Guys' ATV trip

Jens, Jeff, Gordon, and Brian took an ATV trip to Two Top and Lion's Head on Friday.  Dust was king.  Here are a few pictures of their faces upon returning late that night.  Somehow Gordon beat the others to the sink and we did not get a picture of his face.  Darn...

Brian took this picture with his phone of the three others on the summit of Two Top trail.

Holy Moose! A SIX moose float trip!

Moose number 1

This morning six of us floated the beautiful river in kayaks and canoes.  As we were leaving we saw the first moose, a big bull with the velvet falling off his rack.  The second and third were this cow and calf hidden in the tall grass.

Numbers 2 and 3

The next two we saw were these two majestic bulls.

Number 4

Number 5.  Nice rack and what a dewlap!

Jeff and Jens got a little close to number 5 but he didn't take much notice of them.

Number 6

The last one was this cow seen looking back upstream from where we were floating.

My honey and pilot.  We floated down past the Flat Rock Club where I used to work.

 

What a beautiful day!  We broke our record of 5 moose and had a great time on the river.
 

Jens' prize find.

Having a great time.  Wish you were here!

Happy Anniversary to my Wonderful Husband

Our wedding day, August 20th, 1980

Today is the 32nd anniversary of my wedding to my wonderful husband.  He is my best friend, the love of my life and a wonderful provider.  He has given me 5 beautiful, amazing children, of whom we are very proud.  Without this family of mine, my life would be shallow and sad.  We have 3 (almost 4) of the cutest grandchildren you have ever seen and 3 wonderful children in laws.

All of us as of May 2011

Let me tell you about our story.  In 1977, Brian and I met in (where else?) Island Park.  He had arrived looking for a logging job back in April of that year.  I came in June after graduating from Ricks College with an associate degree in general studies.

He was managing the grocery store at Mack's
and I was working at the Flat Rock Club as the hired hand.

When I arrived at church the first Sunday and saw all the girls and the paucity of boys, I just knew this was going to be a great summer with the girls. The first Sunday he was there he saw all the girls and the paucity of boys, and he just knew this was going to be a great summer with the girls.  So right off the bat, we were on the same page.

Brian making root beer at the Pioneer Day picnic in Island Park

By the 24th of July summer was in full swing. The Young Adults were asked to man the homemade root beer stand at the Pioneer Day picnic for the Island Park branch. Brian was in charge because he was the Young Adult President for the branch.  I signed up to help for a few hours.  Brian was advertising the need for a rider to help pay for gas to go south because he needed to go home for a funeral.  I wanted to see my Aunt Lorraine, so I said I'd go.

Brian and I at Mesa Falls

A few days later we left for the weekend.  We hardly said two words on the way down, but on the way back we began talking and didn't stop until he let me off at the end of our journey at the Flat Rock Club.  We continued to see each other the rest of the summer and left together in early October, which was the close of the resort season.

At the Flat Rock Club on the last day of our lovely summer in Island Park

We left early in the morning and traveled in his truck through YNP and down through Teton Park, past Bear Lake, through Cache Valley, and down to Orem that first day, arriving before dark.  Brian's mother was very happy to see him.  She wasn't so sure about me, though.  Later I seemed to win her over, much later...

Brian and his truck

Brian pointing to Kentucky on a map at his mother's home

After a week in Orem we left in his truck and made it to Tucson in one day, again leaving by dawn and arriving before dark.  These were very long days of driving.  My parents were happy to meet him.

His mother called after a few days and read his mission call to him over the phone, which had come since we left Orem.  He was going to Kentucky to serve the Lord for two years as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  He would leave in December.

Brian and I on the day of his farewell in Orem

Brian in Kentucky

To make this short we wrote for the two years, and married 8 months after he returned.  We often spoke of Island Park but never dreamed we would ever own a summer home there, or even visit much.  Things had changed.  Mack's had burned to the ground.  Tom, my boss, had died.  All our summer friends were long gone onto other adventures.

