The Bollards of Port Aransas

The Bollards of Port Aransas Bollard- a short thick post to which a ship is moored, also a post which diverts traffic…… Occasionally we come across an unique art form. One was the large murals made from large insects. We had heard that the bollards of Port Aransas were covered with artistic knitting and needlepoint and so we had to see them, ( They will soon be removed before hoards of college students arrive for spring break). Some were stolen but they were returned after the loud community uproar. The bollard covers were made by an army of individuals, and many by winter Texans. Over three hundred are on display. The following are a few of our many favorites. Well done!

Clear skies

Rocks, Potatoes, and Rainbows:Heading East by Southeast

Before we could head out, driving south by southeast, to escape the winter snow, we needed to make one more drug run to the Walmart at Idaho Falls. On the way down the canyon we had to stop as a scaling operation was taking place. Scaling is the road work that occurs when rocks are threatening to fall on the road way. Here the Idaho Crew had placed dynamite and brought down huge boulders. I was reminded of the warning signs, Watch for falling Rocks!
We also had to dodge falling potatoes as the potato harvest is in full swing! Trucks are everywhere, in the field following the harvesters, plying the roads to storage bins, and unloading potatoes in the earth berm storage beds. We have never seen so many potatoes in our lives and yes there were potatoes falling off the trucks  and rolling down the highway!

Saying our goodbyes we hooked up the truck and headed south to Lyman, Wyoming. There we parked at a campground and unhooked. The next day we drove to Salt Lake City for Renita's last doctor checkup and got great news so the winter's travels were definitely a go!

Returning up the Canyon, east of Salt Lake City we hit a torrential downpour! The road was awash in places and we both worried about a flash flood or mudslides. Cresting the pass the rain eased and by the time we reached Evenston, Wyoming it actually stopped so we headed to the local rock shop.
We had tried to stop there earlier this summer but the owners wife had fallen and cut her arm so we had driven her to the hospital.The owner told us she had required thirty stitches and that she had healed without any complications!

Of course we had to look at the rocks and we found some nice pieces of dinosaur bone! When we tried to pay he told us the rocks were on the house, more dinosaur bone! Picking up a pizza, (first pizza in five months, (yes we do have a pizza place near us in Star Valley, but we are not crazy about their pies), we returned to our campground and the next morning we were rewarded with a rainbow.
Hooking up, the rain returned and we drove across the state to a campground we use in Cheyenne, Wyoming.On the way we crossed two passes and the last one almost overheated the truck. We had to put on our flashers, slow down, and put the heater on high to keep the engine out of the red line, (a common ploy if your engine overheats when you cross a steep mountain pass).
From Cheyenne it was all downhill as we stopped at North Platte, Nebraska. Tomorrow we will head further east, stopping at our hometown and then turning south. We might stop at Nashville and then Chattanooga, before crossing Georgia and on to St Petersburg. However as our friends Joe and Marsha would say travels plans are written on an "Etch a Sketch", and constantly change. Clear skies and safe travels.

Fall Colors, A Quick Trip to Odgen, and Our Lapidary Studio

Fall is almost here and the Resort is emptying. The fall colors here are not as bright as normal, due to lots of summer moisture, but you don't have to drive very far to see great mountain colors. We discovered this while making a quick trip to Ogden to purchase a lapidary shop's equipment and rocks, and discovered another beautiful route through the mountains.

While getting my oil changed, in preparation for the fall exodus to the Gulf Coast, the owner of the garage told me the reason for the duller fall colors. She said that the heavy summer moisture meant that the oaks did not have to send sugar to the leaves and so the leaves simply turn brown and fall off.

Still we hoped for a colorful drive as we headed to Ogden, Utah. During the show, last week, a man from Odgen approached our tent and told us he was emptying the family house in preparation to renting it. His parents had both passed and his father had been involved in lapidary and jewelry making.

His wife sent us images of the equipment and so we hurried to their house in hopes of purchasing as much as possible. We have needed a slab saw and a dedicated trim saw, so we don't have to haul all of our rough rocks to Texas, (we still will have to haul the larger ones to cut down to size). Now we are the proud owners of a twelve inch slab and an eight inch trim saw, both Lorotones and both in really great shape.

The seller, Wayne, recommended we head up Odgen Canyon, (Highway 39 to Randolph), and was he ever right. It's a beautiful drive through rocks and trees and it follows a narrow and steep sided ridge. Its definitely not for the acrophobic and its also a road you don't want to pull your big rig.

