NOSTALGIC ON MAIN

after an afternoon of shooting

both

gun and camera,

observing the magnificent sundog,

meandering around the great salt lake,

a feeling of nostalgia

coursed through my body.

magna was our next stop.
inasmuch as it was president's day
the township was eerily empty.
was it the holiday
that emptied the streets and buildings?
or had they been abandoned?
i got out of the car
to solve the mystery

my first experiences 

as an educator took place
at webster elementary

in historic magna

(dyches rexall pharmacy in the background
many stops for treats, sodas, prizes...)

though the three story schoolhouse

burned to the ground

the place and memories

still exist

come with me for a walk down main street

the senior center stands in "webster's" place

we loved the senior community.

students paraded down the street

in lively costumes on halloween,

sang christmas carols

and

made valentines

for our friends down the road.

this image is a memory.

it is what i viewed through my classroom window.

it is what i saw on recess duty.
it is still standing.

the faculty parking lot

was north of the yard of cars

used for driver's education.

main street

just because
i love fire hydrants
and
charming buildings in bright colors...

one gentleman exited the building,
locked up and asked,
"are you doing an editorial for the paper?"
if only
i thought...
there are local businesses
that appear to be still in operation
though i am unsure...

surely there were no web printings
when i was here...
a reminder of how far we have come
in technology.
 a few buildings have been transformed

into a museum

a police station
(resembling what i picture mayberry to be)

a library
message on my camera
"empty battery"
i still have a few more buildings to go
one bearing the same last name
as one of my students
from yesteryears...
that can only mean one thing,
another trip down main
with a few stops inside.
i glanced upward
and saw the banner
possibly
containing the answers to my questions.

HISTORIC
MAGNA
COMMUNITY FUN
TRADITION
ACTIVE WELCOMING
BUSINESS DIVERSE
OPPORTUNITY GROWING
FAMILY HOME
TECHNOLOGY LIVELY
ALWAYS
MAGNA

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US

my BIRTHDAYS will never be the same

each passing year

i am reminded of

the miracles

and tender mercies 

of my heavenly father

on my 39th BIRTHDAY

heaven sent

me a gift

of such

magnificence

and grandeur

that words escape me

i have quiet celebrations in my heart

i gather

the pregnancy journal and baby books

and reflect on the beauty of that day

ten short years ago

my mother and father

provided a 90 minute massage

where i could continue

to ponder

reflect

and bask in the art of touch
just around the corner
is fire engine number 5

the bright red door brings a smile to my face

my creator
graces me with nature's beauty

and then...
it is all about noah

noah's tenth BIRTHDAY
decorations


guests


games

tuxedo over th top delicious cake

blue guitar

and my very best gift
check out noah's smile

HAPPY BIRTHDAY US!

NOAH'S TENTH BIRTHDAY INVITATION

noah decided to have a POOL party

thanks to grandma and grandpa

a beautiful indoorPOOL

under a plexiglass ceiling

made a winter BIRTHDAY party

feel like summer

with noah,

we made INVITATIONS

printed a copy

attached them to a package of candy

WHOPPERS

and delivered them in person

(i made a smilebox for the blog to the tune of "friday"
a verbal, musical announcement "it's friday...")

Digital invite created with Smilebox

THE GREAT SALT LAKE PHOTO SHOOT

today was just too pretty to describe

 see  for yourself
god is good...oh so good
to bless us with such beauty

the photos appear in the order they were taken

it began with a beautiful rainbow around the sun

similar to the one last week
 only this one was not fleeting

it followed us throughout the day

spectacular in every way

This picture slideshow personalized with Smilebox

SUNDOG

some of the most beautiful scenes

have taken place on my way to work

on this particular day

the clouds seemed to outline the mountains

there was a small break

where the sun peered through

the rays outstretched to earth

the color was a most interesting blue

i kept checking to see the quickly changing sky, i saw a ribbon of rainbow

by the time i reached daybreak,

there was a complete ring around

the sun

it was spectacular

so much so that i made a place to pull over

 i showed my husband the photos

before i could even share

he put a name to the image

"sundog"

i had never heard the term

but this is what i discovered
from wiki

is an atmospheric phenomenon that creates bright spots of light in the sky, 

often on a luminous ring or halo on either side of the sun.^[3]

Sundogs may appear as a colored patch of light

 to the left or right of the sun, 

22° distant and at the same distance 

above the horizon as the sun, and in ice halos. 

They can be seen anywhere in the world during any season, 

but they are not always obvious or bright. 

Sundogs are best seen and are most conspicuous when the sun is low.