Today was the first day of our long anticipated trip to Oregon. Candleman went off to work and I moseyed around the house doing laundry, packing and printing our some instructions. Mom and I were planning on having all day to get ready because Candleman wouldn't be getting off work until 6, or 5 if we were lucky.
Candleman called at 11:30 and said his boss is sending home early; not so he can get an early start but because he was miserable with a cold. That darn cold had plagued our family for 2 weeks. Of course, Candleman did not even contemplate canceling the trip. I called Mom and asked if she could be ready by 1:00. We didn't pick her up until 1:30 because I couldn't get ready fast enough.
Not only would we get to our first destination earlier, but we would be able to meet others of our family and enjoy dinner together. Three of my siblings (Mark, Susan, Shaneen) were in Salt Lake City for the UEA weekend. They get together each year, along with Mom, and take a short driving trip. This year they did some sight-seeing in SLC because Susan's son, who lives there, just became a new father the week before. Susan wanted to stay with them and help out with new baby, Robert Brent. Isn't he a handsome boy? I can see a little bit of both parents in him. I always enjoy watching the new little ones that come into our family as they grow.
Alyson and Katie drove down from Layton and picked up Cassie to join us, Jason, Rachel and Robbie came and my brother Greg, who lives in SL and his fiance, Jenny Lou and her daughter and friend were there. We ate at the Olive Garden. And as always with this wonderful family, we had wonderful conversation sprinkled with lots of laughter. That night we stayed at the Super 8 on Jimmy Doolittle Rd, out by the airport.
On our way to SLC there was so much traffic that Candleman took the beautiful route through Wolf Creek Pass. So much more relaxed and beautiful. We stopped just long enough for him to show us this head stone placed here by the Japanese Association of Utah in honor of a Japanese aviator who crashed near here in 1925 while on a flight over America, Europe and Asia.
The drive through Nevada is always desolate and long, but as we were nearing the Oregon border we drove through the Sheldon Wildlife Refuge and saw some wild burros a ways off the side of the hiway. We turned around and went back for a better look.
As luck would have it there was a little dirt road that took us right to the burros. We got some really great up close pictures. Surprising to see a black and white burro.
