Wednesday, July 23, 2014

One More Week in Paradise

Don't know how we keep up the torrid pace - but, we manage.  We managed three more days of golf (at $25/person including cart!!!!), several more dinners with friends (where we learned much more about the Olympic trials and tribulations),  a drive to Bear Lake via the Mirror Lake Highway---

Where's the moose?  Perfect location..but not today.

Morning at Mirror Lake.
Ya think??
---- and several more hikes.  Perhaps the most interesting was our little adventure up to "Keith's Meadow" where we dodged various storm cells to avoid getting struck by lightening or drenched with the downpours ---

I choose to believe all the seeds we spread in this meadow over the years contributed to these wildflowers.

Looking over Park City from atop Guardsman Pass as the storm cells come and go

We found good cover during one outburst.

Much needed rain - made it back to the car just in time!

---and perhaps one of the most beautiful was the hike to Catherine's Pass, which is in Little Cottonwood Canyon above Alta ski area.  This area is known for the summer wild flowers - and they were beautiful!  Our timing could not have been better for the floral carpets.  (The pictures do not do the flowers justice.)

A beautiful panoramic view of the Albion Basin area.



Sally and E at the top of the Pass looking toward Brighton

Ahhhh!  Another week under our belt - leaving just a little over two weeks in Park City.

E & G with too much to do and so little time to do it;-)

Sunday, July 13, 2014

A "Split Screen" week for E & G


This was an interesting week for E & G.  It started and ended together in Park City - but, 4 days of the week were 'split' between Park City for E and Lemoore, CA for Gary;-)

Sunday was a perfect day for us - great massages in Magic in the morning and a wonderful BBQ at friend Sally's in the evening.  Dinner was especially fun because we got to enjoy Sally's quaint deck while watching her fix yummy steaks and corn on her grill for the very first time!!


Chef Sally - looking good!

The next morning we went our separate ways.  That is - after E dropped G at the airport at 6 in the morning;-(

E's next few days included a lot of reading, cleaning of Magic, hosting Book Club (so - some cooking of a delicious mac & cheese casserole), golfing and hiking.  You know - the usual -

Ready for Book Club at the Bus - guess what dessert was???

Hiking Deer Valley on a BEAUTIFUL day.
While E was enjoying the cooler weather of PC, G was baking in Lemoore!  But - it was worth it as he celebrated both Heather's (July 4th) and Haley's (July 15th) birthdays;-)

Celebrating Birthdays - guess who is older??

Haley riding her BD present from Gramps and Gramma.

The lights on the helmet twinkle - lots of bling.
After G found his way home, we were back to concerts and checking another item off E's 'to do' list in PC.

First we enjoyed the Music of John Williams performed by the Utah Symphony at Deer Valley -


A perfect night - without rain - for a great concert.  Was this Jaws, Superman or Star Wars??

The "To Do" List Item - There is a VERY large piece of property out our back door and on the other side of the highway at Kimball Junction which is now referred to as the Swaner Nature Preserve.  Although, it began in the 1600's as an Indian sacred place known as 'Hole in the Sky', became part of the Pony Express route in the 1860's and from 1872-1890 the Kimball Brothers Stage Line ran a stage from Park City to Salt Lake City through the heart of today's Preserve (thus the establishment of Kimball Junction).   In 1957 Leland Swaner purchased the Spring Creek Angus Ranch, which he operated for 35 years, until 190 acres were donated in memory of Leland Swaner, establishing the Swaner Memorial Park.  Land continued to be donated creating the Preserve as it is today with The Swaner EcoCenter building opening in 2008 to describe the preserve, its work and to allow viewing of the inhabitants.  All the time we lived in PC we never actually visited the Preserve, although we drove by it and biked its borders.  This year was time to check it out -


The Swanner Nature Preserve at Kimball Junction near Park City, Utah. 
Sand Hill Cranes on the Preserve.
Then came that "Super Moon" and a Full Moon concert at Larry Hart's Riffs - one of our favorite things to do in PC;-)

Full Moon means...


Full Moon Concert at Riffs.
Ahhhhhh;-)  Another wonderful week in Park City.  But, time is going fast - only 4 more weeks to take it all in.

E & G - Off on more adventures before time runs out!

Sunday, July 6, 2014

A July 4th Week in Park City



Another fabulous week in Park City!  

More golf - Monday with our regular Monday golfing buddies, Rheta and Tom, and Thursday with some 'old friends', Marla and Steve, who we managed to capture in town for a brief spell.

More dinners - Sunday we slipped in a nice evening at The Blue Boar in Midway with Rheta and Tom before our golf outing Monday morning.  And - Wednesday we met up with our old buddies from the RV park - Sue and Don - who have moved on from their RV, but are back in town in a rented house for the summer;-)

More hiking - This week we tackled Lambs Canyon, a 4 mile round trip with about a 1700' elevation change.  The effort is well worth it when you reach the saddle and have views down Mill Creek Canyon to the Salt Lake Valley - 


Atop the Lamb's Canyon trail with Ben and Sally - -