My Cave My View

Tongan missionaries pose after cleaning Tupou High School in Tonga, as well as donting new desks and chairs to the school. Gary Torres photo

An old black chalkboard

In the 2010 movie “The A-Team”, Liam Neeson grins, lights a cigar, and says just as the good guys win, “I love it when a plan comes together!” I had a similar experience here in Tonga the other day. Okay, I didn’t light up a cigar, but I grinned and told the Mission President “I love it when a...

The Eyebrow Thing in Tonga

Learning a language or traveling to a country that does not speak English poses some challenges. The obvious is, learning a language is hard, when you are older (dumber). Older doesn’t equal dumber, except in my case; perhaps! Oh sure, I am much wiser than I used to be. And wisdom is great...

A night time banana harvest. Courtesy photo

The Banana Boat song in Tonga

Four senior missionaries, two machetes, one dim flickering flashlight, a cell phone with no coverage-not even SOS, in the jungle, at night, in Tonga looking for bananas…what could possibly go wrong? I guess I should back up to the beginning. I was studying my Unshaken at the kitchen table when I...

The End of the World

This is my second day in Tonga. I am here on a humanitarian mission and to teach people how to be resilient. I would like to share with you my first lesson. We met a man and his wife. His name was Mosese Sa’afi. He was an eyewitness to the largest volcano recorded. He and his wife talked with...

Its a long way to Tonga, where Dee and Gary Torres will spend the next two years diong missionary service. Courtesy photo

On the way to Tonga

By the time you read this I will be on my way to Tonga to serve a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I am not worried, although maybe I should be. The island of Tongatapu which is where I will be stationed is about 6’ above sea level, which makes it susceptible...

The San Juan River runs through spectacular Raplee Ridge on its way to Mexican Hat and beyond. See more photos of Gary’s flight over the wonders of San Juan at the San Juan Record website at sjrnews.com. Gary Torres photo

Airplane ride over San Juan County

It is a sunny Wednesday morning, and I am boarding a 1948 Cessna 170 with my too kind and loving wife and a friend. He doesn’t like a lot of attention, so we will just call him Dakodta. First thing that comes to mind is that a 1948 plane is 75 years old, which is way older than me and trust me...

Caveguy shares his morning shower routine

I am really quite beside myself this morning. After my run, I hopped in the shower and went to grab the no-name shampoo that you can also use to clean the garage floor with; but it was gone. So I started looking around and found myself surrounded by my too kind and loving wife’s cutesy fruity...

Standing on a corner

I am literally standing on a corner in Winslow Arizona, and it is such a fine site to see. There is a girl my Lord, who I happened to be married to and she is not in a flatbed Ford, but is slowin down to take a look at me. Mostly, she is rolling her eyes as I insist on getting a picture with the...

Hiking with Paul

The best thing about living in San Juan County are the people and the landscape. Being retired has some perks, it’s not all about predicting the weather with my hip. I wake up and can’t remember what day it is, so I call it Saturday. The only day that is a workday now is Sunday. I had no idea it...

Battle of Wits - AI versus the Caveguy

There has been a lot of press coverage about AI (artificial intelligence) lately. And it seems everyone is concerned about how AI might take over the world and make some jobs obsolete as AI can do the job faster, better, never call in sick or want a raise. I was expressing my concerns that I...