July 17, 2016

Each week we enjoy watching the various groups

play games.

Stick pull and tug of wars are the best.

This week we learned lots of new games I

will probably forget.  Some I want to remember to

play with the grandkids.

Friday night we had one of those spectacular sunsets.

Several youth ran up a hill so they could get closer to it.

Their silhouette looked as cool as the sunset itself.

I know you shouldn't post pictures of people unless you have

permission to do so.  But, really, only a handful of

people even look at our blog and so I think I am safe.

This is the West Jordan Prairie Stake President and his

wonderful wife.  She was a delight.

On Friday morning she woke up to a BIG

FAT LOWER LIP.  Really big!  A common problem

we see each week.  It is from the sun exposure.

She was glad when I told her that she was 

afraid it would be like that forever.

This young woman is a niece and cousin to our friends

in Evanston.  We trekked with them last year and when

they learned she was going on trek they said, "Find the

Cowan's you will love them."  How great we were

on the same trek with them.  We had five groups out

and we were with them, What are the chances of that?

100% is our answer always.

I could have taken this same picture everyday this week.

I kept seeing this same couple asleep at the PJ stops.

Being on the support crew is hard work and lots

of down time waiting on the trekkers.

I loved it when I saw them napping each time.

Check out the hammock.  He slept in this each night and 

loved it.  We loved him.  He had tons of cool backpacking gear 

with him.

This is his lightweight chair.

This is Elder Cowan trying out the cool chair.  The

best part is he was able to get back out of it.

This is President Norton.  Ray we gave him a coin.

Sometime we will have to tell you his story!

He is a miracle.

Another sleeping picture.  Life on the prairie.

Elder Cowan getting ready to ride his wild pony

into the camp and deliver the mail for the pony express.

He tells them his name is BOB, easy cause you can spell

it either way.  His horse is Splinter, Stickateriat is his

father, Whispering Pine his mother.

The Stake President receives the bag for the whole camp.

Elder Cowan hates doing this but really he does a great job.

For your information, if you get a bloody nose just have

on hand some tampons and they make great plugs up the 

nose to stop the flow of blood.  The slimmer the better.

A seagull waiting for the group to move on so they can 

clean up the camp area.

This is Elder Cowan and a Young Man that needed a job to

perform.  He had taken a dare and spit watermelon seeds all

over the doors of the porta john, NOT COOL.  Elder Cowan

went over the the johns because he could see they were

locking some boys in the stalls.  When he got there he

discovered the mess on the door.  He sent the four boys

responsible for locking the doors over to get towels to clean

the doors.  They told him they didn't do it.  He told them, 

"Your guilty anyway so just do it."  In about 15 minutes

a young man walked up to us and told us he was the one

who was responsible for the mess on the doors.  So Elder

Cowan said "Come with me"  He took him to STIR the

holes with a long stick.  A job that really has to be done to

keep STUFF in the blue chemical.  After the first one he

said, "Man that smells bad"  He did all six and we told

him how good it was he came and confessed.  We encouraged him

to have integrity the rest of his life.

A bad situation turned good.  

This YW kept the whole Stake, 300 people waiting the 

first morning of trek.  She didn't show at the church.

Her ward went to her house, found her asleep.  Then

discovered she had not packed ANYTHING.  So they

waited for her to do that.  So, we all waited at staging

to begin the trek until they arrived with her.

What more can I say?

This young man brought this PVC pipe back rest and

used it every day.  It comes completely apart.

Another interesting way to get a back rest.

Real men wear bonnets.  This is a Ma and Pa.

This young man said he would build a fort with the wood

from his handcart if he could keep his cart.  Interesting thought.

Great week.  We have hot weather ahead.  Pray for rain.