Unbelievable weather today!

I slept in this morning.  When I got up and checked my facebook newsfeed, I saw all sorts of comments about a severe thunder storm that occurred this morning at about 5:30.  I had slept right through it!  Drat!  I like thunderstorms.

It was warm and sunny in the early afternoon, so Helena helped me hose off the back patio, to try to limit the amount of dust and dirt being tracked into the house.  I couldn't help noticing the dark and lowering clouds growing to the West.  Not 20 minutes after we finished cleaning off the back patio, the storm clouds unleashed a torrent of rain and hail.  Yes, I said HAIL!  In August!!

The back yard quickly filled with water.  Will and his best friend, Dallan, had been playing outside and quickly came in laughing and complaining that the hail hurt when it hit.  It was really pelting down!

Helena holding some hail in her hand to show how big the pieces were.

After the hail had finally subsided it continued to rain.  Helena decided to go stand in the road and let the summer rain drench her.  When she was little, she used to love to go 'puddle stomping' right after summer rain storms.

While the boys were waiting for the storm to subside, they went in and had a snack.  After the rain had stopped, they went out to the back yard and got literally COATED in mud!  I can't help but wonder if Dallan's mother gets frustrated with how dirty he is when he comes home from spending the day over here.  Those boys just seem to revel in dirt.  I am not kidding when I say that they get filthy every time they get together.  I am glad, though.  Someday they will grow too old for playing in the mud, but it doesn't have to be today!

So, we thought we were done with storm for the day.  Will and Dallan headed off to scouts, and Helena decided to drive herself off to young women's.  However, just as she was heading out, the sky unzipped AGAIN!  Only this time the hail was even BIGGER!!!  It was pelting down so hard she was afraid it would damage the car.  Actually, she got sent out on a few errands today and told me of street lights being out, traffic being snarled something fierce, and fender benders.  I had sent her off in the Expedition, so I wasn't concerned for her ability to navigate the storm, but I did worry about other people's driving skills, or lack thereof.

One of the hail stones from the second (or, I guess it was the third) storm.  The dirt on it is from the yard, not the sky.

Bill told me when he got home that all the Christmas lights on the house had been smashed by the hail stones, and that there were bitty shards of colorful glass all  around the perimeter of the house.  Why are there Christmas lights on the house in August, you ask?  Because they never got taken down last winter.  Who in the world wants to climb up on the roof in the freezing cold and snow to do such an unpleasant task?  So, they remained.  Now we'll have to climb up there and remove their remains, I suppose.

Amazing Sunset!

Last night Bill called us all outside to see the most amazing sunset clouds I have ever seen!  They were right above us and just GLOWED!  I got lots of shots and have even submitted one of them (this one, in fact) to a commercial photo web site for consideration as a stock photo.  If they accept it (and the other two photos I submitted), then I might make a leetle bit of money from it.  Wish me luck!

A 'Stream' in the backyard

Bill spent a large part of last Saturday working on the yard with heavy equipment.  He hauled in dirt and shifted rocks for a large part of that hot, hot day!  When he was ready to be done for the day, he needed to water settle the new dirt level in the back yard.  In the past he has simply put the sprinkler on it and let it run for several hours.  This time, he did something very fun!

We are creating a dry 'creek bed' in one of the planters as a bit of visual interest.  Bill laid out the heavy plastic that will go underneath the river rocks I plan to put there and weighted it down with some of the bigger rocks to keep it in place temporarily.  The plastic is to prevent weeds from growing in my 'creek'.

Well, to do the water settling this time, Bill wedged the hose into some of the big rocks piled at one end of my 'creek' and turned it on full blast!  The result was a rock waterfall fountain that fed my 'creek' and splashed down into the dirt that needed settling.  So, even though it will probably never happen again, for one evening I had a fully functioning water feature in my back yard!

Will and I stayed out in the yard enjoying the 'waterfall' and 'creek' until it got dark.

Someday there will be more visual interest with a bridge over the 'creek' just to the right of those stairs you see in the picture, and lots of plants, of course!

The Photo Diet Experiment

Well, here it is.  I don't know how long I will be able to keep it up, but I hope to transform my eating habits with this effort.

Many dietitians will tell you to write down EVERYTHING you eat.  I have tried that in both print and digital formats and it never seems to work for me.  However, I like to take pictures, so maybe this will better for me!  I started today and I have already noticed that I have altered my food choices for the day just based on the fact that I had to take a picture of it and share that with the world.  It is an encouraging start. 

