Lehi Again

Yesterday morning we got up, had breakfast, packed and bid farewell to Connie and Doyle.  They went east and we headed southwest.  We arrived in Lehi about 4:30 p.m.

It was a busy day for the Baines children.  It was the last day of school.   They had a children's block party in the afternoon and each of the three had a birthday party to go to either in the early afternoon or evening.

Thursday in Yellowstone

Thursday was a longer day than Wednesday.  We drove from West Yellowstone to Mammoth Hot Springs.  We saw waterfalls, geysers and mudpots but not as spectacular as the ones we saw on Wednesday.  The Mammoth Hot Springs should have been called "dry springs" as there was no water running.  We saw buffalo, elk, geese, loons and even a bear.  While we were in Yellowstone we heard more chinese than we have heard since we left China.

I have been to Yellowstone three times before, but I didn't remember how large the park was.

Selfie

Wednesday in Yellowstone

We spent a long day touring Yellowstone.  We started on the south loop and went to Lower and Midway Geyser Basins, Old Faithful and West Thumb.  It was surprising to find piles of snow on the Old Faithful parking lot and more snow along the road up to West Thumb.  We had lunch at the old faithful lodge.We saw buffalo, paint pots, beautiful pools and geysers.  Unfortunately I got a sunburn.

A bit of Snow

West Thumb of Yellowstone Lake

Drive to West Yellowstone

We left Lethbridge on Tuesday morning and drove to West Yellowstone stopping at Walmart in Helena to buy groceries.

We arrived at West Yellowstone and joined Slaters.

Yard Work

Last Tuesday we arrived back in Lethbridge.  We spent the rest of the week doing yard work.  My flower bed has been weeded and peat moss added.  Bob cleared out the weeds from the raspberry patch and got rid of the volunteer mayday trees in the Saskatoon bushes.

Everything is behind this spring.  The lilac bush, the saskatoon bushes and the crab apple tree are just now starting to bloom.  They all seem short on blossoms.  Perhaps it is because they were hammered so badly with hail last summer.

On Thursday I did some visiting teaching and Joan came for a short visit later.

Tulips Welcome Us Home

Beautiful Trees in Blossom in Helena, Montana

Today it seemed like a long drive from Lehi to Helena.  It is cooler than it was in Lehi.  There was spotty rain and a cool breeze.

A Hot Saturday in Lehi

It was so hot that I couldn't stand on the back porch in bare feet.

It was a day for weeding, mowing, and making elastic bracelets.

In the afternoon the boys and I went to the Museum of Natural Curiosity at Thanksgiving point.  It had only been open for two days and there was a hoard of people.

In the evening there was a ward ice cream social at the park and later after the children were in bed we watched "The Great Gatby".

Sacred Gifts

Last evening Darwin, Bob and I went to the BYU Museum of Art to visit an exhibition:  "Sacred Gifts: The Religious Art of Carl Bloch, Heinrich Hofmann, and Frans Schwartz".  The exhibition included four altar paintings, the centerpieces of many churches, and eight paintings from the Frederiksborg Castle in Denmark.
The  paintings from the Fredeniksborg Castle have never before been out of the Oratory since they were installed (in the 1860s and 1870s) and apparently they will not be loaned again  The paintings were quite spectacular.

Picture from the Deseret News

Forty-Ninth Anniversary

Yesterday was our anniversary and we celebrated by going out for supper with Darwin, Amber and family.  We ate at Bona Vita and the food was very good. The atmosphere wasn't all that great and it was rather loud in the place.

It was a very hot day - about 26 degrees C.  Finally some warm weather.

Salt Lake

Yesterday we took the "Front Runner" train to Salt Lake.  We drove to the station near Darwin's office and traveled to Salt Lake Central station where we caught the "Trax" to Temple Square.  It took about a half hour and cost us $4.00 round trip each.

We spent about three hours in the Family History Library and then went to a few stores but didn't buy anything.  It was very warm out.

Past Two Days in Lehi

On Monday we went shopping at the Outlet Stores and Target.  It was a clear day.  The snow covered mountains were very clear.  The wind made it feel quite cool.

Tuesday it was a beautiful day, but the mountains were hazy.  We went for a walk and stayed around the house the rest of the day.

