Odds and Ends

Some new additions

Bus working hard on the upstairs bathroom remodel

Tomato update

New fire pit

Family Reunion 2009

I know it's been a month since we had the reunion but it has taken me a while to rediscover how to retrieve the photos from my camera. At least that is my excuse...
The other problem is that these are the only pictures I took, all of them on Thursday morning July 16th. I don't know why that is, but it is. We were down in Piute County population 1500. There is an amazing mining camp up Marysvale's Bullion canyon where the county has put together an outdoor museum of the equipment used in gold mining at the early part of the 1900's and sort of an explanation of the process. This first picture is a restored cabin where a miner lived showing what things they would have used back then.

Here the group is examining the museum artifacts

Then we thought since they had discovered gold here maybe we could too!

After examining every particle of sand and loading up our enormous cache of gold we headed down the canyon only to discover a forest service bear trap.

We cautiously approached and timidly knocked on the pipe to discover the supposed contents. With little in the way of answer, Harrison bravely climbed up and exposed the interior. We were all a little relieved.

4 wheeling adventure

Here I am on my first 4 wheeler. I think I won't be able to hike anymore. It is just too easy to sit on one of these and push a button and go places that are beautifully amazing. We went down a path just wide enough for the bikes that reminded me of a cross between a slot canyon and flying through the forest like jedi knights. Yeah, it was a black diamond run.

My companion in adventuring. I'm thinking this is a great new hobby for the two of us...

Goin' down the road

We were the guests of our neighbors the Joneses. They have a beautiful cabin close to Marysvale where we spent the night. The rhino took us up the canyon to an old mining camp. There were lots of old mining implements and a cabin to look at up there.

Manning Meadow Reservoir is a cutthroat trout nursery for the Fish and Game. You can only fly fish here and the limit is one fish. It has to be over 22" long, otherwise it's catch and release.
I'm thinking there are a lot of fish with sore lips in that lake.

Barney Lake
There was a guy out there in a float tube fishing. Looked like a great way to spend the day. I would like to try the canoe up here. So peaceful and beautiful.

Where the Fun Is

This is the street where Jan lives

Also the dashboard of our rental car...
(You are going west)

Here is the lucky house where Clark and Eva live. If you know the zipcode for Harlingen Texas and the name of the street which is Los Alamos you can determine their address...
(This is looking north)

Benefits of this house: Electricity which powers the AC. We learned how vital this element can be.
Also 3 bedrooms and 2 baths.
Nice little pergola in the backyard which provides shade for the swimming pool.
Completely fenced backyard with a storage shed and a composting tire.
Very nice neighbors to the west. Didn't meet the ones to the east though did see their dog poop on the lawn...
Best of all: 45 minutes to Padre Island Beach!

Padre Island for Father's Day

Two of my favorite girls

Beach play at it's finest. Warm water, sunny weather and darling grandchildren

Bring out a Subway sandwich at the beach and instantly there are dozens of seagulls ready for lunch. We watched this phenomena and the corollary which was Clark chasing the seagulls with his shovel.

Lincoln meets Sophia

Here is Lincoln getting ready for the biggest ride of his life. He has a new baby sister to meet.

Lincoln, try a little harder dude, this is a big day

All this riding around make a guy thirsty

Here we go into the hospital with grandpa and Uncle Matt

We'll skip the part about the elevator. That was just too scary.

Here's mom's and Sophia's room

More favorite pictures

We are a blessed family.

Favorite Pictures

Lady Mountain, across from Zion Lodge. I climbed this mountain back in 1972. Can you even believe that? I can't. It had been outlawed as a hike for a few years at that time. When I worked at Zion Inn that summer there was a guy who had climbed it before so he led the expedition. I didn't take any water so was awful thirsty when we got back hours later...

The Great White Throne peaking out from behind The Altar and Organ Rock.

This is looking up at Angel's Landing. If you look close you may see people up on top. The face is famous in rock climbing circles.

The Great White Throne behind the saddle between Angel's Landing and the Altar.

It had rained the day before so this was a small waterfall by the Temple of Sinewava.

Watchman in the morning.