2011-05-30 Snow on Memorial Day

We woke up to a dusting of snow. It was 35 outside, cloudy and threatening to snow some more. It seems we've been cheated out of a spring. When it gets hot in a week or so we'll have water everywhere. Water content of the snow pack above is us 436% of normal. Yikes!

2011-05-29 Grant's gravesite

We drove to Ogden to place flowers on Grant's grave. There were a few flowers already on Ruth Pierce's headstone. It was cloudy and rainy, but the cemetery was beautiful and there were flowers on nearly every headstone.

2011-05-25 Jack's school program

Jack took us on a tour of Bonneville Elementary and displayed some of his work during the year.

2011-05-29 Little Cottonwood Creek

Despite plenty of rain, the creek is running at a low level. It has been cool (cold actually) delaying the spring run off. We lost our trees and fire pit on June 6 last year, but the temperature was in the 90s. If it warms up fast, we could be in trouble.

The photo is a 'panorama' series, and this is the cause of the quirky turn in the creek at our backyard.

The Colorado River Basin Forecast Center (http://www.cbrfc.noaa.gov/) predicts that Little Cottonwood Creek will stay below its banks and below flood level.

2011-05-26 Mothers of twins are 'robust'

It looks good for a long life for Grandma. She dislikes the term 'robust' however.

A recent study of 4603 mothers who bore twins and 54,183 who had not, showed that mothers of twins exhibit lower postmenopausal mortality, shorter average inter-birth intervals, and higher lifetime fertility than their singleton-only bearing counterparts. From the largest historical sample of twinning mothers yet published, they concluded that "bearing twins is more likely for those with a robust phenotype and is a useful index of maternal heterogeneity."

2011-05-22 Flowers

Finally our yard is blooming. We are often travelling when the ornamental apples trees bloom in May, but this year we get the full glory.

2011-05-22 Sunday dinner with Grandma's friends

We invited Rita Smith (we are her home teachers), Marylou Unice, and Suzanne Housley for dinner of grilled chicken, corn on the cob, roasted vegetables, and salad. They all seemed thrilled with our invitation and with the dinner, artfully prepared by Grandma.

2011-05-21 Salt Lake Century Bike ride

The bike ride is really 106.8 miles (not the 100 promised miles). Michael, Coray and I started at 7:30 am along with Rob Whetton (Jennie Smock's husband). Michael and Rob finished in about 6 hours, but it took Coray and me closer to 7 hours. The weather was wonderful, and it was fun to participate. We saw Barry Packer and Ray Hanson from our Cottonwood Heights 1st ward. We also saw Marlin Parry from our current ward. These three guys are old like me.

The most difficult part of the ride was the 7.5 miles into the wind across the causeway to Antelope Island.

Coray was tempted to turn around before the ride around Antelope Island, but he kept at it and rode his longest distance ever.

2011-05-08 Little Cottonwood Creek is rising

The snowpack is melting, and we expect some heavy run off. The county engineer assures us that we will be more fortunate than our downstream neighbors. Let's hope we stay high and dry this year.

2011-05-05 Jack's Africa School Program

We attended Jack's 2nd grade program about Africa. It was enjoyable and extremely well done and well attended. Mrs Brown, Jack's teacher, had high praise for Jack.

2011-05-08 Mother's Day

From left to right: Louise, LaRue, Zella, Marie

These four women played important roles in my life. Granny was more than just my grandmother, especially after my mother died. Louise and LaRue and their husbands provided most of the recreation I had as a child. All four had big welcoming smiles and were easy to laugh, full of good humor. They all worked hard and played hard. Granny especially fostered family traditions and good food. Along with this group, Granny's aunt, Josephine Myrup Carr (Aunt Fene) and my grandmother, Emma Caroline Cahoon Heath, were the primary women in my life until I married.



Now the adult women in my life are all wonderful mothers of wonderful children. I love them all.

2011-04-30 St George with Cohens

We spent the weekend with the Cohen's at their home in St George. Mark and I played golf while Paula and Cleo drove to Las Vegas to shop. We played games, walked, biked, attended church, visited with LaRue Stauffer and Garry Remington (Paula's cousin) who lives in our Willow Creek neighborhood but was visiting St George for a multiday motorcycle ride across Nevada.











The desert is in bloom.