Did the 2024 General Conference Eclipse the Eclipse?

Near totality in Comfort TX by Annamarie

Once again, many of our family members made the effort to see this rare eclipse — most travelling quite far from their homes. There is simply no substitute for being there in totality as the temperature drops, the birds and animals quiet in confusion, and the 360 degree horizon turns to twilight. Annamarie’s faith was rewarded as the clouds parted, just in time.

Just the day before the eclipse, we were enjoying the 2024 April General Conference (on YouTube), which is broadcast in about seventy languages to members in 170 nations. We feel spiritually fed by this twice-a-year opportunity to listen to prophets and apostles and other general leaders, who preach from the scriptures and from their life experiences. Fifteen of them serve for life, well into old age, while another hundred or so serve until age 70. The women general leaders serve for five years.

Just as each dramatic eclipse features the ultimate contrast of light and darkness, so we prize the uplifting words of these inspired men in contrast to the ugliness and anger of our declining social institutions. I will alternate their insightful words with the eclipse photos:

From our newest apostle, Elder Patrick Kearon: “My friends, my fellow disciples on the road of mortal life, our Father’s beautiful plan, even His ‘fabulous’ plan, is designed to bring you home, not to keep you out. No one has built a roadblock and stationed someone there to turn you around and send you away. In fact, it is the exact opposite. God is in relentless pursuit of you. He ‘wants all of His children to choose to return to Him,’ and He employs every possible measure to bring you back.”

Elder Ulisses Soares:   “I know that when the Lord sees even a spark of desire or a flicker of righteous effort in our willingness to center our lives on Him and on the ordinances and covenants we make in His house, He will bless us, in His perfect way, with the miracles and tender mercies we need.”

Elder Gerritt Gong:  “When we are still, open, and reverent, we may feel the beauty, purpose, and serenity of the covenant belonging the Lord offers. In sacred moments, He may let us glimpse the larger eternal reality of which our daily lives are part, where small and simple things work together for the good of givers and receivers.”

Dan in Longmont CO used filters to maximize his partial eclipse. Glad he planned ahead! His photos far surpass what we could see at 44% totality in Billings MT.

Elder Quentin Cook:  ” We are united by our love of and faith in Jesus Christ and as children of a loving Heavenly Father. The essence of truly belonging is to be one with Christ.”

Elder Dieter Uchtdorf:  “Life is not an endless sequence of emotional highs. “For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things.” And if God Himself weeps, as the scriptures affirm He does, then of course you and I will weep as well. Feeling sad is not a sign of failure. In this life, at least, joy and sorrow are inseparable companions. Like all of you, I have felt my share of disappointment, sorrow, sadness, and remorse.”

Elder Paul Pieper: “Notwithstanding God’s trust in us, our relationship with Him will grow only to the degree we are willing to place our trust in Him. The challenge is that we live in a fallen world and have all experienced a betrayal of trust as the result of dishonesty, manipulation, coercion, or other circumstances. Once betrayed, we may struggle to trust again. These negative trust experiences with imperfect mortals may even impact our willingness to trust in a perfect Heavenly Father.”

Liza in Tempe AZ tried multiple ways to show her students the partial eclipse. A fine time was had by all, because they, too, planned ahead.

Elder Jeffrey Holland:    “If there be any time we feel not to pray, we can be sure that hesitancy does not come from God, who yearns to communicate with His children at any and all times.”

Sister Anette Dennis:  “Our Father wants a deeper relationship with all His sons and daughters, but it is our choice. As we choose to draw nearer to Him through a covenant relationship, it allows Him to draw nearer to us and more fully bless us.”

Sister Susan Porter:  “You can pray for help to show Heavenly Father’s love to others. Through His Spirit, Heavenly Father will help you notice someone who is sad so you can comfort them. He can help you show His love by forgiving someone. He can give you courage to serve someone and share with them that they are a child of God.”

Joe flew to Dallas TX, and then carefully watched the forecast to learn where to drive his family, to see in spite of cloudy weather. Thank goodness Ely caught this photo! Without just the right camera, it is pretty hard to photograph the actual eclipse. But they were there, and they will never forget what they saw and felt.

Elder Alexander Dushku    “In time and through ‘great diligence,’ we too can have our own pillar of light—one ray at a time. And in the midst of that pillar, we too will find a loving Heavenly Father calling us by name, pointing us to our Savior, Jesus Christ, and inviting us to ‘Hear Him!’”

 Elder Shayne Bowen   “If you desire the blessings of the priesthood, including miracles and the ministry of angels, I invite you to walk the path of covenants God has made available to each of us.”

Elder Steven Bangerter  “More than any other time in your life, what you do during the private times of your life will have the greatest impact on how you confront challenges and heartache you will face; and what you do during the private times of your life will also have a greater impact on how you confront the successes and joy you will experience than any other time in your life.”

Rachel was on a college tour, but pulled off into the small town of Hazardville CT in 95% totality. She used a medical brace to make shadows, and friendly local folks loaned them eye protection. All these tours have been so illuminating to our graduating senior, about to make her decision about where to attend college.

Elder David Bednar:  ” I promise that as we build the foundation of our lives on the ‘rock’ of Jesus Christ, we can be blessed by the Holy Ghost to receive an individual and spiritual stillness of the soul that enables us to know and remember that God is our Heavenly Father, we are His children, Jesus Christ is our Savior, and we can be blessed to do and overcome hard things.”

President Dallin Oaks: “The endowment ceremonies in the Nauvoo Temple were administered just before our early pioneers were expelled to begin their historic trek to the mountains in the West. We have the testimonies of many pioneers that the power they received from being bound to Christ in their endowments in the Nauvoo Temple gave them the strength to make their epic journey and establish themselves in the West.”

Elder Dale Renlund:  “We become vulnerable when we slow down and especially when we stop. If we maintain spiritual momentum by continually ‘rowing’ toward the Savior, we are safer and more secure because our eternal life depends on our faith in Him.”

Sam and Jen drove to Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Reserve on the north shore of Lake Ontario. We all envy their equipment and expertise — and their good fortune at capturing the moment of totality.

Elder Massimo De Feo:  “Some time ago I asked my wife, ‘Can you tell me why, as far as I remember, we have never had any major problems in our lives?’ She looked at me and said, ‘Sure. I’ll tell you why we have never had any major problems; it’s because you have a very short memory!’ Her quick and smart answer made me realize once again that living the gospel of Jesus Christ does not remove pain and trials, which are necessary to grow.”

