255- PEI and Regional Conference

Today was our second Regional Conference. They announced that the conference originating in the Marriot Center on BYU's campus was being televised to 17 BYU Stakes and 139 Stakes in Utah and Wasatch Counties: A possible audience of half a million members!

I would like to share a few comments that stuck with me.

Sister Julie B Beck- "We are having a robust mortal experience. We have difficulties to draw us to the Savior and learn to rely on Him."

Elder Jeffery Holland- Talking about our Regional Conference "It doesn't get any better than this!" also "God will be with us and we will succeed!"

President Boyd K Packer- "Never forget that you have a Father [in Heaven]."

I came away feeling fed and uplifted!

And then look what I spied with my little eye right there in the Hidden Cove Chapel parking lot [car park]... a PEI license plate! I DO have a passport now...

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254- Drive-by Fruiting

I never cease to be amazed at the bounty that my little scant quarter acre of land produces!

Of course, this is harvest time and my favorite thing to do is share my bounty with others. Some years we have more than others but even in the *lean* years we have way too much for just the two of us.

So today I called Kevin-Kay's folks to see if they wanted some peaches. Then I made up *drive-by fruiting* boxes for our kids in Orem. I knew that Doug's family has a plethora of peaches so I took them a 3-gallon BYU Creamery ice cream bucket filled with grapes. The boxes went to Camille and Kevin and Desi and Alex.

253- The Squaw Peak Trail

What do you do when you have so much happening in your life that you can't blog about it all on one day?

I don't know about you... but me? ME? I bag it all and do two posts the next day and maybe a few more in the days to come. But then again... sometimes I'm a slacker and just need to go to bed after a busy day!

SOOooo... lasterday Gordon and I accompanied DeLoris and her son-in-law, Blaine, on the Squaw Peak trial (bwahahahaha... sometimes I just HAVE to leave the typos!!!) I've never been and have wanted to go. Blaine has a 4-wheel drive vehicle and graciously extended the invitation. This trail runs from Squaw Peak (duh?) to the left fork of Hobble Creek Canyon.


GORDON AND BLAINE... YOU CAN'T SEE DELORIS, SHE'S IN BACK... AND YOU CAN'T SEE ME... I'M HIDING BEHIND THE CAMERA AS USUAL.

Our first stop was at the Squaw Peak scenic overlook, which I have been to many times. But never in 65mph gale force winds! I couldn't even keep my camera steady the wind was blowing so hard!


MY BEAUTIFUL UTAH LAKE IN THE DISTANCE...

You notice we already have some beautiful fall color on the mountains. It seems a little early, but then again we frequently have the first high frost just after Labor Day. (Again with the high winds... I had to brace myself against Blaine's SUV!)



Since this was my first trip I discovered all sorts of new and interesting things. This is looking down Rock Canyon. Do you notice that it has its own version of the Palmdale Bulge? I just love fault-line activity.



From Provo and Orem one usually only sees the closer yet lower range of mountain that hides Provo Peak and the rest of its range of mountains. Back in the 1930s the CCC did extensive terracing on this range of mountains to prevent erosion. I love to peek up Rock Canyon in the winter and see all the snow on the stair steps.


THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE TERRACING.

My favoritest thing about trips like this is getting to see all the trees. I just love them... I love how the aspen merge seamlessly with the conifers. In another few weeks this mountain side will be drenched in gold with splashes of crimson, vermilion and pink.



Another of my favorite things are mountains (What are men to rocks and mountains?). I love how there are just range upon range disappearing in the distance.



The Squaw Peak trail winds around between the two mountain ranges and through little hidden valleys. There are lots of opportunities to peek down the canyons (all of them rocky and craggy) into Utah Valley. I love this view across Springville with West Mountain in the distance.



I love this bird's-eye-view. One of the first things I picked out was Hobble Creek meandering across our little section of Utah Valley towards the East Bay of Utah Lake.


YOU CAN IDENTIFY THE CREEK BY THE LINE OF TREES. I DON'T KNOW THE NAME OF THIS CANYON. IT LINES UP WITH 1400 NORTH IN SPRINGVILLE AND LOOKS LIKE HALF OF THE MOUNTAIN JUST BROKE AND DROPPED AWAY FROM THE OTHER SIDE.

We had a lovely time. We took a picnic lunch and ate it just above Springville. From my perch up-on-top I could even see my neighborhood! How cool is that? First I had to find the *Pizza Hut Church* (Don't tell President Jacobsen I said that!) Then I just followed Canyon Road up to my street where it dog-legs off... but so sad for me, I couldn't get around the brow of the hill to see my actual house... just a couple of my neighbors.



What a lovely trip with friends... it was one of the fastest 5.5 hour road trip I've ever made.

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252- Diaper Dudettes

Can I just say what a fun group this is? We got together tonight to work on the Diapers for Haiti project again. (click here, here or here for more info). Tonight things really started to come together! What a bunch of workers!! It is great to see the progress and the growing pile of completed diapers.