To check out my experiment, click here, or click on the menu tab at the top of this blog at any time to check back on my experiment often!

Archery

Last Christmas we gave Will a compound bow.  Winter is not really archery season, though, so it remained hanging on his bedroom wall for months.  Recently, however, he has pulled it down and gotten enthused about shooting stuff again.  Just the other day Helena drove him down to Humphries to get a fishing barb point for one of his arrows.  He hopes to take the bow with him next time he goes fishing with his friend, Cody.  I say 'good luck with that'.

Yesterday, Will wanted to practice shooting in the back yard.  My initial thoughts were "over my dead body!"  After all, we have a gorgeous new vinyl fence that I don't want holes in.  Also, weapons and back yard seem like a really bad mixture, if you know what I mean.

But then, I remembered all the hours of fun I had as a kid shooting a recurve bow in my parents' back yard.  Granted, there was no fancy fence to worry about back then.  But it was still weapons in the back yard and nobody died then, so the odds seemed in my son's favor that no one would be killed this time, either.  I told him to go set up the safest arrangement he could think of and show it to me for final judgement.  When he brought me out, I saw that he had placed plywood sheets in front of a pile of flagstone, then placed his target in front of that.  He was only standing 15 feet away, so he'd have to be a really terrible shot to miss the plywood completely.  I gave him the green light.

Then, of course, Will asked his sister if she wanted to try.  Who would refuse the opportunity to shoot a bow and arrow?  Helena did pretty well on her first two draws on the string, but seemed to lose all her muscles on the third attempt.  A compound bow is hard to pull until you get past a certain point on the draw, then it becomes easy to hold in place while you aim and release.  So much easier than the recurve, which requires full muscle strength the entire time!  Anyways, she couldn't seem to get to that easy hold point on that third try.  From looking at the picture, I'd say that her stance probably has something to do with it.  The rest of her body is not helping her, she is trying to do it with her arms alone.

Of course, I had to take a turn, too!  My aim was terrible, but at least I hit the target more often than not... even if the arrow hit a different spot than the one I aimed for.

It should be noted as a post script that today Will came inside very distraught and confessed to me that he accidentally shot an arrow into the fence.  Sort of a George Washington and the Cherry Tree kind of moment.  He was so upset that he couldn't stop apologizing, even after I told him to stop.  To be honest, I am not mad at him for it.  How can I be?  I am the one who let him do it.  I knew that the fence would most likely be a casualty at some point.

He insisted he would pay to repair the fence, but I told him that since the hole is in the lower half, we'd probably just plant something in front of it to hide the hole.  He amended his offer to paying for the plant at that point.  He also asked that I let him tell his dad about the hole.  Apparently Bill had threatened to take away the bow if he shot holes in the fence.  That was eating Will up inside, but it didn't stop him from confessing to his dad the moment Bill got home from work.  The beauty of it is that Bill feels the same way I do about the incident and did NOT take the bow away.  I really do love my husband!

About diet, errands, and lawn ornaments

So.  Why is it so hard to make myself eat healthy?  I start most days with good intentions and by afternoon I am snacking away on just the worst sorts of sugars and fats!  Most days I end up drinking a 32 oz. soda (my flavor of choice is fully leaded Dr. Pepper, hereafter referred to as 'Poison Water') or many of them.  Each one packs a full meal's worth of calories, but I really truly DISLIKE diet sodas!  Though to confess, I am trying to choke down a Coke Zero as I write this.  I also distrust them.  Have you ever noticed how many severely obese people drink diet soda?  Have you ever noticed how many truly skinny people don't drink ANY soda at all, diet or otherwise?  Well, there's my answer right there.  I need to find the willpower to give up my Poison Water altogether and join the ranks of the truly skinny.

Here is a picture of my breakfast of choice today.  Corn Chex with blueberries and strawberries... no sugar... and a mug of fat free milk.  I feel so clean inside when I eat like this.

Here is a secret for you; I have started taking two fiber tablets with 16 oz. of water 30 min. before every meal.  It helps fill up my stomach so I can eat less and still feel full.  Now, before you freak out on me and warn me to get enough calories, don't worry!  I am doing it to bring my calories into the safe range that is necessary to lose weight.

