Vernile's Place

The Trail Cam 1

2012-01-09T10:46:00.005-07:00

Bobcat

Around Christmas 2011 I had the trail cam set up about a quarter mile south of my home. I captured the following video, which I think is quite remarkable as I don't think bobcats travel in pairs too often nor is it common to see them in the daytime.

Coyote

I also caught a coyote, though not as amazing it is still interesting to catch wild critters in the act of being themselves without the interfering with their natural behavior.

Out With The Old and In With The New

2012-01-08T22:32:00.011-07:00

A common phrase for the new year, right? Well, this is even a little more literal. I finally got the new barn built and am in the process of tearing down the old one. Would it be prober to call it "De-constructing"?

I designed the barn last spring and had the plans made into construction prints. I decided I probably wouldn't live long enouth to build it myself, so I hired SMJ Homes to build it. Sounds kind of funny, but it is a home for our three horses. I think they did a great job and even ame in under budget!

After the barn was finished I started on attached corrals using old pipe that Dad had collected. I got enough done to put the horses in just in time to start feeding them around the first of December. There is still quite a bit to do on the corrals, but it can wait for spring.

My good friend Norm Kroh has joined the wrecking crew, and his wife has even helped out. They are new to this valley, they recently purchased Mervin's home and moved here from Idaho. They are great people and a good fit here I think, and they seem to like it so far.

I have to admit that this is all a little nostalgic, because I helped Dad build that barn when I was about ten I think. That would have been around 1957 0r 58. All the while I am working I wonder what Dad would have to say about the 'improvements'. I'm sure when he was a few years younger he would have loved it, but as he got older he really resisted change. I suppose that just goes with the territory.

Hiking "The Wave"

2011-02-03T16:23:00.007-07:00

My cousin Ed from Saint George called me the other night and said that he had permits to hike "The Wave" on Wednesday and asked if I would like to go. I have wanted to do that hike for a long time, but getting permits is a cumbersome and unpredictable lottery process. Of course, I jumped at his invitation.

"The Wave" is a rock formation in the Coyote Buttes area which is about midway between Kanab and Lake Powell. It is a gorgeous area of sandstone rock formations sculptured by eons of wind and water. It is administered by the BLM and they give out just 20 permits per day, and some days there are over 600 applicants.

The hike is quite moderate, about five miles round trip, mostly over rock and sand. There are a few ups and downs, but probably no more than around 500 feet in elevation gain total. You start out at the Wire Pass trail head, the same place where the Buckskin Gulch hike begins, then follow the wash for about a quarter mile, before jumping out and heading south. For more information on the hike just google "The Wave" Utah, and you will get lots of information.

I met Ed and his dad John in Hurricane at around 6:00am, went out through Colorado City to Kanab, then east toward Lake Powell, arriving at the trail head around 8:00am. It was 9 degrees when we left the vehicle at 8:20, but we dressed warm. Only exposed flesh froze instantly. The beauty of our surrounding made us forget the cold, mostly. Every where you look there are rock formations that dazzle your senses and gobble up memory in the digital camera.

The guidebook says the hike will take around three hours. I told my companions you have to multiply that by a factor determined by the number of cameras present. (T=1.33* # of C) It took us six hours! We had a leisurely lunch nestled out of the wind and it was actually quite pleasant. Two more hikers appeared later, one from Switzerland and the other from somewhere called Florida. We spent quite a bit of time exploring and looking for that great shot. The return trip was a little colder as the wind had picked up and it was in our face most of the way. When we arrived back at the truck at around 2:00pm the temperature was 24 degrees.

All in all it was a great hike, one that I would recommend to anyone wanting to see some spectacular scenery. Below are a few of the 200 plus photos I took.

The Dance

2010-11-22T11:01:00.006-07:00

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

2010-11-22T10:08:00.007-07:00

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

2010-06-25T22:15:00.006-06:00

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

2010-06-13T09:17:00.018-06:00

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

2010-06-10T10:56:00.015-06:00

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 males 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.

I Saw The Elephant

2010-05-18T08:04:00.008-06:00

The phrase I Saw the Elephant came into use during the Civil War. It means to see life or to gain experience during devastating events, particularly near-death experiences.

Last Friday we were invited to go hiking with some friends, Tait and Susan. The selected destination was Elephant Arch, located in the foothills a few miles north of Washington. It has a unique shape that looks like the head and trunk of an elephant.

It was a beautiful day, the temperature in Dixie was approaching 80, but was tempered by a mild breeze. The clouds were gorgeous, and as we hiked they offered occasional shade.

The wildflowers were in full bloom. It was nice to be able to ask Tait the names of the various flowers and plants, which are his specialty. Not that I will remember them too long. Susan has her own specialty that she likes to photograph, but in the interest of propriety it will not be discussed here.

Desert Marigold

Globe Mallow

Wild Four-o-clock

Thistle blossom

Flowering Cactus

As you get further into the hills the trail follows a wash that is full of interesting formations. this one reminded me of cliff dwellings.

Ellie got a little heat stroke or something and decided to rest here and wait for us. I stayed with her to make sure she was going to be okay, then caught up with Tait and Susan. This formation sort of looks like an eye-less ear-less elephant don't you think?

There are no marked trails to this arch, so we had to do some exploring to find it and it took a while. I didn't want to give up because a little over a year ago I tried to find this arch while hiking with Richard Jensen and failed. We split up and Tait finally located it. It isn't too obvious until you get fairly close, and even then it may be hard to spot depending on the light and angle of view.

Susan is sitting below the elephant's trunk in this photo, directing Tait and I to get her best angle. I climbed up and sat on the elephant's head, that's the closest I have ever come to riding an elephant.

The elephant, and Susan, from a different angle. After taking photos I decided to head back so Ellie wouldn't think we had returned by a different route and left her there.

We were all a little exhausted, dry and hungry when we returned to the truck. We figured we hiked somewhere around eight miles, a lot of it in sand. I would suggest if you want to do this hike and want to make it a little easier that you get a key to the gate, which I understand is available from Saint George City. If you drive to the city water well at the end of the road it would cut the hiking distance down to about three miles.

Before returning home our friends treated us to dinner at Chuck-A-Rama for Ellie's birthday which was about a week ago. We stuffed ourselves and I must have guzzled a gallon of water and fruit punch.

Snowflowers Are Out!

2010-03-05T17:49:00.004-07:00

Yes it's true. The Snowflowers are out! I went hiking today, wearing my new snowshoes, I want up the Anderson Valley trail almost to The Big Wash, then cut up over the back of Lawson Hill and down through the boulder piles. As I got near the bottom where the snow was melting around the rocks and trees, the Snowflowers were poking their heads out. For those of you who are like me and think that is a sure sign of spring, it's really good news.

I may have posted this last year, but I am going to again if I did. What we call Snowflowers are actually a Violet Butter Cup. Genus: Ranunculus; species: Andersoni; Southern Utah subspecies: Juniperinus.

Regardless of the name, scientific or common, they are probably the most welcome flower I know of around here. Most anyone that has lived in the valley has hiked Lawson Hill, or one of the other places where they grow. It kind of gives you a little reassurance that spring is really coming, in spite of the snow and cold. Some things just won't be denied the chance to grow and share their beauty.

You usually find them on the north or east facing slopes, in moist areas near rocks or trees. It is usually in loamy soil made from decaying vegetation, often that which has fallen from Pine or Juniper trees. Their root system is a tuber, which stores moisture for their relatively short growing season. Once the moisture is gone they go to seed and dry up, disappearing until the next spring.

I am grateful for Snowflowers, which is what they will always be to anyone raised in New Harmony. They will always be one of the first sure signs of spring. Even though much of the vegetation on Lawson Hill was destroyed by fire last summer, the Snowflowers are a sign to me that life goes on, some times pretty much as usual, and that we can too.

The Last Gasp Of Winter... I hope!

2010-02-21T18:18:00.004-07:00

I'm sorry old man, but I'm through shoveling. I simply refuse to pick up another snow shovel until next winter, say maybe December. I know, I know, that really sounds harsh. It is not, however, directed toward a person. The 'old man' I am referring to is Old Man Winter.

Yes, I am done. I simply refuse to shovel any more snow. Whatever comes, I'll drive through it, I'll walk through it, wade through it, or even swim through it, but I have shoveled enough.

Brent brought me some snowshoes yesterday that were owned by our Uncle Reed. They look like they might be World War II vintage. If I have to put them on and hike to town for food, I will. If I have to live off food storage oatmeal and powdered milk I will. I might even do bodily harm to the next person that says they are thankful for more snow(Watch out Deanna).

Actually, I can be a very patient person if I have to. How long can it take to melt seven inches of new snow. It had settled to about four inches before it started snowing again this afternoon. I just checked the weather radar and there is another green/blue blob headed our way and will surely dump some more on us tonight. Then there is more in the forecast about every other day all week. But I'm not going to shovel any of it. And don't ask for my help shoveling your place either.

Just how much is a person supposed to be able to take? I want to see green grass. I want to feel the sun on my bare arms. I want to romp and play in the flowery meadows... well maybe that's a little overdone. I want to go fishing. I want to hike Lawson Hill and find Snow Flowers. I want to golf with the prairie dogs in Cedar City. I want to ride the four wheeler and leave a trail of dust. I want to till the garden. I want to see leaves on the trees. I want to hear crickets, and frogs. I want to listen to the grass grow... could that be worse than listening to the snow melt?
Do you get what I'm trying to say here? I'm simply tired of winter. I guess I have Spring Fever. I have heard it is quite contagious, so you better not get too close. In fact it is so contagious you might catch it just from reading this blog.

Signs of Spring

2010-02-05T11:26:00.012-07:00

I guess I am an optimist, but even though there is a foot of snow outside, and it is threatening to snow again, I see signs of Spring everywhere. First of all, look at the calendar. We are a week into February! Okay, so Spring doesn't officially come on the calendar in the northern hemisphere until March 21, but when the snow melts and the Snowflowers come out, its Spring to me. I have photos of Snowflowers taken the first week in March for the last two years. I don't care what that fat rodent in Pennsylvania says, Spring isn't six weeks away, maybe three.

I took this shot of icicles on Redd Creek yesterday about 9:00 am, then when I returned about noon they were melted.

One problem with Spring coming is that I want to be out hiking and riding in the hills, and I don't nearly have all my winter projects done. I really want to get the cabinet doors installed in my den. I've had them for almost a year and was saving that as a winter project. I wanted to get some more finished on the inside of my shop, and I haven't even looked at that, other than to make room to get all my equipment inside when it started snowing.

This photo taken yesterday shows new green growth from the roots of a burnt Quinine Bush.

Another problem with Spring is the mud. I really don't like mud, and it seems like there is a lot of it around in the Spring. However, we are not exempt from mud in the winter and we have had more than our share already this year. At least when Spring comes you know it will dry up eventually.

Birds at the feeder are another sign of spring. All winter the Pinion Jays are king of the hill, getting first choice of the seeds. The Spotted Towhees, Juncos and a variety of sparrows are plentiful. A couple of days ago I saw a Gold Finch and a House Finch. Definitely not winter birds around here. They would have made a good photo, but were quite timid and I couldn't get close enough.

Snow melt and a sunny southern exposure has some green grass showing.

I love green. I think it is my favorite color. Trees with new green leaves. A grove of quaking Aspen. Willows along the creek. A beautiful meadow. A field of waving grass or alfalfa. Freshly mowed grass, especially on a golf course. Money.

Newborn calves are a pretty good sign of Spring.

Spring means new life. Concealed in the ground all winter, it begins again. With the first warming days buds shape, then open. Blossoms and flowers explode, briefly flaunt their beauty, then generate seeds to perpetuate their vanity. Leaves appear and dress cold naked branches, enticing myriads of birds to make their summer homes. Everything seems energized in spring. Green begins its synthesis, replacing our exhaust with breathable air. Babies are born; animals, birds and fish reproduce their species. The poets say that even a young man's fancy turns to love in spring.

Spring also means new starts. It means that no matter what mistakes we made last year, we have the chance to start again. A chance to do better. I like that a lot.

A Walk In The Black Forest

2010-02-05T08:25:00.011-07:00

Those of you younger than me may not remember this song. An instrumental composed by Horst Jankowski and released in 1965, it quickly became a million seller. One of the original artists was Herb Alpert and The Tiajuana Brass. Later Lyrics were added that kind of made it into a love song, though I doubt the lyrics are very familiar to anyone.

I went for a hike in the snow yesterday through some of the area that was burned in the fire last summer. The title and tune of this song kept coming into my mind. Watch this short video I made and see if you think it fits.

I am sure there are some of you that think of something entirely different when you think of Black Forest. Could it be Black Forest Cheese Cake? I'll have to admit that crossed my mind.

Winter and More Winter

2010-02-01T09:10:00.006-07:00

Winter In New Harmony

After the second winter here in New Harmony, I made the mistake of bragging to my friends up north that I had only had to shovel snow twice in two years. Big Mistake! The next winter (2008-2009) we had over 70 inches of snow in December, and this winter it seems has been even worse. The only good thing is that I finally got disgusted enough that I went out and bought a snow thrower. In defense of my physical ability, we added another parking pad and some additional concrete to the existing driveway, so there was about twice as much area to shovel and I just couldn't face it.

Birds freeloading at the public trough

We have been living under the threat of flooding since the fire last August. We had some minor stuff late in September, it brought down a lot of ash and debris, but no damage at our place. Some of the area nearer the canyons got a layer of thick black mud. Seems to me that it would make pretty good fertilizer. We had a winter storm watch a couple of weeks ago. Seems they thought it would rain to about 7,000 feet and melt the snow. Instead we got more snow. I hope it melts slowly when spring comes. Sawmill Creek runs about a hundred feet behind our house. It is dry most of the year except for during the spring run-off. If the snow melts fast this year it could easily jump its banks and come through our yard. I am particularly worried that the ash and mud might fill the channel, turning the water loose to find its own path. I sandbagged the window wells on the back side of the house just in case.

Snow melting on Cedars

It seems that we have two types of weather this winter. Either it is storming and blowing, or it is calm, clear and cold. It was clear and cold and 10 degrees this morning. Although I'm getting a little tired of the cold, snow and mud, I love the beauty of winter and am glad we live in an area where we can experience the changing seasons. Once January is over, things should start to warm a little and we know that spring is just weeks away. I haven't spent nearly as much time as I wanted to on winter projects, but then there is always next winter.

A Snowy Day In The Kolobs

This is the view of Kolob we see every time we look east, though not quite as close. I shot this photo at 200 mm from the front porch. I never get enough. It seems that every time you look the scene changes and you want to grab the camera.

A Halo of Fog on Pine Valley Mountain

Though this photo was taken from about a mile away, Pine Valley Mountain is essentially our back yard. It makes a good neighbor, except when the 'controlled burn' gets out of control. It will be really interesting to watch the new growth come back over the coming years.

Foggy Day on the Farm

Watching the horses through the fog makes me glad I have a warm home to live in, even if propane is $3.69 a gallon! The windmill sleeps, waiting for a breeze to blow away the fog and energize its blades. The ducks have had to abandon the pond, and hopefully life goes on under the ice.

Pine Valley Mountain from the back yard

All the area you see in this photo, and more, will drain through the creek hidden just behind the trees when the snow melts. It is somewhat worrisome, so I took out flood insurance. It won't stop mother nature, but it will help with the clean-up.

I Finally Get A Pond

2009-11-30T19:29:00.004-07:00

I Finally Get A Pond

All the while I was growing up there was two things that I really wanted. One was a go-kart and the other was a pond. Dad kept telling me that when he had time he would help me build a go-kart, so I kept saving old lawn mower engines and tires and anything else I thought might work. Dad said we had to have pneumatic tires and a clutch, neither of which I could come up with. By the time I was old enough to earn money to buy such things, I wanted to save for a saddle, and a real car, and stuff like that. Dad never really had the time, and I don't think he really wanted me to be zooming around the streets of New Harmony, so the go-kart never got built.

Other people had ponds where we could swim and some even had fish, but I never could convince Dad that we really needed one. When I moved back to New Harmony and built our home on the farm, a pond was always back there in the recesses of my mind and I guess I was always looking for a place to build one.

This summer things kind of fell into place. (1)We divided the property so I knew exactly what I had to work with; (2) We installed a new pipeline in the meadow ditch that could provide water; (3) We had a humongous forest fire that increased the desire for water storage; (4) My neighbor Garth ave me some surplus felt under-liner and some rubber pond liner; and (5) We dug a pretty big hole where I wanted my pond built.

