A Ride up near Skyline Drive

Dennis wanted to ride a loop up on Skyline Drive and back by Huntington Reservoir ... so we drove up Fairview Canyon and discovered that the trail was closed ... and so was Skyline Drive. So ... we had to go to the Reservoir and tried going backwards ... which worked until we ran into a mud slide up near the top. Apparently there is still some mud and snow up on top ... and the roads are not completely cleared yet ... amazing ... it's June 26th!! The above picture is at Miller's Flat Reservoir.

This was Potter's Pond ... and a much nicer place to be. There were lots of people fishing and even some kids out on the big part of the lake in canoes. We will definitely return here and try fishing at a later date.

After we ran into the mud slide and had to turn back, we found a little area to have lunch. We even had a few nice flat rocks to use as a table. It was a beautiful area ... not too hot and VERY green. Wow ... the wild flowers are in full bloom!

We found this HUGE tree that had been cut down ... and it looked like a big chair ... It was up the hill from our lunch site, so we decided to snap a picture!

Happy Father's Day - June 20,2010

Guess what he got for Father's Day??? A new BBQ ... and was he ever excited. (The only problem was he only got to unwrap the new BBQ tools ... as I needed him to help pick it up in his truck!! ~ Oh well, he still loves it!!)

And here was our first meal ... marinated chicken breasts and baked potatoes. We plan to cook many meals outdoors ... and it is fun that Dennis enjoys playing with his new toy!! Happy Father's Day honey ... you're not my dad, but you are a wonderful father to our children and we all love you very much. *** The kids all sent cards and money towards our new blender ... we love our SMOOTHIES!

A SNAKE in our neighbors yard!!

This is the snake - escaping from the cage the Davis' boys had put him in. Karen wanted me to come and see it because earlier in the day it was hanging from the big tree in our front yard. Apparently because of the neighbor next to them digging in their yard it disturbed his home and he was out wandering. We were told he was harmless, but you wouldn't prove it by me ... I used telephoto to get these pictures. (I don't like snakes!!)

Here he was slithering along the edge of her flower garden. He could travel way faster than I would of expected. Luckily a man in the ward came and got him so he could feed him to his pet hawk!!

And how does your Garden Grow???

We are still trying to get a successful garden growing here in Utah (we were never very successful in California either ... lack that green thumb, I guess). Last year we tried a version of the square foot gardening as we had it planted in barrels cut in half with a specific mixture of dirt/compost ... which failed miserably (we think the fertilizer was too hot and it didn't have enough root room) ... SO, this year Dennis tilled all of that rich soil into our existing garden spot ... AND we followed the instructions of a local gardener who teaches classes in the area ... hence, the spacing, the deep furrows, and the plastic. We have tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, and crooked neck on the plastic ... and beets and carrots in front (just beginning to peek up). We have had such a wet/late spring ... we need lots of sun to help things grow!!

A quick shot of some more of my garden ... hostas, iris, day lily's and a hydrangea plant that is just starting to bloom ... I am so excited!!

Now I am showing a view from under the cherry trees ... See how they are already starting to weigh down from the weight of the cherries? We have lost a lot of fruit this year from the weather ... but not enough I am afraid ... Dennis is going to have to start spraying right away ... we have lots of apples coming as well.

41st Wedding Anniversary

This was Sunday, June 6, 2010 ... and we are in beautiful Kolob Canyon ... just off I15 near St. George. We were on our way to a business conference Dennis had in LV and decided to stop and see this beautiful place. (We always passed it by after they started charging $10 to take a look ... BUT, now Dennis has his Golden Age Pass and National Park fees are waived ... YEAH!!)

This is actually the ONLY picture we have of us ... and these are all the pictures we took of the trip!!!??? Not sure where my head (or camera) were ... but ... we have this one because we saw this cute couple trying to take a picture and Dennis offered to take it for them ... come to find out they were on their honeymoon ... and we were celebrating 41 years ... it was sweet!!

More pictures of the canyon. It is a beutiful place, and not far off the highway. (I think the sign says 5 miles ... it is just minutes away from civilization ... and so beautiful. Worth the drive, not sure it is worth the $10 fee though. There are some hiking trails if it isn't too hot!!)

Signs that they have had a wet spring ... there is still water coming down over the rocks in several places.

Oh, BTW, it was 105+ when we were here. We were heading into a heat wave for sure (115 when we got to Vegas). Good think our hotel had a pool (which I enjoyed everyday with Mike and Jodi's boys). We had a great week, and didn't have to pay for it, so that was even better. Dennis was in meetings every day but he got to take breaks and even came out by the pool to say Hi several times. He enjoyed the conference and also the break from the normal routine at work. We had fun in the evenings as well.