The high lights of the high life

So we've done a lot lately, and instead of making a bunch of posts about each little thing, I'll just show a bit about each one.

In September we visited the Bingham Canyon copper mine. It was grandiose, spectacular, and sad in some ways. It's easy to hate the destruction of a mountain like this, this enormous hole and the waste and trimmings and pollution that are part of it. But as I type on a computer that relies on copper conductors and is connected through copper wiring, and I think about copper plumbing for my underappreciated clean water supply, and the fact that I have used microwaves and have watched TV, and then there are pennies and the statue of liberty and percussive instruments--well, there's not much I can say. We're all copper users. So there's both awe and fascination and respect along with a little surprise, contempt and disgust. Such is the human race. There's much I could say about this, but let's let the few pictures do the talking.

We also visited the Utah State Fair. A few pics (we didn't take that many) are here.

So there was this music/art festival in Provo on the 21st and 22nd of September, called Sego. It had 40 bands, 30 artists, 20 filmmakers, that sort of thing. We kept telling the kids that we were going to a festival, not realizing that it wasn't really that kid-friendly. Anyway, Friday night there were bands playing in the street, and the kids and I picked Amy up from work and walked down there to listen to a band called Mathematics Et Cetera. The kids did some paint machine and created masterpieces. The next day, Saturday, was misty and raining and Amy had to work. I kept telling the kids we'd go, and then finally around nine we went past Seven Peaks to the old State Hospital to where the bands were playing. Jarom and I each had umbrellas, I with Oey strapped to my chest. Bella frolicked in the rain. Jarom wore his rainboots. We hiked up a driveway, then across some gravel, then up stairs, then a muddy slope, forever walking to the elusive festival. Once there, many people stared, but most enjoyed the amazing dance moves and jumps performed by Bella. We only stayed for about twenty to thirty minutes, but on the way back down we got to watch some fireworks in the clearing skies above the stadium.


Friday night in the streets--100 North

The paint machine

Bella doing her amazing jumpdancing

Me and Oey, sheltered from the rain in the tent

And they're wet and adorable

That same week we did a full moon lift ride up at Sundance. There were at least a thousand people there, mostly couples, coming and going, and only a few groups with kids. Obviously we were one. It was a beautiful harvest moon, a little bit cold but the green hills and the mountain beside us were amazing. Amy prepared hot cocoa before we left, and we had little bottles and a thermos full of it to warm us on the lift (though I spilled some all over me).


Us (most of us)

Me and Jarom

Look at this harvest moon (it's impossible to capture what we saw) [low light setting]

It's really fun to bring the kids with us on little adventures like these, where kids and family units wouldn't normally be found.

Then we had our famous crash-landing in California trip. The second Amy heard that Dolly was in the hospital, and that labor was taking its sweet time, we knew we'd make a quick trip there to survey the scene and lay our hands on a new baby. We had just got our new car a couple days prior, so we didn't know what to expect. Then from Wells to about Battle Mountain we drove through snow--and I get paranoid driving in snow--so that added some fun to our trip. Coming into Nevada the skies were clean and clear and blue, and our allnighter drive came to an end. We spent some good time with Dolly and Teddy, Mom and Heather and Adie and Dad. We got to go to Nevada City to see the wonderful show Adrienne and Art put on in a tiny basement somewhere where kids *were* welcome. Even though it was late, and we were super tired (Amy got pulled over for swerving), we loved every second of it and made it home to Mom's house to get some much-needed rest. The next morning we packed up, met Dad at Mel's, then made a sad, fast goodbye after Mom loaded us up with Halloween treats and snacks and cute orange seasonal outfits for every kid. Adie came and met us for a good old Sunday afternoon stop at the outrageously busy High Hill Ranch, and then we went home--another allnighter for me (but that's where part of the fun is).


Hanging out at Apple Hill

This last Sunday we went to Amy's Aunt Deanna's house. She had treats for the kids and wanted to do some graduation celebrating for me. Because we didn't want to stay holed up during such nice weather (it had stormed and snowed the day before) and with such beautiful colors out, we drove the Alpine Loop up through Timpanogos. Along the way we stopped at Cascade Springs, where a natural spring bubbles up out of the rock--you have to see it to believe it. We fed bread to the brown trout. The jumped at it, fought for it; they loved it. The colors everywhere are amazing. With a little snow on the ground, and many yellow aspens, orange scrub oaks, and few red maples turning, it was without a doubt one of the most beautiful sights we've ever seen. I would drive, walk, or bike it every day if I could. We saw a hawk, a magpie nest, a deer, and a huge rafter of wild turkeys.


It was beautiful

I'll say it again

I love the depth and distance


Jarom requested this picture, Jarom-style

Helping Bella feed the fish


Feeding

Bridge photo

Wetlands


Let's finish it off with some Oey video. He made a couple little crawling steps the other day, and I tried to capture it on video. You can't really tell.