I wish I'd kept track of all of the diapers that ladies took home to finish... but I can say this... they went out with their arms full!



We will meet again in 2 weeks, the 23rd, to finish then all up for Marie to take to Haiti!

251- Double-Duty Wednesday

By now you all know that I work as an ordinance worker at the Provo Temple on Wednesdays. I frequently get home absolutely bushed... but occasionally, like today, I get home with lots of energy. (more on that in a minute)

I love the Temple gardens this time of year! All the flowers and plants are in full bloom! They're mature and drinking the late summer sunshine. But I know that their days are numbered. One Wednesday I will walk up the hill and find that all of *my* beautiful summer flowers have been *ripped out* to make way for the spring planting. Yes, I know it is necessary... but that doesn't mean I have to like it.



In my gardens, and I'm sure I do it the wrong way, all of my plants and bulbs coexist all year long. The iris are still showing their beautiful fan foliage along with the late summer zinnias. If I dig too deep, or in the wrong place I will dig up my daffodil and tulip bulbs... but that's just the way I swing!

OK, now for the double duty part. I got home and my yard was crying for some attention! It has been so long since I edged my lawn that I can't even remember when it was (and I'm sure my neighbors can't remember either). So I drug out all of my power tools (ar-ar-arh) and went at it. I always love the look when I've finished and I've never been afraid of hard work.

But, as DeLoris would tell me, "I'm not 30 anymore!" I came in and made the mistake of laying down on the couch to watch America's Got Talent with Gordon and 2 hours later I could hardly get up. I was able to limp upstairs to a hot bath... I'll feel better tomorrow.

250- DYI Stump Removal

I'm a great one for looking online to figure out how to do something! I love how much information is at my fingertips.

After my willow's demise I'm left with a stump that needs to come out. Perhaps if it wasn't smack-dab in the middle of my lawn I would choose the *let-it-rot-out* technique I used for the eight quakies (quaking aspen) that had to come out the second year we were here. But I really do want to get another shade tree, STRONG, somewhat wind-resistant shade tree going in that exact spot by next spring.

So after much investigation I decided to use dynamite and blow it out! (See the YouTube video at the end) My across-the-street-neighbor told me that he had a former neighbor in west Springville who did just that... and blew up part of his house! True story!

Really I decided to use the quick-rot-burn-it-out-technique. You cut the stump close to the ground (we'd left ours about 3' tall so we could dig and pull).

So today I got out my trusty electric chain saw and cut that bad-boy down. It was rather large where all the trunks converged so I cut that 3' chunk into several smaller pieces. This one just begged to me to saved it from the neighbor's fireplace... so I obliged and it now decorates my front porch. (I'm in hopes that one of my *turning* friends will make something for me out of it when it is dried)



Just look at the growth rings on this! I planted it in 2005, if you start on the outside ring and count backward from 2010 you will see just how small it was and how much it grew each year. Sadly, fast-growing tree is synonymous with brittle-tree.



Here's what's left in the ground. The directions on the StumpOut container says to drill vertical holes 10" deep then drill an angled hole from the side of the trunk that intersects the vertical hole. Measure in StumpOut, fill with water and then wait! HA! I can do that. Then next spring (or 4-6 weeks later) pour kerosene in holes, allow it to soak into the wood. Place briquettes on top and light. It will be a non-flame smoldering fire that burns for several days and leaves you with a hole of ash.



I promise I won't resort to dynamite. But, you know what? This is funny to watch!

249- Yellow Coneflower

Frequently I will capture a flower that I'm not sure what it is. It always pleases me when I make a guess, do a quick Google search and find out that I'm real close. This yellow coneflower is one of those. It just looked like it must be a coneflower!

And I caught another little insect interloper...

248- Pink Hibiscus

I still have some saved (read hoarded) photos from my trips to Thanksgiving Point gardens.

I love the light in this one. It was taken in their Secret Garden

247- Fall Already?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. But look what I found when I was outside this evening (during the BYU vs Wash football game) taking photos of another beautiful sunset.



A couple of nights ago the weather man on KSL showed a chart of average and actual number of days over 100 degrees for Salt Lake City and other western cities. It went something like this (I wish I could find it online)-

• Death Valley 108
  
• Phoenix 90 something
• Vegas 80 something
• Salt Lake 5 (but we only had 2 this year)
  

Yes, that is why I like to live here... in the cool...

246- Finally...

Here I am 58 (and if I was Gordon I would say I'm pushing 60!) and I just received my very first, and perhaps, only, US Passport!

Whee-Haw... where am I gonna go?



Perhaps a better question would be- where do I want to go? I'd love to see (here are just a few):

• Israel
• Scotland
• Ireland
• Prince Edward Island
• Panama Canal Cruise

How's that for starters? I'll let you know if I ever get any stamps in my passport.