"Pioneer Day's" SLC, Utah

Pioneer Days Parade SLC. Utah

Liberty Park!

Jennifer, Marshall, Sandi, Taylor, Campbell and Claire.

Safari time????

Taylor taking a break from it all.

Sandi clowing around at the Hoogle Zoo

(Heritage Park, Salt Lake City, Utah-This is the Place)

Pioneer days in Salt Lake City was great this year... We got there Thursday and left on Saturday afternoon. Thanks again SLC Hilton for the complimentary rooms, you guys are the best as always... We enjoyed the Pioneer Days Parade, the floats, bands and other exhibits. The heat was nearly unbearable. Humidity at 37%, nothing like anything I have felt in Las Vegas. You would have to go back to the jungles of Viet Nam to enjoy such misery. Never the less, we had ample beverages, and ended up using the umbrellas meant for possible rain. They kept the sun out great. We left the parade and headed to Rubio's the fresh Mex restaurant that Sandi originally opened in 1999 if my memory serves. We met a nice couple there who new people we knew offered up a whole bunch of unexpected and interesting 411, and was stared down by a guy and his female companion who looked like he could be someones big brother and obviously looking for us there. We were able to stop at the Emergency essentials store in Taylorsville, what a great place. Because we drove the SUV we piled up the back end full of supplies that would have cost several hundreds in just shipping alone. They replaced a backpack and we bought a special one for me for night hiking and for my Mountain Bike competition trips.

We left and headed to Saltaire for a dismal hot visit to the Great Salt Lake. Right when we thought it couldn't get any hotter. We walked out to the waters edge before being attacked by some species of gnats or whatever. Taylor enjoyed it all and bought a souvenir as well as a ton of salt water taffy. Rather than going to Heritage park, we headed back to the suite and took a needed nap. We met later with Jennifer and Marshall and the twins at Pizza Palace where we ordered one of everything is seemed. The twins acted up some but settled down and finally we all ate a ton of pasta and pizza. Campbell and Claire stuffed themselves with pizza and were ready for a good nights sleep.

We all headed back up to Heritage Park only to find the Pioneer festivities over for the day. The Bullocks left for home and we headed to Liberty Park for the evening activities. Talk about hot and miserable. On the ferris wheel, Sandi spoke to a life long resident who told her that the humidity had never been this bad in all the years she lived there. We were just lucky that way.

We bought some items from the booths, and sat around the lake. The last time I was at Liberty Park was in 1984 for a Marine Corps PFT. We had to go to a command change at Fort Douglas and got roped into running around the park for time. It looked nothing like I remembered.

The fireworks were awesome, one doesn't see much like that in LV unless it is July 4th or New Years Eve. I had decided to park several blocks away from the park and walk. Thank goodness for that, we were able to evade some nasty traffic..

We got to bed at 11:30P.M.

Saturday, it rained for a few minutes, we loaded up the Durango, grabbed some breakfast and headed over to drop off some things at a house.
From there we headed to the Hoogle Zoo for three hours of fascination. The twins had a blast and Taylor enjoyed the fun as well. It wasn't that hot with the clouds, but humid still. We said our goodbyes and we left, went to the Heritage park and watched a movie, walked around and took pictures, fueled up, grabbed some snacks and headed south.

We Stopped at KFC in Cedar City, it was cool and breezy, Sandi and Taylor slept while I caught up on some music with a pair of sweet Boze headphones.

We needed to have a new electrical line installed at the property in New Harmony so we stopped and checked to see if it was installed and it was... We were there for about five minutes.

Off to Vegas for a good nights sleep and to sleep in, and we did.

What a wonderful time had by all. It was good to visit friends and family... Still planning to go to the Eastern Idaho Fair on Labor Day weekend.

This was a fun weekend.

Moon Landing? America? Really?

