Sunday, June 28, 2015

I Lava You

I have a dream.
I hope it will come true.
You are here with me.
And I am here with you.

Best part of the Pixar's latest release.

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Father's Day and Buffalo Bill

I watched over the years as Father's Day at church has fallen victim to the gender equality mantra and the latest PC paradigm of 'offend no one'. When I was young, the ritual handing out of gifts after sacrament meeting was reserved for mothers on Mother's Day, only. Then it was an individual pansy. (When my Dad was bishop, he challenged himself by calling out the name of each woman receiving the flower).
Mother's Day Pansies
Now the wards that I've been in have started offering Father's Day gifts. My haul from today is shown below.
Father's Day Loot
Not only are these offered to fathers, but, lest anyone be offended, the gifts are offered to all males 18 years and older. Thus, Father's Day is becoming the Day for Males Old Enough to Vote. I am not sure if this is good or bad but I think the latter. We shouldn't need to be afraid of differentiating between fathers and others.

I am a little sad on this day to no longer have a Father on earth and that all of my children are scattered; but I am happy to have had a wonderful father in my life and to now have 3 terrific children, a perfect daughter-in-law, and a cute grandson.
Dad, Mom, Bryan, and Van


Children in Houston

Johnny
I took a trip to Buffalo Bill's mining camp on Saturday. Felicia didn't want to go.
Campo Bonito was established in the early 1900's by Buffalo Bill Cody and his partner to mine for gold and other metals. The biggest product ended up being tungsten for Thomas Edison's light bulbs. A prospector named Flint Carter sill mines Cody Stone (gold and silver in quartz) in the area today for jewelry.

Cody Stone bracelet
Buffalo Bill dressed as Santa Claus one winter and came to deliver gifts to the children of the miners working for him.
Buffalo Claus at Campo Bonito
Sign for Cody Loop in Oracle, AZ


Tub for separating ore still at Campo Bonito site.
Foundation and fireplace for Campo Bonito Mess Hall
Rope Swing at Campo Bonito site. Who knew Buffalo Bill liked to swing. I had to try it out.

Ridge Road heading to mining areas above Campo Bonito. There was a crazy-steep hill getting to this point.

Sunday, June 14, 2015

SLC and Other Stuff

Here are a few random pictures from SLC.

At the Dry Creek Steakhouse in Sandy with Haley and Mom.

At the Garden Restaurant in the JS Memorial


Beehive house
 City Creek mall
 Broadway in the park...
 This Javert sings better than Russell Crow. The girl in the red is Haley's friend's sister who is moving to New York to be in something.

I recently watched these two documentaries on Netflix and recommend them.

On The Way To School
This is inspiring and entertaining
 
Jumping at the Edge of Space
This is interesting from a scientific perspective
 
I recently finished two Russian novels; War and Peace by Tolstoy, and Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky. War and Peace chronicles the effect of Napoleon's invasion of Russia on the fictional characters of the novel while accurately portraying the historical events.  Tolstoy includes an essay on Free Will and Inevitability. He argues that the closer you are in time and space to an event, the more you see the free will of individuals shaping the outcome of the event, but the farther you are away in space and time, the more you see that there was inevitability in the occurrence as if guided by a power shaping the trajectory of history.
 
Crime and Punishment is a dark novel about a young intellectual who recognizes that extraordinary men in history are always criminals because they break laws while overturning them. Examples: Moses, Christ, Lycurgus, Solon, Caesar, Napoleon (most recent example at the time the book was written. Napoleon was responsible for over 1 million lives lost). The character in the book fancies himself extraordinary and believes an old pawnbroker woman that he owes money to should be eliminated because she is a louse on society. After he murders her, he begins to realize that he is not an extraordinary person who can change the world but actually a person who has committed a terrible crime and a sin. He finally turns himself in and is sent to Siberia as punishment.
 


Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Y

Felicia mentioned several month's ago that she would wanted to hike the "Y" while we were in Utah. After our hike to Stewart Falls she started getting cold feet....especially after reading other people's accounts of the experience. She finally decided to try.

The trail starts off quickly letting you know what is all about. It gains 1000 feet in 1 mile. That is about the same as Picacho Peak. There are 13 switchback turns to the top of the Y.

The first rest bench was a welcome sight but we resisted the urge to sit.
Here is the trail ahead.
Here is the trail to turn #1.
I like my new yellow shirt.




More climbing
Wild flowers on the trail.
 
Seven Peaks water park
First glimpse of the Y

Provo Temple
 
Trail below
Working our way to the top of the Y
Stadium View
View of Y from the top.
 

 
Thanks to the running lady for stopping to take his photo.