Baby Blessing Cub Ricky Green; Grandpa Cook's poetry; Roy's sideXside ride

The family gathered at Adrienne's church and home for the baby blessing of Cub Ricky Green. AJ gave Cub a wonderful blessing. Ollie, AJ and Adrienne all bore their testimonies. I was uplifted by all the testimonies in the meeting today.

Lunch at Adrienne's home was delicious and the cousins had a fabulous time being together, as usual.

Cub Ricky Green baby blessing Oct. 8, 2023

The Green Family: Ollie, AJ, Ila, Cub, Finn and Gunnar; Greta and Ila

Crista came down on Saturday evening so she'd be here for the blessing, and some of he family met up to go to a Halloween event put on by one of Roy's business partners. The event was cute, centered around the theme of Harry Potter, but it probably would have been just as much fun to stay at our home. There was a tractor ride and a spook alley. We waited around for 20 or 30 minutes for the spook alley, but the door never opened, so most of us left. Ruby really wanted to wait, so the Vance family waited and went through. As they exited the spook alley, Ruby said, "That was so worth waiting for!" Crista and Matt said they were glad she thought so, because they said it was just creepy and dumb. I only took one picture because it got dark so quickly; but Crista took a few.

Ruby, casting a spell on the hypogriff; Bridget is on the far right

Ruby, Greta, Bridget and Todd with the Hypogriff

Avie, Greta, Effie, Yuna, Ori, Ruby (with Matt, Todd, Dojin and Doyeon in the background)

Doyeon and Yuna waiting in the never-ending line (and we were in front); Todd

Ruby and Ori; Greta and Avie

Thanks to Christine for writing most of my letter for me today. She sent some of my dad's poems and they are perfect for today:

The All-Seeing Eye

The horizon is sight's limit from the watchman's tower.

Our vision is greatly enhanced with seven by fifty power.

The unassisted eye discerns more clearly at closer range,

While mysteries beyond, without help, must remain strange.

Man as a bird, explores rich realms from various heights.

Small planes to jets to satellites. As he books his flights

Vistas expand, creation, eternity loom limitless and great.

Man's search for knowledge increases at a demanding rate.

Space flight, rockets, zooming cameras; we are very smart.

We find order, harmony, questions. How did all this start?

We postulate answers, using vivid, unrestrained imagination.

The Learned tell so factually; happenstance, not creation.

Through electron microscopes, we search the core of the atom.

Neutrons, protons, alpha particles, neutrinos we fathom.

Even DNA; and we think we understand. But leave God out...

Our wisdom hath attained to this, we have reason to shout.

How does God view these struggles, with His all-seeing eye?

Did He not make man and all things? The clouds and the sky?

"My ways are not your ways" He revealed to prophet sages.

There is a sure way to know; learn it from inspired pages.

Are we "a little lower than the angels"? Need we less accept?

But at falling short of His expectations, we are quite adept.

Better than binoculars, telescopes and cameras of ranges long,

is the discerning, trusting eye in tune with heavenly song.

2nd Poem

We sometimes descend to the lower reaches,
Often against our wants.
To the upward climb, we devote our hopes:
Yet when attained our access is but a moment.
We change, we try, we seek consistency.

"My spirit shall not always strive with man," God said.
Does he strive with me?
Yes, mightily!
How do I know? His blessings continue.
He knows the heart, He understands the hurt...
when we knowingly fall short.
If we do not hurt, perhaps He has ceased striving.
May that happen not.

Shakespeare wrote, "What stronger breastplate than a heart untainted?
Thrice is the armed that hath his quarrel just,
and he but naked, though locked up in steel
Whose conscience with injustice is corrupted."
The bard's "quarrel" might also be "actions".
and "injustice" connotes "evil".

What inspires a man to introspection?
It is the direct assist of the beautiful things of life,
It is poetry, it is yet more. It is the
reaching down and pulling up.
What forces are at play? They are elusive...hard to see
But they are real.

