August 7, 2016

Last Trek of the Season, Last Trek for Elder Cowan and I.

Layton Hills Stake.  A group of about 300 people.

They were only a 3 day trek so they didn't arrive until

Thursday.  I don't like 3 day treks.  I think they are missing

the best night of all, the 3rd night is when the kids really

are in touch with the spirit and they are so much closer and

happier.  Oh well, it meant one less pulled pork dinner for us.

This young man brought his bugle to play.  He woke them

up each morning and played when they would begin trekking again

after a stop.  He was great.

Just a shot of some cool long grass.  I figure it looked way

better to me on the hillside than to you on this computer screen.

This is what I will really miss, the big open space, the 

quiet and the feeling of peace found in the landscape.

This is Elder Cowan driving the 4x4 on a piece of trail on

trail 7 that I don't like to drive on.  I don't mind climbing

and walking the hill but I hate the slanted tip of the road.

Take note of the wheel off the ground!!  See why I

always walk this piece of trail.

This group was wonderful with musical talent.

They would sit in the middle of the meadow and just start playing.

Elder Higginson joined in with his harmonica.  It is a 

harmonica his father played and he now has possession of it.

The YM with the flute is a new Elder, he is going to

Columbia on a mission in Oct and starts working in the

Temple as an Ordinance worker this next Tuesday.

This was a lesson in playing the accordion.  They were

there for over an hour.

This group slept in tarps.  The first night they were

not the best, but on the 2nd night they got really good.

Only short people could sleep in these.

Great use of their handcart.  Our carts like it best when

they get to sleep under a tarp and not out in the open.

Again, another design using the cart as the frame.

Elder Cowan spotted this group of young men and said,

"I wonder what that posse of boys are up to?"

We went to inquire.  What a great thing they were

doing.

They had a rock they had written on it said something about,

"Will you go to the Hoe Down and ROCK with me?"

The young women had a cow pie wrapped in Plastic wrap 

that said, " Can't wait to see your MOOVES"

 The boy would ask the girl with the rock, she would 

reply with the cow pie. It was so fun watching them.

They would find boys who were shy and they would

strongly encourage them to be brave and ask a girl.

Each time they would get down on their knee and ask.

This went on for over an hour.

Kids can really be entertaining when they don't have

cell phones and i pads with them.

This was a derby hat that one of the trekkers wore everyday

We all thought he looked like an Irish trekker.  To bad,

I didn't take a photo of his total outfit, it was classic.

On trek we don't let the trekkers use our cart ropes

for jumping rope.  Each rope costs about $30.00 to make.

Jumping them wears them out quicker. 

But, this was our last trek and all of us were tired of saying,

NO.  So we all decided to ignore the jumping.

We were happy and they were happy.

Next year the Pearts might not be happy with us when

the ropes are frayed.  Oh well, as they say, 

"I guess they can fire me."

We had three couples on this trek.  Brinkerhoff's,

Higginson's and us.  All of us are not returning next

year so this was our last time to trek. 

We had a great time laughing together and

enjoying the talk of all the crazy and wonderful

things we have been able to experience. This

photo was on Saturday just before the group

left from staging to go home.

I think we all look pretty happy, satisfied, content.

This photo was taken on Saturday morning right 

after Prayer meeting.  Left to right is

Brinkerhoff's, Pearts, Higginson's,  Us, and

Johnson's.  They all started last year, now we

will all be leaving except for the Pearts.  They

are taking our place as the Directors and they

will serve for two more years.  We know they will

do a great job.  We know this because we have been

teaching them all summer what to do.

We are all happy,  2016 trekking was a success. 

O.D.D.  Operation Don't Die was the plan and we

made it without one loss.  

The next two weeks are cleanup and trek training for 

the treks in 2017.  We are almost finished.