Kaysville Theater

The Kaysville movie theater is one of those unique movie theaters found in small towns. It shows movies that have just been released on DVD or are about to be released on DVD and movies that are generally family-friendly types of movies. Most movies are $2 and if you buy a popcorn, you get one free refill.

Baby Sunflower

Have you ever noticed a sunflower that is just getting ready to poke its head out into full bloom? I took a macro of this sunflower and was fascinated with all of the detail.

Heritage Park

Heritage Park is about a mile north of where I live. It has 4 pavilions (1 large and 3 small), a playground area, an outside basketball court, a walking path and a large grass area where kids play soccer and little league football. There are many times I will run from my house to this park and then I run around the walking path a couple of times. I don't know exactly how long the walking path is, but I think that twice around is somewhere around a 1/2 mile.

Another amazing sunset

Utah has got to have some of the most amazing sunsets and this picture shows another example. In this picture I love the strong colors of blue in the sky and the way they blend with the oranges and pinks on the horizon.

Ken Burns speaks in Davis School District

These pictures aren't the greatest because of the dim lighting, but the evening I spent listening to Ken Burns was a very enjoyable experience. Earlier this month at the Davis School District Leadership Conference, I won tickets for two to attend the dinner/lecture event with Ken Burns. The two tickets were worth a total of $160. I gave the second ticket to my friend and coworker, Jayna Rice.

Usually I'm not much into lectures and that sort of thing, but I found Ken Burns very interesting. Ken Burns is a renowned filmmaker for PBS. He has directed and filmed several documentaries, with one of his documentaries (Brooklyn Bridge) receiving an Academy Award in 1981. He has recently completed a documentary on the National Parks and this is what he spoke mainly of at tonight's dinner/lecture. He is definitely an amazing person and a great speaker. I loved listening to his stories.

Salt Lake Public Library

This is a picture of the Salt Lake Public Library which opened in February 2003. It is a beautiful building of a very unique design. The building is also more than just a library. It has shops and other services on the ground level, a 300 seat auditorium, and a roof-top garden. It is a six-story building with a curving walkable wall and many open spaces and windows that overlook the entire city.

The first picture is of the inside of building and the second picture is from outside on the plaza. In the second picture you can see the curving staircase that leads to the roof-top garden.

Big Photo Project

Mom and Dad's 50th wedding anniversary is coming up on September 10 and my siblings and I are planning a family get together to celebrate the occasion. At the get together we want to show a slideshow of pictures representing the past 50 years of events that have taken place during Mom and Dad's marriage. Lana and I got together a couple of months ago and went through several old slides that Bryan then scanned into the computer and I have been busy pulling together all of the digital pictures I had taken over the years. The problem, however, is that the slides stopped in the late 1970's and digital pictures didn't begin until 2001. Therefore, I had a gap in the sequence of pictures of about 20-25 years.

So, tonight after work I drove to Smithfield to see if I could find pictures from 1975-2000. Luckily for me, no one was home and I could look through the house without giving away what I was doing. (Mom and Dad left this morning for Spokane and Wendy is staying in Salt Lake for a couple of nights.) After a couple of hours of searching, I finally hit the jackpot with this big plastic bin. It was filled with tons of pictures and I was able to find several pictures to fill in the gap.

Pine Cones

The days are getting shorter and school is back in session which means that fall is just around the corner. Today as I was leaving work, I saw this tree covered with lots of perfectly shaped pine cones. Pine cones definitely remind me that summer is winding down and fall will be here before I know it.

Swimming in the Rain

Tara, Hunter and Kaleigh came over tonight for a little swimming and also so Tara could use my Internet. She has been having a hard time uploading pictures to her blogs and sending email attachments from her Internet at home. It was fun having some company and also watching them swim. Even though it was stormy outside and there was a little bit of rain, they seemed to have a great time. Hunter loves the water and I had fun taking pictures of them with my camera.

My New Guilty Pleasure :)

Can I just say how much I LOVE this place!!! Zeppe's has the greatest Italian Ice but I have also discovered that I love the gelatto just as much, if not more. Mixing the ice with a little bit of frozen custard and a little bit of flavoring.... Mmmmm!!! Tonight I met Lana and the kids at Zeppe's in Layton and we all enjoyed a nice frozen treat together. I had strawberry creme Italian Ice with vanilla custard.

DDD - Dad's Day at the Doc!

Today I took some time off work so I could take Dad and Mom into Salt Lake so Dad could get his hearing and balance tested. Dad has been having some "dizzy" spells this summer and today he had to undergo some tests to see if there are any problems we need to be concerned about.

After lots of paper work and several tests we learned that Dad has a problem with his balance...lol...no surprise to us. As a result of the surgery Dad had about 3 years ago to take out an acoustic neuroma (tumor), Dad lost the inner ear in his right ear. The tests showed, though, that his left inner ear is also not much help. Also, to complicate the situation, Dad is pretty unsteady on his feet due to the complications of the airplane accident he was in almost 30 years ago. Therefore, the only thing Dad has to help him stay balanced is his eyesight. Thank heavens he has good eyesight!!!