In the year 2009, we are using rubber O rings to hold together rockets thrusting thousands and thousands of pounds of fuel per second, and Elmer's glue to keep the heat tiles on the Space Shuttle and you want us to believe we made several successful moon landings forty years ago???

Well, heres a few questions to ponder then tell me what you think?

(To be Continued)

"Natural History Museum anniversary"

working on her dinosaur model with clay....

working in many of the classes put on by the museum.

The finished product. A dinosaur and dragonfly. (note: she belongs to the Jr. Scientist club, it's her hat with her name on it next to her left ear!)

The fake bighorn sheep at the museum.

Ice Age Mammoth!

Buying a mood ring at the museum store.

Next week we travel to Salt Lake City, Utah for the Mormon Pioneer days. We will be there Friday and Saturday. We will be going to Rubio's Freshmex restaurant in Sugarhouse around noon for lunch after the parade, then to Pizza Factory somewhere around 3300 south for dinner around 5. I will have someones personal items to return to them and hopefully we will see them.

I Believe

That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance.
Same goes for true love.

"The Ghetto President"

The Ghetto president (of what or whom I haven't a clue), in ALL HIS GLORY!

A picture is worth a thousand words....

What a loser!

(of course, tomorrow, the State run media will claim he found a penny and was getting ready to pick it up!) yeah, right!

The Ghetto President and how the rest of the world see's him... The laughing stock of the world!

4th of July Celebration !

(The Neighbors got into the act up and down the street this year, seemed to be more participation.)

(Grand Finale)

(Sandi holding up a Roman torch)

(Everyone was tired from a long day, but had a blast)

(Light it up!)

(Taylor holding a sparkler. My good camera seemed to be in the fritz!)
(Taylor and Matthew battle on their DS's..)

(Me getting the ribs ready to BBQ!)

(yes, the pool was actually clean and 88*degrees)

(My brother Steve slaps on some Tony Roma's BBQ sauce to the ribs)

We enjoyed a great weekend. Saturday, Sandi and I completely re-organized the Garage I just spent 4 hours on last month. Later I worked on the pool getting it ready for family and friends to come over for BBQ ribs. After a great dinner and swimming we enjoyed about $500 worth of Moapa Tribal Smoke Shoppe fireworks we procured from our trip back last Memorial day. We made the skys look like it was full of Triple AAA.

It sits between St. George, Ut and Las Vegas. Most of them are illegal but are sold in another county so it is what it is..

My brother Steve is headed back to New York for training for a month then may get sent to Afghanistan later next year with his company... Everyone went to bed exhausted...

A great weekend!

Independence day meant much more to me this year than usual. As I sit back and watch Chair man Obama destroy or freedoms daily, I think off all my friends and young men who gave the ultimate sacrifice only to see it possibly go in vain.

God Willing and the creek don't rise we will all get together and make this country as great as it was in the days of yore.

God Bless America!!!

"Can it be any more Clear"

"Possibility or Probability", the Sequel !

I said it first several posts ago earlier this month! We liberated a Nation of Iraqi people. We recently turned over the country of Iraq for their own sovereignty. The Prime Minister of Iraq stood before the nation, and after billions of dollars and after the blood of over 4000 U.S. deaths, was unable to give thanks, be grateful, ask us to share in their happiness, but referred to the U.S. as Invaders, yet without our interventions, long before he was anybody, our presents paved the way to his and their happiness. Anything said positive about us would Probably become his demise????
I said it first!

"Big Horn Sheep Park"

Well after three tries this year and being told to come in June, Taylor and I ran up to Lake Mead to the infamous Big Horn sheep park. It's been there for over 25 years and the Big Horn travel down the Lake mountains and graze at the park..It's cool how they are docile and allow people to get pretty close before darting away...

Mom worked at the restaurant and I decided not to scower over 20 to 30 blogs today, (sometimes twice) so we went for a drive.

Taylor was excited and I was relieved when we pulled up to see about 100 sheep... grazing and minding their own business.

