...eclipse....lunar type!

I'm sure you all know there was a partial lunar eclipse last week.....the morning of June 26. Well, we talked about getting up--and we were having our family reunion--well, there were a couple of the kids who wanted me to call them. One on the cell phone! I set my alarm for 4:15 a.m. Now........you have to understand that I am NOT a morning person. (I love mornings after I am up. It's the getting up that slows me down.) Anyway, because other members of the family were counting on me I got out of bed and went outside to "check on things". There was just the slightest shadow beginning in the upper left of a gorgeous full moon. I made my phone call--she said she didn't know if she would get up, she was so tired. The other one!!! He thought he had just got to sleep and I was asking him if he wanted me to wake him later!!! Needless to say............he missed it. I quietly got presentable to go outside and slipped out into an utterly enchanting world. It was beautiful and magical. The best place for viewing was on my neighbor's front porch--I knew she wouldn't mind. I wasn't there long before Lisa appeared and I softly called to her. It really was more fun to have someone to ooooh and ahhhh with. It wasn't long before Roger also appeared and we called to him. We didn't watch the whole time. It was beginning to clear before the moon went behind the trees and we returned to our beds. It warms me still to think about it..........another testimony of the Creator!! I love this amazing sphere we live on!!!! and the universe surrounding it!!


Sadly.......these are not my pictures. I'm learning how to find things on the internet!! Aren't they beautiful pictures?? 'Course, it's hard to go wrong with this subject.........

Equinox---no!! Solstice...

The summer solstice was just a week ago...........it's amazing to think of all that has happened in those short seven days! It's been C.R.A.Z.Y. busy and full. I'll get to all that eventually, but for now I will just show you one of our zany traditions..........



Some years ago we heard--I think it was in church, of all places--that you could stand an egg on end at the time of the solstice. Well, we had to try it. It just so happened that we were in a hotel near San Diego that first time and while we were having breakfast we asked one of the kitchen help if we might borrow a raw egg. He looked at us strangely but humored us. He was quite surprised when he saw it "standing" on the table! and as I remember, he brought us a few more. We learned later that the "kitchen staff" had to try it for themselves!!! Sometimes we forget on the 21st-22nd and it has worked up to about two weeks later..........you could give it a try. But no fair sprinkling the counter with salt or some other such thing. And no fair setting the egg down a little "hard". It really is possible..........big end, of course. Have fun!!!!

back on the rails

I thought a picture journal of this morning would be interesting.......It was fascinating to watch these men work! I couldn't stop thinking about "Tinker-toys", "Lincoln Logs" and "Lionel" trains. They were essentially doing what everyone who has ever played with a train has done: picked up the cars one end at a time, aligned the wheels with the tracks and set them down.......just thinking in terms of tons rather than ounces....and using machines to do it. Again, I was wishing Daddy were here to watch with me.........and more than once I wondered what all these men must think about this grown woman watching and taking dozens of pictures! I would have taken my patio chair and camped out, but I was supposed to be cutting end bars (a post for another day). The foreman (at least, something like that of the crew here in Delta) came to talk to me.........the men--the "car crew" were from Ogden and they "do this all the time" and "are good at it". I didn't think to ask him how often they are called upon. But I could tell from just watching them that they have had plenty of practice.


The "car that started it all" and the corner of our warehouse on the left. There were a bunch of cars ahead of this one which they uncoupled and pushed out of the way last night to open the road. The "problem" cars blocked three roads........they were able to open just one last night.


This huge track-hoe was steadying this car while they uncoupled the other cars down the line.


I wondered at the City putting these little barricades in the road...........can't people see the road is closed???? A number of motives come to mind......hmmmmm........


I wouldn't think of "getting in the way", so you can't see much here.......but the machine on the other side had a winch hooked to the cars up the track to the right and was pulling the cars, about seven, to the left. Just like Lionel trains they had to do it one car at a time........and in order--opening up track to reposition the next car.........


This is the same machine--this time a cable around the "hitch". He can lift it up--there are four pulleys at the top--then "lean" it to our left and set it on the rails. I was amazed at how gently he could maneuver these tons of metal!!

The next three pictures show the track-hoe pushing the oil car down the road. When he got it down there and close to the track, they put the cable around the "hitch" and the other machine picked it up and put it down on the track! I was amazed!!! And in awe.............the brown car to the right here is the one that was tipped. I had to make a quick trip home for Suzanne and while I was gone they pushed it upright! I missed it!!!!







After they got the "left" end on, the track hoe guy put his bucket under the other end and set it on the rails! He was so good at running that thing!! Words like dexterous came to mind. And dentist picks.........it was amazing!!


I couldn't imagine how they were going to get this one back......it was farthest off the tracks and buried to the axel--that didn't worry me--it was just so far away........Well, he picked it up with the "block and tackle" then drove over to the tracks carrying the car!!!! You should have heard the pops and cracks and groaning metal!! WOW!!!






It took a little fine-tuning, but they finally got it........

This is the other end--still coupled to the car behind it--well, kind of.......



I hadn't noticed the counter-weight on this machine until "now" (when I took the picture). This was the last car they worked on........I don't know why....... After they got the "front end" of this one on, they went to the "car the started it all" and got it on and out of the way....maybe they just needed more room to maneuver this one........



