A Snowshoeing Adventure

This week is blackout for skiing, so Bevan and I decided to do some ol' fashion, back country snowshoeing instead. By the Jordanelle reservoir is a canyon that leads to the old Mayflower mine. There are lots of cool ruins and shacks. Coincidentally, it's right below the Mayflower ski lift. What a good goal.

Things started out not so great when I got the Civic stuck trying to park off the road. I had no idea the shoulder dropped off so greatly underneath what I thought was a couple inches of snow. We didn't have a shovel, but we did have the snowshoes. 30 minutes later we parked directly on top of the asphalt. I don't know why I was smiling in this picture.

We started up the canyon with a home-drawn map made from Google Earth (next mistake). It turns out that it was the WRONG canyon. Instead of backtracking, we decided to bushwhack over the ridge to the next canyon. That ridge kept going and going and going... We finally made it to the top of a huge hill to get a birdseye view of where we were supposed to be. Problem solved. Another 15 minutes of intense bushwhacking found us at our destination... finally. The 1-hour trip turned into 2 1/2. The way back down the correct canyon was almost too easy compared to what we just came through. We'll upgrade to GPS before attempting this again.

I was dreaming of a VERY white Christmas, really!

Many people have been commenting on how much snow we've been receiving. I'm just going to give you my own personal take:

- 3 feet of snow in 2 days at Deer Valley
- We haven't seen asphalt on the roads in almost a week
- I have nightmares when I sleep about ski lifts being buried in snow and I have to dig them out
- I've gotten the company snowmobile stuck TWICE... on flat terrain
- We drove through 8 inches of powder in Provo Canyon on Christmas morning, and that was the BETTER part of the trip
- We used a push broom to clean off our car yesterday morning
- I'm always finding new bruises on my legs and wondering how they got there

The snow is wonderful for ski resorts and also great for our water table. I don't mind driving in snow or even having to push it around at work. I just wish it wouldn't come all at once.

Our Christmas was very exciting. We drove down to American Fork to spend Christmas Eve with the Hawkins. We had a wonderful dinner, acted out the nativity, and opened our family presents. Bevan and I got to play Joseph and Mary, but we had no "baby" other than a doll. I decided that another family member should play that roll: Simba, that family cat. She was very mild and it seemed that she almost enjoyed being wrapped in swaddling clothes. Huh. I think she was just happy to be inside.


The best part of opening presents was when Bevan received his present from me.
A co-worker was selling off his Guitar Hero gear because he bought a PlayStation 3 and none of his games were compatible. I know a video game is usually not what a 30-year-old wants, but in Bevan's case, he couldn't have been happier. It's not just for kids. Nora wanted to play it more than anybody. I think that the songs are more recognizable with adults. They're all 80's and 90's rock songs. Here's video footage. Bevan was completely surprised and wasn't thinking when he dumped out the packaging peanuts. Ugh.

Images of Winter

I find that having a job that doesn't put you near a computer on your lunch breaks, takes a toll on your blog entries. Here's an update on our lives so far this month. My job at DCM Landscaping has been cut back as usual for the winter months (1-2 days per week), but now I get to go to work with Bevan at Deer Valley the other days. It's so fun to be back there. It's fun to meet people from all over the world and be able to practice Spanish. Skiing is always a blast and will get better when more of the resort is open. It also makes me appreciate my college degree and that this isn't my only option. It's interesting to see the people that work there and what brought them to the ski industry. There are college students from South America (it's their summer break), kids from America who don't want to go to college, retirees who are willing to work a few days a week so they can ski for free, and just regular, middle-age people who do this as seasonal work along with their summer jobs. I'm observing more and more this year the details of the ski industry and if there will be much of a difference in this struggling economy. It should be interesting.

I'm posting three images of significance to winter. Without any one of these, winter would be difficult to get through.

