Monday, October 28, 2013

Study in Yellow

Shasta Daisy

Nasturtium
I added the above two specimens to my Study in Yellow.


Come the happy light hour about 6pm I headed outside to photograph Paul's cottonwoods. The one good thing I can say about cottonwoods is that they are a beautiful yellow in autumn; otherwise, they are a trash tree. One yellow leaf lead to another and I decided I would collect photos of all the yellowish foliage in my yard. It was surprising how many plants were gilded by one of my favorite colors.
Paul's Cottonwoods

Apricot Tree

Close up of Apricot leaves

Golden Maple

Helianthus & Hornet

Gable Oak

Day Lily Foliage

Flowering Pear

Aspen

Aspen

Virginia Creeper Weed

Tom's eyes(not foliage) and Dried Corn Husks

Chrysanthemums 

Paper Birch

Yellow Roses

Golden Euonymus

Rosehip Sepals

Spirea

Withering Prairie Mallow "Watermelon"

Pumpkins

After beginning to write this post I realized I'd forgotten the east side of the house and the wisteria on the back patio; so, here's some more yellow studies.
Wisteria

Oriental Lily

Euchinacea or Purple Coneflower

Peony

Comfrey

Hosta
Today a cold front is moving in and the autumn display is getting blown all over the street. It was beautiful while it lasted.



Friday, October 25, 2013

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Highlights from the State Cross Country Meet October 2013


Here's a link to the highlights of the race Shannon was in October 24th. She is part of the Timpanogos HS team which is 4A. Highlights

The video is about an hour long and I couldn't figure out how to skip ahead to the 4A race. Hummmm.

I couldn't get the video to play past 8 or 9 minutes. Don't bother with it.

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Squaw Peak for the First Time

Squaw Peak Lookout
Dad took me up to Squaw Peak this afternoon. Shannon and her cross country team park at the bottom of the road and run up to the lookout, a good four miles. There were several para-gliders taking off from the area where Bob is standing in the pano photo. I told Bob that I didn’t need that kind of adrenaline rush. Just watching the para-gliders take off was enough cortical stimulation for me.


Yesterday after visiting Squaw Peak for the first time I texted Mark while I was on the way home with Bob. Here’s what I said:
Me--“Just left Squaw Peak. Never been there. Dad and I don’t think it’s a good make out place. Too many people.”          
Mark—“Well that’s good to know. I’ve never been either. I just hear that’s where people go. Perhaps it’s better when it’s dark?”

Me—“Maybe. The view is awesome and downhill biking would be great?”

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Shannon's First Date--Sadie's

Shannon's Sadie's Group at Dry Canyon
I had a blast taking photos of Shannon’s Sadie’s Dance group up near Dry Canyon.  It is one of my favorite and easiest accessible places to shoot dance photos. Whitney was my lovely photography assistant. I needed her to hold the light reflector. It helps the photo subject’s skin look better if there’s reflected as well as flashed light, especially if the sun is backlighting the scene. The backlighting makes the autumn leaves look great. This was Shannon’s first date and the kids chose to dress us as Disney movie characters. Shannon’s date, Tate Wilks was Buzz Lightyear and he did an awesome job with his costume. He used duct tape and white foam core poster board. Shannon was the cutest Jessie from Toy Story that I ever saw. We made her chaps. See if you can guess who the other kids dressed as. Shannon made a delicious pot of sweet and sour chicken for the dinner as well as a salad. She slipped a little baby kale into the salad. The kids didn’t even know. She’s beginning to pull healthy food tricks like her momJ




Sunday, October 13, 2013

Uncle DeMar's Home and Barn

Uncle DeMar's Home

and his barn

In Auburn WY not far from the Hog Hole and the Old Stone Church is Uncle DeMar Hillyard's home and barn. In the pasture with this barn Uncle DeMar would raise a steer for us and we would enjoy hamburger and steaks through the winter. We would have family reunions in the yard where Uncle DeMar would pull an old milk can out of the coals and provide a meal of potatoes, carrots, onions and beef for hungry Hillyard aunts, uncles, counsins and grandparents; and, I'll never forget the time when we watched Uncle DeMar on a one-legged stool milk his cows by hand. My younger 5 year old brother, Paul, pointed at the udder and teats and said, "Wow, look at all those peters!" Aunt Virginia would feed us Sunday dinners and I would play on her electric organ in the living room. 

the Old Rock Church

The Rock Church was the first building constructed in the newly surveyed town site of Auburn WY in 1889.
On our way to the Auburn Fish Hatchery we drove through town and I photographed the Stone Church. My dad frequently reminded us that when Indians threatened to attack early settlers they locked themselves in the Rock Church for protection. The clapboard LDS church in which we used to hold Hillyard family reunions has been torn down. The much newer Auburn church building is now on 1156 Wy State Highway 237 closer to Grover. I love this tidbit I learned from a small history of Auburn. "Heavy snows made Star Valley a great place to 'hole up' in the winter. Using alias names Butch Cassidy and his partners were occasionally seen at church socials and dances held at the Old Rock Church." Town of Auburn by Ilia Wilkes

Auburn Fish Hatchery

Autumn foliage along Tygee Road just before Stump Creek Road.




     The autumn foliage had decorated the hills has we drove up Stump Creek Road past Maybe's place. My Uncle DeMar used to be the caretaker for Maybe's land that was situated along a generous length of Stump Creek. Shortly after leaving the cabin Daniel fell asleep in the back of the Suburban on our way to the Auburn Fish Hatchery. Shannon and Whitney stayed at the cabin and were all chummy. So, Bob and I were the ones to enjoy the kokonee e salmon eggs and their little eyes--"eye of the fry" the hatchery attendant told us. Later Shannon said, "Why didn't you tell me you were going to go to the hatchery." I guess we didn't make ourselves clear.

Kokonee e salmon eggs two weeks from hatch.






Bob visiting the Auburn, ID Fish Hatchery
On our way to the fish hatchery we took some photos of the foundation of Grandma Ada Elizabeth Wood Hillyard's home. It was later moved from the outskirts of Auburn to about 415 Madison Street, Afton WY.

Foundation of Grandma Ada's home in Auburn.
 My dad was born in this house on November 23, 1935, when it was located in the outskirts of Auburn. Dad's father, Leslie Hillyard had harvested timber from up on the hill north of this foundation to build the first portion of this log home. DeMar, Ronny and Uncle En (Enoch) may have helped build the first part of the small house. Dad's birth home was constructed of logs with sawn boards attached to the outside of the logs. Later they added on a second floor. Even later my dad, Jim, helped add a basement (in Afton? There doesn't appear to be a hole for a basement in the above  photo.) My father was the surprise caboose in the family and before he was born his parents, brothers and sisters lived up on the hill north of this area. The Hillyard's had acquired land on the hill through the Homestead Act.
Grandma Ada's home now in Afton WY.
The garage was added after the home was moved to Afton.  I remember riding old Socks the nearly dead horse on this road. Socks was black with white socks and never moved too quickly for dudes like me visiting from Salt Lake City UT. To whom did Socks belong?