Saying Goodbye to 2020!

 We said our goodbyes to 2020 by getting together with Moss and Christie and Jay and Brynn and families for dinner outside (staying safe from Covid measure) and then masking while inside.  Christie had fun activities for the kids to do at each hour - making party hats, a match game of things from the year 2020, a candy ball, Starburst game and then we watched the ball drop in New York (a little early for us) and then some fireworks and sparkler fun outside for the final celebration - we were done by 11:00 using the eastern time zone. It was a fun evening even with the crazy outside in the cold dinner and masked up inside (with windows open for ventilation) activities.  

Finishing up Yellowstone - Fall Break 2020

 We had one day at Yellowstone earlier this year when we vacationed in the summer up that way.  We needed a few more days to finish all of it that was open.  We decided to do it for Fall Break.  It turned out to be a really nice trip.  We left Wednesday afternoon and spent the night with Jay and Brynn and then took off the next morning.  We got there in time to have most of the afternoon Thursday to get started.  We came in at the West entrance and went south to visit the Lower, Midway and Upper Geyser basins on that part of the Grand Loop.  Our last stop for the day was Old Faithful and we were lucky enough to arrive at a time when we were able to see it erupt at 6:28 pm! (Earlier we arrived just in time to see another geyser erupt and also saw buffalo scattered around there.) It wasn't too crowded either.  Actually because of the time of year and because all of the Lodges and Visitor's Centers are closed for Covid, the whole trip was a little less crowded than it might have otherwise been.  Another thing that was great was that we did lots of walking to see all of the places so we weren't just driving and never getting any exercise.  It was cold!  We had light coats and no long john pants that first afternoon and we got pretty cold.  The next two days we were just right even though it was about 38 degrees, sometimes less, and snowed and rained a little.  We stayed in West Yellowstone for the first two nights.  Pretty crowded there in the evening, so the first night we just cooked chicken pot pies in the microwave in our room for dinner.  The hotels weren't serving regular breakfasts the whole trip.  They just had brown bag breakfasts that you picked up to eat in your own room.  We brought other food and ate lunches in the car as we drove around.  It was too cold to sit outside and eat!  

On Friday we drove the upper western part of the Grand Loop and visited all of the cool stuff along the way between Madison and Mammoth Hot Springs.  So many awesome things to see there!  Mammoth Hot Springs was probably the coolest thing that day.  It's so different from the other things you get to see.  We also took a long loop hike that day and saw all different kinds of hydro thermal phenomenon at the Norris Geyser Basin.  It's a really huge area of activity.  We drove clear to the North Entrance also so we could see the Roosevelt Arch at Gardiner.  I had always wanted to see it and it didn't disappoint!  Amazing stonework! That night we got lucky and found a really nice Chinese restaurant that didn't have an hour wait/wasn't crowded.  Really good food!  

Saturday morning we went to the Grizzly & Wolf  Rescue Center in West Yellowstone.  It was a really interesting place to learn about and actually see these animals up close.  They also had river otters and birds.  We were glad we took the time to take it in.  After that we drove up the west side to cross over at Norris Road and saw all we could of the Lower/Upper Falls at the Grand Canyon area of the park.  We got to hike a little to see it from different viewpoints.  We couldn't drive the road from Canyon Village to Tower-Roosevelt because that section was still closed as it had been earlier in the year when we came.  They just have to close full sections to do roadwork sometimes. That will have to be visited at another time.  After going as far as we could there, we drove down the lower east side (Lake and West Thumb section) and out of the south entrance through the Tetons to Jackson and then on the Pocatello to spend the night.  We got lucky again and were able to eat dinner at the Sizzler there.  It was really good.  

Sunday morning it was time to head home.  We took some I-15 and some backroads to get  home.  We listened to a couple of good books on the long drive parts.  It was a GREAT trip!

Happy Baptism Trigg!

