Blog – Page 6

Megan and Paul: Engagement Photos

July 16, 2011 by rickety Leave a Comment

Megan moved into the Davis Park YSA Ward in September 2010. She attended the newcomer’s gospel doctrine class that Paul taught. On the day that Megan went Paul was not teaching but he went each week. On 14th October 2010 the ward sponsored a pizza making activity that Paul and Megan attended. Paul made a baked bean, spam, and cheese pizza that Megan wouldn’t try. Megan made a pepperoni pizza.

Paul talked to Megan at the pizza activity and he asked her what she was studying, among other things. Megan told Paul she was studying to be a dental hygienist and Paul asked in puzzlement, “What would you want to do that for?”

The next day Paul organized a bonfire to burn the branches cut from my tree. At least twenty people showed up but the truck to haul the branches was delayed so most of them left. But Megan didn’t leave. Sean, Celeste, Tyler, Mandy, Eric, and Megan’s friend Andrea also stayed.

Paul thought that Megan must like him because she came to the bonfire. But Megan says that she liked him after the bonfire. On the way home from the bonfire, and still in the mountains, the tire on the Jeep burst at 3 am in the morning. Andrea, Eric, Megan and Paul were in the Jeep. Megan says that at that moment she realized that she liked Paul because he was calm in dealing with the tire. She thought it was funny that he was not panicking.

Megan next saw Paul when she was working at the airport. Paul happened to get off a plane from Texas and waved to her. Megan waved back. Paul said that he waved first. Later that evening at the ward pumpkin carving activity Megan spoke first to Paul.

At church for the next two weeks Paul acted disinterested in Megan. But when her car window would not wind up she asked Paul to take a look at it. He replaced the window regulator with one from the junk yard, at the expense of a cut hand. The trip to the junk yard turned out to be their first date.

Moroni

July 14, 2011 by rickety 1 Comment

Clear skies on the day after the historic installation of the angel Moroni

Tuesday was the big day for the installation of the statue of the angel Moroni. Last week final preparations were being made by construction workers for this historic event. On Tuesday I drove to Brigham City to watch the proceedings. However, strong winds delayed placing the statue of Moroni atop the spire for two hours and I left before Moroni was hoisted high above the thousands in attendance.

On Wednesday my wife took photographs of the newly placed Moroni. He does look majestic atop the east spire. Click on the images to enlarge.

Brigham City Utah Temple Moroni atop east spire

The statue of the angel Moroni atop the east spire

About Moroni

The first angel Moroni appeared as the Nauvoo Temple’s weathervane, in a horizontal position as if in flight, holding an open book with one hand and a horn pressed to its lips with the other. Moroni symbolizes the restoration of the Gospel and many statues of the angel have gold plates placed in Moroni’s left arm.

Brigham City Utah Temple Moroni lightning arrestors

Brigham City temple angel Moroni with two lightning rods

All Moroni figures are gilded, or covered with gold. The process involves rubbing thin sheets of gold onto the figure’s surface.

All figures except one show Moroni wearing long, flowing robes, belted at the waist. The Moroni figure atop the Los Angeles California Temple, however, is dressed in a Mayan-style robe and headband, wearing sandals on his feet and bearing distinctive Native American facial features.

The statues are frequently hit by lightning. Today’s figures have a copper rod running through them vertically, which extends several inches above the figure’s head at the top, and attaches to a grounding cable at the bottom. This serves both as a lightning rod and as the mechanism for mounting the figure on the building’s tower.

In 2009 the Moroni atop the Oquirrh Mountain Temple was struck and blackened by lightning. The new one included an extra lightning rod, for additional protection. The Brigham City temple Moroni also has a second rod.

Brigham City Utah Temple Moroni high above

The 12 foot fiberglass angel Moroni weighs 267 pounds

Online Interest

Pageviews rose as people searched online for news

There was a lot of online interest about the event. On Tuesday, even though I had no post about the installation of the angel Moroni, my blog received 926 pageviews, double the normal daily number.

My two prior week’s posts about the temple spires garnered 264 views, while six other posts about the Brigham City Utah Temple construction collected 137 hits. Other posts about the new temple also collected well above normal views.