Elder D. Todd Christofferson: “This is not the branch president’s church. It is the Church of Jesus Christ. We will not allow any man or any hurt or embarrassment or pride to keep us from being together forever. Next Sunday we will go back to church..”

Elder Gary Stevenson:  “Over time, with prayerful and thoughtful planning, rough ideas are refined. New actions become habits. Early drafts become polished blueprints. We build our personal spiritual bridge with hearts and minds devoted to Heavenly Father and His Only Begotten Son as well as to our brothers and sisters with whom we work, play, and live.”

Glen went all the way to New Hampshire, near the Canadian border to catch totality in a clear sky. Amazing how we can feel the chill, as if we were there!

Elder Brian Taylor:  “This phrase ‘swallowed up’ deeply moves me. My interest was heightened when I learned that in Spanish, ‘swallowed up’ is translated as ‘consumed’; in German, as ‘devoured’; and in Chinese, as ‘engulfed.’ Thus, when life’s challenges are most painful and overwhelming, I remember the Lord’s promise—that we “should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it [be] swallowed up [consumed, devoured, and engulfed] in the joy of Christ.”

Elder Taylor Godoy:  “Always think of the Lord as your first option for help.  Call, don’t fall. Turn to God in sincere prayer.  After praying, do all you can to obtain the blessings you prayed for.  Humble yourselves to accept the answer in His time and His way.  Don’t stop! Keep moving forward on the covenant path while you wait for an answer.

Elder Neil Anderson: ” In this day of confusion and commotion, I testify that the temple is His holy house and will help preserve us, protect us, and prepare us for the glorious day when, with all His holy angels, our Savior returns in majesty, power, and great glory.”

The total eclipse of the sun is something each one needs to experience, at least once in his lifetime. We remember the necessity of light and heat and ponder the awesomeness of the universe and its creator. Perhaps we are moved to reverent wonder.

However, even more awesome are the words of the prophets and apostles at General Conference, who have prepared prayerfully and sought inspiration from God to deliver timely messages — exactly the guidance and direction we need. If these short quotes do not convince you, then please read or listen to the entire conference at

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2024/04?lang=eng

where you have the added advantage of listening to the associated choir music.

Light beats darkness, any day of the week!

President Russell Nelson (age 99): “Nothing will help you more to hold fast to the iron rod than worshipping in the temple as regularly as your circumstances permit. Nothing will protect you more as you encounter the world’s mists of darkness. Nothing will bolster your testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ and His Atonement or help you understand God’s magnificent plan more. Nothing will soothe your spirit more during times of pain. Nothing will open the heavens more. Nothing!”

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Happy in Houston

We scurry around on road trips to see our extended family between our missions. It felt so luxurious to FLY to Houston in January to see Patrick and Annamarie, on the occasion of the Houston Grand Opera’s production of Puccini’s “Madame Butterfly.” Patrick has sung in the opera chorus there for many years, but we had never seen one of his performances. This particular opera is a bit light on scenes with the chorus, but we just had to take the opportunity to go during the winter.

We sat in the highest row of the balcony, hearing and seeing perfectly, with the stage and orchestra almost straight down from us. The principal singers were magnificent, heart-breakingly beautiful. The chorus remained in character, moving the story along. Of course they hid Patrick’s curly hair to make him “oriental,” but it was lovely to see and hear him in that context. We sat with Annamarie; his parents and cousin were several rows down from us.

Before the opera, we feasted at Birraporetti’s, one block away. The rain stopped before we took time to tour the display of “Madame Butterfly” costumes on our way to the balcony. There were actually several entrees available to eat in the opera lounge as a pianist played. Houston Grand Opera is going out of its way to attract new audience members. Several of those sitting near us said it was their first time at the opera. We had an extraordinary evening.

Earlier in the week, we went out to dinner with Patrick’s grandparents, and spent part of Sunday in their home. We found we had lots in common and were so glad to finally meet them!

Since both Patrick and Annamarie work long hours each week, we arranged an apartment less than a mile from their home. The last time we visited them, Patrick was in Boston finishing a course in piano tuning — so this visit was way overdue. Because we were nearby, it was easy to go walking with Annamarie:

I was grateful for the wide open breezeways at our apartment, which allowed me to put in my daily three miles without risking the rain. Rachel had mailed a new puzzle for us all to assemble — which took most of the week:

This is a very delightful, complex puzzle. Our main difficulty was that Annamarie currently has no table at her home; and our adorable rental apartment featured only this coffee table…

Sunday is generally the busiest day for Annamarie and Patrick, who sing five services at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church. They suggested we attend the 6 p.m. service, which was full of truly beautiful music. (We are grateful that we can usually hear church solos by Annamarie or Patrick on youtube. They also alert us to especially beautiful musical numbers. During the pandemic, there were weeks when the two of them were the entire choir…)

Because we are accustomed to church at 9 a.m. we asked to tag along with Patrick’s mom to First Baptist Church Houston. Imagine an amphitheater with stages and multimedia and bands… It was easy to sing along. We enjoyed the sermon, and then joined a smaller Sunday School group. We were not surprised to hear announcements in that smaller group inviting people to help feed the hungry and provide assistance to immigrants. We felt right at home. This church campus is located at a major freeway intersection. We parked at a parking garage within a short walk of our apartment, then boarded a Baptist bus to get to the mega church. We remembered how many times in Missouri we had wished we had a Baptist bus to help transport all our members to Church. It really was a sweet way to get to church!

We left as Patrick’s schedule was about to settle down again. We were so glad he and his mama could join us to play a few rounds of Azul. We expect the extended Perez clan will enjoy this game as much as we have.

Houston is so very far away from us… but just a few hours of flight time brought us back to chilly Billings. We are so glad for the opportunity to spend quality time with Patrick’s parents and grandparents and Annamarie.

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2,700 Miles for Christmas

Yes, the rocky cliffs are wet with rain. There was light rain on three of our six driving days from Montana to Utah and Arizona, returning through Colorado. With careful planning, we successfully dodged the snow storms in order to see nine more of our families in the final month of 2023. (At present count, we have seven sibling families, nine children, and five married grandchildren — so it is completely amazing to see NINE of our families on the same trip.) 

