Alpine Loop & Cascade Springs

Last week was, well, let's just say... stressful. I was in the final preparation for the Primary Sacrament Meeting presentation (which I'm in charge of), did Grammie-duties three times, bottled spaghetti sauce, forgot and, fortunately remembered, that I needed to come up with the printed program for Sunday's meeting, remembered in the nick of time that I was also getting the popcorn treat for Sunday's reward sharing time, planning and having 3rd Sunday Grammie Dinner, plus lots of other things I'm forgetting like walking, mowing, etc.

So when Monday morning dawned I was READY for a little R and R! I suggested that Gordon and I make the annual Alpine Loop drive (that my Dee-Lor-EE-Ous and I used to make) in his 1990 Reatta convertible... the best way to enjoy that drive!

As we were leaving Gordon hinted that perhaps we should bring Harley, who heretofore has been banned from a ride in the classic car! He was DE-lighted to be included and behaved himself like a very responsible doggy-boy in Poppa's special car.

There are so many happy memories on this drive... most of them with DeLoris, but also a fair-few with Gordon. It is just one of those drives that makes my heart happy.

This was always our first photo-op, looking back down at Sundance.

The colors are more muted this year. Perhaps we were a little too early. Maybe we will have to go again.

Gordon asked if I'd like to take the detour down to Cascade Springs. I always love this sweet place.  The first time I remember visiting here was in August 1981 with Gordon.

As I walked the trail that loops around the three different areas of Cascade Springs I was taken aback by a memory...

This beautiful trail...

used to look like...

This!

PHOTO TAKEN 21 OCTOBER 2005

"On Sept. 23, 2003, a prescribed burn to treat 600 acres of oak woodland near Cascade Springs on the Uinta National Forest went out of control, resulting in a 7,828-acre wildfire that sent smoke into the Salt Lake City-Provo area for a week."

2005 was the year that DeLoris and I started our annual tradition of driving the Alpine Loop together. I loved that first trip so well that Gordon, Buddi and I  repeated it a few days later and revisited Cascade Springs. I was grateful, this year, when I realized that the forest had regrown!

The upper springs always amaze me... all of this water just appears out of nowhere!

As I was looking at the comparison photos I recognized that I had this same shot now, looking down into Cascade Springs...

and 10 years ago.

If you'd like to read more of my adventures from this annual tradition, just click on the Cascade Springs tag below the post.

My DeLoris

IN MEMORIAM

DeLoris Percy

July 21, 1921 - October 30, 2014

THIS PHOTO TAKEN AUGUST 8, 2014

I knew this day would come... it does for all of us. Yesterday my ga-LOR-ee-ous De-LOR-ee-ous was released from this frail existence to go home to home to her loving Heavenly Father.

DeLoris has been my dear friend nearly from the day I moved to Utah. I was blessed with being called to be her visiting teacher. The Lord knew exactly what I needed when I moved here. I was just 52 and I was assigned with a bunch of octogenarians! It didn't take long for DeLoris and I to become fast friends.

DeLoris couldn't drive because of her pain patch so I frequently became her chauffeur. She introduced me to many of the local delights (other than WalMart!). In the fall of 2005 we began our yearly tradition of driving the Alpine Loop.

In fact, we just made our last annual drive 2 weeks ago.

I went to visit with DeLoris and asked if she would be up to a drive to which she replied, "Let's go!" With her uncertain health (we had a scare before her birthday) I knew that we had to seize the opportunity IMMEDIATELY!

I also knew, from past experience, that she was no longer tall enough to see out the window without some help. We joked on our last trip that she needed a booster seat! So I yoinked a couple of pillows off her bed and away we went.

This dear sweet friend, my DeLoris, is such a marvelous example of uncomplaining patience through trials. Oh, how I will miss her!

God be with you till we meet again...

Alpine Loop- The Last Hurrah?

Last fall when DeLoris and I normally take our annual Alpine Loop trip she was not feeling well enough to go. Ever since then I've felt overwhelmed that we didn't get to do it and I MIGHT NOT EVER GET TO MAKE THAT TRIP AGAIN with my DeLoris!

Only a few weeks ago I got a call from Shari, DeLoris' daughter, telling me I'd want to go see *Mother* because they didn't expect her to last the week! I couldn't get down to Payson to see her until the next morning and when I came into her room there she was sitting up in bed drinking a carton of chocolate milk and looking very frail!

I've been down several times since then and she has always looking tired and in pain. Imagine my surprise when I went yesterday and this is the woman I saw!! I told her she was beautiful (and the Ever-ready bunny)! This is just a pix taken with my iPhone and edited in instagram! My wonderful, beautiful, glorious DeLor-EE-ous! She just turned 93!

