The BBQ got momentarily out of control. Thankfully the burgers were saved and everyone ate their fill.
Flame broiled burgers.
Summer 2016, Day 9
Taking a drive near the largest open pit copper mine in the world.
Kennecott Copper Mine from a distance.
Summer 2016, Day 8
Summer may be hot, but the water is cold.
Summer 2016, Day 7
Came home to a driveway of chalk pastel drawings. The kids have been busy.
Anonymous kid art on the driveway.
Summer 2016, Day 6
Getting them out of the sandbox was like pulling teeth. Glad they like playing there.
Sandbox aftermath.
Summer 2016, Day 5
Our peach and nectarine trees are overloaded with fruit. Time to thin them. Thankfully, Marathon Girl is helping.
Marathon Girl hiding in the nectarine tree.
Summer 2016, Day 4
In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place, and in the sky,
The larks, still bravely singing, fly,
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead; short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe!
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high!
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
-- John McCrae
Summer 2016, Day 3
Summer storm blew in today and cooled everyone off. Here's to puddles and the clean, fresh smell that accompanies these storms.
Storm drain during a storm.
Summer 2016 Day 2
The weather has finally warmed up. #Summer2016
Sprinkler fun.
Visiting the Spiral Jetty
The summer after Marathon Girl and I were married, we took a trip to the north end of the Great Salt Lake to visit Robert Smithson's earthwork Spiral Jetty. At the time, the Spiral Jetty was something most people didn't know about or had no clue how to get there. We drove out and spent an hour walking on salt encrusted rocks amid pink waters and enjoying the silence. Since it had been about 14 years since we went out, we thought it would make a fun day trip to take the kids out to see it.
I knew before we left that the Great Salt Lake was near record low levels but seeing just how low it was really surprised me. As you can see below, the water is at least a half mile from the jetty.
The dry lake bed didn't deter the kids from running out there and walking on the black basalt rocks that the Spiral Jetty is made from.
Apparently the cool thing to do is to write your name on the packed sand between the rocks. As you can see, one of the kids decided to use a pseudonym. He's always been a bit of a joker.
After that the kids wanted to hike out to the lake. About a third of the way to the water, the bottom of the lake bed turned from mud to rock hard salt.
Near the lake we spotted a glove on a pool waving to the water.
Once we reached the shoreline, the kids had to play in the one small section of mud. Kids will be kids, I guess.
Aside from some minor sunburns, the trip was a success and the kids had a good time.
My favorite part about going out there, however, is how quiet it is. Just the desert, the lake, and the Spiral Jetty. No cell phone service, paved roads, lights or any other sign of civilization. You can sit on the rocks overlooking the area and think. Think without distractions. A place like that is difficult to find today.