While putting in the new meadow pipeline a lot of fill was needed to build the dam and head gate at the Redd Creek diversion, so I offered the rock pile north and west of the old barn. We made a pretty good hole there, so when we were finished with the pipeline I took my skid steer loader and finished shaping the hole into a pond. I banked the downhill side using the rocks and dirt that were removed while shaping. It ended up being about 100 feet wide by 125 feet long and about 10' deep.

Once the shaping was complete I raked all the rocks and smoothed everything the best I could. There was an area where it was really muddy. Ross came over and helped me remove the rocks from that area with his big track hoe as it has a much longer reach than any of my equipment.

Once the raking and smoothing was done I built a spooling device to unroll the material and laid the felt under-layment. This material is quite light even though impregnated with tar. It comes in 15 foot wide rolls, about 300 ' long, and to connect it you overlap it a few inches, then heat it with a torch and the tar melts and forms a bond.

I dug a trench around the perimeter of the pond to lay the edges of the material in. Once it is all in place you fill the trench with dirt and that holds the material in place.

A 50' x 100' roll of rubber pond liner weighs around 1500 pounds. I needed a lot of help to spool it off and pull it across the pond. John Spevak, Dorian Page, Ray Taylor, Richard Jensen and Clair Hansen came and helped me. Even with six of us it was a struggle to get it in place. Once it was laid out we seamed it together with a contact cement and 6" wide rolls of mastic.

I put some pipe supports in place to build a catwalk and we sealed round them the best we could. I'm not sure it is 100% leak proof, but we did the best we could. Once the liner was in place and secured with dirt and rocks in the trench I decided to let some water in. I filled it a little too much and had to drain some back out the next day so I could finish the catwalk.

Once the catwalk was done I finished filling the pond. It took about three days, and the 6" fill pipe was running less than half full. the pipe will fill the pond to within about a foot of being full. Brent turned the upper ditch down so I could finish filling, which took another few days.

The next stage was to erect the windmill. I have always liked windmills, and found that you can aerate quite effectively with them. I ordered this one from a place in Ohio, put it together and after pouring concrete footings, stood it upright. It immediately caught some wind and started pumping air. I installed the pipe and diffusers, and when the wind blows we have pond aeration.

I think I am going to spend a lot of time just looking at this pond. I can go to the front window and just watch it from there, or I can go down and walk around it. Tonight at sunset I took the photos below. I think a pond brings a certain kind of serenity, and I know I am going to be a much more contented person now that I have a pond.

As I watched the sun go down tonight there was a beautiful reflection disturbed only occasionally by something breaking the mirror-like surface. If I didn't know better I would think it was a fish.

I now have plans for a grassy picnic area just south of the windmill, on the south west corner of the pond. I hope to have some trees, a picnic table and a fire ring, where all the family and friends will be welcome to come and share in the peace and beauty, perhaps even let the young ones try to catch a fish or play in the water.

Calf Creek Falls

2009-11-06T15:16:00.007-07:00

Calf Creek Falls

On Wednesday, November 4th, Ellie and I headed out for Wayne County to go hiking with friends from Kamas. We drove up through Richfield, then down through Loa to Torry. We met Kevin and Cindy and Jeff and Martha at the Best Western and had dinner and a good visit before turning in for the night. We did watch the Yankees win their 27th World Serries victory before turning off the TV.

We met again at 7:00am for breakfast then headed down highway 12 through the Boulder Mountains, through the town of Boulder and on toward Escalante. About Ten miles out of Escalante we pulled off at the trail head of Calf Creek. Though the morning had been quite cool, it was warming up and looked like a perfect day for a hike.

We left the trail head around 9:30 am and followed the trail which lead up the west side of the creek in a canyon of beautiful rock formations in the Navajo Sandstone.

We used the interpretive trail guide to help us locate some ruins left behind around a thousand years ago by the Fremont Indians. The photo above shows a granary high on the canyon wall that was used for storage. Looks like it should be pretty safe from almost anything. Even the one who put it there would have to be pretty hungry to go after it. There are also some pictographs a little further up the canyon, probably from the same period.

Although most of the summer greenery has turned brown, there is still a lot of beauty to be found and we revelled in the sights and sounds of the canyon as we hiked the 2.5 miles to the lower falls.

Calf creek got its name from pioneer farmers who built a rock fence across the canyon where they would coral their calves above it in the box canyon. Today there are no cattle, but plenty of grass and vegetation lining the beautifully clear stream that splits the valley floor .

The stream is so clear that you can easily see an abundance of fish that dart into the shadows as they detect your intrusion on their solitude.

The canyon ends in a rather abrupt sandstone wall broken in half by a beautiful waterfall cascading over 100 feet down the sandstone face.

As you enjoy the beauty the roaring cascade fills your ears and you are enveloped by the light mist from the falls. On a hot day this would be quite refreshing, in fact you might want to consider a dip in the pool, but today, even though warm in the sun, it is quite cool in the shadows and no one wants to get wet.

We take photos, photos and more photos, hating to leave what we hiked so arduously to get to.

The photo below shows the hiking group. We love these guys and always enjoy being with them. they are going to stay and hike in the area for a couple more days. Due to other commitments, and the lack of desire to carry a full pack and camp out, we chose to return home.

One more photo of the falls, using a slow shutter speed to capture the flowing effect of the water.

We made faster time on the return trip, hurrying a little so that Ellie and I could get back home in time for another commitment, but we still found time to snap a few more photos.

We left the trail head around 1:20 pm, stopping in Escalante for gas, then continuing on through Panguitch and home via Bear Valley. We made it home around 4:15, just about right to be ready for a YM/YW activity beginning at 4:45.

Spring Creek Hike

2009-11-03T19:52:00.007-07:00

Spring Creek Hike

On June 8, 2009 we decided to take our friends Dave and Carol Van Wagoner to see spring Creek. It doesn't matter how many times you go there, it is always beautiful and always interesting. Dave and Carol are fairly new to the area and fun to hike with. Dave finds even the simplest things interesting and has a million questions. Carol and Ellie take a rather leisurely pace, talking over the world's problems I'm sure.

Carol and Ellie as we begin the hike.

At the start, the canyon is quite wide and not all that spectacular. In a very short distance the canyon walls close in and the scenery becomes awesome. the hike is short and easy, and could probably be done most any time of year. You only go up the canyon a mile or two and beyond that you would need some serious climbing skills to go further

Dave and Carol

I finally found someone to take my photo!

This owl made the trip even more interesting. He didn't seem too upset with our presence, and just wanted to ignore us and be left alone. We finally convinced him to fly away after getting right in his face.

As a postscript, I guess we won't be hiking with Dave and Carol for a while. they have accepted a mission call to Romania. they leave about the end of November and will be gone 18 months.

Kanarra Falls

2009-10-29T18:14:00.007-06:00

Kanarra Falls

Having grown up in New harmony you would think I would know all the good places to hike in the neighborhood. Unfortunately, I didn't hike much when I was growing up. We did a lot of walking while hunting, but mostly we rode horses as far as we could, then hiked. I don't ever remember looking for a place specifically to go hiking.

When I returned to the area a few years ago I heard people talk about Kanarra Falls. I thought it couldn't be much or I would know about it. Finally I decided to find out by asking around and talking to people who had been there. Based on their descriptions I decided it was definitely somewhere I should go and started making plans.

On July 11, 2009 Jillyn and Kenny were here and wanting to do a hike. We talked about going back up to the Beaver area and trying for Delano Peak again (last time we climbed Mount Holly by mistake instead of Delano) but decided it was too far for the time we had available. I suggested Kanarra Falls and they agreed.

The trail starts on the east side of Kanarraville up toward the water tank. There is a parking area below the tank, then the trail goes up the road past the tank, which is the hardest part of the entire hike.

First thing up the trail we met this wild-eyed guy who was muttering somewhat incoherently that he had almost stepped on a rattlesnake. Lucky for the snake because he weighed about 300 pounds. He pointed a shaky finger to a bush and we found the snake there scared half to death.

The Kanarra Falls hike, in my opinion, is one of the best kept secrets in the area. It is a beautiful slot canyon within walking distance for even the most inept. Small children can do it as it is only a couple of miles on pretty flat terrain. It might even be nice to have some younger folks along to protect you from the snakes. Some of the hike involves getting wet, and the creek probably flows higher and colder in the spring of the year, but in mid summer the water level is low and hot temperatures make a little soaking quite pleasant.

The canyon is wide at the bottom, but soon narrows and displays some beautiful sandstone formations made by years of erosion. As you continue you will find yourself walking through narrow winding slots barely wide enough to walk through and a hundred or so feet deep, cut through the sandstone by the stream's incessant flow.

At the first falls there is a log ladder that isn't too difficult to climb. It even has a rope handrail. If you don't want to climb this you can turn around here and still have had a great hike. If you are the adventurous type and have to see what is at the top of the falls, continue on.

Above are more slot canyons and more wading. It is kind of hard to avoid getting wet, at least to your knees.

About midway between the lower and upper falls you encounter this water park. There is no entrance fee, but there may be some waiting in line as there is only one slide. Kids were sliding down the slick rocks into the pool below while parents cooled off. I think we may have interrupted a wet tee shirt contest.

I have hiked Buckskin Gulch, which is considered one of the premier slot canyons in the world, but some of the places in Kanarra Creek are just as impressive and are much more accessible.

After some more slot canyon you arrive at the second falls. this one is a little more difficult, mainly because there is no log ladder. The only help is a rickety board ladder of sorts that has been nailed together. I put my camera into a plastic bag and then in my pack and tried to make the ascent. About half way up you have to grab a wet rope and pull yourself the rest of the way.

About the time I grabbed the rope, the ladder skipped and I found myself hanging by the rope directly under the falls. As my pack filled up with water and my clothes got soaked my grip on the rope slipped and I made a not so gentle descent. I checked and my camera stayed dry, thank goodness, but everything else was wet and even on a warm summer day it seemed quite cold. Jillyn and Kenny knew they could not better my display of sportsmanship, so they declined to try the ascent. We turned around at that point and returned back the way we had come.

Right after my failed attempt a strong young show-off came and showed us how to do it, but by then we had decided there couldn't be anything up there more impressive than what we had already seen.

The Mill Flat Fire

2009-10-24T10:32:00.017-06:00

The Mill Flat Fire

There was a lightning strike on Pine Valley Mountain on July 25th, just north of Mill Flat. The strike started a fire which burned in rocky hillside area. Forest Service personnel were quick to observe the fire, but determined to let it burn as it seemed to pose no threat and might actually do some good by removing old growth and making way for new.

The smoke plume was visible from New Harmony and when I first spotted it I thought the fire was probably either in Main Canyon or Dam Canyon. It burned for nearly a month without spreading to more than a few acres. On Wednesday, August 26, the Forest Service had a public meeting in new harmony and informed residents that they were allowing the fire to burn based on wilderness area guidelines, and that it was being closely monitored. We were informed that if the fire reached certain predetermined lines, they would begin suppression efforts.

The very next day the fire began to spread north into the Straight Canyon area and a helicopter was called in to drop some water. The fire increased in size the following day but still appeared to be no threat. On Saturday, August 29, the fire increased in size and smoke filled the Harmony Valley. Around mid afternoon, the smoke began to lift as conditions created a 'column', and you could see that the fire had spread north of Straight Canyon and was turning back south toward Dam canyon. I went up on Little Mountain to get a better view, and was soon joined by Forest Service personnel who were now becoming quite concerned.I still wasn't too concerned for our own safety, as the fire was a long way from town. As we watched, I commented that I would start to be concerned when it came over Lawson Hill. In less than an hour it was coming over the hill, and as the evening breeze started to blow off the mountain the fire began racing north into the west side of town, threatening several homes and structures.
It was quite a helpless feeling as we watched the fire come closer and closer. We rigged up all our hoses and put sprinklers around the house and on the roof. We loaded a few emergency things and photo albums into the car just in case, still not thinking it would really get to us.

Fire crews were arriving from all over to help. A fire truck and crew from Santa Clara came and prepared to defend our home. They stated that the home itself was very defensible, but that my shop would probably not be due to all the vegetation so close by. I responded that they should forget about the shop and use all their efforts to save the house if it came to that. I moved all the vehicles down into the hay field and went back to my post on Little Mountain.

The fire burned through Gordon Pace's stockyard and haystack on its way north, which is about a quarter mile from our home. It seemed a lot closer when all you could see was a wall of smoke and fire.

As darkness came we watched the fire rage across the west side of town and the inferno consume everything in its path. We sorrowed for the property owners as we watched in morbid fascination as the flames erupted in gold, orange, red and yellow, and an occasional explosion would send sparks and flame shooting high into the air. There was a surreal beauty about what was happening, in spite of the destruction, particularly as a tree would ignite and send flames high into the night sky. We watched the fire until around midnight and by then it had calmed down with just a few hot spots occasionally flaring up.

Sunday morning the fire was relatively calm, but crews were working as soon as planes could fly, knowing that the heat of the day would bring it back to life. The main part of the fire was now burning high on the Long Ridge, burning to the south away from us. Church was called off so we watch from Little Mountain most of the day as the bombers dropped retardant and the helicopters dropped water. It was quite fascinating to watch them fill up at our neighbor's pond and fly right over our heads back to the fire.

The fire truck and crew had remained stationed at our house, though they were now from Hurricane. They seemed quite bored with their duty, wanting to be where the action was. Elma Lynne offered to let them pull weeds but they declined. I met a photographer from the Deseret News named Scott Winterton. He had made it into town before the road was closed and didn't want to leave because he wouldn't be able to get back in. We fed him a couple of meals and let him sleep in a guest room which was preferable to sleeping in his car.

The fire stayed fairly high on the mountain all day Sunday yet as the day warmed up it moved across the steep slopes south of us. At dark it died down again and didn't seem to be going anywhere, and about 9:30 pm we headed for Dad's house. We noticed that our fire truck and crew were gone, which caused a little concern but not too much as the fire seemed to be down for the night. I went out by the cemetery and watched until around midnight and the fire seemed quite benign so we went to bed at Dad's house to be company for Donna while Dad is in rehab in Saint George.
Around 2:00 am we were awakened by sirens and I went out to the corner and looked toward our home to see the fire had moved down the mountain and was literally at the back of Little Mountain which was glowing like a football stadium under full lights.

I quickly dressed and hurried to our home and upon arrival there realized the fire was way too close for comfort. I called Elma Lynne and told her that if she wanted anything else out of the house she better come and get it. There was a search and rescue man knocking on our door to tell us to get out, so I relayed the message to Scott who was sleeping peacefully. Then I headed for Little Mountain to get a good view of what was happening. On the way there I ran into a Forrest Service truck and the driver said he was lost. I told him how to get back to town, and asked him to get me a fire truck if he possibly could. Within twenty minutes we had two fire trucks and about thirty Hot shots on site.

As we watched from Little Mountain the wind calmed down and the fire stopped its advance around 4:00am. At this point they decided to do a back-burn from the fire line along the forest boundary, and soon the night sky was again vivid with fire, but this time it was burning away from us. As daylight came the fire near us was pretty well controlled and we had a pretty good fire break just in case it decided to turn back.

Hot Shot crews maintained the fire break most of the day, and by evening we felt that the threat was past for us. They continued to work for another few days, with crews and planes concentrating on areas high on the mountain.

Cooler weather helped and by the following Sunday the fire was declared 100% contained and the crews began to move out. As we looked at the smoldering heap the used to be Pine Valley Mountain, our hearts are sick for the loss.

In the final assessment the fire burned an estimated 12,607 acres and cost $6.2 million to put out. At the high point there were 765 personnel including seven Hotshot crews, 11 type two crews, 10 helicopters, 2 fixed wing aircraft, 35 engines, 2 dozers, and 8 water tenders. The support staff and logistics and organization of such an operation are staggering, and it was amazing to see how quickly they assembled this team.

I think most everyone in the valley is grateful for the efforts made. It could have been much worse. Several structures and three homes were lost, one being a million dollar second home, one being an abandoned double wide and a third being an apartment type structure over a barn. Several other homes and structures were damaged, but luckily saved. Mistakes were made that could have possibly averted this tragedy, and yet I think everyone knew Pine Valley Mountain was over due for a fire. I think that most felt that since the Blue Springs Fire a few years ago had come so close, we were immune for a while, but not so.

Now it is time for healing. It will take years for the mountain to recover, perhaps even decades, but it will recover. Many of us will not be alive to see it fully happen, but we will be able to watch as life returns, the ash fades and green takes over again.

