Ha Ha - The Hair Wins

At the trunk or treat there was a question about who would say the paryer.  Two contestants.  Deciding attribute was who had the most hair - and I WON!!!!

So there.

Colors

October 19, 2011

 On the way to Logan, Utah from Ogden, Utah, one has to go over Sardine Canyon – a pass through the Wellsville Range. On a normal day, it is just a trip up the mountain and then down the mountain. On Saturday we made this trip and were awestruck at the glory of the autumn colors. Never in the many, many trips over that pass have I seen it so vivid and beautiful. Alas, I did not stop to take a picture, for how could a camera capture the browns and reds and yellows that covered whole hillsides.

The next Friday, when passing over it again, some of the wonder was gone, yet it was still a mighty feat of nature to create such a canvas. Alas, I still did not stop to capture it in a picture.

However, on Wednesday, after I finished working, Mar picked me up with the Mother and Brenda and we drove up Logan Canyon just to see the colors. Might I say that I once read that one magazine ranked Logan Canyon as one of the top ten spots in America to view Fall foliage. It did not disappoint this year. We drove up and stopped at a little picnic ground by a little grotto on the river. It was a lovely secluded little spot – with a reward of a wild apple tree that was bearing pretty good tasting fruit. We went a little further on and turned up Blacksmith Fork canyon to see something off the beaten way. The leaves were beautiful in the approaching twilight and the canyon itself was delightful. We would stop now and then, and then continue on.

As we got almost to the top of the canyon (we were looking for Old Ephraim's grave) and looked out on a breathtaking autumn scene, Mar – who was driving – looked down and said "Oh my, we are almost out of gas". I must say, that stopped the pilgrimage to the burial shrine. We were well into the back woods, and we were probably saved a lot of stress and tribulation by the fact that it was mostly downhill back to civilization, so Mar coasted much of the way.

A delightful trip – and I did take some pictures. Alas, a cell phone is a sorry excuse for a camera, especially in the shadows of twilight.

Travels with Mar and Lar

Ogden and Logan, Utah
October 13 – 22, 2011

 
Maybe this was a business trip. Maybe it was a family trip. Maybe it was a pleasure trip. As it turns out, it was all three. And it was the result a one of those "perfect storms".

Lar was scheduled to do a business trip to Tucson, Arizona. Not looking forward to it very much. Then he got an overview of the upcoming schedule and found that another instructor was doing a class in Logan. Charlie, the other instructor, had no reason to be in Logan other than the class. Lar had lots of family reasons. So a short phone call later, the classes were switched – Lar on his way to Logan – Charlie to Tucson. And because it was Logan, Lar decided it would be real nice – I mean real , real nice – to take Mar. So a ticket was purchased and the plans were made.
 
We went out on the Thursday before the class, because Lar had taken that Thursday and Friday off a long time before – more of the "perfect storm". Thursday night, Friday and Saturday morning we spent with Melanie and Mom (that would be Lar's mom) in Ogden. On Saturday morning we all went to breakfast with Emily and Rick. We like doing family help things for them. This trip we:

Trimmed a bush

Trimmed two trees

Cleaned out the rain gutters

Installed gutter guards

Repaired the shed (sort of)

Helped Melanie order new doors

Put plastic on two windows

Played lots of games

Ate lots of food

Saturday morning we went to Logan to stay with Mar's mom for the duration. We sent her into stress by telling her we wanted her to come back home with us. She said okay, so we got her a ticket on our return flight. We stayed with her until Friday morning. We did some things for her also:

Cleaned up a rock garden

Dug up some flowers (that we delivered to Brenda)

Trimmed bushes and spread bark

And Mar did a lot of running around town with her

Spent time with a lot of family

On Tuesday through Thursday, I taught the class – which went okay.

Friday we went back to Melanie's and finished some work (and played games). Then Saturday morning we flew back home.

Good trip – made even better by being surrounded by people I love – and people who love me.

Flowers for Aaron.

The long story.

Brother Altman was doing some work at the church today.  When he left he saw a car with two people in it parked next to his car.  He asked them if he could help.  They asked if he knew where Aaron was buried.  They had driven up from Denver - for City Bark where Aaron used to work - with some flowers to remember him.  Brother Altman called Mar and found out that Aaron really doesn't have that place yet.  So they gave the flowers to Brother Altman and he delivered them to Mar.  He mentioned that they were very touched and obviously still sad at Aaron's passing.

This has touched a sadness spot for us.  But at the same time, it is nice to know that Aaron's influence was remembered as good for these people.  We did not get their names, but we appreciate so much the kindness they have shown - and the love they have shown for our son.

Movie List

July 30, 2011

So this is what I watched flying back from Malaysia:

Clash of the Titans

Don't bother - oh, you say you aleady saw it.  I am so sorry.  Not a good movie.

Iron Man II

Okay, I liked it.  As unbelievable as the first Iron Man.  Still it was entertaining. 

Kids Stuff

(No disrespect to Mathew intended)

Andrea took Emma and Spencer to the Boulder County Fair.  They had a good time and while they were there they "won" two gold fish.  They brought them home and they are now living in Mar's trifle bowl.  We assumed they would die overnight - but alas (and lucky for them) they are holding on.

Andrea was watching the fish and talking to Emma when she mentioned that Mathew had trained the gold fish he had when he was younger.  That comment prompted this from Emma:

"You know, Mat is just strange.  He gets it from Grandpa.  And I'm learning to be strange also, cause were staying with Grandpa."

I am such a wonderful influence on people.

Movie List

July 23, 2011
One thing I can say about international travel – you have a lot of time on your hands. On a trip to Malaysia, I had enough time to finish two books and watch two movies. This is the two movies:

Despicable Me

A cute little movie. It focuses on redemption of a person whose goal was to be the most despicable villain around. A pretty predictable plot, but with nice characterization along the way. And you just have to love the Minions. I liked the movie, but only enough to say it is average – I give it a 2.5 on the scale

Battle: Los Angeles

Aging marine seargent – reputation for losing his men in battle. A strong fight on his hands with an enemy and his new squad. That about sums up the humanity of the story, and it is pretty trite. Still, I liked this movie. It is a good action war movie, and when all of the traditional foes are not in vogue, you have to have a new foe, so why not go for aliens. Of course the hero is really the hero and he and his squad find out how to "take the suckers down", and you can figure all along that it will happen (a la "Independence Day") I liked the portrayal of the marines and especially because I have been at Camp Pendleton and recognized some of the scenery (there was ever a very short scene at the San Onefre gate onto the base). I thought the fighting scenes were well done. It truly gave a sense of battle and the mayhem that goes with it. So I can ignore a lot of the trite story line, and the rough language, and say that it wasn't too bad – not for little kids, however. I can even say I had a favorite line from this movie – "We've already had our breakfast, sir." I give this movie about a 2.5, again just average.