Our first stop was Rexburg, Idaho, where we made the finest red thumbprint cookies with chocolate centers. Emily and Weston were all ready for our arrival. As we made cookies, Marty hustled to repair a tire which was not holding air. We travel a lonely road adjacent to Yellowstone Park, so we were truly grateful that tire did not give out on us in the middle of no where. We experienced the most snow and ice there in Idaho — in fact, much as we liked our motel there, we could not understand why the innkeepers made no attempt at all to melt the ice at the front entrance and parking area. Would ice melt have harmed their motel carpet?

We enjoyed a filling meal at Red 8 Asian Cuisine before returning with Emily and Weston for most of a game of Shanghai. These two kids are so very busy with college and work. We were lucky to see them at all! So very glad for the time we spent with them.

The next day we sailed along familiar roads into Utah, making a brief stop to see Scott and Louise in Bountiful, Utah. Most of their grandchildren were about to arrive for the annual cookie baking, so it was a happy surprise that I was able to transfer more than 20 GB of family photos, stories, and videos to Scott’s laptop. It took only about five minutes, because it was on a USB3 drive, which is a great deal faster than a USB2 drive. Part of this treasure trove was a digital version of my Dad’s family films, which he had transferred to VHS before he died. Louise was surprised to see footage of new baby Scott, as well as their wedding day, outside the temple. This was especially impressive as we set the videos to display on their big tv screen.

Our home base in Utah is usually with Julie and Bernd in Draper. They have been incredibly hospitable to us. We arrive with a large cooler full of my vegan food, and they make room for my blue ice in their freezer, as well as space in the fridge. Of course we played more games with them, as their grown children drifted in and out.

We spent most of the next day in Eagle Mountain Utah, with Joe and Ely and their boys. As luck would have it, both the younger boys were in holiday concerts at their schools! We had the pleasure of attending both concerts, near the very front row:

These are two very large elementary schools, so the concerts were attended by hundreds of parents. I bet Ely’s photos turned out better than ours… but it was just so fun to be there at these concerts. We miss way too many milestones in the lives of our children and grandchildren… (Please click on each photo to see the larger view. I have not yet learned to specify the display size of these photos.)

We went home to play Mario Monopoly, which the boys were happy to teach us. And of course we ended by playing Qwirkle, one of our all-time favorites.

There was a serious weather inversion, cutting off the tops of the mountains in every direction:

Last of all, we enjoyed Cafe Rio together! It amazed us to see how much these growing boys can eat. They are all growing up so fast…

Next morning I enjoyed a two-mile hike with Julie and Ember on the Lehi-Draper trail, which follows some historic railroad tracks above the freeway. After breakfast I did some Christmas shopping with Julie. She made so many thoughtful choices for her grown kiddos. It was totally fun running through Costco, Target, and IKEA together. As Grandma and Grandpa, we gave up Christmas shopping some fifteen years ago. We didn’t own a home; there was no room for presents; and our grandkids seemed a lot more excited to receive cash than presents. Our grown children each draw names and produce a gift for one family, which is much easier, given the size of our family. We enjoy time together, wherever we are at Christmas, without trying to keep up every old tradition.

Meanwhile Marty got new tires for our long winter journey. (These tires had been awaiting installation for several days at the Sandy UT Costco. It was necessary to order them the previous week because our home Costco did not have what we needed.)

Julie’s grown kids and their spouses met us at Bricks Corner in Salt Lake City, home of Detroit style pizza that was out of this world delicious. Alena was running a trivia game there, so we played as we ate. A good time was had by all, although we did miss having Sarah with us:

We were early to bed, so we could be early to rise. We looked forward to wonderful desert scenery en route to Arizona, but it was rainy and overcast. We didn’t even stop at Bryce Canyon:

Of course this convenience store in the middle of no where sells jerky made from buffalo and elk, and caters to tourists interested in the local dinosaur bones. The small sign on the middle post reads “Don’t feed the sasquatch.” We pressed on to Page, Arizona. While taking these photos, I saw floaters in one eye, for the first time ever. It looked like a giraffe stalking across my visual plane. It is half as tall, and half as annoying, these days. Nope, there were no giraffes on this desert land….

We had never stopped in Page before, but are so glad we did. Our motel with fridge and microwave cost $25, just a fraction of the usual price. It was a completely remodeled 1950’s room with all the comforts. A free community kitchen was also available, in which we could have baked treats. (Before the trip, I had actually spent two days making fudge bar cookies, which I shared wherever we stopped.) Anyway, we recommend Page’s historic street of motels, where we found bargain accommodations. It was a one-block walk through the rain to Safeway or two of the museums. There’s plenty to see and do here!

Just above are some dinosaur footprints. Major Wesley Powell’s float down the Colorado River all the way through the Grand Canyon is featured, plus exhibits about geology, flora and fauna, early explorers and Indians.

We came closest to encountering snow at Flagstaff, Arizona, but we pressed on to find family waiting for us in Tempe. We wanted to take them all out to eat at the buffet, but they already had coupons, so we had a fine meal, enjoyed going to Church with them, and played lots of games, especially Shanghai, Hearts, Big Uno, and a new Azul Master Chocolatier game board with beautiful tiles. Mike cooked and cooked and cooked, and we were spoiled rotten. They, like our Draper family, put us up in a wonderfully comfy bed. Yup, spoiled rotten!

Sunday evening we had our first ever experience seeing the Christmas displays at the Mesa Temple. We went first to the visitor center where I photographed twenty tables of nativities from around the world — which I am not even showing you here — because next we went outside in a slight mist of rain and walked all around these life-sized nativity scenes, which are overwhelmingly beautiful:

At each information board, Joey read the Christmas story out load to us. He is quite a wonderful reader. The last photo shows the Mesa Temple itself. This experience put us all in the Christmas frame of mind. Next morning, we had a lovely time opening presents. One big happy family!…. And then more games

This was one of our best ever visits to see Mike and Liza, Joey and his lizard, Josh and Kaytlyn… though we were missing Caleb, who was visiting elsewhere. 

One morning I drove up to Scottsdale to see my one and only sister and her husband. She was delightful as usual to visit, though she has a great deal on her mind these days. I was not at all surprised to see her Christmas tree hung with various birds, fish, animals, and angels. And I finally got to meet Jesse James the dog, in person. We were not successful in getting Dad’s old family films transferred to her computer, but we did verify that her thumb drive includes everything else, so all is well. We hope to stay in better touch, but each of us tends to get busy with this and that… She sees our brother Scott more often, because he has grandkids living nearby. Visiting Alison was the pinnacle of my trip. Life just moves too fast!

