Opinion Poll: Which do you like? With or without.

Temples of the Lord

The St. George Temple is just as beautiful, just as picturesque, and just as inviting as any Temple in the world.




































Just a few looks at how pure and simple the construction is.
We hope that all of our family will enjoy its blessings.
GGma and GGpa

Snow Canyon Walks -
Almost every day - Camera Impressions
This is an example of the type of pictures we take almost every day.
When the sun is just rising over the sandstone cliffs to the east, the shadows on the sand are so beautiful!!!

Zion is a wonderland!!

Zion in snow can be just as pretty as fall or summer.
This is a favorite photo spot in the park.













Then you can go to the top of Zion and here's what you get.
The pic is from the mid 70s at Angel's Landing.












This is the Virgin River in Zion in the fall.















Tune in next week for more of SW Utah.
Love GGpa

Now that Oregon has been thoroughly examined, let's move on to more erudite subjects.
Scot and I have discussed my putting some of my acquired "wisdom" gotten from the school
of hard knocks. These sayings may sound simple at first, but if you will think beneath the surface it should give you something to put to use in your daily lives

Don't get into the thick of thin things.

Don't sweat the small stuff.

These two statements are very similar, but not alike. Think about them.

I don't take credit for the next group of ideas. They were coined by Andy Rooney, a man who has the gift of saying so much with so few words. He said.........

I’ve learned....
That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.

I’ve learned....
That when you’re in love, it shows.

I’ve learned....
That just one person saying to me, “You’ve made my day!” makes my day.

I’ve learned....
That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.

I’ve learned....
That being kind is more important than being right.

I’ve learned....
That you should never say no to a gift from a child.

I’ve learned....
That I can always pray for someone when I don’t have the strength to help him in some other way.

I’ve learned....
That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.

I’ve learned....
That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.

I’ve learned....
That simple walks with my father around the block when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.

I’ve learned....
That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end,the faster it goes.

I’ve learned....
That we should be glad God doesn’t give us everything we ask for.

I’ve learned....
That money doesn’t buy class.

I’ve learned....
That it’s those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.

I’ve learned...
That under everyone’s hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.

I’ve learned....
That the Lord didn’t do it all in one day. What makes me think I can?

I’ve learned....
That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.

I’ve learned....
That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.

I’ve learned....
That love, not time, heals all wounds.

I’ve learned....
That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.

I’ve learned....
That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.

I’ve learned....
That there’s nothing sweeter than sleeping with your babies and feeling their breath on your cheeks.

I’ve learned.... That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.

I’ve learned....
That life is tough, but I’m tougher.

I’ve learned....
That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.

And now I'd like to add one more to the above.

I've learned...
That I have a lot to learn.

Love from GGPa.

OREGON PIX INSTALLMENT 2
These are pix showing fun things we did, rather than scenics and macros.


I guess this would qualify as a fun thing. We were in Nehalem 14 days which is 27 miles from Tillamook. We drove to Tillamook 4 times in that 2 weeks, mostly to get an ice cream cone.



We did this a lot! Sitting by the campfire til all hours of the nite.

This is in Oswald West State Park. It's only about a mile from the parking to get down to the beach with lots of greenery, streams and then the ocean beach with large driftwood logs.


This is Manzanita Golf Course, made by hand by a father and son. It has bent grass greens and rye grass fairways. This gives plush lies and smooth putting. Not to mention gorgeous scenes.So, this was our home for all but the last 2 days in Bandon. Mom decided we would look into a yurt just to try it.
Here's the outside "elevation".
Here's the inside. A 16 ft. circular room, made of wooden beams and canvas walls. A regular camp space costs $20 per nite, a yurt is $27. No plumbing, no food, no pets, just sleeping.
We like it just in case of storms. It has a heater but no A/C.


This is one of my macros of one of the weirdest flowers I've seen.
Here I am, taking closeups of tidepools.
More to come in the next post. I'm getting good at this so hold onto your hats.
Love, GGpa

COMMENTS ON THE SLIDE SHOW
These are some of our favorites from the trip.(obviously)
Even these cannot convey the myriad of experiences we
had in those 4 weeks in Oregon. In a few days we will
have another 50 slides ready and publish them as well.
We hope you can vicariously enjoy the fun we had.
Love, GGma and GGpa

Oregon Slide Show (WOW)

Our Oregon Trip

THE OREGON COAST IS A WONDER TO BEHOLD!!! MAYBE THIS BLOG WILL MOTIVATE YOU TO PUT IT ON YOUR BUCKET LIST TO SPEND SOME TIME THERE.


This was how we were greeted into the coast of OR the very first day. It was late afternoon and stormy. So you can see how low light photos can still be beautiful. (Don't get me started on photography) We were fascinated and stayed for hours. Dad took 4,800 pix on our trip.
This crab was on the same beach as the above pic. Dad picked him up and put him
onto this coral rock, so it is a posed photo.


This is just one of dozens of beaches you will encounter if you make the trip from
point A to point B. Point A is Astoria, which is the northernmost town just below
the Washington border. Point B is Brookings, which is at the southern border of
Oregon, just above Crescent City, California.



This is what we visualize it would be like if you could go to the beach on the moon.


This picture is for Vay. For those of you who aren't aware, she is an absolute nut
for antiques, eclectic items or situations, olde tyme articles and just everything
which incorporates artistic flair or design. You should ask her to see some of her work.


The first place we camped was along this beach at Nehalem Bay State Park.
The campground is hidden among all the pines and just behind a long sand dune.
Here we also discovered the quaint little metropolis of Manzanita, Oregon.
It had curious little shops, a cool golf course and the beach was just a few yards from town.
The beach is 7 miles long so you can wear yourself out.

Now, this is mysterious!!! A small pic doesn't do it justice, but when you see
this kind of scene first hand, you are mesmerized!
This boat is a historical monument. It's called the Mary D. Hume, and in its day
It has taken passengers to the South Pole, helped in transporting troops in WWII,
and had survived horrendous storms in all the oceans. Ironically, when it had
returned to its home port of Gold Beach, OR, a freak storm came up and did it in!

At Nehalem camp, every evening these deer would nonchalantly browse thru
the place, obviously oblivious to us campers, just happy to be having a meal.


There are nearly a dozen lighthouses on the Oregon coast, and we have pics
of most of them. This one is called Heceta Head and is the most picturesque.
We had climbed up to this one on a previous trip, but not this time.

Hope this blog whets all of your appetites and that you will await with bated breath
for the next installment of our adventurous summer of 2009. Until then........