Mostly about Utah
On Monday I stopped by Motor Trend’s Auto Show in Sandy. My sons Paul and Jake wanted to see it so I went along. In the time I was there, I wasn’t approached once by any salespeople (a positive) and I was able to check out a lot of new autos. I was interested in [...]
I thought it would never snow but overnight we got several inches in Kaysville. Out came the snowman builders to construct a giant snowman. Just build him like a regular snowman but bigger. You may need some help to hoist his head so pay attention to the photographs that follow. Later in the day our [...]
Rachel graduated with her Bachelors degree in Child & Family Studies and Derek with his M.B.A. To celebrate we ate out, waged Nerf War, and finished with cake. So on Wednesday it was off to Cafe Rio and then to Jake and Rachel’s basement. We divided into two teams with total annihilation of the [...]
Tracy Aviary has free admission (with a $1 conservation contribution) on Winter Wednesdays through February. So I went with my grandson and other family members to see a surprising number of birds for a cold day in December. I enjoyed seeing Bryson’s reaction to the birds and also taking a few photographs (click to enlarge) [...]
Last Saturday I ventured up Ford Canyon with Jill and Susan. The bridges were washed out so I fished a plank out of the water and we used that to cross Ricks Creek. We were not very far from civilization but it seemed like it as we got stuck in the undergrowth. We followed a [...]
Yesterday Susan, Shauna, Jill and I hiked Shepard Creek Trail. Shepard Creek Trail winds out of several residential areas in Somerset and Shepard Heights and up a canyon. To get the the trail, from Main Street go east toward the mountains on 1400 North one block. Look for a dirt road to the north and [...]
Last Saturday was the annual Kaysville Utah South Stake 5K Run. Run in this instance includes walking and transportation such as strollers and little red wagons. I ran in 2008 but in 2010 I merely took photographs, as I did this year. The runners to watch this time are Jill and Mike, pictured below. [...]
Yesterday’s visit to Hogle Zoo with Jill, Adelaide, and my grandchildren found us encountering dinosaurs. Their heads and necks moved and they made noises so as to appear more life-like. The Dilophosaurus even spit water out of its mouth which scared my granddaughter Aurora and quite surprised me just as I was about to take [...]
Last November Paul and I visited Spiral Jetty at Rozel Point. Then the Jetty was several hundred feet away from the waters of the Great Salt Lake. Yesterday Paul revisited Spiral Jetty, accompanied by Megan, with Julie and Dan. They found the Jetty almost submerged. Compare the photographs of the Jetty from November of last [...]
I believe this is the first time that Jill and I have been camping with all our grown children at the same time. Plus their spouses were with us as well as all three of our grandchildren. We did not go far, just to North Fork Park. Our children’s spouses are fun to be around. [...]
Last Easter weekend the family gathered west of the Golden Spike. Instead of a silly Easter egg hunt we fired a variety of weapons for several hours. We also had three ATVs, a bicycle, and even a few kites. The weather was not too hot and the rain stayed away. We had a great lunch. [...]
Now that Daniel is back from his mission he can concentrate on his schooling and maybe the odd girlfriend. His latest date, Krystal, was somewhat cold and a little flaky but she didn’t talk much so that was a positive. She has no heart for studying but did try a semester at Snow College. Krystal [...]
Today we visited the Ogden Union Station to attend The Hostlers Model Railroad 2011 Festival. There were HO, N, G, O and S scale layouts in several rooms. During the three day show over 8,000 people will visit (it seemed like all of them were there right at the time we arrived). The Hostlers Model [...]
There was snow on the ground so Adelaide, Sarah, the grandchildren, Jill, and I went sledding. We picked a very small hill for the grandchildren and took our cameras. Click on the images to enlarge. The videos are usually not visible in a feed reader. In the screencap below I have circled a girl in [...]
Have you ever felt like you were going around in circles? That all you were doing was spinning your wheels? That the next round that life dealt you would be just the same as the last? Well no, not normally. That is until today when Paul asked me if I’d like to get out of [...]
Last Tuesday afternoon found Paul and I heading north to visit Spiral Jetty at Rozal Point. It was a warm day for Northern Utah in November. We drove past the Golden Spike Visitors Center and followed the signs to Spiral Jetty. The dirt road was being graded in places as we traveled closer to the [...]
We discovered at our last visit to Hogle Zoo that Tuff, Cubby, and Dale had been moved to the Oregon Zoo. Construction is proceeding on the Rocky Shores Exhibit, an extensive multi-animal habitat featuring polar bears, sea lions, seals and possibly other bears. According to Hogle Zoo: Guests will experience unprecedented environmental immersion through realistic, [...]
Paul decided it was time he took up four wheeling so he bought a 1993 Jeep Cherokee. There was one problem — there always is: when Paul tried to shift into 4-wheel drive there was “a grinding and crunching noise,” as Paul described it, coming from the transfer case. This newly acquired 4-wheel drive vehicle [...]
These photographs have some real differences to reconcile.
On Friday we hiked to Patsy’s Mine in the mountains above Farmington.
Yesterday we went to Patsy’s Mine above Farmington. It can be a pleasant hike — if you don’t get lost in the undergrowth, don’t have a heart attack on the steep rise, and don’t bang your head on the mine roof.
On Friday Susan, Melissa, Jill and I took a pleasant hike up Centerville Canyon. We parked the car on the dirt road by the Deuel Creek North trailhead and ended up walking to the Deuel Creek South trailhead. So we began by following the south trail for about one mile to the junction of the [...]