I follow a blog that is called Fed Up with Lunch: the School Lunch Project.  It is written by a teacher who decided to buy school lunch for an entire year, photograph it and blog about it each day.  She had to do this on the sly, because it caused such a commotion that her job was in jeopardy.  Very interesting stuff.  You should check it out!

What does that have in common with my thought thread about my diet (and by 'diet' I really mean what I eat, not that I am "on a diet")?  Just that it makes me wonder if I could force myself to photograph and report what I eat on a daily basis?  Would that keep me from eating candy, cookies, and ice-cream on a regular basis?  I think I might just start a new blog and do just that!  Because I simply don't have enough to do (HA!), and I don't want to bog down this blog with photos of my meals, or bore you to tears with it.  Once I get it up and running, I'll let you know.

*****

"So, Mom, do you have any errands for me today?"

Guess who?

It makes me wish I did have an errand to send her on, and I actually wracked my brain trying to come up with a make-believe errand just to please her.  But, unfortunately for her, I simply don't have any errands until the weekend.  Will came up with one, so she ran him to Humphries, then went to a convenience store to get my disappointing Coke Zero (with cherry syrup added to try and make it palatable).  Humphries is an archery store.  We gave Will a compound bow for Christmas last year, and he was eager to find a fishing tip for one of his arrows.  Doesn't that sound like a fun way to fish?

*****

Here is an update on our yard improvements.  We have a dirt yard.  I haven't mowed in two summers now.  In fact, we loaned our lawn mower out to someone (who was it again?) and haven't seen it since.  However, as you can see by the awesome lawn ornament in the first photo, more work has been and will yet be done.  Once all the rocks are in place and the dirt is at the correct levels, Bill will install the sprinklers.  Hope he lets me help him.  Not that I know anything at all about the process.  I just want to be out there with him so I don't feel like a jerk, making him do all the hard stuff while I lounge around in the air conditioned house.

Ahhh!  Look at my poor birch tree!  This is a Weeping Birch, and it is dying.  I am not sure why, because there could be two different causes.  Last fall, we had tree trimmers come out and hack off dead growth and the larger branches at the bottom.  I even carved Bill+Kate into the heart shaped scar left when the largest bottom limb was removed.  The shock of 'surgery' might have been too much for the tree, or some disease or bugs could have gotten into the tree through the scar.  Or, it could be starving for lack of water.  Bill piped the ditch last winter and we can't help but wonder if the tree roots all reach out towards where the free running ditch water used to run and water the tree?  We have been watering the tree like mad, but I am not sure if it is enough.  Especially since we are watering it around its base and the roots might extend out nearly to the road.  If water is the problem, I hope the new sprinkler system will 'cure' it.  I am just not sure if the tree will survive long enough to benefit from the future sprinkler system.  Please don't die, Weeping Birch!

Even in it's rough and unfinished form the back yard looks like a fun place!  Everyone who sees it is impressed because you can easily fill in the missing grass and plants in your mind and see what it will look like when finished.

An Official Driver's License!

Today I took Helena down to the Driver's License Division of the Dept. of Public Safety (the government likes capital letters, apparently) so she could take her field test for her driver's license.  But let me back up a moment and give you the full story...

Helena got her learner's permit just a few days after she turned 15 back in the fall 2008.  She had TONS of driving practice, took driver's ed over the summer of '09, and was ready to get her license when she turned 16 last November. 

I should say, ALMOST ready.  There was one stumbling block....

Her grades.

We told her that we wouldn't let her get her license until she managed to get her grades to the point that we could get the good student discount on the insurance.  We waited all year for her to fix the problem, but we waited in vain.

Last winter I realized that her permit had actually expired at the year mark back in November of '09!  Great.  Now she couldn't even get in the extra practice!  Ugh.  I decided it would be a good thing to worry about over summer vacation, when we had the time to deal with it.

So.  Here we are.  Summer vacation is 2/3 over and things have finally calmed down to a degree that I can focus on this predicament.

Last Monday I took her down to reinstate her permit.  It had been so long (over 1 1/2 years) since she got her last one that they made her retake the written test.  That was cake, though, so we left there with her permit... and an appointment for her driving field test.

Today she breezed through the field test with just a few minor comments from the test official ('don't place your hand INSIDE the steering wheel when turning', uh... OK.) and walked away with a temporary paper license until the plastic one is mailed to her.  Oh, and she looks totally STONED in her photo.  Hee, hee, hee!  Gotta love government photos!