The Subway Hike

2009-10-16T21:12:00.012-06:00

The Subway Hike

I have wanted to do hike the Subway in Zion National Park for quite some time and finally got the chance. Jim Sorenson, my dentist and fellow geocacher, invited me to go with a group he organized which consisted of himself, his wife Valynn, a 16 year old exchange student from Italy named Ellie, a cousin, the cousin's friend and the friends father. If I had done this right after the hike I might have been able to remember the names, but over a month later, no way.

We met at the Kolob visitor's center on September 3 where we picked up permits, then headed on down the road to Virgin where we took the Kolob Terrace road. We dropped one vehicle about eight miles up the road at the Left Fork Trailhead where we would end the hike, then continued on about another eight miles to Wildcat Trailhead to begin the hike.

There isn't a maintained trail, so you just have to kind of head in a southeasterly direction and follow the rock cairns. You go over a ridge, then drop down over a lot of white and red sandstone, continuing in a southerly direction until you reach the canyon.

Here you drop down about 150 feet into a slot canyon. At this time of year there was only a few pools of stagnant water at this point, but as you continue down the canyon water springs up and comes in from side canyons and becomes a pretty good stream. Before long you come to pools of water where you have to swim. It is good to have a dry bag for protecting valuables. A wetsuit might be nice if the water is really cold; you will be soaked for over an hour.

There are at least four places where you have to use a rope to get down over the rocks, and at at least one of them you end up in waist deep water .

At one of the deep holes I about drowned my $2000 camera. It didn't look that deep, and wasn't that far across so I just held my camera over my head. When I got into the hole I discovered that I couldn't touch bottom, so I was treading water with one hand and holding the camera with the other. When I got across Ellie was blocking my way out. the rocks were too slick to get a foothold and I was having a real hard time staying above water. Finally I decided I had to grab onto Ellie or get my camera wet. When she could move ahead she helped me out and we saved the camera and most of my dignity.

The photos below show how the canyon got it's name. The water has eroded the canyon walls in a circular fashion to make it look like a tunnel.

Below is one of the places where you need a rope to get down. At least most people do. One of the guys slid down the rock as far as he could, then jumped into the pool below. Not a recommended method as it would be quite a job to get someone out of there with a broken leg.

After this point the canyon widens out and there are no more rappels or forced swims. there were thunderheads gathering above us and we were glad we made it this far before the weather got any worse. On down the canyon a couple of miles is the trail out. You hike up the steep rocky slope shown below and come out of the canyon near the Left Fork Trailhead where we left a vehicle.

The route we took is about 9.5 miles and took us close to eight hours. A less challenging hike would be to hike in from the lower trailhead and then back out the same way. If you hike as far as you can without ropes, you will get to see a lot of the canyon and not get very wet.

The New Meadow Pipeline

2009-10-13T08:27:00.022-06:00

The New Meadow Pipeline

The meadow ditch has always been in my nightmares! When I was growing up on the farm I hated cleaning the ditch more than just about anything. Unless it was milking the cows or hauling hay. The meadow ditch was always swampy, and the grass would grow in thick and tough. When you tried to clean it, you would just think you had a shovel full, and some roots would catch and pull your load off the shovel and back into the ditch where it would splash muddy water all over you. After a while of struggling with that you would look like you had been mud wrestling, and smell even worse.

Over the years Dad placed some pipe in the ditch to help transport the water, but he lacked the necessary resources to do a good job. Where he needed an outlet, he would leave a gap in the pipe, and that was where the cows would always choose to tromp and plug things up. There wasn't enough fall in the line to keep the water moving very fast anyway, and these "tromp points" introduced a lot of mud and silt into the pipe until it was nearly plugged in many places until you could hardly get any water at the downstream end.

Earlier this year I convinced my neighbor, Garth Frehner, that if we could replace the pipe, we would get plenty of water for both of us from Redd Creek through the meadow. He did some investigation and decided I was right. He purchased the materials and provided most of the equipment and labor. My meager assistance amounted to back-filling with my skid steer and connecting the valves.

The photos below show the work progressing. We waited until what we thought would be the driest time of the year, knowing that the meadow was quite swampy even then. We had trouble with water filling the trench and the trench caving in, and getting equipment stuck, but all in all we got the job done.

The photo below shows the completed project, with one of the valves cracked enough to let some water out for the livestock.

A new head gate was also installed in Redd Creek to provide a diversion point for the water. It was designed to collect water while keeping out trash and limbs. It will also collect sediment and silt (and ash) and keep them out of the pipeline.

In addition to providing a way to get the water across what has been a very wet and troublesome bog, It will provide me with a way to fill a pond I have been planning to build. That will be the subject of another blog when I get it finished.

The Silver Beaver

2009-10-13T08:05:00.010-06:00

The Silver Beaver

The Silver Beaver Award is the highest award given in Scouting. It is awarded to those who have given extraordinary service to youth through the scouting program over a period of many years. In order to achieve this award you have to be nominated by someone in local leadership, then have your service record reviewed, then your nomination approved by the Council. It is not something you can apply for or actually work toward.

I know a few people who have recieved The Silver Beaver, but I never considered that I would be one of them. I have worked in the youth of the church most of my adult life. I have been ward Young Men's President three times, Scoutmaster two times and have probably been a merit badge counselor forever. In the councils and districts where I gave the majority of this service, recognition for adults seemed quite rare.

Three years ago when I returned to Southern Utah, my bishop submitted my name when the district asked for cantidates for the Second Miler Award, a district recognition. Joyce messer, who does all the work for the district awards interviewed me and told me I should have been, and would be recognized for my many years of service. That year I recieved the Second Miler Award, the next year I recieved the District Award of Merit, and this year I recieved the Silver Beaver Award.

The award ceremony was at the Provo Tabernacle on September 12, 2009. Ninety-six people from the Cedar Breaks Council recieved this recognition. Many of these people have worked much harder and put in more time than I have, some perhaps less, and I am sure there are many scouters out there who deserve this recognition more than I. Nonetheless, I am extreemly honored to have the award and will wear it with pride.

Governor Gary Herbert spoke at the ceremony, after which each cantidate walked to the podium with their escort (Elma Lynne) and the award was presented while a short bio was read. After exiting the stand, a photo was taken with the district scout executive.

All our kids from the area and their spouses came to the ceremony, which was an honor for me as well. After the ceremony we took the group to lunch at Olive Garden where we had a good visit before returning home.

Fishing Canada

2009-10-13T07:30:00.004-06:00

Several years ago I got involved with a bunch of fishing crazies and was invited to go fishing with them in Canada. I enjoyed the trip so much that I got a little crazy myself and this year made my fourth trip with the gang to the same area. It worked out so that my three sons and son-in-law could all go, so I decided it was time to give them fishing lessons. I found excellent air fare, and after a mad rush to secure passports and fishing gear we were all ready.

Feeding the Mosquitoes while waiting at the dock

The area is Lake Of The Woods, Ontario, which is a huge lake that extends from northern Minnesota into Canada, covering almost a million acres. It has 65,000 miles of shoreline and over 14,000 islands. We fish out of Ash Rapids Fishing Camp, which is on a peninsula about 20 miles southwest of Kenora, Ontario, and only accessible by boat or a really long hike.

Ash Rapids Lodge

We Took the early morning flight to Fargo, North Dakota, via Minneapolis, and drove from there north to Winnipeg, then east for a couple more hours. We were supposed to be picked up on the dock and transported to the lodge, but they forgot to tell me they had changed docks so we provided sport for the mosquitoes while we waited for them to find us. It was almost dark when we finally got there, but they waited dinner and we enjoyed Ribs and Walleye, an excellent meal. Our cabin slept six, so Dan Olsen hooked up with us. He is one of the regulars that I fished with on my 2007 trip. His snoring made Kenny sound like a kitten purring.

Kenny's big One!

First morning out was clear and sunny with just a light breeze. Kenny, Darin and I were in one boat and Joel and Clay were in the other. We drift fished the east end of Copper Island for Walleye the first couple of hours, I caught six and the boys caught about that many combined. I guess you can call it experience but I'm just a darn good fisherman. Had to show the boys how to do it. Later we started skirting the island, casting for Northerns and Small mouth and did pretty well. We stopped for lunch and Kenny went for a swim. He said he slipped on the rocks, but I think he just wanted to see how the water was. He forgot to take his cell phone and camera out of his pocket. The phone dried out and was okay, but the camera drowned and could not be resuscitated..

Joel's first Northern Pike

We spent most of the day fishing for Northerns in a few different spots, then went back to where we started and fished for Walleye again in the evening. We had better luck and I think everyone caught some. We were back at camp by 7:00 pm and had a fine dinner of Walleye and roast beef.

Daddy caught the biggest Walleye

Second day it was a little more windy so we decided to go to a place called Nebraska Avenue (don't ask me why) where the islands are plentiful and provide a wind break. We were casting for Northerns and low and behold I caught the first fish again! Darn but I am good! We hadn't been fishing long when I told Joel and Darin to reel in and we would go over where Clay and Kenny were fishing. Darin replied that he couldn't reel in because he had something. It turned out to be a 40 inch, 14.5 pound Musky.

Darin and his “Hog”

Muskies are a first cousin to Northern Pike, but they are a lot more elusive and not nearly as aggressive. They are what everyone at camp talks about catching, but hardly anyone does. As it turned out, this was the only one caught out of our camp on this visit. Darin did us all proud. We fished that area most of the morning, catching more pike and bass and having lunch. We found one area where there was Walleye, but they were pretty small and the wind was blowing us around so we decided to go elsewhere.

Notice Joel is wearing the glove on the hand next to the poop vent, not the teeth.
Is there such a thing as poop-phobia?

We hit the east side of Copper and I caught a 27 inch walleye on the first drift, a 24 incher in the second and a large Northern on the third. No one else was catching anything so we decided to move on. We made a little trip up the rapids, which aren't very rapid, and fished some new area. We found one unnamed lake that we had all to ourselves and the Northerns started hitting just as it was time to go back to camp. Reluctantly returning we had dinner of Walleye and Southern Fried Chicken. Southern Canada is different from Southern USA, and so it the chicken, but it was good. After dinner Jared taught us how to play a card game called "Wits", but he got mad because we beat him at his own game.

We thought this was Billy Big Mouth, but it turned out to be a smallmouth.

Third day it was cold and rainy, and we decided not to fish for Walleye, but to try to find some area out of the wind to fish for Northerns. We went up the rapids quite a ways and found some secluded channels that were quite calm. It didn't rain much and occasionally we would see blue sky, but it stayed chilly most of the day. Everyone caught fish, but it was fairly slow at first, picking up around noon, then slowing down again in the afternoon. Joel was doing pretty well, catching quite a few Northerns, until he cast his lure in front of our boat and the prop cut his line. He accused me of speeding up and cutting it on purpose, but I wouldn't do that just because he was out fishing me. Anyhow, his luck changed and he didn't catch another fish until I got tired of listening to him whine and gave him another lure just like the one he had lost.

Daddy also caught the biggest pike! (At least they let me think so.)

Mid afternoon we got hit by a real downpour. Luckily we had our rain gear. We found a place to go ashore and explored the woods for a while until the rain stopped. Back on the lake we watched some curious otters playing peek-a-boo with us. We also saw a couple of really large turtles as well as a few smaller ones. I think they are snapping turtles.

We stayed out fishing as long as we could because it was our last chance. It was getting dark and stormy again when we made camp. We had dinner of Walleye and spaghetti and meat balls. We got things pretty well packed up before going to bed so we could be ready to leave right after breakfast.

The fishing crew, ready to head home

I think Clay caught some fish, but I don't have any evidence of it since he won't sent me his photos. Maybe when life is less hectic he will do a blog and give us the proof.

After eating, saying our good-byes and a photo session, we loaded the boats and headed back to the dock. The drive back to Fargo was uneventful. We didn't even have to get out of the car at customs, but just passed right through. We made good time and were a couple of hours early for our flight so we went to TGI Friday's for lunch. the flight home was also uneventful. It was a direct flight and we were back in Salt Lake by 7:30 pm. Joel and I could neither one find our car in the parking lot, but finally did after a diligent search. Clay caught the shuttle buss to Rexburg, Joel headed home to Willard and Darin, Kenny and I went to Kenny's place in Lehi. Darin's car was there and he headed home. I stayed the night and left early the next morning, arriving in New Harmony around 9:00 am.

Time to blog again?

2009-10-04T08:43:00.004-06:00

I have been out of the blog loop for quite a while and think it is time to get back in. A lot has happened over the past 6 months or so that I would like to get written down for my own sake, as well as to share with those who might be interested. Below is a list of things I want to record, and I think I will start with the most current and work my way back. As I do I may find other things that I want to write about, so the list isn't necessarily inclusive. If things happen in the meantime that are worth blogging about I will probably insert them while they are fresh on my mind, so things will probably get a little jumbled up, but then who cares? I promise not to editorialize or make fun of other people's blogs unless I create a new blog that is completely anonymous...

The fishing trip to Canada (9/24-28/09)

The Silver Beaver (9/12/09)

The new meadow ditch pipeline (9-09)

The Subway hike (9/3/09)

The Mill Flat fire ( 8/28-30/09)

Dad's broken hip (8/2/09)

The Kanarra Falls hike (7/11/09)

My Rose Garden (7/09)

The Spring Creek Hike (6/8/09)

Woodbadge (6/22-27/09)

The Kolob Arch Hike (5/13/09)

The Grand Canyon Hike (5/29/09)

I know the list is quite ambitious, and I may never get it done, but at least I have a goal.

More About Snow Flowers

2009-03-16T09:11:00.003-06:00

I have done some research and am ready to report. The real name of the beautiful little flowers that grow in the foothills to the south is actually "Violet Buttercup". Their scientific name is Raniculus Andersoni (genus & species). The particular variety we have here in Southern Utah is a sub-species called Juniperinus. Evidently they grow in various places throughout the west, though I suppose the conditions have to be just right. I found photos of them from Nevada and a couple of other places in Utah.

I guess we will never know who named then Snow Flowers, and I don't think anyone around here will be calling them Violet Buttercups. Personally I like the name Snow Flower, it just fits better.

Snow Flowers 2009

2009-03-04T17:45:00.006-07:00

The Snow Flowers are in bloom. I took a hike to Lawson Hill today and found that they are plentiful and awesomely beautiful as always. More snow means more Snow Flowers, there should be an abundance this year.

Why I Love New Harmony (1)

2009-02-15T21:21:00.005-07:00

Why do I love living in New Harmony? There are a lot of reason, and that is why I put a number behind the title in this blog. I may end up listing a lot of them.

We have had a snowy winter. If someone is keeping track, it would be interesting to know just how many total inches we have had this winter. I'll bet it is getting close to 100. Nice thing is, there is probably less than 12 inches on the ground right now. Before this last week, the ground was bare. I was washing our cars on the driveway in my shirt sleeves.

As big a pain as it is, I love the snow. Looking out my window this week and watching the mountain change every few minutes was awesome. The trees on top look like something out of a Christmas tree flock shop. I would love to transport myself up there for just an hour to be able to walk through that frosty wonderland. I'm sure I would need snow shoes. The 100 inches, give or take, we have received down here is probably double that in places up there.

As I watch out the back window, camera in hand, the clouds drift across the mountain, forming a kaleidoscope of shadows and light as the sun peeks through. Sometimes the snow falls soft as freckles, or sometimes angry, as the wind whips a horizontal fury.

The snow builds and drifts, and sooner or later I have to shovel. I kind of ruined my driveway in Kamas using a backhoe to clean snow, so I avoid machinery on this one. Since I don't have a snow blower, I have to shovel. I find the thought is usually worse than the reality. I would much rather spend an hour shoveling snow than 30 minutes on a treadmill. When you are done you can actually see you have accomplished something besides burning 389 calories.

Okay, if you are looking for the reasons I love New Harmony, you have probably already chocked up a few, but I have yet to make my point. Those are all good reasons, but the one that inspired this post is that we live only 35 miles from Saint George. Last week some friends from up north called and asked if I wanted to go golfing. I replied in the affirmative and met them at Sun River Golf Course on Friday. Can you believe that in 30 minutes you can leave this winter wonderland and be golfing? It was a fun day, and definitely a reason to love it here. No matter how much snow we get, or how cold and long our winter is, Saint George is just 30 minutes down the road.

Golfing at Sun River, 2/13/09.

Notice the snow on Pine Valley Mountain in the background.

The foursome, (L to R) myself, Jackson Kaiserman, Jim Kaiserman, John Mann

After golfing I stopped in town and ran a few errands. The traffic was backed up about a quarter mile on the freeway trying to get off at the Bluff Street exit. Then I had to circle the block twice to find a parking space, and wait in line at the check-out. Later as I headed on up the freeway, I was even more glad we live at least 35 miles from Saint George.