Renita was busy taking image after image and giving me vivid descriptions of the colors. I really couldn't appreciate them as much as I was concentrating on keeping us alive, as there were few guard rails along this narrow road. It reminded me of driving in Alaska, somewhat like the Top of the World Highway, only paved of course.

So now its doctor time and we are in the midst of getting our annual checkups. These are going to delay our start till early October. We should see some snow before then but Indian Summers usual happen here and so we should have good weather for crossing the Rockies.
Clear skies

Driving South to Crawford Colorado, Douglas Pass

We left Flaming Gorge and headed south to Crawford Colorado. Its a route we have traveled before, First there's a climb over the Unitas and then across Douglas Pass. This time the trip would be easier as we were not towing our fifth wheel.
Stopping at a scenic overlook we had to take images of beautiful Sheep Creek bay, If you ever travel this way be sure to take the Geology loop, a drive along the old highway, (do not pull anything along this road).

Climbing over the pass summit we were greeted with the signs telling of the number of switchbacks. This image is of the second one, warning of  the nine switchbacks. This route is not for the acrophobic although it is a truckers route!

Successfully making it down the switchbacks, the road eased and we entered Vernal, Utah. There we had to stop at a rock shop and left after buying a beautiful piece of dinosaur bone and dinosaur coprolite. Both of these treasures are destined for the saw and will be transformed into our jewelry.
Crossing into Colorado we turned south for Grand Junction, first crossing over Douglas Pass.

Now Douglas Pass is identified as another truckers route, but oh my what a route. Nearing the pass itself the road narrowed as several sections of road had sloughed off and been repaired with gravel and wooden berms.
Our friend Val had actually pulled her fifth wheel over this pass in June, before several of the sections had been replaced. She is from Colorado and has absolutely no fear, when it comes to driving and towing in high places.

Crossing the pass we shifted into lower gears to save our brakes. The Colorado Department of Transportation does not waste money warning travelers of the switchbacks. Heck you would be hard pressed to count them all!

Still there were many brave souls towing fifth wheels and campers. We have been there and done that and I have no wish to pull anything big across this pass again. Regardless we made it down the pass and stopped at Grand Junction for a bit before heading east and then south to Crawford.
There we planned on fly fishing some new, to us anyway, trout streams. That however is the topic of the next blog! Clear skies

The Trip Back To Wyoming, Service Berry Time, and a Welcome Sunset

We said our goodbyes on Saturday night, and after lots of hugs woke up to an early morning wake up call. Our flight was due to leave Raleigh at seven am and so we took a taxi to the airport, it only cost forty five dollars, (I can buy lots of rocks for forty five dollars).

The flight left on time and again was packed to the gills. Several people were singing, “Viva Las Vegas”, which was where the plane was heading. I wondered if they would be singing or simply stewing over their losses on their flight back home. Renitas relatives lived in Las Vegas, we visited it often, and as we are not gamblers the city has little appeal.

The second flight was also on time and by twelve thirty local time we were driving back to Star Valley. Deciding to take a different route and we drove to Logan and then up Logan Canyon to Bear Lake. Bear Lake is a large natural lake that formed when earthquake faults, still active, formed a natural depression. It’s almost exactly like the San Andreas Lakes just south of San Francisco.

The rest stop had several humming bird feeders set up and they were swarmed by Broad Tailed Hummingbirds. We drove through a series of small towns and wanted to stop for dinner but this area was settled by Mormons and all the restaurants and grocery stores close on Sunday. Luckily there was a fast food place in Afton and so we didn’t have to cook dinner at the end of a long day.

The next day we rested even though we knew it was service berry season. We did call our friends Val and George, who told us the berries were ripe and the bushes full. The next morning we ate breakfast and then headed up McCoy Road in search of the delicious little purple berry.

Our very first stop produced almost a gallon of berries! Keeping an eye out for bears we made two other stops and had over two gallons of berries in less than two hours. Last year I had only picked a quart which made four jars of jam and this year I hope to make enough for Christmas gifts.

The next night we were greeted with a beautiful sunset, and even though our neighbor John, took lots of pictures for his blog, I still had to take a few for ours. The summer is going fast and we still need to go to Flaming Gorge and Colorado for more fishing. Then we have another show and it will be time for Doctors and packing before we head to Florida.

