The Perfect Day

Yesterday the weather was so perfect, Larry and I decided that a good, long hike was in order. After a stop out at the dump (we have been cleaning out the garage) we made our way to Big Cottonwood Canyon. On the trip towards the canyon we took a side drive through my old neighborhood where I grew up. So much has changed, yet so much is exactly the same. There are more houses, more people, and more traffic. The older neighborhoods have kind of become more desolate and less manicured as younger families choose the new, super sized homes being squeezed onto parcels of land that had been left vacant during my youth.

I drove through the old streets of my neighborhood remembering the first time I took my hands off the handlebars on my bike as I coasted down the hill toward my home. My old home now seems to have taken a turn for the worse. I drove by my house a few years ago when I was "new" in town and nostalgic for the old days. The house looked well loved and cared for, but was for sale. I could see yesterday that the new owners don't care for the house as it had been in the past. I felt sad for it. It made me start to think about pieces of a person left imprinted in a place they once lived or spent time. It made me wonder if a place has a memory of time and space, or if it just the person whose memories implanted on the soul and the mind are what makes the memory seem so alive when it is seen, smelt, or heard once again. Maybe I will dig deeper into this discussion at another time.

We turned the corner and made our way to my old duck hangout. Near my home there once was old horse and small farm land. Most of that has been eaten up by suburban sprawl. Next to the road is a river where ducks spend time in the shade of the trees. I used to be one of the few that would spend time down at the river feeding the ducks and making sure they didn't cross the road. I was happy to see that the ducks are still there and have multiplied manifold. Benches have been set up along the canal road with some new fencing to keep the ducks from being squashed by impatient passersby. Children and families come to feed the ducks and enjoy their company. I was happy to see the area so well used.

We continued East finally making it to Brighton. We have hiked in this area many times before, usually toward the lakes, but this time I decided to head up towards the peaks to the East. After 3 hours we made it to to Snake Creek Pass.

This is the view looking out toward Heber Valley.

The view to Mount Timpanogos


Someone popped his little head into my picture....

It was perfect weather, if not even a little chilly. We got a little lost, but found our back to Dog Lake, and lucky us, came across a brother and a sister moose (mooses? moosi?) chowing down on the green grass surrounding the lake.

As we got down towards the bottom, we were surprised to find that another sibling pair (I know they are siblings because I was talking to a resident who has been watching them for 4 years), two brothers, that were out in the open at the resort chowing down.

Trying to get this picture, I wasn't paying much attention to where I was walking (no..not me!) and found myself in a patch of stinging nettle. Fortunately, the aftermath wasn't too bad. I have had much worse. I put some aloe lotion on it and it helped the swelling and stinging lessen.

On the drive back down the canyon, The Cure came on the radio. I was singing along as I always do and as the song ended the D.J. announced they were coming in concert on Oct. 4th. I looked at Larry and exclaimed, "I am getting tickets!" He smiled and laughed at me. Larry and I are on different wavelengths when it comes to music, but he puts up with me.

After we got home, I jumped on the computer to find that the floor was already sold out. Damn! I had to get the lower level seats, which aren't bad, but I hope the people behind me don't plan on sitting down! I have never seen The Cure in concert and there is no way in hell I am going to sit down and clap my hands to Fascination Street.

Larry grilled some T-Bones and corn on the cob. I heated up some baked beans (I got the tough job), and we ravenously consumed our food while watching the movie Eragon. It was a cute movie and entertaining. Larry really liked it, especially all the flying scenes.
We did the dishes, watched the news and I crashed before I got to the second paragraph in my book.

It was a perfect day.