G Mountain Photographer

Catching UP!

Sorry I haven't updated this blog page. It's August and that means:

• Surviving the summer heat is a top priority. My office is located in the basement of the Joseph F. Smith Building on campus. I'm fortunate to park in an underground parking lot right where I work. If I'm delayed or come in an hour or two later, than chances are that I won't find any available parking stalls and so I have to hunt for one somewhere else. But, the benefit of parking underground is that my car won't get toasted out in the hot sunny weather when I leave for home. Also, working in the basement, you don't get to experience the weather, it's perfect here, a pleasant 72 degrees, no matter if it's summer or winter. If we peak our heads out like ground squirrls or gophers, then we get to see what the weather is like. The temperature has backed down to the high 90s and it still toast the lawn.


• Last week was the last of school for the summer so it was graduation week and the campus was abuzz with all kinds of visitors. Seemed like a great time to come to campus. We also met one of our long time British friends who are on holiday here, the Redpaths. Wow, how time as past. We also attended the wedding reception of another friend and acquaintance that we knew at Chicksands, the Kirkhams. While at the reception, we ran into another family that we knew while at Vandenberg, the Daniels Family. My oh my, how time has passed.


• We had a little gathering at our home with the Redpaths, Kirkhams, and Lawsons (Tom tomato!). It was a fun visit catching up and remembering our British friends.


• On Monday, our daughter Erin (Miss Aloha Spirit), Mark, and boys arrived from paradise to live with us until they get things going on their own. It's always great to have any of our children and their families come to be with us.


• On Tuesday evening after my meetings and appointments at church, I came home and took the grocery list to go shopping. To my horror, many families with school kids were also shopping to get the school supplies for their children. Anyway, I picked up the few items on the list and stood in the long line. The checker put the items in the sack and I went straight home. In once sack was a bag of animal cookies for my grandson George to take to school as part of his school supplies. He also needed a box of tissues which I put on the same sack. From the looks of things, the sack had only those two items. Later the next day, I get a call from Jo asking me where was the bottle of Tylenol that I had picked up for her. We couldn't locate them so we assumed that the checker at Wal-Mart forgot to give them to me. Well when Erin went to pick up George from school, his teacher asked her if she was to give George a tylenol pill at school? We were relieved that the teacher did inquire with Erin, and found out that it was a mistake. It could have been real serious, so lesson learned, check your grocery sacks.


• While school has begun for the kids in happy valley, so has Campus Education Week been going on here on campus. It's a madhouse, busy campus, long lines at the cougareat, and the bookstore, parking is nonexistent, and just a busy time here. We're glad its only one week out of the year. Even the first week of school isn't as crazy.


• My squarefoot garden is producing very well and keeping me busy. I'm working on ressurecting the great lawn area, and have to follow the city's strict watering policy, no watering on Sunday and Wednesdays. They are intent on issuing citations, that's how serious the drought has affected the area.

So this is the hot hot August month. As for our time to reflect, we've been getting used to having our children and grandchildren in our home again. This summer has been great with the visits of each of our daughters and their families. Well, we hope you all are having fun.