It's Still Winter

2009-02-10T18:32:00.004-07:00

We got another foot of snow yesterday. It seems like February wants to tell us that it is still winter. When it got light this morning it didn't look like very much, but it was still snowing and blowing and I didn't want to go outside. I worked in my den most of the morning and didn't realize it was still coming down until I looked out around 2:00pm and decided I better shovel some snow. Some places were deeper than others, but on my air conditioner units behind the house where it is kind of sheltered from the wind there was easily 12 inches. By the time I got the driveway shoveled it seemed like forty. It was wet and heavy.

I got on the skid steer and ploughed out the lane. It was hard because the ground is soft underneath and I kept taking gravel along with the snow. On the north side of the house is is really soggy. I would have been better off just to stay away from there but we have kids coming this weekend and they need their parking place cleaned. I hope it will dry out a little before they come.

It warmed up today and by this afternoon a lot has melted. I went out and took some photos. Every time I look at the Kolobs I want to take a picture. It seems like they change from moment to moment.

Four Wheeling, Whitney Pockets to Grand Wash

2009-02-04T09:04:00.009-07:00

Tuesday, 1-3-09, we loaded up the four wheeler and went on an adventure. It seems good to have gas prices at a place where you don't spend your entire month's budget on one fill-up.

The Sierra loaded and ready to roll.

We met Claudine and John at the Texaco around 10:00am and headed south to Mesquite, then further south on Gold Mesa Road. You follow the Virgin River for several miles, then cut out into the desert. You pass a virtual oasis with palm trees and everything called Juanita Springs, then come over a hill for a distant view of Lake Mead.

Here you can see Lake Mead if you look closely

Unloading at Whitney Pockets

After some 20 miles the sort of asphalt road ends and from there it is dirt. We stopped here at a place called Whitney Pockets to unload and begin the adventure in earnest.

One of the few signs telling you to go.

We unloaded and decided to check out this place nearby where the CCC workers built a small dam back in the 1930's. They dammed off one of the cracks in the rocks and piped the water it would collect out to a watering trough for livestock. There must have been more water then though because it was bone dry and looked like it had been quite a while since it had water in it.

This has become known as Whitney Pockets Dam. We called it "Little Hoover".

We spent quite a bit of time exploring the nearby rock formations and looking for a geocache that was hidden a little too good. There is one rock that looks like it must have been tipped over. Normally the red and white layers are separated horizontally, but on this one they were serrated almost vertically. Locally they call it two-toned rock.

Two-Toned Rock

Notice the strange way this rock has eroded to form the pattern on its face.

I called this "Jonah's Demise"

I thought this is probably like looking into a whale's throat. I got a little taste of what Jonah must have felt as he passed through an entrance like this.

Lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe

After exploring for a while we had enhanced our appetite and finally had lunch. By then it tasted really good. Chicken salad spread on a soft roll enhanced with tomato and lemon pepper rings and Sunny D. Yummy!

After lunch we explored another rock feature that had a hole in it about the size of a good sized rabbit hole. I was sure if I could just get in far enough I would find Alice.

What can I say? I am naturally curious.

And I almost made it!

Later we drove east over a ridge or two into another valley which seemed to go forever. We found another route to Saint George, but decided not to take it on this trip.

So many choices...

We passed an itty-bitty cemetery where two people were buried, one in 1997 and one in 2000. We decided it would probably be a lot cheaper than the New Harmony Cemetery, especially for us "outsiders".

An "alternative" cemetery

It was here I found a cactus that I felt kinship with. I have been reading a little about eastern religions and reincarnation. I think this might be one of my relatives. John said its belly looked exactly like mine, and Ellie said that sometimes I am about that prickly too.

Kindred spirits?

We went from desert scrub to forests of pinion and Joshua. The desert is just starting to show a little green. I think in a month the spring flowers will be in bloom and it will be quite gorgeous for a few weeks.

The Joshua Forest

At the return point a sign said we were only seven miles form Grand Wash Bay. We wanted to see Lake Mead since we were so close, so we decided by majority vote (John & I) to take that little side trip. It was disappointing because we went as far as we could and were still at least a mile from the water. It the lake was full it would have been 20 feet deep there, but unfortunately the lake is really low. We returned the seven miles and realized we only had about an hour of daylight left and the trucks were still 25 miles away.

On the way back we explored a place called 'The Devil's Throat". It is a huge sink hole right out in the middle of the desert. It is probably about 80 feet in diameter and perhaps 100 feet deep. It would be quite a rude interruption if you happened to be walking through the area on a dark night.

We arrived back at the trucks just as it was getting dark. Though we had put on a lot of miles, we still hadn't seen all we wanted to. There are a lot of Indian petroglyphs in the area that we didn't get to explore so we want to go back again for another adventure.

We stopped in Mesquite and ate at the Eureka Casino buffet until we were stuffed. We had heard that it was great food but decided it was probably a little over-rated. They did have a pasta bar where they would custom make your dish. I had Fettuccini Alfredo with mushrooms, red peppers and shrimp. It was really good. So were the egg rolls and fillet Mignon. The lemon catfish was pretty good too, and the crab cakes. I almost didn't have room for the bread pudding in vanilla sauce and blueberry cobbler for desert!

We arrived home around 10:45pm. We entered the house very carefully and listened for the sound of running water. Last time we went on an adventure like this we came home to a flooded basement. This time I was sawing logs by 11:00. It was a very enjoyable day.

The Dance Club

2009-01-24T18:09:00.012-07:00

It isn't really a club, its just a few folks getting together to learn and dance. Surprisingly, there are quite a few folks in this valley who really like to dance. I had thought that 'real' dancing was becoming a lost art, but perhaps not.
The VanWagners moved into the valley and offered to teach dance to anyone that wanted ot learn. Just after Christmas they had eleven couples jammed in their basement for the first session and quickly decided to move to the church. Now we are meeting every Saturday at 4:00pm. We are not only learning to dance, but we are also learning a special waltz routine for the floor show at the New Harmony Sweetheart's Ball on February 13th.

Today, January 24th, besides working on the waltz routine they taught us the basic steps of the Cha Cha. They want to also teach the Rhumba, the Two-Step and the Polka before the Ball.

Valentines is kind of special to Ellie and I. We had our first date to the Cedar High Sweetheart's Ball on February 12th, 1965. We attended the same Junior High and High School but never really knew each other until we were seniors. That year we had two classes together, and by virtue of alphabetical seating we sat by each other. The Sweetheart's Ball was girl's choice, and she just couldn't resist my charm and asked me. We were married fours years and four months later.

This is a photo of one of our first dates in 1965

Another New Years Resolution- Do More Geocaching

2009-01-21T17:09:00.010-07:00

Geocaching is an international sport-game of treasure hunting using satellite global positioning technology. It is based on the groundspeak website : http://www.geocaching.com/. People hide small treasure containers called geocaches and record the GPS coordinates, then post them on the Internet site. Other folks then try to find the hidden treasures after finding their coordinates on the Internet. Anyone can play but you need a GPS to do it. Geocaches vary in size from micro to large. The only requirement for a normal cache is that it have a log book. When someone finds it they sign the log, then also log the find on the Internet site. Micro caches can be as small as a 1" tube about 1/4 inch in diameter, or as large as an orange crate. Obviously small caches may only contain a log. Larger ones may be chock full of basically worthless items. Rule is that if you want to take a 'treasure', you must replace it with something of equal or lesser value.

I have been geocaching for almost two years now. I have hidden 29 caches and have found around 160. I enjoy doing it because it gives you a reason to get out of the house and explore. Geocaches are hidden everywhere you can imagine from city center to mountain top. Some are quite challenging, some are very easy. The listing on the Internet site gives you the coordinates, a short description of the cache, the size, the relative difficulty and a map showing the approximate location.

Part of the game is to see how many caches you can find, or if you are also hiding them, it is fun to see what clever and unusual places you can put them. It is also fun to come up with ingenious ways to disguise them and catchy names to describe them. There is also some prestige in being the first to find (FTF) any particular cache.

I went out this morning and in just a few hours found eight caches, five of which I was the FTF! Below are some photos of my adventure.

The colorful sunrise as I was heading out this morning.

The bird whirly gig was the first cache of the day. Log is in the container attached to the tail.

This is near a cache aappropriately named "Speed Bump" .

The red, heart shaped souvenir box hidden here is a cache called "Elvis Coral"

Some old sheep loading corals not too far away I never knew existed before today.

This cache is about 100 yards inside the tunnel. Flashlight required!

Another cache near by required a little scrambling up this rocky hillside.

You can view my geocaching profile by clicking on this link:

Death Of The Snow Cave

2009-01-16T17:44:00.006-07:00

Just like Frosty the Snowman, most things made of snow have a fairly short life. The snow cave we made when the grand kids were here for Christmas is pretty much history. I am quite surprised that it lasted this long, but the cold nights have prevented things from melting too fast.

The kids really didn't get to spend very much time playing in the cave, mainly because Joel was having too much fun making it. By the time we got the living room, kitchen, master bedroom and bath finished it was getting too cold to play outside. We didn't get the heating system and furnace installed until the next day. Hopefully we will have another big snow storm that coincides with a visit from the grand kids before they are too old to enjoy it.

A New Years Resolution: Do More Trap Shooting

2009-01-09T13:26:00.012-07:00

We had a little get together with the Sandberg family on New Years Day. Mostly we ate and visited. My brother-in-law Dorian mentioned that they were going to go shoot some clay pigeons the next day and invited me along. I know another brother-in-law, John, likes to shoot so I called and invited him. He invited his son (my nephew) Shon so we ended up with a pretty good group.

We went down to the Cedar Shooting Club range east of the airport. It was kind of cold and windy but we considered that a minor annoyance. It was way too cold to work outside, but not too cold to play. In addition to John, Shon and myself, Dorian brought his wife Joyce, their daughter Kari and her husband Dusty, their son Trevor and his wife Jill, and another son Tyler and his wife Hailey.

I spent quite a bit of time messing with my thrower but couldn't keep it from breaking the clays. It insisted on throwing them out there in pieces too small to shoot at. We ended up using hand throwers and that worked out fine. We practiced for a while, then played 'Annie Oakley'. We had enough guns for six shooters at a time. With this game the first person in the line calls for the throw and gets the first shot. If he misses, the next person in line shoots. If this person hits the bird it puts out the one that missed. If the second shooter misses the third has the chance to put the first two out, and so on. The first chance to shoot rotates through the line until there is only one shooter left and he, or she as was the case several times, is the winner.

Photos are courtesy of John Spevak

John and Shon eagerly awaiting for their chance to put me out

We played several rounds and I got put out early every time. It was a big blow to my ego to have Kari (who up until then was my favorite niece) put me out. AT first I couldn't hit a thing, but after a while I got a little better and stayed in longer and finally won a round. After everyone else left John, Shon and I continued to shoot until our arms were sore. I think I shot close to 200 rounds and I finally felt like I was doing better.

Looks like shooting more bull than clay pigeons

All in all, we had a lot of fun, and resolved that we need to do it more often.

Searching for the Elephant

2009-01-09T12:30:00.009-07:00

A photo of Elephant Arch I stole off the Internet

Yesterday a neighbor, Richard Jensen, and I went down to Dixie to do some hiking and maybe soak up a little heat. The plan was to hike to a place in the Red Cliffs Desert Preserve called Elephant Arch. This is a rock formation that resembles an elephant's trunk, including part of the head and eyes. Everything went beautifully except we hiked in the wrong place.

Richard soaking up a little Dixie sunshine

I was going to give Richard a demonstration of how a GPS works. As it turned out I don't think he was really impressed. I used my Mapsource software to program a waypoint in the GPS for the spot I thought was Elephant Arch. It wasn't identified on the map, so I sort of overlayed a map I got off the Internet on the USGS map and came up with a spot I thought would be fairly close.

Somewhere north of Washington

We started hiking out north of the town of Washington where the locked gate to the Preserve keeps you from driving further. Every description we read on the hike said we would find a locked gate and we would have to walk about a mile and a half on a dirt road before entering the wash the trail follows. What we didn't know at the time was that there is a gate just as you leave the asphalt road in Washington, that is sometimes locked, but wasn't locked yesterday, so we drove to the next locked gate about a mile and a half up the dirt road.

The numerous red rock formations make any hike in the area worthwhile

We parked there and walked our mile and a half, give or take, passing right by the wash we were supposed to follow, and followed another for several miles into the heart of a red rock jungle. The GPS was telling us we needed to be nearly a mile further east, but true to our male instincts we ignored it, still thinking we would find the trail heading that direction. After deciding we had gone too far north we explored each side gully and finally found something that looked like what we were hunting. We did quite a bit of rock scrambling only to find it wasn't.

The formation in the center sort of looks like an elephant's trunk don't you think? Please say yes.

We needed to be home by mid-afternoon, so we finally headed back. On the way we noted "Bone Wash" just a few hundred yards from the vehicle, and upon looking at the map at the Preserve boundary discovered that was the wash we should have followed. We made it way too hard.

Vernile looking for an elephant lost somewhere in the red rocks.

If we had just sauntered up that wash and right to the arch it wouldn't have made much of a story. At least now we have an excuse to return and find the real Elephant Arch. We plan to do that soon, along with some more hikes in the area. I have identified several in Snow Canyon State Park that look quite interesting while not too challenging. Anyone want to go?

Christmas 2008

2008-12-29T09:34:00.007-07:00

Christmas 2008 is now history, but like Christmas' past it was full of a lot of joy and the memories need to be preserved. Unfortunately, a lot of the time around the holiday was spent moving 50 plus inches of snow, but that too is an event that may not happen again in my lifetime.

One event to remember was going to Michael McClean's production of "The Forgotten Carols" on December 18th. We went to Saint George and had dinner at the Cracker Barrel with Terry and Vicki Atkinson and another couple and then to the "Carols" at the Cox Arena. I have learned to love many of his songs, and the story that he has written to go along with it is interesting and fun. I would recommend it as a Christmas tradition if possible.

Jillyn, Kenny and girls arrived at our house on Sunday evening the 21st and stayed through the 28th. Kenny and I had some hope of getting in a round of golf, but that was not to be. Many thanks to Kenny and Jillyn for shoveling my driveway a couple of times while I was cleaning the road to the bridge, plowing out Dad and Donna and helping some of the neighbors. We did have a couple of warm days in between storms so the snow settled quite a bit and now has a fairly hard crust beneath the six or so inches that came later.

We had a birthday dinner for Dad on his 84th, which was Monday. Annette and Ed brought steaks which Ed braved the cold to barbecue on the grill outside. Claudine brought home made rolls and a salad. We provided drink and dessert. Brent was having truck problems and couldn't make it. We had a good time eating and visiting. Later we went to Saint George to a Sandberg family party. It was raining the entire time we were there but it didn't dampen the spirit. Some of the kids and grand kids performed Christmas songs and Aunt Grace (Rex's wife) recited a story that was an incredible feat of memorization for someone near 80.

Dad's 84th Birthday

Ellie and I drove her dad back to Cedar and stayed over night with him. He is suffering from an enlarged prostate and was having a biopsy on Tuesday. I went home Tuesday morning and Ellie stayed with him to take him to have the procedure and came home later. I shoveled out James' driveway then while I running some errands got a call the Dad was missing. It was assumed he was out stuck somewhere in his Ranger. When I finally got home to look for him I noticed the garage door was not open and there were no tracks leaving in the new snow. I back-tracked and found him laying in the snow just outside the chicken coop. He had slipped and couldn't get himself up. I asked if he was freezing and his comment was "It ain't very hot!" When I asked how long he had been laying there his reply was "not too long." When we got him in dry clothes and warmed up we realized he had left the house at around 7:15 and I found him at 11:15, four hours later. I can't believe how tough he is. so far there seems to be no ill effects, and within two hours he was ready to head out again.

Tuesday night Ellie and I sang in the choir for "Christmas in Harmony". I had made only one practice because they were usually held on Tuesday when I have Mutual. The entire group hadn't practiced nearly enough so it wasn't the best performance ever, but the special numbers were good and it got us in the Christmas Spirit.

Colleen dropped James off on Christmas Eve and he spent Christmas and a few days here with us. I think he enjoyed it but was glad to get back to his own home on Saturday.

Christmas Day was fun, especially seeing the girls so excited with their gifts and treats. We had Dad and Donna down for Christmas Dinner and we all enjoyed visiting and eating.

