This summer did not go as planned. I am sure no one can relate to that, right? Lots of cancelled travels, few BBQ's, no carnivals or big holiday celebrations. But that doesn't mean we did nothing! Our focused turned toward home projects, little camping trips, and naps.
Back in June, we visited Capitol Reef National Park. It was a little roasty, but beautiful and mercifully uncrowded. We managed some great hiking, ate delicious fresh fruit pies, and saw a grey fox, some deer, and lots of lizards. The kids enjoyed it, but got whiny when it got hot in the afternoon. I don't blame them. I don't really like being overly hot when I'm hiking either.
Hickman Bridge is one cool hike, but the terrain was a little rough for my dear parents and their aging knees. They didn't get all the way to the titular bridge, but there was plenty to see on the way.
Shade was in short supply, so every bit we found we took a little rest and had a drink. Besides the heat, June in Capitol Reef also triggered my allergies--stupid cotton trees--so many tiny little flies and gnats. so. many. gnats. I think I'd like to visit again in the winter sometime...
Paul really loved the "swiss cheese" rocks. We gave him a flashlight so he could peak in any little hole he wanted. If it was unoccupied, he had permission to climb inside.
Independence Day celebrations were less...grandiose than the usual, but the kids didn't seem to notice. They had way too much fun playing outside.
The boys did a camping trip with Grandma Karen and Grandpa Dave out in the Wyoming wilderness. It sounds like they had a great time, I certainly had a quiet weekend without them all.
In August I did join in on the camping trip. Heading up Little Cottonwood Canyon helped us escape a bit of a heat wave and enjoy some fresh air. It was beautiful, not too hot, wild life was abundant, and the wild flowers were blooming. It is a watershed area though, so any water you play in is water you'll be drinking in the near future. Wading and swimming was not allowed, but that didn't seem to stop a lot of folks. Sorry Salt Lake City, hopefully the purification process cleans out foot fungus...
Spot the wildlife! We found a rattlesnake, a moose, and dozens of salamanders who live in Cecret Lake.
Camping was our main source of recreation for the summer, but we had a lot of work to do at home. Lee spent most evenings and weekends toiling away in the backyard. The end result is a fantastic place for kids to play and grown ups to relax. Low maintenance is the name of the game here. We did snap some photos over the life of the project so you can see how it progressed. We started with nothing but weeds and dirt. The play set arrived first. While that was a little out of order as to what actually makes sense, it did light a fire under our feet to get the rest done.
Then came sand and pavers. Lee laid most of these bricks himself. His dad was so kind and came and helped on weekends, they worked really hard through the heat of the summer.
Then the temporary shift of play set so we could install artificial grass. No watering, no mowing, and it pretty much goes in like carpet. easy peasy. Except the rolls weight a few hundred pounds...
Lee nailing down the grass, Laszlo desperate to help. The kids want to "help" by playing with the nails and losing them in the grass...so helpful...
And the teeter-totter of course! I actually did help out that one together, most of the rest of this work I was more or less useless.
Lastly, the shed. It was October by the time we got to this point, but Lee once again pretty much put it all together himself. And it's a good thing it got finished when it did...
One week after finishing all of that we got this little snow storm! Clearly the timing couldn't have been better!
