It’s amazing how much our culture has embraced debt and snubbed family. Over the years when the book of Proverbs was written, there was no banking system. All debts were personal, or in some cases towards (or between) governments. I suppose it was still possible to “buy on credit,” but the circumstances were so different. And generally family was considering an asset, rather than an annoyance.

For the past few decades, many “experts” have argued that our debt-based society was simply the modern way to do things, and there was nothing wrong with it. But look where that line of thinking has taken us.

Likewise, the supposed freedom of no-strings-attached relationships has spawned a society full of hurt, loneliness, abuse, and crime. And of course there is the tragedy of abortion, with its effect of creating apathy towards the gift of life.

These characteristics of our culture — debt and anti-family attitudes — are so embedded that we can easily become blind to them. Many Christians have.

On the Sunday that ASI finished, my mom and I headed south from Tampa for a vacation in the Florida Keys. We decided to take the southern route, Highway 41.

It was a scenic drive through the Everglades, but because we were in a hurry to reach our motel in Florida City, we didn’t stop along the way. I saw two alligators by the road; one of them was definitely dead, and I wasn’t sure about the other. I later wished I had stopped to take a picture of the possibly live gator, but I had to make a split-second decision, and with cars behind me I decided to just keep driving.

The landscape along Highway 41 was lush and varied. There were stands of long-needled pines, wide open spaces studded with various palms, broad fields of grass and reeds, swamps with Spanish moss, and more. Every so often there was an exit for an Indian settlement, which often seemed to be collections of small cottages, small businesses, thatched-roofed structures, and mobile homes. At around 2:00 we were getting very hungry, so stopped at a local restaurant. But unfortunately it was the loud, greasy-spoon variety, where about the only thing on the menu without meat in it is fries, so we left without ordering anything.

We finally found a good restaurant at the spot where 41 meets 997 South. That was an interesting drive, lined with endless nurseries featuring every kind of plant imaginable, with special emphasis on ornamental palms. It seemed that every other business was a nursery. There were also fruit stands offering avocados, papayas, and mangoes.

At Florida City we came to Highway 1, but not knowing which way to go (the map was unclear), we turned south. This turned out to be the wrong way, but there were few options to turn around, so we decided to drive on out to Key Largo. Along this route we saw the first of many anhingas, a not particularly attractive bird, but it has the intriguing habit of hang-drying its wings. The first one I saw would have been the perfect anhinga picture, but it was on the wrong side of a divided highway, and there was no good way to stop and get a photo of it.

While on Key Largo we visited John Pennekamp State Park, where we saw some white ibises. We also took a boardwalk through a mangrove forest. We saw some lizards there, including a gray one that would thrust out a brilliant red display from its throat. There were also lots of small fiddler crabs rummaging through the mangrove roots. Unfortunately the place was infested with mosquitoes. Even though I applied repellent, the insects managed to find the few small spots that I missed. They showed no mercy.

Boardwalk through the mangroves:

Shortly after this we decided to return and find our apartment, which we did without difficulty. It was a fairly nice room at the Fairway Inn, right off Highway 1 in Florida City. It was nothing special as motel rooms go, but it came with a cooler, mini microwave, and safe box, and the AC and shower worked well. After a thunderstorm passed, I decided to go out and try the pool. It was just after sunset, and I had the pool to myself. But the water was quite cool, and there was lots of small bits of junk floating in it. Besides that, another storm started to roll in. So I didn’t stay out long.

On Monday we left early for our long drive to Key West. Along the way we stopped at a dolphin research center. But the prices for seeing the dolphins, or getting into the water with them, were outrageous. I think my mom was still tempted to fork over the money, but instead we just looked around the gift shop a little, and then headed on our merry way.

Driving through the Keys was an interesting experience. There is just a simple road connecting all the Keys, which are long, thin islands stretching out into the ocean. Between the islands the road is really just a long bridge, with open water as far as the eye can see on both sides. Much of the water was quite shallow, though, so in places you could look out and see underwater features for a long distance. In other places there were marshes or mangrove forests blocking the view of the ocean.

Finally, some hours later, we arrived in Key West. We got veggie sandwiches at a little shop, but although the sandwiches were really good, it was kind of a gross environment with all the fresh seafood “aromas” in the air.

