Gordon's Gal-Pal-Sal

The other night we took a drive up Left Fork (Hobble Creek Canyon) I came prepared with my super-zoom lens and I wasn't disappointed! Usually that means I found some wildlife; but this time it was the domesticate variety that caught my attention.

We stopped to see several herds of horses. There are always a few brave creatures who come over to the fence to get a scratch... but I've never seen this before with a stranger...


"Look at this! This horse is licking me!"



Sure enough this pretty palomino mare was giving Gordon a good cat-bath!



Does she have a male owner? Does he smell/taste like Gordon? (She wasn't interested in the way I smelled!)



I pointed out another horse to Gordon and while his attention was distracted Gal-Pal-Sal checked out his pockets. (Let's just say those pants went to the laundry when we got home!)



Gordon became so attached to her that he named her Pal, the palomino. Then later in the evening he changed it to his pal, Sal. (We laughed about the non-originality of the names!)

Lastly, a beautiful canyon sunset! It doesn't get much better than this!

Totally Dominated!

Growing up Stuart and Camille were always the best of friends, but that didn't prevent a little friendly competition! When they were about 8-years-old Stuart started soccer and Camille started competition cheerleading. I have a friend who always remarked on my little children how sturdily built they were (hmm, sorry guys!)

It didn't take long before Camille was recognized as a great base! She routinely lifted the flyers above her head, and as the name implies, pitched them into the air and caught them again. This kind of exercise builds incredible arm strength!

Now, enter their dad, ever ready to pair people up in an arm wrestling match**. Much to Stuart's dismay Camille could beat him arm wrestling until they were 13!

Don't ask me what started this last night, but for some reason Camille and Stuart decided to give it a try again... 13 years later!



Let's put it this way... she was totally dominated!




** OK so now for the back stories on arm wrestling. When Gordon and I first met and then married he was impressed with my arm strength. I'd lived rurally all my life, rode horses, picked bales of hay, and, most importantly, had spent the last few years taking out my frustrations on the wood pile (AKA splitting wood with a heavy splitting maul).

The first contest he orchestrated was between me and some poor whimpy unsuspecting missionary that lived with him before we were married. I wasted the poor guy and I've felt bad about it ever since.

The second one was much more satisfying... we were in Hawai'i visiting Gordon's children. Erik, his oldest, was 13.5; the setting- Pizza Hut. Gordon told Erik he thought Mom could beat him and Erik, being taller than me, thought he had it made-in-the-shade! The whole dining area erupted in applause when I beat him. I told Erik he'd never get a rematch; I knew it would be all downhill for me from there.

Red, White & Blueberry

About a month ago I posted about a wonderful Strawberry tart I made. Yesterday I was hankering for it again but this time I had three different kinds of berries to grace the top...



Doesn't this look so patriotically yummy?

I did cheat on the filling (my hands just weren't up to making lemon curd yet) I used this old standby, which was good... but not as good as the lemon curd/cream cheese filling!

Fastest Cheescake
• 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 3 ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated)
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1 9" graham cracker or chocolate cookie pie crust (** I used the baked crust from the original strawberry-lemon tart post)
Preparation:
In medium bowl beat cream cheese until smooth and fluffy. Gradually add the sweetened condensed milk, beating constantly. When half of the milk has been added, add the lemon juice and beat until smooth. Add remaining sweetened condensed milk until mixture is smooth. Pour into graham cracker crust and chill at least one hour. 8 servings

Poor Babies!

Do you ever surprise yourself with your lack of thinking things through? I sure did this time!

For some reason I had it in my little-girl-mind that today, when the bandages came off, my hands would be all better and ready to go!

WHAT WAS I THINKING?

I'VE HAD SURGERIES BEFORE!

I KNOW IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY!

Look at these poor babies!

• I have some numb spots- I knew that would happen.
• My wrists are sore and emaciated- I should have known that would happen after 10 days in boxing gloves!
• The incisions are sore and hard- my scars always go through that stage.
• My bruises hurt- now this one I don't get!  If I had *damage* to my forearms: IE got hit by something I would expect bruises to hurt, but this is just pooled blood from the wrist.  What does THAT hurt?  I don't know!
• My incisions itch like crazy- normal- thank goodness for Vitamin E and Topricin.
• I still have weak hands and have to be very careful how I use them- I SHOULD have know that would be true.

Ah, well... I came home from getting the stitches out, laid down on my bed to read and ended up sleeping for 3 hours!  That's what the trauma of disappointment will do!

