News From the Week

Following our trip to Ticaboo, Roy headed to Vermont for a work conference. It's pretty taxing (and a long way to go) to leave early Monday morning, work for two days, and head back early Wednesday. He arrived home around 1 or so on Wednesday, so we had some time together before he headed (Thursday) on another side X side ride. This time around Bluff, UT. I stayed home for various reasons, one being that I like to be home once in a while. I also had to recertify for CPR for my job at the recreations center, and teach my institute class. I took the opportunity to sub a 2nd class since I had some time on my hands with Roy gone. I was already prepared for the class I subbed, Jesus Christ and His Everlasting Gospel, because I kept good files in the last block (kind of a half semester) where I had taught this same class.

The institute class I picked up was a group from South Africa. I enjoyed it immensely and was sad it was only 45 minutes and only temporary. I could understand almost everyone in the group and I immediately felt a love for all of them. My own class was harder because there are only 4 students (I had 3 on Thursday). Two from the Dominican Republic and one from Haiti. I could mostly understand them, but it's harder to fill the time with only a few to add to the discussion. Hopefully I'll feel better about class next week.

I also had the opportunity to watch Ollie play basketball. Someone sat by me who knew the Green family. Her son was on the varsity team. She told me that it was a big deal for a 7th grader to make the basketball team. It's obvious Ollie loves it (and is serious about it). When I took him home after the 2nd game I attended, he had to hurry for a quick change since someone was picking him up for baseball practice.

After a Cook Family Organization meeting, and the CPR test on Saturday morning, I spent the day working on lessons (for gospel doctrine in a week and for institute on Thursday), sewing, and talking on Marco Polo to some of my children. While I was away, Jennie was cutting hair at my house. Jordan saw this beautiful hawk in our yard. He thinks the nest is nearby. I hope so because I'd love to see it.

Hawk in the backyard

Elijah

I don't usually mind a few days without Roy, but this was pretty much a whole week with only a 1/2 day in between. It was good when he got home late Saturday night.

This weekend is Stake Conference for us. Saturday night is always the best session. This one was no different. The first speaker spoke of how the Savior saved him when he found the gospel. He had not had a good home life and had been in gangs and on drugs. Now he's a member of the Church and is healing from a horrific past. I enjoyed all the speakers. Roy was able to listen with a Youtube link on his drive home from Southern Utah.

Roy loves to share about his awesome rides. He (and me, too) are seeing parts of Utah that he never even knew existed. Utah is extensive in its beauty.

Roy's SxS Trip

I drove last weekend 5.5 hours down to Bluff, Utah. It is a little town which the Hole in the Wall pioneers ended up from their (6) month trek from the areas around Parowan, etc. It was President John Taylor that asked certain families to go and settle in the southeast area of the state. The purposes were to develop good relationships with the Indian tribes in the area and settle the vast areas that were available. Many of us have hiked to the top of Hole in the Rock on the west side of Lake Powell. This is where they came from Escalante, they put rocks and sand down the shoot so that they could lower wagons down to the Colorado river. After they made it to the river they crossed and wrestled with the rocks and terrain in order to get to the Bluff area.

This is Amy Davis a friend of Mom's and mine in side a cabin at the Bluff Fort.

On Thursday afternoon we had a couple take a few of us on a ride to San Juan hill and explore the ruins, etc. of the area.

It may be hard to see but there is a large circle - Indian Keva ruin where the indians would perform some of their rites and have meetings, etc.

This is our guide "Jed Lyman" and on the right our friend Brian Davis. Jed is a direct descendant of the orginal pioneers of the area.

You may make this larger and read the history of the hill. In photos below it shows how rugged that hill was.

The pioneers needed to get to the top of this plateau in order to work their way over to the Bluff area.

The path is narrow but the wagons weren't very wide. This group of pioneers had anticipated that it would take them 6 weeks but in actuality it took 6 months.

Across from where my friends are sitting is an inscription, seen in the next picture, that is presumed to be from that event in the 1870's. It was truly a miracle.

This is a ruin of a trading post just below the San Juan Hill and next to the San Juan arm of the Colorado river.

Indian ruins from the Ute indian tribe from the period of 200 a.d. to 1200 a.d.

Some petroglphs, Nick would like this one it's a big snake.

The Thursday afternoon/evening ride, a small group. A CanAm, 2 Polaris's, my Honda and a Kawasaki.

A water wheel ruin, water was very scarce so that had to do anything they could to survive.

Stickie Ta Tudy was the pioneers moto, which basically means stick with it until it's complete.

If you magnify this map you can see the path that the pioneers went. Fort Bluff is a historic site not owned by the church but manned with a couple dozen senior missionaries. They tried to recruit me while I was there.

Later that Thursday night when we got back to Bluff but there was a BBQ restaurant open, it was actually pretty fantastic for being a super small town. I guess that they have alot of tourists that come through the area

End of table: Amy Davis, Brian Davis, Dave Schoss,

The next day we rode SW of Blanding Utah which is about 30 miles north of Bluff.

Again, this area is very beautiful. The only access for people to see this area is with horses, dirt bikes and side-by-sides.

You might be able to see the path that we took if you look real close. The trail was about 8 feet wide with a 1,000 foot drop-off to the right.

If you can make it out there are Indian ruins towards the top of the cliff. They must have had to use ropes or something to get to their dwellings. It seems like it would have been pretty secure for them.

Lot's of pillars and arches in this area. It's a wonder that they don't topple over.

This was our lunch spot on slick rock.

See if you can make out the huge arch in this photo.

We had to wait for our group in this spot, they had a hard time climbing a sand hill.

Catharine again: We had dinner with Adrienne and AJ Sunday night. Adrienne made homemade tortillas with chicken and beef, pico gallo and guacamole. Cub loves the word guacamole and kept asking Grandpa to say it. He would embellish it and say in a deep voice, "Holy, moly guacamole." Cub thought he was hilarious.