Finally we boarded the catamaran that was to take us on our afternoon adventure. We had two really nice crew, and the other passengers, about eight of them, were also friendly.

My mom with one of our friendly and knowledgable crew members:

It was a beautiful day to be out. A cool breeze was blowing. For some reason the ocean there doesn’t have the strong smell that I often associate with the ocean. There wasn’t really any smell at all. It remained a clear day for us. Around us we could see rain falling here or there. But mostly it remained bright and sunny overhead.

Along the way to our first stop some of the passengers spotted a sea turtle. However, not being fluent in English, they couldn’t communicate what it was until it was past.

Later we ran into a pod of dolphins (the crew knew where to find them). We were told there were probably about 10 dolphins in the pod. One of them was a baby. They came very close to our boat, and I got quite a few pictures.

See the baby dolphin?

They came even closer than this:

After that we went to another place to snorkle. This was my first time snorkeling, but it mostly went well. There were a couple short moments of panic where I breathed in a moutful of salt water, but I didn’t drown. (LOL.) I made a mistake when I took off my mask to clean it, because it was getting really foggy. I had been standing on a submerged piece of junk, but as soon as my mask was off, the current knocked me off the platform, and I couldn’t get back on again. So I decided to put the mask on while floating on my back. But in my efforts to swim back to where I had been standing, my snorkle—which was attached to the mask I was holding in my hand—had fallen out. Despite my best efforts, I was not able to dive down far enough to retrieve it. However, the crew on the boat told me not to worry about it, and they gave me another one.

Although most of the fish were quite plain, we did see a few very colorful ones. I also saw a good-sized lobster. My mom saw a ray. And I also saw a shark. It didn’t come close enough to be clearly identified, but I think it was about 5 to 7 feet long. At first it was just a dark silhouette, which I thought might be a big fish. But I swam a little closer, and then this dark shape turns out to be a shark. It wasn’t too scarey, except I looked around and there was not a single person in sight. Apparently I had swam further out than I thought. But at the same moment the shark swished its tail and disappeared. Then I was torn about whether I should try to find it again and get a photo (I was advancing my camera when it vanished), or just go back to the group. I decided to go back!

Fishies:

Minutes later, we were all told our time was up, and we needed to return to the boat. So ended not only my first snorkeling experience, but also my first time swimming in the ocean!

Later that evening my mom and I ate at an IHOP. Then we watched the sunset at Mallory Square. Personally if I had a chance to watch a sunset there again, I would pick a spot as far away from Mallory as possible. There were too many people, and the view was obstructed by a big, developed island offshore. After the long drive home, it was nice to be in bed!

We also saw this really unusual tree, called a kapok tree:

The next day we slept in. We decided to take the northern route back, which is Interstate 75, also known as Alligator Alley. (However, there is little chance of seeing any gators or other big wildlife there, since the whole stretch of highway is lined by tall chainlink fences on either side, set back quite a distance from the road.) It ran through some pretty Everglades country.

We had hoped to stop at Sanibel Island and do some shelling. But by the time we got there and checked the time, we had to leave immediately.

It was a long and tiring flight home. But it was good to be home again!

While we were out on the Keys, my mom and I had talked about how it would be difficult to evacuate if a hurricane ever passed through. So it was really striking to hear, after we got home, about the hurricane forming near the Keys, and how long it took cars to get off the islands.

This is Violet, about one year old now. My mom has been babysitting her occasionally for some months now. My mom purchased this dress for her, so she would have something special to wear to church.

Tishka:

Tishka did not much care for his pet carrier. But he arrived at my place safe and sound. My mom and Tishka spent one night here, before continuing on to my mom’s place in TN. In the second leg of the journey, Tishka played Houdini and learned how to open the double latches of the pet carrier. But he didn’t give my mom any trouble while she drove, so she let him stay out.

Tishka seems to be a pretty smart kitty. He had never been potty trained as far as we know, but he figured out the litter box on the first go. He’s also pretty athletic for a cat of his size. At my brother’s place he was known for jumping up on the porch railing in a single bound, and from there jumping up onto the roof.

Poetry in non-motion:

I had hoped to have a Christmas tree, but a full week before Christmas all the local suppliers (including Wal-Mart, Menards, Home Depot, Lowe’s) were completely sold out. I don’t really care for artificial trees … they just seem so fake … so this year we went without a tree. Well, not completely. My rubber plant and ficus did extra duty as stand-ins.