Some of the doctors commented how amazing it is that Dad gets around as well as he does in spite of the complications he has had to deal with over the years. He has definitely learned how to compensate for many of these challenges and he has done so with a positive outlook. I don't remember ever hearing him complain about the challenges he has had to face. What a great example he has been!!!

Natural shade???

I saw this stop sign today and wondered if there really was a plant growing out of the top of the stop sign or if someone had just put some branches and leaves on the top. Upon closer inspection, the stop sign really did have a plant growing out of the top. The vines go right up the middle of the post on the back. LOL...

Buffalo Ranches Trail in West Farmington

Tonight I decided to do a little exploring and go walking/running on a trail that I was unfamiliar with. I drove to the west side of Farmington to a place called Buffalo Ranches where there is a parking area next to a trailhead. I have never been on this trail before, nor have I seen it on a map, but it looked like a good paved trail and so I decided to give it a try.

I headed north on the trail, past the Buffalo Ranches, then turned west. The trail began to loop to the south and go around the ranches and I thought it would then continue to loop and head back to my car, but instead it kept going south, past the ranches and into the wetland area. (The picture above is a picture of Buffalo Ranches.) This wetland area, I later learned, isthe old shoreline of the Great Salt Lake and the trail along this area is 2 miles in length.

In the wetland area there were lots of birds and for some reason one bird seemed to beco me quite angry with me. It kept flying above me, squawking a couple of times and then diving down towards my head. It did this about 10 times, each time getting closer to my head. I kept waving my arms and yelling at the bird and finally he decided to leave me alone. By this time the sun was beginning to set and I was getting a little nervous that I would be out in the middle of nowhere, with a crazy bird attacking me, in the dark.

The trail seemed to head south for a ways and then to my delight it eventually did begin to turn back to the east. By this time, however, I was way past the area where I parked my car and the sun had already gone down. The mosquitos were fierce and I was getting eaten alive. I was just hoping that if I stayed on the trail it would eventually lead me back to my car.

After a ways, the trail turned again and headed back to the north in the direction of my car and I was glad to finally be going in the right direction. However, when the trail turned off to the east again, in a direction that seemed to lead away from my car, I gave up on the trail and instead followed a road that headed in the direction I wanted to go. After a little bit, I did eventually get back to my car, but it was almost completely dark by this time.

Lessons learned from this experience:

1. take some time to be familiar with a trail beforehand


2. if walking/hiking in wetland areas, take bug spray


3. don't go walking in unfamiliar areas as the sun is beginning to go down


4. let someone know where you're going, just in case

Luckily I did have my cell phone with me and also some water or this would also have been on the list of lessons learned.

My latest obsession...

A camera is a great way to capture events/places/relationships and over the past couple of years I have really come to love photography. I enjoy taking pictures and learning more about the different settings and features of digital cameras. I have found that through the lens of a camera, the world takes on a whole new perspective and finding the "right perspective" for capturing a picture is what it is all about. Sometimes it's just changing the angle or direction that makes the difference between a good picture and a great picture. As Dewitt Jones (a photojournalist who once worked for National Geographic) says, "It's about taking the ordinary and finding the extraordinary." This is the challenge and this is what has hooked me on photography.

Sunflowers

I LOVE SUNFLOWERS!!! They are one of the most beautiful flowers and the bigger they are, the better they are. I saw these huge sunflowers off the side of the road tonight and just had to stop and take a picture.

Zachary turns 4!!!

Today I went to Smithfield so I could be at Zachary's 4th birthday party. He was SO EXCITED to open his presents, play games and eat cupcakes. I can't believe he is already 4. He is growing up way too fast!!!

Happy Birthday Zachary!!!

Girl's Night Out!

Davis County Fair...dinner at Red Robin...Italian Ice at Zeppe's....chick flick at my house.....

Tanielle, Tara, Jackie, Kaleigh, Lana, Wendy and I got together tonight to enjoy a girl's night out. Tara's birthday was yesterday, so it was a good reason to celebrate and have some fun. We had a lot of fun laughing and taking pictures at Red Robin. What fun!!!

My Work Area

This is where I spend most of my time. This is my desk and the wall next to my desk. Normally my laptop is also sitting on my desk and I work between the 2 computers. My desk faces a window so I can see out into the computer lab. I share my office with one other co-worker.

Lunch at Paradise Bakery

Today I went with my co-workers to lunch at Paradise Bakery in Bountiful. (From left to right...Carol, Michele, Gayle, and Jayna...Joanna was missing from the picture because she was looking at a house that she is considering buying.) It is so nice to have a few minutes away from the office where we can just sit and relax and enjoy each other's company. For lunch today I had a crumbly bleu cheese salad and a chicken walnut sandwich. I couldn't eat the whole thing so I saved the sandwich to eat at a later time. The salad was YUMMY!

Enjoying what you eat!

This picture is of my great-nephew. I stopped by my sister, Lana's house, and this is the first thing I saw as I walked in the door. It cracked me up! What a mess, but hey, you should enjoy what you eat, right?

