Changes

We've started a new blog.  It will be simply called Eborns. It can be found at cachevalleyeborns1.blogspot.com

The old blog, Bear Lake Eborns, will be left up for a while yet just in case anyone is interested.

Anxiously Engaged in a Good Work

This morning I received a phone call from the Logan Temple President, Ward Taylor.  I always wonder what a Church leader is wanting me for when they call.  This time it was not the "voice of doom".  That's kind of a private joke Iris and I have had over the years because so often those calls from church executive secretaries have been to call one or the other of us to a church calling, not that we have not appreciated and loved all of the callings we have had and the service we were able to give throughout our lives.  We have grown through those callings more than those we were called to serve.  I think that is pretty much the way it always goes, especially, if we serve with no hidden agenda of scoring points for ourselves.  President Taylor simply asked if I could come over to his home this evening and help him get more involved in his personal family history work.  It seems I get those requests from time to time these days.  I certainly don't claim to be an expert by any means and there is still so much more to learn, but I have learned how to find family names and prepare them for the temple ordinances which are so vitally important.  It feels so good to be useful and gives me a reason to be excited about something and to carry on in my advanced years.  I love the Temple.  I love the good selfless people we work with each day, both those who come as patrons and those who have callings as officiators.  They are all in it for the benefit of others.  It feels so good to cast off tendencies toward selfishness along the path that leads us back to our Father in Heaven and to see others do the same.  In the Church we call it putting off the "natural man."  In the eternal scheme of things, this is really what it's all about.  There is still a long way for me to go, but I feel joy with each step, knowing that I am on the right path and that my elder Brother is waiting there to greet us all when we arrive.

Again, I got a quick picture of President Taylor and me at his desk in president's home across from the temple just to remind me that I was there and of the great relationship we have with our temple president and his good wife.

Where the Clear Streamlets Flow

An hour or two outside in the beauties of nature can do wonders for the soul.  On Monday, I thought I'd go up Logan Canyon and go fishing for a little while.  When I arrived and got out of the car I was so taken by the beauty and peacefulness of my surroundings I forget to take my fishing rod out of the trunk of the car and decided on a peaceful stroll along the river trail.  The temperature was in the low sixties, just perfect, the sky clear, and the river energized somewhat by recent rains flowed clear and free toward the valley below.  The fish were rising, even jumping right up out of the water, but what I got from these few hours was much more valuable than a fish, or even the thrill of catching  a big one.  A sweet communion with One much greater than I left me filled with awe, peace, and gratitude for the privilege of having been able to spend so much of my life in the Rockies.  The words of  this song coursed through my mind and raised me up to a better day.



Along the Logan River Trail

"O ye mountains high, where the clear blue sky

Arches over the vales of the free,

Where the pure breezes blow and the clear streamlets flow,

How I've longed to your bosom to flee...

Now my own mountain home, unto thee I have come;

All my fond hopes are centered in thee."

Storm Memories

Tonight, as we have been watching the events associated with Hurricane Sandy as it impacts large areas of the Northeast United States, my thoughts have turned back to 1962 as I was serving as a missionary in Germany. Well do I remember this storm. I was serving in a small branch in Brake on the Weser River in North Germany. The city of Brake is about forty miles upstream from the North Sea. The area is low lying and has been protected by dikes for centuries. The Weser River at Brake is still affected by the tides. As missionaries we would often go to a small park on the banks of the Weser River and eat a sandwich during our noon time break from tracting and teaching. It was in February and on this particular day as we visited this small park. The weather was eerily calm, but we were surprised to find the water level as it would be at high tide. But it was in reality the time for the low tide. As we found out later there was a great storm brewing off the coast in the North Sea. Within a few hours the storm made landfall flooding large areas all along the North German Coast and into Holland. We lived in a small upstairs room on a street called Dungendeich's Weg. The building we lived in was right next to one of the dikes. We were protected from the storm by this dike which didn't break in our area, but it did break in areas not to far distant. Once the storm was over there were over 300 dead. More than 60,000 people had their homes and apartments destroyed by the raging flood water and winds. Most of the damage was done in Hamburg, a large city in our mission on the Elbe River about 75 miles north and east of Brake, where we lived, but as we got out and about the next several days it was very obvious how much devastation the storm caused. I have never been in a storm even remotely like this one, but Hurricane Sandy appears to be a similar weather event.

