Afternoon drive

My mother applied for a job that would place her in a regional position that would require she communicate with the hospitals in Southwestern Utah. She has been to Valley View in Cedar but hadn't been to the hospital in Garfield County. She asked me to go with her to Panguitch to check it out. I had never been to Panguitch, but I told her I'd only go if we could take the scenic route.
We went through Zion National Park, up 89 through Orderville, Glendale, and Hatch to Panguitch. We toured the bite-size hospital and then stopped by her coworkers home in Panguitch. On the way home we took 143 passed Panguitch Lake to Cedar Breaks. We saw quite a bit of deer and were even stopped by hundreds of sheep crossing the road. There was a sheep dog and a shepherd with them.
We admired Cedar Breaks at 10,460 feet. We continued down Cedar Mountain into Cedar City. It got dark just as we entered Cedar City so we took I-15 back to St. George.
I enjoyed the drive so much, that I repeated it with a couple friends a few days later. The only difference was that we stopped at Panguitch Lake for some fishing.
Speaking of fishing, I've been on several fishing trips in the last few weeks. My friend complained, because he didn't catch anything no matter where we went. I didn't either, because I didn't fish. I'm about to change that. My sister's friend, Jared, the one who can lift cheerleaders over his head, is going to teach me how to fish. I'm excited. I anticipate spending most every weekend out fishing. Hopefully, I'll catch a fish or two.

This is Zion National Park. I actually took this picture in December when my aunt and cousins were here from Florida.

Kane County takes patrolling seriously in Orderville. I noticed this Sheriff's vehicle on the first trip with my mother. I looked a little closer when I was driving my friends. My friend insisted the deputy was asleep. I said it was too thin to be a person. We turned around to discover a mannequin in the front seat.
Keep Orderville safe by slowing down, but don't worry about getting pulled over by this particular deputy.
She's hard to see, but she was very pretty.

Panguitch Lake was slow blue. It glimmered in the Southern Utah sunlight. Upon closer inspection, there were a few areas that were green with growth. I suspect those parts were the only parts of the lake that were a decent temperature.

The sheep were busy crossing the street. We had to wait a few minutes for a break in the sheep to drive through.

Cedar Breaks is always a surprise. I never remember how majestic it is until I get there.

This was my view as I peed on the side of the road.

These were some of the Cedar trees that broke so as to reveal the desert painted rock.

This shot is from a recent fishing trip to Kolob Reservoir.

Now Playing

I attended Les Miserables at Tuacahn tonight. I have never seen the show before. Overall I was pleased. I'll save the complete review for another time. My favorite part of the whole evening was this line:

"You play a virgin in the light but need no urgin' in the night."

Read The Spectrum

Check out today's paper for the article on my summer camps. It's on the front page of the Southwest Living (feature) section.
For those of you who aren't local, you can read the article online.
It fills practically the whole page. I couldn't be more pleased.
Check out more pictures and information from my most recent camp here.

Wasps used to be my favorite word...okay, it still is

I had almost forgotten what fear feels like. Until today.
I was driving home when out of nowhere a giant, yellow WASP landed on my dashboard. My windows were up, so it had been in the car with me. Eek!
I've never been stung by a bee, but I was stung by a wasp once. I will never forget that day. I will also never forget the time my cousin, Joseph, got stung by a wasp on his bare chest. I had never before and have not since seen him freak out like that. Wasps, although a favorite word of mine, are not a favorite creature of mine. It's amazing how something as small as an insect can illicit such a great response.
I immediately rolled down my window, hoping the wasp would get carried away. Of course, my fear was that the wasp wouldn't fly out the window but rather into my face. I wanted to pull over, but I couldn't come up with a good exit strategy quick enough.
Just when I had figured out a plan, the wasp flew and landed on the steering wheel. WHY?! Now, I definitely didn't know what to do.
I was freaking out inside, but I didn't dare flail my arms like I wanted. There was no way I was going to disturb this frightening creature.
When I turned left into my neighborhood, the wasp disappeared. I don't know for sure if it went out the window. I pretended it did and tried to calm down. Of course, there was always the chance it was still in the car and that it was going to land on the back of my neck.
I couldn't get home fast enough. I bailed out of my car as fast as I could.
I will have to do a detailed inspection of my car from the outside before I can get in it again.

Amazing Summer Ahead

I landed an amazing summer job today. I'll be working for the Utah State Extension Office planning the Aggie Adventures Summer Day Camps. The camps are designed to give students the opportunity to explore the world of science through fun hands-on activities.
I'll be planning five camps with a teammate and will be assisting on five others. The five camps I'll be planning are

1. Slimy, Gooey, & Disgusting: Discover all kinds of slimy and gross things through experiments and investigations. Learn about worms, snot, smells, bats, and more!
2. Inventors Laboratory: Learn to control the elements as we explore the awesome power of water, heat, and air. Create gliders, hover crafts, and much more.
3. FUNdamentals of Science: This camp is full of fun, hands-on science experiments that teach basic science ideas. Activities include: crazy chemical reactions, rocket lauches, animal investigation and more!
4. Shooting for the Stars: Have you ever wanted to fly into space? Join us for a spacey adventure as we learn about the stars, planets, and a trip to the moon!
5. Owls, Spells, and Potions: Enter the magic of fantasy! In this camp, youth will explore the science behind the imagination. Chocolate frogs, potions, and flying brooms are just a taste of what we will explore.

This is going to be an amazing summer! I can hardly wait. I start planning tomorrow at 1:30.

Go to dixie4H.org and check out summer camps or stop by 44 N 100 E in St. George for more information.