 Covid-19 took its toll on even this.  Trigg's bday is in May, but at that time his baptism would have been almost impossible with the way things were shut down.  Trigg decided to wait a little while for things to open up so that he could have more people come and join with him to be part of this important step in his life.  Finally things are open enough that if he had it outdoors he could have the people he wanted most to be there and others could join by watching live in a Zoom session via computer.  Saturday, August 19th, we gathered in the backyard of a good friend to witness Trigg's baptism.  His dad did the honors of that and his confirmation.  It was very nice and good to see family there that we hadn't seen for a while from the Smith side.  All went well, and now we are glad that Trigg was finally able to do this!  

Camping Out and Rambling - Cedar Mountain and Tushar Mountains

At about 2:30 on Friday afternoon we decided to go camping...it was my suggestion and so "us".  Then I was sort of crabby while packing up...also so "me" when rushing and trying to remember everything and people asking me to remember for what feels like them too.  But, after it was all said and done, it turned into a really beautiful time in really beautiful places.  Riding in the very cramped  backseat of our small pick up is even worth it after it is all said and done.  We went up on Cedar Mountain to a spot that's one of Paul's favorites (and mine now) by the High Mountain Trail Head marker.  We ate dinner in Cedar City on the way to save the time of going to the store before we left and cooking after we got there.  We were there just in time to enjoy the evening after setting up and sitting by the fire and relaxing for a while before bed.  Our breakfast was a little crazy in the morning when we tried to warm the syrup jar up on the griddle and when I tried to pick it up the bottom stayed on the griddle and the jar was in my hand.  All of the syrup poured out all over the griddle and the pancakes and bacon cooking there.  Luckily we had already cooked most of the pancakes and were able to pour some of that syrup on the griddle onto a paper plate to save and who cares if bacon has syrup on it anyway.  It all worked out...a little bit stickier than we would have liked, but nevertheless, still very tasty.  Afterwards we packed up and drove up to High Mountain and enjoyed that glorious view. 

And then, spur of the moment once more, we decided to drive over to the Tushar Mountains by Beaver to see if it was opened up now.  It was so beautiful and the best thing of all was that our favorite campsite was empty and had even been cleaned up some.  We were tired and took a nap on a tarp under the tree (Bean went for a walk) and then ate lunch and finished the loop drive to see all of the other beautiful places we love up there.  On the way home we spur of the moment decided to check out Manderfield Resevoir.  Lou has been telling us how nice a place it is.  And it was, but I didn't get any pics.  We didn't get out, but enjoyed the drive there.  It was so crowded that we really didn't even want to stop.  

Saw this new mountain biking place and stopped to take pics for Supe.

So, we had a really nice time and got home in time for dinner and cleaning up the stickiness, etc.  It was good to get out camping.  We haven't even gotten out to camp until this one I don't think.  So many people are taking to the woods to survive the Covid that it seems pretty crowded, but we were pleasantly surprised that both places we went to were not.  

And he's off...Mission: Part 2

Wednesday, June 3rd, Tavin left for part 2 of his mission which will take place in the Tacoma, Washington Mission.  He's keeping still studying the Philippine language - Tagalog - in case they open back up out of country missionaries there and send him back.  They told him it is a possibility.  He was happy to be out of limbo and back out to serve!  And we are glad for him!

Cedar Mountain Rainstorm!

After a long, hard week for Paul and a tough hike on Friday for me, we decided to take it easy on Saturday.  It still wasn't a good day for the kayaks.  When we checked the weather we saw that it was supposed to rain on Cedar Mountain, so we decided to chill by taking a drive up to enjoy the rain in the mountains - and we were not disappointed.  It rained on us here and there as the clouds moved around, and it even hailed a little on us at a Cedar Breaks viewpoint we stopped off at.  It was was SO very refreshing and lovely, so green and smelling of the rain.  It was just what we hoped for.  We had a little excitement on the highway going up when someone pulled of in an old motor home a little in front of us and deserted it when it caught fire and burned completely down.  The police still don't know who it belonged to or why they just left it behind and took off.  It held us up a little while, but luckily not too long.  We enjoyed some viewpoints at Cedar Breaks.  Then along our  way we stopped off for a nap and found a new little stream access place.  We got out and walked along the stream for quite a ways enjoying the beautiful spot we had driven by so many times without stopping or realizing that you could get down to it.  After that we drove on to Panguitch Lake and walked down to see the spillway and drove around the lake and saw a "pirate ship" launching.   It was a perfect afternoon respite from the heat.  Oh, we stopped off at Ace for some cinnamon licorice too and found some really fun presents for family in the process!  