Clear skies

Salt Lake to Surprise, Arizona

We left Salt Lake and headed south. Our preferred route was east across Wyoming but the forecast was for snow and so we took the long route, planning on crossing the Rockies on Interstate 40 and then east and south to Florida.

So the first day we drove all the way to Mesquite, Nevada and even stayed in a casino rv lot. We even ate in the restaurant and then Renita gambled three dollars of her mad money. I am saving my money and so I couldn’t bring myself to spend a dime fighting the casinos odds.

The next day we drove to Vegas and then turned south on ninety three before connecting with Interstate 40 in the town of Kingman. The drive was the first time we have crossed the Colorado River below Lake Mead and Hoover Dam. We took it easy and the truck didn’t overheat and so we felt good as there are some substantial hills.

Checking into a rv park, east of town, the owner told us to stay away from the Balloon Festival and so we decided to head further south to Surprise and drop in on friends around Phoenix. Again the drive was hot and hilly as we climbed up to the intermountain plateau, before dropping down to the Valley, Phoenix that is.

Again the truck behaved itself and the engine stayed cool, not even using any fluid. Perhaps its as it should be but time will tell as we still have 2200 miles till we reach St Petersburg. Checking into Sunflower Rv park we were disappointed to learn the lapidary shop wasn’t yet open, but we did get in touch with our friends Alan and Sharon and Paul and Mary.

So I am thawing some salmon and getting ready for show and tell and of couse listening to stories of Alan and Sharons summer travels. We are also ready to swap Alaska bear stories with Paul and Mary as they have gone to Alaska for the past ten years and were there again this summer.

Oh and of course we stockpiled wine and supplies at Trader Joes. It still amazes me how cheap things are here in the lower forty eight. I do feel sorry for the people here who have to put up with all the campaign commercials. We have already voted at our new Wyoming address. Clear skies

Sitting in Salt Lake City

Before we knew it September had passed and it was time to start our journey to Florida and then to Texas. First however we had one last doctor’s appointment to make and so we headed down to Salt Lake City. There we checked into the usual RV Park, and of course they had raised their rates, but somehow after Alaska and Canada the rates didn’t seem so astronomical.

We had a few days to wait before Renita’s appointment and so we fixed the counter extension and refreshed our larders with a visit to Sam’s Club. Shopping here is so different as some of the stores have supplies and meals set up for doomsday peppers. You can buy thirty days rations, all in cans, and even ninety two servings of dried scrambled eggs. Maybe they are preparing for the election results?

I got on the internet and we decided to visit the Utah Museum of Natural History, located on Utah University’s Campus. The beauty of the new museum grabbed us as soon as we drove up and parked. Its siding is copper and it is aging much like our untreated copper jewelry.

Walking inside we were greeted with a huge glass wall was filled with items, and most of them were from Utah. Fossils and rocks and Native American bead work all promised a fun day at the museum. Paying for tickets we headed up the elevator to the fifth floor and soon were enjoying room after room.

We finally reached the third floor where we enjoyed the rocks and the geology displays. A seismic station was set up and allowed us to jump up and make our own miniature earthquake waves. Bet you can't guess which waves were from me jumping up and down and which were Renita’s?

Of course we hurried across the bridge and drooled as we studied the rock and mineral specimens. One of my favorites is the varicite. It’s a mineral from Utah and makes beautiful green cabs, but we haven’t been able to get acquire any of our own.

Finally reaching the last two floors, I concentrated on studying all the dinosaur teeth. We have quite a bit of bone and some coprolite but teeth are really hard to find and even harder for us to correctly name. Regardless the dinosaur exhibit makes the museum well worth visiting. It’s arguably as good as the one in Thermopolis Wyoming, and far better the Peabody Museum at Yale.

So we finally left and it had been a good day. Renita’s doctor appointment came and she got the all clear so we head south on Sunday. We are kind of taking a strange route because it’s snowing in Cheyenne and so we will head south to St George and then east along interstate forty. The adventure continues. Clear skies

 

Stuck In Salt Lake, Waiting for the Snow To Pass

There are things we have no control over, lots of things. One is doctors appointments and another of course is the weather. Knowing this there was little we could do as we scheduled tests in Salt Lake City.

Yeah its October and yes we chanced a snowstorm and it is what it is. The good news is that everything is fine and after the storm passes we can make a run for the south. Its way to cold here with temps in the 30's and you can see the snow on the mountains that surround the city. It even snowed on us as we left the Walmart in Bountiful,(I showed Renita the new style snow shovels and even offered to buy her one but all I got was the look)!