Incidentally, I HATE the bureaucracy of that place!!!  Stand in line # one so you can tell the FIRST government official what you are doing there, show him you have the correct documentation (or be told to come back when you have it), and get a number to sit and wait for the SECOND bureaucrat to take your money and scan your documents.  Then he sends you to wait for the THIRD official to stamp and seal your documents and process it all OFFICIALLY.  He then sends you to wait for the FOURTH guy who is actually the field test administrator with the power to grant or deny your attempt at a successful license!

I can't tell you how grateful I am that I managed to get my license renewed online right before they cancelled that option!  Now ALL renewals must be done in person with proper paperwork to prevent id theft.  I won't have to deal with that until 2014.

Now, you might be wondering why we are even letting her get her license since she hasn't gotten the prerequisite grades, yet.  Here's the deal;

I want her to be driving for lots of different reasons.  The most obvious is to make my life easier.  Now she can drive herself to school and has even volunteered to pick Will up after school, making my schedule super nice.  Also, I will no longer have to shuttle her to her friends' houses.  She is a popular girl and does more with her friend than I ever did as a teen.  But there are other reasons.

I want her to have lots of experience driving now while her driving options are still under my control.  I will feel better sending her off on college adventures if I know that she has this driving thing completely handled.  It will also give me more of a chance to give her progressively harder 'find this address' challenges to broaden her world.  And, if she is driving, that also means she can get herself to and from a job, should that opportunity present itself!

What about the grades, you ask?

Simple.

We will pay her insurance no matter what.  However, if she doesn't get the good student discount, she will have to pay us the difference in insurance costs each month.  It is a $13 difference.  That is not insurmountable for her and seems equitable to everyone.  After all, I shouldn't have to pay for her bad grades, right?  RIGHT!

Oh.  And Will is steamed because we found out that the difference between good grades and bad grades for BOYS is $42!!!  He will be completely hosed if he doesn't pull the grades!  But, he's got about 2 years of advanced warning so he can build the good grade habit.

A couple of 'camping' weeks

During the week of the 13th through the 17th, Will went off to High Adventure Scout Camp.  He was given a medical release form and a packing list.  I took the med form, he took the list. 

I scheduled his doctor's check up for just a couple of days before camp.  All was standard procedure until the doc said that Will needed a booster of his Chicken Pox vaccine.  Will hates needles with an irrational fear that most of us share, but for him the fear can be overwhelming.  (By the way, Will, it is not at all uncommon for a big tough football player to be calmly carried off the field with a bone jutting out, only to have him freak out about a needle in the hands of a medic)

Anyways, needle incident behind us, we were getting ready to go when the doc said that there was a trace amount of protein in Will's urine sample and he wanted us to get another sample at home and bring it in for analysis.  Are you kidding me?!  Ugh.

Of course, when I got home I googled 'protein leak' and read all about how it can be a warning sign for diabetes.  GOOD GRIEF!  There is no way this kid can be diabetic!  I cannot begin to imagine the nightmare of dealing with that amount of needle stress.

Well, it turned out to be nothing, of course.  The second sample was clean.  There are absolutely no indications that point to diabetes, so there is just another example of me worrying over nothing.

So, off to camp he went.

They had a great time hiking and biking and spelunking all over the mountains and he even managed to gain 5 pounds in the bargain (which he has since lost).  Apparently, at one point during a hike the leaders got turned around and took the wrong trail.  They ended up on a more technical and challenging trail than they had planned, but I figure all's well that ends without making it on the evening news!

***

This past week was Helena's turn at camp.  Her medical release form wasn't nearly as comprehensive as his, nor did it need a doctor to sign off on her ability to participate.

Girl's Camp is a bit different from Scout Camp.  For one thing, Helena took her cell phone and her iPod with her.  Will was forbidden to bring electronics.  Helena had spa-like shower facilities and used them daily.  Will didn't (let's just leave it at that, shall we?).  Will was on the go constantly doing some strenuous activity.  Other than one hike, Helena's camping included canoe-ing, craft making, and pedicures.  She took some treats with her, but she came back with more than she left with, thanks to her 'secret sister'.  They had made 'camp chairs' out of 5 gallon buckets with home made seat cushions.  They used these to store their treats in so that wildlife would leave it alone.  Honestly, I would prefer Helena's version of camping!