Brigham City Utah Temple Moroni two spires

The angel Moroni stands on an 18-inch ball

When the temple opens in 2012 we will need a different kind of temple worker

Grandson Bryson

Brigham City Utah Temple Moroni installed

The same size angel on the Salt Lake City temple weighs 4,000 pounds

Photo Credit: Jill Willoughby
Moroni Information: “Looking Up to Moroni” by Wendy Kenney

Brigham City Utah Temple Spires

July 7, 2011 by rickety Leave a Comment

Work continues around the spires

Wednesday saw work continuing on the spires from last week, presumably in readiness for the statue of the angel Moroni to be installed. Remember that the statue is scheduled to be placed atop the east spire on Tuesday, July 12, 2011, at noon. I am still deciding if I will go to view it. I would like to take photographs of this historic occasion.

Click on the images to enlarge. In the photograph above, click once to zoom closer, then again to zoom even closer.

Brigham City History

Population Changes (continued)

Brigham City’s population of 6,790 in 1950 increased to 11,720 in 1960, to 14,000 in 1970 and to 15,596 in 1980 as Thiokol’s sold-fuel motor production and number of employees expanded. By 1984, Thiokol’s Wasatch Division was the largest private employer in Utah with 5,750 employees. In 1990 the population of Brigham City was 16,000.

Bushnell, Intermountain and Thiokol all brought new residents with a diversity of religious preferences so that 14 denominations now have worship services in Brigham City. The business community and public services continue to grow to meet the demands of the larger population. (From: Brighamcity.utah.gov)

Brigham City Utah Temple from Willard Bay

The temple from the waters of Willard Bay

Brigham City Utah Temple holiness to the lord

"And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD." Exodus 28:36

Photo Credit: Jill Willoughby

Kaysville July 4th Parade

July 4, 2011 by rickety 3 Comments

Many family members were at the parade

Almost all family members were together for the Kaysville July 4th Parade. The parade entries do not seem to change much from year to year but we enjoy them just the same. The temperature cooled a little for the parade as clouds moved over Davis County. Here are a few photographs I took of the participants. Click on the images to enlarge.

See you at the fireworks tonight!

Kaysville July 4th Parade standard bearers

The standard bearers lead the parade

Kaysville July 4th Parade Davis High School Marching Band

Davis High School Marching Band seems to get larger every year

War Veterans

Desert Storm Veterans

Korean War Veterans

Air Force Veterans

Essential Services

Kaysville July 4th Parade Davis County Sheriff

Davis County Sheriff Deputy providing high profile patrol, targeted patrol and crime detection

Kaysville July 4th Parade Davis County Sheriff DARE

Davis County Sheriff D.A.R.E. equips school children with knowledge and consequences of drug abuse, and skills for resisting peer pressure

Kaysville July 4th Parade Utah Highway Patrol

In 1933 the State Road Police Patrol was redesignated as the Utah Highway Patrol

Engine 61 has an 8 man cab and a 750 gallon tank and can pump 2000 gallons of water per minute

Kaysville City Mayor

Kaysville July 4th Parade Mayor Steve Hiatt

Kaysville City Mayor Steve Hiatt distributes candy

Handcarts were used from 1856 until 1860 and today represent the faithfulness and sacrifice of the pioneer generation

Davis Hospital Eagle

An old Ford in excellent condition

You can't have a parade without horses

Kaysville July 4th Parade Jill in Canada T-shirt

Lady, you are three days late for your parade

Real Population Density

July 4, 2011 by rickety 2 Comments

Boise Valley, Idaho wheat field around 1920

In the United States, in these times of high unemployment, increasing deficits, and seemingly endless wars, it would be well to count our blessings. One such blessing is the bounteous land in which we live. The United States has more arable land than any other country. Even though the United States is the third most populous nation on Earth, her Real Population Density ranks as twelfth least dense of all nations.

As the world’s population increases and ever more demands are placed on the food supply, am I thankful to be living in the United States. Let me explain some of the terms associated with real population density and show you the favorable numbers for the U.S.A.

Arable Land

Agricultural area includes land suitable for crops and livestock. The standard classification, used by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, divides agricultural area into these components:

Arable Land — land under annual crops, such as cereals, potatoes, vegetables, and melons that are replanted after each harvest; also land left temporarily fallow.
Orchards and Vineyards — land under permanent crops such as citrus, coffee, and rubber that are not replanted after each harvest.
Meadows and Pastures — areas for natural grasses and grazing of livestock.