Taylor tried to pet them but they were too quick for her. I was wondering if they would stay docile and not charge her or others. I was prepared though, I was wearing my trusty butt pack with my equalizer on board just in case.

All in all it was a lot of fun... We stopped at BK and ate, then dropped by the restaurant to show mom the picks then spent an hour swimming and yes, cleaning the pool.. It's amazing how fast one can spend one hundred dollars on pool supplies...

Some friends came over to babysit Taylor until mom got home and the rest of us went to the Asia/Yes concert at the Thomas and Mack...

What a day... I slept in until 10:00, ran and got some doughnuts, came back home and slept for another three hours... I don't remember the last time in twenty years I've done that...

Giving back to America

"Congrat's in order?"

It's actually been over 48 hours since I have had to sweep, vacuum, scrape, add chlorine or dig rocks out of the pool... I checked with the landscapers, they couldn't help, the Bug guy couldn't help, the cleaning lady doesn't do pools.

How do people do it? Not one pool company in Las Vegas offers a route guy every two days...

Creepy crawly, cover, threats... where is all this wind coming from? Why did they have to line the major road behind my house with pine trees???

I'm calling the accountant today. I need a Form 1099!

"Father's Day"

Well, we headed up to Utah Friday for what we thought was going to be a long two and a half days of fishing. We got in late, fired up the ToyHauler and checked out the property...

We got our licenses in St. George Friday night and was up and fishing at the crack of dawn Saturday... Sandi insisted we go to Panguitch lake (SP) where it was cold, windy and rainy. We tried several spots and gave up without a bite.

After a scenic drive through Zion and Brian Head, we went back and took a nap. After a few hours we decided to eat and go to Navajo lake to fish. We had a one day license and we stopped at KFC on hamburger row in Cedar City where it proceeded to pour rain. Refusing to give up I headed up the canyon to Navajo Lake in a down pour hoping it would clear up upon arrival. When we finally got there it cleared long enough for me to cast five times before the down pour continued. I wanted to stay and wait it out but Taylor kept poking her head out of the SUV and saying; "Daddy we need to Leave". This happened twice. We planned to stay Sunday and miss church where Taylor was scheduled to sing with her primary class. Sometimes we need to listen to the little one's cause the spirit leads them.

We decided to pack it in and go home Saturday night, and like magic everything cleared up just as we got back to the property...

Sandi had made up her mind that we were going home, so we did.

Sunday at church, Taylor et. al. went before the congregation and sang two songs... They they blew the dad's a big kiss. Dad's got a big Hersey chocolate bar for father's day.

As usual I left after the first meeting and went home to get the afternoon Father's day festivities started. We had BBQ ribs with all the trimmings. I was hoping I would beat my -7 on the WII golf game but it wasn't to be. I got two wonderful cards from Taylor, one she made and one she bought. She has her own money and is responsible these days.

All in all it was a trip down memory lane driving back from Utah... Little things, places and songs reminded me of happy times back in the early 80's and my college days... Traveling to Vegas with someone special. Good memory's.

Not a bad Father's Day... The one thing I vowed to be the best at of all!

"Summer Visit"

Taylor and Sandi enjoyed a wonderful week in Phoenix with Sandi's mother and relatives. They went to Big Surf, and the wild Animal park. They went swimming at Sandi's sisters with their big yellow setter. Taylor hung out with her cousin Sammy Jo.

We usually go to Vail this year but decided on other venues as Taylor did exceptionally will in school this year and was excepted immediately after the close of this year instead of the usual three month wait to see.

I stayed in LV and took care of other business dealings and got a chance to work in the yard, clean most of the garage, organize the food and emergency supplies and of course clean the pool.

It was anything but the relaxation I was expecting... With Puppy and Skeeter the cat,. we just hung out most of the time at night, catching up on some great movies...

They came back home safe and we immediately prepared for Father's Day up at the Utah Property... and lot's of fishing.....