It was a beautiful weekend, I know it rained the whole weekend, but I really loved it. On Saturday I was out running errands in the rain when on a whim I took a drive up Provo Canyon. The rain barely stopped as I entered the canyon...it was beautiful. I'm still kicking myself for not having a camera. The fall colors are so much more vivid when it has rained and everything is wet, the earth and tree bark turn dark almost black and the leaves almost look florescent against them. Low clouds dotted the back side of Timp where the hills are covered with deep reds and golds. I drove up above Sundance before turning back and met a herd of wild turkeys. It was a beautiful drive. A bit later in the day I stopped on Center Street in Provo and took a few shots of an apple tree...

Proof That We Don't Feed Maki Enough...

For some unknown reason Maki loves eating toilet paper...? Honestly, it's something that we try to keep away from her...but I found her taking a bath in the sink and couldn't help but tempt her with it.

More proof that she is wasting away:

My Birthday Adventure

I went to Capitol Reef, Cohab Canyon, for my birthday. It was a perfect day to be there. Here are some of the photos I took.

Bridal Veil with Colby

A couple of weekends ago I got to hang out with the kids while Baron and Donette went to City of Rocks. Colby and I went to Bridal Veil Falls on Saturday. Here are some photos:

Anis Mojgani - Shake the Dust

I've been listening to some live poetry readings lately, thought I'd share this one I found online...

Meet Anis Mojgani. The two-time National Slam Poetry Champion who stole the show, reminding everyone the power of words and the value in their stories. Here, he performs "Shake the Dust."

Maple Canyon

-and an abandoned turkey farm...

Quick Trip to Oregon...

Click here to see some pictures. I admit it's mostly just playing with the kids...but what else would you be doing in Oregon right?

Can they get any cuter?

Mountain Meadows

I'm Not Dead Yet

So here's a story for you: I planted flowers last spring(2009), a bunch of different kinds, and one type in particular grew like a bush but never flowered. When winter came I just left everything out on the porch and everything died of course...or so I thought. The flowerless bush plant in particular turned all brown and crusty.

This spring when it started to get a little warmer something green started growing in the big pot with the dead brown bush...I just figured that some seeds from the overhead trees must be sprouting. I just paid it no mind for about a month till the end of March when I started to think about planting some more flowers. When I got around to cleaning out the dead plants from the pots I had I noticed something that I thought to be impossible the plant growing in the big pot was the same plant that had been the massive bush the year before! It was growing again and it wasn't growing from an old seed or anything it was growing right out the what I thought was the dead plant! Anyway it's been growing like crazy again but this year...

I had planted more of the same flower this year because I didn't know what the bush was till it flowered...here's a new spout...

Fear Not...

...I am once again reachable by phone! After my phone completely died last week I finally buckled down and took the time to purchase a new phone...and yes I stayed with Sprint. -I just couldn't give up my free minutes after 7pm deal! So there you have it you can once again talk to me live over the phone without it cutting off every few minutes! ...I know everyone is excited but probably not as much as I am.

I got to go see PHISH 3D at the Windsong Carmike Theater in Provo last night! Even though I only officially found out about the movie coming out about a week ago I've been waiting for this movie since last October when I was at Festival 8 watching all the camera crews doing their thing.

As I had expected Leslie and I were the only ones in the theater for the 7pm showing of the festival...a private showing! -what more could one ask for?

The movie was amazing...first of all seeing parts of the festival was just like being there all over again and being reminded of how huge and fun Festival was, like a 3 day non-stop party. Also getting to see Phish play again and remembering how they played so incredibly well nailing every single song and making each moment memorable.

The movie, as referenced in the title was in 3D. Now for the most part I don't enjoy 3D movies(they hurt my head), but seeing the concert in 3D made it all the more like being right there...I actually enjoyed it. Since we were the ONLY ones in the huge theater they were playing it in I couldn't help but stand up and dance during some of the songs. Phish music just makes you want to feel it.