The snow maker is the foundation of the ski industry, literally. Even if you get plenty of snow, its necessary to get a good foundation of dense, solid, man-made snow underneath all that powder.

The chunky, Blizzak snow tire is a must for any vehicle, from driving in a blizzard to just getting up the hill to our house. We found a great deal on these tires this year, which made it possible to get some for the Subaru. If you don't have 4WD, the snow tire is just as good.

Obviously, this isn't what our bedroom looks like, but you get the idea. A down comforter is so nice to come home to in winter, especially in a house with such fluctuating temperatures from the wood-burning stove. It does a great job regulating the temperature when you sleep. We haven't had a cold night. The only bad part is trying to get out of bed in the morning. Burr!

The Nasty Food Diet

Usually around 9:30 or 10 in the morning, my stomach feels a slight ping of hunger. This is very normal since I eat an early breakfast. Sometimes this ping is subtle if I'm out at a job site or other running around, but if I'm at my desk, not really moving, it's more pronounced. I've started bringing fig newtons for my "10 o'clock snack time". I don't really like their texture or taste, so why do I eat them? First of all, they're cheap (if you buy generic). Second, they're good enough that I can eat them to get rid of the hunger, but they're nasty enough that I don't eat the whole sleeve. I was trying to explain this logic to my boss. If I had a sleeve of cookies or a bag or M&Ms, they would be gone, probably by 8 AM. 5 fig newtons (or until I start to gag) will get me through to lunch time.

Why am I going off about fig newtons? What if there was a diet focused entirely on the foods you hate? Imagine how much weight you would lose!

The Big Three Zero!

Happy Birthday Bevan! Actually, it was yesterday, but after all that partying, who has time to blog? Well, not so much partying, but still a lot of fun. Last year, I went all out and threw Bevan a big party with all his friends. They watched the game and ate wings, dip, cake and BYU "Cougar Craze" Ice Cream. I guess I knew that couldn't be topped. How's this for celebrating your 30th birthday: he worked all day. We did meet up with his parents at the outlets at Park City for some birthday shopping and (better yet) birthday eating. Thanks Beverly and Lloyd! We went home to a wonderful surprise, Tom, Kim, and the kids made him a birthday cake! It was the only thing missing! You can't tell from this picture, but the number "30" was spelled with candles.

There were so many candles, in fact, that Tom pulled out the blowtorch to speed up the process. We all love the blowtorch because it's used for many things: lighting fires, lighting birthday candles, and roasting green chilies. The typical, functional cabin blowtorch.


Now, I have to live with the fact that I'm married to a man in his 30's... which is wonderful! I love everything about him, including his amazing positive attitude. Which is good, because when I turn 30, I'll probably be crying.

Random Acts of Violence?

No, not really. In my last post, I was a little too quick to proclaim how much I liked winter. A few hours later, on my way home from work, I was driving under the Highway 40 bridge when a snowplow up above was plowing chunks of snow and ice off the bridge. 45 feet below was my car. This was the result:



Ironically, I was thinking how my dad, just a week earlier, told me that I should fix my rock chip. Huh. Wait until he sees these pictures. It wouldn't have been so traumatic if it wasn't a blizzard outside. Fortunately, the next exit was an auto glass store. That was a good thing, because it didn't get any better. Enter: crabby auto glass man. He said that my VIN indicated that my car was manufactured in Canada and none of his suppliers carried Canadian windshields. What? It's a Civic! What's the difference? Apparently there was a difference so he told me to call a dealership, who told me to call another mainstream auto glass store. I came full circle! They claimed the American windshields were interchangeable, although the crabby man said they weren't. I decided to take a chance before ordering a $450 Canadian windshield. This morning, I drove down to Salt Lake to the OTHER auto glass store because the crabby man refused to order an American one to see if it would even fit! 45 minutes and $150 later... I had a brand new windshield! The American one fit perfectly. It's proof that both countries can co-exist! Good thing I didn't have to drive around in this anymore:

If I went over a bump, tiny glass fragments would fall out. It was very disconcerting. Those nice boys in Salt Lake vaccumed out all the glass fragments before I left to drive up the canyon. What a day!

