Troubled Waters

On Sunday, Steve and I took some time for *us* and went on a Sunday drive. Alone. Together. Ahhh. So nice. :)

We decided to first go up the canyon and check on the run-off.

It has been predicted for Utah that this year's run-off from the snow in the mountains is going to cause as much flooding as the infamous flood of 1983 where roads were turned into rivers.

"They" say that a lot was learned from '83 though, so there won't be as many problems. Let's hope so!

Anyway, so we went up the canyon to see what was comin' down.





Truth be told, I was really nervous being on the bridge over this troubled water. I had to back up so that I could see the bridge firmly under my feet. The roar from the river was so loud!

There was a plaque next to the bridge telling when it was built and why. Turns out that the bridge, the road, and the campground, had to be rebuilt because of the devastation from the '83 flood. Nice.

Next, we drove out to the reservoir where the river water ends up.

The canal channeling the water was filled to the brim and threatened to wash away anything in its path.



Closer to the reservoir, the water had escaped its bounds and was running across the road.



We didn't continue down the road because getting stuck wasn't the way we wanted the day to end.

Also for those not used to flood waters: don't cross a road with water washing across it. The depth of the water might be deeper than you expect, and the rush of the water might be stronger than you'd think.

As we looked out to the reservoir, we could see that it was filled to the top. I don't have a telephoto lens or I would have showed you what I saw, sorry. :/

Next, we drove around closer to home to see what we could see.

This is the little creek that runs along the back of some houses:



And this area is not a pond! This is where people drive their 4 wheelers :/ The creek is filling it up fast, though:





To those suffering with flooding, whether from my neck of the woods or from far away, my prayers are with you.

I certainly hope that the preparations that have been taken will ease flooding danger and that "they" are right and that the problems won't be as bad as it has been in the past.

On our drive on Sunday, I didn't take pics of anything other than the canyon waters and then some pics at Burraston Pond (I'll save those pics for another day) So to remedy that, yesterday I loaded Michael and Matt in the car and we drove around to get the close-to-home shots that I just showed you. We ended up at the dollar store for a Symphony bar for me and some Pringles for Mike and Matt. Just what I needed! :)

Also, after wanting to take a pic of The Cutest Front Porch EVER, I finally got one yesterday:



Is that not adorable?! I really, really NEED a front porch.

Signing off from not-on-my-front-porch,

A Hodgepodge - May 17

Warning: This post has lots of random ideas & jumps from idea to idea.... :)

On Saturday afternoon, while Steve was in the grocery store picking up a few things, Amber, Aiden, & I hung out in the car. Amber tried getting Aiden to make fishy lips & here is his attempt:



You know, a funny thing happens when your child makes their own child: you see aspects of your own child peeking out from the quiet little corners of their personality and looks. Right here is Josh's smile:




How cute is this?! Just gettin' comfy, I guess:




Last week we finally got some dry, sunny, warm days, so I ventured out to take some pics:




This one reminds me of a fairy world:




"Don't take candy from strangers!" That is the message in Brandon Mull's The Candy Shop War.



This book did take me a little longer to get into than his Fablehaven series, but it was a really good book!

Here is the description from over at Amazon.com:

"Welcome to the Sweet Tooth Ice Cream & Candy Shoppe, where the confections are a bit on the . . . unusual side. Rock candy that makes you weightless. Jawbreakers that make you unbreakable. Chocolate balls that make you a master of disguise. Four young friends--Nate, Summer, Trevor, and Pigeon--meet the grandmotherly Mrs. White, owner of the Sweet Tooth, and soon learn about the magical side effects of her candies.
In addition, the ice cream truck driver, Mr. Stott, has arrived with a few enchanted sweets of his own. But what about the mysterious man in the dark overcoat and fedora hat? Why are all these "magicians" trying to recruit Nate and his friends? Who should they trust?

The mystery deepens and the danger unfolds as the four youngsters discover that the magical strangers have all come to town in search of a legendary, hidden treasure--one that could be used for great evil if it fell into the wrong hands. The kids, now in over their heads, must try to retrieve the treasure first. And so, the war begins . . ."

Brandon Mull is an excellent storyteller & I highly recommend his books for all ages!

What are you and/or your children reading these days?

Have a super terrific day today!

Emily's dance performance

It is the end of the school year: time for all of the performances.

Emily has been in Dance I in jr. high, and on Friday, her class performed at the spring concert along with the Dance Company, the Hip Hop Team, the Ballroom Dance Team, and other dance classes.

She was excellent! She said that she goofed up a time or two, but neither Steve nor I noticed.



Emily likes this pic best:




Ever since she was a little girl, Emily has said that she wanted to "sing and dance on a stage", and she has! And she loves it! She doesn't get stage fright like some of our family (me!) does. She says that she gets an adrenalin rush from the crowd and loves to hear the applause. Sounds like a performer to me! :) (She must get it from Steve, because I'd rather be in the audience than on stage any day!)

Way to go, Em! You did a great job!

Happy Monday, all!