Monday, July 25, 2011

Enjoying the Lake


Our two lab girls really needed a bath. Larry thought that before he washed them they would really enjoy some time out in the lake. They really do love the lake and we don't give them enough time to just go out and play. It is a lot of work, because then they are wet etc...etc...etc...
Anyway, I went out to get a few shots with my phone. I just love watching them enjoy the lake, they ARE labs. However, they both have a few quirks that I just have to laugh about. Sadie, the chocolate lab, just loves to swim, however she doesn't really know how to swim. You would think a lab would just come knowing how to do this.


It's not as if their mother could give them swimming lessons. When you watch most dogs swim their legs stay under the water with their head above the water. Not Sadie, she swims with her front feet coming out of the water, which makes her back end sink in the water, which I know that makes it harder. But, she is such a trooper and will do it over and over again. Brandie,the black lab, on the other hand is a good swimmer, but a little lazy. She is a bit bigger and a little over weight, which I'm sure makes it a little harder, but she likes to have Sadie go out to get the orange bird and then try to take over as Sadie reaches closer to shore. Sometimes I think she is going to drown Sadie.


Brandie does go and get the bird, but when she gets tired she lets Sadie do the main work. Also because Sadie is a little sleeker she is a little faster and often will beat Brandie to the bird. We have two, but they tend to go after the same one. They just made my day and I got some good laughs watching them and seeing their excitement in playing out in the lake. Anyway, they both had a great time, and got a bath to boot, now I can let them back into the house. :)


Snow On Top


This year for the 4th of July Larry and I made our way up to the Cabin in the Uinta's. We had a good weekend even though we spent a lot of time doing some work. We cut down a few trees that needed to be cut down, brought the snowmobile trailer from the parking lot back up to the property. We also worked on the basement doing a bit more with the drywall. All this takes a lot more time when it is just Larry and me doing the work. We're not getting younger and I for sure do not have a lot of strength, so it takes a little more time to accomplish the tasks. We were also able to get a few heating vents put into the basement, so this winter it won't be quite as cold down there in the basement. Sunday we went to church and after took a little ride over to the other cabin where Devin and Charity were staying. We had hoped to find them there and maybe plan a little ride for sometime maybe Monday morning. However, they were not there so we never made a connection with them which I thought was too bad. We did take a little ride on Monday and did a bit more work, so it was kind of a working weekend. Finally, we decided to head home even though we still hadn't finished all that needed to be done.
Since Hwy. 150 or Mirror Lake Hwy. had been closed because of snow late into June, we thought it would be fun to go home over the top over Bald Mountain Pass. (about 10,000 feet) We had no snow at the cabin, but the days were very pleasant, never getting over about 80 degrees. As we made our way up the highway, at first everything seemed very green and beautiful. Several little waterfalls were cascading down the hill sides from the higher level snow pack melting. When we got to about 9,000 feet all that began to change. The snow all of the sudden took us back to winter. If you didn't know better you would have never thought it was the first of July. As we reached the road to take you down to Mirror Lake there was a big pile of snow in front of it and there was still ice floating on top of the lake.



I had to get out and take some pictures when we neared the top as well as take a few more driving along in the car. When I got out, in my capris and flip flops, it was about 45 degrees outside. As we headed down the other side of the summit I asked Larry to stop at the Upper Provo River Falls.

What a massive amount of water was coming over the top. I'm sure by now since it is the end of July a lot of that has now melted, but we were just up there a week ago again, but we didn't come back home that way, however there is still quite a bit of snow in they higher elevations still.
I'm betting that the snow up there will not entirely melt before the snow begins to fly again.