Afterthought: I called UDOT to complain about their plowing practices. He said that he was sending me a claim report so UDOT can pay for it. Sweet! I guess it happens quite a bit.

Early Snow and Voter Fraud (kind of)

The weather outside was frightful last night, but it left us with about 5" of the fluffiest snow this season! I don't know what it is about fresh snow that makes me want to pull out the snowshoes or x-country skis and go tromping around in it. I did not have this point of view last April when I was praying it would just melt already! This excitement will wear off quickly, but for right now, I'll think it's a novelty. Driving wasn't bad, but I wish I had the snow tires on. Of course, once I get them on, it will warm up to 50 degrees and stay that way for many weeks.
On Monday, I went to Salt Lake for some business errands and decided to drop by the Salt Lake County Building to vote. It had been a couple years and I had not bothered to change my registration yet, but I tried anyway. In order to vote early, you have to fill out a card with your info and give it to the attendant. I put down my registration as they knew it. He entered that into the computer. Then he took my photo ID and wrote that info in the voter's log. Not only did I have a different last name, but also a different address. He didn't even blink an eye! These Salt Lake pollsters are ultra observant. I totally though I was busted for having outdated information. Here's a picture of my favorite water bottle displaying my success.

Cougar Tail

I've been meaning to blog about how we spend half our Saturdays. BYU football games have been a Hawkins tradition for several decades, so when I married into the family, I also married the BYU football games. I've truly enjoyed them and the time I get to spend with my in-laws. It's also been nice that they've won most of their home games (who wants to pay to see your team lose?). Check out these two "super fans" that look as though they've walked straight out of a gift shop:

Twin brothers separated at birth? Close. Devan and Bevan have similar names and favorite colors. They've been friends for years and even stood by each other through the "Crowton years". Match made in heaven.

Before the game starts, the players do some islander war dance called the Haka. I've heard it translates to "we're coming to kill you". I wish I had a picture of the last home game. The other team was on the other side of the field... praying. It was very ironic. Where are we? Provo?

We went down to where the players go from the locker room to the field. You would never know it from the noose-bleed section, but these players are all so YOUNG. It's a hard reality when you turn 26 and you realize that all college athletes are younger than you (and more in shape). I thought that "prime-of-life" was when you turned 30?

This beautiful thing is called a Cougar Tail. It's a 2-foot-long maple bar donut and it's only sold at BYU football games. Clever name? I love maple bars but even this is too much for my non-college-athlete self. It splits well between 3 people. Is there such thing as a striped cougar? That donut would be drizzled with chocolate. Mmm...

It's just what you do.

Once again, the manly members of the Hawkins family fulfill their yearly passage into the wilderness hoping to emerge victoriously with their proud kill. Months of planning goes into this expedition. The permits are purchased, the orange hats get organized, the guns get cleaned, and the bullets get shook to see if the gun powder is still in there (would it go anywhere?). Their permits were for the northern Utah area which included Wolf Creek Pass, which is coincidentally just up the road from where we live. We invited them to the cabin so they could "rough it" in style for a night. They all woke up at 5:30 this morning to get an early start. I woke up as well, stumbling around towards the smell of manly bacon and eggs with my eyes half closed. Once again I contemplated the fashion combination of camouflage vs. orange (silently, I've learned just not to say anything out loud). There were a couple deer in our back yard as usual and I mentioned that they could just shoot those deer right now and go back to bed. None of them seemed to hear me. Bevan packed about 2 dozen bullets (what's the limit?) into his fanny pack along with his daily ration of bologna sandwiches and mini-candy bars. Normally I bum around wishing I could go along... but this year I've decided to enrich my feminine self by going back to bed.