"I hid myself because I was naked."
I hid myself because his eye is too discerning, too penetrating.
Under this gaze, the "steel" is of no moment.
It melts down leaving no cover.
Man is exposed: his ways are open.
All is known and nothing can be hidden.
There is only the course in eternal planning.
The keywords are loyalty, love, and integrity.

None of us ventures close to a cliff's precipitous edge
Without a sense of danger.
Apprehension, caution...take care!
What of the whale rock loosened by time's winds and rain?
Go not to the edge, remain on solid ground!

Yes, we tread the valleys and climb the heights/
Oscillation is vicissitudes, a test supreme.
We seek consistency. Might it e'er be found?
With a sudden step ought that space be spanned.
From down to up, as the eye sees the star. Instantly.

Time heals all pain, except the sorrow created against God's law.
If hurt, see Him who alone gives solace.
He unlocks the prison doors. He gives hope, light, and freedom.
"Come unto me ye that labor and are heavy laden."
Create no sorrow. It is better to be wronged than this.
"Judgement is mine." saith the Lord.
If wronged, do no wrong. Twice hurt does no cure."

"We see through a glass darkly," Paul explained
"by the sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken," quoth Solomon.
It is too dangerous to perpetuate sorrow.
Sorrow does come, but should not attend our end.
Isaiah said this in warning,"...walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This ye shall have of mine hand: ye shall lie down in sorrow."

Strive against sorrow, and assuredly create none.
See the high ground: see the good, the beautiful. Quench "sparks".
Exercise your gift: sorrow no longer.
Record the greatness of your heart. The gift is yours.
--Vernon O Cook

I love and admire (and miss) my wonderful father. His testimony was strong and he always bore that testimony by sharing his love of the gospel and the spiritual experiences he had throughout his life. Thanks Christine for finding and sharing these.

Roy took the side by side and went to southern Utah for a ride with the side X side club. He is writing the rest of this letter, complete with pictures from his ride.

Roy D. Rasband – SxS Trip with the Northern Utah ATV Club

10/08/2023

As most of you know I go on SxS (Side by Side) rides with the club periodically. This particular ride started at Thompson Springs, Utah which is about 25 miles east of Green River, Utah. It is a small town of around 28 residents. It started as a Coal Mining town in the 1930’s. There are basically only 3 things of any consequence in the town: a Hotel, if you can call it that, a fairly nice RV Park and a 7-11 Gas/Convenience store near the freeway.

09/05/2023 (Thursday)

I drove late in the afternoon with the truck pulling the SxS trailer behind. I arrived kind of late around 10:00 pm. I stayed in the Desert Moon Hotel.

I found it through AirBNB. It has 5 rooms on the top floor, kind of a Hostel type. The rooms share 2 bathrooms, mine had a sink in it. It was built in the 1930’s. The walls are super thin, so no TV’s, music, etc. It was very clean though and my mattress was surprisingly nice, queen sized. I crashed fairly quickly as I needed to get up early and prep everything for the orientation at 8:45.

10/06/2023 (Friday)

I woke around 6 am, shaved and had a quick shower. I brought some boxed cereals and milk for breakfast with a banana which I ate on the tail-gate of the truck. I made some final preparations on the Honda Pioneer, more cleaning from the previous ride in Flaming Gorge. People think that I am funny that I like to clean it so well, right before I am just going to get it dusty again. I figure that cleaning it each time will preserve it and keep it in good shape. It was initially early dawn when I got up but the sun was beautiful as it shown on the plateaus near by. There was a train track across the street from the hotel but I only heard a couple of trains during the night.

Once it was close to the time, I drove the Honda over to the RV Park where we were going to have our orientation meeting. There were about 30 SxS’s and around 45 – 50 people. I am probably one of the younger ones in the group. I wish that mom could be with me even though it isn’t her thing (as the scenery is always spectacular) but she is having some problems with her back.