At least we were prepared for bad weather and we have spent the time making sterling silver rings crowned with small cabochons we made last winter. So anyway another day for the roads to clear and the winds to diminish and then the run begins. Clear skies.

Salt Lake City, a Tale of Two Churches

We had a few more days to spend in Salt Lake City, so we decided to visit The Cathedral Of Mary Magdeline and Temple Square. We love to visit churches to study the sytle and art and to get some understanding of each religion. Our first stop was The Catherdral of Mary Mageldine and we were immeadiately captivated by the gothic style of the exterior. Renita pointed out the gargoyles that were on each tower and the intricate carving of Jesus and the Cross greeted us as we walked up the steps.
Inside the church was darkened but the sweeping ceiling and brightly colored pillars told of man  reaching to God. The stained glass windows were as exquiste as any we have seen, including the windows in the Stained Glass Museum at the North Pier in Chiacago. The detail and the number of pieces in each work, along with their colors, told of pieces that were simply priceless. The side altars and front altars were carved from wood and reminded us of the altar in Mesilla, New Mexico. To say we enjoyed the beauty of the church was an understatement.

Leaving the catherdal we headed to the Utah State Capital Building and the Visitor center where we were able to park for free and walk down the steep hill to Temple Square. As we walked we both looked for the temple but it was hidden by the Latter Day Saints World Headquarters Building and it wasn't until we crossed the street that we were able to enjoy the Temple's simply yet towering style.

A church volunteer took our picture by one of the massive doors, built from the old testament specifications of the Temple of Solomon and the lady told us that the interior was only open to those who had earned the honor of partaking in the secret rites/ceremonies/worship. We were confused to say the least.
She further told us that when one was deemed worthy they were given a two year pass that would allow them to enter, and so we looked at the massive building, with its white heavily curtained windows and wondered. At the visitor center they actually have a model of the inside and outside of the temple along with pieces of the same Cottonwood Canyon granite from which the Temple was built.

No crosses adorned the outside, the most prominent feature was the gold figure of Gabriel blowing his horn, calling God's children? We enjoyed the beauty of the outside of the temple and we enjoyed the Latter Day Saints Tabernacle Auditorium but we walked away confused by the secrecy of the place.
It was an interesting day visiting two churches with such different policies, one in which any could enter and view and pray and another in which one had to be deemed worthy. To each their own way to peace and we wish all of you the same peace we have found in our faith. Clear skies.

Antelope Island State Park, The Great Salt Lake

Across the salt flat, a thin ribbon of water looked inviting but its high salt content held no true promise. Further the Wasatch Front stood and you could see the development as over two million people live along its flanks, yet here we were able to feel the first quiet in our week long stay.

To the west the Great Salt lake stood and we could see Fremont Island and the far distant mountains. Even though we were on the top of Buffalo Point we were still below the level of water that was held by the prehistoric Lake Bonneville and you wondered if the water will ever rise again and fill the basin? Small lizards were everywhere and we were both glad we had made the steep but short hike up Buffalo Point Trail.

We ate lunch at the Buffalo Island Grill and day use area and watched as families parked and walked to the distant waters edge. It was really pretty neat to remember last years travels to Mono Lake and Death Valley.
Large flocks of eared grebes and the largest flock of avocets we have ever seen fed greedily on brine shrimp and the egg cysts that floated on the waters surface. The avocets swung their heads back and forth as if in a feeding frenzy and it was a feeding motion we had never seen anywhere else. Shovelers and California gulls rounded out the bird list and we looked but didn't see the chuckers, even though they were said to be plentiful.

The road to the Fielding-Garr ranch was about ten miles long and as we drove along it I wondered at the families that had settled here and worked such a harsh environment. You could see the springs and their lush greenery that made ranching a possibility but it still had to be such a hard life and a long winter. A large herd of buffalo dominated the landscape although we did see a small herd of antelope and even a wandering coyote.
Driving back down the causeway we stopped at the marina and read the monument to the soldiers who had died here in a tragic helicopter accident. A group of young people from California took turns posing for pictures and they acted like it was a photo shoot for some skin magazine. It seemed so inappropriate for people to act in such a way near such a tragic site.
It had been a really nice drive and we decided that from now on we would rather dry camp at Antelope Island then stay at the rv park in Salt Lake City. Even though there were no facilities or hookups the solitude and  stars would make it possible for us to find the peace we both have searched for during our travels......Clear skies..