Bowling

After our dinner at Willow Glenn with all the deans and department heads of SUU, Trisha and I stopped by Alpine Bowl in Cedar City to check on Booty and Laurie. They were bowling with Cardine, and we captured a few shots.

The whole experience made Bubby think about the good old days of bowling with Martinez and Elaine Yssel and having our own bowling balls with their names on them. I hope we won't have to go back and do the bowling thing again.

I tried to make a movie of Booty big swinging hook ball, but he was expecting a flash form the camera, which never happened. The resulting movie is short, but typical of an embarrassed Booty.

These are for Jake and Beanie

I know that at least Bean has been waiting to see if we were successful on our first trip with Matt, who arrived on Tuesday afternoon ready to have some fun. As you can see, we caught a few pretty nice fish.



Laurie decided to stay home with Big K at the last minute, so Bubby cheerfully offerd to take the middle seat in the boat. We had a beautiful evening on the water. Everybody caught a couple of nice fish, and of course lots of little ones

It would sure be fun to have a big enough boat to take everyone at once, but then we couldn't get to the places where we need to be.

Buboppy

Fishing Fun

The faithful readers of this blog probably get tired of the fishing photos, but alas they tell the story of what we are doing. Bubby and I went out on Monday night, August 13th. We had fun, of course, and I never cease to be amazed at the sheer numbers of fish we catch at Newcastle.

This was the biggest sunfish I have caught at Newcastle, so I had to include him. He was really stout, but unfortunately, fought like a sunfish.

Of course Bubby caught her share, including this rather nice smallie. We had a great time, enjoying the cool of the evening on the water and being together.

I had offered to take Uncle Phil on an outing earlier this summer, but we had to cancel because of the weather. Last night, August 20th, we finally got together and took the boat to Newcastle. Uncle Phil had a ball. This was a great experience, and we were both reminded of the axiom, "there is no such thing as a small smallmouth". Uncle Phil caught plenty, and could be heard chuckling as he reeled them in, and they went crazy at the boat.

We did land this one decent fish. Uncle had one on that was at least equal to this one, but he broke off in a strong, last minute run. We didn't get a photo. but that gives us a reason to go back.

I included this photo for Jake. UP caught a wiper, so as not to be outdone by Jake. He wasn't very big, but one of three we caught that night.

All things considered, it was another great outing. UP says he would love to do it again sometime, so we will squeeze it in before winter. Maybe we can do Sand Hollow next time. While we were fishing, Aunt Karen and Bubby went to the movies and dinner. That sounds like a win-win situation to me.

Buboppy

Andrew Comes to Visit

Sarah and family had planned a weekend visit to Cedar City on August 17th, so Bubby called Rosalyn and invited her to bring Mr. Andrew for the weekend. Rosalyn graciously consented, and the stage was set for a cousin's reunion in our backyard. Bubby had fun the few minutes Andrew was willing to sit still and swing with her.

Of course Andrew learned about dueling with light sabers during a recent visit to St. George, and he latched on to one as soon as he arrived. Miss Lydia has also watched lots of this, and she and Andrew squared off in the backyard.

All of the grandchildren, except Katie, mounted and were thrown by Bubby's hammock, but we were able to catch this leisure shot prior to the tears and general unhappiness.

We decided to turn the sprinkler on in the backyard and let the kids have some fun. In this photo, cousins Andrew and Katie are preparing for a run through the water. They had so much fun playing together.

I couldn't pass up the opportunity to include this shot. Rosalyn might argue, but that boy has an Eves physique. Long of trunk, powerful legs, he looks about like his dad at that age.

Of course, while the kids were in their swim suits, we dragged out some Big Sticks. I didn't open one, and neither did Sarah, both of us expecting to have some clean up work to do. However, as you can see from this photo, Lydia didn't give anybody else a chance and she consumed her entire frozen treat.

We all went to the Cow to sample the ice cream and have a cold drink. Here is a caged Andrew and his mom. He enjoyed the crushed ice as much as the ice cream, and we had a wild time trying to keep him controlled.