Our heart goes out to those affected, I couldn't help but count our blessings this after noon as I took advantage of the beautiful fall weather on a hike along the Logan River Trail. I remembered the childhood story about the brave little Dutch boy who saved his town by putting his thumb in the dike that protected it. If only it were that simple. Mother Nature is one powerful lady. Below are a few pictures I found on the web about this event.  Times have changed some.  People are now better prepared, but that takes nothing away from the awesome power of nature.

Houses in the North German Flood of 1962.

　
　

　

A dike beak. The Ocean floods in.

German workers trying to protect their homes from the flood.

A typical row house in Hamburg during the flood.

Following is a Wikipedia report of the the great German Sturmflut of 1962.

On Thursday 15 February, German authorities published the first storm warning for the North Sea with wind speeds up to 9 Beaufort. A severe storm warning followed the next day, with a predicted gauge of 3 Metres above normal, which was a level the dikes could withstand.

The severe storm and the flood it caused in the last hours of 16 February affected the dikes more than predicted and led to some 50 breaches before officials raised alarm for Hamburg. At this time of the day, most city offices were closed, which retarded the notification of the population. Civil protection plans were not implemented yet.

Due to telephone land line breakups, warnings could not be forwarded from coastal to hinterland emergency offices. Breakups at alarm siren lines and electricity lines affected the warning system severely. Radio amateurs had to establish emergency operations to support emergency services in means of communication.

Around midnight, the peaks were too high for some dikes to withstand. The back of the dikes was not yet fortified, so the first waters destroyed the dikes from behind and cleared the way for the flood.

Helmut Schmidt, police senator of Hamburg, coordinated the rescue operations, and requested for emergency help throughout Europe. He requested parts of the Bundeswehr for emergency purposes, especially engineers. That meant overstepping his legal authority, ignoring the German constitution's prohibition on using the army for "internal affairs" - a clause excluding disasters was not added until 1968. Also he got help by helicopters from other NATO states. The latter were called Fliegende Engel (Flying Angels) by the people.

120 square kilometres or a mere sixth of the city of Hamburg were flooded, destroying 6000 buildings. Streets were unusable and railway operation was suspended, leaving Hamburg unsupplied for a lengthy period of time.

Afterwards, emergency plans were implemented, and dikes were shortened and strengthened, leaving some river arms and bays unattached from the sea. 

Some of the Blessings We Cherish Here

Today was kind of  a down day for me.  I didn't sleep well last night and the change in the weather has brought on a few additional aches and pains.  We did go down and vote this morning.  We decided to take advantage of the opportunity for early voting this year and avoid the crowds on election day when our time is going to be pressing as it is.  I am always grateful for the opportunity to vote and thus be a part in the great constitutional system we have been blessed with in this country.  This year the urgency and need to vote seemed even more pronounced than it has done in the past.  We have a great country which provides us with abundant blessing for which we should be ever grateful.  I spent part of the day working on family history and a good while trying to catch up on my rest.  Finally the clouds began to lift some and I decided to go out and see if I could find something to take a picture of.  Living where we do I am able to see the Logan Temple in so many different lights and moods.  I ended up at the parking lot across the street from the lower USU campus.  There is a good view of the temple from there.  The leaves have changed colors for the most part and were able to withstand the snowfall of the past few days, at least for now. The sun was beginning to set in the west over the Wellsvilles and this is how it looked.  The Logan Temple is always beautiful to me.  We are blessed that it has become such a great part of our lives as we have gotten older.

The Logan Temple in the splendor of an October sunset.

We hope everyone has studied the issues, and candidates and will vote for those who stand closest to what is best for the nation and a peaceful world.

