Hee Haw Farms with Opal

I received an invitation in October to visit Hee Haw Farm in American Fork with Opal and her preschool class.  We had a great time.

 As you can see, the farm has been around for awhile.

I grew up on an 80 acre dairy farm in Idaho with Jersey cows, a horse, occasional pigs, chickens, and cats and dogs.  There were two tractors, a big flat big truck,  several graders and plows and such, silos, and a big red barn.  As I look back, it was a a great childhood.

This is what it looks like when there is an abundance of corn kernels.

Poor Opal!  Grandma made her look towards the sun to show the field with corn stalks, sunflowers, and ripe pumpkins.

Sorry honey!  It really was bright!

It was a fun day to visit this working farm with a side job and Mt. Timpanogos in the background.  Thanks for inviting me to tag along!

Duck Creek stop an autumn paradise

The beginning of October we drove home from Arizona via a ride over the mountains and through Brian Head rather that taking the Highway 20 to connect up to the I 15.  It was a beautiful drive.

Nothing beats blue sky with clouds and autumn color.

It was lovely.  This drive also takes one past Cedar Breaks and to an altitude of over 11,000 feet.

I especially enjoy the aspen trees in the Fall with their glittery leaves dancing in the wind.

We stopped at Duck Creek.  Glen has found memories of stopping here with his sons some years ago as they drove to Utah for LDS Conference.

Duck Creek is a beautiful clear mountain stream.

The contrast between the evergreen pines and aspen was especially lovely.

Really, just lovely!

Duck Creek eventually flows into this small lake called Duck Lake.

And there were ducks!

Can you see them?

Autumn drives are the best!

Mt. Nebo Loop

I knew that I needed to get a Fall leaves drive in early as I would be spending the later part of September in Arizona.

It had been over 30 years since we had driven the Mt. Nebo Loop.  This drive begins on the east side of Payson and goes behind Mt. Nebo and eventually ends in Nephi.

We made a couple of side trips through campgrounds.  There were many cattle waiting for the round up before winter sets in.

We knew we would probably miss the aspens as they come later, but the hillsides lower down were beautiful

I always love a picture with a great fence.

As we got higher, the views were stunning.  I am looking east with Sanpete Valley in the background.

"I could see for miles and miles and miles."

This was a great shot of Utah Lake and home with Mt. Timpanogos in the background.

And finally we found some aspens with a bit of yellow.

Lovely, eh?

Backside of Mt. Nebo.

There was lots of mining back here in the early days.

Some orange red leaves.

This shot taken going back down.

As we took the switchbacks down, we were treated to a bit of red rock.  On the way back home on Interstate 15 we stopped at the Red Barn for ice cream.  A few weeks later I would enjoy another Fall
drive.  More about that later.

What I've been working on

I have all four village borders finished for my "Penny Village" wall hanging.  Now I'm constructing the middle from these fun rectangles and square in a square blocks for the corner blocks in black and gold.  I've also been cutting out 48 pennies (circles) which will decorate the square in a square blocks and a matching black border between the village border and the busy middle.  Love, love working on a project will fall colors while it is also fall outside.  My goal is to have it finished by Nov. 1 which may be too ambitious.  All those pennies may take some time.

 

I also completed ten Lesson 9 blocks for my Farmer's Wife Revival quilt.  Just 20 more to go!

 

I took this picture at American Quilting.  My sister and I bought some fat quarters of this fabric some time ago.  She has been busy with new grandsons on opposite coasts so we haven't cut into it.  Maybe by next Halloween.  I just wanted to make sure I remembered how they highlighted the focus fabric.

UEA and time to play

Today, as I write this post, leaves are flying by outside my window.

Fall, glorious fall.  Each morning I look out and find another tree has turned to autumn color.

The crisp, fall air draws one outside to savor each October day.  It was a long weekend off for students as it was UEA, time for the children to play while their teachers go to seminars and conferences.  The grandpa and father had to work, so that left grandma and mother to play along.

They came for a grandma visit and then we were off for pizza in the park.  I like this picture because Ray is used to leading playground games, but the boy in red would have nothing of that for he was the Ninja Master.

Ray tried, but this time someone else took charge.

There may have been a cleft in the rock but cautious Opal refused to be coaxed through it.

Kiwanis Park and the mountain . . .

with the "Y" also in view.  It was BYU Homecoming last week, so the "Y" was lit up nightly.

They also had Monday off, so we ventured out to a charming pumpkin patch just north of 12600 South on 9th East in Draper.

Sometimes when trying to get a great picture . . .

one just needs to keep snapping away.

There was a right colored pumpkin for everyone.

The boys stayed with the traditional.

Opal really liked pulling straw from the bales the best.

Henry and pumpkins are pretty magical.

Finally, everyone had the one they wanted.

I found these Cinderella pumpkins to be charming.

Next stop, Gardner Village and the old mill.

Gardner Village decorates big for every season.

Witches were everywhere.

I love this little family.

They really watch out for each other.  I was glad we had time to play.