There’s been far less snow on the ground this year compared to last year, but I’ve still reached the point in winter where I’m so sick of browns and grays and need to see green. So we went to Red Butte. There wasn’t a lot of green outside but their big greenhouse–the Orangerie–didn’t disappoint.
They even had orange blossoms!
Doc had the BRILLIANT idea of doing a kid’s party package at the local skate rink for my birthday and it was amazing. About 20 people came, we fed them pizza and soda and Rice Krispie treats, and I went off the smallest jump on the speed track at the very end.
Not bad for a 40-year-old!
Having a week off was SO GREAT: We went on a Black Friday hike and a Sunday hike, I sewed elaborately ruffled things, we watched movie trilogies and I knitted, we had a mellow Thanksgiving and put up the Christmas tree, and we took my nephew ROLLER SKATING (finally! and I didn’t fall down).
I have the week of Christmas off, as well–can’t wait for MORE VACATION.
We went to the botanical gardens yesterday instead of a hike. Outside, it looked like the Arthur Rackham illustrations for The Wind in The Willows…
…and inside it looked like Hawaii–the Utah Orchid Society was having their annual show.
We took a long weekend off to originally go camping, which turned into plans for a staycation when the weather didn’t want to cooperate. I had big plans for day trips, taking my nephew out, maybe painting an accent wall–but we only got the first day’s activities in because I got sick.
But what a first day! Our friend told us about a place 2.5 hours north that her brother was bringing back to life: Maple Grove Hot Springs. We went up for the day to check it out and soak and it was just lovely–stunning setting, perfect fall colors, and the best natural (non sulfur!) hot springs.
After we got back home and my head cold hit, I kept wishing I had a hot springs handy for soaking. We’ll have to go back and stay!
Instead of a hike, we went wading yesterday. I’m not a great swimmer and have no desire to become one, but rivers (or creeks, in this case) have my heart. Let me stick my feet in one and see the hidden banks and suddenly I’m thinking of becoming a river guide and breaking out The Wind in the Willows quotes:
Never in his life had he seen a river before—this sleek, sinuous, full-bodied animal, chasing and chuckling, gripping things with a gurgle and leaving them with a laugh, to fling itself on fresh playmates that shook themselves free, and were caught and held again. All was a-shake and a-shiver—glints and gleams and sparkles, rustle and swirl, chatter and bubble. The Mole was bewitched, entranced, fascinated.
A happy Mole, “bewitched, entranced, fascinated.”
We drove an hour and went on our annual July high mountain hike last Friday–the Lofty Lakes Loop trail in the Uinta Mountains.
Compared to the last two years, there was a lot of snow on the ground (we brought our microspikes and were really glad we did). In some spots the grass wasn’t even green yet and instead of summer wildflowers, there were tiny spring blooms instead.
It was still a great day hike–I love these mountains particularly and the drive up into them is just heartbreakingly beautiful at times. Maybe this is the year we finally go back with a pool float to the largest lake next month…
This is the kind of story that would have made me roll my eyes SO HARD before I started going to the gym, but my Sunday morning workouts have included Bulgarian split squats for the last few weeks and they make my quads hurt so much that hiking anything steep that same day is right out (I made Doc turn around last week!).
So instead, we went to Red Butte Garden to look at the roses in bloom:
Well, attempting to read:
Either way, it was a good, easy weekend. Here’s to an easy week.
The sun was shining all weekend so instead of a hike in the mountains where we’d still need snow gear, we went to the botanical garden where we wore light jackets and saw flowers in bloom.
Toby did not join us for the outing but he enjoyed the sun nonetheless.
(Pet portraiture by Doc, of course. He takes all the good ones.)