March 2019

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

10 October 2015

Nauvoo, Illinois is our place of residence. The first week here we were in training for three straight days. The operation of this temple is complex since it is a destination site and has so many visitors.

We have seen people from all over the world come here since we have arrived. i.e Istanbul, Hawaii, Japan are just a few examples of folks visiting here. It is amazing who come. Just last week Chad Stanger from Idaho Falls was here visiting his sister and brother-in-law the Archibalds from Shelley, ID.

Dawn and I have bicycles left over from her cousins the Brinleys. We ride in the mornings of our preparation day. There are side roads without traffic. This place is isolated and very rural. The Sylvestors showed us routes we can ride along the historic trails of the pioneers.

Last week we visited a large dairy in Missouri. The Hartland Dairy has 9000 cows and milks half of them along with several thousand goats. The operation uses inmates from local jails to rehabilitate them back into society. Not so successful, with only less than 5% ever break the drug habit.

We also have had time to do Family History and spend time at the Family Search Center with research. Dawn had had success and provided many names for us to do the ordinances between our work schedule.

We have also had several dinners with those on our temple missionary staff. Last week we were at President McArthur’s home (he is the temple president and the missionary president). He is a wonderful guy and speaks Japanese, so when the tour came from Japan he was able to take them through the temple ordinances successfully.

Today we went to church in Galesburg, Ill. some 80 miles to the east. It is a nice drive through the farmlands of this beautiful state. However, we saw many dead animals along the roadway (35 skunks, raccoon or opossums). Be more careful as you cross the road.

The big event so far for us was our 10K run on Saturday the 10^th of October. It started in Hamilton (14miles away) and we ran down highway 26 for 3.1 miles then back to Hamilton. It was a very clear day but the temperature was mighty low and I was freezing before the run. Dawn and I stayed together and completed the entire distance in good time. She and I only stopped for Gatorade and water.

Our plans are to investigate the Indian mounds of the area. The entire heartlands are filled with evidence of people living here during the Nephite and Lamanite generations.

Chad Stanger showed up at our home this week, he as visiting his sister on her birthday, Sister Archibald from Shelley. They are serving as Temple missionaries. I had not seen Chad for 40 years. He and I were teaching school together at Ammon Jr. High in 1969.

Dawn and I golfed yesterday at the Deer Run golf course in Hamilton. It was a wonderful course of 18 holes. We did 9 holes since we had to get back for temple service. It was a beautiful fall day and the trees are turning red and yellow with warm sunny days. I hope the weather holds.

Today we rode our bikes to the Sycamore Creek Indian burial grounds. We saw several of the “Hopewell” type mounds found in this area. It is fascinating to me to think these ancient civilizations could have been the ancestors of the Lamenite and Nephite peoples.

We also worked as site missionaries this week, Dawn at the Lucy Mack Smith house and I was in the Brickyard. We tell tourists about the life here in Nauvoo in the 1800s. Wish we had more time to spend in that part of the mission.

We are going to Galesburg each Sunday to help out in the ward. There is a new HPGL (Bro. Dobson) and I am helping him reactivate the members of the High Priest group.

The six month temple missionaries will be going home in two weeks. The shift changes and we go back to winter hours. This is good since we will be loosing about 80 workers.

Next week there is a Halloween celebration here and it is big in Nauvoo. I might add we have had warm weather and a very nice rain yesterday the first since August. The cold has not arrived yet and we are still getting tomatoes off the vines.

The last Saturday of October we took a tour with Dr. Dunn (church historian) and traveled in his van during a heavy rain along the trail to Carthage where Joseph Smith was martyred. There is so much history in this area of the early church.

Next week is our last week before the shutdown for 2 weeks as they clean the temple. We will start on a new schedule when we return for the winter months.

Great River Road Run

Mississippi River in the fall

Halloween

Browning Gunsmith Store

Last of the tomatoes

Heartland Dairy Tour

Chad Stanger visit to the Russells with Archibalds

Mike and Ned Percherons

Wagon rides at Nauvoo

Color change on the trees at the temple

Riding to the Indian mounds

Hopewell mounds throughout Illinois

Brickyard

Lucy Mack Smith Hodgson Russell

Golfing has been good due to terrific weather

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

09 Septempber 2015

Dawn and I made puppets to talk with Burton and Roxy. We had dolls at first but then decided to us the puppets to introduce our mission.

Every year at this time we go to the Eastern Idaho State Fair in Blackfoot, ID. Julia, Woody, Val and I spent a day at the fair. The weather was beautiful and the crowds were mild. We enjoyed the Indian horse relay races, food of all kinds and all the exhibits, especially the end of the day couple of stilts. How fun to see all the animals and all the people.

