It
was a giant leap five years ago, from central-city apartment dwelling to frontier
living in the rural West. My wife Kay and I
had agreed on this “plan B” if our offer failed on an older hillside home in
North Ogden. That stubborn seller
refused to budge a bit, so we chose to tame the wilderness in a new
starter-home development (as she describes it) on the edge of Layton.
After
years of landscaping and weeding, trying to improve our “home on the range,” we
are still tormented by things that grow so easily. Cattle graze nearby; (I heard them bellow before dawn this morning.) The landscape has changed with new
construction constantly altering our view of Antelope Island, where the pronghorn and
buffalo roam; (American bison were “introduced to the island in 1893 …” – Wikipedia.)
The white-sand beach is the main attraction for us – the perfect place for
a dutch-oven breakfast alone with family last Saturday; (other visitors started
arriving as we cleaned up, gathered my sandbox toys, and drove off the island.)
Our
wonderful neighbors are mostly young couples with active, small children. "Seldom is heard a discouraging
word" as they fill the streets with all things on wheels. Yes, we are the older folks now, having enjoyed
our four years as the “young kids on the block” by the old temple in Ogden. In that ward you could hear a pin drop during
sacrament service, which was followed by Primary with five
children. Here the constant cacophony,
though not harsh to my sensitive hearing, was a big change for us, and required some
adjustment as we began a new church life surrounded by babies and toddlers. We loved our initial calling in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as nursery workers (like babysitters), and I always looked forward to eating the fun snacks
we served to the precious one & two-year-old kiddies.
As I look at the big picture, being in the background near the Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve is like a dream-come-true for me. (Visit GSLSP at:)
www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/utah/placesweprotect/the-great-salt-lake-shorelands-preserve.xml
As I look at the big picture, being in the background near the Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve is like a dream-come-true for me. (Visit GSLSP at:)
www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/utah/placesweprotect/the-great-salt-lake-shorelands-preserve.xml