Camille and McKenna enjoying Christmas

Camille in her "Princess" outfit

Joel, Tiffany and their girls arrived Friday afternoon to join in the festivities. All the girls had fun playing with dolls and toys. The adults played games, ate and visited. On Saturday we played in the snow, sleigh riding and just sliding down the huge snow piles. The snow was too dry to make snowmen, but Kenny did make a sculpture(?) and Joel and I dug a snow cave. By the time we got it finished all the kids were either tired or cold and had gone inside. We did get out for a while Sunday morning to enjoy the snow again before church.

The girls enjoying the snow cave

Even the 'adults' enjoyed the cave / Jillyn stuck in the emergency exit

Sledding down the frozen road, we could go nearly to the old bus

Jillyn and Kenny left around noon on Sunday. Joel went to Dixie for some dirt biking with friends. He and Tiffany are going home tomorrow. It has been a great Christmas and we hate to see it come to a close. It will seem kind of lonesome around here when they are all gone and we will be anxiously looking forward to their next visit.

Snow And More Snow

2008-12-20T08:22:00.008-07:00

Me and my big mouth. Never again will I brag about how little snow we have had since we have been in New Harmony. After clearing snow all day Wednesday, I had barely out the equipment away when it started snowing again. Thursday morning we woke up to another 15".

Dad used to have a funny saying that I think is appropriate: "That was the winter it started snowing and never did quit!" I suppose he was quoting someone but I'm not sure who. He came up with another one just the other day. One of his favorite pastimes is reading the obituaries. The conversation was about someone that had recently passed away and someone asked him how old they were and his reply was, "As old as he's going to get." We probably should keep a log of his funny sayings and quotes.
Back to the snow... I have a skid loader and it works quite well for moving snow, except when it is slick. When all four tires get spinning there isn't much you can do except gun the engine and spin 'em faster, hoping that one will grab. I don't like to use it on my concrete driveway because it is too easy to gouge the cement, so all the snow you see piled along it was shoveled! I'm sure I have shoveled at least an acre-foot!
Don't get me wrong. I love this snow. I can hardly wait until the grand kids come for Christmas and we can make snowmen and snow forts and maybe snow caves and snow trails an sleigh runs and maybe have a snowball fight. The beauty is incomparable, and it tends to emphasize the change of season, which I love. And OH! what a change! I just hate shoveling it! And I suppose I should be a little grateful that it it is forcing me to do some exercising this time of year when I mostly exercise my jaws.

Christmas Road Trip - Journal Entry

2008-12-17T19:52:00.008-07:00

We made our annual Christmas Road Trip this past weekend. We try to make a visit to see each of our kids and their families and deliver Christmas presents before the big day. We left home Friday morning (12-12) and headed north. Though there was storm forecast, the roads were dry all the way and we didn't encounter any bad weather. We arrived at Jillyn's house in Lehi around 1:00 pm and visited for a couple of hours. Jillyn and family are coming to our house for Christmas so we will be seeing them again in about a week. Kenny dropped in from work so we also got to see him for a few minutes.

We arrived at Joel's house about 4:00 pm just as it started to snow. Tiffany cooked some great Chinese food for supper and after the girls were in bed we watched a Batman movie, "Dark Knight".

We arrived at Clay's home in Rexburg, Idaho just after noon on Saturday. Clay was working so we played with the grand kids and visited and read most of the afternoon. After Clay got home he took us down to his office for a tour of the newly remodeled facility. It is fabulous. We also met Dr. Zollinger and his wife Mary, both seem like really nice people.

Ayla playing with her dinosaurs

Lori cooked chicken tacos for dinner, along with a really good spinach salad and honey bun cake for dessert. After the kids went to bed we played Scrabble. Clay won with Lori close behind.

We had a lazy Sunday morning before going to church at 11:00. Clay made crepes for breakfast, they were excellent with Lori's apple pie filling or buttered with cinnamon and powdered sugar. It was bitter cold and the wind was blowing which made it even worse. It must have snowed three of four inches during the night but it is hard to tell because of the wind. Their new church is already too crowded. It is a big ward with lots of young families. We played Scrabble again after the kids went to bed. I started out with a seven letter word "tougher", using only one blank. The 78 points I got from that blew out the competition and I won by about 50.

Nathan and Grandma having a piano lesson

Monday morning we had breakfast with the family and shortly after Clay went to work and the kids to school we hit the road. We made a little detour through Inkom to look at the area where a large development is planned. I am doing a little consulting for a company the may be putting in the telecommunications.

We arrived in Kamas about 2:30 pm. We stopped and had a short visit with Tony and Mona Powell, then went on to Darin's. The kids weren't home from school yet so I dropped Ellie and I went over to All West and paid a visit to the folks there. Lynne's father passed away this past weekend so she wasn't there, but I think I saw about everyone else. I got back to Darin's around 5:00pm. Suzanne made Spicy Chicken Chili for dinner and we enjoyed family home evening, visiting and playing with the grand kids.

Tuesday morning we had waffles for breakfast, then everyone was off to work and school except Paxtin. When we were ready to leave we took him to Diane (Goates) Bayles' for daycare. We stopped and visited with Larae DiStefano before leaving the valley . It snowed a few inches in the night and was still snowing when we left. The roads were snow packed through Heber, then slushy into Provo but clear after that until we got to Cedar. We made a couple of stops in Provo, had some lunch at Subway after finding they have closed Fazolis, then headed south.

If this blog seems to be mostly about food, it is probably because it seems like about all we did was sleep, eat and drive. When we got home about 5:00pm we found our road blocked by two feet of new snow. I put on my boots and hiked in and brought out the truck, pushing snow with the bumper all the way. We left the car at Frehner's and loaded what we needed in the truck and drove to the house.

Snow Day

2008-12-17T18:08:00.008-07:00

I guess I got just what I deserve. Last Monday we were in Kamas to spend some pre-Christmas time with Darin and family. I stopped by at All West and said hello to some of my former co-workers and I was a little too smug as I bragged about not having to shovel my driveway at all last winter. When we got home Tuesday night there was 24" of that cold white stuff blocking the road. I made it to the bridge but that was all.

Luckily I carry some cold weather gear in a duffel bag when we travel in the winter, so I put on the boots and coat and started hiking. It only took about 200 yards to find out I am in really poor shape. My boots were only 12" high, so I was getting the top 12" of snow down them and so I tried to hurry, but I was puffing like a steam locomotive. Trudging onward I finally made it to the house and changed into some real cold weather gear (my ice fishing clothes) then went out and started the skidster but soon had it stuck. I went and got the truck out of the garage and was afraid I was going to get it stuck too, but what a machine! There was snow above the front bumper, but it pushed through and I made it back to the bridge. We left the car at the neighbor's house and took the truck and made it back to the house. I shoveled for a couple of hours last night and spent most of the day today pushing snow after getting the skidster un-stuck.
It started snowing again about five this evening and at 7:30 there is about two inches of new snow. From the looks of the weather map, which I have inserted below, we could be in for another two feet by tomorrow night! I can hardly wait so I can start shoveling again.

Coat Of Many Colors

2008-12-05T17:09:00.005-07:00

I have had a few people ask me for an update on the shop, so here we go...

In an earlier blog I mentioned that my hired help had all quit. One of them got a toothache and they never came back. That was over two months ago and I still haven't seen them. I really thought they would at least be back to get their boom box. Since they left I have been kind of puttering along. I think I may have learned a new work ethic from those guys. I didn't have a toothache but I caught cold and didn't feel like working one day so I took a couple of weeks off. Then, while horseback riding I was chewing on a hard piece of licorice and a crown fell off. That cost another week. Then Thanksgiving came around and I gave myself that whole week off.

I'm back to work now have the stucco pretty much finished. Accent color around three more windows and the front doors and I'll have it. It looks... how to describe it? Homemade. I guess that's how it looks. I knew starting out that I didn't know how to stucco, but I went ahead and proved it. I went right after it and pretty much made a big mess. But after all, it's just a shop. I thought that by starting on the sides and back I might know what I was doing by the time I got to the front. The front is the only thing most people will see anyhow. On about the second bucket on the front the battery powered drill I was using to mix the color died on me. I thought it was mixed enough so I put it on. Bad decision. It ended up too dark at the start and too light at the end. I decided the best way to fix it was to paint, so I went to Home Depot and picked the best match I could find. After putting on two gallons I decided it wasn't a very good match, so I took a sample and went back to Home Depot and tried again. What you see below is the result.

Don't get your nose out of joint, I'm not finished. The color on the lower part is the final, and I mean FINAL color. It only warms up enough to paint for about an hour per day, so I paint between two and three pm when the temperature nearly makes 50 degrees. That gives it a while to dry before the sun goes down and takes the temperature with it.

I hope to get the painting done Saturday, then perhaps the accent stucco next week. I have garage doors ordered and they should be installed shortly after that I think. Wouldn't that be a lovely Christmas present to myself, to have the outside all finished!

Rock On...

2008-12-05T16:31:00.001-07:00

I know this isn't the rockiest place on earth, but I'll bet it ranks up there pretty high. If anyone is keeping track, I want to nominate 82 E Rachel Lane. I doube there is a record book, after all how would you quantify it. Maybe rocks per square mile? And who is going to count? And how big does a rock have to be to be counted? So many questions, I'll bet even Guiness doesn't have it in his book.

Anyhow, can you believe all the rocks in this pile came from the foreground of this photo? If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I probably wouldn't believe it either. I had quite a pile of rocks here that I dug up while preparing my orchard spot. My neighbor (and others) hauled them all away for landscaping. I thought to finish up I would just dig out a few more that were showing... HA! For every rock that is showing there are about 8,000 more hiding beneath it. I would think these things are just layong around having babies, except that most of them are full grown!

I took this photo just to give you a little more perspective as to the magnitude of the problem here. I hope you're not thinking that I dug these all out with a shovel. Yes, I am retired, but I don't have rocks in my head. I don't think. Maybe I shouldn't think, because if I think about it, maybe I do, for even trying to move these things. And it's all so I can plant a garden and give the local wildlife something else to destroy. Hmmm. Don't even try to look at it logically because there is only one answer. I have rocks in my head.

Auction Day

2008-11-20T16:12:00.005-07:00

This is a story that needs to be told. About this time last year Dad's only cow gave birth to a black bull calf. It is the son of the bull that showed up around here a few years ago and wouldn't go away. I guess he liked the food and the fringe benefits. He even jumped the fence once and bred some of our neighbor's purebred cows. I'm surprised they didn't just run from him since he was obviously from the poor side of town. Anyway, he hung around here until we finally found the owner and shipped him back to Pine Valley.

Well now this little calf I call Bully has grown into a half ton yearling. I suggested to Dad that we should take it to the auction but he said he wanted to keep it to breed his two cows. Last year's heifer calf is now grown up and ready to be a mama. My reply was that it was the son of one of them and the brother of the other, and he would probably end up with three-legged calves. He jokingly said that was better than two-legged ones, but finally came around and decided to sell it.

Last week I got his old trailer fixed up and backed to the corral so we could load for the auction. On Thursday morning we drove all the animals (mama, Bully and sister) into the corral thinking they would be less spooky if we kept them all together. They wouldn't get anywhere near the trailer, even mama cow that was supposed to be the calming influence had fire in her eyes. It didn't take long for us to decide someone was going to get hurt if we kept messing around. Neither of us wanted to be the someone, so we gave up.

After pondering the situation for a spell, I decided to see if I could tame the critter down enough to get him to load the following week (today). I drove the other cows out and kept Bully in the corral by himself and fed him grain and hay every day... in the trailer. I figured when he got hungry enough, he would go in. It worked like a charm. I soon had him going in and out of the trailer at will. His will not mine. He would go in just fine if I kept my distance, but every time I got close to the trailer he would come charging back out into the corral.

As the week progressed he tamed down a lot, but I still had to figure out how to get the trailer tailgate closed while he was inside. I thought about that quite a bit in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep, and came up with a plan which I put in place this morning. I hooked my truck to the trailer, then hooked a chain to the trailer tailgate handle and ran it behind the trailer, through the fence and hooked it to my four-wheeler which was parked along side the truck. I then fed Bully his grain and hay, and by the time I walked around to the four-wheeler he was inside eating. I started the ATV and punched it so it leaped ahead, slamming the tailgate shut on the trailer. Bully really had no chance. When he turned around his exit was closed off. I hurried and put the pin in the tail gate and all was secure. He thought about going over the wall, but decided he was probably overweight to try a stunt like that.

The next problem was getting the old trailer to Cedar and back without getting pulled over or having a breakdown. No lights, no registration. I pumped up all the tires and picked up Dad and we headed out. We took the back road through Kanarraville and Hamilton's Fort, and I consider it no small miracle that we made it there and back without mishap.

We went back at noon for the auction. I was going to take a photo of Bully going through but got distracted by the bidding and he was gone before I got a chance, so I took this photo just to give you a sense of the place. You can't see anyone there but there was actually quite a crowd. Mostly spectators I suppose, and sellers. I would bet there were only three or four serious buyers there.

If you are not used to being around livestock the first thing that will hit you is the aroma. Some would say it smells bad, but it just smells like livestock. Manure. That kind of thing. But what would you expect? Even though there is a restaurant attached, the ambiance isn't like Olive Garden, but it is like a livestock auction. Joe Taylor, the auctioneer, does his best to keep his tongue moving so fast that the uninitiated don't know what is happening. That keeps the rif-raf from bidding and slowing things down. I for one am pretty good at understanding him. So good in fact that I paid $250 for a framed photograph that I didn't want at a fund raiser where he auctioned.

Bully didn't get bid very high, in fact he only went for $.49 per pound which I thought was really low for such a fine looking animal. I'm thinking rib-eye steak at eight or ten dollars per pound. Problem is because he is a bull he will not make prime beef steak, and because his bloodline is so mixed I guess no one would want him for breeding. Seems like a shame to me. I'm not papered and I threw some pretty fine offspring. They ought to at least give him a chance.

His size kept the price down as well. Buyers will pay more per pound for smaller animals. Then they pay over $200 per ton for hay to make them grow bigger. Seems to me they might be better off to buy heavier... but then I'm not a cattle buyer.

Bully weighed in at 1035 lbs. Not bad for just one year old! The net check was around $486 after costs were deducted, which dad says was "better than a kick in the butt". He had guessed his weight at around 700 lbs and was hoping for a price of around $.70, so the net effect was about the same.

After the auction we made a stop at IFA and got some barley for the dying mule. At Tinks we got some weatherstrip adhesive for the Ranger and then at Sizzler we filled up at the salad bar before coming home. All in all, if you have read this entire thing, I think you will have to admit it was an interesting experience.

It's Heck To Get Old

2008-11-16T11:08:00.003-07:00

The Big Old Buck resting on our front lawn

The Bucks are Back

2008-11-11T07:59:00.008-07:00

I guess I would have to say the rut is on. Bucks have been appearing out of nowhere the last few days and it seems that each one we see is bigger than the last. This one was hanging out by the walnut trees yesterday (11-10) when we came home from Cedar.

This is the same buck. It is always good to get a front or rear view to see how wide the spread is. I would judge this one at around 24 to 26 inches, and probably almost that high.I will continue to post more photos as the rut continues. I think it is great that these guys loose their innate fear of man for a few weeks and let us take their photo when their antlers are in their prime and so magnificent. I don't know what possesses someone to want to shoot such an awesome animal. Whatever it is, I feel it every time I see one.

Addendum

More bucks came around Tuesday afternoon. This three point below was the first.

Then several smaller bucks joined in. This two point has retarded horns.

Then this old grandpa below joined the fun. He reminded me of me. He is lame in one rear leg and his horns are all deformed. He will probably be a fatality of the winter. I'm not suggesting that I will, I just mean that he is still a magnificent creature (like me) even though he has a few problems.

This is where he gets real comfortable. Like me, he enjoys an afternoon nap, laying around on lush green grass.

This doe wanted to show off her newly pierced ear. I don't know who she was talking to, but I caught her in mid sentence.

Several fawns came to the party but found it quite boring. Notice the one little feller still has his spots. Hope he is strong enough to make it through the winter.

Passing Through

2008-11-10T08:24:00.011-07:00

We had four of our beautiful granddaughters with us for a while this past week end. Of course their parents were here too, we have to put up with them so the grand kids can come. Jillyn and Kenny and Joel and Tiffany and their families just spent some time in California enjoying Disneyland, Sea World, Wild Animal Park and the beach. They stopped in briefly on their way down and again on their way back. We enjoyed having them even though it was short.