Looks lots better, doesn't it? I enjoyed standing there, watching them "put things right". It looked like such a huge mess last night. I guess I felt comforted to know there are people in the world--close to my world--who know how and have the ability to straighten out such a huge mess and fix things. I'm sure at least these two cars will need more "fixing", but they are upright and sitting where they were meant to sit! Maybe I read "The Little Red Caboose" too many times.......they almost have a personality!!


Here's what the track looks like now. The foreman told me he thought they might get a few new ties in tomorrow and then finish it next week.

Our warehouse is to the left.

This thing looks bigger on a truck than it did next to the railroad cars!

derailed........

YIKES!!!!!! I was looking at my blog today thinking how unexciting it is and how tired you all must be with my flower pictures..........well.........here's something made to break the monotony! "great and terrible" comes to mind..........I get a kind of sick feeling every time I look at these..........

Our John and cousin Mike were at our warehouse loading the truck and saw it all happen!! Thank goodness it happened exactly as it did--if it had to happen, that is--the only "empty" spot along there........you can't see the house behind the train, nor the gas plant on the other side of the road. And I don't think I have a picture that shows how close the tracks are to our warehouse--about 12 to 15 feet!!!! It's just a little siding where they typically travel at the top speed of 3-4 mph. I hate to think what might have happened if they were going faster!







And this is the one that started it all..............somehow it was off the track and bouncing along the ties

It moved those ties three to four inches.....

...and bent the rails!

See how close it is to our garden??? But thankfully, in an empty spot........

John and Mike were right there and saw it all! Here they are with Roger and Michelle checking it out.......talking it over........

promises fulfilled

I promised I would try to get some pictures of the "promises fulfilled"........Michelle was good enough to go out and take these for me. We've had a lot of wind for a couple of days, so these don't look quite as I had expected them to, but I can't complain.............


You can catch just an idea of what the yellow roses looked like..........the wind really did a number on them and they didn't last even as long as usual.

......and........as expected.......Michelle did bring in an armful and they do smell wonderful!!!

promises in my garden

Perhaps you have been wondering what happened to all the plants from the "heat room greenhouse"?? Well.........here is the lettuce, planted into our garden near the house. It is doing really well........as you can see. The broccoli is under the "floating row cover" you can see at the top right of the photo. That is because I told them I would not touch the broccoli if there were bugs in it......so this is to keep the little yellow and white butterflies from laying their eggs on our broccoli. And the plants are growing really well. I'll have to take a picture of the onions another time........


I absolutely love peonies!!!!! I have EIGHT bushes in my front yard!!! Sadly.........I have only one red ones, which happen to be my favorite. I used to buy the "collection". You know, the two red, two white, and one pink? Well........I have only pink ones now!!!! And last year, Michael got me a red one from the USU greenhouse.....maybe two years ago.......and it's still alive!! RAH!!! And I bought another red one just the other day..........I have to keep trying......BUT!!! look at the buds on this plant!!! I do have a grudging respect for any plant that can put on a show like this is going to be!! I'll take another picture when those buds pop. And Michelle will gather them by the armfuls and bring them in the house.......heavenly aroma. It's then that I don't mind so much that they are pink...........


Here is another favorite...........an old-fashioned yellow rose bush brought from Mother's who got it from Grandmother. I had it in my back flower garden, but it started taking over, so we dug it up and moved it outside the fence. It doesn't get the best of care, but it thrives........... and every year I have to go out and stand in wonder...........I wish I could capture the scent. Even with the buds so tightly closed we could smell it a hundred yards away........I'll try to get another picture when these pop too..............I don't know if you can see how loaded it is.

flowers, friends, and feelings......

I wandered around my yard this evening and took pictures of a few of the glories..........I love flowers! And since iris are some of the easiest flowers to grow--besides being spectacular in mass plantings.......I have several whatever they are called..clumps? maybe.......of iris. This yellow one is a newer one, and it puts on a show every year. It's like a patch of sunshine in my backyard and never fails to cheer me.




























This is also a newer one.........purchased in a "collection" or I probably would not have chosen it. But don't you think it is lovely? It's amazing to me how many times in my life I have been pleasantly surprised by something that would not have been my first choice. A record of Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2 in E Minor has got to take top honors in that category! It's been a top notch favorite for about 40 years since the happy mistake of not returning a "choice of the month" card to the record club. Happy, happy mistake!!!!



This lovely "speckled" one is a gift from a sweet lady who "adopted" me thirty years ago. She is gone now, and I think of my wonderful friend Mary every time I see this beautiful flower........I miss her....and not only for the dozens of holes she mended when I had six very active little boys to care for. I knew Mary loved me........









This too is one shared by a friend........this one a neighbor through the block.....no longer with us here, and now her daughter lives in her house......thankfully, she too, is a friend. I'm so thankful for the countless wonderful friends I've had throughout my life. And tonight I realized I was beginning a new friendship. As I weeded in the garden, the little three year old girl across the street called to me and tried to carry on a conversation. (My fifty-something ears don't hear so well at that distance.) And maybe I should have gone over to have a little chat with her. I'm sure there will be another opportunity, and maybe, just maybe, she will have fond memories of me as I do of my neighbors who have shared part of themselves with me.............