Mike was on call, but the men were greatly motivated to tear out the lower bathroom, so they did:

The rest of us hauled pieces of sheetrock, sink and toilet out to the alley, where the city trash collectors expect to pick up discarded household items in addition to ordinary trash each January. I walked a couple of miles roundtrip to get my groceries. The backpack was heavy: 

The next day we picked several pecks of oranges and grapefruit right off the trees, which we shared with our Colorado friends on the way home. I can still taste how sweet the ruby grapefruit was in my salad:

The second one is sweet potato, black beans, artichoke hearts, broccoli, quinoa, brewers yeast, mixed greens and spices. Yum, yum… never a dull moment when you’re vegan…

Our route to Albuquerque, New Mexico avoided the weather in Flagstaff. While I was still balancing breakfast in my lap, I was unable to grab the camera quick enough on the first bit of serpentine road which passed hill after hill covered in saguaro cactus — until suddenly the ordinary pinon took over, and then the real forest:

We took a memorable scenic route through Payson and Holbrooke before heading east on I-40. It always feels like home to dip down into Albuquerque, because Marty’s mama lived in that place longer than she did anywhere else. We were pleased to find our hotel before the sun set, and then stop at the nearby market. On Friday we made the long drive up to Longmont, Colorado.

We were so very happy to see Dan and Leslie’s home for the first time: they have an ideal yard in a lovely neighborhood. Longmont is a perfectly charming town. We explored a fancy rock shop while our Thai food was prepared. Yum, yum! And then we slept like logs after the long drive.

Next day we did our walking near the motel, and then walked even further in Dan and Leslie’s neighborhood. It was not the usual sort of bird-watching we do with them. Instead, we saw these local landmarks. Click on each to enlarge:

Take note of the interesting gadget which leads the rainwater down to a water bucket. This home is ideal for the resident cats and busy people, and the yard should attract some wonderful birds. We played Shanghai here as well, enjoyed the conversation and book recommendations, and left for them some citrus fresh from Arizona. Now we know the secret to a great visit with Dan and Leslie: Come on the weekend!

Sunday morning we drove up to the Windsor Ward, about 45 minutes further north, where we met Rebecca and Wendell, who have been our mission angels since 2012 when we first went to Prague to improve our Czech. Their ward was most interesting: we even met a returned missionary from Hungary who knew about Constantin, our friend who discovered the restored gospel while he worked in Czechia. Here is the incredible view of the front range from their meetinghouse:

We caught up on family news, watched “The Sound of Music,” as well as some football, as I recall. It was the first time we ever actually stayed overnight in their home. We appreciated their lovely hospitality. Becky gifted us some excellent homemade bread, and we shared our fresh citrus from Arizona. She was worried about whether her next job offer would ever come, but it did, just last week! We hope it is just the right position, for she is one incredible friend, wife, and mother, and we are praying for her and Wendell, always. They have made it possible for us to serve each of our missions. We are greatly in their debt. We were in the same ward, years ago, in Aurora CO.

Next morning we set out through Wyoming for home, right past the interesting clouds over the famous Cheyenne Rodeo stadium:

How thankful we are for this lovely trip, arriving safely in spite of ourselves, home again to enjoy our own tree, thankful to find our loved ones all well and happy. Christmas is love at home…

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Pulling a U-Haul from Montana to Quebec

Sam & Jen just moved into their first home — in Gatineau, Quebec. Both work for the Canadian Parliament, just across the river in Ottawa, Ontario. It made sense to deliver Sam’s many boxes of personal equipment and fishing poles sooner rather than later. He’d been missing his stuff for several years already — thanks to the pandemic border closings — and Accuweather confirmed that we could make this trip of at least 1,770 miles before the snow started flying. U-Haul wisely requires a towing speed no higher than 55 m.p.h. — so we did the math: that’s at least 35 hours on the road, plus rest stops.

We had never driven the route through the north country. There are definitely fewer cities and gas stations, particularly along the western section of Canada’s Transcontinental Highway, which was the final 500 miles of our route. We were glad we planned our stops. We drove up to ten hours in a single day. At first the scenery was identical to Montana’s high desert with views toward distant mountains — except for the uniquely colorful badlands adjacent to I-94: Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We promised ourselves that we would explore it in on the return trip. Our first overnight stop was Bismarck ND.

The scenery began to change on our second day. We were driving through an endless forest. The trees were so tall on either side that it felt as if we were driving through a tunnel of trees. We stayed overnight in the Spirit Mountain neighborhood of Duluth MN. We left our excess fruits and veggies for the cleaning staff, realizing that this was the day we would cross the border. It was thrilling to catch our first glimpse of Lake Superior the next morning. The fall colors were at their peak, accentuated by the gorgeous blue of the Great Lakes. The views were spectacular, possibly even improved because of our slower speed. We received a text from Sam: he and Jen were suddenly confirmed to have the covid virus! We would have to wear masks, and we would not be able to have any fun outings with them — unlike our visit in 2021. This was no laughing matter: Drive 35 hours, deliver the load, and head right back to Montana? Not AT ALL the trip we had planned! But, life is full of ups and downs. At least the trailer was not giving us any trouble. We changed drivers frequently, and stayed alert.

After a long day traversing Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, we crossed the international bridge at Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario as the sun set. We waited as the Canadian authorities inspected the contents of the trailer. We were grateful not to be asked to pull out and open each and every box! The two guards debated between them whether Sam must pay import duties to receive his own household goods. The air was getting colder, and we were now standing off to the side, in the dark. The one guard talked to Sam on our phone, and then confirmed the facts indoors on their own computer. The guards graciously forgave the lack of some particular piece of paper, because Sam’s immigration attorney had, in fact, handled paperwork correctly, and fortunately Sam had only recently received his full residency permit.

The next morning we walked the boardwalk along the Ste. Marie river, viewing the minor rapids which gave this city its name. (The “sault” is an ancient spelling related to the French “sauter” or jump. But on both sides of this border, “sault” is pronounced the English way: “Sue.”) Throughout Ontario and Quebec, merchants were happy to take our U.S. dollars, which was most helpful to us.

