The Dance

Darin, Suzanne and family were here for the week-end and talked us into going to the SUU Ballrooom Dance performance Saturday night. Suzanne's nephew was performing and she wanted me to take some photos. When I asked about it they said it was okay to take photos but not to use a flash. It made it a little challenging not to blur everything, but then sometimes blurring gives an interesting effect. I thought some of the photos were worth posting. Scroll down and see what you think.

The Haircut

I recently was released as Young Mens President in our ward and called to work with the Young Single Adult second stake in Cedar City. I am the Stake Executive Secretary. Our Stake President has cancer and has been undergoing chemotherapy and consequently lost his hair. The rest of the presidency decided we would get sympathy haircuts for Stake conference.

Clay says I look like a very stern Steven Covey in this photo

I had never shaved my head before, so I was a little anxious about how it would look. I had several accidents while growing up and I thought there may be some ugly scars. As it turned out the scars have all faded and it didn't look too bad.

This is my Jessie Ventura look

I got the camera out to record this for posterity. It may be the only time it happens, unless I get cancer or go bald naturally. I really liked the "maintenance free" aspect. Every morning I got up without a hair out of place!

This is my favorite photo

Elma Lynne thought the whole idea was a little crazy, but in the end she helped me do it. She didn't like it much at first, but got used to it. As it started to grow in, she even commented that she kind of liked it short.

Is that you Spock?

I got a little creative with the paint program and thought I could probably get a job as a double on Star Trek. What do you think?

Time With Nathan and Ashlynn

Last week we were in Idaho to spend some time with Clay and his family. We brought two of our grandchildren, Nathan and Ashlynn home with us. We got to have them from Monday to Saturday. Of course Monday and Saturday were travel days so we really didn't have as much time as it sounds like. It went by way too fast, and tomorrow we take them to Lehi to meet their Mom.

We had lots of fun while they were here. Nathan and I worked in the yard quite a bit, mowing the lawn, weeding the orchard, picking up rocks and making an outlet for the pond.

When we weren't working we played a lot. On Wednesday we hiked Kanarra Creek up to the first falls. These next few photos are of that hike.

Hiking the creek
Through the brush

A snack break

Ellie navigating the narrows

The first falls

Ashlynn posing

Nathan contemplating going up?

Alas, grandma Ellie thought this was far enough. Left to us kids we would have probably gone further, and gotten really wet.

We took the kids to "Cats" at Tuacahn after making a stop to see their Great Grandpa Prince on thursday night. I think they liked it a little bit, and so did I, a little bit. I did like the music and dancing, even if the story left a lot to the imagination.

On Friday we took a picnic and went four-wheeling on Harmony Mountain.

At the monument where great-grandpa James Franklin died at 33 years of age, over 100 years ago.

Ashlynn has a great camera smile

A picnic in the quakies

Off riding again

Nathan with the Kolob Canyons in the background

Friday afternoon we made pop bottle water rockets, and the kids enjoyed shooting them off and hunting them down for about two hours. I think they especially enjoyed the occasional wetting down when they rockets fired prematurely. Friday evening we had a hot dog roast at our walnut tree picnic area. In addition to the hod dogs we had root beer floats with berry cheesecake ice cream and we toasted marshmallows and made smores.

Ashlynn among the Goldenpeas in the meadow

Whenever there was a lull in the action Nathan and I were at the pond fishing. By Friday night we were ready for bigger game so we went to a neighbor's pond where the fish are a little bigger.

Grandpa showing how it's done.

We are going to hate to see these kids go back home, and I think they would be happy to stay a little longer, but hopefully they will want to come and stay with us every summer from now on.

Wildflowers of Little Mountain

Flowers are one of my favorite subjects to photograph. You don't have to get them to smile, they are always dressed up and they don't run away or hide their face.

A couple of days ago I took my camera and close up attachment for a little hike. within a quarter mile of my home I photographed the following wildflowers, and since then I have seen a couple that I missed. See how many you can identify. Answers are at the bottom.

If you think I have identified them wrong let me know.

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

(10)

(11)

(12)

(13)

(14)

(15)

(16)

(17)

Here's how I have identified the flowers above. You may not consider some of them flowers and there may be different common names for some. I have also included the scientific name if I could find it.