Now that camp is over, there is nothing on the schedule between us and the start of school, which is only three short weeks away!!!

HOLY COW!!!  That is SOON!  AHHHH!  There is so much still to be done!

I'M NOT READY

I'M NOT READY

I'M NOT READY

and neither are the kids!

Phooey.

I wish summer lasted forever like it used to when we were kids.

The Steel Days 5K and thoughts on exercise

On the morning of the final day of Steel Days, the kids and I got up way earlier than any of us really wanted to in order to be at the starting line of the annual Steel Days 5K.  You see, at one of my committee meetings, I got this irrational desire to participate in the 5K for the first time EVER!  Not wanting to do it alone, I convinced my kids to do it with me.  They were both very willing and agreed when it was still 2 weeks away.  The morning of was another matter.

The only true early bird in our house is Bill.  The rest of us are night owls who have a very hard time dragging our carcasses out of bed in the morning.  It is easier for me than the kids.  I have lots of practice making myself get up even when I'd rather be in bed.  Years of mommy training, after all.  However, having said that, I have seen both of them get up early when it suits them.

Anyways, the morning of the race found all three of us standing at the starting line with varying degrees of commitment to the task at hand.  At the starting buzzer we set off at a mild jog that we could only sustain long enough to get us well out of sight of the starting line.  Then we slowed to a fast walk and maintained that for the remainder of the 'race' (minus a short burst of jogging here or there). 

To be honest, I was surprised at my kids' lack of endurance.  Before the race was half over they were talking of just heading home and not finishing.  The entire race takes place within easy walking distance to our house, so that wasn't an idle threat.  A 5K equals approximately 3.2 miles, so we are not talking about extreme sports here.  I say I was surprised because both of my kids are slim and trim models of perfect health.  In fact, I am the only pudgy person in my family.

Fortunately, at the point where the 5K was closest to home, it was also getting close to the finish line, meaning the kids and I knew where the rest of the course would take us and we all decided that we could make it that far.

Our time was an embarrassing 47 minutes.  Still, before we set out I really had no idea how long it would really take us and I was just glad it was over and took us less than an hour!

You know, I really LIKED the 5K!  That was a shocker.  I have always avoided running type stuff.  I even avoided the treadmill at the gym and used the elliptical instead.  I have a 'bad knee', you see.

Um, yeah.

I liked the 5K so much that I decided to change my exercise routine.  Now, instead of the elliptical, I use the treadmill.  I do a 5K.  I want to get my time down to under 30 minutes before the next official 5K.  When will that be?  I don't know.  For sure I need to be ready for next year's Steel Days event!

For now, I have "run" about 7 more 5Ks since that morning.  My time is now under 44 minutes.  I even jogged non-stop for the LAST 5 minutes of my most recent workout and came home completely soaked in sweat.  Not earth shattering, but it is a start.

The Steel Days Art Show

Years ago, the kids and I entered our artwork into the Steel Days Art Show as a way to participate the the city wide celebration.  We all won something, and the ladies in charge were quick to ask me who I was and what was my background in art.  They were thrilled to find out that I teach art to elementary school aged students and were soon asking me to teach city arts council sponsored children's art classes.  I have agreed to do so from time to time, since it isn't difficult and makes for a nice little side income.

A few years ago, I helped some with registration.  Before I knew it, I was asked to be the Adult Division Director (notice the capital letters?  Don't worry, it gets worse!).  When I agreed, that apparently put me on the city arts council.  Who knew?

So, last year, I ran the Adult Division.  That wasn't too bad.  I did my thing, then went home.  I wasn't able to enter that year, because it felt inappropriate when I was in charge of the division.

The woman who ran the show last year is named Heidi.  She has small children and really stressed out about it all last year.  She said she didn't want to do it again, but there was no one else to do it.  Here is where I open mouth and insert insanity.  I said, "I'll be 'in charge' if you run it with me... so we'll both do it... I'll just take the spearhead so your husband won't freak out."  That was one of her complaints, that her husband begrudged the time away from the family.  So not a problem around here.

Here we are in 2010.  I didn't know when I told her I'd step in that it involved Steel Days Committee meetings every month ALL YEAR.  AND arts council meetings each month ALL YEAR.  Oi!

Still, it didn't get intense until just a week before show time.  I will not give you a blow by blow, because that would be tedious.  Instead, I will just say that I completely understand why judges dole out community service as a punishment in the criminal justice system.  HA!