In 2008, the world’s total arable land amounted to 13,805,153 square kilometers, whereas 48,836,976 square kilometers was classified as agricultural land. In this post, we are focused on arable land. Of interest is this map of the world with arable land percentages showing the United States in the 15-19% range.

Real Population Density

Population density is the number of people per square kilometer. Real Population Density is the number of people per square kilometer of arable land. This enables us to see the capacity of a country to feed their own people.

Real Population Density is a much better measure than pure population density as it shows how a seemingly more densely populated country can carry a larger population because a much bigger portion of the land is suitable for agriculture.

For those of us used to thinking in acres, one square kilometer is equal to 247.1 acres.

Table of Countries by Real Population Density

Click ONCE on column headers to sort.

Rank	Country¹	Real Density²	Population	Arable Land (km²)
1	Australia	48	22,268,000	468,503
2	Kazakhstan	72	16,026,000	221,059
3	Canada	82	34,017,000	415,573
4	Niger	107	15,512,000	144,784
5	Lithuania	114	3,324,000	29,216
6	Russia	117	142,958,000	1,218,599
7	Latvia	126	2,252,000	17,926
8	Ukraine	140	45,448,000	324,791
9	Argentina	147	40,412,000	274,490
10	Guyana	172	754,000	4,390
11	Belarus	173	9,595,000	55,575
12	United States	188	310,384,000	1,650,062
13	Moldova	196	3,573,000	18,194
14	Paraguay	218	6,455,000	29,678
15	Hungary	218	9,984,000	45,782
16	Bulgaria	226	7,494,000	33,099
17	Central African Republic	228	4,401,000	19,313
18	Turkmenistan	229	5,042,000	22,013
19	Mongolia	232	2,756,000	11,887
20	Romania	236	21,486,000	90,961
21	Denmark	249	5,550,000	22,295
22	Uruguay	250	3,369,000	13,490
23	Togo	251	6,028,000	24,038
24	Zambia	253	13,089,000	51,777
25	Estonia	258	1,341,000	5,207
26	Finland	269	5,365,000	19,913
27	Sudan	270	43,552,000	161,093
28	Namibia	279	2,283,000	8,172
29	New Zealand	294	4,368,000	14,848
30	Samoa	295	183,000	620
31	Serbia	299	9,856,000	32,990
32	Croatia	302	4,403,000	14,566
33	Poland	312	38,277,000	122,547
34	Turkey	317	72,752,000	229,764
35	Chad	318	11,227,000	35,258
36	Nicaragua	325	5,788,000	17,810
37	Bolivia	329	9,930,000	30,146
38	Brazil	333	194,946,000	586,036
39	Cameroon	333	19,599,000	58,868
40	Mali	335	15,370,000	45,872
41	Spain	339	46,077,000	135,776
42	South Africa	340	50,133,000	147,609
43	Benin	340	8,850,000	26,029
44	Burkina Faso	341	16,469,000	48,353
45	France	344	62,787,000	182,568
46	Czech Republic	350	10,493,000	29,999
47	Libya	351	6,355,000	18,123
48	Montenegro	363	631,000	1,740
49	Cuba	368	11,258,000	30,631
50	Bosnia and Herzegovina	375	3,760,000	10,026
51	Macedonia	377	2,061,000	5,471
52	Morocco	377	31,951,000	84,797
53	Slovakia	383	5,462,000	14,264
54	Sweden	385	9,380,000	24,368
55	Ireland	386	4,470,000	11,587
56	Cambodia	392	14,138,000	36,081
57	Zimbabwe	395	12,571,000	31,862
58	Tunisia	396	10,481,000	26,489
59	Afghanistan	400	31,412,000	78,542
60	Greece	425	11,359,000	26,749
61	Kyrgyzstan	426	5,334,000	12,530
62	Fiji	430	861,000	2,001
63	Syrian Arab Republic	447	20,411,000	45,644
64	Belize	448	312,000	696
65	Iran	462	73,974,000	160,001
66	Mexico	466	113,423,000	243,457
67	Algeria	470	35,468,000	75,501
68	Gabon	483	1,505,000	3,118
69	Myanmar	489	47,963,000	98,135
70	Thailand	490	69,122,000	140,941
71	Azerbaijan	518	9,188,000	17,754
72	Senegal	518	12,434,000	24,019
73	Nigeria	527	158,423,000	300,736
74	Botswana	527	2,007,000	3,805
75	Equatorial Guinea	539	700,000	1,299
76	Georgia	543	4,352,000	8,022
77	Mozambique	549	23,391,000	42,576
78	Iraq	559	31,672,000	56,700
79	Angola	578	19,082,000	33,038
80	Albania	582	3,204,000	5,507
81	Norway	587	4,883,000	8,312
82	Ghana	602	24,392,000	40,507
83	Côte d’Ivoire	607	19,738,000	32,531
84	Austria	614	8,394,000	13,677
