Baby, It's Cold Outside!!!

Brrrrrr! It's downright cold!!

With the cold weather, the pets have all been wanting to stay indoors. And I have let them. Though Friday I came home from work and could tell there had been an "exchange" between a couple of cats...supposedly Midnight and definitely Shadow. Shadow came out on the losing end. This afternoon I took Shadow in to the vet to get cleaned up and get an antibiotic shot. This is her tonight.

Pretty colorful, isn't it.

Before and After

New carpet in the family room downstairs. Nice. Makes the space a lot more livable. Love it!

Before:


After:

(The cat at the top of the stairs is quite a nice effect.)

"Free" Weekend

I have kind of a "free" weekend...or at least a Saturday. Nothing on my calendar like weddings, parties, camping trips, etc. Actually I am quite looking forward to having an open agenda. My next "free" weekend is September 19. Okay, I've already made my list of things I could/should do. Here it is...and it is not all inclusive...and it's not in order of importance:

• Update my blog (that's what I'm doing tonight)
• Grout the tile to the back entrance to the deck
• Attend the temple
• Write my talk for Sacrament mtg on Sunday
• Mow and trim the lawn
• Weed...weed....weed (this could be the only thing I do and it would take more than one day)
• Fertilize the lawn
• Work on the veggie garden
• Work on the step into the sun room
• Organize my office (this probably won't happen until it's too cold/wet to be outside or during nighttime hours...why waste good daylight summer days inside)
• Go to the Farmer's Market
• Do some scrapbooking/scanning of Dad's war pictures

And after I am done updating my blog, please read the new posts that will let you know what I have been up to this summer.

In Pursuit of Huckleberries

This is my ninth summer living in Idaho. I figured it was high time to go pick huckleberries...the official fruit of Idaho...enough to make some jam or syrup. Dad had come up to Idaho with LeAnn, so off he and I went to the Kelly Canyon area and then down along the dirt road that follows the Snake River canyon between Swan Valley and Heise.

The first part of this pursuit was a fun, beautiful drive along the Snake River. This is the part of the river that you don't see when you are on Hwy 26 driving to/from Swan Valley and Ririe. In fact, I had no idea how beautiful this stretch of river is. Is is quite remote...yet a very popular place for people to bring their RVs to camp.

Then we headed back up toward Kelly Canyon. I found a place to park (won't disclose where that was) and I went of to find some huckleberries. Dad stayed back at the Explorer. I was walking along thinking to myself that I really didn't know what huckleberry plants looked like...but admiring the beautiful Indian Paintbrush flowers nonetheless.

Well, as I was taking some pictures of the flowers, right there in front of me were the huckleberries. A lot of them!!!! After I picked for about 15 minutes I went back to the car to tell Dad that I was not lost...I was just going to spend a while picking huckleberries. We both then went back to where I was picking the huckleberries. If you've never seen them, this is how they look.

Success!!! I combined the huckleberries with some raspberries from my garden and made some yummy jam. Mmmmmmm.

"Antelope by Moonlight"

"Antelope by Moonlight" is a popular, family friendly bike ride at Antelope Island State Park, in the middle of Great Salt Lake. The ride is scheduled each year on a Friday night as close to a full moon and longest-day-of-the-year as possible and starts at 10:00pm so as to be lit by the full moon.

I did this ride almost every year when I lived in Salt Lake. But since moving to Idaho eight years ago, I have only ridden this once or twice since then. I was really looking forward to the ride and having my niece Jenny join me. This year, the 24-mile route went from the Marina to the historic Fielding Garr Ranch and back. (A plus in NOT riding on the causeway is not having to smell the stench wafting off the lake.) The theme was “Midnight Madness,” and I have to admit the night got a bit "crazy" before I got to my Dad's and to bed...at 4:45am!!!!

The first thing we did when parking at the marina was to apply a heavy layer of bug spray. Didn't get one mosquito bite!! :) But they were thick. As we were driving over the causeway, it sounded like raindrops hitting my windshield...but it was mosquitoes.

To make a long story short, doing a 24-mile bike ride that starts at 10:00 p.m. you would think to be done somewhere around midnight. Add about a half-hour stop at the midway point and the drive back to Riverdale - it might even take you to 1:00 a.m. to be completely done and "home". But then if you add in three flat tires...on the same bike...on the same tire, Nathan's car woes on the drive back to Dad's (by this time it was about 2:30 a.m.) and then having to shuttle Nathan home before heading back to Dad's - well it was a crazy night. Good thing I didn't have anything scheduled for early Saturday morning.

Believe it or not, the night did go better for us than a couple of other people. As you approach the Garr Ranch there is a hill going down into the ranch. One person got going too fast and crashed head-on into another biker. The person going downhill had to be life-flighted off Antelope Island to IMC. In spite of it all, for us it was FUN ride!!! Jenny and I are planning on doing it again next year.

