Day at the reservoir

We spent Saturday afternoon out at Rockport Reservoir where Craig's band finished a line up of performers playing for a hospital benefit. Here they are rockin' out.

Sam and Luke canoeing back to shore.

Catherine and friends doing the best friend jump off the dock.

Playing on the water trampoline.

Staycation continues

We had a great weekend up at the faculty club cabin. I joined the FC two years ago in order to be able to take advantage of the cabin and this was the first visit. It is not deluxe. Generator is broken so no electricity, but there is running water (hot and cold) and flush toilets so a considerable step up from camping. There is also propane so a kitchen stove (and the aforementioned hot water). In the end, only Catherine and her two friends slept inside with the rest of us opting for tents in the meadow. Jerry and Ellen brought their new camper which made us all jealous.

Cabiners above engaged in the very long conversation trying to figure out how to get all people, bike riders and non to Rockport Reservoir with enough vehicle-age to get all home at the end of the evening.

Ellen and Zack enjoying dinner al fresco.

Teenagers playing games that do not require electricity.
Tents in the meadow.

View from the deck.

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.

still here

Just came back from an afternoon at BYU - my second trip down there in ten years of living here. Just like the first one, I was both impressed and totally creeped out. The people are hard working and doing good things in terms of language training, but the campus is so manicured that it is surreal. There is not a blade of grass out of place. There aren't even the usual bulletin boards and other surfaces with flyers and what not.

Tomorrow the kids and I head down to Moab for a long weekend visit to Marshall and Christie. It will be hot but we hope nonetheless to bike and enjoy the Colorado river.

Tomato plants are producing little green tomatoes. Still no sign of brussels sprouts.