Here's a cute picture of Bevan. Notice that it's still dark outside. PS There are now 7 deer in our back yard

Dogs, Mice, and (stomach) Bugs

Every once in a while, we're asked to dog/housesitt for my boss and his wife. They prefer us to do it because
A. we like playing with their dogs
B. we know how to use the wood-burning stove
We really like it because it's always an adventure. They always give us some money for groceries, so we eat well. They also have cable, so we didn't miss any conference... or football. The dogs are fun, but can be a handful. The one yellow lab will not listen to anybody but my boss, so every time we went outside, she'd take off for a couple hours. This was getting pretty annoying... until we found something called a leash! They never use leashes, but sometimes, it's a necessity. Problem solved. It ended up being a pretty rainy weekend, but the dogs loved it all the more. They LOVED playing in the mud, and I LOVED drying them off and mopping up after them. And people think kids are messy.

Yesterday morning I was making some breakfast back at our own house and a small mouse came running along our kitchen counter. It's that frosty time of year when all creatures find refuge in a warm house. It freaked me out for a second, then I realized I should probably get rid of it. I though about catching it and then killing it, until it stopped where I could see it. He looked at me, and I looked at it. We had an understanding. It was a gross, filthy mouse covered in germs and disease... but it had a will to live! I caught it in a cup, put the cup in a lunch cooler, and drove into town. I released it where Bevan catches his carpool in the Prospector district of Park City. He'll be happy there. Lots of garbage to rummage in and cigarette butts to chew on. I was satisfied with my sense of humanity, but it's time to put out the traps.

Speaking of vermin, Bevan caught a stomach flu a few days ago. It made him sick to his stomach and even had to stay home from work due to the nausea. I've always had this "toughen up" kind of attitude and never showed much sympathy. I wonder if it's how I was raised? Hum...? My darling husband then gave it to me. Ugh. Who needs to toughen up now? Sympathy anyone?

Smooth Shifting!

I'm trying to be better about updating the blog, even when there's nothing much going on. The highlight of our week was babysitting Nora and James' kids while they were in California. Well actually, it was mostly Bevan, until I got there with Paige Friday night. By that point, Bevan was SO happy to see me. I didn't see what the big deal was. I guess he never did a lot of babysitting growing up.

On Saturday, we worked on our cars with dad. I made sure to pitch in with organizing the tools and lending a hand when needed. Not just because I was getting a deal for the labor, but because I really thought it was interesting! Maybe there's a little mechanical streak in all of us? How often do you get to look underneath your car and see how things work? This comes in handy when you need some real work done with a mechanic and you actually know what he's talking about. All I care about now is how nice it is to have a smooth clutch in the little Civic.

I've been going down to Salt Lake Monday nights for a study group for my Landscape Architectural Registration Exam. For those of you who knew that I took it once before, but never heard how it turned out… I didn't pass. It's not like I "fail" at many things, but knowing that there was only a 33% passing rate made me feel a little better about failing. It's kind of sketchy because they don't tell you HOW you failed. 4 months later (when the scores are reported), they probably figure that nobody cares. You can pay more money and be able to see your old test. But you can't take notes or bring anything in with you. You can just stare at it for up to one hour and hurry and run outside to some paper and jot it down. Nothing quite like paying a fortune for the test AND the review, but if you actually learn something, you're lucky. The folks who write and grade the test are supposed "volunteers" so who knows why they charge so much in the first place. Probably the recycled paper.

So getting back to my Monday evenings… I'm re-taking the test in December and decided to hook up with a quality study group: people from my old class. Productivity went way down the first session because we just reminisced the whole time and caught up with each other's lives. I was happy to find out that most of the 25 people in my class went on to grad school at prestigious universities or got really good jobs. That was right at the peak of the bubble. Can't say so much for the class after us. That's what happens when your major revolves around the development of land.