Desiree is growing into a beautiful young lady. She loves to ride the four wheeler with grandpa and especially likes going on Little Mountain and chasing deer. She also likes to go fast; you think that might spell trouble?Chloe is the baby of the bunch, and she is a live wire. She loves to run and play and climb the stairs. She is a cute, happy kid, but when she isn't happy, she lets yo know it!Camille is still as smart as a whip and cute as a button. She talks a mile a minute, and incessantly. It doesn't matter if no one is listening, she talks anyway (typical female?). Life is a ball for her and she gets so excited over almost everything and loves to be tickled. McKenna is a little sweetheart that calls Gampaw and comes running with arms outstretched when she sees me. Can't help but love that.

The Grass Menagerie

2008-11-10T08:07:00.006-07:00

We had a fairly severe change of weather over the week end, but last week it was still quite a bit like summer. Normally I wouldn't allow this type of thing on my front lawn, but as you can see I am allowing it, even photographing it. This photo was taken on Thursday, November 6th.

Because the rut is nearing, the time of year when the big bucks loose their fear and chase the does around, I am allowing it. I like to see the big bucks and would love to photograph one on my front lawn. Once the rut is over, the BB gun comes out again and I will scatter them to the four winds

The photo above shows what the weather looks like this morning, Monday November 10, 2008, quite a dramatic change from a week ago, but I guess it is time to get ready for winter.

The Arizona Strip ATV Ride

2008-11-05T12:34:00.005-07:00

Last week my cousin Lowell (the Bishop) called me up to see if I wanted to go on an ATV ride with he and Mitch, and perhaps others if they wanted. It sounded fun to me so I agreed. Something quite funny happened when I did a google on Arizona Strip. Kind of shows you have to be specific, and careful when surfing.

We left Friday afternoon and drove down through Saint George and out toward Trumbull. At the old school we went west and zig-zagged through the fields and trees until we finally found our camping spot. It was dark by the time we got there but there was already a fire ring so we gathered up some wood and got a blaze going.

We cooked hot dogs and smores and it was all quite good. Mitch brought a cot which looked like WW-I surplus, Lowell and I put our bags on the trailer just to be off the ground. Lowell has this machine he wears at night to keep him from snoring, but when he tried to hook it to his truck battery sparks flew and it wouldn't work at all. When we put the flashlight on it he had hooked it up backwards. Then we read the instructions which said "Don't hook it up backwards". I took a Lunesta so I wouldn't have to listen to him snore and I slept quite well.

When morning came we had breakfast of sorts and prepared for the ride. Mitch's brother-in-laws were coming out so we rode back toward the school house and met them, then we all headed down the canyon.

It was a little like "Journey To The Center Of The Earth." The road winds down a canyon, then follows an old riverbed, then down another canyon. You keep thinking you are going to hit the Colorado any minute, when actually we were still a long way from it and never did see it.

We explored the remnants of an old copper mine and talked with a couple of guys who had a Jeep down there. Actually it was a Suzuki. They were getting ready to bring a bunch of friends on Thanksgiving week-end.

Later we rode on west, exploring and watching for pertroglyphs. We ended up at a place called Mud Springs where there is an old cow cabin and watering set up. On the way back we ran into a huge covey of quail, there must have been around 60 or 70.

We got back to the camp around 6:00pm and by the time we made the old school it was dark. I hunted around there for a while and found a geocache while Mitch and Lowell looked at the old photos in the school by flashlight, then we moved on. It was a lot further coming back than going out for some reason and it was around 10:30 pm when we got home.

It was a fun trip. I enjoy being with those guys and hope we can do it again soon. I even enjoyed the camp out, which was something I thought I didn't like that much any more.

The Shop

2008-10-26T12:13:00.004-06:00

It has had many names, but I like 'The Shop' best. It has been called 'The Barn', 'The Shed', 'The Taj Mahal', 'The Man House' and 'Vern's Folly'.

When we planned our new home I included a detached building to park my truck and a few toys in, as well as some room for storage and a work shop. I will readily admit that I got carried away, but at the time it seemed quite feasible. We made good money on our previous home and it was within our budget. Unfortunately, by the time we were ready to build, things had changed and we couldn't even afford the house we had designed.

So instead of having it built, I decided to build it myself. I hired the cement work done in the fall of 2006, about the time we moved in. Nothing else was done until May 0f 2007 when I started framing. With the help of my skid loader I was able to get the walls up and sheeted myself.
Brent and a neighbor, Gary Pfaffenberger, helped me set the trusses. From there it was me and the loader putting the roof on. Joel did help me put a few sheets on the roof on one of his stops. I finally got the thing shingled around the end of October last year.I took a rest from this job for most of the summer. I was busy planting lawns and trees and generally fighting weeds and pesky animals. Toward fall I found a couple of locals who agreed to stucco the exterior for me for a predetermined amount. It was agreed that I would purchase materials and pay them for their labor in three installments. I think it turned out to be a bigger job than they had anticipated, and perhaps they under-bid. They got the felt and wire wrapping on, all be it I had to do the high places for them. The cement coat went really slowly until it finally stopped all together. About a month ago one of the guys had some health problems and I haven't seen them since.
I finally decided I was going to have to finish the job so last week I started in again. I finished the cement coat in all the high places, then started the texture coat.

It certainly doesn't look as good as our home, but after all it is only a shop hidden in the trees. I hope to finish the texture coat this week, and perhaps get some overhead doors installed before winter really sets in. Wish me luck.

Fall Colors

2008-10-26T11:54:00.002-06:00

It seems that the fall colors are exceptionally brilliant this year. Perhaps it is my imagination, maybe not. The maples which are normally the showiest, had a very short run. They had just turned when we had our early cold snap and they all dropped. The same with the quakies up high. The others seemed to have sensed the loss and tried to make up for it. We are certainly enjoying the fall colors. It seems like anywhere we look from our house we are treated to a kaleidoscope pf color and beauty.

I usually ignore the brown, attracted more to the reds and golds, but seems to me that even the brown colors are exceptionally beautiful this year.We purchased some Chrysanthemums for Memorial Day, and after they spent a week at the cemetery we cut the blooms back and planted them in our little flower bed. They spent all summer recovering and have now bloomed again after all the other flowers have frozen. Brent says they normally bloom in the fall, triggered by the shorter days.

I hope you are enjoying the fall colors as much as we are. If you live in an area where they are not so viewable, it would be worth the trip to drive into one of the canyons before they are all gone.

The Photo Shoot

2008-10-21T18:05:00.008-06:00

Well, I have given up my amature status and turned pro. Never again will I have to hand someone my camera and beg them to take a photo of me. Never again will I be the only one not in the photo. People will be lining New Harmony's Main Street to watch for me when I go get the mail, with their point-and-shoot hidden behind their aprons and overalls. I may never see the stars in the sky at night again, blinded by the flash of camers strobes popping like fireworks at Disneyworld.

Yes, I am a real model. A group of about 10 photographers showed up in my front yard last Friday afternoon with tripods, reflectors and very expensive cameras. They took all sorts of photos of the old barns, the cows, horses, fences and even some pretty girls they brought with them dresses up in western garb that I am sure had never been near a horse before. But they were particularly interested in me. I'm standing there holding my horse Cletus, trying to keep him from going nuts and kicking the daylights out of this injured football player turned model, and I realize that I am going to be in the background of some of their photos. I watched closely, and I saw them purposely changing the angle of the shot so I would be included. One of them even said I had character. Or maybe she said I was a character, I'm not sure.

Anyhow, if you see a shot of this buff looking jock dressed like a hayseed holding a good looking sorrel gelding, look closely at the background and you might see me there. I wouldn't be surprised if we make the cover of "Western Horseman", or "Equine Unlimited", or maybe even "Old Barns Of Distinction".

I know this all sounds pretty incredible, and if you don't believe me see my brother Brent's blog at http://brentprince.blogspot.com/2008/10/prince-brothers-debut-as-cowboy-models.html

Potato Harvest

2008-10-14T22:46:00.010-06:00

In Idaho, at least parts of Idaho, there is a school holiday called Potato Harvest. It is a hold-over from the days when the farmers needed the kids to help get the potatoes in the shed. I doubt if many kids help these days, but we are grateful for the holiday because we get to see our grand kids.

Clay and his family arrived Sunday night and will be with us for the week. We have lots of fun activities planned and we really hope the weather holds out so we can enjoy them all.

Monday it was cold and windy so we stayed inside most of the day playing games and eating. Later in the day we visited grandpa Darce in New Harmony, then went to Cedar and visited Donna in the rehab center and Grandpa James at his place. By then the kids were getting restless and hungry so we came home and had some supper and watched a movie.

Tuesday the weather was better, and we rode the horses, the four-wheelers and went fishing. We tended the kids in the evening so Clay and Lori could go to Les Miserables at Tuacahn.

Wednesday was another beautiful day. It was still cold in the morning so we played computer games for a while before going outside. After lunch Chelsea and Jeff, some friends of Clay and Lori, came with their kids. We rode the horses and four-wheelers and just enjoyed visiting. After supper we had a karaoke party of sorts, then the kids went to bed and we watched a major chic-flic, "Shall We Dance".

Thursday we played around the house in the morning while Ellie went to Cedar for a conference with the folks at Kolob regarding Donna's care. In the afternoon the guys went fishing at Lundgren's Pond while Lori took the girls shopping for school clothes in Saint George and Ellie tended the baby. We caught quite a few of the small mouth bass and a couple of bluegill. We brought them home and filleted them for eating at lunch tomorrow. We had a hot dog roast for supper, then watched BYU get slaughtered by TCU. That was really ugly.

Clay, Nathan and I went out at first light and tried to call in a coyote but they didn't cooperate. They would rather just hang around in the middle of the night and yap their heads off.

After breakfast the farrier came to put new shoes on the horses so we watched and helped. After lunch the guys went fishing again at Garth's pond. We appreciate him letting us practice our fly fishing skills in a place where the fish actually cooperate.

Around 3:30 we had a bunch of photographers come to take photos of the "real west". We accommodated them by saddling the horses and acting as models, along with some professionals they brought along. (I think that will make another interesting blog.) We went to a fun ward party in the evening. Besides some great

food, we learned some great Halloween songs.

Les Miserables

2008-10-12T09:45:00.004-06:00

We went to Lay Miz (I don't know why the French make spelling so hard) at the Tuacahn Theater Thursday night with our friends visiting from Kamas. This was the second time this year, and you might think we would get tired of it but not so. I think I enjoyed it every bit as much as when we went in June.

The weather was cooler this time, and we weren't sitting quite as close, but I became completly immersed in the production. I sang along with the cast, sometimes not too quietly, and I suffered, celebrated and wept with them. I picked out things I hadn't noticed before and I recited lines in my mind that I have now become so familiar with.

I have grown to really love the music of this production. I find myself singing it for days after, and even weeks and months later it pops into my mind. I must repeat (see pervious blog, Broadway In The Desert), however, the main reason I like Les Miserables, is because of the message. Victor Hugh did a marvelous job of writing a story, some of which is taken from real experiences, that combines so many thematic elements to express his belief that a small act of kindness can change a person forever, that man can overcome evil with good, and that man is not necessarily a product of his environment, but that he can change, and that God can be a very real force in our lives no matter what our situation. And I agree with him! I think I want to read the book.

"Wicked" Part 2

2008-10-10T08:37:00.005-06:00

We made a whirlwind trip to LA this week with our good friends from Kamas, Kevin & Cindy. We drove down Tuesday and returned Wednesday. On arrival in Pasadena we checked into our motel, rested for a while, then had a wonderful meal at McCormick & Schmicks.

It was only 20 miles to the theater in Hollywood, but we needed most all of an hour because of traffic. The Pantages Theater is gorgeous. Probably the most ornate I have ever experienced. We had a few minutes to spare so we took some photos as we browsed the "Walk if the Stars" which passes the front of the theater, and watched the diverse cornucopia of theater-goers.

The production of "Wicked" was amazing. the story, though a little hard to follow, is creative and funny. You definitely want to brush up on The Wizard of Oz as well as reading a little about the "Wicked" story before attending this one. The special effects and costumes were totally amazing! The music was good, though I didn't find myself singing any of the songs on the way back to the motel, possibly because they were all new to me. I need to get the CD and listen to them some more.

On our way home we stopped in Las Vegas and had lunch at the Golden Nugget Buffet, which was also good, but they need more seafood. We arrived back home in New Harmony before dark, glad to have made a safe and enjoyable trip.

Wicked

2008-10-05T08:36:00.004-06:00

We are off to see the ... oops, I don't know if the Wizzard is in it or not, but we are off to LA to see the new musical "Wicked". Wicked is the untold story of the witches of OZ, featuring music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. Long before Dorothy dropped in, two other girls meet in the land of OZ. One born with emerald green skin, is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. How these two unlikely freinds end up as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch makes for the most spellbinding new musical in years.

We are driving down on Tuesday, 10/7 to see the show that night and returning the next day. I will report my asseesment of the trip when I return.

Information on the show and photos are from the "Wicked" website.

Buckskin Gulch

2008-09-28T04:23:00.012-06:00

I just finished an incredible experience. Buckskin Gulch, a tributary of the Paria River is about 40 miles east of Kanab and is considered to be the longest slot canyon in the world. It is 12 miles of twisting, turning canyon between high rock walls carved by eons of water wearing away softer rock and leaving a display of nature unequaled anywhere. The only place I have been that even comes close is the Narrows in Zion National Park, and that is like comparing a hamburger to a fillet Mignon.

I hiked Buckskin Gulch this week with some friends from up north. The idea originated with Kevin. He was feeling bad about missing the Grand Canyon hike in May because of a family trip, and suggested we do Buckskin Gulch. I must admit I knew very little about it, but with the help of Google was soon excited to go. Soon Jeff had joined our group and then his wife, Marta. Kevin's wife Cindy had previously expressed interest and now that another woman was going joined in. Jeff convinced his friend Gary to go, and that completed our group.

We planned our trip in late September, hoping the flash-flood season would be over. You really don't want to be caught in a slot canyon during a flood. Especially a 12 mile slot canyon. We met at the Whitehouse Campground on the Paria Friday morning, left a vehicle there and shuttled the other to the Wirepass Trailhead about 15 miles to the southwest along the Houserock Valley road.

We started hiking around 9:00am down Wirepass Canyon to Buckskin Gulch and from there down to it's confluence with the Paria River, a total of 13 miles. We had full packs which increased the difficulty of the hike, but otherwise it was not difficult.

There was water in places, the deepest being about three feet, and places where the walls were so narrow you had to squeeze through.

There was also a spot or two where you had to get on hands and knees, and one spot where Kevin was watching the ground and bumped his head on a log jambed cross ways in the channel.

There is one spot where you have to go over a rock jamb that requires a rope, but it is only about 15 feet and not difficult. We only took a short break for lunch, and reached the confluence of the Paria and our camping spot around 6:00pm.

There are places along the hike where the canyon widens and there is vegetation growing along sandy shelves above water line, but few are suitable for camping. There is one such spot at the confluence large enough for several camps and that is where we stayed the night. After setting up and having supper it was getting dark. Fires are not permitted so there wasn't much to do but crawl into the sleeping bag. With the help of a Lunesta, I was out like a light. I heard some snoring and tossed and turned on my skinny sleeping pad but otherwise slept quite well for a good eight hours and then only partially for the next two.

Up around seven we had breakfast and packed up and were on the trail by around 8:30 am. We hiked the seven miles up the Paria to the Whitehouse campground, arriving before 1:00pm. This section of the Paria is also quite spectacular. At Whitehouse it is fairly ordinary, but just a mile or so down it deepens and narrows into a spectacular show of nature surpassed only by the Buckskin.

After shuttling vehicles we ate lunch in Kanab and parted ways, I returned to New Harmony through Zion, the rest of the group headed back north. All in all, it was an incredible experience. Friendships deepened, nature treasured and God glorified for his marvelous creations. If you do much outdoors, you probably notice that as you grow older the ground gets harder. I was beginning to think I was too old for such nonsense, but this experience has rekindled that old flame that must have been smoldering inside because now I can't wait for the next opportunity to load up that pack and hit the trail.

Hiking Mount Holly

2008-09-07T11:49:00.008-06:00

On Saturday, September 6th, Jillyn, Kenny and I set out to conquer Delano Peak. Delano, at 12,173 feet in elevation, is the high point for both Beaver and Piute Counties. One more peak I need to complete my goal of hiking the highest in every county.

Things went well at first, it was a gorgeous day and after a little hunting found the trailhead. We chose to take the long route, approximately 10 miles round trip with about 2,200 feet of vertical gain. There is another route that is about three miles round trip with just over 1000 feet of vertical gain, but that seemed too easy so we opted for the longer route.