1. Common Name: Shrubby Cinquefoil

Scientific Name: Potentilla fruitcosa

2. Common Name: Blue Lupine

Scientific Name: Lupinus Perennis

3. Common Name: Goldenpea

Scientific Name: Thermopsis montana

4. Common Name: Wild Rose

Scientific Name: Rosa acicularis

5. Common Name: Fleabane Daisy, Spreading Fleabane

Scientific Name: Erigeron divergens

6. Common Name: Wild Rose

Scientific Name: Rosa acicularis

7. Common Name: Beavertail Cactus Flower

Scientific Name: Opuntia basilaris

8. Common Name: Scented beardtongue, Palmer's penstemon, Lady Slipper (local name)

Scientific Name: Penstemon palmeri

9. Common Name: White pricklypoppy, Bluestem pricklypoppy

Scientific Name: Argemone albiflora

10. Common Name: Desert Globemallow

Scientific Name: Sphaeralcea ambigua

11. Common Name: Bananna Yucca, Blue Yucca, Datil Yucca

Scientific Name: Yucca Battica

12. Common Name: Desert Paintbrush
Scientific Name: Castilleja chromosa

13. Common Name: Wild Onion

Scientific Name: Allium acuminatum

14. Common Name: Brandgee Onion

Scientific Name: Allium brandegei

15. Common Name: Goldenrod

Scientific Name: Solidago canadensis

16. Common Name: Beardtongue, Scarlet Bugler

Scientific Name: Penstemon barbatus

17. Common Name: White Lupine

Scientific Name: Lupinus Perennis

Hole In The Rock, Youth Conference 2010

In the late 1870's church leaders called a group of extraordinary Southern Utah residents to pack up their belongings and move across the Colorado River and establish a settlement. It was to be a buffer between the colonized settlements in Utah and the Indians, outlaws and ruffians who were gathering to this lawless area. It was known as the San Juan Mission.

Many of these pioneers came from Cedar City, Parowan, and even Kanarraville and New Harmony. It was a daunting chore, made even more so by the fact that this was the last area in the lower 48 states to be explored and mapped. The route that was chosen required them to blast and chisel their way through a gap in the rocks on the edge of the Colorado River Gorge in what is now Garfield County. The continued on, when most thought it was impossible. Jens Nielson, a Swedish immigrant who nearly lost his feet crossing the plains with the Willey Handcart Company, is quoted to have said, "We mus go troo, even if we can not!" Then he added, "Vhat ve need now is stickity tooty!"

Our Stake leaders decided that these great pioneers could serve as an example to our youth , and selected an expedition to the Hole In The Rock as our youth conference. We met at the Stake Center on Thursday, June 3rd at 8:00 am and from there proceeded across Cedar Mountain to the rest area at The Pines near Bryce Canyon. We ended up with around 270 youth and leaders. After a brief history break we continued on to the town of Escalante, where we had lunch on the park and a presentation by a history buff named Roundy.

Lunch on the park in Escalante

Just out of Escalante you are on dirt road. It seemed like forever.

We finally arrived at our camp site, 40 mile wash. the boys camped by a cow camp and the girls camped a little to the north down in the wash. Did I mention the wind? I don't think it stopped blowing the entire trip.

After setting up camp we joined a group of youth from the Blanding Stake for an activity at nearby "Dance Hall Rock". A couple of girls played the fiddle and many enjoyed the pioneer dance we had practiced earlier in the year.

Our group photo at "Dance Hall Rock"

Stake leaders prepared Dutch Oven potatoes and pork, with salad and brownies for supper.

Friday morning was about 15 more miles of dirt road, then a four mile hike and we arrived at the "Hole".
It now seems impossible that around 80 wagons were taken through this slot, not to mention some 250 men, women and children and around 1500 head of livestock.
Erosion has taken its toll over the years, and now it is even a little difficult to hike.

This is known as "Uncle Ben's dugway", where the road was built up using Juniper posts and brush to the level of the track you see here that was chiseled out of the side of the rock.

Lake Powell makes the journey to water somewhat shorter than it was in 1879. The kids were told not to swim, and can you believe it, most of them obeyed!

The trip back to our camp was interesting and colorful, yet dusty, hot and bumpy. When we got back to the truck the thermometer read 95 degrees.

Saturday on the way home we stopped at the Dry Fork trail head and hiked some slot canyons there. In this photo we are hiking down into the Dry Fork wash.

Here we are hiking the Dry Fork Narrows.

A rest stop while trying to decide if we are in the right canyon. As it turned out, we weren't. so we went back down and started over.

Hiking back to the main wash. Fifty Mile Ridge is in the background.

After hiking the wrong slot first, we were short on water to finish the hike so some of the boys went back to the truck to get more, then went on to find "Spooky", a short, but very narrow slot canyon.

After hiking up Spooky we cut cross country about a half-mile to Peek-a-boo, another short slot canyon.

Nearing the exit of Peek-a-boo.

Making our way out of Peek-a-boo canyon.

Hiking out of the Dry fork wash back to the trucks at the trail head. Upon arrival there the temperature read 99 degrees.

Back in Escalante we enjoyed sandwiches, drinks and frozen yogurt at Subway. It was air conditioned, and heavenly! the Bishop's truck broke down coming home over Cedar Mountain, but that was the only fatality on the trip. Other than a little heat exhaustion and a few cuts and scrapes we were in good shape, and very appreciative of those great pioneers.