Sunday, August 25, 2024

Last Minute Trip


Ryan ended up with 2 days of unexpected time off in July!   We decided to take an impromptu road trip.  

We went to Sedona, AZ.  Which is beautiful country.  But it didn't speak to my heart as much as the red rocks of Southern Ut, my home. 


Slide rock state park is beautiful and fun and has some interesting history. 
It was early homestead property that the state later acquired and turned into a state park. 
It was really busy and crowded, but you didn't really notice after you got settled in and started sliding down the rocks in the river. 



The rocks were slippery, the water was a bit too brisk for my liking, and the current, swift.  The cold water took our breath away--but it was quite fun!!!  We got there late in the day and felt a bit rushed.  It closes at 5:00PM and I think we arrived around 3:45-4:00pm.



The parts you can slide on run for about 50-100 yards --I would guess.






Here's a look at what I'm talking about--slits in the rock that make slides and ditches that the current carries you down. 






Jace agreed with me-it was super cold.  He's like me-not a fan of cold water. In reality I would guess the water was around  70 degrees.  We keep our pool at 87-89  degrees- so that's like ice water to us Arizona peeps. 


Here is the history.  My paternal grandfather was a homesteader in St George Ut.  After he died, the state pressured my poor grandmother into selling her families homestead.  She didn't want to sell it, but finally felt she couldn't fight the state anymore.  It is now Snows Canyon State Park in Southern Utah.  So I have tender feelings for the homesteaders of the early 1900s.  It was hard, but rewarding work. 


This is the original homestead house, still on the property. I'm glad this place has been preserved, and I'm glad it's open for all to enjoy--because it really was a slice of heaven on earth. It was beautiful. 


We stayed at a place called Orchard Canyon on Oak Creek Cabins. The property had several cabins for rent and then a few acres of orchards and common areas to enjoy. The property itself was beautiful, and temperate.  Acres and orchards to stroll in, and the creek was on the property.  At night they lit it up with white hanging lights.  The cabins themselves, needed updating.  



It was just a mile up Oak Creek from slide Rock.  But the creek here was much different than farther down. It was cool and serene with gray rocks, not red.  Amazing that is can change  so much a mile upstream.



That evening while we were enjoying dinner and the property, our phones started going crazy with calls and texts.  Lightening had struck in Kingman AZ and a wildfire had started near our property and goose habitat. If I haven't mentioned it before, we own 60 acres of empty desert land just 5 minutes from our neighborhood.  We built a mini farm there and moved our pet geese there-because Dr Swigert hated the messy geese in his back yard.  And messy they were- but also vocal and very delightful!

Here are pictures friends sent us.  It started in the afternoon and moved close to residential areas by nightfall. But no houses were lost!!!  and the firefighters saved our structures!!


This picture shows the fire right on our land. Of course this happens when we are out of town!


This was the next morning. This is our No Trespassing sign the Ryan's dad "Poppy" put up for us. It wasn't even singed.  He was worried we'd  have theft on our isolated desert oasis, but it has been fine. 


 The containers that store the well equipment, and tractor, were safe and sound!   A blessing!!

It came right up to the geese's fence!   About 70-to  80% of our land was black.  Luckily it was just sage brush.  No great loss. 


But all was intact! And  the geese told me all about it when I went out to check on them when we got home. I wish I could have seen them during the ordeal.  I'm curious to know if they went to their pond, and hunkered down in it for safety?  I guess I'll never know. 




Day 2 of our little trip was a 7.4 mile hike in the July heat of AZ!    Everyone should do that at least once in their lifetime!  We had hopes of starting early, but you know how it goes with 5 people trying to get ready in 1 small bathroom, and then all the last minute things we thought to do. We got to the trailhead around 9:30AM and it was already 99 degrees.  Gracie melts really quickly in the heat.  




We carried lots of water and wore those cooling rags on our heads and necks, but they dried out really quickly. But it was ONLY a 3.2 mile hike into Beaver Creek.  We were headed for this popular spot that is known for its deep pools and jumping ledges. 


I was eager to go- because of the red rock.  It reminds me of home.  



The water was warmer than slide rock and the place was really quite pretty.  All the college kids that were there when we arrived around 1 pm were getting ready to leave for the day.  So we mostly had the place to ourselves. 

Yes-we all jumped off this 20 foot ledge into the water below.  Well, Kjersti decided it wasn't for her. 

