It's Harvest Time !

This time of season is supposed to be joyful, but to tell you the truth, for Jo and I, it means a lot of work. For Ipo, it's a time of great joy and excitement. For the past month or more, she has steadily been checking the apples, actually sampling them when it suits her. Jo has taken great care in removing those that bugs have gotten to or birds have eaten. Either way, its sort of pruning out the crop to get a better crop.



Letting the dog out to do her business has always been a challenge since she doesn't always come back in the house after a reasonable amount of time. There is too much temptation with those juicy golden delicious apples, just within her reach. Ipo has learned how to stand on her hind legs to reach up to pick the apples with her mouth. Anywhere else but here, she could be classified as a worker dog.

Today, Jo went out to check and see if the apples are ready as far as sweetness. The cooler weather we received has help to change their taste and make them much better. Well, our inspector dog already knew that.

Ipo was excited to see Jo and I out there with her, as she picked up on the easy ones that just fell off the tree.




Jo and Ipo picking apples

















Jo sorting the good ones from the bad ones
















Ipo being tempted with an apple!















Picture of Y Mountian














Jo and Ipo

Fall Colors or late September

We've lived at the base of Mount Timpanogos for more than a dozen years. As the seasons change, so does the view of the mountain. A few times we've gone up into the canyon and up the Alpine Loop, but for the past several years, we say we would go for a ride but end up never going.

On conference weekend, after the first general session on Saturday, we made up our mind to take a trip by going through American Fork Canyon to the Alpine Loop. It was a beautiful day, sun and sky was just great.

Jo packed a picnic lunch and off we went. As we drove up the canyon, the toll booth was closed, with a sign saying to have a good day and a number to call in case of emergencies. I guess everyone in the valley had the same thing on their mind because the traffic was horrendous. We made our way up the switch back road, stopping where we could safely pull off and there was a place to park. I got out of the car to take a few pictures along with the throngs of photographers doing the same thing.


The leaves on the trees were already turning color and it was a sight to see. Everyone on the road seemed to be enjoying the sights and also driving slowly so as not to get into an accident or drive off the mountain side.







Where we could stop to take a pictures, other were already there, so we had to wait to find a safe parking spot. We found several cars parked with picnic blankets out on the hill side but the car stereo loudly broadcasting the session of General Conference. That seemed to be a great way to enjoy the majesty of Gods creation that Saturday Afternoon.


There were great views and even greater ones if you pulled off the road and hiked in a hundred yards or so to get some even greater sights.












We certainly enjoyed the colors and the cool mountain air. Of course, we enjoyed the picnic lunch and I had fun with my new digital camera. I hope you like the pictures. I would have loaded more photos on the blog except the photo files were too large to upload. I've been working on the files to make them smaller to upload.

I'm really enjoying my birthday present and learning how to work the camera better. Its a Nikon D80 with a 18-135 AF-S Nikon Zoom lense.

Anyway, if you don't get to see great color changes of the season, you sure missed a good one this time from here along the Alpine Loop. We hope you like the pictures.