Micah's Poem Rendition

Yesterday we went down to Ryan and Sam's for a little while.  When we got there, they were all busy in the yard.  Those large, shady trees which made their large yard delightfully cool on the hot summer days are now shedding their leaves.  If they could get a cent for every one that drops to the ground on their acre and a half they could pay off their mortgage and with plenty to spare.  Fortunately, no one who lives down there is even a little bit lazy, so the hard work and great effort while tending to the watering and grass cutting tasks will now simply be turned to other things, first raking leaves, second cutting firewood, and third shoveling snow.  We have all heard the phrase "one eternal round."  Well I think no one will argue about that, given the evidence of the seasons.

While we were there Micah came to me and wanted me to go into the house with him.  When we were alone inside he said he wanted to show me what he had learned.  Accordingly, he went into a recital of some of the British poet, William Wordsworth's, better known lines.  I was just astounded and happy to hear him do this.  He never hesitated or stumbled.  Now remember, he is just six years old and has now barely two months of First Grade behind him.  It will be fun to see where he goes and what he does with his life,

Later that evening Ryan called and said the boys wanted to come over to our place and spend the night.  We love all of our grandchildren and so we were very happy to have them here.

Micah left me this little note when his dad came over to pick them up the next morning.  Needless to say, I was impressed by his Halloween artwork, his penmanship, and it's always good to hear someone expressing gratitude and love to others.

One More Strain of Paise

This little morning glory blossom in our backyard is refusing to give in to the harsh realities of autumn.  Maybe we should all put our best side forward for as long as we possibly can.

The Rut is on at Reed's Place

Reed sent me this short video taken from the activities in his back yard at Bear Lake West.

He used to go to bed and hear those noises.  Now he just gets up in the morning and looks out the window. Well, maybe not.

Such is life.
Some people dream of dieing and going to heaven.  Reed and Lorraine just wake up and they are already there.
What a great place to live-Bear Lake.  It doesn't get much better than that in my opinion.

Val-da-ree Val-da-rah

The fall weather has been just so beautiful I have had a hard time retraining myself.  This afternoon I decided to take another hike.  I went up Logan Canyon to  the Spring Hollow Campground and hiked from there up the switchbacks to the top of the China Wall, probably 1500 feet elevation gain, and then along the cliffs for about three miles before descending down the steep mountain trail to the Logan River and then on back to the car which was parked at the campground.  It was  wonderful to be out in nature and even though the autumn leaves have begun to fade in most places, it was still very beautiful.  It seems like we have been especially blessed this year with the beauties of the autumn season.  I was also grateful in my advanced years to be able to make such a hike.  I hope to be able to do this for a few more years and count each hike and each year as an added blessing.  I arrived home just about sunset, feeling tired, dusty and very, very blessed.  Iris had a wonderful supper waiting for me for which I am also grateful.

Below are just a few of the pictures I was able to take.  You know me.  I don't go anywhere without my camera.  I'm no pro, but I do enjoy taking pictures and like I always say: If you take enough you are bound to get a good one once in a while.

On the trail leading up the mountain. 

Looking down Logan Canyon from the China Wall. 

 Looking down on the sunlit pines from above without taking a foot off good earth.

 

 Part of the China Wall cliffs looking down on Third Dam in Logan Canyon.

 A happy wanderer on the trail.

Fall colors in the half light of the canyon.  And yes, the fish were rising.

I need to come back soon with my fly rod.

USU Homecoming Parade

This morning we went downtown to watch the USU Homecoming Parade.  Actually, I think we were anticipating meeting up with some of our awesome grand kids.  We were sitting on the side of the road in our lawn chairs ready for the parade, when all of a sudden we heard this great big, BOO.  It was Annika and Ada.  They are such sweet girls and were having a good time together.  Ada had spent the night with her cousin, Annika.  We are glad they like each other and enjoy being together.  The are such beautiful girls and always fun to be around.  They gathered up their share of candy being thrown their way at the parade,  I sometime wonder if the dentists aren't some of the leading sponsors of parades these days.  Micah and  Tristan were there also and enjoyed watching the parade and collecting candy too.  Micah even got a fresh chicken sandwich, compliments of Chick-Fillet.