My rubber plant decorated with Christmas lights — not too bad:

All the gifts around the plants:

Because Eugene and Heidi were in a hurry to get back to OHC, we had Christmas a day early this year, on Monday. So for me, it feels like Christmas is already past, even though today is Christmas.

Eugene and Heidi with their pile of winnings:

My mom and Heidi did most of the cooking, but I did contribute a little bit. I found a recipe for “Apple Cranberry Crisp,” and made that. The ingredients in the mixing bowl looked so good, I had to take a picture. I may post the recipe later.

Granny Smith apples and cranberries — the two key ingredients in Apple Cranberry Crisp:

Heidi and Eugene purchased this beautiful bouquet that decorated our table:

We had a really nice and filling Christmas dinner. But I didn’t get any photos of it. The photo below is from our much lighter supper.

Eugene, Heidi, and Mom:

Finally, in the evening we played a game of Rummikub, and then watched a video (The Privileged Planet). It was a fun day, and I really enjoyed the time with family. Seems like all too soon it was over.

I arranged my own hotel through Priceline this year, and that saved me a little money (it was $60/night). The hotel I got was the Hyatt, right next to the convention center, and one of the main hotels other GYC attendees were using. My room was nice, with a king size bed, and a nice 15th-story view of downtown Minneapolis. For some reason the thermostat was a little flaky, and the wireless internet ($10 extra per night) was very poor — worse than dial-up. But I had a comfortable place to rest, and everything else worked well. Nothing I couldn’t live with.

All of the main meetings (plenary sessions) were very good. I especially enjoyed the testimony by Steve Kasperbauer, the 1888 panel discussion (since my bro was in it … and because the content was good ), and all the presentations by David Shin. Steve’s testimony was absolutely incredible. If you didn’t hear it, get it. I believe it will be available from the GYC website eventually.

The seminars were good, although not really the highlight for me. I enjoyed one of Mark Finley’s seminars (“The Shaking and the Sifting”), but it was so packed that I could not get in more than once. I attended two seminars by Nathan Renner (about friendship evangelism); I enjoyed hearing his testimony, and the other content was good, but a little too heavy on the theory of why, and a little too light on the subject of how, for my tastes. The surprise for me was two seminars by Bruce Ashton on the topic of music. I was expecting the usual “how to tell good music from bad” approach, but it wasn’t really that at all. If an attendee could look past the fact that Bruce read everything from notes, there were some really awesome concepts to glean. I would even dare say revolutionary concepts for the worship services at many medium to large churches. The main gem was a clear explanation of the purpose and nature of worship, and the consequential implications for what passes as worship at many churches. In a nutshell: Most churches fashion their worship services to please the congregation, or visitors, or “seekers”; but real worship, and all decisions about style and format and content, should be about pleasing God alone. In this light, much of the music labeled as “worship” music has nothing to do with worship at all, even if it is acceptable in a larger framework.

This year’s outreach was challenging on at least three fronts: Many people weren’t home (it was just before Christmas). Those that were home were often not interested (Minnesota is a hard area to witness in, as numerous GYC attendees noted). And it was freezing cold. If not for a block of apartments that we were able to enter, I wonder if I’d be nursing my second case of frostbite on my toes. Still, it was a good experience, especially in light of all that was accomplished by the group in total. My partner and I had a really nice talk with a woman who seemed genuinely interested, and I was able to pray with her. I hope that she will sign up for the studies.

3ABN’s booth was in a prime location this year, and although I was not there officially representing 3ABN, I pitched in at the booth a few times. Greg and Jill did a great job of manning the booth. We made observations that hopefully will help us be better prepared for these kinds of events in the future. The booth seemed to be quite popular, and it was great to hear all the positive feedback from attendees both young and old.

3ABN’s booth, with Greg and Jill, and our president, Jim Gilley:

GYC is always a great place to catch up with friends, and make new ones. Although I am probably one of the worst people for remembering names and facts about people, I gain some satisfaction from seeing familiar faces (even if for the life of me I can’t remember who they are or where I recognize them from). At last year’s GYC I learned that if I really, really try to remember, such as by utilizing various memory association tricks, I can actually remember new names pretty well. In fact, I still remember the names of the two persons from that conference that I tried this technique with. Ironically, I’ve never seen them again.