85	Uzbekistan	614	27,445,000	44,710
86	Gambia	620	1,728,000	2,788
87	Panama	637	3,517,000	5,517
88	Armenia	649	3,092,000	4,766
89	Guinea-Bissau	651	1,515,000	2,327
90	Lesotho	658	2,171,000	3,300
91	Laos	670	6,201,000	9,255
92	Portugal	672	10,676,000	15,898
93	Bhutan	672	726,000	1,081
94	Swaziland	673	1,186,000	1,763
95	Madagascar	708	20,714,000	29,251
96	Germany	711	82,302,000	115,698
97	Honduras	713	7,601,000	10,663
98	Tonga	722	104,000	144
99	Tajikistan	739	6,879,000	9,304
100	Ethiopia	740	82,950,000	112,080
101	Malawi	766	14,901,000	19,456
102	Uganda	776	33,425,000	43,077
103	Italy	780	60,551,000	77,651
104	Peru	789	29,077,000	36,864
105	Republic of the Congo	816	4,043,000	4,952
106	Luxembourg	819	507,000	619
107	Saudi Arabia	838	27,448,000	32,742
108	India	844	1,224,614,000	1,451,809
109	Chile	872	17,114,000	19,619
110	Kenya	889	40,513,000	45,597
111	North Korea	903	24,346,000	26,972
112	Suriname	904	525,000	581
113	Eritrea	906	5,254,000	5,799
114	Somalia	907	9,331,000	10,288
115	Guinea	908	9,982,000	10,990
116	Pakistan	912	173,593,000	190,319
117	Dominican Republic	912	9,927,000	10,881
118	Timor-Leste	913	1,124,000	1,231
119	Ecuador	915	14,465,000	15,808
120	Burundi	919	8,383,000	9,124
121	Rwanda	935	10,624,000	11,366
122	Comoros	945	735,000	778
123	El Salvador	953	6,193,000	6,500
124	China	968	1,341,335,000	1,385,905
125	Guatemala	1,004	14,389,000	14,334
126	Dem Rep of Congo	1,017	65,966,000	64,853
127	Sierra Leone	1,031	5,868,000	5,694
128	Cape Verde	1,078	496,000	460
129	Cyprus	1,105	1,104,000	999
130	United Kingdom	1,105	62,036,000	56,121
131	Venezuela	1,153	28,980,000	25,138
132	Slovenia	1,181	2,030,000	1,719
133	Indonesia	1,191	239,871,000	201,456
134	Tanzania	1,196	44,841,000	37,479
135	Vanuatu	1,200	240,000	200
136	Liberia	1,209	3,994,000	3,304
137	Haiti	1,290	9,993,000	7,747
138	Belgium	1,290	10,712,000	8,302
139	Mauritius	1,306	1,299,000	995
140	Viet Nam	1,341	87,848,000	65,528
141	Nepal	1,363	29,959,000	21,984
142	Saint Vincent	1,557	109,000	70
143	Yemen	1,566	24,053,000	15,364
144	Malaysia	1,583	28,401,000	17,939
145	Jamaica	1,598	2,741,000	1,715
146	Philippines	1,646	93,261,000	56,652
147	Mauritania	1,679	3,460,000	2,061
148	Barbados	1,706	273,000	160
149	Trinidad and Tobago	1,788	1,341,000	750
150	Switzerland	1,945	7,664,000	3,941
151	Sao Tome and Principe	1,988	165,000	83
152	French Guiana	1,991	231,000	116
153	Bangladesh	2,005	148,692,000	74,173
154	Jordan	2,027	6,187,000	3,053
155	Costa Rica	2,090	4,659,000	2,229
156	Netherlands Antilles	2,094	201,000	96
157	Colombia	2,217	46,295,000	20,878
158	Netherlands	2,233	16,613,000	7,441
159	Guadeloupe	2,305	461,000	200
160	Sri Lanka	2,308	20,860,000	9,038
161	Israel	2,362	7,418,000	3,141
162	Réunion	2,424	846,000	349
163	Lebanon	2,527	4,228,000	1,673
164	Micronesia	2,775	111,000	40
165	Egypt	2,791	81,121,000	29,067
166	Japan	2,901	126,536,000	43,620
167	South Korea	2,960	48,184,000	16,280
168	Taiwan	2,979	23,061,689	7,742
169	Papua New Guinea	3,091	6,858,000	2,219
170	Solomon Islands	3,146	538,000	171
171	Brunei Darussalam	3,627	399,000	110
172	Palestinian Territory	3,821	4,039,000	1,057
173	Malta	4,212	417,000	99
174	Martinique	4,229	406,000	96
175	New Caledonia	4,254	251,000	59
176	Saint Lucia	4,462	174,000	39
177	Iceland	4,571	320,000	70
178	Grenada	5,200	104,000	20
179	Aruba	5,350	107,000	20
180	Virgin Islands	5,450	109,000	20
181	Bahamas	5,914	343,000	58
182	Maldives	7,900	316,000	40
183	Guam	9,000	180,000	20
184	Qatar	9,356	1,759,000	188
185	Western Sahara	10,019	531,000	53
186	French Polynesia	10,037	271,000	27
187	Oman	10,910	2,782,000	255
188	Puerto Rico	11,465	3,749,000	327
189	United Arab Emirates	11,774	7,512,000	638
190	Kuwait	18,247	2,737,000	150
191	Bahrain	66,421	1,262,000	19
192	Djibouti	98,778	889,000	9
193	Hong Kong	133,075	7,053,000	53
194	Singapore	508,600	5,086,000	10
195	Macao³	—	544,000	0