Last Wednesday, along with Adelaide and Jill, I took my three grandchildren to Hogle Zoo.
In the photograph above Connie illustrates what the canyon looks like by the pictographs. Not that it helps much I admit. There is a Forest Service marker at one point that warns you not to touch the rock art. We looked at the rock, and even took pictures, but we could not see any art [...]
On Labor Day at 8 am nine adventurous souls set off to find the Parrish Canyon Fremont pictographs. The pictographs are not very far up the canyon.
Bryson is learning to feed the ducks, or in this instance, geese. His coaches are Jill and Susan.
Ponds Park was alive this morning with a number of hot air balloon launches.
5 minutes walk from my house is Ponds Park in Kaysville. This Friday morning the park was full of hot air balloons preparing to launch. It was an excellent opportunity to dust off my camera and take a few photographs. Click on the photographs to enlarge. The originals are 4000 x 3000 pixels but have [...]
Between the Backstage Tour and Pride and Prejudice we visited Cedar Breaks National Monument.
The Adams Shakespearean Theatre, dedicated in 1977, was designed by Douglas N. Cook, Festival producing artistic director, along with Max Anderson of the Utah State Building Board, and is patterned after drawings and research of sixteenth century Tudor stages.
After The 39 Steps and Much Ado about Nothing but before Pride and Prejudice and The Greenshow, Jill and I toured the Randall L. Jones Theatre backstage. The building was built completely with private funds. It was named after a former Southern Utah University shop professor whose family donated funds for the theater. The Festival website states: The [...]
The perfect mood enhancer for the Festival’s productions can be found each summer evening on the beautiful green and courtyard surrounding the Adams Shakespearean Theatre. The Greenshow features the spirited song, dance, and costumes of Shakespeare’s day, and it’s free!
Having already seen The 39 Steps and Much Ado about Nothing, we were looking forward to Pride and Prejudice to finish our two days at the Utah Shakespearean Festival. Pride and Prejudice is a novel by Jane Austen. It was begun in 1796, her second novel, but her first serious attempt at publication. She finished [...]
Meet Beatrice and Benedick. To them love is a game of wits. Then meet Hero and Claudio. To them love is, well . . . just love.
For our 30th anniversary Jill and I spent two days in Cedar City. Our first stop was the play The 39 Steps showing at the Utah Shakespearean Festival.
Last Wednesday Jill and I took Bryson to visit Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City. The weather was cooler than normal, making the afternoon temperatures just right. We enjoyed seeing the animals with Bryson and took a few photographs and a video. Click on the images to enlarge. Merry Go Round Video
I wanted to take my grandchildren camping so I made reservations for two campsites. I then invited the parents to go and before the day was out they were ready for the trip. So last weekend we went to Wasatch Mountain State Park. We camped overnight at Little Deer Creek Campground. Here are a few [...]
Today we hiked The Mueller Park Trail in Bountiful. It is a great walk that is mostly shaded all the way up. Much of the trail is gently sloped. From various locations there are good views of the Great Salt Lake and the valley far below. The Mueller Park Trail is 13 miles round trip. [...]
Yesterday found us walking along City Creek Canyon Trail. We walked up the road 2.5 miles and back again. So not many photographs.
On Monday, for a view of the Salt Lake Valley, we hiked to The Living Room. We relaxed in sandstone chairs with armrests. There were even coffee tables we parked our feet on. The hike takes about two hours (it took us longer). It is considered easy (it isn’t). Trail length is 2.3 miles (seemed [...]
Our Walk-It was held in Centerville at noon and consisted of going around the outskirts of the park 3 ½ times until the 3.1 miles was achieved. There was a good turnout even though it was hot.
Hardly anyone works on a Friday, including me, so yesterday I went on the Waterfall Canyon hike with family.
Last Saturday morning Jill and I drove the 21 miles to attend the Antelope Island Balloon and Kite Stampede. However, uncooperative winds dictated that no hot air balloons would launch that day.
The instructor pulled the ripcord and we quickly jerked to a slow fall. After a few seconds he gave me the ropes and showed me how to control the chute. It was a blast going left then right and diving — I could even feel some G’s as I make the chute turn as tight as possible.
On Friday, my brother Scott took some extended family members boating at Willard Bay.
On New Years Day Jill went with some of her family to Mantua to snowmobile. She knows Mantua well for it is only four miles from Brigham City where she grew up. Her father still lives in Brigham City. The few times that I have been snowmobiling I usually manage to get stuck. Which is just what Jill did this time out.
After a pleasant night’s sleep Shauna took off at 7:30am to the beach to throw down some blankets to reserve a spot. We launched the jet skis and each of us took a turn riding them.
The Kaysville South Stake 8th Annual 5K “Family Run/Walk”. Jill, my brother Mike, and I participated.
We were leaving zion and heading for Zion. We left Kaysville (zion) to stop by West Jordan (not zion) to pick up my brother Mike. Onward then to Zion National Park for some camping and hiking.
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I'm Rick Willoughby. I live in Utah, working as a Software Engineer. I'm a Mormon, married with 5 children and 3 grandchildren.
I emigrated from England in my late twenties, bringing with me one small suitcase and $1,000. I appreciate the opportunities America gave me and the friendliness of the people to new citizens.
I blog about my family as well as politics, religion, finance, technology, and other topics.
Currently Rickety has an average of 17,000 pageviews a month and over 400 visitors a day. Thank you for being one of them.
