062- Battle Mountain

My sweet niece, Sarah, spends her days herding ickle-kinders AND she lives in a colder Utah than I do. She was in need of a dose of spring so she planned a trip to CA to find it! She started by inviting her folks (my sister) but when our other sister heard that they were coming to the Bay Area they twisted my arm to come along. Can you see my “twistered-airm”?

So bright and early this-day we rendezvoused in Salt Lake City and headed off across the Bonneville Salt Flats. This is a trip I don’t make so much anymore. If I’m headed to CA I usually take the southern route down I-15. But this trip across I-80 is so familiar. We used to drive it before it was I-80!! Both of my sisters went to BYU to college so we would make “that-long-ol’-drive”, usually at night, across the salt flats... with retreads that go flap-a-ta-flap-a-ta-flap-a-ta-flap-a-ta. We became intimately acquainted with all of the landmarks.

By 1964 I was so homesick for my sisters that Mom decided that she would let me go for a summer visit. Back in those days the California Zephyr Vistadome (railroad) went from Keddie to Provo overnight. Mom figured that she could put me on the train at 5:30pm and Sue could pick me up on the other end 14 hours later.

Once on the train I went straight up to the Vista-Dome... that was my haven! I was a big girl on my own! (I was 11 1/2... what a wonderful safe time! A little girl traveling alone and SAFE!) I had company, two elderly ladies. They sat near me (looking back they probably did it on purpose so they could keep an eye on this precocious little girl traveling alone!)

As we approached Battle Mountain (in the middle of nowhere!... oh wait, that is the middle of Nevada. Literally the MIDDLE of Nevada) one of the ladies asked her friend, “So where do you suppose we are?”

Always vigilant, I piped right up, “We’re in Battle Mountain! You can see the big BM on the mountain!”

Sisters... a great blessing.

Camille flew to California on Wednesday to spend 10 days with Rebekah. This is a tradition that was started almost 10 years ago. Because my daughters are so far apart in age, 12 years, I so appreciate Bek's willingness to extend that hand of sister-ship to her younger siblings. Without that, there would be little or no sister/sibling relationship. I appreciate Camille's willingness to make the effort to spend part of her summer there as well. There is just nothing like a sister!

And I should know!

I have reflected this week back to the time when it was little Joanie who was going on the California Zephyr from Keddie, CA to Provo, UT for a summer visit with my sister Sue. Mom would take me to the railway station at about 5 in the evening where I would get on the Zephyr (ALONE) for the 12-14 hour trip to Provo. I was only 11 the first year I made that trip. (What a marvelously safe environment we lived in then!)


I loved the "Vista-dome" cars where I could sit up in the top and see all around. I usually spent most of my time there, sleeping part of the time, but mostly looking out and watching the world go by.

In 1966, when Cindy was born, Mom went down to Livermore to take care of Sue and Cindy and I got left behind to stay with Helen & Bud Wilson (I thought it very unfair that I had to stay and go to school!) On Friday Helen took me to Twain and I rode the Zephyr down the Feather River Canyon to the Bay Area to meet my first little niece. It was love at first sight... a bridging of this half generation to find a niece AND a sister.

I did a quick Google search to come up with
these awesome photos of the California Zephyr in
the Feather River Canyon. My, what a trip
down memory lane!

But I digress...

The post started with me talking about sisters. This is not the first time I have referred to the wonderful family in to which I was born. I was so blessed to come to a family with two parents and two older sisters(8 & 10) who loved and adored me. I count this as one of my greatest blessings!

In April while I was on Grammie-duty with the Flynn boys I got a chance to spend the day with my sister Sue. She and her little dog, Chica, drove down from Livermore to Yosemite Lakes Park, where the Flynns live, to see me. We had a lovely visit talking over old times, family history and *family-history*! When the boys returned from school Caden played the photographer and took some photos (he's only 8!). I am so glad that we have this photo to remember our happy day.



After the cookbook and other stresses of June I've just kind of hibernated (In July? What's up with that?) I finally got motivated yesterday to try my hand at some scrapbooking. Jessica had a PhotoShop Friday for photo sha-ZAM. It prompted me to go looking for this photo that I've been wanting to scrap. I combined it with the SWC (Sprague Weekly Challenge) over at JS.com and came up with this very pleasing creation. Nothing fancy, but a happy memory safely saved away.