Notes

Countries and territories of less than 100,000 in 2009 are not included.
Real Density is population per square kilometer of arable land.
Macao has no arable land, hence real population density is not calculated.

Sources

Population: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2011): World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision. New York, accessed July 4th, 2011.
Taiwan Population: Wikipedia, accessed July 4th, 2011. Taiwan is not recognized by the United Nations.
Arable Land: The World Factbook.
Photo Credit: Water Archives.

External Articles

This list is updated occasionally, with newer additions listed first.

How poverty has tracked global population — There’s nothing Malthusian going on here.

100 Years Ago: Hotel Utah, Lawsuit, and Hatchetations

July 3, 2011 by rickety Leave a Comment

The following was adapted from the Improvement Era magazine of July 1911.

“Hatchetations”

Carry Nation with her hatchet and Bible

Carry A. Nation, made famous because she began a campaign in Wichita, Kansas, December 17, 1900, against the saloons, by smashing furniture and windows with a hatchet, died in Leavenworth, Kansas, June 9. Carry Moore was born in Kentucky, in 1846, and in early life married a man who became a drunkard.

When he died, she determined to devote her life to the suppression of the liquor traffic and the tobacco habit. With her favorite hatchet she left a trail of ruined bar-rooms in the state of Kansas, wherever she unheralded appeared. She was married to David Nation, in Kansas City, who divorced her ten years ago.

[Official records say her first name was spelt Carrie. However, beginning with her anti-liquor campaign, she adopted the name Carry A. Nation mainly for its value as a slogan. Between 1900 and 1910 she was arrested some 30 times for “hatchetations,” as she came to call them. Nation paid her jail fines from lecture-tour fees and sales of souvenir hatchets.]

University of Utah Lawsuit

The University of Utah lost its suit, begun nearly four years ago, against the Montello Salt Company, in the United States Supreme Court, May 29, for title to large tracts of salt lands, under an act of Congress granting the state of Utah lands for university purposes. The district and state supreme courts had both decided for the University. The salt beds in question are said to be so extensive that had the suit been favorable to the state, the University would have been richly endowed.

