Monday, August 22, 2011

A Panaca Wedding



The above picture is Kolob K. K used to work in the Kolob Canyon District of Zion National Park before he took up with Timp Cave. This little gem is located about twenty miles south of Cedar City and it's a five mile scenic drive back there with about three trails (we've hiked two of them in the past). As we were headed to the wedding, we just took a little drive up there and stopped at a few pullouts to take a driving break and stretch our legs. Such beauty! If you haven't stopped here on your travels north and south on I-15, you REALLY SHOULD! The views are practically heart-stopping. The following four pictures depict: a hanging valley, the "crack" (I have it on good word that all the Zion rangers call it that), a pretty view, and lastly, sunset poking through an arch.





Wedding Party.


The Happy Couple!


Another Happy Couple!


My MIL decorated this although she was several states away for the wedding. They put her to work when she visited earlier this month. I could never paint something like that!


I love this cake topper. I wonder what percentage of marriages this topper represents?

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

We Walked to Idaho



Before walking to Idaho, I had been working in my classroom. K had helped me a couple of times, but there was so much to do. So...I called this little family and asked their mom if I could borrow at least two of her girls. She sent all four and we had a great visit while getting that classroom ready for a new batch of students. I have had the privilege of teaching each of these four ladies. Although sisters, they aren't alike in personality at all. I have always had the strongest feeling that their mother is a great mother. I've told her that a time or two, but she tends to scoff and look away. One of these girls recently had heart surgery. One of them was life-flighted once after driving the four-wheeler through a barbed wire fence (whenever I call K to let him know one of my students is at Primary Childrens, he says, "Again?"). I attended their father's funeral a couple of years ago. They've all been through so much. There's a little brother coming up the line, but time will only tell if I get to be his teacher too. And I must go on about one other thing...I've been contacting the families on my new class list before Back to School Night and as I have been visiting with these people, I am so impressed with the absolute fierce love they have for their children. Yes, this is common. This is a good thing. This is what good parents do. And yet, it's so striking all over again. I am so thankful for these parents who wear themselves out trying to raise a decent human being. I think they receive far less praise than they deserve. Parents go through so much.


We camped at Lewis M. Turner Campground near Tony Grove. We love that little campground! I think this was our third stay. It was almost a full moon, the western cone flowers were in all their glory and the grasses were tall, by golly. Very peaceful. We cooked hamburgers on our little camp stove and enjoyed them with a sliced tomato from the fruit stand. It got very chilly and very dew-y overnight, but it's always great to sleep in the cool mountain air rather than in the hot valley down below.


This is proof positive that I indeed walked to Idaho. Okay, it was only 3.6 miles, but still, it's not that often that one walks from one state into another. This trail is called the Sink Hollow Trail.


These are pictures K took when he climbed down into the sink. Me? I'm too chicken to climb down into a sink. You can call me chicken or you can call me safe. No one has ever had to call search and rescue for me (knock on wood).




We had a picnic in northern Utah and found this sign. K really likes this quote from Brigham Young and says we ought to take it as scripture. He also really likes to emphasize the part in the Family Proclamation about "wholesome recreation." Anything which leads to more camping is absolutely wonderful in K's book!


Buffalo Chips--straight from Antelope Island. Not only did a couple of Spike rangers have to go collect the stuff...they had to PAY fifty dollars for it!


This is my favorite park ranger in the whole wide world. I adore this man. I am so in love with this man. As I watch him working with people, I'm so impressed by his easy manner. Everyone gets along with him and I just think he is fantastic.


Railroader's Festival is always a good time on the second Saturday of August each year--this was my fourth time attending/volunteering. I didn't take as many pictures this year and I wasn't actually ON the schedule, so it was nice to just roam around and help out at various stations. They had two different musical groups performing. This is a group of six kids, ages eleven to eighteen, who live between Payson and Ogden. They played: bass, violin, violin, guitar, banjo, and mandolin. They were fabulous! After their performance, they jumped on the speeder car with their instruments and played a tune as they headed down the track.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Pine Hollow and Fairview Canyon



Pictured above is K's cousin, a happy bride-to-be with her fiance and more relatives. The amazing thing about the next two pictures is that J is actually leading the hike--never happens! I was feeling good that day.



Meet my little friend, the rubber boa. We have these snakes on the cave trail as well. Rubber boas are the nicest little sweethearts you'd ever like to meet. I was so happy I got to see one and that it allowed a couple of photographs. My mother-in-law was not so happy about this fortuitous meeting.



We had a lunch at a place that's near and dear to my heart. Never though I would get to show my husband's family this location!


Fairview Lakes--We drove through Fairview and Huntington Canyons looking at the place where they dug up a Bull Mammoth and other such things we could find. There are so many views, vistas, and beautiful reservoirs. Snow remains up there above 9000 feet!

Timpooneke






We hiked Timpanogos from the Timpooneke Trailhead. It was getting late in the afternoon and it wasn't long before we heard claps of thunder. Still, we enjoyed the cool cloudiness and pressed on a bit further. There were flowers. There was shade. There were bugs. We had lovely views. And then the rain came, gently at first, gathering strength until it was a gully washer complete with hail. Yes, hail. It only hurt a little. Then we drove up the North Fork toward Tibble Fork and found a little place at Mile Rock to make our foil dinners next to the American Fork River. K pulled over to try to capture this stunning light from the sunset in the canyon.

Southfork in Provo Canyon near Big Springs




Thistle. Looks can be deceiving. Nobody wants this invasive plant species and yet we see it everywhere. Too bad something so bright and so purple is so bad for the land.




Beautiful Timpanogos from the South. We danced around her all week from each direction and then we actually climbed her, part way.


Growing up farming in the midwest, FIL was ENTHRALLED with this old piece of equipment. MIL and I both snapped the same picture of him reading the fine print.



The men--scouting ahead.

Duck Saga




One Mama and Eight Babies. "We will follow you anywhere--through water, sludge...it matters not."


"Why aren't you hopping up here on this boardwalk?"


"Mother! We are trying our best but we are simply too small!"


"Nevermind then. Let's go back the way we came."


Who's leading whom? The children were thinking, "Now THIS we can do!"

Silver Lake at Brighton




K and J. The real us.


Silver Lake--always a lovely walk. Soothing.


K's parents.