Welp, I wasn't going to let the opportunity slip by again. I made a date to come back this morning and we would get in our 9th Annual Alpine Loop Trip (only 10 months late!) And I realize that this truly may be our last hurrah trip. My DeLoris has shrunk so much that she joked she needs a booster seat to see out the window!

When we arrived at the park entrance I asked the girls working there if I could buy my America the Beautiful Senior Pass a week early. They kindly sold it to me with a promise that I won't use it until next Saturday! I am so excited to have this happy little pass. It allows me free entrance to all National Parks for the rest of my life! Yay little-Joanie!

I made several stops for photo ops. We both commented that we've driven this route so often that we have favorite views and sights along the way. I always love how the aspen look. I almost feel like this should be a *find the hidden objects* puzzle.

We always make our stop at the rest rooms on the American Fork Canyon side of the trip. I have a selfie from this exact place in 2008. Today's selfie doesn't merit publishing (especially since we both have a very cute photo included in this post!)

And it wouldn't be a photo outing without a flower. I got this one with my olloclip macro lens on my iPhone.I love my MPC!

After lunch at In 'n Out as we were motoring back to Payson DeLoris said she might live another 5 years. Oh, how I hope that is true if (big IF) she can remain healthy and without much pain. What a wonderful dear friend she is to me. I'm a lucky girl!

Cascade Springs

This glorious fall day Gordon and I took a little explore up to Cascade Springs. The first time I remember visiting Cascade Springs was August 1981 with Gordon. Since we've lived here in Utah we've made another couple of visits. I've also been there with my DeLoris. (If you want to read about those trips click on the Cascade Springs tag to the right)

The last time we were here we saw moose! I was hoping to see some today, but no luck.

I love the beauty of this peaceful place.  It feeds me soul to peruse the tranquil trails and wooden walks.

I love the geology of places. As you hike up the trails that encircle Cascade Springs you get here... a large pond that just appears out of no where!

The DNR has a wonderful web page that talks about Cascade Springs.

"At the upper springs area, more than 7 million gallons of water seeps through the ground each day."

Then that 7 million gallons burbles, rushes and sings over the rocks.

As I was headed back I was met by this beauty! This tree just felt magical... I've decided that it is a faerie tree.

A Purse for DeLoris

I recently posted about a purse I made from wool given to me by my friend DeLoris. I knew that as soon as I showed it too her that she would love it and want one too.

I didn't want to make an exact copy of my purse; mine was actually too large for DeLoris. So I went digging for inspiration to make a different purse. I found my idea in an old quilting magazine. I reduced the size of the original pattern to 75%.

Once I got all of the felted wool machine stitched on I started doing the handwork. Yeah, I got carried away! I ended up doing an outline stitch over the machine stitching, as well as the rest of the stitching. It's a sickness.

A Three-Hour Tour

On Tuesday I borrowed Kevin-son's pickup so I could haul several loads of branches/lilac trimmings to the green-waste lot. Harley rode along, cuz- DOGS LOVE TRUCKS! And that got me to thinking... I'd sure like to take a little dirt road jaunt.

My first thought was to take Harley but then I knew who REALLY needed to go... my Dee-Lor-EE-us! So I called and arranged to pick her up in about half an hour.

I really wanted to take the right fork of Hobble Creek Road to Diamond Fork Road that comes out on Hwy 6 in Spanish Fork Canyon; about half of the drive is paved so it should be a piece of cake.  It's about a 3 hour trip.

DeLoris and I love to take these types of road-trips backwards... you know start on the other end and work ourselves back. Hmmm... maybe that's not such a-good-fing-idea! I HAVE a Atlas and Gazetteer of Utah with back roads, recreations sites and GPS grids... but did I take it with me? NO... I knew where I was going. Urm... when we got the the fork in the road, we took the right fork (WRONG) and went for about an hour on an increasingly poor road before I finally stopped listening to DeLoris and turned around.(What, I ask, is wrong with me?  Hmm, that's too long a subject!)

So, SOMEWHERE on a road that isn't even on my Atlas and Gazetteer is this beautiful mountain, covered with fir and aspen.  It was a wonderful sight and I'm glad I got to share it with my DeLoris.

Alpine Loop

I love traditions! This-day was the 7th Annual Alpine Loop Drive for Joanie and DeLoris! Yes, we've done this every fall since I moved here in 2005. One year I even "sprung" DeLoris from rehab (the broken hip kind, not the drug kind) so we could make our trip.



We always start in Provo Canyon and head north around the loop. But this year, at DeLoris' request, we started at the other end- American Fork Canyon. It's amazing, but it is a whole different drive. The AF side of the mountains are mostly conifers and aspen with a few maples thrown in. But as soon as you crest the summit it is aspen all the way!





DeLoris is an oil painter, she has such a good artist's eye. She pointed this shot out to me... the lone spot of color on the conifers.