Grapevine - With Supe, Beacher and Jasmine

They wanted to borrow our walking sticks to navigate the steep trail...and they got me too!  I was a little worried about the trail because I remember how crazy steep it is in places, but it was actually better this time for me than last time.  And the waterholes and stream were so beautiful that it was worth it.  Supe and Beacher are always fun to be with and this was my first time hiking with Jasmine.  She and Beacher are so funny as sisters together.  (We saw a raccoon and I learned that they are even more bad than cats - to them!)  We got to the big pool/waterfall destination after a stop to cool off lower down.  And we enjoyed watching Supe climb up and jump in from off the cliff and rock above.  Beacher probably would have if she wasn't so very pregnant with little Jemmy.  She's still an adventurer even so pregnant!  We ate some food down there before we left.  I mooched some sausages that Supe cooked on his little stove.  They were so good!  We went down late afternoon and came out about 7 pm.  It was nice to come out in the shade and cooler time of day.  So, I'm glad I did that hike again!  I wasn't sure I would.  Today my thighs are not so happy.  I sort of took it easy yesterday too!  Getting to be a bit of a granny.  

Dinner Date - Kaebri & Tavin

We had such a fun evening dining out (first time since Covid-19) with Kaebri and Tavin.  She graduated and we usually take grads to dinner and Tavin is leaving for the second installment of his mission next week.  We wanted to spend this time with both of them.  We had yummy dinner at the Outback and chatted away.  We followed the guidelines of eating far apart from other diners, the waiter wore a mask, we had throw away menus that we folded into paper airplanes!  Then on the way home we decided (I decided) we should check in at Nielson's Custard to see if they had lemon.  They didn't, but we did anyway!  

They are both amazing young adults and they have been affected by this pandemic a lot.  Tavin had to come home after just a few months on his mission in the Philippines, quarantine at home for two weeks, and then wait for several more weeks after being released, to be recalled and set apart to go back out to a different mission - Tacoma, Washington.  They tell him to keep working on his language in case they can put him back in the Philippines sometime before he's released.   Kaebri had to miss the last quarter of her senior year of high school and all the fun stuff that goes along with that.  She had to do all of her schoolwork at home/on-line and miss a big completion she could have attended in graphic design.  She had an on-line graduation ceremony. She was a rock and found other ways to celebrate and other ways to proceed with her college plans. She had some job plans interrupted too.  Life goes on and they are doing it with a great attitude!  Couldn't be prouder of both of them.  

Maiden Voyage...not!

So we got our own kayaks!  Moss found a good deal and shared it with us and we couldn't resist.  We hoped we could try them out on Saturday at Enterprise Reservoir, but it was cold and windy when we got there...and we just didn't want to get into the water then.  But we still had a great time just driving different back roads looking for camp spots and fun things to see!  And we found one empty camp spot even with all of the crazy Memorial Day/Covid-19 crowds out that day!  The camp spot was on the road between the reservoir and Gunlock - 006, and it had a fun swing  over a little stream that we tried out!  And we saw a long, undangerous snake in the road and just a whole lot of other pretty!  (We did have to stop by Mountain Meadows on the way up because Paul has to do some work up there for the Church.  It was pretty busy, but cold and quiet.  It is just such a sad place.  I kind of don't like to go there even.)

Kaebri high school graduation - Covid19 style - via video!

