Heading to Utah

I spent several weeks in February in Utah helping out with my Dad. Since I was driving down, I decided to take a detour (shock) and check out a spot I had read about recently in a book titled "The Big Burn" (I highly tout this book). It tells the story of one of the greatest forest fires in U.S. history, if not the greatest, and, as a sub-plot, the story of Ed Pulaski. Ed saved the lives of many firefighters by hiding them in an old mine shaft (see picture). The Forest Service has recently completed a new memorial trail to Pulaski near Wallace, Idaho (which was burned to the ground in the fire). The trail ends at the actual mine shaft. The memorial and trail are very well done - check it out after reading the book! This is a great break idea for that drive to Utah if you are going the Montana route.

More Recent Reads

As I read several books at the same time, and go back and forth, the sign of a book I like, of course, is one that doesn't get pushed to the bottom of the pile. A trio of good books here that I pretty much stayed with until I was finished. If you are a Grisham fan, this one is "right on" his genre and a page turner. I also like to read about ordinary people faced with extraordinary circumstances and The Big Burn fits the bill. It also took place right in our Northwest backyard in territory I have driven over many times. I had read the roadside historical sign about the "big burn" of 1910 going over Lookout Pass into Montana on I-90, but there was so much more to it - I loved this book. If you are fascinated by the landscapes of Arizona, as I am, the final book is a nice addition to any library. It helped that I had already visited most of the spots, although I have one new one to check out when we head to that part of the country again. 

Eli and His Great-Uncle Eric

St. George Snow Bird Trial

We decided to give St. George a try for a modified "snow bird trial run" during January and actually found it to be a very nice experience. There were some issues with leaving one's home, friends, and church for such a long period of time, but there are many things that we found to be enjoyable as well. St. George is a beautiful peaceful place, although the traffic and growth might change that in the long run. It was a little colder and wetter than we expected, but the clear sunny mornings were a delight. We made some quick new friends and seeing old friends and family that have relocated there was a nice bonus. The house we rented was better than expected, with a great view of the valley below and close to everything that we needed in the way of shopping. We enjoyed going to movies, working on family history, not having the phone ring, eating out, Amy's visit, some nice side trips, local museums, quilting, the local Costco, going to the temple, and the red rock. Definitely a keeper. Our housemates (the Merrill's) were also better than expected (joke). Some side notes: I am now addicted to HD cable and am going to have to upgrade. KR has now been to the John Wayne heartland (Monument Valley and Gould's Trading Post. And Navajo National Monument, near Kayenta, Arizona, is one of the most beautiful places on this planet (see the picture of the Betatakin Valley below). The main cliff dwelling there is simply awe-inspiring. 

Henry Jason Anderton

It was a big day for Mark & Laurel. Here are the first pictures. The ones of Eva & Isaac are on the way to the hospital.

Haiku For Jon

Found this in the Washington State Bar Journal of all places:

         in restroom visit
         take care - iPhone, Blackberry
         not good in water

                   ---- Michael Heatherly