So that's what 's been happening in my life. Bevan works hard with the saw crew and spends his free time playing chess online (thanks mom for getting him hooked) and fantasy football. There's only 65 days left until the start of ski season and both of us can't wait! If anybody's itching for a day pass to come up and ski... let us know!

A Bowling "Playdate"

Living out in the middle of nowhere has it's perks: fresh mountain air, lonely dirt roads, the neighborhood fox harassing the chickens next door, etc. A downside is that you really don't socialize or "hang out". Not that there aren't friendly folks out here... it's just not what you do. Try to find a young, 20-something year-old, newly-wed couple to play "games" with on a weekend night. Very rare. We've gotten so used to it, we go through culture shock when we go down to the valley, especially when we go to Provo.

Last weekend, we went down to Utah Valley to see our friend, Mary, who wanted us to go as the second couple on a double date. We drove past a grassy field on campus and noticed a large group of guys playing flag football. Something so ordinary as that really caught Bevan's eye. We talked how nice it would be to play sports with "the guys". I seriously thought, "Aw, Bevan needs a playdate with some boys his age." We really didn't realize how isolated we were. We went bowling with Mary and her date and noticed how we were completely surrounded by 20-something-year-old couples! Whether they were married or not married made no difference. It felt awkward, but it also felt good! They were our age! It was a real phenomenon! True, Provo is on the extreme end of supporting that kind of crowd, but it opened our eyes to what life would be like if we lived in a college town. Anti-social is not always a choice. It comes with real life, real jobs, and too many dirt-road miles between you and your friends.

What can $185G get you in summit county?

I've noticed this house many times driving by it. This might actually be within our budget! I love the real estate post in front of it, as well as the fallen tree through the roof. Adds a nice touch. Should have grabbed a flyer.

Joys in Jackson

Bevan and I went on our annual pilgrimage to the Tetons last weekend. We wish we could coordinate with Nora and James' family, but it never seems to work out. Lately, we've been spending a good chunk of the time in Yellowstone. It's not "beautiful" like the Tetons, but still pretty cool. Lonestar Geyser only goes off every 2 1/2 to 4 hours and takes 45 minutes to hike to, so you need to time it pretty well. We were 5 minutes away when we heard it going off, so we ran. Not as big as Old Faithful, but still pretty impressive.

The Firehole River is fed by 3 geyser basins. The water is 80 degrees and a very popular destination. You jump in after the last rapid and it carries you through a 4-foot-wide gorge into a large, shallow swimming hole. Bevan couldn't get enough of it!

Back in the Tetons, we tried a new hike up Hanging Canyon. What a beast! Now we know why it's not marked. It rises 2800 feet within 3 miles. It was a permanent stair-stepper. Google Earth shows it well. The top was beautiful and made it totally worth it... but we probably won't do it again.

The following are memories that deserve honorable mention:

Free creative camping

Tin foil dinners at Colter Bay

Teton scrambles for breakfast, at Snake River Overlook

Mosquito bites the size of pancakes

Shortcut though Evanston. Why haven't we gone this way before?

Kidlets: 3 to 11 years old

I always thought I had the best calling in the entire church: substitute Sunday school teacher. I did everything from a couple times in primary to one anxious Sunday teaching gospel doctrine. Mostly, I worked with the teenage classes. I almost knew more teenagers in my ward than adults . I taught when I wanted and declined when I knew we would be out of town. They came to me and worked around my schedule. We're out of town a lot anyway, so it was a perfect calling. Originally they thought we weren't going to be in the ward for very long so they didn't want to place me in something incredibly permanent. It's now been over a year and they've bumped me up to Primary Presidency First Counselor. I was like, wow, a legit calling. They're making it official today. I felt a little overwhelmed until Sharon informed me that it only entails being in charge of sharing time once a month and going to an occasional presidency meeting. I get to hang out with kids for 2 hours, singing and playing games. What can beat that?! I would be starting next week... only we'll be out of town.

