Danger Cave!!

We've known about this cave for years. It's always been closed to the public except for private tours.  Yesterday, we made that happen!

The entrance to the cave.

Listenening intently to our archeologist guide Ron giving instructions.

Wendover range ins underrated.

Proof that we are in the right spot.

Our guide Ron in the denim shirt.

Looking south toward I-80.

Trailhead parking below.

Here it is!

Getting ready to go inside.

Part 2 tomorrow...

Cinco de Mayo feast.

I made homemade rice, refried beans, and carne asada for the event Friday evening.  Delicious!

Like going out but not having to deal with the pain-assery!

 

On the bench.

The 1/72 scale Airfix B-17G!  I'm going to paint it up in "Texas Raiders" livery in a tribute to losing her in the midair crash back in November.

In the past, Airfix was kind of a joke, lots of inaccuracies, mold flash, poor fit, etc.  Not anymore!  This is a new tool and the fit/finish is superb!

Cleaning up a bit at the cemetery.

Skyler and I stopped by the cemetery to edge around the concrete base at Grandma's headstone and blow it off yesterday after school.  The M18 Milwaukee edger and blower are much easier to transport and handle than my old 2 stroke gas ones were.

I ran the edger and he ran the blower.  It's really greening up and looking good!

Pre-birthday burger.

He requested a hamburger for dinner Saturday night.  "Can I have a double, with cheese?"  1/2 pound burger it is!

I remember being able to eat like that.

 

This is twelve.

Happy Birthday Skyler!!

Taken yesterday.  We're watching the girls' dogs this weekend.

12 years ago an hour after he was born.

Remember last week when that giant rocket lifted off?

The pad definitely remembers!

Should've waited for a flame deflector.

 

Someone at Murray City remembers 1983!

We visited Murray Park yesterday afternoon and it was a real blast from the past for me.  They are preparing for flooding by removing bridges over Little Cottonwood Creek!  I remember my Mom taking us to the park to see the extensive flooding in 1983.  The next month here will be interesting.  Stay tuned for updates.

This all backed up in 1983 due to the low bridge past the removed bridge.

8 bolts and a crane and the bridge is temporarily resting over there.  Let's hope it doesn't float away.

Our annual trip to J&J greenhouses and nursery.

It was a much needed visit not only to get some plants, but to experience blooms and greenery!

Holding his precious!  

He got a new lemon tree and a new lime tree since the last lemon tree got spider mites and died.

Marigolds.

Superbloom!

 

OH MY GOD!!!!

Smart dog!

She got to lick the creamed eggs and ham (thanks Easter dinner) on Saturday morning.  She was chasing the pan all over the floor and finally put her left paw in it to hold it still.

At nearly 15(!) years old, I'm to the point of letting her get away with nearly anything.

Hellooo??

We spotted this peacock resting against a south facing wall at Wheeler Farm yesterday.  I sneaked over and slid my phone out to get his picture.

He wasn't too upset when he spotted my phone.

WOO HOO!!!!

 

EA-18G Growler Cockpit View.

You might want headphones to listen, but this is an incredible video of Navy carrier ops!

"Over there, over there!"

Skyler is learning about WWI in school and Grandpa provided him with WWI records, record player, and helmet to share with his class.  Here he is walking out from school last night!

If only he had a green coat instead of tan!

Goofball!

He got a new Kiwi Co. STEM project in the mail yesterday.  The project was to build an air pump so one could inflate balloons.

He remembered how to build a balloon hat from watching Grandpa years ago.

Union Pacific's Sierra Snow Fighters on The Weather Channel

Continuing the traditon.

I home brined another corned beef for St. Paddy's Day this year.

Treadmill!!

We got all 250 pounds down the stairs and setup last night.  It took all 3 of us on the stairs but the rest was surprisingly easy.

Of course he had to try it out and explore all the buttons and features.

Meal, Ready to Eat.

Or M.R.E.  We celebrated the Oscars last night with champagne, steak bites, polish sausage bites and shrimp cocktail.  Skyler celebrated by trying out an MRE for dinner.  He was fascinated!  

BBQ beef and black beans on two tortillas.  The green lemon lime drink was a favorite.  He said the chocolate chip cookies was rather "wheaty".

New bike!

I happened to see that Amazon was running a sale on a Fat Bike last Friday.  It was less than 1/3 the original price so Mommy said to order it.  The bike arrived Tuesday and I assembled it and swapped out the stock tires.  What a great deal!  

He rode it down to surprise Grandpa last night after school.  

Hopefully this will last him a while before he out grows it.

Back online!

The local idiot bridge crew took out our internet Friday morning.  After several frustrating days, it was back online yesterday afternoon.  Poor Skyler, he was nearly beside himself the entire time!

We made it.

It's March!

Rain chaincicle?

It was a frozen column on Friday when we got home from school!

You can also see the new outdoor lights I installed last week.  

So deep he has to wear snowshoes to feed the birds!

He was a real trooper yesterday when I asked him to go out and fill the bird feeders.  

 

Snow day number 2!

We're at home doing virtual learning yet again today.  Over 20" of snow fell here yesterday and the school said they haven't been able to plow out their parking lots.

I pushed up some huge piles with the tractor yesterday.

Snow Day!

School is online today and I'm already having flashbacks to when he was online the entire 4th grade school year.  Nothing like fighting to get homework done! 

Skyler on T.V.!

He was invited to the Ninja gym to be featured on the local morning show yesterday.

Waiting to be on.

Mommy took the photo while they were live.

Everyone posed for a photo when it wrapped up.

Links to each live segment here.

What a PITA game!

Since Skyler is in the after school "board game club" again, he gets to take select games home and learn how to play them so he can show the other kids how to play.  He chose "Risk" this week and it is rather difficult to learn to say the least! 

Note the instructions and phone used for reference.  I still don't quite understand the rules.

(Photo taken so Skyler wouldn't cheat while we paused last night.)

A different kind of bouqet.

Altair made a charcuterie bouquet for me for Valentine's Day! 

Delicious!

Weekend walk.

Birds, boat ramps, and a new view. 

Kingfisher.  

Skyler hopefully got a telephoto pic of it using his film camera.

The new boat ramp that I didn't know we needed.

Looking west from atop the Sharon Steel tailings pile now home to the Zions Bank building.

Sleepy dog.

At nearly 15(!) years old, Maizey dog mostly sleeps all of the time these days.  Lucky pup, I wish I could sleep all day some days.

Dying!!!

Homemade Sushi night.

Skyler got a new kids cookbook for Christmas and one of the recipes was for avocado cucumber rolls.  We had extra avocados and a cucumber so why not?

Skyler would only eat the Spam Musubi, he wouldn't touch the delicious avocado rolls.

 

Buh bye balloon!

F-22 to the rescue!

Boom!

The end of an era.

The final Boeing 747 took to the skies yesterday after delivery to Atlas Air.

"Queen of the sky".

 

20 years ago today we lost Colombia.

It was a Saturday.  We were on our way from our new apartment to my Parents' house to do laundry when we heard the news on the radio.  Godspeed Columbia.