When Tom, John and I took our big trip out west in 2006, we stopped between the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and Zion at Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park. Despite temperatures in the high 90’s, Tom, John, and Steve Winstead all had to hike to the top of the tallest sand dune …
From August 2018
Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm
Tom and I have been going to St George every two or three weeks for shopping. St. George is the big city around here. It is 60 miles away and the only place with a hospital and chain stores. I especially like grocery shopping at Smith’s, which is a division of Kroger. I usually have …
Mountain Meadows Massacre Memorial
On September 11, 1857, 120 unarmed members of a wagon train traveling from Arkansas to California were slaughtered by members of the Mormon Militia in Iron County, Utah. Known as the Mountain Meadows Massacre, the event was first covered up, then denied by the Mormons. Once the facts of the event became known, the leader …
Potlucks and Holidays with Rangers
Last week I wrote about working with the large group of rangers here at Pipe Spring. In addition to being the largest staff at a small park, I think this group is also more extroverted than most of the rangers. Every other week someone (not me) plans a get-together to which everyone is invited. In …
Bread of Life: Never Hungry?
For the second Sunday in a row we attended the United Church of Kanab and Fredonia. For the second Sunday in a row the sermon was about bread. Pastor Martha Moler was back and preached on the lectionary text of John 6:25-59. In John 6, Jesus talks to his disciples about being the bread of …
Parowan Gap Petroglyphs Utah
The Parowan Gap Petroglyphs are just a short drive from Cedar City, Utah so Tom and I stopped by there after spending the night in Cedar City. The Gap is a natural formation originally created by a creek that dried. Once the creek dried, wind continued to carve an opening in the red hills. Today …
Old Iron Town, A Ghost Town Near Cedar City Utah
After spending the night in Cedar City, Tom and I continued our exploration of the area with a visit to Old Iron Town. Because Old Iron Town is billed as a ghost town, I thought all we would find down the dirt road would be abandoned buildings. But there are modern homes in Old Iron …
Utah Shakespeare Festival and the Merry Wives
When I was looking for things to do on our days off, I ran across the Utah Shakespeare Festival and thought it would be perfect. The Utah Shakespeare Festival runs from the end of June until the middle of October every year on the campus of Southern Utah University. After visiting Cedar Breaks National Monument, …
Rangers at Pipe Spring National Monument
My favorite thing about working for the National Park Service is the wonderful rangers that Tom and I get to meet. Some become good friends in a short period of time. We keep up with each other on Facebook and text or email. The rangers we meet vary in age from 22 to 72 but …
Sermons: Sometimes the Shortest Are the Best
My work schedule has changed. As of last week, Tom and I no longer have to work on Sundays! Hooray! We can go to church again! So, last Sunday we headed for the United Church of Kanab-Fredonia, which we visited in May. We found the congregation just as friendly and welcoming as on our previous …