Junction Creek

Dave brought home a gift for Blake after passing his license :) 

The night before school started Blake decided maybe it was time to sort through his books from the year before.  I mean really, you wouldn't want to do it to soon right!?! Crazy kid. He sorted out what he needed and grabbed a few things for school the next day.

We had him drive the first day and he really enjoyed that.  Said it was weird, but it really does make a difference to be able to drive to school rather than taking the bus.  He is liking the independence and I am loving having a driver again.

He had a party in town the other night and it was wonderful not having to take him in or go back and get him after.  Dave has started a welding course at his work.  They are still looking for about 20 more people and need welders.  So he has a great guy at work that has taken a lot of his own time to make up a work book and other things and Dave said he is fabulous at teaching others.  It is two Friday's, 9 hours each, that Dave offers to his workers.  As Blake loves to weld, he talked to the guy teaching and snuck his son in.  Blake said it was awesome.  He learned so much and said the other two in the course we really nice.  He will go back next week for the second half.  It is an early morning leaving at 4:30 a.m., but Dave and I get up and go with him, and get groceries as we wait for him.  Went back and ate lunch with him as well.

Leah had a blast in Salt Lake.  She had gotten tickets to a concert she wanted to attend back at the beginning of summer and decided she would worry about how to get there later.  In the end it was best to fly. She got a sweet deal on flight.  All the Covid tests she had to do added up but she said it was worth it.  We had heard some horrible stories before she left and said many many prayers, tracked, her flights and she kept in constant contact with us. Everything went smoothly. She had some nice seatmates and found all her terminals. Kailey picked her up and took care of her for the weekend.  The concert was awesome, she got to meet up with her cousins that she hasn't seen for years, did some shopping, took Uber, went to a party, and had a blast with Kailey.  It was a great experience for her.

For the long weekend I wanted to go for a hike.  I have a few requirements for my hikes.  I want between 10-15 km long, low elevation (cause I am very out of shape, my idea of hiking is more of going for a lovely leisurely stroll through the woods), shaded so I don't get heat stroke, and no bears:).  I had asked Cora if she and Ammon had the day off and wanted to come with us, but they didn't.  We found two possible ones near Pincher from a great book Cannon and Nicole gave us a few years ago.  Then Sunday morning, Cora said they did have it off and we started looking at ones more near them so they wouldn't have to travel so far.  We decided on Upper Kananaskis Lakes.  I was excited to try something new. Monday morning 15 mins before we were supposed to leave, I started feeling very apprehensive about it.  It really just didn't feel right.  I was a bit nervous that when I told Dave he was going to be exasperated with me.  It had been such an ordeal to coordinate and plan with Cora in the first place and we knew they were still sleeping, had only had about 4 hours so they were not going to get text of new plan for a bit. Of course Dave just said, "ok, let's choose a different one"  No need for me to worry at all.  We got a much later start.  Ammon and Cora had to do one last thing for work that took an hour longer than was expected and then we kept forgetting things in their car and had to got back 3 times. But in the end we just did Junction Creek Falls again.  Ammon hadn't been and Cora only once so it was ok. 

It was the weirdest, funniest start to a hike ever.  In the end it was great.  We hiked it faster than usual, they all went up to the third falls as I sat in the beautiful scenery.

It was fun to have them along with us.  And in the end we found out that the hike we had planned to do  was closed for bears.  We couldn't have gone anyways. Glad we didn't drive all the way up there and then not be able to go.

It was a great day, much fun, not to hot, and as much as Ammon thought it funny I was so worried about bears and liked to keep making me think he had seen one, we never did.  I told him that day he was my least favorite son in law.