them but they still haven't been caught.      
                                                                               
     It was cloudy up at the canyon but that made for cooler weather which is always enjoyable in the heat of the summer and there was a bit of rain as well.  The town of Williams is even an attraction unto itself, having been preserved in it's turn-of-the-century style architecture.  The ambience is wild west, all the way, complete with haunted buildings and even a haunted brothel called The Red Garter .  The town was fun, the train was fun, the canyon was amazing and Krissy and I had a wonderful time we'll never forget.

Ken at Salt River Canyon, AZ [November 2007]- Photo by Kermit Lusk

This is the first entry of The Lusk Report which has been inspired by recent events - one being a wonderfully fun visit by my folks (Donna and Kermit) just before Thanksgiving; and the second, a surprising contact from very good friends and outstanding Marines I served with at Company 'F' MARSPTBN in Rota, Spain.  So I'm taking this opportunity to kick off a little blog with updates on what's going on in my life and the lives of other willing members of the Lusk Clan.

So welcome to my blog.  I'm looking forward to updating you on what's been happening in my exciting life.