Thanksgiving Heidi and Ryan’s

We arrived in Utah on Tues. night, and Weds. morning we started the food preparation for our Thanksgiving meal.   We made pies, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, rolls, and cranberry sauce.  On Thanksgiving day Verne, Heidi, and Ryan went running and it looks like they stopped long enough to take a picture of the sunrise.   When they came back it was the Turkeys time.   The turkey had been sitting in a brine over night and Verne loves to put all kinds of herbs and spices to keep it tender!!!  YUM   Cohen never took off his Pilgrim hat, he even bowled in it on Thanksgiving day.    The weather was so dry and sunny Heidi wanted to take pictures of her family so we went for a drive to an old warehouse by their house on Friday  morning.   The food was beautiful right down to the rainbow jello.  Even the chickens had a plate of our Thanksgiving meal.   Here we are at the bowling ally.  I know we look really good and seems like we are even celebrating some good rolls, but when we only bowl once a year what do you expect? Sat. afternoon the Baldwin’s came to Roy after being with Casey’s family for Thanksgiving.   They wanted to get down the road a little bit so we got together and rode the Frontrunner (train) into temple square to see the famous Christmas lights.  Here we are waiting for the train.   It was so fun for everyone. 

Before the lights, while it was still daytime, we went and watch the movie about Joseph Smith and took a picture at the family research room in the Joseph Smith building.   We got a bite to eat in a cute little café, on the tenth floor, called the GARDEN.  The view of the Salt Lake Temple was fabulous.   We could really see forever.     And the light did not disappoint!!!   We had seen a documentary about how long they take to plan and get ready for the lights at Temple Square.   They start in April and they figure about 15 thousand strands of lights are on some of the bigger trees.   They place a white floating nativity in the pool on the East side of the temple and little votive lights are floating all around the nativity.         The night was magical.  

Verne must have taken this picture of Heidi.    This is a James family look when we are having the time of our lives!!!

Northwest lake above Condit Dam, and Dog Creek

Today we went with the Dyers up to Condit Dam, on the White salmon river, to observe the aftermath of the breaching of the dam. This dam was finished in 1913, and generated enough energy to supply 7000 homes with electricity. The cost of building a fish ladder to allow salmon to go around the dam was too expensive, so PGE decided to decommission the dam and remove it. They bored a hole through the bottom of the dam and then dynamited it the rest of the way to release the water from the lake. It was expected to take 6 hrs. for the lake to drain, it only took one hour and 10 minutes.It was an awesome sight. I watched it as it happened, last week. From these pictures you can see how much silt had built up the last 100 years behind the dam The engineers hope that the fall and spring rains will wash most of it out to the Columbia by next summer.There are many dead Thule salmon on the high river banks. They did not make it.

This is Dog Creek, a very small creek that ends with a beautiful waterfall. It is maybe 3 blocks from the Columbia with no access to the river. Some how these fish have found a tunnel under highway 14 from the Columbia and spawn in this little stream. Rick and his Dad stopped here years ago and said the stream was chuck full of salmon. I have seen it and it is true. There were 3 big salmon in the small waterfall pond. it is only a couple of feet deep. You can wade out and pick them up. Here are some fish that have spawned and died. Next year I am going up and try netting some at the beginning of the run, when they will be good to eat. it was a great, fun day in the most beautiful place on earth, the Northwest.