A KIDS PARADISE!

We left Thursday for the west desert, namely Antelope Springs and Topaz Mountain, but upon seeing all of our "stuff," we decided to go to only one spot - Topaz Mountain.


An interesting mountain top!

Encountering stiff winds, we finally made it to our destination, got camp set up, and started a campfire.


It was a great 'biffy.'

Mike was busily setting up his homemade "biffy," while the kids waited anxiously. 



Matthew, Rachael, Jenna & Erin



Why does food taste so good when cooked outdoors? 

Even the hot dogs we roasted were so delicious. Of course after dinner, we had to have our s'mores.  Roasting the marshmallows was a fun thing to do with the kids, as the coals were not to hot and not to cold, but "just right." 

We tried to look for topaz that evening, but the cloudy skies and chilly wind made this activity quite unbearable.  So we waited around till dark, entered the family tent and played fish, and double down.  We bravely survived the cold, windy night, and were glad to awaken to a beautiful, clear, sunshiny day.

Friday was the perfect day for hunting the little crystals.  Mike had made framed screens for sifting the sand, so loaded with these, and a couple of shovels, we made our way to the dry creek, and went to work. 

We were all successful almost immediately!

 


In the afternoon we made our way up to the massive rock above the dry creek, but soon became discouraged, as chipping was extremely difficult; however other rock hounds were there and showed us some real nice pieces they had extracted from the solid rock.

Soon the kids found that the Topaz Amphitheater is a "kids paradise," and they enjoyed wondering all over the place, looking for adventure.

Erin had a 'big moment' when she lost a tooth, and an even bigger moment when shortly afterwards she lost a molar.



Erin before losing her teeth!



Erin after loosing her teeth!

  One activity I enjoyed was teaching Erin and Jenna how to properly use the walkie talkies.  I could spot a sparking topaz up on the hillside, and send Erin up to it by giving her directions.  The girls had given themselves the handles of Erin Bear and Lulu.  I was Low Bass.  They learned how to do a couple of the 10 codes, namely 10-4 and 10-20.  This activity was a lot of fun.



"Yo, Lulu.  What is your 10-20?"

After dinner, which consisted of hamburgers, the best I have ever had, and all the fixings, we continued our Topaz searching, and prepared a spot for the Noorda tent. 
Darkness was approaching quickly, so we hiked down the dirt road until we found a high place looking over the massive desert floor below us.  Where were the Noorda's?  The girls were desperate for the arrival of the "crazy boys."

We spotted 3 sets of headlights off in the distance, 2 of them turning toward us, so we hurried back to camp. I got into the truck and with Jenna, headed down the road to try to intercept the Noorda van, and sure enough we did.  They were mighty glad to see us, as the road back to our camp site would have been impossible to navigate, especially at night.



The Noorda boys' tent!

 Saturday was an overcast day, but the wind was calmer than the day before.  During the middle of the day it actually snowed, but not enough to stick to the dry ground.

All the crazy boys had a good time with the Mckea kids, exploring the surrounding areas.  We did get a lot of Topaz this day in spite of the lack of sun.  In the afternoon, Jeff and the kids hiked up to the top of the west mountain, where Jeff found the largest topaz of the trip.  Nick now has it.

Enjoy the following photos.



"That's all, folks!"

 

SPRINGTIME IN THE ROCKIES

"When It's Springtime in the Rockies."

 

Yes!  It has finally arrived, and it seems that it is about 2 to 3 weeks late this year.

With it's arrival come the urge to get out and do a few things, like:

1. Turn the garden.
2. Plant Tammy's seed potatoes, which I have already done.
3. Plant radish, lettuce, and carrot seeds
4. Service all my yard equipment.
5. Plant Tammy's walla walla onion starts.  (I hope they make it)

I have already done the above things, plus I have mowed the lawn once.  I am lucky that I have a couple of willing young souls, in the form of Grandma's piano students, whom I have hired to cut my lawn, starting next week. 

This will be the 3rd year they have helped me.  While one is taking his lesson, the other runs the mower, then they switch places.  This works out to be a pretty good system, plus I pay them for their labor.  Now, I know their parents think this is a great deal, as they figure they are getting a monetary break on the piano lessons, and it also teaches them responsibility, as they are earning cash.  I know their father matches what I pay the boys, as they do work around their yard.  What a Deal, Right?

The flowering trees are now coming into their full glory, signifying the great renewal of life on earth, and at this time of year we all celebrate Christ's resurrection, signifying a future renewal of our lives.  What could bring more happiness in our lives? 

OH NO! A BIT OF PHILOSOPHY!

This is the last post on our Washington trip.  I hope you enjoy all the photos that follow.  And at the end I will give you a little bit of Zucc philosophy. 



