Pioneer Day and More

Pioneer Day was on Sunday this year, but the holiday/day off was on Monday, 25 July. The day was filled with preparations, shopping for food and fireworks, swimming, grilling, fireworks, RAIN (AGAIN!!), honoring ancestors, and general good fun. We sprang for some really good aerials (fireworks) and shot them of after dark in a gentle rain storm.

Poppers are always a favorite

Katy, Zoe, and Kris with the ancestral flag

Smoke bombs make the troops very happy

Yesterday, Wednesday, 26 July was the Hastings last full day in Utah. Hank and Colette invited us all up for lunch at their great cabin. Rain from the previous night made for an extremely reluctant fire, but we eventually were able to get the wienies properly roasted. Everyone had a great time -- it was kind of H&C to invite us.

Roasters at the ready

A fun picnic on the deck

Those who participated

That evening we went to Smash Burger for supper. When we left Provo it was raining and when we left Orem to return home, it was raining. By the time we reached our old house on 1200 East, it was pouring buckets! The storm drains couldn't even begin to handle the runoff and the manhole covers were gushing like geysers. (Katy Kathryn would have loved it.) As we rounded the corner we could see dumpsters moving freely down the street as if they were boats. Phillip and Ann waded in and kept them from floating to Springville. Scouty's birthday party, scheduled to be held in the park, moved indoors to Katy Kathleen's. After the party, the kids (and their mom and Aunt Courtney) wanted one last canal walk. Everywhere along the way we could see evidence of the massive storm which had passed and left us a beautiful evening. At the finish, Auntie Courtney regaled the kids with ice cream from the Creamery.

The binkers enjoying the flood

Phillip pulled the dumpsters from harms way

Colton's post-party bubbles were an attractive
distraction from our canal walk

A new post-storm lake on 800 North near the Botany Pond

One last adventure on (in) the canal

The Hastings on their last evening in Provo

Today around 11:00 AM, the Hastings set off on a return cross-country road trip to Virginia. Courtney will be copilot on this flight. We have LOVED having them and we are experiencing empty-house syndrome this afternoon. We are drowning our sorrows in the washing machine, as we expect the Boynton girls from Gilbert later today. The Happiness Hotel will be full once more.

Goodbye geese (or is it gooses?)

Headed up the road that leads eventually to Virginia

We are excited to have these great kids nearer -- let's say just over the mountains, a short drive from here. Short is, of course, a relative term, but we are chuffed nonetheless.

That's all for now.

OXO

D.

Timpanogos Cave

Today was Rob's last day in Utah; he is flying back to Virginia and the crushing heat tonight. So we headed out early for Timpanogos Cave. It was a beautiful morning and we were early enough to avoid the heat. On the way up, the trail was well-shaded and the everyone did great, including Clara and Holden who plodded right along. Only I suffered from fear of heights: there are some scary cliffs along the way and we climbed over 1,100 feet. After the hike, a picnic lunch by the creek was a welcome treat.

American Fork Canyon from low on the trail

The little guys were good hikers

Another switchback

Near the half-way mark

A higher perspective

Waiting outside the cave for our entry time

The door to an underground adventure

An underground pool in the Hansen Cave

The Great Heart of Timpanogos: the largest
stalactite in the cave

Some of our crew with the ranger/guide

Utah Valley from the trail down

Lunch by the creek

Breaking camp and heading home

We will miss Rob, but will enjoy a few more days with the rest of the Hastings clan.

That's all for now.

OXO

D.

LeConte-Stewart Outing

Yesterday I saw a video on ksl.com about a new joint exhibition of work by LeConte Stewart at the Utah Museum of Fine Art and the Church Museum of History and Art in Salt Lake City. I suggested to Anna that we should go, and the rest, as they say, is history. We started at the UFMA and enjoyed their part of the exhibit very much. I explained that we had a connection: LeConte had stayed with my Grandma Hansen and she had one of his paintings. It was at the Church Museum, however, that the connection became clear.

Emily, having read some of the supplementary materials in the display, told me that Stewart's mother, like my Grandma Hansen, was a Hepler. I moseyed over to the display and had a look for myself while Emily made a quick visit to FamilySearch on her iPhone. I was gobsmacked to see the photo of LeConte's mother, Anna Hepler Stewart, who looks very much like Amelia Hepler Hansen, my grandmother. Emily's search revealed that Anna and Millie were, indeed, sisters; LeConte and my mother were first cousins! I don't know how that important bit of information had escaped me these many years.

Anna Hepler Stewart

Amelia Hepler Hansen

LeConte Stewart by Alvin Gittins

The crew at UFMA

Headed to the Church Museum of Art from our
parking spot on 2nd Avenue in SLC

Lucy Jane freezing for my available-light,
no-flash photo

A purloined photo of a piece that I liked very much

He captures the spirit of the Utah of my youth

Clara chose the pose as we headed back to the car

This was a great outing, made even better by the discovery of a significant bit of family history.

That's all for now.

OXO

D.

Utah Mountains

Sunday evening we drove up the north fork of the Provo River to Brickerhaven for a visit to the cabin and a hike to the falls. It was a beautiful evening with intermittent rain. The heavy melt has created new streams all over the meadows below the falls. The vegetation at the falls looks like it was burned, but was actually buried under snow until very recently; it is just now beginning to leaf.

Stewart Cascades and Stewart Cirque

Water running free throughout the meadow

The hikers

Stewart Falls churning extraordinary runoff into mist

The binkers enjoying the mist

The creek rushing full force down the mountain

Yesterday, Monday, July 18, we headed the other direction to the Nebo loop and Payson Canyon. Our destination was Payson Lakes where we picnicked and enjoyed the beauties of nature.

Payson Lakes with Mount Nebo in the distance

Madeline and the Hastings

Probing the depths

Wild roses in bloom

The wet spring and early summer rains have created a
bumper crop of beautiful wildflowers

Yellow-eyed Susans?

A beautiful spot

I'm sure there will be more adventures, but this is all for now.

OXO

D.

Hike and Sleepover

One week ago, Friday, 8 July, we had an adventure: we hiked from Aspen Grove to First Falls on the Timpanogos summit trail. There has been so much rain, runoff, and flooding that the trail is pretty much hashed, so it was slow going, but all made it and enjoyed the morning very much. Auntie Katy kept the troops animated with rounds of "Who stole the cookie..." and "Hey Clara, someone's calling your name...." Fun times.

The troops near the foot of the trail

The wildflowers are lovely

The dark hole in the snow near the top
of the picture is First Falls

The snow pack is still quite thick so we couldn't
actually reach the falls

Finn splashing through a stream of runoff
on the trail

Everything is spring green

Harry leads the way

Fearless treckers

On Saturday, Katy hosted her traditional sleepover for all the cousins. It was a smashing success.

Wall to wall sleepers

That's all for now.

OXO

D.