HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

Today, August 26th, is our 42 wedding anniversary.  I've know this guy since I was 15 and we took our one and only high school class together at West High in Salt Lake City.  He turned out to be my best friend and the love of my life.  More ups than downs along the way.  Four amazing kids and five wonderful grandchildren later, I couldn't have asked for a better time.  As the saying goes - Grow old with me, the best is yet to be!
Love ya, Janice

Bonneville Speed Week:

The Bonneville Salt Flats is a densely-packed salt pan in Tooele County in northwestern Utah.  The area is a remnant of the Pleistocene Lake Bonneville and is the largest of many salt flats located west of the Great Salt Lake.  Geologist Grove Karl Gilbert named the area after Benjamin Bonneville, a U.S. Army officer who explored the Intermountain West in the l830s.

In l907 Bill Rishel and two local businessmen tested the suitability of the salt for driving on by taking a Pierce-Arrow onto the flats.  A railway line across the Bonneville Salt Flats was completed in l910, marking the first permanent crossing.  The first land speed record was set there in l914 by Teddy Tetzlaff.

Ever since the setting of that first speed record, the Salt Flats have played host to hundreds of drivers each year willing to test their cars, motorcycles or trucks against a time clock in the quest for the elusive world speed record.  There are five major land speed events that take place each year, the first one being the Bonneville Speed Week which takes place during the month of August.

 This year, Roger, Rob, Daniel and Ethan took a day off from retirement, work and play to take in the races and view the race cars up close.

 It was a hit with all the "men".  Ethan, below, has decided that next year they will arrive earlier and camp over so they won't miss a single race or opportunity to visit the drivers in the pits.  Bringing bicycles was also mentioned as a means to travel quickly from one pit to the next.  I think we have a new annual "Tea" event on our hands.

The North Rim of the Grand Canyon:

It had been twelve years since Roger and I had visited the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.  A lot has happened during those twelve years, but luckily for us not much has changed on the rim and memories flooded back immediately as we drove down the road to the lodge, above.  The north rim is not as developed as the south and the Grand Canyon Lodge is the dominate fixture surrounded by scores of small wooden cabins.  A camp ground further down the road with a general store completes what is available for the wandering tourist.  The lodge was constructed in 1928 for the Union Pacific Railroad.  The original one burned down in 1932 and was rebuilt in l937.

Views of the Grand Canyon are seen from walkways and terraces surrounding the lodge.  Huge windows facing the canyon allow you to sit in the main hallway or enjoy a meal in the dining room while taking in the majesty of the Grand Canyon.

T'is The Season:

 Racquel (aka: Pokie), age four and our youngest grandchild has started playing soccer this year,  Grace told us that she had missed the deadline for getting all three kids on teams, so in her desperation she promised, via phone message, that she would coach.  Well be careful what you ask "beg" for.  Grace is now the coach for Ingrid and Ethan's team which plays on Tuesday night and Racquel is on the mismatched jersey team of pickup players.   It doesn't matter how, why, or if the jerseys don't quite match, Racquel had a ball and showed that she has learned a lot from her older siblings. 

2nd Annual Tea Family Cabin Reunion:

 We held our second annual Tea family reunion (even though we see each other plenty throughout the year) at the cabin last weekend.  Everyone was able to come and relax, though the grandkids kept grandpa busy with requests (demands) for rides on the four wheeler at every turn.  Now you might think we had lived in Thailand too long given the above photo, but no, that was just for a photo op.  Only two besides Grandpa and each with their helmet were the rules.  All of them were anxious to show off their skill at driving unaided down the dirt road.  Thank goodness Roger has good reflexes!!

Maeklong market, Amphawa floating market & Wat Baan Kung

For some time I have wanted to visit the famous Maeklong market in Samut Songkram, which is about 40 miles outside of Bangkok.

The market is famous because it has spread over the railway tracks, just by the station.  If you look closely at the photo you can see that the goods are right up to the tracks, the stall's awnings cover the track area and the customers walk along the tracks.