Flower Power or Trekking into the Sunset

Yep, this week will end with us in a room at the Moore's Old Pine Inn in Marysvale, which was built in 1882, and is the oldest operating hotel in Utah.  "So", you say "What does that have to do with the picture of the purple sage?"  I will tell you.  We are booked into the inn and are staying in the Zane Grey room, where he lived in 1911 and wrote The Riders of the Purple Sage.  Unfortunately, it's a very anti Mormon book.  Anyway, knowing we'd were headed there I took the picture of the Purple Sage at Mosida, making it my first picture of flowers for the week.  Also, just for the record, we had purple sage growing in the garden area of our yard when we moved to the Payson house.  Ah, the small joys of minutia!

And here we are, experiencing what is probably the last trek for us. I loved this gal's curls and her flowered apron and skirt.

And the wildest 'bucket' decor I've ever seen.  These folks were from the Windsor 2nd Ward, probably in Andy's folks' stake in North Orem.

I also like the ruffle on her flowered bonnet.

This gal was there with her folks and was riding in an all-terrain wheelchair.  Who knew?

I was able to get a couple of hummingbird pics through the kitchen window of the lodge. 

The Hollyhocks are just stunning, which I love because the ones at my house were somehow killed in the bud by the big winds last month.

Dad wanted to include a picture of the new Mission Presidency in Finland.  We know the two on the left, Juha Mikkola and Juha Lehtinen.

Dad helps out with the Virginia Reel at the Hoedown Monday night.

Here a beautiful picture of Sea Glass Beach in California.  I think Trevor and Nell have seen it in person. How beautiful is that?

Here's a picture posted on our FB Mosida page, of a trek last week, hiding out from the rain.  I thought it was hilarious. 

On Tuesday Elder Newman dressed up his Edward Martin image for his Vignette. 

He used to do dramatic period shooting competitions and has an amazing wardrobe for our period activities. 

I loved these purple wildflowers but have never seen them before.  Anyone know what they are?

Here's a close up, similar to a thistle blossom, but the thistles are past blooming. 

The trek leaves from the Rocky Ridge vignette.

We leave too, and Elder Marvin carries back flowers his wife picked to press later.

Here is Alyssa Plant and her boyfriend.

We went to the wedding reception of Anna Hancock on Tuesday night.  She is the granddaughter of a Missionary couple we served with on our first mission.  She was one of our covid missionaries, as was Alyssa Plant, shown here with her boyfriend.  Shouldn't that bride have a bouquet of flowers?

On Wednesday morning we had the pioneer history assignment.  I gave the story of my Great, Great Grandfather's 3rd wife.  She was the widow of one of Dad's GG uncles, John Briggs.  Her name was Ruth Butterworth.  After my GG Grandfather Benjaman Thomas Clark took her and her surviving 3 children in, and later married her, they had two intermarriages between their children.  This is Benjamin's daughter, and my G Aunt, who married the only surviving son of Ruth Butterworth Briggs Clark.  I think they look like charming people.  I am looking forward to meeting this couple, her from  my line and him from Dad's line. 

Here we are back at Mosida and ready for the women's pull. These two gals are besties. 

Here they are on the women's pull ... Both girls are very athletic. The natural position is for the girls to hold the handle at their waist, as the shorter girl is doing. Unfortunately, this caused the taller girl to repeatedly whack the bar against her thighs.  At the end of the pull one of her thigh muscles, essentially had a huge charley horse.  She was shaking violently and hyperventilating as well.  One of the leaders asked how often that happens, and I had to say I'd never seen it happen before, not in two summers' worth of treks.

By the end of the trek a couple of hours later, the two girls were fine, and are here rocking and balancing a bench.

Here's another set of sweethearts, Elder and Sister Newman again.

And another sweetheart, Sister Smith, went shopping at the Grove this week.  Her daughter posted that she bought this ceramic, stacked flower plate from me.  How fun is that?

Meanwhile some sweethearts I know in Texas went back to school.  How cute are they? Yep, 4-year-old Bennie gets to go to school a year early, because he has a speech impediment, like only one of my children, Ben, did. 

Here's a happy photo of Ian he posted this week.

and I had a new landmark on Instagram, hitting 2,400 followers.

I finally found a picture of the painting I bought last week but won't take possession of until the end of the month, while Kristen Tye's gallery show continues. 

I told her I wanted a companion painting for it.  I said I wanted a Finnish house in the background with Finnish flowers in the foreground.  I laughed when I ran across this Finnish painting online.  Not exactly what I wanted, but it fits the description, don't you think?

And speaking of a work of art, my friend Craig brought his classic car to the mall.  He had to wipe off the dust when he got there.  I love it. I was in there on Friday because someone had bought a locking display case from me when I worked Thursday, and I had to bring one in to replace it. 

It was also Ashley's 46th birthday that day. Now there's a girl who is powered by flowers.  Our garden girl.  

From the mall, I went to a favorite store called Brambles and Blossoms in Provo. 

I always love her store and get great ideas for displays.  She is also a flower shop, and I love how she incorporates the florals with her antiques.  She shops my stores as well.  I have helped Lisa with huge purchases at both Treasures and the Grove.

Saturday was the fifth anniversary of Ben's death.  The family posted comments and videos all day on our face book messenger group's page, and I loved the interconnecting support I felt, as we all mourn our separation from this beloved son, husband, uncle and brother. Ben, if you get to read this blog, we want you to know that we all love you and look forward to being with you again in time.

Dad spent Saturday finishing up some small chores at Darby's.

While I shopped for antiques.  Here I am at Robin's Roost.

And at the Saratoga Spring's DI where I ran into Denali.  

My find of the day was from an estate sale in Holiday.  It's a painting dated 1927, and is by a listed Utah artist, Rose Howard.

Trevor and Nell ran into Becca and Brady, et al at the swimming pool and invited them over for games and a movie.  How fun is that?

On Sunday we attended church, then had lunch and headed down to Marysvale.  Here we are passing the Big Rock Candy Mountain.

Here we are at the Old Pine Inn.  This picture of the Inn with classic cars in front, is only 20 years old.  The Inn was built in the 1880's and is the oldest still operating hotel of any kind in the state of Utah. 

In 2005 the owners added some cabins that are set up with a board walk to imitate an old western town.

I think it is charming and would be the perfect site for a family reunion.  What do you all think?

We are staying in the Zane Grey room, where he stayed and wrote a very popular anti Mormon novel.  I have read it and was appalled.  It was published in 1912. I was Especially shocked, since it's just been a few months since I listened to the first book written by Author Conon Doyle about Sherlock Holmes and it is just as anti-Mormon in about the same way. That was in the 1880's and catapulted Doyle and Sherlock Holmes into fame and fortune.  Interesting pair of books.

Well, that was our wonderful flower filled week.  We hope you are all taking time to stop and smell the roses.  Did I mention that the heroine in our current Deseret Bookshelf book is named Rose!! Yep, just keep looking through your rose-colored glasses, we do.