The ambulance and helicopter waiting to transport the injured rider to IMC :(

Karin's Team - A Dedication

Last year my good friend Karin Vandenberg invited me to participate with her law firm's team in the MS 150 Bike Ride in Cache Valley to raise money to not only support research for a cure, but also to provide programs which address the needs of people living with MS. It was a lot of fun to participate with her, Steve (her husband), and Richard (her dad) - see blog entry for June 2008. As soon as it was over, I was already anticipating riding in 2009. Needless to say, things changed over the course of that year. Karin passed away from a tragic fall in April. Because she would not be able to ride with us, many of her family and friends committed at the time of her memorial service to do this ride for her.

Some of Karin's Team: Sue Vandenberg, Michael and Linda Dunn, Cole, Steve, Jack, me

My original intention and training had been focusing on riding again with her dad; this year we were going to do the 75-mile route. But as it turned out, I decided to do the shorter 40-mile route with Steve and their boys, Cole and Jack. They were a lot of fun to ride with. Good choice!!!

Jack, Cole, and Steve

The Carlstrom men...Cole, Steve, and Jack - Karin's "boys"

And again the weather was superb. Couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day. 'Til next year....

And a huge THANK YOU to those who sponsored me. I appreciate your donations!

Yellowstone / Grand Teton

My sister, LeAnn, and Nathan came up for the weekend. I don't have to twist her arm very hard to do a drive through Yellowstone. This time we got to do this in her new car. After breakfast at the Relay Station, we headed on up to West Yellowstone and into The Park in the west entrance. We took the south loop by driving up to Norris junction and over to Canyon, then down through Hayden Valley on past Yellowstone Lake and then up to Old Faithful.

Considering thunderstorms and scattered showers were in the forecast for the day, we lucked out for the most part with the weather. It was a bit cool though, in the 40s and 50s, so we did not get out and take many pictures. We saw a lots of bison, geese (mostly along the Yellowstone river in Hayden Valley), and a few deer near Yellowstone Lake. No elk this time.

After watching Old Faithful erupt, we headed east again to go out the south entrance and on through Grand Teton NP. With the snowpack runoff and all the thunder showers over the past week or so, I have never seen so much standing water in Yellowstone. The Lewis River, as it leaves Lewis Lake and then flows south to join the Snake river, is flooding extensively just down river from Lewis Falls. Jackson Lake is full!! It looks good.

As we were driving down the road near Colter Bay, there were a lot of cars along the road. A moose carcass was visible not far from the road. And many people were waiting to see the grizzly bear come back to feast on its kill. Just as we approached, it started raining...sprinkling at first but within about 30 seconds it was a full downpour. We opted to head back to the car instead of getting soaked. We didn't see it.

After stopping at the new visitor center at Moose (where we did see a young bull moose right outside the visitor center) we headed onward toward home on the Moose-Wilson road. This is one of my favorite drives. It is a short drive on a very narrow, winding road, but it is worth it. More often than not, I will sight moose along the road. And definitely as worth it this time. A mother moose and a very young calf were eating along side a creek very near the road. It was just beautiful to stand and watch them.

We then headed on over Teton Pass and got home in time for me to go to the wedding reception for Ryan and Breanne Olaveson. A great ending to a fun day!!

You have to look hard, but the calf moose is visible to the right of the cow.

Thunderstorms

This has been an exceptional spring for rain and thunderstorms. Actually, I quite like thunderstorms, but are enjoyed more from inside my home...as opposed to on top of Table Rock. The following photos are some that I have captured this spring of gray skies and threatening clouds...from just outside my doors.

The video doesn't do justice to this rainbow, but I just wanted to share the FULL rainbow I got to see outside my back door on Monday night. If you look closely, you can faintly make out the double rainbow. It was awesome, truly awesome. One of the beauties from God.

Note: I have finally "caught up" my blog, as of today. I have updated all the way back to the St. George trip in mid-May. FINALLY!!

Mesa Falls

Sunday after church I wanted to venture out for a little drive. It has been a very rainy weekend, so I needed to get outside (but within the confines of a car), so I took a drive up to the Mesa Falls area...past a favorite camping spot Warm River. Hmmmmm....I need to calendar in a camping weekend.

Lower Mesa Falls

A view towards the Upper Mesa Falls, from the Lower Mesa Falls viewing area. You can see the spray from the Upper Falls and the roof of the lodge in the distance.

I love this place!!

Another Trip to Utah

My third straight weekend of being in Utah...at least for some part of the weekend. Not that I don't enjoy a good trip to Utah. And this was a good trip!

Saturday, I headed south to Heber Valley to stay with Bob and Trixie Adams, good friends who were in my ward in California. They have recently moved into their new home in Midway...although Bob is still commuting each week to work in the Bay Area for a while.

Bob and Trixie

Sunday morning, Trixie and I got up and enjoyed walking around in the area around their home...and then took a little drive around the town of Midway. Nice town!!

Then it was a beautiful drive down Provo Canyon and on to Spanish Fork to hear Tessa Healey speak in sacrament meeting before leaving on her mission for Guatemala. I don't know the last time I drove through Provo canyon, but it has been a long time. It was beautiful!! With the moisture from the thunderstorms, it was so green.

