Scofield

We just got back from spending a full week at the Scofield Cabin.  Thanks to Ron and Judy for inviting us.  We left on Tuesday and came back the following Monday morning.  Neal had a tooth extracted that morning but felt fine to go to Scofield.  The weather in the mountains is always about 10 or 15 degrees cooler and the nights are almost always in the upper 40's.  We just love it.  The first evening we were there, Judy and I wandered down by the lake and I noticed a Hummingbird feeder and the Hummingbirds were all over it.  I walked over and literally could almost reach out and touch the tiny little things.  I was mesmerized by them.  They are so beautiful and so delicate.  I was standing inches away from them.  I thought they were going to land on me!

Judy was sitting on the bench trying to make a phone call.  Sometimes we can get service down by the lake but it is a rare thing.  We usually have to walk up the hill for service.  Ron and Judy are thinking about getting the internet at their cabin.  

Wednesday Neal and Ron went golfing and Friday Judy and I joined them.  Thursday was the 24th and the course was filled that day.  Judy and I always have such a fun time golfing together.  We certainly don't take the game seriously.  We spend most of our time talking and laughing.  

We had lots and lots of good meals.  Judy LOVES to cook and so we are never lacking in good things to eat.  

On the 24th we stayed at the cabin and the men did some projects outside and Judy and I did some inside.  I had to take some fun pictures of Neal and Ron putting up the siding on the work shed and they also put in some trim around the patio.  We did offer them a little assistance - very little.

This is the gorgeous sunset on Thursday evening.

There always has to be some fun adventure on any trip I go on and this trip to Scofield was no exception.  Sunday morning the four of us went to sacrament meeting.  Ron had taken some garbage to the dump on Saturday and noticed a bench that he thought could be fixed up.  He told us about it and we all just laughed about him dumpster diving.  On the way home from church he pulled in to the dumping place to take a look at the bench again.  Here is a picture of Neal and Ron checking out the bench.  You can see the top of the white bench just barely sticking out of the dumpster.

Ron was really considering the possibility of digging it out.  Judy, of course, was totally against it and we were all kind of laughing about it.  Monday morning Judy came to me and said she thought she might have a UTI infection.  I told her they were not to be messed around with and that she and I should drive to Price to the Insta-care and get her checked out and on antibiotics.  We left about 9:30.  Ron and Neal decided to stay at the cabin.  Ron had a couple little projects and Neal wanted to read.  Judy and I drove into Price.  Got her check out and back to Scofield.  All within a couple of hours.  When we pulled into the cabin this is what met us:

The minute Judy and I took off to Price, Ron got a friend who was at their cabin and had a truck and they drove to the dumpster and dug this bench out and brought it back to the cabin!  Judy nearly died!!  Ron was obviously determined to get this bench, sand it down, secure it in a couple places and paint it.  The issue then became how to get it home.  He had just bought an extension platform that fit on the back of his SUV.  Tuesday morning found Ron and Neal out trying to get this bench secured on the back of his car.

I couldn't help but think of Chevy Chase in National Lampoon's Vacation.  I told Judy that if we didn't behave ourselves Ron and Neal might put us on the bench and make us ride home sitting on that stupid bench.  Of course all kinds of pictures exploded in our minds of riding back there and waving at people on the freeway and causing accidents as people were trying to take pictures, etc.  So, of course, we had to play the part.

Seriously, would that not have been the funniest thing ever to see a car going down the highway with two women strapped on the back sitting on an old beat up bench?!!!  Yes, many laughs were created.  

All in all it was a delightful and fun filled vacation with two wonderful friends.  

Jam Day

 Neal and I went to Costco this morning to buy food for our trip to Scofield next week and saw that they had cases of strawberries and raspberries.  So we bought some of both and he and I spent the afternoon doing jam.  We ended up with 75 pints of jam!!  Took us about 3 1/2 hours and $300.00.  We did discuss the fact that it is probably cheaper to buy commercial jam, but it isn't even close to being as good as "Gam's Jam".  So the time and money are worth it.  This year I'm not going to take the jam to the kids.  If they want some they know where it is and they can certainly have all they want - within reason.  It will just be in our freezer and if they come and want to take a few bottles home they can.  SAVE YOUR BOTTLES!!    I had to go buy more bottles again this year and they can get expensive.  I still want to do some peach jam when the peaches come out in the fall.  

This old funnel of my mother's is a prized possession.  I hope Annie or one of her girls will want it some day.  Can't believe how many times I pull this battered funnel out of the drawer to use it and it always takes me back to such great memories of bottling all kinds of fruit with mother and Lila Mae.

I think I'm finally all caught up on the blog.  Sure hope you and yours are all having a fabulous summer!

July 17th

 Thirty-five years and still going strong.  It is hard to believe that we've been married that long.  It has certainly been a journey.  Lots of ups and downs but I suppose that goes with every marriage and especially with a combined family.  But, we've made it this far and I don't see that anything could possibly separate us now except . . . . well, I won't say the word.  We did our usual.  Went to Market Street Grill for dinner.  Ron and Judy joined us and then after we came back to the house to play bridge until about 10:00.  It was a fun day.  We enjoy being together and also enjoy our good friends.