We had arranged to have international data on our phone, but in actual practice on this “premier transcontinental route,” cell phone coverage was spotty and unreliable. We had planned to tour the nickel mineral museum in Sudbury, Ontario but our phone was unable to direct us. I found myself driving a car with trailer, at rush hour, through road construction projects in an unfamiliar city, randomly turning corners to try to find this museum. Helpful Canadians directed us to the Costco store, where we could replenish the fruit and veggies we could not bring across the border. Fortunately our motel was just a few kilometers east of Sudbury, and right on the main highway.

Of course that evening in the motel, we wrote down the directions to Sam’s house, in case the cell phone map failed again. It was the fifth LONG day of driving, but the scenery was overwhelmingly beautiful, the weather perfect, and it was the LAST day with the trailer. We made it to Sam & Jen’s by 4:00, so of course we exerted ourselves to unload, so we could return the trailer, two miles away in the heart of Gatineau, Quebec. It’s a good thing that Sam gave us verbal directions, because the cell phone lost its signal before we got down the hill. It’s also a good thing that U-Haul has bright orange signs! We were so glad to unhook that trailer, and be finished with trailering — and even return the trailer a day early. Driverless U-Haul vans were lined up, so I went into the office, expecting to have to use my rusty French. A young man handled two returns simultaneously and efficiently. We found our way to Walmart, but it had closed at 5:00, and after phoning Sam, we found our way to a supermarket and then back to Sam’s.

By the time we returned, Sam had hauled all the boxes to the basement, although he was on his 6th day with covid. We oohed and ahhed at their lovely home, plugged in our blow-up bed, and warmed up our dinner. We had arrived!

The plan was for Sam & Jen to stay upstairs (bedrooms and bath), as we slept in the basement, using the main floor bathroom, and departing in the morning before they got up. We only spent a couple of hours together in the same room, playing Shanghai and Scrabble. As you can see, we were all in masks. And that turned out to be enough to keep us from getting covid! As the weeks have gone by, Sam has been happy to discover stuff he had forgotten in his boxes. We’ve received extra texts and phone calls as his “Christmas” came early this year. Of course, we are equally happy to have all this stuff out of our garage… This trip was definitely worth it.

The photos I did not lose are from the return trip. Another five days of driving… We by-passed Ottawa on the return trip, stopping at a scenic lake in North Bay — a much better place for tourists to stop than Sudbury.

The next day we stopped for lunch right along beautiful Lake Huron at Blind River:

(Click on a photo to make it big.) There was a sandy beach and playground, the typical bear-proof trash can, and an interesting historical sign. It boggles the mind to realize that ocean-going ships travel all the way through the Great Lakes to the St. Lawrence Seaway. Beautiful fall colors…

We continued on to stay overnight again in Sault Ste. Marie. Ontario, getting more exercise on the boardwalk and inside the shopping mall. Next morning, without a trailer, it was perfectly easy to cross back into the United States.

There are so many interesting, touristy spots along the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We stopped at Munising MI, 45 minutes east of Marquette. There were boats waiting to take tourists to view the cliffs of the Pictured Rocks, even glass-bottomed boats to ride above the old shipwrecks. Instead we did a quick tour of the local museum, which featured large photos of the the Pictured Rocks.

We stopped for lunch along Lake Superior, just east of Marquette MI. It was slightly rainy, but we could hear the lapping of the waves from inside our car:

We kept our eyes open for Grizz Works in Maple WI. You can see why it caught my attention on the way to Quebec, and why I wanted to stop on the return trip:

Marty was relieved to know that I did not want a ten-foot-tall grizzly bear. He chose an eagle, which I imagined would suit our small backyard. The proprietor told us to coat it regularly with spar varnish. She actually seemed disappointed that this beautiful eagle was destined to be outdoors…

This eagle has grown on us. We realized it was truly a work of art! It now sits where a barstool would belong (if we had a barstool), in the heart of our great room. The rug allows me to position it differently from one day to the next. The photo does not do it justice…

We returned to the same reliable hotel in Duluth MN that night, but found a better one to try the next night, in Bismarck ND. Almost home! We stopped, as planned, at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, but there was not time to see very much. It is a vast park with quite a variety of natural wonders to see. It tickled us to drive past a field of prairie dogs on display — because our own home is next to the prairie dogs, and we know them well! I would surely like to know what happened to all the photographs I took so carefully.

Ten days of driving, a few hours with our kids. Was it worth it? Sam obviously needed his stuff, sooner rather than later. Marty and I had a truly memorable trip, truly once in a lifetime — through the north woods at the peak of the fall season — with scarcely a photo to remember it by…

Next time we see Sam & Jen, they’ll look healthy again:

I am so glad I stayed up to play games with the sick kids. Jen is a jewel!

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Visiting our Families and Friends, General Conference Weekend

Julie and Bernd took us by tram to the top of Snowbird Ski Resort, to enjoy the view and activities with relatives visiting from Germany. Newly-married Christian had been a preschooler when his family stayed in our solar home in Colorado at the time of Julie and Bernd’s wedding in the Denver Temple. How fun it was to encounter him as an adult and to meet his beautiful Denise!

I am so slow in writing this post that TODAY was actually the opening day for skiers at Snowbird. Lots of snow, so of course, Julie is there, skiing her heart out. It was quite warm and windy on September 29. Earlier that morning I had driven to Mapleton UT, south of Provo, to attend the funeral of a beloved roommate, Evelyn Thompson:

Evelyn was a friend to all who knew her. ( An Errant Knight, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

After greeting each of her five children beside the casket, I hurried to find two other roommates who had also travelled to be there. We had not been together in the same room since we graduated from Brigham Young University! We reminisced about old times in Wells Hall at Heritage Halls and on 400 East; caught up on current family details, and listened to Evelyn’s children and grandchildren as they sang and spoke at this celebration of her excellent life. Too soon, I dashed back to Julie’s home, so we could make the planned drive up the canyon to Snowbird. It was the Friday before General Conference… and Marty and I were still looking forward to a rare third occasion that evening.

We served under two different mission presidents in the Czech-Slovak Mission, and are well-acquainted with several earlier ones, as well. Traditionally reunions are held before each General Conference, but we are seldom in town. We were especially pleased to see the former Sister Scerra as we entered the building, now an insurance agent for house inspectors. She had left a toddler home with her husband Adam Jaynes. We all served together in České Budějovice.