The trail started through a densely forested area just above the Mount Holly ski area. At least it used to be Mount Holly. I think it took the name of Elk Meadows for a while and now I think it has become a private resort or something, who knows what the name is now. The trail is quite moderate and the going easy for the first few miles. There is a lot of down timber but the trail has been maintained recently. All the reports I had read on this hike said that this trail was easy to follow until it starts the ascent of the peak, then it is just scrambling up the mountain. I had done my research and thought I was well prepared but I made a few mistakes. I traced the route on my mapping program but forgot to load it on my GPS. The second mistake was that I read the map wrong. We came to a creek in a grassy area beneath a huge mountain we thought was Delano so we started climbing. Kenny tried to tell me we were on the wrong mountain but I didn't listen and when we were about half way up Mount Holly I decided he was right. We knew we were less than half a mile from the top but the GPS said Delano was still almost two miles away.

We decided to continue to the summit, and then see if we could go on to Delano. It was too far to go back to the trail we had left and start over. I'm glad we continued as Mount Holly is an awesome mountain. I found an arrowhead along the slopes and we sighted mountain goats feeding near the top. We finally got close enough to one group of goats to get a photo, then they disappeared down the other side which is nearly sheer cliffs. There were two other groups over on Delano. One looked like around 30 or more, the other about half that. They are really easy to spot as their white coats really stand out against the darker colors of the mountain.

As usual on these high mountain peaks the wind was blowing and it was cold enough to put on a jacket. As we looked toward Delano Peak, it seemed a little daunting. If we took the high route by staying on the ridgeline, we would have to make a scramble up some fairly steep slopes. Not that it was impossible, but Jillyn's shoes didn't have the best tread and it would be slippery, and we all agreed it would be tough. We decided to descend the canyon between us and Delano and see if we wanted to hike it from the west side. Once we reached the bottom we decided it was too much for us to tackle that day and so we continued down to meet the trail we should have stayed on longer.

It's a good thing we didn't try Delano. When we got back to the vehicle we all agreed it would have done us in. Although we didn't summit Delano, we did summit Mount Holly and got a chance to experience the high country of the Tushar Range. I plan to go back in the near future and try Delano again. I think next time I will take the easy route.

Big Buck Blog

2008-09-02T17:02:00.006-06:00

A few days ago Ellie and I made a road trip to hike some peaks in Wayne and Garfield County. We spent the night in Hanksville, and when we arrived there we went to the local BLM office for some information. A young man there, upon learning that we were going to Mount Ellen, advised us to go early. He said that we would see some fantastic bucks, and that the herd in the Henry Mountains, of which Mount Ellen is a part, is one of the best in the nation.

We arrived in the high country as the sun was coming up, and boy did we see a lot of nice bucks! What the photos lack in quality they make up for in content. You can enlarge by clicking on the photo.

This first group had six bucks and a few does and fawns.

Then there were a few singles here and there.

And some doubles

This bunch had 13

This bunch had 14 scattered around this side hill.

Below is a closer look at one of the bucks in the photo above. It isn't very clear but I wanted to show the massive horns.

Anyone want to go hunting with me?

Road Trip - Day Two

2008-08-30T22:37:00.011-06:00

The second and final day of the road trip we got up early and were on the road shortly after six am. We drove south out of Hanksville on highway 95 for about 10 miles, then cut off on a dirt road to the west. There are several ways to get where we were going and we eventually ended up on Sawmill Basin Road which leads into the heart of the Henry Mountains. The road is pretty rough at first, the soil has been washed out by recent rains leaving mostly rocks. As you climb higher the road improves and so does the scenery. The bare Mount Ellen ridge line loomed above us, bathed in sunlight as the sun rose behind us. It looked awesome. The vegetation changed from desert to Juniper and Pinion, to pine and aspen lush with grass.

As we reached the higher elevations we began to see deer in abundance. At first it was does and fawns, then bucks! The first group of bucks had 6 ranging from small to medium. They were only 50 or so yards off the road and they ate and glanced at us without fear as I got out and took pictures. Further along we saw more bucks. Some far away on the top of the ridge looked large as they raised their heads to show off their huge antlers. Rounding a corner we came upon another herd. This group had 13 bucks, some of them nearing trophy size.

Another bend or two in the road and we reached our destination, the Mount Ellen trail head. We parked and loaded our pack and headed out the ridge. The hike was fairly easy though you could tell the air was thin at 10,500 feet. Around another bend we spotted another herd of bucks, 14 in all. There were some monsters in this group. I watched them through the binoculars for a while, took some photos, then continued on up the trail. We also saw two coyotes, a couple of marmots and a horny toad!

Arriving at what we thought was the high point, Ellie decided to wait rather than risk turning an ankle on the loose rock. I went on to fine that actual high point was two more peaks to the north, about 1/3 mile further. I quickly hiked over to it, took some photos, signed the log and joining Ellie returned to the vehicle.

Our road trip continued, leaving the Henry Mountains by continuing on the same road to the west which eventually lead us to the bottom and a junction at a place called Sandy Ranch. Here we took the Notum Road to the south for about 20 miles where it meets the Burr Trail. We are back in Capitol Reef National Park for a few miles, and they are spectacular. The road here makes the switchbacks to the Zion Tunnel look like kid's stuff, and this is a dirt road! It winds through awesome rock formations and where it finally leaves the park we find asphalt again. About this time Ellie is thinking we should call this a Dirt Road Trip!

The Burr Trail is about 40 miles of road winding through a spectacular part of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and ending up at highway 12 in the town of Boulder. Highway 12 from Boulder to Escalante is equally spectacular. It is 30 miles carved through mostly solid rock, and in places there is just the width of the road with drop offs of several hundred feet on both sides.

In Escalante we stopped at the telephone office and visited with a friend Brant Barton. We wanted to also say hello to Mark Mclemore but I guess he heard us coming and disappeared. After lunch at the local park we paid a visit to old friends Dan and Lois Spencer, then headed on, passing through Henriville, Cannonville, Tropic, Bryce Canyon and Red Canyon, eventually connecting to highway 89. We went down 89 to Todd's Junction and took highway 14 over Cedar Mountain to Cedar, then I-15 to exit 24 and highway 144 back to New Harmony, arriving

around 8:00pm.

If you have read this far you are probably fairly bored with all the highways and directions, I guess I included that as much for my memory as anything. I thought it was a great trip. We got to see a lot of new country, I got to bag a couple of county high points, and we were able to do it together. I especially loved seeing the bucks and am now trying to figure out how to get a tag and someone to hunt there with me. (Joel, hope you read this). Watch for another blog in the near future with some 'big buck' photos.

Road Trip - Day One

2008-08-30T21:45:00.015-06:00

Ellie and I just had what I consider to be a fantastic mini-vacation. It probably wouldn't be her first choice, but she is a good sport and went along, and In fact I think she actually enjoyed most of it. She said that next year she gets to choose and we will be going to BYU Education Week. I guess we'll see how good a sport I am.

I am a peak-bagger. For those of you that don't know what that is, it is a person that likes to see how many mountain peaks they can hike. I enjoy hiking, it is a great motivator to stay in shape. I do not do technical climbing. I don't take ropes, pitons or caribeaneers. Most peaks in Utah don't require technical climbing. I set a goal in 2003 to hike the highest point in every county in Utah and now have twenty done, with six to go. If you are really astute you will say, "Hey dummy! Utah has 29 counties" and you would be right. However there are only 26 high points because some of them are right on the county line and are the highpoint for two counties. If you are interested in this challenge you might want to check my web page at http://www.vernile.com/Hiking/Hiking.htm.

Anyhow, I wanted to bag a couple of peaks and talked Ellie into going with me. We left early Thursday morning (8/28) and headed north. We drove up I-15 to the Buckhorn Flat, then took highway 20 across Bear Valley to highway 89. From there we went north through Circleville, and a few miles further north took highway 62 to Koosharem. We took the Brown's Lane cut-off to highway 24 and on into Loa. After consulting with a friendly employee in the Forest Service office we continued out South Main onto a dirt road which leads to the Aquarius Plateau in the Boulder Mountains. The drive into the mountains was through semi-arid low land which changed to pinion pine and juniper, then to quaking aspen and pine. A little over an hour on the dirt road and we were parked about a quarter mile from Blue Bell Knoll, the highest point in Wayne County.

The short hike to the top of Blue Bell was easy, though your lungs could tell you were at 11,000 plus feet in elevation. At the high point we found a rock pile and a container with a log book. All the higher peaks have this. We spent a little time looking through the logs and taking pictures, then headed back to the car. On the way back down the mountain we stropped in a shady place and made sandwiches from our cooler.

We took a slightly different route when we hit the flat land and ended up catching highway 24 just east of Bicknell. We backtracked just to take a look at the town that is the home of Wayne High School, then turned around and headed east again. We passed through the beautiful little town of Torrey, gateway to Capitol Reef National Park, and then on to the park itself. We stopped at some of the points of interest, took photos and reminisced about a family vacation there many years ago.

Back on highway 24 we continued east through the park, through the town of Caneville and on to Hanksville, where we had reservations at the Whispering Sands Motel. Before checking in we stopped at the local BLM office and got a map and some local tips for our trip through the Henry Mountains on day two. They have a very interesting waterwheel and mill that they have moved out of the mountains and re-assembled behind the BLM office. It is worth looking at.

We checked into the motel and rested a while, then went to dinner at a local restaurant. It wasn't much to write about except that they had a dinner special for $6.99, which we tried and it was okay. Probably great for the price. Later at the motel we met up with John Spevak, my sister Claudine's husband, who is working near there and staying at the same motel, and had a good visit.

You thought a blackberry was...what?

2008-08-21T22:22:00.013-06:00

It's blackberry season! No, I'm not talking about those electronic PDA's that you use as a phone, an alarm clock, a calendar, a camera, a radio, and has a lot more memory than you do. I'm talking about blackberries. Fruit. Berries that are black. No discrimination intended.

We have a whole fence covered with blackberry vines just to the north of us. It must be about the length of a football field. If you are familiar with the fruit you know how those vines are. They have a lot of thorns! Particular to the way these vines grow seems to be that underneath the old vines die and on top new ones grow. New vines are thorny, but the old ones have hard thorns that can really tear you up! The photo above makes picking the berries look easy. What deception! The berries seem to grow best right in the middle of all the thorns. You reach in and get a fat juicy berry or two in your hand and as soon as you start to move them toward your mouth, or your picking bucket, a thorn jumps out and grabs you and you drop everything in your hand. Sometimes you reach way in and just as you touch a fat juicy one it drops into the depths of the thicket.

I have my own unique style for picking blackberries. I try to get out there before it gets too hot because I wear a long sleeve shirt to protect my arms. I wear a good hat and safety goggles just in case one goes for my head or eyes. I wear heavy boots to protect my feet and lower legs from thorns (and rattlesnakes that might be trying to sample the fruit). I wear a heavy leather glove on my left hand and I have a pair of pruners in my back pocket. I have a picking bucket on a strap over my sholder adjusted to waist high. That's about it. Then I go to picking.

The easiest picking is when you see a nice clister of berries and you grab it with your gloved hand and bring it out in the open and remove the berries with the other hand. Problem is, their arent too many like that. Most of them are hiding well beneath the surface of the tangled mess of vines you can see in the photo below. This is where the pruners come in handy. I'm not too concerned about next year, they always seem to grow back, so I take the pruners and start cutting. Once you get the first few layers cut away the picking is quite easy. Not to say you don't get a little wounded. I have to wait two or three days between picking for my hands to heal so I can pick again.

Of course you have heard the term 'low hanging fruit'. In the context you heard it, it probably wasn't even talking about fruit. Anyhow, the idea is that the best fruit always seems just out of reach. I have tried various methods of getting at the higher stuff. The first day I backed my four wheeler as far into the bush as I could then stood on it and picked. The next time a friend brought his Kubota and I picked from the loader. Last time I took a ladder. Doesn't matter which method, the biggest, plumpest berries are always just a little out of reach. I always end up taking a few steps out onto the vines. Those old dried vines are generally pretty sturdy, but sometimes not. Once I fell clear through. I felt like 'Brer Rabbit' in his 'laughing place', cept I wasn't laughing.

I don't know why I even pick these darn things. Maybe it's because they make such good pie. Or maybe it's the jam on a piece of buttered toast. Or maybe it's the cobbler I plan to make in the dutch oven. Maybe it's that I just can't stand to see them go to waste. No, I think the greatest reward is the look on someone's face when I give them a bucket full. You can tell right away if they have ever picked blackberries.

Ayla's Birthday

2008-08-06T18:29:00.007-06:00

Last Friday night We were invited, along with any other relatives in the area, to Ayla's birthday party. Ayla is Clay and Lori's baby girl that just turned two. They decided to come to Salt Lake from Rexburg and have her party at one of the neighborhood parks. Ellie and I happened to be close by, at Darin and Suzanne's house, so we all decided to go.

The party was fun. Almost all the grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins were there. The kids enjoyed the playground and we all enjoyed pizza, soda and birthday cake.

Chokecherry Syrup anyone?

2008-08-06T16:41:00.017-06:00

We discovered Chokecherries in our back yard and decided to pick them and see what we could make. I wanted jam, but my cook said no, not enough pulp. That meant jelly or syrup. I don't particularly like jelly because it doesn't spread, and I also like the chunks of fruit in jam. So, we got syrup.

These photos pretty well tell the story. About a half gallon of fruit made just over four pints of syrup.

I knew the Chokecherries were there. It's hard to miss the fragrance of their blossoms when they are in bloom. It's kind of like having a perfume factory in your back yard, except the fragrance is much nicer than anything man
can make. They aren't too hard to pick and we had around a gallon in about 30 minutes. Probably the hardest part was picking the stems off which you can see Ellie is really good at. That's why I let her do it.

So now my mouth is watering for Ellie's delectable pancakes with Chokecherry syrup. Doesn't that sound delicious? If you show up at our house and stick around to have breakfast, If you are really lucky it might be pancake day!

Ellie's Chokecherry Syrup

8 cups of Chokecherries
8 cups of sugar
1 cup white corn syrup

Clean cherries and remove stems. Place cherries in a pot and just cover with water. Boil until fruit is soft and separating from pit. Strain juice. You should have about four cups. Add sugar and corn syrup to juice and boil for ten minutes. Pour into jars and seal.

It's going to be tart, and perhaps a little bitter for some so you may want to mix it with another kind of fruit syrup to enhance the taste.

Riding For The Brand

2008-07-27T12:42:00.008-06:00

I just finished reading a Zane Grey novel a few days ago. For those of you not acquainted with Zane Grey, he was the Louie L'Amour of the 50's. He wrote some great western novels, many about Utah and the southwest. Like L'Amour, his novels always seem to have a hero and a moral to be learned. One of the moral lessons of this novel is to "ride for the brand".

To "ride for the brand" is a cowboy saying that means you are loyal to your employer. It means that if a man is paying you to do a job, you do it. You give him a good day's work for a day's pay. You protect and defend the cattle with his brand on them at all cost. This is a lesson I think many today have failed to learn.
I couldn't help but think about this as I was working on a service project Saturday. A cousin of mine has been the prime mover in getting a new shed for the cemetery. She isn't physically capable of doing much of the work herself, so she relies on other volunteers to do the hard stuff. I have been one of the objects of her prodding and as such have been involved in several stages of construction of the new shed.

Saturday my brother Brent and I burned brands into the wood on the front of the shed. I know it sounds like a very simple operation but it isn't. Brent has done some research and found the brands of many of the old livestock men in the New Harmony area. He then made branding irons that could be used just as they were in days gone by, and in fact are still used in the livestock business today.

First you heat the branding iron until it is hot enough and then you press it on the wood until you get sufficient burning to leave the brand permanently on the wood. Sounds simple doesn't it? Well first of all it is no simple matter to heat about 36 branding irons. We used a propane weed burner at first and that worked well for the smaller brands. It just wouldn't heat the larger ones, and anyhow we ran out of propane. So then we made a fire in a 50 gallon barrel that had been cut in half. That's how the cowboys did it, they just built a fire. As it worked for them, it worked for us. If you left the branding irons in the fire long enough, they got hot.