Here I sit at my computer waiting to watch Kaebri's high school graduation.  In normal times I'd be at DSU Burns Arena with the whole family ready to scream and yell at the appropriate times...but not this time.  This will be a graduation that will be remembered long after because it will be so unique.  Kaebri dropped by her graduation announcement today, along with instructions of how we can "tune in" to watch the prerecorded, spliced together film they worked out to be the graduation ceremony.  It was so good to visit with her and hear her tell about how she and some friends did their own little senior prom day date, dinner and dance since they couldn't possibly do it as a school.  And tonight, after the on-line graduation they will car parade to a spot at Staheli Farms where they will park and watch a drive-in movie of school memories together.  They have spent their last quarter as seniors at home doing on-line school.

 I had a "Weed moment" during all of this - a time when I miss her and am sad that she isn't here to be a part of this important milestone in one of her children's lives.  I comfort myself hoping that somehow she is watching, and is not sad watching, because she is in a different time zone, a heavenly time zone, that makes it so she knows and it feels like to her that they will all be together again "soon".  I hope and pray that's the case - that she's watching, sending love, and doing it happily. 

One of the graduation speakers - class president I think - spoke about a new word she discovered that seemed useful in this whole corona virus disruption scenario that we are in and in speaking of their lives and the disruption of the normality of this end of high school year and graduation.  The word is anti-fragile. It's meaning is way over my head, but in a sort of simple way is described like this:  In his 2012 book, Antifragile:  Things That Gain from Disorder, Taleb offered the following definition: “Some things benefit from shocks; they thrive and grow when exposed to volatility, randomness, disorder, and stressors and love adventure, risk and uncertainty.  Yet, in spite of the ubiquity of the phenomenon, there is no word for the exact opposite of fragile.  Let us call it anti-fragile.  Anti-fragility is beyond resilience or robustness.  The resilient resists shocks and stays the same; the anti-fragile gets better.”  The book's central theme purports that we must learn how to make our public and private lives anti-fragile, rather than simply less vulnerable to randomness and chaos.

 I like the word and think it's good in that life is fragile here on earth and we are always in the midst of something - that's actually why we came - you know - opposition in all things.  And we also know that the way to get through it is the Gospel/Christ's atonement... 'cause we sure can't avoid all the shocks and chaos - like in losing your daughter/mother - in our lives.  So, anyway, I liked what she had to say - wisdom from one so young.  

I'm going off, because this was really a very unique graduation "in the history of ever" as one young speaker put it,  and I don't know that there will be another one like it.  

Andrew Wells, student body president, said this class was born during the year of the 9/11 bombings (2001-2002) and now graduates during the 2020 Covid-19 Pandemic.  Their focus was unity, which got pretty difficult during the last quarter because they had no school at school and could not gather in groups.  Adversity came!  Their theme for the year was - The Spirit of the Storm.  Life is good and can always be good, even in the storms - if we look for good and focus on it.  He did a nice job too.

Hopefully Kaebri gets a copy of the whole thing and can save it for future inspiration!  Her college plans have become disrupted along with the internship she was doing.  Her other job got lost in the social distancing mess too.  But she is happy and hopeful, moving forward in the storm, humble and sweet, giving service to her family and friends in her quiet ways...so much like her mom in that way. I'm so thankful that she is on track, that she has weathered her storms so far and is following the path that will help her to be anti-fragile, and focusing on the good so her Life Can Be Amazing - that was the song they sang at the graduation - in a socially distant,  combined school district choir really cool video.  The combined school district orchestra video was equally awesome.  

Life Can Be Amazing

I'm living right here and now and I don't wanna miss out.

Is this what life's all about? The world is calling and I'm list'ning.

I feel the freedom inside. Come on let's go for a ride.

I finally opened my eyes and I can see it so clearly.

And isn't it amazing.

Oh life can be amazing. Oh I feel my heartbeat racing. I fly!

Soaring ever higher I can light my inner fire.

And then we'll see what happens now! Watch what happens now!

Sometimes we have what it takes.  Sometimes we make our mistakes.

And now the journey awaits so don't you wanna come with me?