I saw so many friends at this year’s conference, I can’t really name them all. But it was a blessing to talk with them and learn what’s new in their lives.

Eugene and Heidi:

One of the beautiful churches in the area (note the low clouds/mist — the top third or so of the skyscraper in the background is completely hidden):

The ride there was somewhat stressful. Somewhere near the Arkansas border I ran into torrential rains. While listening to the radio I learned that quarter-size hail was falling somewhere in my general area, a severe storm warning was in effect, and a tornado watch had been issued. Between steady strobe flashes of red lightning I did my best to keep my eyes on the road. Most of this occurred after sunset.

I was glad to at least have a nicer vehicle for the weekend. My Jeep has been having transmission problems and other issues. Getting stranded several hours from home over a holiday did not sound like the kind of outcome I’d want to risk experiencing, so I rented a Volvo S60. (I had reserved a “standard” car, but for some reason Enterprise didn’t have it ready. So I was stuck with the Volvo.) It was a very comfortable car with nearly all the features a person could want, and it is the first car I’ve driven with a speedometer that goes up to 160. It handled very nicely, and was very responsive. The only negatives were that it had a somewhat bumpy ride on certain surfaces, and it was somewhat of a fuel hog (I think my Jeep gets better mileage!) — and it was also a little too easy to speed when driving it.

Because my Jeep’s radio and cassette deck have been nonfunctional for some years now, I got to enjoy some things usually absent when I drive: the radio, and music CDs. I think I found the perfect music for driving: Vivaldi’s Cello with Yo-Yo Ma. I also listened to NPR, which I hadn’t heard in ages. I love the voices of the NPR hosts. The two programs that occupied most of the that evening where Marketplace and Fresh Air. Both were quite interesting.

Finally, sometime after 9:00 p.m., I arrived at my brother’s place. My mom had arrived only about 15 minutes earlier. It was good to see everyone.

On Thursday we went hunting for arrowheads, a past-time Eugene and Heidi have enjoyed. They have quite a collection now. I found what Eugene identified as part of a knife. Others found other minor things, nothing too exciting. I also found a perfectly smooth, round stone, about the size and shape of a softball that’s been squashed a little. Ordinarily it wouldn’t have been interesting at all, but it was the only stone like it in the field; all the others were rough and jagged. It made me wonder if it had some sort of use long ago.

We had a great Thanksgiving dinner, with “turkey” almondine, potatoes, cranberry sauce, salad, and three kinds of pie — pumpkin, pecan, and carob pudding. Heidi’s sister Pam was there with her children, and also her brother, and some students.

On Friday we posed for a new family portrait (this one was taken on my camera, but there were other poses taken with other cameras, which I haven’t seen yet).

We also played a very long game of Taboo, enjoyed some National Geographic videos, went to church at the church plant Eugene and Heidi have been helping, and visited a nursing home. I also managed to get in some long-needed naps.

Overall it was a nice vacation. I hope you enjoyed yours!

In December I am planning to attend the GYC conference, December 19-23. Just yesterday I finalized by airfare and hotel reservations. Glad to have all of that out of the way. I’m still not sure where I will actually spend Christmas, but there is a good chance it will be here at my home unless I have a new car before then. The same holds true for New Year’s Day. It will be the first time I’ve been here at my home for those holidays in a number of years, maybe five years or more.

As could be expected, I saw many friends at ASI, as well as some family, including my brother and his wife, and my cousin James and his family. I met some new friends. I volunteered a little at 3ABN‘s booth, which is always fun (at least when one doesn’t have to do it!). And I volunteered a little at the Health Expo booth that was put together by my friends at LifeStyleTV.

Since this was the 60th anniversary of ASI, there was a strong emphasis on the history of ASI, especially its roots in the Madison school, and the ideals of E. A. Sutherland and Percy Megan. (The story is also vividly told in the book, Madison: God’s Beautiful Farm, which I highly recommend.) It was neat to hear this history repeated for the thousands of attendees, especially in light of the many parallels between their difficulties and what other ministries face today.

There were many inspirational testimonies of people sharing Christ “in the marketplace” (ASI-speak for “on the job”) as well as in innovative mission projects and other forms of evangelism. We also heard inspiring messages, and some awesome music. It was also interesting to see the new projects and products in the exhibit area, which is always a major highlight of ASI.