Dr Swigert crossed over to the other side here and jumped off the 30 foot ledge.  I only took a video of that--oh well.  It was fun, but I learned that I have a 50 year old body now, not a 20 year old body.  As much as I love the thrill of jumping off those heights into the water below, it was hard on me.  I only did it a few times.    If I was still 20, I would have done it over and over and over again, just like I did growing up in my beloved Washington Fields Canal.  


Gracie is a smart one.  She prayed for clouds to come for the hike out and guess what--we left around 4 pm because it was indeed cloudy!!
You can tell by her smile she is doing much better on the hike out. 

On the way out  we found what is now called Kjersti's barf rock.  She got heat stroke on the way in and barfed!!!!  Luckily it was all dried up when we came back down, and the ants were enjoying a feast of regurgitated grapes!


Sunday, July 21, 2024

ISSI 2024




 

What in the world is ISSI you ask?  It is the Intermountain Suzuki String Institute. 
We go every year.  Ryan and I both grew up attending, I even got my teacher training through this institute, and now our kids go.  And I love it so much.  It is always 6 days long, and always the 3rd week of June.  It is held on the Juan Diego Catholic high school campus which is  huge, and so is this music camp of more than 1000 attendees, so it's perfect. Debbie Moench, Kjersti's violin teacher, is also one of the founders. 




Kjersti had a special opportunity this time to solo with the faculty orchestra. She had to audition by sending in a recording of her piece-which was the Vivaldi Concerto in G minor-1st movement. 



Her performance was going to be on the Tuesday afternoon honors recital. We arrived on the Saturday beforehand to get in a rehearsal. Seven kids were selected--I'm not sure how many sent in recordings. 




Here she is Monday night-after a long day of classes- trying on her dress to decide if she should wear the cardigan--or not. 

Both were good options but  in the end, the freezing auditorium dictated that she wear the cardigan. 


She waited back stage and when it was her turn, she walked bravely on stage and gave her bow to the clapping audience.



Then she put up her violin and played with gusto. Her concerto was 4 pages long. 



I was so proud of her and also nervous for her.  This piece was seasoned, she had already performed it several times etc., but I really wanted her to have a good experience, and not be traumatized if something went wrong. 



Luckily, prayers were answered and she played beautifully. Dominique Fiore  was the conductor.  He is super fun and funny.  She was also in his chamber class and orchestra class.
So they saw each other a lot. 


Here she is in Dominique's chamber class right after playing. 

She also had a fiddling/bluegrass class.  Which was relaxed and fun. 


Here is orchestra with Dominique.  This class was at 9:00 AM and he wanted students in their seats and ready to rehearse at 9:00--and I'm happy to say we were never late for his class. 


Her last class of the day called Violin Performance was at 4:00PM and it was with Chloe Kiffner from France.  She spoke with such a darling accent, and she was thorough and very good.  Kjersti was in the book 7/8 level. 


Chloe's class on Saturday--our last day. 


She had masterclass with Noni at 11:00am.  


Here they are stretching their necks and backs.  Violin is exhausting after 6 hours of playing and practicing daily. 
These are all the kids in her masterclass.  It's Kjerst, Lacey, Noni and Ella. 

Jace also went.  He was complaining that he had to go again this year--because it's intense and a little stressful with all the music they learn and practice daily. But he got there and this cute girl name Cali was his masterclass partner etc., and she was so nice to him--and he liked it!!!  You can tell by his smile-in this secret picture that we took--that he is not hating this class!!!



He also got selected to be in this special orchestra that got to perform Finlandia by Sibelius.    They did an awesome job on the final concert!




Here he is on Saturday--concert day!  Big smile--mostly because he's done--I think!!

If you are wondering where Gracie was--she was at her cousins in St George.  There are  no piano classes at this particular camp.


Other highlights to the week were seeing cousins in the halls between classes and going to dinner together after a long, rigorous day.. 



Friday night, after one of Jaces concerts, we went to La Calle for dinner. 


It's one of Salt Lake City's most fabulous restaurants. It's very French, and the grounds are breathtaking. 

Ryan loves good food, and this place never disappoints, and has the bill to prove it. 







To end this post, I have included all the professional shots that we had taken right after Kjersti's solo.  They had a professional photographer at camp this year--and it was perfect!






We are always a little sad and relieved when ISSI is finished for the year.  Now we are home and regrouping for the next chapter of summer--which is surgery for both Jace and Gracie.  More on that to come.