Once again, my photos didn’t stick, so here are the delightful Munros from Melbourne, Australia and the Jaynes at an earlier reunion. A fine photo of the senior couples was taken, but I do not have a copy yet — it would include some from the 2014 photo above (at the mission home with President and Sister McConkie), plus many later couples. It was wonderful to see so many of these seniors, but a bit shocking to notice how much we are each growing older… graying, more stooped and deaf, but happy as ever. We shared amazing adventures when we served in that mission together. Because there were regular senior missionary conferences, we all became acquainted with each other’s assignments.

The chapel filled up with young missionaries and spouses, many of their young children and friends. We enjoyed seeing and visiting with so many — meeting several spouses in person for the first time — but we didn’t stay for the potluck. Of course we all sang the mission hymn, and enjoyed a Jesus talk. (An audio tape is already posted on the mission website) Evidently we had misread a post from President Pohořelický, because he and his wife were not in attendance this time. But any time we can share a space with the Munros and the McConkies, it is worth the nine hour trip!

We watched Saturday General Conference from Julie and Bernd’s home. All the extended family drifted in and out as we ate, talked, played games, and watched Conference. We watched Sunday afternoon at Joe and Ely’s home in Eagle Mountain. (None of my photos stuck on the phone, so here is a hint of the happy group from an earlier occasion. Not quite right, because Montagues were not in town, nor Anna, but we did see Luke and Wade, although they’re not in this photo.) Ely fed us; the boys showed off their backyard sports, reading books to us and playing the piano. How we wish we could see our families more often!

Suddenly it was time to make a 2.5 hour drive up to Logan, to see Celebrando Nuestras Raíces at Utah State University. Ely is part of a dance group that performs Chilean dances throughout the area. This was our first time to be at one of her performances. She was marvelously graceful, and beautiful as always. We enjoyed the chips and salsa provided. Photos show dancers from Cuba, Peru, and Chile (the Easter Island segment looks quite Polynesian):

This was a weekend of spiritual feasting, family, food, and fun. We particularly enjoyed conference talks by Sisters Runia and Freeman, Elders Oaks, Anderson, Soares, Uchtdorf, Eyring, and Gong. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2023/10?lang=eng

Julie and I picked green and purple grapes, sorted and froze them. Yum, yum! We also took some great little hikes on Steep Mountain in Draper:

Another day we toured the Pioneer Museum, which is beside the Utah State Capitol. It had been many years since I had been there, but I remembered there was an entire room devoted to portraits and items from our Richards ancestors. We were there for many happy hours and still didn’t see everything… but hung on a random wall, I saw the the very portrait which my mother had recognized, years ago: Christina Kennoch Proudfoot MacKenzie, the mother of Elizabeth Graham Macdonald. Some written records in the family, hard to decipher, had seemed to read “Crawford,” but it turned out to be “Proudfoot –” all because mom recognized that this unusual face belonged to the family tree. I won’t share that photo here, because I’m sure Christina was once a beautiful lady, but this family-famous portrait shows her after immigrating from Scotland, walking across the plains, and apparently losing her teeth. I wouldn’t want anyone to laugh at how she looked when she was in her declining years. I’m proud that she’s one of MY pioneer grandmas…

Having missed my mother’s funeral last year, I was happy to go to the cemetery briefly with my brother, after a lovely dinner at their home in Bountiful. We wish Scott and Louise didn’t live so far away, because we always enjoy time with them.

My parents’ graves are within sight of the Bountiful Temple, with an endless view of the Great Salt Lake to the west, below.

We drove four hours up to Rexburg ID, to visit the lovebirds Emily & Weston, who were sealed in the temple in July. They are students at BYU Idaho

They took us on a VIP tour by golf cart through the gorgeous campus. We walked inside several of the buildings. And none of my photos stayed put, although I remember importing them onto the laptop and selecting and photoshopping them. Am I becoming too old to photoblog?

25,000 students attend this school, which runs three semesters each year. This is where BYU Pathway Worldwide was developed, which currently serves more than 63,000 students in 180 different nations, and is prized by so many of our former missionaries in Ghana, for example. Quality on-line education, flexible and affordable for all! If I were younger, I would definitely teach for Pathway.

Emily & Weston attend college in person, plus Weston works full-time. We enjoyed looking over all their wedding photos. (Somehow viewing them in a book is classier than seeing the on-line album.) We played enough rounds of Shanghai for Weston to catch on. It’s probably a lot slower game than he’s used to playing… We loved eating at their chosen spot: the Curry Pizza Place. Very delicious, very Indian.

We are glad to see Emily & Weston off to a good start in their married life, busy and happy. They are only six hours away from us, now that we’re home again in Montana.

We feel so very energized from the Conference talks and visits with family and friends. Now, we look forward to reading those talks again and again, discovering the inspired wisdom from our prophets and apostles. There’s something there for everyone…

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Remembering our Departed in Boise ID

Halfway to our home in Montana, I received word of the untimely death of my cousin Carolyn. Immediately I knew I wanted to attend her memorial service — and catch up with cousins I have not seen in years. Aren’t they handsome men? Each is professionally successful and true to the faith — and busy with their own extended families, just as we are. Since I grew up in New York and they were raised in Idaho, our paths have seldom crossed. Their parents are some of my adored aunts and uncles. These cousins, plus Carolyn herself, attended my own mother’s memorial service in Utah just last year, which I missed. Our family was so blessed by their support. Of course I scheduled a flight to Boise just days after we returned home.

Years ago I taught a class of Primary girls in Aurora CO. About four years later, I was assigned to the same group of girls, then 14 and 15 years old. They were an unforgettable, diverse group, whom I have observed from afar through Christmas letters and Facebook, as they raised children and slogged through the ups and downs of life. I cried with Melanie when a beloved son died — and promised to stop and hug her on one of our trips to Seattle. But we had not driven that direction in three years, so she was the first one I telephoned about my trip to Boise.

Of course she could pick me up from the airport, the day before the funeral! Of course I was invited to stay in her home! This became an experience I will treasure forever… Her husband and children were delightful. We talked and cried for about twelve hours. A scrumptious meal was produced. Her mama — my dear old friend — dropped by to eat with us. After hearing the life challenges through which they have each passed, my heart ached. But they are persevering and firm in the faith and they will endure to the end. I am so proud to have them as my friends!

The next morning they delivered me to the funeral, which became a lovely family reunion. I knew my brother Scott and his wife would drive up, even though they were on-the-clock to return quickly as the dehydrating machine preserved their bountiful backyard harvest in Bountiful UT, five hours to the south. (Best name ever, I think, for a community.)