Hotel Utah

Beautiful Hotel Utah opened its doors at 8 o’clock Friday morning, June 9. The structure complete marks an expenditure of two million dollars—$1,500,000 for construction, $300,000 in furnishings, and $200,000 for a light, heat and power plant. It is one of the great hotels of the United States, and signals a new era for Salt Lake City and Utah, in their relations to the traveling public.

[The Hotel Utah ceased operations in August 1987. A major remodeling and adaptive reuse project to accommodate both community and church functions was completed in 1993. Church leader Gordon B. Hinckley chose the name Joseph Smith Memorial Building when he observed that there were many monuments to Brigham Young, but none to Joseph Smith.]

Adapted from: “Passing Events”, Improvement Era, Vol. XIV. July, 1911. No. 9.

Joseph Smith Memorial Building, formerly the Hotel Utah

Shepard Creek Trail

July 2, 2011 by rickety 3 Comments

Shepard Creek Trail - Susan, Shauna, and Jill

Yesterday Susan, Shauna, Jill and I hiked Shepard Creek Trail. Shepard Creek Trail winds out of several residential areas in Somerset and Shepard Heights and up a canyon. To get to the trail, from Main Street go east toward the mountains on 1400 North one block. Look for a dirt road to the north and park along 1400 North. Step over the pedestrian gate.

Shepard Creek

Walk north up the dirt road. This is part of the old Bamberger Railroad right of way. As you come to a large open area, cross near a stone culvert, past the weather station, to the far side of Shepard Creek. The trail parallels the creek winding through trees and crossing two bridges. The first bridge is a large log with a rope as a handrail. Turn left and follow the trail beside the stream.

The trail was steep in places

When you come to some wooden steps, go straight across and continue paralleling the stream until you reach another set of wooden steps. Turn left and cross the second bridge. Follow the trail again paralleling the stream. You will pass some houses. If you take a wrong turn you could end up in someone’s kitchen. So watch for the trail markers.

Flowers along the trail

Keep bearing to the right and eventually you will rise up a short hill to an intersection where there is a bench. The Somerset section of the trail continues on from here.

In 10 or 20 minutes, the trail will come out on Bella Vista Drive. Look up the canyon over your right shoulder to see the break in the chain link fence where the trail continues.

Hike up the dirt road about 200 feet and watch for the trail to cut up the slope to the right. Continue up the trail beyond the chain link fence and hike straight up the dirt road until it “T’s”.

Go left at the “T” and follow this dirt road. After 75 to 100 feet, keep an eye to the right of the road for a faint footpath. Follow the footpath up a ways where it turns to the south. Notice that there is a footpath that travels east up and over a rock outcropping. Another trail goes south from here to Farmington Canyon.

It was a hot day but most of the first part of the trail was shaded. Once out in the open one could feel the sun. Occasionally there was a gentle breeze which felt really good.

We didn’t get to the end of the trail. A hiker on his return trip said it was very steep further up the trail. We weren’t equipped with hiking boots so we eventually turned back after admiring the view.

There were several benches along the trail

Further up the trail

Jill on the trail

Shauna with a view of the valley behin her

Jill with the Kaysville LDS granary in the distance

Utah's state flower, the sego lily, by the side of the trail

Shauna and flowers

FAA long-range radar site atop Francis Peak

Jill, Shauna, and Susan make the return trip

On our return, this little waterfall cooled the air while we rested

Megan and Paul

July 1, 2011 by Megan 6 Comments

Congratulations Paul and Megan!

We were sitting in the living room when Dan came in and asked Paul if he wanted to go hike to get an old shovel they had found months ago. Paul said that was a good idea and I reluctantly went along, giving them reasons why I didn’t think it was a good idea. We got in the Jeep and Dan got a phone call from a friend asking him to go country dancing, so then Dan backed out of the trip to search for the shovel. Later of course I found out that the call was fake and Dan was in on the plan to get me into the Jeep.

Pencil grip and cubic zirconium rings

So Paul and I headed up Farmington Canyon and he turned up a road that we had been on before instead of going to the old shovel road. I didn’t think much of it because I thought that all of my reasons the hike was a bad idea had finally sunk in and we were just going somewhere else. We ended up at a big rock that we had been to a few times before, where you can overlook all the lights of the cities.

As we were sitting up there paul grabbed my hands and somehow got down on one knee on the giant slanted rock and pulled out a ring box. He opened it up to reveal a collection of brightly colored pencil grips! (The week before I had a dream that Paul had proposed to me and when he opened the box it was a bunch of pencil grips.)