Two 80 year olds enjoying good health and a good life together.  I think we both are looking mighty fine!

Sprout in the Middle!

 I'm working on a project and Sprout seems to think that he has to nestle right in the middle of what I'm working on.  I can't move it!  He looked so cute and so comfortable that I had to wait for him to move.  

He was very contented to stay right where he was and wasn't at all concerned about my not being able to sew.  Ah, the life of Sprout.  He definitely is in charge of this household!!

Maxfield Bear Lake Week

 Every year around the 17th of July is the Maxfield Bear Lake Week at Sweetwater.  Years and years ago the Maxfields traded candy for two time shares at Sweetwater.  In those days two shares seemed plenty big for the family.  They didn't think about generations down the line and how big the family would increase over the years.  Now most of the bigger families like Natalie, Nita, and Nanette and even Norm rent cabins on the lake and then come over to Sweetwater or to the beach during the day.  The time share goes from Friday to Friday.  This year, Neal and I drove up Friday and played golf for the afternoon.  We finished the round about 4:30 when it was time to check in.

Bear Lake is beautiful but I'm like Annie when it comes to a vacation spot.  Not so much interested in the lake as being up in the mountains surrounded by Pine trees and Quacking Aspen.  This picture is off one of the holes at the golf course.  

That evening we played a new game that Norm taught us called Bomb The Deck.  I thought it was great fun but I'm not sure Neal was totally sold on it.  I would love to play it with the family and see what their thoughts are.  These are the rules - sorta of :-)

Saturday found me, Neal and Norm on the golf course again.  We just did 9 both days.  I'm just not much for 18 holes anymore.  This is Norm and Neal hitting a few balls before we started to play.

That evening we sat around the table with Nanette and Nila just chatting about family and kids.  Always a lot to talk about when it comes to families.

Norm joined us a bit later so had to snap a picture of the four of them.

That evening Norm inited us to join James, McKinsey for a steak dinner.  Norm brought the steaks and James went out and grilled them.  They were delicious.

Neal and Norm walking back to the condo with baby Annie in Norms arms.  

Sunday Neal and I and most of the family drove over to sacrament meeting.  After the meeting Neal wanted to drive by the old cabin, which we did.  I have no nostalgia for that cabin and don't care if I ever see it again.  But it holds lots of memories for Neal.  Sunday evening all the Maxfields gathered out on the lawn for a family dinner.  There were about 55 people who came.  It was a nice evening.

Monday morning Jeff drove up to Bear Lake and joined in the golf tournament.  Nila, Neal, Jeff and I were a foursome.

We had three groups of four.  This was a picture of two of the groups.  The third group had not finished the round when I took this picture.  From left to right:  Thomas (Ned's son), Ned, Taylor (Ned's son), Nila, Norm, Jeffrey and Neal.  I was taking the picture.

Jeff and Neal stayed and played another round.  Jeff brought Neal home after.  I headed home after the first nine.  As I was coming out of the canyon I got a call from Abby asking if she could drop by and bring lunch.  She was bringing one more puppy to a young man in Pleasant Grove.  I was thrilled to be able to see her and play with the new little puppy.  For some reason Sprout wasn't fond of the puppy and didn't want to have anything to do with him.  That was kind of sad and disappointing.  

So much fun to see Abby and visit for a few minutes and see the puppy brought from California to be raised as a guide dog.  What an amazing program Abby is involved in.  

Retirement

 Nice to be retired and do what we want each day.  Of course things come up that we have to do but generally speaking we just come and go as we please.  Someone gave Neal a couple huge zucchinis so I chopped one up and made zucchini bread.  Not my favorite.  Much prefer banana bread but zucchini bread once in a long while is okay.  I had enough zucchini left over to slice and dip in egg and soda cracker crumbs and then fry them.  They are delicious that way.  I'm not a huge zucchini fan but don't mine the bread and the fried ones once in a while.

When Neal and I went out on the patio to eat our dinner this is what our sky looked like.  It was breath taking in person.  The photo just doesn't do it justice.  Trust me, it was absolutely gorgeous.

Special Gift

 It was a sad day when news came that David Johnson, Susan's son,  had passed away.   Lynda and I wanted to do something special for her in memory of David.  While we were at the viewing we saw a poem on display that David had written to Susan on Mother's Day.  We decided we wanted to somehow incorporate that poem in a memory gift for Susan.  Annie came up with a planter and the label to go on it.  Neal and I bought the rose bush and the flowers to go around it.  We were able to take it up to her and put it on her front porch.  She will see it every evening when she comes home from work and every morning as she leaves for work.  Hopefully it will bring back good memories and the love she has for David.

This is the plaque that Annie made that goes on the front of the planter.

Susan's front porch.

All set up on the front porch.  We also gave her a watering can so she can water it every day.  It was Annie's idea to do a planter on legs so that Susan could easily take care of it.

Hauling it up in the back of my car.  We had to put it in on a slant.  Actually worked out perfectly.

Made it to Midway safe and sound and all in one piece and didn't lose any dirt out of it, just a few rose pedals.