We'll make our way to the top. We'll never break never stop.

And when we get to the spot we'll know we made it there together.

We'll remember forever...life is but a dream...

So, I was really impressed with the whole program.  The walking part was about the same...long, very long waiting for the S's to come up!  But, all in all, it WAS amazing.  Maybe it will start a new tradition!

Getting out of town...in spite of Covid-19

We decided to go pick up some gold coins that G'ma Kurtz wants us all to take as an early inheritance.  They were at Ross and Lerlyn's in Aztec, NM.  Boy were we glad to go!  They could have mailed them to us, but the idea of a trip was just too good to pass up!  So we went!  And it was SO wonderful.  Wonderful to see them and visit, and wonderful to see all of the beautiful scenery we found along the way (and not so along the way).  And we even listened to a Tony/Anita Hillerman book that takes place in this very area.

We left Thursday night and made it home Sunday afternoon just in time to get to our socially distanced ward council meeting.  On the way there we went through Kanab, Page, Kayenta and then through Monument Valley, just along the highway.  I called to see if Hovenweep National Monument was open and got the message that the staff weren't opening the Visitor's Center or campground, but that you were welcome to come and see the ruins trail - which we did.  There was one couple leaving as we got there and we didn't see anyone else - just had the whole place to ourselves.  (We had hoped to go to Mesa Verde, but they were closed, so this was a really nice substitute since we weren't expecting anything else instead.)  It was such a cool little place.  We enjoyed the whole thing and then headed out to take some back roads that got us to Durango, CO in time to get some dinner at the Wendy's drive-up.  We took it over to the Fish Hatchery and ate it there on an available picnic table while deer walked around checking us out.  The scenery along the way there was "to die for"!  Then it was on to Ross and Lerlyn's for the night.

 The next morning Ross had too much work, so they didn't join us on our day trip to Pagosa Spring/Blanco Basin.  IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL!  We drove over to get a closer look at Chimney Rock National Monument, but weren't so lucky there - it was closed.  Just got to see the rock from a distance and not the ruins.  Then on to Blanco Basin...a place of so many wonderful youthful memories for Paul.  It was perfect no coat weather with sun shining and snow melting on the majestic mountains all around us.  The aspens were just coming out with their bright green leaves.  We drove and walked around to our hearts content taking pictures constantly and just feeling like we were in the most beautiful place on earth.  After we had to leave, we ate lunch at a park in Pagosa Springs and then headed back to Aztec for dinner with Ross and Lerlyn and an evening of visiting.  They live way out of  town in a beautiful, quiet place.  They have a beautiful home and were wonderful hosts to us.

 Saturday morning we needed to start heading home.  We left and took the Durango, Silverton, Ouray, Montrose, Grand Junction, Green River, Richfield, Panguitch, Cedar Mountain way home.  We stopped to pick up lunch to put in our ice chest in Durango and ate it outside of the Ouray Hot Springs Pool.  The pool wasn't open yet, but it was so good to see it and all of the other wonderfulness along the way.  We had stopped off at Molas Pass, drove though Silverton and checked out Bear Creek Falls along the way (and had a nap spot by Red Mountain).  After lunch it was time to really start home...we went down out of the mountains to Montrose and then over to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.  It was sort of open with the Rangers at tables handing out info outside the closed Visitor's Center.  We drove the South Rim Trail and stopped at every awesome viewpoint along the way.  We had been there with Paul's folks when we were first married, but I had no memory of it at all.  It was magnificent and awesome combined!  We stayed quite late and then ate dinner at a very authentic little Mexican place in Delta, CO.  We decided we weren't going to make it home that night and went as far as we could til bedtime and stayed the night in Green River, CO.

The next morning we left by 8 am to make it home by a 2:00 meeting deadline.  We stopped at a few viewpoints in the San Rafael Swell area. (We were hurrying, so it's bugs on the windshield pics.)

 It was a wonderful chance to get out of town and enjoy some of our most favorite scenery and memory areas of our lives.  It was WONDERFUL!!!