The month of September has been long awaited. We have been packed and ready for our mission to begin. We have taken many things to our home on 13^th street in Idaho Falls in preparation for the move. We have just the essentials at Julia’s home waiting for the move.

In addition to the moving of materials, we have stored the VW, put away the golf clubs, bought our temple clothes, picked up our pills, made all the arrangements for training in Salt Lake City and lastly took in the car to be serviced! OH WELL, Honda called and said the transmission in our 2014 CRV was in need of serious repair. So we had to have a rental car to take to SLC for our training and on return pick up our car one day before we leave for Nauvoo.

The training at the SLC temple was remarkable. Pres. and Sister Walker were our leaders and we had great instruction. Along with the training we were given an extensive tour of the temple to include all levels available to us. Sister Walker was Gordon B Hinkley’s daughter. Her insights were amazing. She is so pleasant and relaxed.

While we were in SLC we stayed at the Radisson hotel, ate at the City Creek Plaza with folks we met at the training center. The Ludwigs are going to the Nauvoo Temple with us. Others were going to Preston England, Philippines, Manhattan New York and Washington DC. One couple were going to Russia to work in the temple.

Once we were back home we swapped out cars and loaded up for our morning travel to Cheyenne, Wy our first stop. It was a long drive but the car worked well. The rain stopped at Rock Springs and then we climbed to Cheyenne. We stayed at the La Quinta motel that night. The next day we traveled another 8 hours to Omaha, Nebraska and stayed at the lovely Hampton Inn. Next beautiful morning we spent 5 hours driving across Iowa onto Ft. Madison and crossed the Mississippi River and on to Nauvoo.

We were greeted by Pres. McAuthor and given a meal. Following the meal we were taken to our apartment (a beautiful spacious place near the temple) The apartment is built of brick in the motif of the colony homes here.

For three days we were given extensive training in the Nauvoo temple for 8 straight hours to exhaustion. The temple is very busy and most of the 6 month missionaries are getting ready to leave during the slow season. During the summer the days are filled with continual endowments, marriages, baptisms and all the ordinances done. July the temple is full constantly. The “Site” missionaries are so busy with dialog at each of the historic sites. The Brinley’s were leaving and gave us their bicycles along with a huge supply of food.

To finish this week we are following a full schedule at the temple and often do not get home before 10:00pm. We have managed to go to Keikuk. Iowa (15 miles away) to get supplies one day. Driving here is enjoyable because it is so beautiful along the river.

Today we drove to Galesburg, Ill. to attend church. Dawn’s grandparents were the first members back in 1911. She was born there and today in Fast and Testimony meeting expressed her feelings of knowing family members were there in attendance. We worked in the primary after the sacrament meeting. On our way home we stopped by the Roby and Cindy Souther’s for lunch. Then this evening we had dinner with the Bornes and Ludwigs.

This has been a glorious start to our mission.

Today we were up early on the last day of the month and jogged for 4 miles in preparation for the run next week end. It was a crisp and beautiful morning as we ran through the farmlands of Illinois.

Bert and Roxann

Peeling Cedar Park Golf Course Apples

Going to the Eastern Idaho State Fair

First Place

Canned peaches at the fair

Woody with Mrs.Senior Idaho

Stilts

SLC training

Our new residence in Nauvoo!

Nauvoo Temple

Small town Nauvoo

Beautiful city of Nauvoo

Prairie grass

Sunday, August 30, 2015

08 August 2015

The stay home month with preparation for our mission in September, although there were several important events occurring. To begin with, Dawn had surgery on her eyes to assist in better vision and cosmetic improvement. Her surgeon, Dr. Durbough, said she was a model patient and she has healed well.

We did take Julia to Cedar Park for golfing once this month. Julia has been very ill and unable to walk the river and take care of things around the house. We were very concerned seeing her failing and not her usual self.

In the midst of healing from eye surgery Dawn joined with her cousin Angie Bytheway to ride in the Wild Flower Pedal Festival in Morgan, Utah east of Ogden. We stayed with the Munsee family who lived across the street from the start of the ride. Elder Munsee was with us in Africa. They were very gracious in letting us stay with them. Dawn rode 62 miles that on the 15^th of August, hoping to do 85 miles but the weather was so hot she cut it short. Angie did 35 miles in the heat

The rest of August has been spent going through our belongings and storing our extras in the basement of our home on 13^th street. We want to be prepared for our return so we have made extra effort in updating our food storage and other essentials.

