Snow can be beautiful

Snow storm through the blind slats

Back yard view of the snow

Another back yard view

Shortly after we returned from Hawaii Clarine dug into my bag and found the camera.  She was so enthralled with the beauty of one of our first snow storms that she wanted to get a picture.  It is easy to detect that she has mastered the art of being a photographer.  We are happy to be back from our cruise.  I have been to the temple twice since returning to serve Ordinance Worker shifts on Saturday and Monday.  We have a new temple Presidency.  Every three years there is a change.  If I count correctly there have been seven presidents under which I have served  the temple.  That is about twenty-one years more or less.
Dan is coming to help me with some little projects on Wednesday.  That is our swimming day, so he says he will bring his swimming suit and join us for that as well.  Amy, Carol, Keith and Henry are going to stop by for a visit on Thursday.  Amy and the Blonquiists are going to be in this area because Carol, Keith and Henry are coming to the SLC airport to pick up Amy to spend some time at the Blonguist's home while they get acclimated to Henry's presence there.  We are looking forward to seeing them.

Bear Lake

Last week Clarine and I went to a time share in Bear Lake.  We met Dan and Deanna Allred (from Arvada, Colorado).  We spent Monday through Friday morning with them eating, sight-seeing, playing games, shooting bean flippers or what ever else caught our fancy.  The pictures shown were taken on the west shore of Bear Lake as we were shooting our bean flippers.  I got so engrossed in our other activities that I forgot to take more pics.  We had a very good time, ate well, (gained six pounds; I am back to normal today. so maybe I retained a little water.)  The weather and temperatures were very ideal.  While were were there, a lot of the maple leaves on the mountain turned red - gorgeous.  We made a jaunt in a car all of the way around the lake.  We also went to Montpelier, Idaho and Soda Springs before we were through traveling one day.  I believe Clarine is getting stronger each day.  Talks as if she will return to the temple after we return from our sixteen day cruise to Hawaii and back.  Five days each direction - plus five days cruising the islands with some stops.  I am happy to have Clarine feeling stronger and better.  I am feeling good too.  Where I had the squamous cancer cut out of my ear is getting healed well enough now so that I can lie on it to sleep part of the time.  We are excited to be feeling as well as we are.  Love, Clarine and George.

gwh family reunion, Aug. 3-6, 2011

From Wednesday, 3 August 2011to Saturday, 6 August 20ll we held a family reunion in a "cabin" provided by my daughter-in-law's parents in Island Park, Idaho.  We had a grand celebration with my children, grand children, and great grand children  participating.  There was lots of eating of good food, visiting and talking, playing games, visiting the Big Spring and feeding the enormous trout that habituate said spring - big enough to form a Henry's Fork of the Snake River.  There were bonfires at night to stimulate talking.  Three car-loads of us made a trip into Yellowstone Park.  We didn't see a lot of wild life.  We saw a beautiful new spread of trees that have germinated since the wide spread fires of some years back.  We cooled off with ice cream cones at Old Faithful Lodge, and we saw that Old Faithful was still faithful - putting on a display for many hundred spectators gathered on the benches strategically placed back from the spray of the geyser.  There were many smaller geysers and "hot pots."  There are some photos included of Old Faithful and the other geysers.  There are also three pics of the "cabin" that housed all of us so amply.  It was a wonderful family reunion.  My sentiments to those who could not make it this year.  I hope there will always be a "next time."  Love, Dad/Grandpa/George.

Another posting of happenings

These pics will show several of those who attended  Diane's "family shish-ka-bob festival."  I called it "Diane's" because she spearheaded it and was the prime mover to get it to happen.  There were lots of 'bobs' eaten and good visiting.For some it was the first opportunity to meet Beth's fiance, Patrick.  Beth's parents, Tom and Amy Russell were here from New York (Cnanandaigua) and on Saturday Beth received her endowments in the Jordan River Temple in preparation for her upcoming marriage to Patrick in the Palmyra, New York Temple later this month.   Also during the week, Phillip coordinated some stripping of old paint, putting on new sealant and getting some of the trim painting done, as well as repairing the water rotted doors on the storage shed and  getting it sealed and painted as well.  Much of the back stair railings got painted in the process.  He also came out and sprayed some broad leaf weed  killer on my lawn on Saturday.  Dan came by earlier in the week and did some handy help things around the place in addition to getting my grill working so that the ka-bobs thing could happen on Friday.  Evelyn has arrived here for her summer vacation.  You will note in a picture or two  that Elder Clark Hatch is present having arrived home in the last few weeks from the Rome Italy Mission.  There has been so much going on that I am sure I didn't chronicle lots of things that have happened.  At least this gives you a little flavor and lets you know that Clarine and I are doing well.  She did have a bout with a respiratory ailment a couple of weeks ago.  With oxygen,which she is still using from time to time and with antibiotics and prednazone, she managed to go to North Carolina with her daughter, Diane to visit her grand son and new great-grand-son.  She survived that okay, but was quite tired when she returned.  Thankfully, she is doing quite well.  Her son, Kent and his wife, Susan were here yesterday for a visit.  They brought two of their grandchildren with them.  The restructure of her foot and her hernia operation are in the final stages of healing.  The Salt Lake Temple is closed for summer recess for two weeks (half over), so I am involved in doing odd little things my age and demeanor permit me to get involved in.  I am certain that there is much more that could be said since I haven't written for a long time, but I think this will suffice for now.  Love, Dad/Grandpa/George.

some photos

Here are some photos that I spent all day on trying to get them to post to my blog.  I think I finally got things figured out a little bit.  You will see some out door greenery and some from the inside front foyer.  First are my fine tomato plants (2 of them) dwarfed by the iris.  Next is the apricot tree followed by the peach tree.  Both of those trees were quite severely impacted by the cold weather we had last November and then on through the winter.  Some of the wood died.  I lost most of the wood on the rose bushes, but they are coming up new from the roots.  There is a clump of dead pampas grass beside the peach tree.  Turning to the inside of the front foyer, you will see some color plants, the newly Murphy-oiled front foyer, and a "corn plant" - so-called in bloom.  If you see anything else, that is just a bonus.

Clarine is getting stronger day-by-day.  She only has five more months to go to the point where her foot doctor says that she will like him again.  Her hernia operation is getting less and less noticeable each day.  My grandson, Clark Hatch, has returned this week from his mission to the Italy Rome Mission.  He seemed to have enjoyed it a lot and I believe he was very effective in helping to build the kingdom.  We will go to Idaho Falls this Sunday as he is scheduled to speak in Sacrament Meeting.  We plan to take some mums around to the various graves  this weekend.  On Monday, Clarine, Diane, Carol, Keith and I plan to visit the Migratory Bird Refuge west of Brigham City.  When we have visited there before, we have had such an enjoyable time seeing all of those water fowl in their natural habitat.  gwh