Miss Camille Moves 1st Grade

When I took the baby SD card out of my MPC-phone I discovered that I had some very fun photos from 11 days ago (the day before my surgery) that I'd completely forgotten about. What a happy find!

Camille's been teaching 1st grade out in Saratoga Springs for the last four years and whereas she loved the people she worked with (you know who you are) she was not wild about the commute, especially since the onset of the I-15 corridor construction! (It already cost her a tire.)

Each year Camille has put in for a transfer to other schools, within the district, which would be closer for her. This year was her lucky year! Her previous school was going through a significant downsize: from 8- 1st grade classes in '09-'10 to only 4 in '11-'12! (There were only 7 last year!) It is a wonderful blessing that Camille was able to transfer to a school right in Orem, 2.1 miles from her house, right across the street from Desi's! Hooray!

ANY-way, on June 13th Miss Camille and I trekked bravely out to her old school with Kevin's (Camille's-kind-of-Kevin) cargo van. Our quest was to remove 4 years worth of planning and working, playing and teaching from her old room there. There were so many fun memories for both of us. Camille has let me come help her prepare for each school year: putting up bulletin boards, original artwork (Horton the elephant in his tree, and other trees) and tons of fun visuals for those ickle-firsties!

Our main concern was could we fit the kiva into the van? LIKE A GLOVE! I just love the laws of physics: leverage, wheels, balance, a little muscle-power. We leveraged the kiva onto one of the rolly-carts, wheeled it out the very uncooperative double set of doors, tipped it into the back of the van and...

P-U-S-H-E-D!

Go little Camillie!



The second section of the kiva just needed to spoon on top of the first. But we didn't realize we had it backwards until we got outside. We flipped it around, again with the tip and push! Yay for girl power!  We laughed and had a good time with all of our silliness.



With impending thunderstorms threatening us I neglected to get a photo of the van fully loaded... right up to the roof! We stopped at Carl's Jr for a much-deserved milkshake on the way home.

I'm looking forward to another day of working in Miss Camille's new classroom when my hands are strong enough for the work.

Red Gerbera

One of my favorite summer flowers is the happy little gerbera daisy! These live on my front steps.



AND... an update on my hands- they are healing slowly. You wouldn't think that having your hands operated on would be such a big deal, but apparently it is.  I didn't think it would take this much out of me... but, again, apparently it does.  The Doctor's instructions were- use your hands but don't do anything that hurts.  I found out trying to tuck in my shirt wasn't a good idea.  And who knew that opening car doors would be a problem?  Bathing, fortunately, has been fairly easy... after discovering that I wouldn't be able to find any rubber or latex gloves large enough to fit over my already-large and bandaged hands I found that a produce bag and rubber band work just fine.

One more thing... our sweet daughter-in-law, Jessica, hosted 3rd Sunday *Grammie* dinner and it was delicious. We are so lucky to have so much of our family here with us.

CTR

Hey! I have the most exciting news! I just had CTR surgery yesterday and now I can always-

Choose The Right!

Boy-oh-boy! Don't we wish it was that easy?

This kind of CTR stands for Carpal Tunnel Release... and if I'd know how easy it would be I would have done it years ago! Compared to-

• Tonsilectomy
• Tubal pregnancies (plural)
• Appendectomy
• Varicose vein stripping

...this is a stinkin' piece of cake!

I will be so nice to have my hands back for-

• hand sewing
• painting
• hand writing
• gardening
• lawn mowing
• nose picking

The only downside is I have to wear my *boxing gloves* for the next 10 days and keep them clean and dry! (I'll have to give you a shower/hair washing update!)

Bryce Canyon

Last weekend on our fun explore to southern Utah we decided to come home via Bryce Canyon. I'd never been there before and have always wanted to see it. I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED!


This is a composite panorama made from seven photos using this cool panorama feature in PSE7.

Our first happy thing was when we drove up to the park entry shack. I told Gordon I thought he was eligible for the Golden Pass. As it turns out it is really called the America the Beautiful Senior pass. But the bottom line is this: $10 purchases a lifetime pass to all National Parks for seniors! OhMyHeck! I can hardly wait until I'm old enough to get my very own!

Our first stop was at Sunrise Point. A short walk took us to the *scenic overlook*. Wow!



On the outermost point was this very weathered tree.



We ate lunch at the Bryce Canyon Lodge and contemplated a horseback ride (maybe next time). Then we trekked back to the car and drove over to Bryce Point. This one took my breath away.



It was apparent that I was not the only one effected that way. There was an unusual reverent feeling from all of the viewers. There was no loud talking... just a group of awestruck people.