Below are few of the pictures I snapped of the morning activities.

It was a little cool so Ada and Annika decided to borrow Grandma's jacket.  Yep, one jacket for two girls.  They had fun with it.  Though it did present a challenge when they were out picking up candy off the street, especially when they wanted to go in opposite directions.

Maybe the prettiest thing I saw at the parade was little Neveah.  What a doll.

Grandma even found Kate.  She was riding on a float for her little dance school.  Iris even had to cross the street since she was riding on the opposite side of the road from us.  I think she was glad Grandma made that little extra effort,

Micah and Tristan gathered up their share of candy and then took off to explore the nearby pioneer history statues located just behind  where we were watching the parade.  It is true; some of our greatest blessings call us grandma and grandpa,

Sights of Autumn in Northern Utah

I am so very grateful to be able to see.  I have always loved the month of September.  It seems that the beauties of the earth, which are truly wondrous at any time of the year, reach their peak during the fall season, beginning in September.  Yesterday, Iris and I decided to take a little sight seeing drive.  We went down through Paradise and then on over the rough road to Liberty and Eden in the Ogden Valley, from there we turned left and headed up over Monte Cristo to Woodruf, Randolf, Laketown, Garden City, and Logan Canyon before we arrived home late in the afternoon.  We enjoyed the trip and Iris was patient enough to let me stop here and there and take pictures.  You know me. I've got this twitchy finger than just has to be pushing down on a camera shutter.  The fall colors and the cloud formations were impressive and led me to some rather nice photographs in spite of my amateurish skill level and only bridge type camera.  Since digital photography came along, I've said that if you take enough pictures your bound to get a few good ones.  It's certainly not for lack of suitable material; that's for sure.  Then, this morning I got up a little earlier than usual and went for a hike up to the Wind Cave in :Logan Canyon. I've been there before a few times, but never when the hike was any more beautiful and inspiring than today. The lower reaches of Logan Canyon are simply spectacular this year, in my view.

Below are just a few of the many pictures I was able to take.  I'm sure they are not prize winners and that thousands of other people can do better, but they are inspiring to me and cause me to deeply reflect on the beauties of the world created for us.  I am grateful I can see.  I am grateful to live in an area so filled with beauty.  I am grateful for sufficient health and strength to be able to hike, albeit at a slower pace than in years gone by.  I am grateful for digital cameras and all the technology that goes along with them.  This photography hobby turns out to be an excellent excuse to stop along the mountain path and  figuratively "smell the roses."  That way I don't come home nearly as tired as I used to in days when my health and physical condition allowed me to undertake more strenuous endeavors.

View of the cloud shrouded mountains between Avon and Liberty from the rocky road we traveled over.

Clouds on the mountains east of Ogden.  The mountains are especially imposing from the back side.  The clouds and the changing autumn leaves contribute to the picture.

I played around with the panorama feature on my camera.  It's a little hard to take multiple pictures that can be seamlessly stitched together.  This is an example of one over the wide open spaces  to the south of the Monte Christo highway between Huntsville and Woodruff, Utah.  I love the wide open spaces and the special feeling I always get when I look of into the distance and can see mountains maybe as much as two hundred miles distant.

Another view of the Monte Christo Aspens and the far horizon.

There's about a half a million dollars (well, maybe not quite) worth of beef in the road.  I think maybe I should have been a cowboy.

Fall foliage overlooking Bridgerland Village above Garden City and Bear Lake.

A panorama of Bear Lake covered by cloudy skies.

Along the trail to the Wind Cave in Logan Canyon. 

The moumtains are covered  in brilliant red thanks to maple trees like this one and the cool nights and shorter days.

A view of the Wind Cave in Logan Canyon.

Along the trail with the Wind Cave barely in view in the distance.  The mountainsides are ablaze this year and probably will be for another week or two before giving way to the changing seasons in preparation for winter.

A view of Logan Canyon looking upstream from the trail to the Wind Cave.  Views such as these take a little effort, but they are certainly worth a few hours of a man's time.  We are indeed blessed to live so near to such awesome beauty. 