There was a long line of us waiting to see Carolyn in her casket. I visited with her friends in line before shaking the hand of each of her nine children. I had met only the oldest, prior to that day. Carolyn had stayed busy raising her children in Idaho all the time I had been raising my family in Colorado. I know there were many years we did not own a car reliable enough to cross the mountains, so we missed out on many occasions with the extended family. I always looked up to Carolyn, because she was older than me and had overcome many challenges in life.

Of course there were display tables of photos from Carolyn’s life. She wanted to distribute her treasures on this occasion, so her lovely daughters made this happen: the vast extended family were invited to take items of jewelry, her books, items she had sewn and knitted. I took a sweet lamb pin — one of a bowlful. She had made and given away hundreds of these, to remind her family and friends of the Good Shepherd.

I was touched to discover that Carolyn did this — just as I have made and given away Christmas lamb ornaments for thirty years, on three continents…

The memorial service included talks and music from each child and many of the grandchildren. I was not surprised to learn that Carolyn played the organ, or that she and her husband had served as senior missionaries and temple ordinance workers. Her brothers Bob and John also spoke well.

After the burial, I was privileged to eat with my cousins at the meetinghouse. One is about to have another book published! I met Bob and John’s wives for the first time, and loved them immediately. Lois and Bob dropped me back to the airport.

Lots of tears and music and laughter. A somber time in Boise, remembering two who died too soon. I am so grateful that I could be there.

Displays in the Boise and Billings airports reminded me of cousin Kent and Richard’s father, who dedicated his life to building fish ladders to help the spawning fish negotiate dammed waters. We never forget those we love, and we will see them again in the next life…

Marty, my Mr. Reliable, was there at midnight to pick me up from the airport in Billings. No complaints from him, even though he is usually asleep at 9 p.m. He was just overjoyed that he did not have to drive for this particular trip!

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The Roundabout Way Home

This post begins with a photo of flowers, which are hard to see, unless you click on the photo to enlarge it. We’d never seen the “Naked Ladies (above),” until someone pointed them out to us. Absolutely unique: a bit of joy, wherever we noticed them during this busiest of mission conclusions. We cleaned and packed throughout the month. The young missionaries would move into our apartment (our third home, during this mission). The mission moving van found all our senior missionary furnishings gathered in the living room; the boxes and suitcases for our own car were left in the dining room. Our excellent landlord had made every little repair we noted; we enjoyed last visits with each of those with whom we had been reading and discussing the scriptures; we made sure our valiant bishop received the new addresses we had collected in person and on White Pages, the list of those desiring more regular contact or rides to church, the list of those who have no current interest in the restored gospel; and we said goodbye to each of the active members of the ward. (The young missionaries visited them in their homes, but we specialized in the less active and homebound members — so we knew more about them.) There were so many farewell moments!

We had arranged with our mission president to make a quick visit to Oak Ridge TN to see Marty’s sister. In thirty years, we had never seen them on their home turf. We drove there in eight hours, visited two days, and then dashed eight hours back to our missionary apartment. It was exhausting, but we were glad to spend that time with Amy, Dan, and Stevie… (although disappointed not to meet Tomi or the Belnaps). They treated us royally, and we were just so happy to see their home and a bit of the local area, which is so scenic. Somehow my photos didn’t stick, so here are some older photos of this wonderful family. Proud to be related to them…

Marty had pulled a hip flexor, so he was unable to stand up straight. But he was perfectly comfortable taking his turn to drive. He did, however, beg the assistance of the young missionaries to load our car that hot morning. We couldn’t have done it without them! The car was fully packed, and now we were supposed to arrive at the mission home in Bentonville AR in time for dinner. This four-hour trip took a bit longer than usual. We felt fortunate to enjoy a lovely dinner by Sister Collins, and an inspirational meeting with other departing missionaries. We left as the testimony portion of the meeting began.

President and Sister Collins were dynamic teachers who left a lasting impression on us. Of course, we never got to know them as well as the mission presidents we served as office specialists in Ghana. But that is to be expected. The Arkansas Bentonville Mission includes ten ecclesiastical stakes, parts of four states, plus there was extra time and attention given to supporting the recent Bentonville temple open house and impending temple dedication. Our particular mission assignment was the furthest to the east, just an hour from the St. Louis temple. This was an immense mission, both in geography and in number of missionaries. We feel privileged to have served there under the Collins’ leadership.

We needed to return through Colorado to our home in Billings MT, a trip of nineteen hours. So we stopped in Oakley KS one night. Once again we were surprised to see acres of windmills and solar panels in the farming country. On Sunday we made a shorter drive to see Becky and Wendell, who are our true angel supporters, dealing with mail and accounting items whenever we serve a mission. They are near Fort Collins CO. We relaxed and ate and talked and picked up our mail. And dashed on to our motel room in Cheyenne WY.

The next day’s drive was only seven hours, across the Crow Indian Reservation, which includes the infamous Little Bighorn Battlefield. We stopped as little as possible. We were eager to be home in our own bed, and thoroughly tired of driving the car.

We had an excellent property manager, Sunlight Property Management in Laurel MT. We came home to a spotless house! We will definitely use this company again. The last renter had moved out 60 days before our return, so perhaps you can guess the only thing which didn’t look quite right when we returned? Yes, our gorgeous artificial turf was ringed on most edges by foot-tall weeds — because there had been no one there to yank them as they appeared. Marty took care of the weeding right away. It didn’t take long.

All our furniture and boxes were stored in our basement bedroom and cold storage room. It took only a few minutes to extract the exercise bike, the blanket chest, and several cabinets. Voila! Our own bed was ready for us. The next morning we began to place the pictures back on every wall. Marty’s maternal grandparents and paternal grandma with her Czech wedding certificate; our tired faces in our mission shirts beside our family tree; an improved display in the living room

Plus some of my favorite family portraits, surrounding the Family Proclamation and a miniature oil painting from Parker CO. Just above that tiny treasure is a five-generation photo of Julie, Alena, Grandma Stacy, me, and my father. We are home!

I missed my daily three-mile walk during our long days of driving, so I celebrated by walking around Lake Elmo, which might be twice the size of the city lake in Sullivan MO. Not nearly so many birds and insects here — Montana is a desert compared to Missouri!

Before our mission, we painted the front door blue, which attracted fewer insects than white. We live on Las Palmas Avenue, which I think is positively hilarious, because Montana is not known to have palm trees, at all… I now have a quality fake palm tree on the front porch. Now it’s time to walk around and meet the neighbors again. The whole world seems to be falling apart, but I know that good neighbors in rural Missouri and Montana continue to watch out for one another. It feels great to be home again!