I started laughing when I saw what was in the box and then he took one of them that he had fashioned into a ring and put it on my finger and asked me to marry him. I of course said yes! Then he pulled out a cubic zirconium ring he had gotten and put that on my finger. We will be going to pick out a real ring together in the next little while.

Who cares what the ring is made of?

After Paul had done all of this he told me to stay put and he jumped off the rock and went and grabbed two bags out of the back of his Jeep and brought them up to me. From the first bag he pulled out a KFC mashed potato bowl. I really like them and they are what we ate on Valentines Day. They were even still warm somehow. The second bag contained a variety of sodas that Paul had picked up in California.

He pulled out a cucumber flavored one and we sat on the rock together, eating mashed potatoes and drinking cucumber soda.

We called my parents first and then came and told Paul’s parents. Paul woke them up at 1 am to tell them. Paul’s mom was really excited and got out of bed to talk to us but Paul’s dad rolled over and went back to sleep.

I suspected that Paul would be asking me sometime soon but he surprised me and really threw me off by getting Dan involved and having him in on it with the fake phone call and everything.

Happiness is a new engagement ring

Brigham City Temple Spires

June 29, 2011 by rickety Leave a Comment

The west spire is now in place

Today the photographs of the Brigham City temple construction reveal the west spire in place. Last week there was only the spire framework. The statue of the angel Moroni is scheduled to be placed atop the east spire on Tuesday, July 12, 2011, at noon. Installation will take around thirty minutes. The streets surrounding the temple block will be closed to allow spectators to view the proceedings.

Brigham City History

Population Changes

Bushnell General Hospital, built in 1942 to treat soldiers wounded in WWII, brought some drastic changes to the quiet community. The 60-building facility constructed on 235 acres brought a major boost to the economy. From the beginning of its construction until its closure in 1946, Bushnell provided new jobs for many local people.

Local farmers sold produce to the hospital, and business on Main Street increased with the inundation of hospital staff, patients and their families. People from various backgrounds came to work or to be treated at Bushnell, then stayed in Brigham City and merged with the descendants of the Mormon settlers.

After Bushnell closed, the facility housed the Intermountain Indian School from 1950 until 1984, with its staff and students adding more cultural diversity to the citizenry
Brigham City’s growth rate increased rapidly with the construction in 1957 of Thiokol Chemical Corporation’s Wasatch Division, the largest manufacturing enterprise in Box Elder County’s history. With its initial workforce of 150 growing to 1,425 by 1959, housing construction in Brigham City boomed. A total of 187 homes were built in 1958, twice the number built the previous year. (From: Brighamcity.utah.gov)

Photo Credit: Jill Willoughby

Brigham City Temple Roof

June 23, 2011 by rickety 2 Comments

The red roof of the temple

Yesterday a visit to the Brigham City temple construction showed the red roof of the temple. Last week there was work on the west side of the temple and that appears to have continued. There is still the unfinished west spire but it cannot be too long before that is completed. I wonder when the angel Moroni statue will be placed on the east spire?

Brigham City History

Commerce (continued)

By 1910 Brigham City’s population was 4,000, and its industries included the new cement plant north of town, Anderson Knitting factory and the Jensen Brothers Milling and Elevatory (changed to Big J Mill in 1946). Retail businesses sold such merchandise as ladies’ fashions, motor cars, furniture and medicine. Hotels, cafes, saloons, shoe repair shops, and a wagon and machine company were among the local businesses.

In 1911, Lorenzo Smith, grandson of Samuel Smith who helped colonize Brigham City and organize the Co-op, opened a family grocery store on Main Street. Typical of the time, the store was more than a source of groceries. To many it was a social center for gossiping and keeping up with events of the day. Lorenzo’s son, Dee Smith, later took over the business and eventually expanded it to a chain of 110 stores throughout the western states.

In the 20s and 30s, Brigham City remained a small agricultural town specializing in fruit production. At the time it was still predominantely Mormon. Although many local men had seen active duty in World War I, the impact of the war on townspeople was small compared to what they would experience during World War II. (From: Brighamcity.utah.gov)

The unfinished west spire of the temple

Photo Credit: Jill Willoughby

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