What is Happening?

Last Saturday and Sunday Stephen, Candice and their family made a visit at our place.  We don't see them as often as we'd like and were grateful to have them  with us for a while.  Their kids are all growing up so fast, especially Mason.  We were sitting on the living room floor with our shoes and socks off, just kind of relaxing, when someone suggested we compare feet for size, Mason and I. We turned around and put our tootsies up together.  Either I'm shrinking or he is really growing.  I think Mason is going to be one big dude before he is all done.  He just turned thirteen.  The lad is certainly not lacking for a firm foundation, and that is true in more ways than one.  Love that kid and all the rest of our precious grandchildren.

Beautiful Daughter, Beautiful Blessing, Beautiful Day, Beautiful Life

On Sunday, September 1st, many of our family, Samantha's family, and friends and associates of Ryan and Samantha and their sweet family were privileged to gather at the River Heights First Ward Church to witness the blessing of Ryan and Sam's sweet little  newborn daughter.  She was given the name of Neveah Kensington Eborn.  The name and the blessing bestowed on her were given by her father.  It was an outstanding blessing, given by  the priesthood of God with much power and dignity.  This little angel is fortunate to come into the world where she will be loved and cared for, taught and nourished physically, emotionally and especially in things pertaining to the Spirit.  It is a great challenge to be responsible for the upbringing of these pure and innocent little ones so recently living in the presence of God and now entrusted to our care in this world where trial, hardship, and testing are to be experienced in preparation for the ultimate blessings promised those who will be faithful and endure to the end.  What an honor, what a privilege, what a responsibility.  If the love and teaching they give their other children are any indication of what lies in store for Neveah, she is indeed blessed, as are all of us who will have the opportunity to know her and extend an helping hand when it is needed through out her life.  She is our twenty fifth grand child, now including twelve boys and thirteen girls.  We are all blessed beyond measure.  Our gratitude to the Source of all our blessings is great.

Neveah is just five weeks old at the time of this photograph.  Samantha says she never fusses, unless she is hungry or has a messy diaper.  Knowing Sam and Ryan, that will translate to a pretty peaceful upbringing.  She is so blessed as are the loving parents and the rest of the family.

A proud papa and rightly so.

Mother and Grandmother are likewise proud of little Neveah

Bear Lake Monster Run Two

On Friday night we went over to Bear Lake to help Jared with his second edition of the Bear Lake Monster Run.  We were to assist him in early packet pick-up at Cafe Sabor for the races he was sponsoring the next morning..  All went well for a while, but then it got rather windy and started to rain a bit so we closed up shop for the evening with the intent of finishing our job just before the race on Saturday.  We stayed the night with Reed and Lorraine in their beautiful home high on the hill at Bear Lake West overlooking the lake.  It was a full moon night (in fact a Blue Moon) and though there we still some clouds, the moon reflecting on the lake through the light and scattered clouds was a beautiful sight to behold.  They are treated to similar displays almost every night.  Lucky them. 

The next morning when we woke up it was raining.  I looked out toward the lake and it couldn't even be seen for the clouds.  At first my heart sank as we thought about the run that had been scheduled for the day and all the work that Jared had put into it.  We readied ourselves to go and do what we could.  Before we left we had a prayer that things would turn out for the best.  We've learned to trust in the Lord and his wisdom regardless of what might come.  By the time we got down to Harbor Village where the race was to begin the clouds seemed to be getting a little lighter and the rain was diminishing somewhat.  By the time the check-ins and packet pick-ups were complete it appeared that the sun would soon be breaking through.  Stephen and I went to the second aid station to do what was needed there.  By that time the sun was starting to shine,  the temperature was climbing and a light breeze stirred the air.  Before long the first runner appeared.  He was followed by the many others who had registered for the race.  The rain had settled the dust on the trails, but not much more.  The temperature was just about seventy degrees for most of the race.  That is almost ideal.  The clouds left in the sky just added to the beauty of the setting in the hills above Garden City.  The autumn leaves were just beginning to turn, which added to the scene through which the runners would pass.  There were three different divisions, a 5k, a 10k and a half marathon, something for everybody.  The half marathon course had an elevation gain of about 1100 feet so it was exerting.  All of the runners were thrilled by the change in the weather, thankful for the cool day after such a long hot summer, and impressed by the beauty that surrounded them.  It was fun to see them enjoying some good physical exercise in the great outdoors.  I was glad to be able to help out and to spend some time with Jared and Stephen.  Iris, Kinsey, Mason, Halle, and Candice also contributed to the success of the races along with others.  I think Jared was happy to have family support in his endeavor.