Brian and Scot

Over the years, we have bumped into only a few others from that summer.  Luckily for us, we have made strong friendships with Scot and Kris, who also have a cabin there.  I have stayed in loose touch with Janet and Vicki, the roommates from Ricks that told me about the job and with whom I worked at Flat Rock.  Not too many summers have compared to the 'funnest summer ever' for me - the summer I met my wonderful sweetheart.  Well, maybe the summer we got married.

We married 32 years ago today in the Provo Temple.  I love you, Brian.  Happy Anniversary.

How to Build a Deck in Three Easy Quick Steps...

Well, this summer Brian has built us a fine deck.  At least the first part is built and we are enjoying it tremendously.  So...

Step one. Lay down #1 railroad ties.

Step two.  Build a frame of 2 x 12s on top of the ties.

Step three. Screw into the frame 12 foot long pieces of Trex.

Voila! Don't I have a handy husband??  He makes it all look so easy.  Inexpensive, too!  (wink wink)

I just need a picture of us sitting on the deck injoying it.  We have been, but my camera must not have been handy at the time.  Check back for that addition later.

Scot and Kris' New Cabin

Tonight we went to Scot and Kris' cabin to show Kelsey the progress.  He is getting very close to being finished.  We can all taste it.  We need to throw a cabin warming party!  Here are a few pictures for the rest of you to enjoy.

The upstairs

Kitchen

Downstairs bedroom

Hand made banister

Hazy Days and Smokey Nights

From Big Springs Road.

 For the past week we have noticed an orange haze in the air.  Yesterday the haze made Sawtelle look like a shadow.  Last night while we were eating dinner the sun turned red, then disappeared completely.  It was still light out but the sky was filling with smoke clouds and we could smell smoke.  A little inquiry on Google showed a fire near Dubois, Idaho, far enough away that we are not in the way, but not far enough to escape the smoke.  That plus an inversion we were experiencing in the caldera and it seemed very close indeed.  This morning we woke up to ash on the cars and more haze in the air. It is not so bad tonight.

From the water at Island Park Reservoir tonight.

Idaho Falls Temple Trip

Today Brian and I went to Idaho Falls to the temple.  Kelsey and Jackson came with us and ran errands while we attended a temple session.  The Idaho Falls temple is the first temple that Brian and I ever went to together.  We were young adults up here and the ward youth were invited to go on a baptism trip.  There was room for more, so the President Murdock offered the extra places to the young adults.  Brian and I were among those who went.  As I recall we sat across from each other in the baptistry and smiled and made eyes at each other.  That was 35 years ago this summer.  Today was special, as our 32nd wedding anniversary is coming up next Monday and we can't be together that day.

Old Faithful Inn Tour

Today Kelsey, Jackson, and I went into the park.  We walked around Fountain Paint Pots,

then on to Old Faithful.  We watched the 20 minute movie before eruption, then watched it erupt from inside the new Visitor Center.  Jackson was more interested in the little bugs on the window than the geyser.

Then we went to tour the Old Faithful Inn.

This amazing building has quite a history.  Ruth was our tour guide and was very knowledgeable.

The huge fireplace has not been fully functional since the earthquake in 1959 that created Quake Lake.  Two hours after the earthquake, the bricks on the fireplace fell off and three of the four flues caved in.  Since that day only the front flue has ever worked.  In May of this year engineers came to inspect the chimney and fireplace and made a plan to return it to it's original function.  Work has been ongoing all summer on the interior and exterior.  This Friday, August 17th, on the anniversary of the earthquake, a fire will be lit in each of the four flues of the fireplace for the first time since that day.  Sounds like Friday would be a good day to stop by the Inn.

Crow's nest on the 7th floor from the bottom.  In the old days, the orchestra went up here after the guests finished up in the dining room.

 

The dining room today.

You can barely see the side of the fireplace.  It reaches from the floor all the way to the roof  7 stories up.

One of the bedrooms in the 'Old house'.

My sister and I stayed in one of these rooms for one night during the summer of 1977, the year I graduated from Ricks College and began working at the Flat Rock Club, and met my wonderful husband, Brian.