Pioneer Ballad

July 24th is an honored Utah holiday, celebrating the day when the pioneers first came into the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. They came as refugees from Nauvoo, Illinois and surrounding areas, and also many from Europe, especially England, Wales, Denmark, Sweden, etc; all gathering to Zion with high hopes of worshiping God in peace. Both Bob and I claim many in our family tree, and this poem/song was written as a tribute to their sacrifices that paved the way for us to be able to live with such a rich heritage.

They sailed across the ocean neigh six score years ago.
And set their faces westward to a land they did not know.
The call to join the gath’ring saints in search of peace and rest,
Kindled great desires to build a Zion in the west.

O pioneers, those pioneers! I’m proud to bear their name.
I’ll sing in praise and raise my voice; their story to proclaim.

The gospel news had spread abroad across Atlantic sea.
And grew within the hearts of a Danish family.
Like many others, they set sail and left their country home,
To join the saints en-route to a desert land unknown.

Ever westward, slowly bending to that Zion in the west.
Onward ever onward, there was little time to rest.
The dust was thick, the nights were cold. Death was ever near.
A shallow grave along the trail was a constant haunting fear.

O pioneers, those pioneers! I’m proud to bear their name.
I’ll sing in praise and raise my voice; their story to proclaim.

James Eli Powell and Mary and two children drove a team,
That pulled a covered wagon to reach a distant dream.
But as the fate of many, Mary soon grew ill and died.
No marker shows her lonely grave, where the last goodbye was cried.

Yet through it all, they often sang; the words a story tell.
Around the fire, sweet music swelled and told that ‘all is well’.
The westward trek’s remembered for the courage that it shows.
They made the desert grasses bloom and blossom as a rose.

O pioneers, those pioneers! I’m proud to bear their name.
I’ll sing in praise and raise my voice; their story to proclaim.

They planted seeds that grew into an empire through the years,
Though few knew more than crude log homes, sacrifice and tears.
The days have passed ere pioneers were seen throughout the land.
Yet their story leaves us something good to understand.

Though years roll on, and faces change, those very names we bear.
We still posses that self-same flame they carried here with care.
We can boldly raise it’s light; bright through all the years.
A tribute to those mighty ones, the Mormon Pioneers.

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Happy Birthday, Grandpa

Oh NO! I forgot to post on Monday! However, I doubt any of you are too stressed about it, right? It’s Bob’s birthday today, and I’ve had jury duty, blah, blah, blah. Sorry. So, today our Grand daughter made him a birthday card, and that’s going to be the post for the week. Happy Birthday, Bob!

Grandpa is so nice and kind,
With an open heart and mind,
Kindness and creativity shown,
Like the colors of the rainbow.

You are cool. You are fun. You are unique. You are grateful. You are wise. You are creative. You are faithful. You are compassionate. YOU ARE GRANDPA!

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Chip and Dale

Ok, this is part 2 of our Teton National Park visit. These 2 young marmots peeked out at us late one afternoon while we were out looking for grizzly bears. We slowly drove down the Pilgrim Creek Road, where a cinnamon-colored grizzly had been spotted over the last couple of days. We came to the conclusion that one can spend hours of time searching for something (like a bear) and bypass a delight that is right before your eyes. Thank you, little marmots, for making our drive down Pilgrim Creek a rewarding delight.

Two young marmots peek out from holes within a fallen, mossy tree.
These rascals we’ll call Chip and Dale, peer out most carefully,
Then curiously, the two young pups began to venture out,
And soon they were in full view, and began to move about.
These two plump rascals filled our hearts with joys beyond compare.
These cute wood chuck memories will linger innocent and fair.

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Blacky

We just returned from a 5-day trip to Teton National Park in Wyoming. There is so much beauty there. We often were amazed at ‘our cup running over’! The mountains were, as usual, stunning. The wildlife was especially entertaining. I have so much to talk about: blue birds, ravens, buffalo, moose, sunsets, sunrises, camera lenses, beavers, rain, baby elk, crowds gathered to see bear. So, I’ll just start with one thing this week. Raven. We were setting up a sandwich picnic in Yellowstone, when a very large raven hopped within 5 feet of our picnic table, and just stood there, waiting. I quietly spoke to it, inviting it to stay for awhile, hoping I would have the time to snap off a few photos. It posed for many shots, and then was pleased to be tossed a few sandwich crumbs, and quickly learned that it needed to be perched on a nearby log in order to receive bits of crust. Bob has always been super-fascinated with ravens. We have tried to photograph many, but found them to be spooky and fly away too quickly, or, because of their ‘blackness’ the exposure has been tricky, and usually not impressive, except for this time. What a delightful lunch guest!

Blacky came to charm his way into our very souls.
His raven ways won our hearts, as he obtained his goals.
He jumped upon a pine root perch, not 6 feet from us.
We tossed him bread and other treats and we gained Blacky’s trust.
He cried “Don’t go!”, in raven calls, as we drove away.
We won’t forget the miracle God shared with us that day.

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