The grottos appear all in a row in the same layer of pale sandstone. Following that layer northward (right), the alcoves become windows through a narrow, jutting ridge. The Wall of Windows may have begun as grottos, though the rock behind them has long since weathered away.

Returning [to this scenic point] in different weather, at other times of the day, or in low-angled sunlight the grottos and windows stand out in sharp relief; on an overcast day they virtually disappear.

Apparently we arrived at one of the primo-viewing times!



This is the largest of the arches/windows and, hands-down, my favorite. When Gordon pointed it out he described it by saying, "You see those four men?" As I looked at this photo today it made me think of the Nativity. Can't you just see the wisemen, the shepherds, sheep, donkey, cow, and, of course, the Holy Family. Is it just me?



Now this little fellow... I just love *chick-munks*! They were native to my the Indian Valley, where I grew up. Did you know that you can attract them by clicking your fingernails? True story! I've done it. But when one got up on my knee when I was 5-years-old I jumped up startled and scared him away! What does one DO when they've attracted this little rodent?



I found this phenomenon interesting. It looks like someone poured a large load of cement on the top of these hoodoos.

For the moment, harder caprock prevents the arch from collapsing. Lighter-colored caprock is visible all around this viewpoint, temporarily preserving the hoodoos.

I'm just amazed at what time, wind, rain and snow can do!



OK... now you see that little trail that winds around down there amid all the hoodoos? It is called Peekaboo Loop and on my next trip to Bryce Canyon I will come prepared with hiking boots or perhaps riding boots (as in ride a horse) but I'm going down there. It just calls to me!

Hole-in-the-Rock: Flora and Fauna

I realized that I had so many photos from our trip down to southern Utah that I would need to break it up into several posts. And anyone who knows me and my photographic habits recognizes that I can rarely pass up a photo of flora or fauna... they just make me happy!

This is Dance Hall Rock (about 35 miles along our trail) were the pioneers camped for a LONG TIME while scouts went out to decide what route would work best. They had nightly dances to break up the time. You have to admire their tenacity.



This is also where I viewed the illusive, and sometimes violent, rock monkey. These treacherous primates often masquerade as human-adolescent males... but don't let their appearance fool you. As soon as they return to their native habitat (large rock formations, the higher the better) rock monkeys become wildly daring and refuse to listen to their trainers. YOUTH LEADERS- BE WARNED!

LOOK OUT OF THE WAY!

Observe the rock monkey's propensity to play right on the edge of the precipice! (Stupid monkeys!)



I was also able to capture the shadow of the long-legged rock gazelle, but this mammal is invisible to dSLR's powers.



Now... these little creatures! HA! They had no chance against my superior powers! I could have squished them like an ant. I love his little antie (or is that auntie?) foot-prints in the sand.



And look at this little worker's shadow! I see he hasn't learned magic powers yet. Whew!



OK... this is more my speed! That is the nice thing about fauna... usually it isn't moving away from you at a high rate of speed. I love the deep orange/red color of this delicate desert wildflower.



I'm not familiar with southern Utah wildflowers so I don't know the name of either one of these pretty little flowers.



And speaking of tenacity! Look at this sweet little buttercup growing up from a crack in the slickrock! (Is this where I burst into song? My little buttercup- has the sweetest smile!)



On the ride out (did I mention that it was 55.5 miles of dirt, wash-boarded, bumpy road?) I saw cacti on the side of the road, so I was pretty happy to find one when we reached Hole-in-the-Rock.



But I was even more excited when I found this little lovely, still in bloom!



You know, it makes all the bumps worth it when there are beautiful vista, dangerous fauna and delicate flora at the journey's end.

Hole-in-the-Rock

On Friday-last a group of us from the ward took an explore. The men had been talking it up for sometime. It was decided that we would go down to Southern Utah, near Escalante and see the historic Hole-in-the-Rock. We caravaned down in the morning taking the scenic route. What a beautiful drive! After checking into our motel rooms and lunch in Escalante we started the trek out to Hole-in-the-Rock. We rode with friends in their very nice 4-wheel drive truck. I wouldn't want to take a sedan, or Beatrix, down that wash-boarded dirt road!

There is a new Heritage Center on the outskirts of Escalante telling about the Hole-in-the-Rock trail and expedition.

"The outdoor plaza contains information and two large murals depicting the struggles of a band of Mormon settlers who spent six months in 1879 and 1880 chiseling, digging and blasting a crude, steep road down a cliff to the banks of the Colorado River. That road became know as Hole-in-the-Rock." (Salt Lake Tribune May 29, 2011)

There is a replica wagon there and I was amazed at how small it is! Can you imagine taking off for destinations unknown with all your earthly goods in this?