We were to cover around 72 miles this day, which is a little longer than most rides. Typically on these rides we drive an hour or so and then stop for a stretching break or potty. The women find their own bushes to the right (because they are always RIGHT) and the guys to the left. After a couple of hours we made it to our first viewing spot. These rides typically have a lot of interesting history, etc. Fred Dumas told the group about an algae that is found in the area called “Crypto biotics”. It is kind of a crunchy Algae that we are advised to avoid if possible as it takes 100-200 years to recover.

We then walked up a runoff wash and the other Fred, Panucci, showed us some T-Rex imprints in rocks. Very cool! The rocks used to be mud and then dried out and then were covered with layers of dirt over the years.

We then proceeded on to our next stop. An old abandoned Uranium mining area. In the 1950’s/60’s there was a great need for Uranium for bombs and power plants. After a while the need wasn’t so great so they stopped mining in the area.

Our next stop were some wind caves, carved out from many years of wind on the soft sandstone. Very large and interesting. We actually had our lunch there. I had a SPAM sandwich, yes SPAM, some chips and a pear from our fruit trees.

On our way to the next stop we got delayed as there was a Bronco Rodeo excursion group that was kind of stuck at a difficult part of the trail. There was a 3-4 foot drop-off. Fred P helped them figure out how to make it down over the drop. Then we all one-by-one made the drop ourselves. I have to admit that it was a little scary but the other more experienced riders said that it was easy for these machines. I wish that they would have been able to get some video of it.

Our next stop was an overlook with a drop of 1,500 – 2,000 feet. The view was fantastic! We could see the Green River below and some rock formations called the Pope and the (3) nuns. You could see the city of Castle Dell some 20-30 miles away.

Before we headed back to Thompson Springs we stopped at a beautiful Arch. It was simply called “The Arch”. The berries from the Juniper bushes were perfect for harvesting, so I used my sandwich bag to get some for a future German sauerkraut dinner.

That evening we had a potluck BBQ. I had a steak and some hashbrowns which I shared as well as some precut watermelon. This is a good group of people; respectful and fun.

10/07/2023 (Saturday)

I didn’t have to get up quiet so early as the Honda was ready to go. I brought my own fuel and I am a fuel snob (89 Ethanol free). We rode about an hour and stopped at an old abandoned sheep ranch in a canyon. The Fred’s said that it had been active just 6 years prior. One thing that was interesting was they had run fencing all the way up the steep sides of the canyon to keep the sheep in their ranch.

Next, we rode through some ups and downs, very fun in the canyon and worked our way up to another overlook. Probably 2,000 feet or so. We had lunch there. I pulled my dusty chair over near the ledge and sat next to a few other people. As I talked to the guy next to me, I found out that he was my second cousin, once removed. He is related to a lot of the same people I am related to from Heber City; Giles, Rasbands, Carlisles, etc. Small world. He name is Steve Lindsey. Fred Dumas also gave some history on how the miners used cans to cook their meals. People are tempted to take relics from sites but they should really leave them at the site for historic preservation.

Our next stop was a former coal mine which was called the Ballard Mine. This was named after a local rancher in the 40’s and 50’s. He was pretty sly. When he found some nice coal veins he started to buy properties in the area. Once he procured all of the necessary properties he opened a mine and made $$$ millions. He built a steam coal line down to Thompson Springs in order to transport the coal on the main line for the coal market. He eventually sold the mine to a group out of SLC. They prospered for a few years, then they ran out of enough water in the area to operate. Locomotives were also transitioning to Diesel so there wasn’t as much need for coal, so they sold out to a group in Texas which shut it down and liquidated the remaining stuff like buildings, rails, wood, etc.

Finally, we stopped at one more location and observed Petroglyphs and Pictographs. The difference between them: Petroglyphs are carved in the stone and Pictographs are painted. It was sad to see some vandalism that has occurred here.

At the end, I headed back to the Hotel to load up the SxS and head home. Fortunately, it was the right time for melon harvest in Green River so I stopped there and purchased a few melons for home.

I am hoping that I will have more opportunities to take family along. It is difficult with all of their activities and school, etc.