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August in Missouri

Elder Z stands by the ward photographs in the Sullivan meetinghouse — old photos taken in Sullivan or at the temple in St. Louis, when the ward was larger than it is now. The small black-and-white photo shows President Spencer W. Kimball as a young missionary in Sullivan, sometime between 1914 and 1916.

Our last month as missionaries here was as busy as any. George’s multiple myeloma returned, so he was rushed to Baptist Hospital in St. Louis several times. Elder Z had previously transported him for chemo and radiation, and finally we took his wife up to visit him in this impressive hospital a number of times. We walked a couple of miles inside the hospital to get our exercise without heat or humidity.

Of course we admired the views in every direction from the upper floors. That is how we got our closest look at the famous St. Louis arch:

As of November, George is doing well. We pray every day for him, and for each of the other members. It takes the service of each one to keep that ward in operation. It seems mighty difficult to see even the most valiant of the leaders and members so challenged in their health and fitness: three struggling to stay in remission from cancer, one from a kidney surgery, others from back surgeries — many from car and motorcycle accidents. We have not felt it appropriate to share many photos here, but we will never forget a single one of those we visited and drove to doctor appointments:

Because we were serving in Missouri, we were able to drive to nearby Eureka for Katya and Omar’s wedding reception after their temple marriage. Katya is one of Elder Z’s nieces, a college student with great ambitions. Beautiful celebration… We got to help resupply the delicious refreshment tables and sign their guestbook puzzle:

We will miss our weekly trips nineteen miles (half an hour) into the woods to pick up one or another of the Holleys, and then continuing another thirty to sixty minutes northeast to Washington or St. Louis for appointments. The steep hills and quick curves, especially in the early morning darkness, kept us alert for dashing deer and cars out of nowhere. If Elder Z spotted a turtle, he tried to stop and move it across the roadway. The quantity and diversity of roadkill was astonishing (compared to our desert home): armadillo, raccoon, possum, squirrel, snake, bird, deer, and a dozen other possibilities.

The skeleton motorcycle-mailbox was a welcome landmark on this long route, and the procession of flowers seemed endless. (Click on the smaller photos for a larger view.) We will never forget the beauty and bounty of the Missouri countryside!

Apparently there are nine separate Jesse James (“America’s first celebrity criminal”) museums in the midwest — one was right along I-44, where we drove regularly. We especially loved the Sullivan parking for Electrolysis Only. “Violators will be plucked.”

Jerry– who is over 90– luxuriating in assisted living, was one of our regular stops in the nearby town of Saint Clair. He still drives, but wasn’t comfortable going all the way to the meetinghouse any more. He gifted Elder Z with an actual trilobite fossil, done up as a tie tack. We will definitely not be forgetting Jerry!

Serving as senior missionaries is all about loving and serving people. We felt very needed, worked hard every day, and finished our assignment full of memories and miles, people and places. We look forward to serving again!

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Together Forever, Samantha & Luke

Just three weeks later, we were privileged to attend the wedding of our third granddaughter, sealed in the Draper Utah Temple by the groom’s grandfather. This family grouping shows fewer than half of the Crocketts and Helzers. The bride and groom had corresponded as they each served their missions (in Brazil and in the Philippines), and now they have returned to college.

A civil ceremony was held in the backyard of the groom. The attendants included sisters and missionary companions, brothers and more missionary companions. The weather was perfect, unlike the rehearsal dinner the night before, when a lightning storm shot the entire party back indoors to enjoy wonderful food and great company. We thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the Crocketts, old and young. Five of our nine children were represented…

After being sealed for eternity in the temple, the happy couple stopped by the bride’s home to grab a slice of pizza and have her father sign the marriage certificate. Then it was time to dash to the wedding reception. There was a receiving line, an ice cream cake, more excellent food, and more energetic dancing by both old and young. A wonderful group of friends managed to decorate for the reception. We were put to work here and there — primarily enjoyed watching the bouquets being assembled until 10 pm on the groom’s deck, the prior evening.

Guests lined the walkway to the “Just Married” car, blowing bubbles as Samantha and Luke passed by. Although they had taken engagement photos in the desert near Moab, we are quite sure they abandoned their wedding finery by the time they reached their honeymoon destination.

In a blink, it seemed we were back on our mission in Missouri. We regularly read the scriptures with six or eight of our members each week, in addition to driving members from five families to their doctor and surgical appointments. At times we wish we had one of these church buses, but we truly enjoy the good people here. Occasionally we can attend the St. Louis Temple, but it would take 4.5 hours each way to tour the new Bentonville Arkansas Temple. Lovely as it is, we will miss seeing it. We are happy to serve in a time and place where we never run out of worthwhile things to do!

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Kirsten & Wade, Eternally Wed Draper, Utah

We are more thankful than usual to be serving in rural Missouri: thank heavens we were able to attend three weddings of granddaughters! This would have been impossible, had we been serving out of the country. Just six of our twenty grandkids are girls, so we consider each one mighty precious. The current three are each returned missionaries who work and attend college. We are so very proud of their diligence — and their excellent choices in whom to marry.

Cousins and siblings enjoyed getting reacquainted. Several future weddings are also anticipated.

The bride and her father surprised us with a samba; the groom and his mother also danced beautifully; and then came the incredible energy of the current style of youth dance, which looked like jumping up and down for an entire hour, to various upbeat tunes. Even our youngest grandchildren found it easy to join this style, with their parents:

We enjoyed meeting Wade’s brothers, mother, uncles, and grandparents. Such a wonderful family! I will post here only a few snapshots of the extended family. Probably the professional photos are even better. It takes real skill to pose such large groups…

Since we spend so many hours driving folks to hospitals and doctors up to an hour away from where we live, it was a fun change of pace to fly out and back to this wedding — and let the pilot do the driving. We continue to make walking a priority. As we walk around neighborhoods, we see so many beautiful birds, butterflies, squirrels, turtles and bugs. My camera is seldom fast enough to catch the critters — but here’s this huge tree, one of many which came down in a recent storm. It blocked the road, until neighbors brought out their chain saws. (Click on the photo to see the uprooted roots. Last, but not least, fabulous flowers I received for a belated Mothers Day. Life is good! Going to the third wedding next week…

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