After the church meeting, there was a gathering at a park in Spanish Fork to give Tessa a send-off. She is so excited to serve and will be a fantastic missionary. For the record, Tessa's mom, Shirley, and I were college roommates our freshman and sophomore years at BYU (just shy of 100 years ago), and have been great friends ever since.

Tessa, Shantay (Tyler's girlfriend), Tyler, Shirley, Jack (Shirley's dad) and Velma (Shirley's stepmom)

Shirley and her mom

Shirley with her children, Tessa and Tyler

Have I mentioned that I have the greatest friends...I am so blessed!! I was fortunate to spend the weekend with some of them.

Memorial Day Weekend

Note: I am writing this on Thursday, June 11, but will post it so that is shows up as a May entry.

Ever since I moved back from California to Utah in 1995, I have tried to make an annual trip to Joseph, Utah, to visit the gravesites of my maternal grandparents, great-grandparents, and great-great grandparents. Usually this annual visit would fall somewhere on the Memorial Day weekend. Since I have moved to Idaho, this annual visit has not always happened. But this year I wanted to go very much. So after an early Sunday morning meeting, I headed south to pick up my Dad and then headed on further south to Joseph for a quick day trip.

When I was growing up, the trip to Joseph was loooooooonnnnnnnggggggg. But now the trip to Joseph is almost entirely on interstate freeway. FAST!!! In fact if you wanted, the whole drive could be on freeway.....I-15 to Cove Fort, then east on I-70, take the Joseph exit...and you're there. But sometimes it's nice to get off the interstate and visit some of the fascinating places nearby as well.

An item of note, in all the years I have gone to visit the Joseph cemetery, the wind is always blowing. Look at the flags, and you get the idea. Also, the cemetery has undergone huge improvements over the years, but still no water as to allow grass to be planted.

Grandpa Herman and Grandma Fernie's graves

Gravesite of my great-grandparents - my mom's paternal grandparents

Gravesite of my great-grandparents - Mom's maternal grandparents

Grave marker for my great-great-grandpa, John Smylie Lott.

Something that I learned about him when visiting Martin's Cove in Wyoming is that he was one who went to help rescue those in the Martin-Willie handcart companies.

I took many other pictures of grave markers on this visit. Over the years, as I have gone to visit this cemetery with Mom and Dad - now with only Dad - I know stories about many of these relatives....aunts, uncles, cousins...that maybe will be gone when Dad is gone unless I write these stories down.

One the way home, and being true to my reputation for not taking the same way home as how I got there, we traveled up Hwy 89 through Richfield, Salina, Gunnison and then on through Sanpete Valley to Manti, Ephraim, etc. It was fun to visit Manti when the pageant was NOT on. Every other memory I have of Manti is of crowds because that is the only time I have been there - when the Manti Pageant is on.

The cemetery in Manti is in such a beautiful setting with the temple overlooking. It kind of ties everything together.

Arriving Home

When I left home on Tuesday I left my three cats in the house so they would have access to water and food while I was gone. There are also some rooms I prefer them to not have free reign of while I am gone, like my office and bedroom, so I closed the doors to those rooms.

I arrived home from my trip down south on Saturday night, having been gone a little over four days. When I walked in the house, I could hear a meow down the hallway by my bedroom and office. It was a "let me out of here" sounding meow. It was not a happy meow. Unfortunately for Oreo, when I shut the door to my bedroom before leaving, unbeknowst to me he was in my bedroom. He had been stuck in my room for over four days - no food, no water, no litter box.

Fortunately for me, without any food or water there wasn't much of a mess to clean up. Additionally, sometimes I read the paper in bed and last week's version of the Jefferson Star was in the corner that he used in place of the litter box. I was lucky on that account. But poor Oreo was noticeably thinner.

I think we both learned a lesson for next time I leave them for a few days. I felt so bad for him....but it is a funny story.

St. George and Zions NP

Marlene (sister) and Steve (brother-in-law) invited me to join them in St. George for a few days in the middle of May. May is a great time to visit St. George because the weather is still kind of fickle in Idaho in May...and by then I am in NEED of warm, even hot, weather. The timing worked out great because I was already planning to be in Draper, Utah to attend the temple with Tessa Healey, who has been called to the Guatemala Quetzaltenango mission. Why not just head south afterwards for a few days off work?

Highlights of the Draper/St. George trip:

• Attending the temple with Tessa Healey when she received her endowment.
• Good times with family.
• Enjoying the warm, sunny weather.
• Being entertained by two very cute girls.
• NO wind. The day I left Idaho, the wind was insane!!! Couldn't leave soon enough.
• Taking the shuttle bus in Zions National Park with a very entertaining two-year-old, Lisa.
• Hiking to the Emerald Pools in Zions National Park.

Not-so-highlights of the trip:

• Coming down with a cold on my way down.
• Having a cold the entire time I was there.
• Time going too fast.
  

Riding on the shuttle bus

Lisa was my seat-mate on the shuttle bus. She is so fun...and note her cute, doggy back-pack/leash.

Jenny and Natalie - she was the most content little hiker!

Fun times at the pool!!

Just hangin' out at the condo