On Saturday morning, before our trip to the Main Street Cafe (good hashed browns), the toothbrush twins put on a dental hygiene display that was photo worthy. They mainly like to suck the toothpaste off of the brush, and then drop the brush wherever they might be.

This was a funny experience. Bubb had some goldfish, and she offered them first to Lydia. Instead of taking one in her fingers and popping it into her mouth, Lydia bent over and ate directly from Bubby's hand. Of course Andrew could not be outdone, so photographed above is Bubb feeding her puppy.

Sarah and family had to return to St. George in the late morning, so we hung out with Rosalyn and Andrew. Andrew helped Poppy pick some beans in the garden, we had a BBQ, and Bubby and Rosalyn went fabric shopping at Hurst's. On Sunday morning, Rosalyn, Andrew, and Bubby attended the Cedar City University 7th Ward, where Poppy was visiting. Andrew was able to turn off the lights part way through sacrament meeting, and we came to understand how Rosalyn stays so svelte. Wrestling a strong toddler not only wears one out, it helps keep one very fit. Andrew did not have a great sacrament meeting, but he was there, which is the important thing. It was great to have Rosalyn and Andrew visit, and we hope they had a good time. Rosalyn had to rent a car to come, and we appreciate her willingness to do it.

Buboppy

Jake's First School Day 2007-08

We continue to struggle with our home internet service. However, our faithful readers want updates, so I am writing this from work. Hopefully our new DSL modem will arrive today or tomorrow and we can get our home office back up and running.

This entry is all about the last few days of freedom before the 2007-08 academic year begins. The opening photo was taken at Two Fat Guys' Pizza in Bloomington. They have a wood-fired pizza oven and a pretty nice set up. Sarah had some kind of two-for-one coupon, so they invited Bubb and I to the celebration of the first day of school. It was a great time, and Mr. Jake practically demolished a medium pepperoni pizza. Miss Katie was just enjoying the outing.

Before he and Jake returned to their respective schools, the Wells boys wanted to have another fishing outing. I met them down at Sand Hollow at 6:00 AM on Wednesday morning, August 15th. Jake didn't have the patience or casting ability to enjoy the fishing much, but he ate a bag of licorice and drank a couple of sodas. He also reeled in everyone of my 18 large mouths. Of course he had to taunt his dad constantly, "We have caught more fish than you have!"; "Our fish are bigger than yours!"; etc. It was a fine outing.

Aaron had a great outing and caught nearly a dozen fish. Sand Hollow continues to be the best place to catch a two pound fish in the southern part of the state. We fished until things started getting hot, and then called it a morning. Jake had to get himself to town to buy a pair of shows. He is starting to care about things like that, and he wanted a new pair of Vans for the start of school, instead of the Heelies he bought last spring. Sarah made him help pay for them, and he is perfectly pleased with his choice. Our oldest grandchild is starting to grow up.

Buboppy

Bryce Canyon Talk

On Saturday afternoon, Bubby and I drove over to Bryce Valley. We had a little dinner at our favorite local restaurant (the Bryce Pines, home of homemade pie and soup), and then went down "under the dump" to a wedding reception in Tropic. Brett Baumgartner (Cedar City) married Kali Pollock (Lonnie and Cheryl's daughter), and were able to attend the reception, which was held on the Pollock front lawn. It was a nice occasion and we ran into quite a few people we knew. We even saw Stonnie Pollock, an SUU geology alumnus who is now working for a family owned oil company in Midland, Texas.

Following the reception, I gave a talk at the Bryce Canyon Geology Festival. We didn't finish up until about 9:45 PM, and then had to drive home. The real heartbreak was that Henrie's Drive-in was closed when we got back to Panguitch. No twin twirls for the ride home.

Buboppy

Rogers Reunion

After getting my grades recorded and putting the lid on summer school, Bubby and I went down to the Washington County Fair in time for the 4-H cookie contest. Katie, seen here in a cool little car, made cookies with her Dad and entered them in the contest. I had a chance to eat a couple, and they were good, but of course since Katie's mom is one of the organizers, she is not allowed to be a serious contender.