Below are a few pictures of this event.

Bear Lake shortly before the races began,  The sun is starting to break through after early morning showers.

The wild turkeys had to share the road with some human ones for a while during the race.

This is just a typical scene of the runners coming and going from our aid station.

Stephen with some of the runners pausing for a moment at aid station two.

Grandma Iris and Kinsey, our USU freshman Aggie.  It's hard to believe she has grown up so fast.  We got to bring her home after the races.  She is awesome and we love her very much.  She will go far in life and we are very proud of her and all she does.  It is hard to believe she is already  a college student.

Grandkids Are Blessings, Grandparents Should Be

Grandkids are a great blessing in our lives.  We now have twenty-five and love each and everyone so very much.  They all have their own unique personalities and we are so happy that we can be around to see them grow and do the things they are involved in.  Like all of us, each one has ups and downs, challenges and triumphs along the road of life.  We rejoice in the parents of all twenty-five of these precious little ones ( Well, some of them are actually getting pretty big and are now out on their own.)  As grandparents we take great comfort in knowing that each of these precious grandchildren have wonderful parents who provide for them and love and teach them the important things in life. We love them all large and small.  This Saturday I had the opportunity to kind of go back about 40 years and take a little boy fishing.  Micah has kind of been feeling a little bit bent out of shape since the arrival of sweet little Neveah.  He is still loved greatly by all of his family, but has shown a few symptoms of the second child syndrome whatever that is.  I think he's just kind of crying out for a little extra attention.  Well, it was my  privilege to spend most of the day with Micah up at Third Dam on the Logan River.  We fished, and fished, and fished.  We even caught a few.  Micah was so happy to be outdoors with his old grandpa on a beautiful late summer day.  It was kind of hot, but up in the canyon by the river there was a cool breeze blowing off of the water.  We were actually in the shade much of the day and it was just about right temperature wise.  I thought we'd fish until he got tired of it, but it was actually me who said in the end" It's about time to go home."  He'd have gladly stayed until it was dark.  All in all we had a great time and I hope Micah will always know how much his grandpa loves him.

Big Smile,  String of Fish, and Grandpa.  I think that would make a great day for most boys.

We got home just in time to catch Addison mowing our little lawn.  He actually has a job mowing all of the lawns in our little subdivision.  He has learned from his dad and mom to do his very best.  Everyone here loves the way he does his job.  We are proud of him in so many ways.  It's hard to believe he's already started into his Junior year in High School.  He is a great student.  He runs on the cross country team at Mountain Crest.  He is a great big brother, son and grandson.  What more could you ask of a sixteen year old.  He even avoids the cute girls at school, well, maybe not.

Reflecting on the Brigham City Temple Open House Visit

Today we had the wonderful opportunity to visit the Brigham City Utah LDS Temple Open House.