Lehi

Before we left Twin Falls, Bob took his car to a tire shop near the hotel and got the tire fixed.  It had a nail in it.

We drove to Lehi arriving about 2:00 p.m.  We were certainly happy to see Darwin, Amber, Caden, Chloe and Owen.  We watched the movie "Frozen" in the evening.

We attended Colony Park Ward today.  They had a social during Relief Society and had cheese cake and other cakes and fruit for the ladies for Mother's Day.  The cheese cake was good.

It was a good day for me. I received greetings from all my children as well as some of my daughters-in-law.

Twin Falls, Idaho

We left La Grande on Friday, May 9th about 11:30 a.m.  It had been so great to visit with the Slaters and time had passed quickly.

Anne & Connie and Mother's Day Roses

 We arrived in Twin Falls about 5:00 p.m.  There was a very strong wind blowing.  There was just enough time to get settled into our hotel, eat at Subway and get to the Temple.

 This morning when Bob took the suitcases out to the car, he had a flat tire. 

A Tour of La Grande

Thursday we saw all the different districts of La Grande - residential and shopping.  They still have a driver-in theatre.

We toured an old building that was built about 1910 and made for live theatre.  Later it became a movie theatre.  There are various shops on the first floor now.  A group is trying to raise money to restore the building to its original state and hope to have live theatre there. They have found some of the original seats in the Elks hall and the original organ is in Alaska.  If they could raise the money it would be a beautiful building.

Theatre Building (music store on bottom level)

We also toured another old building that is being made into fancy shops.  I wonder if they will get enough businesses to fill them.  Several other buildings in the downtown are marked for restoration.

Cast Iron Mary

The original Cast Iron Mary was erected on September 1, 1904, by the Women's Christian Temperance Union.  Her purpose was two-fold:  first to provide good, clean drinking water for people, horses and dogs; and, secondly, to entice the menfolk away from the numerous taverns found in La Grande at the time.   Built to last, Mary survived only twenty years.  On the night of April 22, 1922, George Noble, a local bootlegger, who was fleeing from police, lost control of his automobile and crashed into the fountain.  Mr. Noble escaped unhurt, but totaled both his automobile and Cast Iron Mary.  The original was in an intersection but a replica is now in Max Square is located on the corner of Adams Avenue and Fourth Street on the edge of the historic downtown district.

The Oregan Trail

Wednesday we visited a friend of the Slaters who has a drone.  He took the drone out to a place where there was an owl's nest and had the drone hover above the nest and take pictures.  Click here to see the video.

Picture of the Baby Owls (taken from the video)

 Phil also showed us around his farm which was very interesting.  One of his crops was peppermint.

We drove to Baker City and visited the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center.  The Oregon Trail went right close to where Slater's house is.

For supper we went to the Haines Steak House in Union.

La Grande, Oregon

Tuesday, 6th May we attended the Spokane Temple.  It had the same plan as the Halifax Temple, so seemed very familiar to us.

We left around noon and drove to La Grande to the Slater's home arriving about 5:00 p.m.  The last part of our drive took us through forest, green hills and into the valley where La Grande is located.  That part of the drive was quite beautiful.

.

Spokane Valley

Here we are in Spokane Valley, Washington at the Quality Inn.  We left Lethbridge this morning in gloom and drizzle and drove through drizzle, rain, snow (all the way through the Crowsnest Pass), heavy rain, and hail.  There were a few stretches of dry highway and a few glimpses of blue sky.  We stopped in Cranbrook at Subway for lunch.

We almost hit a deer but the noise from our horn startled it and it quickly turned and went back the way it came.  Later on we saw a mountain sheep at the side of the road and then a herd of elk wandering along the side of the road. 

It was very green in Idaho with bushes and trees in bloom.

Nothing New - More Snow

Friday, April  25 - Kennedy's graduation from Lethbridge College (Communication Arts - Advertising and PR)
Monday April 28 - Courtney came in to do her taxes
                         - our Family Home Evening Group monthly meeting
Saturday May 3rd - Bob went to vote in our civic by-election
                         - Lindsey Pierson's wedding reception
Wind, rain, snow and one gorgeous summer day (May 1)