I like this one lone naked aspen standing sentinel over all of his fully-clothed friends...



Another of my favorite sights is this one...



I love how the fern change color too and create this fern-colored-carpet under the aspen



Towards the end of the loop I caught the sun peeking out from behind the clouds.  We live in such a beautiful world.

Fancy Meeting You Here!

August brings thunderstorms, hot weather and $2 Tuesdays at Thanksgiving Point. I went for the first time several years ago with my friend Diane but it didn't take long before this became another Joanie and DeLoris tradition. (If you want to read about prior escapades click on the DeLoris tag.)

I'm always pleasantly surprised at how different the gardens are from year to year. This year the theme seemed to be lots of hot orange and hot pink! Always a hot combination for me (see the last photo in the post). But this beauty is what stole my heart this trip. I've never seen a more beautiful yellow rose! Proflowers says the meaning of yellow roses is joy and friendship; which is very appropriate since this describes my time with DeLoris.



But here's the funny part... we'd just parked the car when up pulls Jessica and the kids! "I was just thinking we might see Grammie here today!" They needed to park but we both met up at the front desk. They were ready to be off and discovering while DeLoris and I waited for a golf cart to become available. I walked out with the family to get this sweet shot of my fam.



Roxie- "Mom, can I roll down the hill?"
Jess- "Sure."
Grammie- "Christian can you move to one side so I can get a photo?" At which point the previously uninterested roller (Christian) joined his sister for the photo op! bwahahahahaha.



DeLoris and I had to wait about 15 minutes for a cart to become available. But soon we too were off and exploring. We'd been cruising for about half an hour when we worked our way up to the top of the Acropolis when I hear, "Grammie, Grammie!" There, toiling bravely in the heat, is my little family from Lewis Zoo.



I grabbed the camera to get that shot and when I turned around who do I see? Heather and her parents! We had a little visit way up on top and then were off in search of some weary travelers!



Let me tell you! They were happy to see the Grammie with her golf cart! What you can't see is Roxie and DeLoris hiding on the front seat. Jess sat on the back and dragged the stroller... they were pooped and flushed!  We ferried them past the waterfalls and up the steep hill one has to climb to get back to the parking lot.



After sweet goodbyes from my family DeLoris and I took another turn around the gardens. This time around I saw these beautiful purple flowers. I thought they might be ranuculus but upon further investigation I don't think they are. Does anyone know what this beautiful plant is called?  (Sheri tells me these are LISIANTHUS!)



It was a lovely day made more wonderful by meeting friends and family unexpectedly. And you know what? There is still one more Tuesday in August!

340- Midway's Creche Festival

The Midway Creche Festival is a lovely Interfaith display of Nativities held the first weekend in December each year. This is my second time to attend, I went with DeLoris one year. When Gordon suggested that we go I was thrilled. It proved to be a wonderful start to the Christmas season and a wonderful faith-filled weekend.

I didn't get as many photos as I wanted, when I got to the main display room I was told that I couldn't take photos (sniff).  But of those photographed, this is probably my favorite. It reminds me of the Book of Mormon panel made by Vicki's dad. It is carved from a single piece of wood yet is 3-dimensional (how do they do that?).



The creche festival is held at the beautifully designed Midway Stake Center which reflects the Swiss ancestry of this area (I love it when the Church designs its chapels to reflect the culture of the area).



At the entrance was this lovely ice sculpture nativity.



There were hundreds, if not thousands, of nativities there. As a nativity collector I love the diversity of those displayed. This is a sweet little beaded angel from Mexico. The placard says that the tribe only makes two of these each year.



The minute I saw this one I knew it was from Peru. I love the distinct dress of native Peruvians.



This one caught my attention because of the moose-camel (Spencer loves moose) but upon closer inspection I saw that there were also bears and wolves in attendance around the holy igloo.



There is a whole room devoted to this Fontinini nativity that has over 1000 pieces. It is amazing to see. The table on which it is displayed has to be 20+ feet long. The design has been meticulously carried out with little stone paths that lead between the different *residences*.  I can't even imagine the hours it took to set up this display.



My favorite part was the choir of heavenly angels come to sing praises at the Savior's birth.



Another medium that always speaks to my heart are the nativities that are carved of olive wood from the Holy Land. Two generous friends have given me small nativities from their trips to Israel. This one is from Jordan.



Gordon commented that with all the mediums and interpretations for nativities all are done in love and praise of the little Christ child. Truly all things speak of His glory. I missed a photo of a all-natural nativity made from stones, branches, pine cones and bark.

As we were leaving on the opposite side of the building from the entrance we saw another example of all nature praising the Christ child. When I look at this naturally occurring ice sculpture I see Mary, great with child, and faithful Joseph leading the humble donkey.



It is my hope that this wonderful season will leave you with Peace... for truly He is Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.