When the cookie judging was complete, we all went over and watched the 4-H fashion/talent roundup, for which Sarah was responsible. It was an interesting experience, and I could tell that Sarah was glad when it was over. It was, of course, super hot at the Washington County fairgrounds. It was so hot that a shaved ice with Tiger's Blood barely took the edge off the discomfort.

We all gathered at Aunt Nellie's for a get together later that evening. Aunt Barbara and Uncle Jim, Ashley and Rowan, Josh and Julie/Family, and Uncle Roland/Aunt Nellie were there. Sarah and the fam joined us as well. Aunt Nell had a great buffet all prepared, and of course we brought some garden production to the party. One of the popular items was some bruschetta made from tomatoes from Sarah's garden and basil from ours.

It was a nice occasion and great to see everybody. We had a little excitement with Lydia, but I will let you inquire from Sarah about that. All I will say is that the ripple effects are still being felt in the Wells household.

The handsome young man looking at the camera over Bubby's shoulder is Master Rowan Hartley. He is a very nice man, and hardly made a peep. He seems very attentive to the world around him, and everybody wanted to hold him. We even got a photo of Rowan with our Katie. She really likes holding a real dolly.

Buboppy

Fishing Fun

On Thursday, August 9th, Sarah, Aaron, and the fam came up to Cedar City for an outing. We had a nice lunch at PF with these two green clad young ladies. After a swim in the "cool", Jake, Aaron, and I packed up the boat and headed for Newcastle.

I was surprised at the number of other boats doing pretty much what we were doing, but it was still a wonderful evening. We didn't catch any really memorable fish, although I had a dandy hooked that I didn't get in the boat, but we still had a great time. Aaron is loving this style of fishing, and tries to find all the opportunities possible to go and enjoy it. He catches his fair share of fish, too. After watching me out fish him about 4 to 1 during one stretch, he is even a believer in the yellow and white jig body.

Jake is very self sufficient, and has moved on to taking his own fish off the hook. He found Bubby's surgical glove and of course had to put it on. He was quite a sight with his cool "Kiss My Bass" hat and that silly glove. Although I didn't get a photo of it, Jake caught the biggest wiper to date, and of course he was really proud of it. We had a grand time.

Buboppy

The Provo Arrival

Well, we were ready to get after it on Saturday morning when we woke up. We had arranged with Rosalyn, Pattie and Bruce for a 9:00 AM arrival, so we didn't have to kill ourselves to get going. Although the photo is blurry (again taken in low light at 70 mph), we were glad to see this sign. When we got to Silver Creek junction (near Park City), we diverted to Highway 40, went through Heber, UT, and down Provo Canyon to the Collings'. It was a lovely drive and a nice change of pace from our freeway experience.



When we arrived, backed into the driveway, and raised the door, Andrew immediately started pointing at his "stuff" and wanted it out of the truck so he could play with it. He tried the rocker first, then his bike, wagon, and and other toys. He went for a spin with his cousin Joshua while we unloaded the truck. Joshua's father, Samuel, was a big help in the process. Everything fit into the basement apartment, but I am not sure where the Daniel Eves family is going to live!

When we got home, around 3:00 PM, we had to scramble to get ready for Sunday. The lawns were so long I had to mow them twice (I know better than to apply fertilizer in the summer, but I do it anyway). Bubby reclaimed her house. Auntie Nell drove up from SGU to meet up with Jodie. Kyle was moving the family to their new home in Cedar City, and Aunt Nellie was assigned to tend those Simmons Boys. The arrival of Jodie and family had been delayed in Salt Lake because Zack and his cousin Ellie, had locked themselves in the cab of the moving truck, and were too little to understand how to get out. The fire department and EMTs had to come and rescue them before the moving party could get underway. While the tending was going on, I ran to school and graded the exam that was given on Friday in my absence.

Sunday brought few surprises. We did have the pleasure of the Simmons family's company for dinner. We had skewers of marinated chicken and vegetables, brown rice, fruit salad, and Iowa corn for dinner. Zack liked dessert best, as you can see from the photo. The real story here is that the rocket pop he is eating is two years old and totally FB!