We were not disappointed.  First of all, the Temple is stunningly beautiful.  It is a symbol of our faith in life after death and the atoning sacrifice of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  It was good to be there with some of our family (Iris, Alison, Annika, Avery, Ada, and me).  We had tickets for six and these are the ones who ended up being able to go at this particular time.  The temple openhouse will run for about a month and has been very successful.  They told us that they are accommodating about 1200 people every hour.  Thousands of people have flocked to Brigham City to see this beautiful new temple.  It is smaller than most of the other temples in Utah and I'm sure will be utilized to capacity, at least I hope so.  In fact, one of my greatest wishes  would be that all of the temples were used to capacity.  This would be a very great blessing to so many people.  It is one thing to marvel at the structure of these beautiful houses of the Lord and go about making pictures, but it is quite another to take full advantage of the blessings offered to those who make temple attendance a priority.  I think of the sacrifices that our ancestors and even those who live in areas of the world where the  temples are not so readily available.  Some have literally given their lives to go to the temple and many have given all of their earthly possessions for the opportunity to make those sacred covenants with the Lord.  In our work at the Logan Temple we see people anxiously engaged in the good and essential cause of temple work for our deceased loved ones, who in reality have merely gone before and now await the day when we will come to their aid and contribute to their salvation and exaltation as they did to ours in ways that be unknown to us,  but are nonetheless very real.  I love the gospel and the saving and sealing ordinances of the temple that bind us together in the eternities.  I have been impressed by the hundreds of young couples who come to the temple so often in spite of their busy schedules at work ant at school.  They come frequently and I can just see the their love for the Lord and for others.  They also look so at peace with themselves and their relationship with their spouses and others around them.

That is a part of the  great blessing promised those who faithfully attend the temple.  Sometimes we rationalize and say we are too busy.  I hope we can look the Lord or those dear ones who  have gone before in the eye and explain to them why we were so busy or  so uncommitted to the gospel plan of salvation for all of God's children, both the living and the dead.

I guess I got a little to "preachy".  Well, I was preaching to myself along with anyone else who really cares.  I'm not going to apologize though, because the spirit whispers that to me and tells me it is true.

I was grateful to be able to attend the Brigham City Temple Open House, and yes, I did take a few pictures afterwards.  I hope they will inspire me to be a little more grateful and a little more faithful each and every day.

The new Brigham City Utah Temple

Annika, Avery, and Ada 

We were so glad they could go with us. We would have loved having all the rest of our grandchildren there as well.  We are so blessed to have all twenty-five of them in our lives and love each and every one so very much.

Grandma Iris with some of her posterity.  We are blessed beyond measure.

The House of the Lord

Holiness to the Lord

Sun, Smoke, and Spirit

For the past three nights I have anticipated  a beautiful sunset here in Cache Valley.  I checked the time for the sunset and each evening went out in great anticipation of catching a special "just right" sort of picture.  There has been a hazy smoke in the air for the last several days as a result of the several wildfires that have been burning in surrounding areas.  Smoky skies make for beautiful sunsets, at least some times.  On Sunday evening I was disappointed  because there were light clouds on the western horizon.  Monday evening found my out again, camera in hand, only to be similarly disappointed by a thin layer of clouds just above the mountains in the western sky.  Tonight I was a little more certain of a good picture.  About an hour and half before sunset the sun turned to a brilliant red and it didn't appear that clouds would be a problem this time around, so I took my camera and went to my designated spot, hoping for a perfect picture.  This time it wasn't the clouds that caused me a problem but the smoke was almost as thick as the clouds had been on the previous nights, especially just above the horizon. but not quite.  Hope springs eternal and so I continued to hope for the best.  It didn't turn out just like I wanted it to, but I did get a few interesting, though not spectacular pictures. Sun, Smoke, and Spirit.  I am not done with this little project, but thought some of these photos had a little merit.  Below are a couple of examples.

Logan Temple, Cache Valley, and the western mountains in a smoky haze at sunset August 14, 2012

Old Sol

Another shot similar to the first.  A little disappointing but beautiful in its  own way.

A smoke filled Cache Valley in the setting sun August 14, 2012

Panorama of smoke filled Cache Valley with the sun setting in the west august 15, 2012

"And the Moon shall be turned to blood."  How about the Sun too?

Sunset Moods and the Logan Temple

Sunset in the sultry glebe of evening over Cache Valley, Utah August 15, 2012

When in the sultry glebe I faint,

Or on the thirsty mountain pant,

To fertile vales and dewy meads

My weary, wand’ring steps he leads,

Where peaceful rivers, soft and slow,

Amid the cooling verdant landscape flow