Minding the Mine

Grandma Crane had a chance to see the new Kennecott Copper Visitors Center recently when a bunch of us took a field trip there. The deep pit, old equipment and movie took her back to a time long forgotten when trains carried the valuable metals from the big shovel loads of dirt to the smelter in Magna. Each level or tier had a train on it. Dad worked there on the track gang, as a brakeman and eventually became an engineer driving the trains.

Mom couldn't believe the enormity of the pit and how it has changed over the years.

Days of '47 Encampment Park

One of the first places the Saints stopped when they arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847 was about 1700 South and 500 East. Their first few days were spent scouting around the valley in the eastern area to look for water, shelter, wood and such.

This was the forward party that came into the valley a few days before Brigham Young, who was ill at the time. Later the group moved further north near downtown Salt Lake to settle and build the city.

That corner now has a miniature park showing names of people in the traveling party carved into stones.

I paid the spot a visit a few weeks ago to see what it had to say.

Take a Hike!

Julie's family & I hiked Stewart Falls by Sundance a few weeks ago. A pleasant drive through American Fork Canyon arriving and Provo Canyon returning was a nice respite from the noise and heat of the Valley.

Worried about getting too much sun, the old grannie hat and 45 sunblock protection, made me look the part. I'm at the age where looking gorgeous while hiking doesn't matter any more.

The Falls were not only awesome, but refreshingly cool as the mist floated by us. The trail is dotted with Stinging Nettle making those marvelous looking gals in short shorts miserable more than ever by the end of the day.

Year of the Yucca

A few years ago I dug up a yucca plant start, from Jim & Elaine's yard. It was early spring and the one inch root was not easy to chop loose from its mother plant. When the pointy guy stayed more green than brown in its new home, there was hope. The next year it was still warming up to my yard producing nothing. Last year as the blooms grew the aphids claimed it as their Chuckarama buffet, leaving the flowers atrophied and ugly.

Fast forward to 2010 my plant has only one cane, but it is very 'fat' and healthy. To top it off it's bug free. Maybe in 2011 it will have a mate or even a whole family. If you look, all over town you can see multiple canes shooting out of the spikey plants, like popsicle sticks from an afternoon treat.

One might say it is the year of the yucca.