Artistic Sweet Potato Vines

Even though I have a plant stand very similar to the one seen in this picture, this plant stand with the lovely sweet potato vines sits on one of my neighbor's front porches instead of mine. My plant stand is empty :-( However, maybe next year this is something I will attempt to do with my plant stand. I love how the sweet potato vines drape over the edges as they grow!

I did a little photoshop editing on this picture to make it look more artistic. I added the vignette (dark edges) and also a filter called "palette knife." To see the full effect, click on the picture.

Dinner with Friends

These girls are some of my best friends (left to right...Ann Taylor, Anne Merrick, Ann Harbertson, Karen Binks and me). We all got to know each other when I lived in Bountiful and we continue to get together for dinner at least once a month to catch up on each other's lives. I have special memories of each one of these girls and will forever enjoy their friendship.

2nd Annual Zombie Walk in SLC

I went with my niece, Tara, and nephew, Curtis, to downtown Salt Lake tonight to watch a zombie parade. This is the 2nd annual parade in Salt Lake. The parade started up by the University of Utah next to a cemetary and continued down 500 South where it ended at Trolley Square. We watched the beginning of the parade and then drove back to Trolley Square to watch the ending of the parade. Overall, I thought it was rather strange, but for those that like to dress up, I'm sure it was a lot of fun. These people had a lot of fun posing for me and my camera.

Best Place to Live

CNN Money recently released a report listing the top 100 best small towns to live in 2009.

Farmington, UT, came in at #14!!!

..."A one-stoplight town squeezed between the Wasatch Mountains and the Great Salt Lake, Farmington has a quaint, quiet downtown with few shops. Homes here come in all shapes and sizes, from bungalows to ramblers to tri-levels to modern farmhouses."

The above picture is a picture of Main Street. I drive up and down this street every day on my way to and from work. I love all of the trees that line the road. In the fall, when the leaves change color, it is really pretty. I enjoy living and working in this community!

Lunch

Today for lunch I went with my co-workers, Jayna and Joanna, to Tasty's. This place has the greatest french fries and fry sauce and is one of my favorite places to go for lunch. It also has great donuts. My typical lunch order from Tasty's includes the following:

• 4 inch french dip sandwich


• fries with fry sauce


• diet Pepsi (I would prefer Diet Coke, but oh well...)


• chocolate glazed donut

YUM!!!

All-Time Favorite Drink!

Can I just say how much I LOVE a nice cold glass of CHOCOLATE MILK!!! I drink it almost every morning for breakfast and if I need to have something relaxing before bed, I drink it then too. It can't just be any chocolote milk, though. It has to be homemade with 1% milk with just the right amount of chocolate (generally about 2 tablespoons). I generally use a powder mix, like Nesquick, but the liquid Hershey's chocolate is good too.

Mmmmm, Mmmmm good!!!

Summer Storms

This is a picture of a storm that rolled through the valley tonight. It was fun watching the clouds twist and swirl across the sky. The lightning strikes were amazing. I love summer thunderstorms!!!

Leadership Conference

"It's not how you start or finish;
the true joy of life is in the trip!"

Yesterday I had the opportunity of helping with the technology for Davis School District's back to school Leadership Conference. It was a fun conference and the keynote speaker, Steve Gilliland, was terrific. Steve was very entertaining. He told humorous stories and encouraged everyone to enjoy what they are doing in life. Here are some of the key points that were brought out during the keynote address:

• Check Your Passion - Love what you do, why you do it, and who you do it with.


• Cure Your Destination Disease - Happiness is found in the journey, not at the destination.


• Refocus Your Attention - Decide what is important and never take it for granted.

Summer Wild Flowers at Albion Basin

After dropping my nephew, Ryan, off at the airport, I decided to take a drive up Little Cottonwood Canyon to Albion Basin. I heard reports on the news the other night that the wild flowers are amazing up in the canyons so I just had to go see for myself. I had a great time trying to capture many of the different wild flowers. The close-up pictures seemed to capture the beauty of the flowers much better than any of the landscape pictures.

Trampolines and Swingsets

During the weekend of Ryan's visit, we headed up to Logan so Ryan could spend a little time with Grandma/pa and also some of his cousins. Ryan doesn't get to see his cousins much, but when he does, he and CJ always seem to get along quite well. They are both very competitive and like to see if they can out do the other. Despite their 3 year age difference, every time they're together they just seem to pick up where they left off.

Today before we headed back to Farmington, CJ and Ryan had a little time to play on the trampoline and also a swing set. I think CJ outdid Ryan on the tramp (Ryan couldn't quite get the back flip concept...lol) but Ryan seemed to out do CJ jumping out of the swing on the swing set. I had fun taking pictures and trying to capture the action using the "sports" mode on my digital camera.

Swimming

Believe it or not, this is the first time I've been swimming in the pool at the clubhouse where I live and I have lived in my house here in Farmington 3 summers. I used to "play" a lot in the summer when I taught in the traditional schools and had summers off, but when I started working year round 12 years ago, my summer fun slowed way down. Anyway, I promised Zach that when he came to stay with me I would take him swimming, so we did. We had a lot of fun splashing and playing in the pool. :)