Josh and his family came up for a visit during the Idaho Falls Duck Days celebration, boat races and car show. Great to have them here.

Woody, Benton and I compete in an SIPES (Southeastern Idaho Pistol Practical Shooters, Inc.) shooting competition at the new Guns and Gear range in Idaho Falls. To tell the truth, I was reluctant to compete knowing it was my first time and there were 14 other advanced shooters besides Benton and I. However, I did learn many things in gun safety and handling, not to mention I was rated on one event just above last place!

The end of August marks the wedding date of Chad and Christy. Yesterday the Russell family including, Josh and Danielle, along with Woody’s family, Julia and Dawn and I attended the wedding at the Cedar Park Chapel near Ririe. Benton performed the ceremony and did so well. The cake was cut by a Templar sword brought up from Utah by my son, Josh made by Woody years pervious. A good time was had by all.

Well, August is now in the history books as a warm and wonderful month, but filled with smoke from the huge number of wildfires in California, Oregon, Washington and Idaho. Jon Slator has been away from his family and home for months as a fire fighter. The fires are the biggest in history in the west.

Lastly, I must mention Julia. She was near death the first of the month then one day late in August she gained her strength back overnight. It was unreal how well she recovered from a near death situation. We can leave for Illinois confident she is in better health.

Recovery from eye surgery

Golf at Cedar Park

Josh and family

Car show with Baya and Tate

Dawn and Angie Wild Flower Pedal Festival

This is what you look like after 60 miles of biking in the heat!

Selecting dry goods for food storage

Giant garden squash

Mr. and Mrs. Chad Russell

Templar sword cutting the cake

Thursday, August 13, 2015

July 2015

The heart of the summer is the month of July, as the saying goes:” Make hay while the sun still shines”.

We went to Seattle (Kirkland), Washington to visit the Kurowskis. Dawn and I flew into SEATAC airport and rented a car then drove to Brian’s house. We wanted to take the Kurowski kids to San Juan Island on a ferry. Well, we got there and the hydrocraft sucked up a log and was not functioning.

So we did lots of sight-seeing and wonderful meals. A few highlights while visiting them was our hike to Rattlesnake Peak, our Duck Boat tour and float on Union Lake, Space Needle and of course being with Orion, Machaela and my favorite girl Eleanor.

Once back with the family in Idaho Falls we found Julia not feeling up to par. She is having trouble with her heart and medication. It is not like her slow down but she has lost steam. We did have a great outing when we picked goose berries for jam along the south fork of the Snake River.

We caught our breath and discovered it was time we packed our bags for Santa Cruz and ready ourselves for the “Wharf to Wharf” run with family members.

This mini reunion will include Adam and Monica Mariner with their two kids, Ben and Sage, Robyn and her family along with Kesler and his friend Logan. We were to last folks of the clan.

We traveled by auto to SLC rail station and parked our car and boarded AMTRAK at 1:30 AM headed for Colfax, CA. By the next morning we were in California and arrived at Colfax 12:30 PM> right on time!!

Kesler picked us up at the train station. We had the exciting time of riding in his 4x4 Jeep back to Grass Valley. He is a good driver and demonstrates caution.

That afternoon we drove to Santa Cruz. I rode with Wayne and the boys. Robyn and Dawn drove separately in her new Lexus SUV. When we arrived Ben, Sage, Adam and Monica were already there. The next day we went to beach with the kids at the Monarch butterfly park. Then on Saturday we went to the pump track so the kids could ride their bikes. Young Burton was the star. He and Sage both rode clear through the obstacles and returned. Indy is an advanced rider and needs no encouragement. While at the beach the kids explored and played in the surf. Kesler, Adam and Wayne surfed while we relaxed. In the evening we took the kids to the Boardwalk.

That evening we had pasta in preparation for the 10K the next day.

We were up early and ready for the fun run. Adam dropped us off at the start and Ben stayed home with the little kids. Once on the Boardwalk starting platform we waited for the race to start. We were in the 3^rd corral (Green) with Robyn and Wayne. Kesler was in the 1^st corral (Yellow). Monica was in the 2^nd group (Blue). Things happen on time the crowd of 16,000 runners started down the road. We separated early and our times were all recorded at the finish. I really enjoyed the run this year. I listened to the music groups along the way, watched the crowd and runner ahead of me. I ran better than I did last year finishing 114/620 in my age group at a time of 1 hour 3 minutes for 6 miles. Monica ran ahead of me and finished in less than one hour!

That was it! The month of July is over. Dawn and I rode back on Amtrak to SLC and arrived at 3:00am. We drove home and rested up from a great trip.