ASI is one of my favorite events of the year, the other being GYC. Both are events where God’s presence seems especially near, and the personal blessings are abundant. If you want to see where Seventh-day Adventist evangelism is headed, as well as hear powerful stories of ministries on the front lines, ASI is the place to be.

We had great meals of delicious vegetarian cooking, courtesy of my mom. I am happy to say that my mother is an excellent cook, and throughout all my years growing up we never had to rely on “TV dinners” or junk food to get us through the week. Our family was not vegetarian when I was younger, although even then we ate quite healthily by North American standards. But after my brother and I shifted to a mostly vegan diet, my mom eventually made similar changes in her lifestyle, and now is on a mostly vegan diet herself, and has proven herself very capable at making tasty meals without dairy products. I think she is good enough to host a cooking show on 3ABN! (I must say that my mom’s cooking has spoiled me, and it is difficult even for professional chefs to measure up.)

Of course we had the traditional gift exchange on Christmas Day. Everyone seemed happy with their gifts, even though several of us had to give IOU’s, promising delivery of items that were ordered at the last minute by Internet.

I freely admit that Christmas is my favorite holiday. Sometimes I worry that retailers lacking restraint and musical artists lacking creativity and good taste will wring every ounce of Christmas spirit from my soul. But a few moments of quiet time, some soft and melodious strains of holiday music, a bit of reflection, and time with friends and family are adequate to set me aright. Through one Supreme Gift we have been graced with so much.

Trees in the mist near my mom’s home (I’m not sure how well the colors will reproduce online, since they are very subtle):

All four of us went to Chattanooga one day; I liked this sculpture that we saw there:

Mom, Heidi, and Eugene:

Our beautiful (but not real) Christmas tree:

On the way there I happened to see a moose feeding in a pond. It was quite exciting, since moose were one of the big animals we were really hoping to see. We took a few pictures, and then continued on up to the overlook. Unfortunately the view we found was a bit disappointing. But on the way back we were elated to find that the mother moose had been joined by her calf. So we spent more time photographing them.

The Snake River, with the Tetons behind:

The mother moose and calf:

Later, after breakfast, we went on another wildlife safari to a place called Oxbow Bend, but did not find anything noteworthy. I did get some nice wildflower pictures on that excursion, however.

For lunch we had campfire-roasted vegetables, seasoned with a recipe that Heidi had learned from her friend Amy at Ouachita Hills. It was very good. Later we hiked along a trail at North Jenny Lake, where we saw a marmot and a bald eagle.

Eugene turning the vegetables on the fire:

Some of the scenery at North Jenny Lake:

Various wildflowers:

Back at camp, mom told us she had seen a gray wolf, something she had never seen in the wild before. I was a bit envious of her! That night as I was going to sleep, I thought I heard a menacing growl outside my tent. I became very still, and listened carefully. I was relieved to discover it was just one of our party snoring loudly!

After lunch we set out for Yellowstone. Eugene and Heidi had already seen some of it on their way to Grand Teton from Washington. My mom was mainly interested in wildlife, but to me it was all extremely fascinating. At the first stop, a visitor’s center, I meandered about looking at all the hissing, boiling, steaming mud pots and geysers. Despite the acrid smell, I found it quite enjoyable and interesting. The others were not keen on spending time on the small stuff, so we quickly piled in the car and headed for Old Faithful.

It was a gray, overcast day. We arrived at the Old Faithful observation area maybe 30 minutes before the next eruption, but of course nobody knew when exactly it would be. (I had always thought Old Faithful ran like clockwork, but I learned there is some variance in its timetable.) A man behind us kept up a constant stream of wisecracks that kept us amused as we waited. There were numerous small eruptions before the big one, and each time the crowd would get ready with cameras in hand, just in case. While we waited it began to rain. It was a bit cold, and we had to press together to keep warm. Finally the big one came, and I snapped a few photos. It lasted longer than I expected, and what a tremendous amount of water it was!

Old Faithful (not so spectacular on a cloudy day!):

After that we visited the Old Faithful Lodge, an amazing structure that has to be seen to be believed. The rough timber architecture inside was amazing. It looked like some impossibly elaborate set from a Hollywood production.

