Mostly about Utah
Steven visited yesterday evening and with his brothers gave my tree a new look. We made three short videos so that you can see how it was done. Slash and Drag would be a good name for the process. The first video shows Steven and Jake Slashing. Next we have me Dragging the branches away for later disposal. Lastly Jake (he really likes to pan) illustrates on film our handiwork, ready for Jill to see in all its glory.
If you cannot see the videos, click here.
Steven visited yesterday evening and with his brothers gave my tree a new look. Above are before and after photographs. The women were safely occupied with General Relief Society Meeting so we wouldn’t be disturbed for two hours. Fir sprucing up my conifer I wood need tree handsaws and three sons.
Aurora said it would be OK to prune the tree just a little
Steven said that if we do it wrong it will grow back in ten or twenty years anyway
Paul didn't say anything
Jake said you all will need a drink
I said this will look really different
The tree said this is not a good thing
The Visiting Teachers will probably say they have some shade while they wait for Jill to get home
Paul still didn't say anything
Collateral damage
Too bad this is not covered under lawn care
Later in the evening we began to drag
Mission accomplished
I had a request to post any videos I had of this project. I will publish them in a few hours. Jill walked past the tree in the dark four times last night to help load Steven’s car. She didn’t notice that we had given the tree a new look. This morning while Jake and I were watching the tree videos she heard “Tree” and “Chop” in the same sentence. Jill went outside and saw the results of our efforts.
Jill said she was astonished by our work.
Last Wednesday, along with Adelaide and Jill, I took my three grandchildren to Hogle Zoo. It hasn’t been long since we took Bryson to the zoo. Cassandra, the newborn, slept most of the time but she did wake up near the end. Aurora and Bryson seemed to have fun. There are a lot of new sights and sounds for them to see and hear. Aurora and Bryson got to ride the roundabout, the train, and the lions.
We saw the baby elephant, Zuri, but we didn’t see the zoo’s black bears (Tuff, Cubby, and Dale) because they have been sent to the Oregon Zoo. What we did see was their home being demolished to make way for the new Rocky Shores Exhibit. According to the Deseret News, the new exhibit
will be an extensive multi-animal habitat featuring polar bears, sea lions, seals and possibly other bears. Up-close viewing of the animals as they swim by will be possible through glassed areas, as well as views from ground level in a habitat depicting the physical, cultural and social landscape of the western shores of North America. (“Hogle Zoo send away three bears to make way for construction,” Deseret News, May 2, 2010)
Read Cassandra’s report of the zoo visit in Cassie’s World…It’s a Jungle Out There!
I wanted to take my grandchildren camping so I made reservations for two campsites. I then invited the parents to go and before the day was out they were ready for the trip. So last weekend we went to Wasatch Mountain State Park. We camped overnight at Little Deer Creek Campground.
Here are a few of the photographs and videos taken by Steven, Jill, and Rick. Click on the images to enlarge. If you cannot see the videos, click here.
We unloaded and pitched the tents. We were only staying overnight but it seemed like we had food for a week. That’s Jill by the picnic table. The campsites were large, had running water, and some had shade. We had quite a view.
I brought plenty of wood for a fire to cook our hot-dogs.
Aurora was ready to eat…
…just about anything.
After we ate Bryson and Aurora put to good use the local materials that were lying around. Aurora used her truck to level the ground.
We had lots of adults to go around when the grandchildren needed to be held. Here is Sarah with Aurora.
Steven with Cassandra. Steven is the one on the right.
Derek with Bryson.
And me.
We retired to our tents while Jake slept out in the open.
In the morning, before breakfast, Derek took Bryson for a walk.
Jake is a handy guy to have around when you are hungry for some ham.
Sarah appears to be enjoying her breakfast.
Any left for me?
Before noon we broke camp and drove a few miles onto federal land to visit Cascade Springs in Uinta National Forest. The trail through Cascade Springs consists primarily of a raised boardwalk which crosses over a series of clear shallow pools. Calcite mineral deposits accumulated and formed terraces over which the water cascades.
Adelaide holds Cassandra, who didn’t really want to see running water just right now.
Jill loves the outdoors…
…while Cassandra has yet to make up her mind.
I do believe we will go camping again. There is no better way to spend the weekend than with family.
The water coming from the springs has made a long journey from limestone caverns deep within the earth. Forced through cracks and fissures, the water emerges here as “travertine”. The deposits have gradually accumulated to make the terraces for the pools at Cascade Springs. Approximately seven and one-half million gallons flow from the springs each day.
My wife shot this brilliant sequence of photographs of my granddaughter Aurora. Now we have proof that we have a hooliganess in the family.
Click on the photographs to enlarge.
Aurora, here play with this plastic toy
No grandpa, I want to play with those
Grandpa, you play with the plastic toy...
...and I will play with these glasses.
Grandpa, what's this piece for?
My granddaughter Aurora turned one this month and the family gathered at Steven and Adelaide’s home for a celebration. In the video of Aurora she is sitting on her mother’s lap opening presents. Her great grandfather is sitting under the flash umbrella and Steven, her father, is the one in the green T-shirt. Grandmother Jill is operating the camcorder. Grandpa Rick is filming the video. Click on the photographs for a larger image.
Happy first birthday Aurora!
Aurora opens presents
Adelaide presents Aurora her cake. Connor is to the left
Aurora enjoys a piece of birthday cake
Aurora demolishes her cake
Test your caption writing skills on this photograph of me with my granddaughter Aurora. I will update this post with the winning captions. For the last caption competition there were no prizes. However, this time the first prize (Kaysville and environs only) is a box of Haviland Orange Creme Thin Mints. 
The mints were originally intended for our New Year’s Eve party but I spirited them away for such a time as this.
OK people, let loose with your humor and originality.
Photo: Mike Willoughby
As judges, mine and Jill’s captions were excluded from the competiton. Thank you all for the funny captions.
The first place winner, Ken, I do believe is not local so the prize passes to the second place caption. However, Derek, who lives in Texas is not local either so the prize goes to the third place entry. And Darrell is definitely local — he lives in the same ward as I do.
First — “Grandad, I don’t want to frighten you but there’s a Giant Shredded Wheat right behind you.” Ken
Second — “You stole the Thin Mints?!” Derek
Third — “Grandpa, I can’t believe how bad our outfits clash!” Darrell
Aurora, my granddaughter, has had a great many videos taken of her lately by her grandfather. I still haven’t learned to keep my distance when using my camera around Aurora. As you can see, she still knows how to take care of the grandpaparazzi.
If you cannot see the video click here.
