When Good Yogurt Goes Bad

And here we have "Adventures in Blue Food Die No. 5," by Keegan Bailey.  There is much to write about this little man, but it will have to wait until I am over this cold.  In the meantime, just know that Sam Javadi has competition.

An Easter To Remember

We actually began our Easter on Saturday, with an Easter egg hunt at Oak Hills Elementary School, which doesn't look much different from when I attended back in the dark ages.  True to its name, it has some fun little scrub oak groves on the grounds, which make a fine imaginary forest if you are young enough (or  young at heart).

Keegan also had a great time on the playground. (It just so happens that below the window in the background is the place where I was first kissed by a girl. At that same moment I learned, tragically, that I was a much slower runner than most of my friends and at least two girls whose names I can't remember.  Thus began my stint as a favorite victim of "kissing tag."  Oh, the horror. . . )

Sunday began with a more Easter-appropriate activity.  We went to the cemetery and cleaned and decorated Grandma Carol's grave. 

We read from the Gospel of John, chapter  20, and taught the kids about the miracle of the resurrection, and why we believe in Christ.  It felt a lot better than simply anticipating a visit from the Easter bunny.

Later we did indulge in the fine Easter tradition of gift baskets filled with chocolate and other treats (how can anyone pass up those irresistible Cadbury mini-eggs?).  It took Keegan all of two minutes to find and unwrap the biggest chocolate easter egg in his basket.  He knew what to do with it, too.

In the middle of it all, Kate yelled from our deck saying that we had to come outside and see the birds.   We thought it strange that she would opt for birds over chocolate, but we went to see what she was so excited about. 

Amazingly, there were between 50 and 75 bald Eagles circling above our house.  You just don't see that every day.  We had a great time just watching them float higher and higher, until they disappeared.

The day ended with a family feast and a beautiful Bountiful sunset.  All told, a very good day.

Holbrook Canyon in Snow

As you may have gathered from my last post, a week ago Sunday we woke up to snow everywhere, in fine "in like a lion" March tradition. It frosted trees as far as the eye could see, and the morning dawned clear and cold, with bright sunlight everywhere. Since our church does not start until 1:00 in the afternoon, Kate and I headed out to Holbrook Canyon on a photo expedition. The canyon sits right across from the Bountiful temple.

I spent every free moment of my youth in this canyon, trapsing up and down with a fishing pole in hand, even in weather like this.   Of course, the temple was not there then, and half the canyon has been obliterated by the ugly scar of Bountiful Boulevard, but it still holds some of my fondest memories, and is somehow very connected to the person I have become. 


I am so excited to bring Kate and the boys back here, and do it all over again. It may not beat the Marin Headlands for beauty, but it is home.

Coincidence?

My dad's Bishop has a son, Eric Stuart (now Elder Stuart) who goes into the MTC on Wednesday, in preparation for his LDS mission. The Stuart's are good friends of our family, and it was an exciting coincidence, if you believe in that sort of thing, to learn that Elder Stuart will be going to the San Francisco, Spanish speaking mission. I wonder if he will run into that character named Blair. Chances are good, I think. It would be a good thing; Elder Stuart will be a great missionary, and we know that El Presidente can use all the help he can get.

We met with Elder Stuart on Sunday, and gave him the lowdown, about how great the Bay Area is, and especially how spectacular the members of the church are. We know he will do well, and we are jealous of the great people he will get to meet. Just in case the opposition he will face gets to him, however, we post a photo to remind him what spring looks like at home. At least he is not tracting in this.

Making the most of a rainy day

Went to Fresno on business last week, and had to fly in earlyish Sunday, which left me with an afternoon to kill.  Of course I thought "SEQUOIA!"  It is one of my favorite national parks.  I swear those trees have a spirit that is living and could tell us so much if they were just allowed to do so. They all but command reverence when you are around them. But it was raining hard in the valley, and I wasn't sure whether I would make it all the way up in the fine but oh so fair weather PT Cruiser the rental car company saddled me with.

Sure enough, I hit snowfall at 5500 feet, and had to turn around.

But it was worth the trip just for the photo below of a manzanita in snow.  I have always loved the colors of these trees, and it is rare to see them wet, on an overcast day, with snow at their base. Definitely a treat.

I also was able to witness the way water helps form the beautiful granite of the Sierras.  The waterfalls were trickles higher up, but raging torrents as I descended. The sound of the second waterfall was deafening, and yet I am sure that bed is dry almost all the time.  Shows you what even one storm can do.

Back down in the valley, I headed for "the Blossom Trail" which runs through the hundreds of miles of orchards in and around Fresno. I have always wanted to drive this in spring, though this time, it was a little early.  I did manage to see a few peach orchards in bloom, though, which was a nice way to wrap up a rainy day.