A hot branding iron is a fearsome thing. I had a glove on my right hand, but burned my left hand when I automatically used it to try to steady the hot iron as it tried to move out of place. Just try holding a hot branding iron that weighs upwards of 20 pounds at eye level or higher. If I had forgotten, I again learned why they throw those doggies on the ground and hold them down. It's a lot easier to let gravity help.
Another problem is branding irons that aren't quite level. The larger a branding iron the harder it is to make it's face level. When pressing such a thing into hair and flesh it isn't a big problem. When pressing it onto a hard flat piece of wood, the high places hit first and the low places don't get hot enough. So we had to bend and straighten, and follow up using a hot flat section like a wood burning set. Anyhow, we got the job done. What we thought we would finish in a couple of hours took nearly five, but I think it looks okay.

So, who is going to finish this project? Sometimes I think I have done my share, especially considering the town charged me $600 each for a couple of 4 x 10 foot plots where my wife and I will eventually be laid to rest. But, do I "ride for the brand" or not? I guess we'll find out when the next call comes.

Broadway In The Desert

2008-07-18T19:06:00.003-06:00

Last night we had an incredible experience. We went to the production "Les Miserables" at the Tuacahn outdoor theater near Saint George. We had some qualms about the temperature, but it turned out to be quite pleasant. We thought we might get rained on for a while, but the cloud cover cooled things off somewhat and by intermission there were just a few lightning flashes in the distance and a nearly full moon peeking over our shoulder.

We had asked about the production, and had received comments like "over rated", and "okay", but I have to repeat that to me it was an incredible experience. I don't pretend to be a qualified critic, and you will probably agree when I confess that some of my favorite movies are "Michael" and "Groundhog Day", but I do know what I like, and I liked this!

I was impressed from the opening scene! Where else in this country will you see a team of live horses pull a loaded prison wagon onto the stage? In fact, several scenes make use of live horses pulling various contrivances, and in one scene there is even a live pig! And where else can you see this production where the battlefield at 'the barricade' is an entire hillside with an actual cannon and muskets firing?

And what of the acting? Again, I know I am not qualified as a critic, but when Fantine took her last breath and Jean ValJean promised to raise Cosette as his own, I had tears in my eyes. And that wasn't the only place. Little Eponine's loyalty and devotion made your heart ache and again a tear rolled down my cheek as she sang "On My Own" and gave her life for the revolution.

Along with the acting, the singing was magnificent! I got cold chills (it was around 90 degrees Fahrenheit) as Fantine sang "I Dreamed A Dream" and wanted to rush on the stage and hug Little Cosette when she sang "Castle On A Cloud". Cold chills came again when the students sang "Red and Black", and as Valjean sang "Bring Him Home".

Obviously I love the story of this musical as it threads the history of France and the revolution into the lives of these very real characters. I like the theme that man can overcome evil with good, that one small act of kindness can change a life, that man is not necessarily a product of his environment, but that he can change, and that God can be a very real force in our lives no matter what our situation.

There is much more that could be said, but if you have read this far I feel lucky to still have your attention. Let me end by saying that I saw this production several years ago in Salt Lake City presented by a professional Broadway Acting Company and paid $65.00 for very mediocre tickets. Last night as a senior resident of Washington County I paid $27.00 and sat on the second row where I could see every expression and even the spit. I liked this one much, much more.

Thank Heaven For Little Girls

2008-07-06T18:25:00.013-06:00

We have just had four of our nine grand daughters with us this holiday week-end. Starting from oldest to youngest they are Desiree (4), Camille (3), McKenna (1) and Chloe (10 months). They are all beautiful little girls and they all love grandpa. Grandpa is the one that takes them fishing, horseback riding, and riding on the four-wheeler. Yes, I am very careful with my precious cargo.

Each of these girls is different in many ways, about the only thing they have in common is that they are all blond. Each one has a unique personality that gets more evident each time I see them. There have been times, mostly when they were younger, that they wanted nothing to do with Grandpa. McKenna is probably the most cautious and slow to warm to me, however Desiree has had her turn at that as well. Desiree has grown out of that for now, and this time it only took a few hours and McKenna was friends with Grandpa. Sometimes it has taken days. Camille has always been

friendly with everyone, as is Chloe.

I have five more granddaughters, three live in Rexburg and two in Kamas and each one is special. I also have three grandsons, one in Rexburg and two in Kamas and they are also special. I hope they all know how much I love them, and how I THANK HEAVEN FOR LITTLE GIRLS! (and boys).

At War With Nature

2008-06-30T11:11:00.004-06:00

I have officially declared war on nature! It's a war I know I can't win, but none the less it has to be fought. Until now I have tolerated the deer, squirrels, and turkeys with mild indifference, but nature has dealt me the ultimate insult! A gopher. Yes, a gopher. He is burrowing into my new lawn, undermining the structure, munching on the roots and pushing up mounds of unsightly dirt.

I played around with this little creature, thinking I could drown him out. I figure that drowning is a fairly natural death for creatures that live their entire existence in holes in the ground. I mean with rain, irrigation, melting snow, this little feller has probably faced that terror before. He refused to take the easy way, so no more now I am getting tough. I went down to the old shed and rummaged around a while and found five old gopher traps.

I am not a stranger to gopher traps. When I was about 13 or 14 I probably trapped more gophers than anyone south of the crick. We have an alfalfa field of about fourteen acres. Unchecked, gophers will plow a field for you about every other year. Of course if you are trying to raise hay, you don't want it plowed up. Dad paid me fifty cents per gopher, and was pretty upset if I didn't catch at least one or two per day. When I had trapped all winter, he owed me a little over $50.00, which he paid off with a scope for my Savage model 99 lever action .243.

Of the five traps I found, only one was workable. The other four were in various stages of disrepair. One is enough though and with the help of some pliers, I bent it into reasonable shape and set it in the gopher hole. That little sucker is in for a surprise when he comes up to see who opened his door!

Lest you think I am fighting this war on only one front, let me continue. Saturday I spent a good part of the day planting some fruit trees. We have decided that eight trees is a reasonable number for a retired person's orchard. I have Fuji and Jonathan apple, two Hale Haven peach, one Tilton apricot and one Bing cherry. I am still looking to purchase a Bartlet pear and for the last one I world really like to find one of those plumb trees that has huge deep red plumbs.

Sorry, I digress... this morning when I went out to water the trees a deer had been chewing on Johnathan! I had placed some net wire rings around the trees to keep the deer away from the bark, which they love to rub with their horns, but eat the leaves? It's not like little John is the only apple tree in the valley. Not too far to the northwest are some of the largest orchards around. Do yo think they just saw this little tender suckling tree and decided to sample it? I think not, I think they are just looking for ways to irritate me. Especially since I put the electric fence around the back yard and disturbed their daily migration route. They won't soon forgive me for that. I'd really like to see the look on their face when their nose touches that electric wire!
I am not one to go to war unprepared. I did my research on the Internet and a terribly expensive study done by some university, in Iowa I think it was, showed that hanging Dial hand soap was as good a deterrent as any other remedy, commercial or homemade. So I have sent Ellie after a dozen bars of soap and some netting to tie them up in. We'll see how that works. I have tried sitting on the front porch and shooting them with a BB gun but they just sneak back after dark. It is fun though, watching them jump when that little BB stings them, especially if I pump it up about 20 times!

The turkeys have pulled back for a while. Some say it is because they are nesting. I think they are just planning their next assault. Pretty soon they will show up around here with a whole bunch of new young recruits, scratching and pecking worse than ever. I'm thinking of getting a robotic dog that barks when it senses their presence, but I dislike barking dogs more than turkeys.

Squirrels are not that aggressive, and they usually don't attack in numbers. They usually send an advance scout to sample my English Daisies. If the scout gets back successfully he may bring a few more with him. It's funny how they can sort through all the weeds in my wild flower garden and eat only the flowers. I have found out a sniper rifle is quite effective against these little buggers. If I detect an advance scout, and can sneak out the door and get in a position so that I am not going to shoot the house, shop, barns, horses, the neighbor's house, barns or cattle, that bushy tailed sneak will be history.

I will not take time to elaborate on the weeds, box elder bugs, ants, mourning doves that keep kamikaze diving into our windows, hornets, raccoons, skunks, coyotes or foxes. I figure within a few years I will be a seasoned veteran in this war and probably available for hire as a mercenary in distant places, perhaps as far away as the other side of the crick!

Slow Death Of A Small Town

2008-06-30T09:45:00.003-06:00

The other night I attended a planning and zoning meeting for the town of New Harmony. I have had a phobia of attending such meetings ever since serving as mayor of the town of Kamas for a couple of terms and later spending time being beat up in their meetings. I was abused mostly by people that as mayor I had appointed when I tried to provide some 'affordable' housing for the community. I got beat up so badly by my 'friends and neighbors' that I finally vowed I would never go to another such meeting.

So I relented, and attended this meeting primarily to show interest in what is going on in the valley. I am not a resident of New Harmony; I live outside the city limits, consequently I have no voice in the town's policy nor do I get to vote for their elected officials. The meeting was a work session where they were reviewing their regulations to see if changes needed to be made. I applaud these people for their work, which is often thankless and often times even maligned.

In the course of the meeting, reference was made to the Town's Capital Improvements Plan and a copy of the document was made available for our review. I spent some time looking it over. I was interested because I was involved in preparing and updating a similar document for the town of Kamas. Prior to looking at this document I knew that 'town policy' was primarily anti-growth. I guess I didn't know just how 'anti' it really was until I looked at the plan.

I won't spend a lot of time in the details, suffice it to say that when a town requires five acres of land for a new building lot, and impact fees that would choke a Belgian draft horse, they really don't want or expect growth. Unless you have in excess of a million bucks burning a hole in your pocket, don't plan to come to New Harmony.

So what's the problem? New Harmony is a nice town. We all like it the way it is so why change it? If we can keep it small we will avoid lots of problems faced by our growing neighbors. We will have lots of open space, clean air and no traffic congestion. Crime will be limited to ATVs roaming the streets and an occasional rolling stop through a rare stop sign. No kids loitering in the mall, no gangs, no drugs and no low-life taggers spraying graffiti on buildings and cars.

Sounds pretty good doesn't it? Yes it does, but what do you see when you dig a little deeper? What do you find when you peel back that shallow layer of selfish thinking and isolationism? Do we really want a community of rich absent residents and retirees? I find that New Harmony is dying. It might be a very slow death, but yes, it is dying. I don't know if anyone has bothered to check, but I estimate the average age of a New Harmony resident is over 65. If you take out the only sub-division ever allowed in town (which many curse as the worse thing to ever happen) the average age probably increases to 75. Unless you enjoy watching something die, if it is going to survive, New Harmony badly needs a transfusion. It needs new blood!

If you are still reading at this point, you are probably either getting red in the face or you agree that there is a problem. At the risk of being too long winded, I want to expound a little further. Obviously when people die, the make room for others. Hence, one would assume that there would be an automatic renewal going on. Look at what is really happening. Nearly every home that comes up for sale in New Harmony is purchased by a folks that are retiring and want a quiet place to spend their declining years. I mean no offense, most of these are great people. I am one myself. But that is not new blood. It's just old blood moving to a new location.

In my opinion, there are two main barriers to young people moving to New Harmony. The first is the commute. With soaring fuel prices, an economic hurdle is added to the time factor and a 30 minute commute becomes quite undesirable, especially when you think you need to run your children to the city to every extracurricular event that occurs. This is all relative however; people still don't mind a 60 to 90 minute commute just so they don't have to live in the Salt Lake Valley. Add to that the cost of trying to buy or build a home here, and the barrier becomes insurmountable for most. Young people just starting out, or those with young families, just can't pay the price.

Is there a solution? I bet you thought I would never get to it. Trouble is, I don't know. I kind of doubt it, but my hope keeps me writing. My mind says that the solution to the problem is to become growth friendly. There I've said it. You can start throwing the rotten fruit and vegetables you have been saving. Undesirable as it sounds, to keep from dying New Harmony needs to grow. New Harmony needs some quarter-acre lots that can be reasonable purchased and built upon. It needs impact fees that are adequate, but not exorbitant. It needs a city staff and government that will welcome those who want to develop such opportunities, and welcome those who want to live here.

Could such a radical change really ever happen? Yes it could, but it has to start in the hearts and minds of those in positions of influence. It has to spread to those who follow them, and to those who through lazy indifference don't care.

How can you change the heart, mind and attitude of those who so firmly believe they are right? I don't know. Perhaps they are really right and I am wrong. Maybe I am the one that needs converting. Perhaps we will just have to let New Harmony die, and see if when it is dead and buried in our beautiful cemetery, something new and better will spring up to take its place.

The opinion expressed herein is the sole responsibility of the author. Please don't blame his wife and family. If have an opinion on the matter, for or against, especially if you are from this area, I would like to hear your comments.

The Problem With Snakes...

2008-06-28T18:19:00.004-06:00

Saturday, June 28, 2008. I really messed up today. I was moving an old concrete blanket (that's a blanket to cover concrete to keep it from freezing, not a blanket made of concrete) and underneath was a little light grayish-green snake. At first I thought it was a big night crawler but when it started moving I could tell it was a small snake about 12 inches long, and I also noticed that it had a bright orange belly. I decided to take a picture, so I replaced the blanket, got my camera, and snapped a couple of photos. Then I got the bright idea to take it over to a friend's house to see if he could identify it. I just mean try to find out what kind of snake it is. I don't care about it's name or driver's license number. It was obviously a native so I didn't ask to see a green card.

I put the snake in a plastic ice cream bucket and set it on the floor of my truck on the passenger side. It didn't seem to be able to climb much as it only raised it's head a few inches up the side of the plastic bucket. It did cross my mind that I really didn't want it to get loose in my truck, but I thought that seemed unlikely.

Arriving at my friend's house I rang his door bell and waited a couple of minutes but he wasn't home. When I got back to the truck, the snake was no longer in the bucket and was no where to be seen. I looked carefully around, under the seats, under the mats, behind the tire jack, all around the console. No snake. I met a cousin at the town dumpster and together we looked again but still no snake. When I got home, I decided to try and smoke (figuratively speaking) him out. I turned the heater up to maximum and left it running for about fifteen minutes, but that didn't work and I decided I didn't want to cook him in there.

Now I guess I will not be falling asleep when driving my truck. I will ever be alert for that little snake to drop from the visor or crawl up my leg or the steerting wheel. I don't know how long a snake can live in such a place though I doubt he would make it through the winter. I guess unless I detect a really bad odor like the one made by a dead snake, I will continually be on the look-out, at least until the temperature drops below freezing.

By the way, if any one knows of someone that wants to drive to northern Canada, say somewhere above the arctic circle, I would let them borrow my truck.

If You Could Hie To Kolob...

2008-06-27T10:36:00.007-06:00

Tuesday, June 24, 2008. This evening the New Harmony Young Men/Young Women went on a hike to Taylor's Creek in Kolob Canyon. Obviously I am not one of the young ones, but someone has to slow these kids down. We had a great time and were treated to cold watermelon when we returned to the trailhead. A couple of the leaders found out they needed to add a little more walking to their

weekly routine but I am sure they will recover in due time and be ready to go again next year. It was hot as we made our way up the trail to Double Arch Alcove in the early evening, but by the time we returned it had cooled of just enough to be really pleasant.

Coming back, when you turned around and looked at the cliffs behind you it was stunning! The remaining light from the sun slipping behind Pine Valley Mountain left the Kolob Fingers glowing in a brilliant vermillion radiance.

The top photo is the group about half way there. The bottom one is of one of the cool Young Men's President in his Indiana Jones hat, posing for a photo at the old Fife Cabin along the trail.

A Horseback Ride To Remember

2008-06-27T10:14:00.010-06:00

Monday June 23, 2008. Ellie and I Went for a horseback ride on Pine Valley Mountain today with my brother Brent. We went to Anderson Meadow and should have returned from there but decided to go on over to Mill Flat. It turned out to be to far and we were all dog tired when we got home. Ellie got rubbed off on a low-hanging tree but survived without injury. I don't think she will be wanting to go again for a long while though.

With the negatives out of the way, the mountain is beautiful, lush and green. The wildflowers such as Columbine and Bluebell are just starting to bloom in the upper elevations. There is a good stream of water in Anderson Canyon, Dam Canyon and at Mill Flat, and several of the smaller canyons also still have water. There are many places where the trail needs maintenance, mostly to remove fallen trees. There are several places where you need to make a detour, but none are severe.

We spent quite a bit of effort cleaning the way around a good sized tree blocking the trail going to Mill Flat, then when I went to lead Cletis (my horse) around it he decided to jump over.

The trail down the Long Ridge was hot and dusty on our return, and we were all sore, tired and covered with trail dust when we got back, but there is nothing like a day on that mountain to renew your spirit and your appreciation for the beautiful place it is.