Buboppy

Nebraska and Wyoming

We realize that this is a bad photo, but it was taken in the half light traveling 70 mph! We crossed the border into Wyoming at about 5:30 AM. There was sure a change in the country side once we left the Platte River valley. Things went from looking like fertile farm land to the windswept prairie of Wyoming. We also started seeing antelope everywhere, and of course there were far more ups and downs, which didn't help our gas mileage.

We made a stop at the Sierra Trading Post retail store in Cheyenne, but they would not have opened for a couple of hours (we experienced a time change in western Nebraska that I hadn't counted on). We had to settle for this photo. We have been buying from this catalog operation for almost 20 years now, so we needed to visit the shrine, there home office, in order to complete this trip. We similarly flew by Cabela's home base operation in Sidney, NE, because it was closed in the early morning hours.

We arrived at the Little America in the early afternoon and it is quite an oasis on the southwestern prairies of Wyoming. This is the original operation, and it shows some wear, but it is far better than anything else we encountered along our way.

Bubby was lured into their convenience store by the 50¢ soft-serve ice cream cones Little America started advertising at the Wyoming border. They were so good, she had to have two. She says they remind her of Wendy's frostie product.

Our room was very old school, but luxurious in a comfortable, well worn way. We had to rearrange some furnishings to play a little Five Crowns, and we realized that the lamps were all solid brass, and the furnishings, though covered on their flat surfaces in formica, were solid wood. They don't make this stuff like they used to.

Little America's major concession to modern times was this 31" flat panel, which Bubby thought was pretty cool. Great picture and it takes up very little space. Of course when you are at this oasis, there is nothing else around Little America has captured you and your dollar. We ate dinner in the dining room, and it was pretty good, Bubb had a California BLT (with avocado) and I had a really nice club sandwich with hand-carved turkey. We finished the evening with cards, phone calls to all y'all and a little TV.
Tomorrow we are expected in Provo at 9:00 AM.
Buboppy

Iowa and Nebraska

We slept in this morning! I woke up to light creeping in, looked at my watch and realized it was 5:40 AM. We were on the road by 6:15 AM. We were lured into Elk Horn, IA, by signage that promised Danish "stuff", but when we arrived, planning on a nice breakfast, we had to settle for a sticky bun and really nice danish pastry filled with almond paste. Not what we had planned, but pretty good, never the less. Of course, there was a windmill, and Bubby found some blue delft to look at, oh wait, I thought this was a Danish town. I bought a sympathy card to send to Johanna Davis' mom, and we got it and one of our Netflix in the mail. Bubby wanted me to point out to you this is the third day she has not had time to do her hair in the morning. We might as well make it four tomorrow, because the alarm is set for 4:00 AM. We do much better in the morning than in the afternoon. After 2:00 PM the driving is torture.


We were able to shoot a photo when we crossed the border into Nebraska. This a land of serious agriculture. We spent all day driving through corn and soybean fields. We passed just south of both Omaha and Lincoln on our route today. Not much traffic to deal with. We passed on the chance to go to the Buffalo County fair in Kearney (pronounced Karney) and headed for the barn in North Platte.

We had trouble making a connection with the cell phone this afternoon, so we had to hunt out our motel the old fashioned way. We are staying at a partially renovated (our room is renovated) Ramada Inn. It is pretty run down, but the price was right.

We ate at the Depot Chop House, near the rail yards in North Platte. It was average. We walked around the downtown a little, and Bubby wanted to include the photo below for Babsy.

We drove out into the fields looking for a mormon trail monument, but only were able to find this Oregon Trail marker. I guess North Platte figured a little in history. It is the home of Buffalo Bill Cody, and there is a historical site where his ranch once stood.

We are going to bypass Cabela's tomorrow. It won't be open when we fly by. We are planning to stop at a Sierra Trading Post retail outlet in Cheyenne. Tomorrow night, we are staying at the Little America between Rock Springs and Lyman, WY. It will be a nice change from the last couple of nights. I made the reservation on Expedia tonight, so we are all set. We can dilly dally on Saturday morning, and still arrive at a fashionable hour at the Collings.

Buboppy