Yay, progress?!

One of the last little pieces of rural goodness is slated for development.  13 acres of pasture will end up as another slice of suburbia soon.

What a view!

Skyler appleseed.

He planted apple seeds in pots 3 or 4 years ago.  We planted the 2 trees that made it Sunday afternoon.  He was SO excited to plant a tree!

Giving it a drink after planting.  

There's supposed to be a red apple tree and a green one.  Guess we'll find out which one is which!

 

Good advice.

Thinking of my Sister and her tough week(s).

 

Got popcorn?

Skyler does!

We have new non-microwave popcorn. It is cooked on the stove and makes a ton!

Mother's Day 2023.

Here's to the two best Moms I know.  The world is a better place because of their dedication to their kids.

2007.  We're at Lauritzen Gardens in Omaha.  I remember it like it was yesterday.

Sourdough!

Altair mastered the art of making a sourdough starter and baking a delicious homemade loaf of bread last month.  It's a weeks long process to make the starter and at times, it smelled like ass so bad that I thought it was rotten!

Worth the wait!  SO good!

 

Let's try an adladl and have lunch.

We finished up our afternoon of archeology by trying to throw Ron's "adladl", a primitive throwing spear used to hunt animals.  After that, it was off to "Salt Flats Cafe" for lunch.

Ron showing Skyler how to load the adladl.

Altair kicking ass as always.

My plate, carne asada.  I finished it all.

Hamburger boy had the cheeseburger.  He too finished his plate.

Mommy had the cheese enchilada plate.  She couldn't quite finish.

Pro tip, if you go to the cafe, they only take cash.  It was also extremely affordable, we got our moneys worth.

Jukebox Cave!

This must have been something to see on a Saturday night in 1943!  The B-29 and B-24 crews would hold dances complete with lights, music, local girls, and adult beverages!  The C.O. of the base commissioned some enlisted men to haul concrete up the ridiculously steep trail and pour a concrete dance floor inside the cave!

The old road up to the mouth of the cave.  I'm not sure an old Willey's Jeep could make it up!

View from the top.

Looking down to the dance floor.

Pictographs.

More.

Our guide Ron used a transit to map the cave and he said the floor was flat to within one half of an inch!

Skyler on the dace floor.  Masks were for the dust, it was bad.

More pictographs.

Not many could fit on the dance floor but it probably didn't matter during WWII.  What a morale booster!

The Bonneville Salt Flats had a fresh layer of pure white salt thanks to the massive winter precipitation.

Some dipshit from Wendover used a scissor jack back in 2003 to bend the bars and break in to graffiti the cave.  They caught him and he had to pay a $30 fine.  Unbelievable!

Last part coming in hot tomorrow, the "Salt Flats Cafe" for lunch. Quit possibly one of the best Mexican food joints I've ever had.

Danger Cave part 2.

12,000 year old artifacts inside!

Not very big.

Active dig site.

Another.

Our guide Ron telling Skyler not to volunteer if one has a spear in their hand.

Sign out front as we left.

 Part 3 tomorrow, Jukebox cave.  The Army Air Corps men from nearby Wendover Airfield build a dance floor inside the cave!

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.