Yuccas and Red Dirt

For many many years, my mother-in-law's cousins still hold annual family reunions. Though we don't know many people, it's always a blast. This year it was held in St. George... in July... right during the hottest day of the year so far. Saturday got to 110 degrees. Jumping in the pool did little good until you got OUT of the pool and the water evaporated off your skin. The pool was as warm as a bath. My sister-in-law says that in Phoenix, they dump those 99 cent blocks of ice in the pools to cool them down. Ah, life in the desert. That night we went to the Tuacahn Amphitheater to see Les Miserables. I had to keep poring water on myself to stay cool. At least the wind was blowing a little... until the sun went down. Then the wind stopped, and it got hotter! The play was amazing, but all I could think about was how hot I was. I couldn't imagine how the actors were doing. I guess they're seasoned desert people, just like my sister-in-law from Phoenix and my aunt from Las Vegas. They seemed like they were doing fine.
The play was fantastic and I love the way they incorporate the landscape behind the stage. I'd never actually seen the entire musical before. We'd sing the songs in Jr. High and I watched a PBS special on it for 20 minutes, but that was it. I knew it was a 1200 page novel and you could tell there was was condensing for the 3-hour musical.
The entire trip was a litte more than 24 hours long, but it was such a blast. I'm now sitting here, back at 7000 ft. feeling the cold breeze blowing in from the window, knowing that it's not air conditioning, wondering how I got to be such a wimp in heat. I have a whole new respect for desert dwellers.

The Forth of July and Slide Rock

This was probably the most uneventful 4th of July ever. We were housesitting for my boss and his wife while they were back east for a week. They have 4 Labrador dogs that were always in want of attention. We couldn't leave them for a whole day so we just went to the festivities in town. I've never been to the Park City Parade, but I always heard it was well worth it.

The only good part of this parade was the float from Deer Valley. I'm really not being partial, it was definitely clever. Our general manager, Bob Weaton, recently moved out here to Woodland (he lives on the other side of the bluff). His new house came with some acreage. The story goes that he sold his boat and bought a tractor. He then claimed to our supervisor that he's had more fun on that tractor then he ever had on his boat. He then used this tractor for a 4th of July float. The rest of the parade was boring and disorganized. The final float was a giant foam 6-pack carton, where teenagers dressed up as beer bottles and stood in their respective slots. Only in Park City.

We went back to the house and took the dogs on a hike while our food cooked. I made homemade baked beans (thanks Lizzette for the recipe), watermelon, and BBQ ribs. It only takes making ribs once to find out the correct way to do it. Slow cook them for half a day! Don't expect to throw them on the barbecue raw. I baked them in the oven for an hour, but they still should've been cooked longer.

The weekend after, we went down to visit Bevan's parents in American Fork. His sister and her four boys were visiting from Phoenix. We took them to Slide Rock up in Alpine. It's a natural water slide that's become increasingly popular over the years. Two years ago, you could go on a hot Saturday and there will only be a couple other people. Last Saturday there were almost 30 people there! You have to hike a mile to get to it, but that doesn't stop them. I don't know, with that many people and that many slippery rocks and steep ledges... it's an accident waiting to happen. You have to watch kids VERY closely. It was a successful trip, and the only casualty was me. I hit my knee against a rock climbing out of the water and it started bleeding. Here I was, telling the boys to be careful. Huh.

This first picture is Bevan holding his neice. The other are his two nephews sliding down by themselves.