This is the *caravan* group. Others went separately and we saw them on the trail.


ANN and JOE LARSON, JOANIE and GORDON, DAVID and ELAINE HULLINGER, SHARI and BLAINE PALMER, SHERRY and MIKE LYMAN

There are two murals painted by Escalante artist Lynn Griffin depicting the descent.





I've heard the story of Belle Smith and her family but I was sobered again at her pluck! She's my kind of gal.

"On January 26, 1880, Joseph Stanford Smith worked hard along the precipitous Hole-in-the-Rock trail,guiding wagons to the river. Toward day's end, he received word that all 40 wagons from the encampment at the top of the Hole were safely down. But Smith couldn't find his own wagon among those gathered at the river. He climbed back up to the top, where he found his wagon and family waiting, seemingly overlooked.

No other men remained on top to help brake the wagon's descent. Over Smith's objections, his wife, Belle, insisted that she and their horse, Nig, could restrain the wagon. She settled their three children- including a three-year-old and an infant- on a quilt and told them to stay put until their father returned.
Together the young couple began driving the loaded wagon down the Hole. In the first steep cut, Nig fell, dragging behind the wagon. Bell soon fell as well, and was dragged a hundred fee, deeply gashing her leg before the wagon came to a stop.

After treating Belle's wound, Smith climbed back to the top. He found the children waiting just where Belle had left them. "God stayed with us," said Ada, the eldest. The worst of the trail behind them, the family completed the rough descent together. They arrived at the river just as a group of men, noting their absence, were starting up to help them."

This gives you a scope to see just how narrow this *hole* is. I can't even imagine taking a horse and wagon down this!



Much of the rubble or fill has eroded away in the last 130 years, but even still!

I wanted very badly to hike down to now-Lake Powell but I knew that-

1. I didn't want to impose my dawdling on the others
2. I saw the first 6' drop and decided that even if I could let myself safely down... 
3. HOW WOULD I GET MY 5'3" FRAME BACK UP AGAIN?

I settled instead on hiking up the slickrock* to the left of the hole and tried to get a view down that way into the abyss. Sadly, I was foiled again! I suppose it is a good thing I know my limitations and don't do anything stupid like FALL INTO THE ABYSS!
              (*Slickrock is the term the pioneers used for these large sandstone formations. They aren't actually slick.)


LOOKING BACK TOWARD THE SLIT THAT IS HOLE-IN-THE-ROCK FROM MY PERCH

I went as far as this fun little cave, emphasis on small, and had a lovely view to reward me for my labors.



Lake Powell looking beautiful and serene.



I gained an interesting perspective from this visit to Hole-in-the-Rock.



Why did these pioneers go? I quote from one of the signs at the Heritage Center-

"In the autumn of 1879, some 250 men, women and children undertook on of the most challenging and dramatic pioneering expeditions in American history. Their mission? To establish a settlement along the San Juan river in the southeast corner of Utah. Their plan? To blaze a direct transportation route through 200 miles of remote and breathtakingly rugged country that stretches southeast of Escalante. An expedition they expected to last six weeks became an epic six-month journey demanding scarcely imaginable endurance, determination, faith and grit.

Why did these people leave their homes, families and friends to embark on such a difficult and risk-filled journey? Nearly all were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which was working at the time to establish Mormon communities throughout Utah. To settle new areas, the church "called" members to join a colonizing mission. Members called to the San Juan (Hole-in-the-Rock) Mission were not obliged to accept, but most considered it an opportunity to serve their church."

Grannie-Annie's Garden

I always love to take a tour in, my sister, Grannie-Annie's garden. Whenever I visit her I am drawn to wander and find all of the delights there are discover.

As I walked out the back door the first thing that caught my attention was this vibrant red-orange rose! Oh my goodness! I just love this color! I couldn't pass up a silhouette shot against the cerulean blue sky. (I feel like I've fallen into my 6-year old crayon box!)



This is one plant but there is so much variety. It just begged me to keep looking at each little blossom.



And look here! This one has yellow stripes!



Even the rosebuds offer much to be admired.



I walked along the shady side of the house and found these beautiful iris in glorious bloom. Iris are some of my favorite flowers. (Let's be honest... many flowers fall into that category)



This one? I don't know if this is from the iris that mom used to have, but it reminds me so much of her iris. I love the purple veins.



I always love a visit to Grannie-Annie (&Wayne's) house... and garden...



(Gordon has commented that once he got grandchildren he didn't have possession of anything anymore... everything belongs to Grammie!)