June 28, 2009

• June 2009

  
  
  

  Whew!  What a month.  Here’s a quick recap:

  Elizabeth Turns 3 Years Old!

  

  

  
  Joseph’s First 50 Miler!

  
  Joseph had his first 50 miler this past week and had a great time.  The troop hiked the Virgin River Rim Trail.
  I was scheduled to go the entire week but, with the situation at work, was only able to do Wed. evening through Friday.  Still, I got in 25 miles of hiking.

  

  
  The Virgin River Rim Trail, overlooking Zion Nat’l Park

  
  The Navaho Lake Loop Trail.  Gorgeous!

  
  Navajo Lake, near the end of the loop trail.  We hike around the whole lake Thursday, 12 miles in all.
  

  
  On Friday, a bluebell, aspen covered meadow approaching Deer Haven.  Beautiful country!

  Chicken Carnage

  It was a bad week, chicken-wise.  Monday we found a hen unexplicably dead in the hen house.  Tuesday morning, one of our baby chicks finally hatched (the only one to date), but fell out of the nest, through the floor (how, I do not know), into the world of fully grown chickens who pecked at it all day till we discovered it hiding behind a rock that evening.  It spent all day alone and afraid!  It didn’t live through the night and Jacob reported tearfully on Wednesday morning that it had died. They gave it a proper funeral and considered wearing black clothes, but decided against it.
  

  
  That morning I was scheduled to put in several frantic hours at work before leaving for a couple of days on the 50 miler.  I was all dressed for work, had finished consoling the kids of the loss and saw the cuteness of Gianna feeding the chickens and had to snap a couple of shots.  Moments after this peaceful pastoral scene, she was attacked by our rooster.  She was scared to death and ran terrified, screaming up the hill.  This rooster has frequently attacked Jacob in the past but this was the last straw.  I quickly changed clothes, caught Spock (the name of the forementioned rooster) twisted his neck and yanked.  Limp and lifeless I carried him down the hill to dispose of him only to observe noises coming from his throat.  Not wanting him to suffer if he was at all alive I laid him on the ground and retrieved my hatchet.  I returned and went to pick him up when to my surprise he jumped up and ran away.  I couldn’t believe it!  Some mini-farmer I am.  I can’t even kill a chicken properly.  I caught him again and this time did the deed with the hatchet and held his convulsing body till it quivered no more.  Gianna did little dances of joy that her tormentor was dead.  The day, by the way, shall live in infamy as one of the most exhausting, insane of my life. 

  Father’s Day

  
  I wore my three Father’s Day ties to church.  A fun day!

  Marble Track Fun

  
  Over one weekend, for several days we were on a marble track kick.  Here are some photos of our creations.

  

  

  Gary Gets Kidnapped
  
  Monday the 15th, Liesl, the kids and the Bairett family kidnapped me from work and we headed up to Pine Valley for FHE. 
  It was a very enjoyable evening in beautiful country (45-60 min from home, northwest of St. George) during what continues to be an excruciating time at work.

  

  That’s the nutshell version!

  • 10:36 pm
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