Anyway it was fun, exciting, nostalgic, entertaining and just completely awesome music to enjoy for 2 and a half hours...I can't wait for the next festival ;)


(Below is a still from the costume set Phish played...Exile on Main Street by the Rolling Stones...complete with horn section and amazing backup singers! It was awesome)

Mirror Images: Great Salt Lake

I got to attend this art show opening last night...I really enjoyed it. Lots of different pieces about the Great Salt Lake, while I expected it to be a little more political it wasn't...mostly a lot of really nice imagery of the Lake. My good friend Tyler Jensen had a piece of his on display that Westminster purchased and will hang in their science building after the show is over.

Here's the info posted on their website and there is a link HERE to the flyer Tyler did for the show...the photo and art are his.



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Art Show – Mirror Images: Great Salt Lake
Tanner Atrium, Jewett Center for the Performing Arts Opening
Reception: May 1, 6-9 p.m.
Exhibit: Runs May 1-7, 2010

This group exhibition, curated by art historian Hikmet Sidney Loe, features the work of over 30 contemporary artists working in a variety of mediums as they explore the unique mirror of GSL. Artists include Nancy Holt, David Maisel, Matt Kruback, Diane Tuft, Rosalie Winard, and Westminster’s own David Baddley, Tyler Jensen and Kay Kuzminski, to name a few.

Each artist’s work is as varied in medium and purpose as is each experience with the lake; each work is a perfect and personal mirror of Great Salt Lake. Mediums include photography, sculpture, installation, printmaking and painting/drawing.

“This exhibition is an overview of contemporary responses to the lake,” explained Hikmet Loe, exhibit curator. “Contemporary artists are continually drawn to the lake to draw out its beauty and rely upon its special nature for inspiration. The land, water, and sky provide an endless array of moods and settings to capture as seasons and atmospheric changes come and go. Realistic representations of the natural world are included in this exhibition along with images that only exist in the world of art.”

“We invite the public to look at this lake through a diverse collection of lenses,” said Dr. Bonnie Baxter, director of GSLI. “Through viewing art, we may inform science. In doing science, we may inspire writing. In writing words, we may find stewardship. Mirror Images: Great Salt Lake is meant to inspire the interconnectedness of the many reflections on this lake.”

Ani DiFranco Concert

I got to attend my third Ani DiFranco concert last weekend at Kingsbury Hall. I went with Leslie, Aimee and Jill and we really enjoyed it. It was a fantastic show! Ani played 80% new/unpublished music that no one had heard before; and while there are some bands from which this might be difficult to sit through, from Ani it was amazing. For an artist that already has 21+ albums out she's still creating awesome music and the new stuff she pulled out was very beautiful and exciting. It made me wish that EVERYONE could be like Phish and have the show you just attended ready to go on an SD that you can take home with you when you leave that show. Ani's opening act was Buddy Wakefield...who is not a musician but a poet. He recited/preformed about 6 or 7 poems for us which I enjoyed. We were lucky to have really close seats on the third row(hence the decent photo and video). For me it's inspiring to watch Ani preform. She talks a lot with the audience sharing stories and talking about her music. While being a strong independent woman she always shows her vulnerability and humility. The theme of the evening from both the artists was a one of self acceptance, integrity, being a positive influence in the world, personal divinity and striving to understand and accept one another. Ani's shows always make me think and evaluate what's important to me and what I want to make of myself. I left with a stronger determination to be a better, kinder more aware and spiritual person. I suppose it seems like an extremely strange thing to take away from a folk rock concert but I guess I sure did.

Ani Difranco -If You're Not

Nihon Matsuri

So I attended the Japanese Festival in Salt Lake last weekend. Unfortunately I didn't realize that the SD card for the camera was still plugged into the computer at home until I was already at the festival(sad face) so I didn't get to take any pictures. But here's a link to some pictures of the event. It was a good time and it made me miss Japan a lot.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/slc-japanfestival/sets/72157623802261153/show/

Tulip Fest!