I love a girl that smiles


Tammy has always been a fun-loving individual.  From day one. everyone has enjoyed being around her.  I remember, at a family gathering, in Big Bear Park, how a couple of long haired teenage boys were hanging around us, and they looked to me like they wanted to cause trouble.  Tammy made friends of them, and soon they were happily on their way.  If I would have told them to go away, they would have become mouthy and obnoxious, spoiling our picnic. 

She married a fun-loving guy, who is also a "good sport," about things, luckily for me.  

A handsome guy!

Soon after they were married, I decided to play a practical joke, so on the phone I pretended to be a pollster from San Francisco.  In my best Chinese accent, I asked for several his opinions on fast food, ending with the question, "Do you prefer the Big Mac or the Whopper?"

Dayle & Tam at the Lacey MacDonald's

 I won't tell you his preference, even though they do frequent the local Mickey D's. 


A 'stand-up' comedian

 Oh yeah!  This guy is one funny character.  He is so friendly, and has the humor of a mature person.  Like his mother, everyone loves to be around him, especially his grandparents.  He can make a blue day bright!
 

Brendan sneaks a peek.


 

This guy knows how to make me smile!



We have our hoodies on

Now, this girl with the big, beautiful eyes and perfect smile is a real charmer.  She loves board games, especially Toss Up, Double Down, Word on the Street, Swipe a Die etc.
 

This girl knows how to roll them dice!

I commented to Grandma that because of her winning personality and beauty, Belana would make a perfect movie actress.  I wonder if she were to take drama in high school, if she could end up famous, or something?  Of course, one has to decide for herself what would make one happy in life.


Rock and roll

 Well, he got an electric guitar for Christmas, and he is playing it well.  As you can see, Dayle really enjoys this activity.  He is really good at trombone too.  I think, with a little help, he could be a star at playing the guitar.



Julie is proud to be an Anderson.


Julie's choir sang at a district music festival held in the gym of Timberline High.  It was informal, but the music her choir sang was not.  They performed "LA CREMOSA," by Mozart.  In order for this to sound good, the piece must be performed with confidence, in all parts (SATB), and let me tell you, they did.  Like Randy Jackson would say, "Yo baby!  You nailed it."


This is my "hugging bear."

 

What a pair!


 

Can you guess which one has 'Anderson" on the back of her hoodie?


 


A serious moment!


I think Julie is working on something on the dinning table.  It is really good to concentrate once in a while. Even with a note of seriousness, she shows a confident beauty, that makes me proud to be her grandpa.



Okay!  Now for an oddball picture! 


I'll bet you can't guess what some locals call this store!



The flight back to Salt Lake International went well.  As you know, when flying into Sea-tac, you usually get to see the volcanos.  Being an armature geologist, I look for the beautiful Wasatch Front, on the return trip.  


Northern Utah from the air!

 



Mouth of Ogden canyon

 This photo clearly shows not only the upper two levels of ancient Lake Bonneville but also the Wasatch fault scarp.

Lake Bonneville was formed at the end of the Ice Age, some 50,000 years ago.  Humans were developing at this time, and dinosaurs were basically extinct.  We know that early humans lived on the shores of the lake, because of remains found in caves along the shoreline.  They were hunters, and they had fire to keep them warm.

They hunted giant ground sloths, and mammoth elephants, both now extinct.  How does all this evidence coincide with the account in Genesis?  My Zucc philosophy is to keep and open mind.  We don't know everything yet, but it is important and fun to research both creationism and naturalism.  Being dogmatic just creates enemies, which I don't need right now.  How about you?

TAMMY'S BIRTHDAY PARTY

Belana is proud of the cake she baked!


Okay,  I promise that I am getting close to ending all postings of our trip, as I assume that my faithful readers, (all 3 of you) are probably getting tired of reading about it.  Ha ha.



Watch your step!




The flame on this cake ought to warm anybody's heart.



 

Beautiful sisters working together!

Nevertheless, I couldn't help but include these great pictures of Tammy's birthday party. 


Tammy has a helper!



After a great day with the family at church, I just kept my sweater, white shirt and tie on until bedtime.  It really felt good.  Tammy stayed dressed up all day, but everyone else changed into "more comfortable" clothing.

Grandpa Zucc and Tammy



Tammy and Dayle

You can tell by their smiling faces that it was a great party.  I know we are all growing older, but at my age, my offspring appear to be a lot younger than they really are.  It is all a matter of perception, I'm sure.



Mom and Tam

 Tammy is so happy and energetic, as is her whole family.  Mom and I are always amazed at how much they get accomplished during a single day.  Our kids were born close together, so when the time came for them to leave home for church missions, higher education etc. we kind of suffered from the "empty nest" syndrome, Bev more than me, I believe.



Brendan, Dayle Jr. & Tammy



Brendan is my favorite comedian, and Dayle Jr., I predict, will be a great success in any career field he chooses to enter.  Tammy is really proud of them also.


Hey, who's party is this anyway?



Anticipation!




Good cake!

 

More plates, more fun!










Okay folks.  That's all for today!