After that everyone seemed ready to go home, but I saw pictures of the Grand Prismatic Spring in the gift shop there, something that had awed me ever since I was a kid, and I persuaded everyone to go see it before heading back. Although not nearly as impressive from the ground as from above (the linked image is someone else’s photo), still it was really neat, and I was glad I could visit a place I had always wanted to see.

Eugene and Heidi on a walkway at the Grand Prismatic Spring (you can see the steaming hot water pouring into the river behind them):

The Grand Prismatic Spring itself:

The walkway:

Me at the spring:

Some interesting patterns in the mud:

The Tetons as seen from the viewing area behind Jackson Lake Lodge:

Our first objective was to locate Eugene and Heidi. We drove to the Jackson Lake Lodge where my mom tried to call them on a pay phone. On the way out, I tried my cell phone again. I had a voice mail! I pressed the button to start the message, and heard, “Hi, this is Eugene…,” and at that moment my phone completely died! There was nothing to do but return to our camp.

We decided to set up camp after breakfast. Just a few minutes into our meal, Eugene and Heidi drove up. They had gotten our voice mails, and had seen the note we had left for them at the camp entrance. We ate together, and then found hot showers nearby—a bit pricey but worth it. Thus refreshed, our day’s adventure began.

Our campsite (Eugene, Heidi, and Mom slept in the orange tent; I slept in the green one):

A deer that frequented our camping area:

The bear-proof box where we stored our food:

We took a boat across Jenny Lake to a trailhead on the other side, and hiked along a beautiful mountain stream up to Inspiration Point. We had a great time playing with the very friendly (and well-fed, but not by us) chipmunks. We also saw a deer close by. It was a great hike, and at the end we were content to call it a day. We did some more grocery shopping in Jackson. I tried to find a pump for my air mattress (another “left behind” object), but without success. That night, after pitching our tents, I spent a good half-hour or so inflating my mattress the old-fashioned way. Although the daytime temperatures were very warm, sometimes hot, the air cooled dramatically during the night, and I got a bit chilled—but not too much

Heidi, Eugene, and Mom on the dock before taking a boat across Jenny Lake:

From the trail leading up to Inspiration Point—there were so many scenic spots along this trail, I soon stopped taking photos. I could have filled up my camera’s card with just those!

At Inspiration Point: Heidi and Eugene:

Another friendly chipmunk (I really like the colors in this photo):

A beautiful sunset back at our campsite:

We arrived at the park at 9:30 a.m. We were quite pleased with our travel time.

Some of the scenery in Colorado as we neared Rocky Mountain National Park:

Mom did most of the driving in the park. We looked around the visitor center a bit, then headed to a talk about big horn sheep. We hoped to actually see some sheep, but there were none around at the time. The talk itself was a little boring, and when we got to the part where the ranger wanted everyone in the group to join in a song, we decided to leave.

Mom taking a rest near a waterfall:

We continued on a route towards the Alpine Visitors Center. Along the way we passed several beautiful waterfalls. At the first one, a friendly little chipmunk came and posed for me.

We enjoyed hiking around the falls, and took quite a few pictures. Later, at the Alpine Visitors Center, we saw our first big animals—elk. We saw them in small groups—one, two, or three together—and in larger groups of 30 or more. I’m sure we saw more than 100 altogether. Unfortunately they were too distant to get good pictures. (Wildlife photography rule to live by: If you want great photos, expect to bring at minimum a 300mm lens and a tripod. You might get lucky without these items, but you’ll do much better with them.)

Views from near the Alpine Visitors Center:

We left the park in the afternoon. My mom was tired, and we were both anxious to get to our next destination. Unfortunately, not far down the road we had a blow-out. But we were blessed to be quickly assisted by a husband and wife, who we learned were devout Christians and extremely helpful and generous. The man and I unloaded the trunk to get to the spare, and he did virtually all of the work putting it on. We were very close to Ft. Collins, so they offered to follow us over and stay with us as long as necessary. We treated them to something to drink while we looked for a hotel (we all ordered orange juice or lemonade!). Since they had the bad tire in their car, they followed us over to the hotel. I tried to give them something for their time and effort, but they refused. So we wished them God’s blessing, and parted ways.

We got to our hotel room around 5:00, and both my mom and I were so tired that we laid down on our beds without changing clothes, and almost immediately fell asleep. We slept almost 12 hours—I guess we had really been pushing ourselves!