Upper Mesa Falls in Island Park

Once upon a time this building was a lodge for visitors coming to see the beautiful Mesa Falls.  It has been restored to look much as it did back in the day but is now a visitor's center and store.  I love the brown and white.  Just to the west of it are a series of walkways and stairs taking you to vistas of Upper Mesa Falls.

It is a spectacular sight on Henry's Fork River in the southern half of Island Park.

It was a busy day in the park with the total solar eclipse to take place the following day.  There was a a bit of a wait on the main road as cars had to leave before new parking spots were available.

The roar of the Falls was beautiful.

A view of the river down below.

Another smaller drop off.

Mesa Falls from a look out farther down the walkway.

So much flowing water.

Sentinels down below keeping watch over those ripples.

A flowing river racing south to Little Mesa Falls through a beautiful pine forest.

My fellow explorers.

The west side of the river was beautiful and green like a rain forest from all the mist venturing across from the Falls.  This was a lovely stop and view on our way to Ashton and the farm hills east.

A good week

Here are some pictures from my last week.  The retired teacher got to go to school.  Grandson Raymond and his class were sharing their traditions.

I can not tell you how happy I was to be hanging out with 2nd graders again.  They are truly amazing little people.  Raymond shared how each member of his family gets a new tree ornament each year. He also told how both of his grandmothers started this tradition when they had young families.  Each 2nd grader shared what their family does this time of year and it was delightful.  They were so literate and comfortable in their own skin.  I loved it.

I also traveled to Daybreak with my sister and her son to attend the Oquirrh Mountain Temple.  This beautiful nativity was out front.

It was so beautiful and monochromatic on a cold, frosty morning.

I loved Lynette's visit.  We sewed together, went and saw "The Book Thief," prepared Sunday dinner for the BYU student niece and nephew,  visited the "traditional" 2nd graders, had lunch at fun places like The Blue Lemon and Station 22 Cafe, quilt shop hopped, went to my book club, and braved the snow to attend the first Christmas Market in downtown Provo.  There was also lots of talking, knitting, hand sewing, and we each managed to get a small quilt machine quilted on "Big Bertha."  I have to say that after a year with my new Bernina 750, I am so happy to have this machine in my life.  It has enabled me to be a better quilt maker.  I also think that she has outlived "Big Bertha."  I overheard Lynette telling her husband via phone that she had been using the "Dream Machine."  So there you have it, "Dream Machine" it is!

Since Lynette flew home, I have been sewing secret projects (did you know that my grandchildren now check my blog) and these cocoa cups for my Quilty Fun Sew Along.  So appropriate for cold Utah.  I've been drinking an abundance of hot chocolate.

Grand Parade

A Provo City Fourth always begins with the Grand Parade.  My nephew, Jason in sunglasses, and Glen arrived at the parade route at 4:30 am to secure and prepare for us this shady viewing spot.  They even saved me a chair.  We may have been missing cousins, but I had siblings.  My only brother, Farrell, and his wife, Eveline, came from New Mexico.  My sister, Lynette, and husband, Lowell, came from Kansas. Thanks for waving girls!

Pre-parade is popper time.

Julianna loves popper time.

Brother Toby kept her supplied.

Toby was missing some cousins this year.  His sister waited by reading a book.

And the parade begins on an overcast summer morning.  Perfect weather for a parade, especially after several days of three digits.

Great day to celebrate Faith, Family, and Country.

My favorite band is always the Scottish bag pipers.

The balloons were pretty much tethered to the ground this year.  I think it was hard to navigate downtown this year with all the construction going on.

There were and amazing number of military vehicles.  I give you one tank.

 The American Fork High School marching band was great.

As was their city float for Miss American Fork.

So appropriate that Salem included a fish.  Our Grandpa fishing trips occur just south of the Salem border.

I honestly love red, white, and blue.  Visit either of our current residences and you will find this to be true.

And my very favorite part of the parade, the Mormon missionaries serving in Provo.  This year for the first time the sisters were as numerous as the elders.

It was a glorious sight!  I have so much respect for these young men and women and their choice to serve their God and their fellow man so selflessly.  I hope there was a parade where you were.

Utah Symphony at the Gardens

The night before the 4th of July we enjoyed a wonderful concert with the Utah Symphony at Thanksgiving Point Gardens.  We arrived early so that we might enjoy the gardens before the performance.

The point of this activity was get my sister Lynette wet - at her request.  So fun to see the Bunkers acting like my grandchildren.  Her husband, Lowell, and son, Jason, were helped by Jason's friend, Sarah.

We also checked out the rose garden.

I convinced Jason and Sarah that I needed this shot.  You guys really do look cute together!

Discussing the weightier matters of the world.

A bridge big enough to hold them all.

My son, Eric, and his wife, Susan, stayed behind to keep our places.

Good thing because there was a crowd.

I liked their new logo.

It takes trucks to move them about and this was their fourth outdoor venue of the week.

The orchestra members were dropped off by buses.

We found a red headed girl from Mesa to share our space with.  Her red headed sister was with her as well.  I love Toone girls!

The music was wonderful.

And the fireworks over the waterfalls at the end was spectacular.  A great time with family, friends, and strangers.

My National/World Quilt Day outing

This year the Arizona Quilt Guild held their annual event at the Mesa Convention Center and it coincided with National/World Quilt Day.  My quilting sister, Lynette, was in town for my nephew's wedding so we got ready ahead of time and dropped in on the quilts before heading to the wedding also in downtown Mesa.  I snapped a few pictures of the quilts which I want to share.  I am sorry for the quality of the photos.  There is a yellow tint to them all.  I was shooting without a flash.  Usually works best for me, but not this time.

That tiny, tiny applique house is the center of a block.  Amazing!

See?!

My sweet sister.

Here is a quilt made from Cori Blunt's pattern, "Cherry Tweet."  I have been working on this same quilt in spurts for a year and a half now.  This one used toned down reds and blues and a red stripe for the bows.  It was beautiful.  I especially loved the feathered quilting on the border.  Cori's quilt has a scalloped edge.

I took a picture of the tag so that I would have the name of the machine quilter when I ever get to that point.

Yes, that is a 3-D butterfly.

The large butterflies were cut from a panel.

There were many art quilts.

This one was called "Dutch Houses" and claimed to be made from reproduction antique Dutch fabrics.

Bargello anyone?

Their theme and lecture emphasis this year was the hexagon.

There were many hexagon quilts displayed and instruction boards.

 

Have you been saving your selvedges?

The quilting on the light rows spelled out the "Star Spangled Banner."

Quilted upholstery.  It was very pretty.

I have a SIL from Switzerland and they have a different dress costume for each canton or state.

This quilt reminded me of her dirndl.  Don't you just love dirndls?  I do.

These were 1930's orphan blocks put together with a contemporary setting.  It was so fun to see so many older fabric prints.

 It was in Arizona and there were many Arizona inspired quilts.

These quilts in the exemplary section had the big ribbons and honors.

I loved this star quilt with bursting flower butterfly shaped corners.

Yo yo's.  Lots of yo yo's.

A whole cloth white quilt with beautiful stitching.  So, so glad that we were able to work this in to a very busy but fun Saturday.