Uinta Basin Wedding

Last Friday, Bevan and I went to a wedding of my good friend, Anika, from CEU. It was at the LJ Ranch in Altamont, out in "the basin." What a fun wedding! The road through the ranch to get to the cabin should've been classified as 4WD (fine for trucks, but not my Civic). The groomsmen had black swede jackets with matching stetson hats. "Restless Heart" played from an Ipod broadcasting over some speakers. We feasted on hamburgers and BBQ sausages. They had wedding cupcakes instead of a cake (it's actually getting more popular). Anika looked so beautiful in her dress! The best part about it was that there was a "chocolate lady." A lady who's one duty is to prepare the exquisite chocolate fountain. I guess she does it for a living. The Belgian chocolate was superb and there was every item you could think of to dip! I even took a picture of the display, I was so impressed. I think that every wedding... no every EVENT should have a "chocolate lady": baby showers, birthday parties, family reunions, funerals, and even Sunday church. Wouldn't this world be able to solve all it's problems if we had more chocolate? Anyway, the wedding was a blast and I was able to see some old friends. It makes you appreciate being married, and having somebody automatically to attend these events with.


Me, Anika, Cindy, and Melissa

The Fabuous Display...

Bevan, wondering how big the fish are

What a handsome lineup!

Amendment

I was not thinking when I published my last post. I was incredibly insensible and unfeeling towards my wonderful husband. I wrote all my aspirations for the summer... without mention of him. The most embarrassing part was that HE had to point it out to me! I assumed that all those activities would naturally include him, although it may not be obvious to the rest of the blogging world. I'm sorry Bevan! He's been totally neglected while I spent those hours at home studying for my test, instead of spending time with him. I can't wait until we can start having fun again. That's one of the perks of being married: a full time friend, road-tripping buddy, fishing buddy, and running partner. My life is so much better because he's in it. Love ya honey!

If you had all the time in the world...

I'm sitting here at Mom and Dad's updating my blog because I don't have anything else to do! I haven't been in this situation since after finals at USU. I just took my landscape architecture licensing exam at the Redwood Campus of SLCC. Actually it was yesterday and today. 5 hours each day. If you include travel time, set up, orientation, clean-up, then you're looking at 6 1/2 hours! Even the AP tests in high school weren't that long. It is amazing though, how quickly the time goes and how you wish you had more time. Basically, they give you 4 "vignettes" (11x17 sheets of paper with site diagrams on them and transparent overlays that you draw your solutions on). It'll show a piece of land, contour lines, existing trees, water bodies, etc. and they give you a list of elements you need to draw in, such as parking lots, buildings, sidewalks, detention ponds, etc. It doesn't sound that complicated... but it is! Especially when you have to draw in new contour lines. It's funny sitting for a landscape architecture test and you don't have to draw one tree! I don't know why plant placement has fallen off the testing requirements. It's all I do at work!

But now, it's all over. I just have to wait 10-12 weeks to get my results (hand graded, of course). Now I can do all those things I've been waiting all summer to do. Let's see... um... what was I going to do? Train for the 10k, study Spanish, plant dozens of wildflowers at the cabin, listen to more books, hike some mountains, go cycling more, etc. I'll do it all!... after I take a nap.

This is a vignette "problem"...

This is a trace paper overlay with a "solution"... (sorry, it's hard to see)

Triple Threat!

Waiting for things to kick off.

Our friends, Devan and Teresa joined us!

"God Bless Texas!" (Little Texas)

"Goodbye Says It All" (Blackhawk)

It's hard to find an affordable concert these days. Bevan and I like to patronize older country bands. Well, we hit the jackpot. 3 bands, one night, fireworks, and only $15 per person. A real bargain! It was a grassy amphitheater on a beautiful June evening in Eagle Mountain. The three bands were Little Texas, Blackhawk, and Restless Heart. They were all huge in the late '80s / early '90s. That translates to "attack of the mullets"! We were not disappointed! These band members don't like to change a thing decade to decade, except the things that can't be avoided... age and WEIGHT. Hehe. Lots of beer bellies to go along with the mullets. The night was so entertaining. The only drawback was that they had 2 opening bands, plus theirs, plus fireworks. The whole event last 4 1/2 hours! Per hour, we definitely got our money's worth. Does anybody else think that music concerts have gotten slightly expensive? Let's blame it on the price of gas!