Ahhh Utah

Normally no one around here answers the house phone anymore. We know that most anyone calls our mobiles (family abroad excepted). But today I did and was rather pleased to have been randomly selected to answer a poll that had to do with the treatment of illegal immigrants. As you may know, Arizona has passed a law that allows police to ask anyone they reasonably suspect (umm, looks hispanic) for proof of legal residence. Utah is talking about what a good idea that is and our incredibly conservative legislators are falling over themselves to be the one who proposes such a bill in the next session. Hence the public opinion poll. The questions included such offensive items as: Do you think that people of certain racial groups are more prone to committing crimes than people in other racial groups? I hope I helped skew the poll a little towards something humane.

Just to give you a further idea of our state politics, we recently received much national coverage because we are the state the issues the most concealed weapons permits. You don't even have to live here to get one... Here is a nice recent cartoon. The full right hand side doesn't show up on the blog, but it reads: Application for Utah Concealed Weapon Permit

Are you currently breathing?

Yes ____ No ____

Moab Part 3

The local whole foods market (Moon Flower) was replete with signs for such useful gatherings as this:

Sam in Uranium Bicycles:

Part of the bike shop:

The outside of the shop (a converted gas station):

Moab Part 2

On Saturday morning we went out to Ken's Lake to a demo that the shop across the street from Uranium Bicycles was doing for paddleboards. Picture Hawaii 5 o. Here is Sam paddling. Catherine has the better shots of him trying to perform a somersault along the board.

Here is Catherine doing the knee version with Christie behind her in a sort of kayak board thingy. I loved that boat.

The hills behind the lake.

Being fitted for life jackets.

Moab Part 1

On Saturday evening Marshall took me and Sam out on a mountain bike ride on the Bar M trail. First we picked up a bike for me at their shop, Uranium Bicycles, and let me tell you, there is a big difference between the sort of bike I normally ride and the 4,000 dollar Turner he picked out for me. We rode a several mile loop starting before sunset to take advantage of cooler temperatures. We didn't see anyone else - not a single soul. Here are some pictures.

I love this shot of Sam and Marshall coming up the hill to meet me. I did the tame trail for a section while they veered off for some more "technical" riding.