The Most Water in Flint Creek We've Ever Seen

The above average snow pack is melting and we have had a very rainy spring which has created quite a dilemma here in the Drummond area - flooding. A neighbor that grew up here commented that this was the most water that he had ever seen in the Flint Creek. I took a moment to take a few pictures today. (Sorry about the spots - they are rain drops on the camera lens!)

This is looking south up the Flint Creek at the bridge.



Looking south west towards Spencers.

At the first bridge, looking south.

On the south side, at the first bridge, looking back towards Flint Creek. l

On the North side of the bridge looking down Flint Creek.

Just passed the first bunch of trees in Parke's pasture on the north side of Flint Creek .

At the first bridge, looking back at Flint Creek.

North side at the first bridge.

At the first bridge, looking back at Flint Creek.

Spring Break

We have been hoping for some time to make a trip to visit Allen and Jenny and family in Flagstaff and finally made it during towards the latter part of April. It was great to spend time in their home. They took such good care of us. Ethan, Allen, Alaine and Scott outside of Allen's work

When we decided to make the trip, Allen figured that it would be a perfect time to renovate the chicken coop that was on their property. Their family had decided to start raising chickens. So with his dad there as a building project partner, they set of to work.

Ethan, Spencer and Allen - working on the sides of the nesting boxes.

Ethan and Grandpa Scott attaching the sides to the top.

The nesting boxes from the inside of the chicken coop.

The eggs will collect in this tray on the outside of the chicken coop.

Ethan and Spencer put their hands through the nesting boxes to the outside.

The finished view of the nesting boxes, inside of the chicken coop.

On Monday, we traveled to the Walnut Canyon National Park and toured the

cliff dwellings of the Sinagua Native American tribe that are about 800 years old. It was interesting to see how they made their surroundings work for them.

Ethan, Jenny, Allen, Spencer, Alaine, and Scott inside of one of the rooms.

Allen and Spencer inside a cliff dwelling.

Ethan, wondered if it was door behind him, connected the rooms of a house for one family.

As we came to the end of our hike we were discussing the shapes and dimension of the rocks. Ethan told us that this was a 'rumple rock' because it had rumples in it.

A lizard!! Ethan wanted to catch it!

I love to look for peculiar images in nature and found these shapes in the knots of a dead cedar tree.

On the way back to Phoenix Ethan and I posed for a picture by a Saguaro Cactus. Allen kept encouraging us to step back and get a little closer!

Margaret Bodily Woodward

My mother, Margaret Bodily Woodward passed away on April 10. She was six weeks shy of being 95 years old. I was happy for her as she can now see, be with dad and have all of her faculties returned to her use.

Sibling: Lyle, Alaine, Joyce, Wayne, Rodger, Arlen, Dell, and Ellis

One of the blessings of a funeral is the connection that takes place with family members who come to pay their respect. It was a great reunion. During the funeral, my brother Ellis shared a message of faith. He quoted a story given by Dieter F. Uchtdorf in April 2008 General Conference.

"In 1979 a large passenger jet with 257 people on board left New Zealand for a sightseeing flight to Antarctica and back. Unknown to the pilots, however, someone had modified the flight coordinates by a mere two degrees. This error placed the aircraft 28 miles (45 km) to the east of where the pilots assumed they were. As they approached Antarctica, the pilots descended to a lower altitude to give the passengers a better look at the landscape. Although both were experienced pilots, neither had made this particular flight before, and they had no way of knowing that the incorrect coordinates had placed them directly in the path of Mount Erebus, an active volcano that rises from the frozen landscape to a height of more than 12,000 feet (3,700 m).
As the pilots flew onward, the white of the snow and ice covering the volcano blended with the white of the clouds above, making it appear as though they were flying over flat ground. By the time the instruments sounded the warning that the ground was rising fast toward them, it was too late. The airplane crashed into the side of the volcano, killing everyone on board.
It was a terrible tragedy brought on by a minor error—a matter of only a few degrees.
... the difference between happiness and misery in individuals, in marriages, and families often comes down to an error of only a few degrees."

I was touched by this account and it made me pledge to correct my course so that it will get me to where I want to be in the eternities.

Brett (front left) was a casket bearer.

Visiting with Aunt Ruth Jemison, Dad's sister who recently turned 97.

Happy 1st Birthday Mason!!

We are not always able to celebrate birthdays with our grandchildren and when we can it is a special treat. Mason shared his birthday with his mother, Allison's college graduation. So it was quite the celebration!

Mason blowing out the candle - or looking at it!

The happy birthday boy...

with birthday gifts.

Trying birthday cake...

A refreshing bath in the sink to clean up all of the crumbs.

Congratulations to Allison the College Graduate

Congratulations to Allison who graduated from Brigham Young University Idaho on April 8. It was great to be there and share in her day. Graduating was a goal that Allison had and held to when it would have been easier to quit. A quote by Theodore Roosevelt comes to mind:
"...The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without err, and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

Graduation was held in the new BYU-I Center.

Big screens on the side helped bring the front of the room closer.

Allison and Mason

Mason, Allison and Brayden

Alaine, Scott, Mason, Allison, and Brayden

In between Commencement and Allison's convocation, we

reconnected with Reese and Irma, from our Grouse Creek days.

We hadn't seen them sinced we moved away 26 years ago.

Weston's Baptism

With grateful hearts, we were able to attend Weston's baptism on March 27 in Lemhi, Idaho. It was great to be apart of such a big day for him. Weston and Wes

Mackenzie, Weston and Katie

Weston with his Primary teacher on the left and the Primary President on the right

Grandpa and Grandma Mackay, Weston, Grandma and Grandpa Astle

Weston and his family