It was hard to get volunteers, though most of them did a fantastic job.  It was the regular arts council members who were the most frustrating.  These ladies are so right brained that I think their left brains are in a permanent coma!  Grrr!  Yet they were all volunteers and council members, so I couldn't tell them to go home.  I had to just follow in their wake, trying to minimize the damage they caused.

The show was smaller this year than last, by half!  Last year there were over 500 entries.  This year there were just over 250.  I think it was because Steel Days got moved to the week immediately following Independence Day.  The federally observed holiday was the 5th, so we couldn't start registration until Tuesday, the 6th.  The carnival blocked off the road to set up in the park next door (as they do every year), so many people couldn't get back to the library.

Still, it was a good show, and had very few glitches.  At least, there were less than last year.

A man came to me during registration and asked to speak to me privately.  He said that he and his wife had fallen on hard times and were both unemployed.  He then asked if I would be willing to waive the entrance fee for his wife's artwork and in exchange, he would volunteer in as many ways as I needed him.  I said 'yes'.  The statues above are his wife's artwork.  She was the only sculpture in the Experienced Adult division, so she won First Place.

The High School Division.  At least, part of it.

This sculpture was made by a young man named Danny Russon.  He graduated from High School this year and is planning to attend BYU in the fall on scholarship.  He won Best of Show in the Youth Division, First Place in HS sculpture, and People's Choice in the Youth Division.  A tall and shy seeming young man.

This is Helena's entry in the HS B/W photo category.  In the background on the right, you can just make out a red Second Place ribbon hanging on another of her photos in the Digital Art category.  Mom, can you recognize the image?  It is West Beach Resort!

Now it is over and there are just a few last details to tend to.  It is time to turn my attention to moving my classroom.  And helping Helena get her license.  And overseeing Helena and Will's summer online courses.  And Will's merit badge.  And Helena's Honors English packet and readings.  And the yard and garden.  And exercise.

I am glad life is so busy!  It makes me feel alive and useful!  The kids probably don't see it that way.  They probably think I am meddlesome and a nag.  But I like to be of help to them.  I hope they will continue to let me.

Boating with Erik

Erik sent us a text inviting us to go boating with him on the Saturday of Fourth of July weekend.  Bill ended up going on a bike ride in the mountains, but the kids and I all piled in the car and went to Erik's house.

Deanna stayed home with little Luke, but the bigger boys, Kris and Dallin, came with us.  We launched without a hitch and Erik drove the boat all the way across the lake to the east side, seeking calmer waters for skiing.  We got to a little bay next to the Provo State Park boat launch and marina (from the Saratoga Springs boat launch), and Erik shut off the engine while I got into the gear to be the first one to ski.  Once I was in the water and ready to go, Erik tried to start the engine.

No start.

Hmm.

He tried to start the boat several times, without success.  Finally he told me I ought to go ahead and climb back in while he looked at the engine.  Unfortunately, it was too hot for him to tinker with, so we were stranded on the opposite side of the lake from where we started.

He flagged down a passing boater, who was happy to tow us into the marina.  Deanna had been notified and was coming to the rescue with the truck/boat trailer that we had left in the Saratoga boat harbor parking lot.

As we were being towed in, Erik called it 'the walk of shame'.  Hee, hee!

I assured him that only newbies to the water would mock him, because anyone who has spent enough time on the water will realize that the only place your engine will give out is ON the water, not in your driveway!  And that it will happen to everyone sooner or later.

While we were killing time floating on the water, this jet kept doing touch and go's (practice take offs and landings) at the Provo airport, which is just a stone's throw from the boat harbor.  That meant that he buzzed us each and every time he came in on his approach.  We enjoyed waving at him each time he flew by.

So, our boating outing turned out a little differently than we expected, and Erik owes us a water skiing trip, but we still had a blast... so, thanks Erik!

Family Bike Ride

Who knew there was this beautiful biking/walking trail right through my town that I can access only 1/2 a block from my house?!  Bill did, of course!  He took us on a family bike ride not long ago to show us this great trail.

During our ride, we came across three deer grazing in a field next to the trail!

The views are amazing, and we went in the early evening when the light was just beautiful.

We have since been on the trail again, going even farther up towards the canyon; and I expect we will go several more times before the summer is over!