MnR Ogden Mission: Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial: The End of July, Oh My!

July 16 - 31

JULY 16 -- WEDNESDAY It rained most of the night and things were really wet for our morning shift as it continued to drizzle most of the morning. Rhonda and I did a bus tour shortly after the morning started. There were several adults on the tour whom I knew from the American Fork area. One of my AF student-body president's (Larry Laycock) mother was the one I knew the best. After the bus tour, there were only a few guests who came the rest of the day. The sun even came out a little before noon but it didn’t seem to help our visitors. After or shift ended, we didn’t have anything going so we went to W. Lebanon shopping and got a few groceries.
THURSDAY We were up and going quite early for our “day-off”. We went to Cornish NH to visit the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site. It is the home of a great American Renaissance sculptor, Augustus Saint-Gaudens.

He was a sculptor, made portrait reliefs and made cameos and designed coins for the USA. It was a beautiful setting and very informative. After our “art” lesson, we decided to golf at the Carter Country Club (just happened to have our golf clubs handy).

FRIDAY -- I went for my usual 3 mile walk around the elementary school before going to the Memorial for the afternoon. Once there, I started hand watering the new grass that was planted.

It was looking pretty dry and I seem to be about the only one who does the hand watering. Visitors were scattered through-out the day but nothing very steady until quitting time (as usual) when two groups arrived. It was an extra 40 minutes before we could leave.
SATURDAY -- Today, Osborn’s asked us to trade to the afternoon shift and then stay and join them and some ward members for dinner. Guests were: Moroni Johnson’s, Butler’s (Randolph postmaster) and Crane’s (KOA/Florida people). It was a nice night but I missed a lot of the conversation and the first part of the dinner as I had guests in the visitor center. The food was great and the company good but I’m not sure it was worth it as we were so late getting home. It was nearly 10:00pm.
SUNDAY -- We had Church as usual and with no assignment, went home and had a good low fat lunch. Then, I got the bug for caramel-popcorn. It was so good, I really blew all the no-fat diet to pieces. Later in the afternoon, we took a ride through some of the back roads around the area. Went through some of Vermont and then crossed the Connecticut River, around Hartford, NH, past Dartmouth golf course and hospital and then back to VT. On the back roads again, we stopped at the Quechee Gorge and hiked the trail in the opposite direction we had previously gone. We went up to the dam where they had some type of power/turbine type equipment. From there, we made our way home by dark. It was a nice ride and outing.

Reservoir that spills down Quechee Gorge

MONDAY -- Once we got to the Memorial there were people all over and the Likes were trying to hand off some of the people they had been talking to so things were pretty confusing. It took quite a while before I even got a chance to go to the office and record what visitors I had talked too. Visitors still kept coming off and on so I tried to water the new grass in between visitors. About the next thing I knew, it was time for Family Home Evening.
TUESDAY The morning started off early as John Jesse (former Alpine Elem. Principal) was here visiting his daughter (Talbot) and asked me if I would go golfing with him. He picked me up and we went to Randolph. He had his grandson with him so they rode in the cart and I walked 9 holes. It was a good outing and I even hit the ball fairly well. Home and got ready for the 1:30 missionary meeting. Within 10 minutes the buzzer sounded so I again missed most of the meeting attending to visitors. After the meeting, visitors were not too plentiful so I took a side trip with Elder Osborn down to Daniel Mack’s foundation to see additional portions of the old turnpike road, etc. We also spent some time marking Moroni 10 in more copies of the Book of Mormon. Things were pretty quiet until 6:45 when guests started to arrive. I try not to complain about the late arrivals but it is really ironic how they plan to just get here before we close up.

On the trail through the "Flume"

WEDNESDAY Things were pretty slow all day but for some reason I had a good day. One of my few visitors was a kid whose grandfather lived in Richfield (Perry Butler) and he knew all about the cattle range, etc. It was just fun to talk to him and catch up on some of the latest scoop from the old home town. On our way home, we noticed a sign at Sandy’s drive-in , which is a block from our apartment, advertising "cruise night". We walked over but the night didn’t start until 5:00pm but the kid said you could order your food now, pay for it and then pick it up at 5:00pm so we decided to do that. Hamburgers and French fries for 50 cents each is unheard of around here. Besides that, they were really good for a change.

THURSDAY - Happy Pioneer Day! Today for our day off, we decided to take a tour of the White Mountains in New Hampshire. Osborn’s had told us about “The Flume” so we found it on the map and started in that direction. It was $15/person to hike but we decided we will not be this way again so go for it. It was an interesting hike along side of the mountain, many times right over the stream of water. The Flume was really a large channel cut thru the rock over many, many years.

Osborn’s also told us they rode a cog railway to the top of Mt. Washington. We hurried as fast as we could and got there 15 minutes before the last train of the day! The cog train was pretty neat and the trip to the top of the mountain took about 40 minutes running time. The top of Mt. Washington is 6288 feet. When we got there, we were in the clouds and the wind was blowing quite hard. We were glad we had light jackets as the temperature on the top was 29 degrees colder than on the ground where the train trip started. It was an interesting stop. We got off the mountain at 7:20pm and were soon headed for home.

Ascending the steep grade

Wow! I wasn't expecting such a cold wind in July

FRIDAY -- We were up and going earlier than usual as we had to get to town (W. Lebanon) and do some shopping so we could get back and be ready for work for the afternoon. Once at the Memorial, we were busy all day. In fact, some of the time we had too many people there. There was a bus tour that came at 4:00pm which took all the rooms in the building as well as two other groups which arrived about the same time. It was hard to juggle places for them to go. Rhonda ended up taking some non-member ladies and just sitting at the Monument talking to them waiting for a place for them to go. We hardly had the place cleared and everyone accounted for when it was time to lock up but before I could get that done, more guests arrived at 6:58pm. Once they finally got around to coming in, Sister Osborn decided she could give them the tour and we could go home (about 7:30).

Getting ready to start the Pioneer Kids Parade

SATURDAY -- As we were about to leave for the morning, Elder Osborn called and wanted me to bring the clippers to trim his hair. When we arrived, there were visitors already waiting but Rhonda took them and I hurried and cut hair. When things quieted down, Elder Likes and I went to the FM shop and put the memorial float together to have it in the Pioneer Day Parade which was being held around the Memorial. Osborn’s had balloons for all the kids on their bikes/trikes/etc. Once they finally got the parade going, there were no spectators. All the parents had to push their kids bikes, etc. up the incline to get around the visitors center. Anyway, it turned out OK. After the parade ended, we had to hustle and get the float put away so the Likes could change their clothes and come relieve us for the afternoon. We went back to the apt. and Rhonda made some cupcakes for the ward dinner at 5:00pm at the Memorial. A fun "Pioneer Day" celebration!

Rhonda felt a little like the "Pied Piper"

Our 1st "All Participants"/no spectators Parade

SUNDAY -- Today we were scheduled to open the Memorial right after the Church block. When we arrived, there were already three or four cars waiting in the parking lot. As a result, we hardly had time to catch our breath before we started taking people through the visitor center. There was hardly any down time all afternoon as people kept coming in a pretty steady stream, even until after the supposed closing time. Then to complicate things a little more, Bishop Wilson scheduled his BYC to meet at the visitor center and to see a movie. Osborn’s were gone so we had to try to juggle our tours with the bishop’s needs. As a result of all that was going on, we were again quite late getting home. By that time, I was glad for my bowl of cereal with the few fresh strawberries in it.

MONDAY -- We woke up to a steady rain and it lasted for several hours. There was enough thunder and lightning to knock the internet and TV out of service for a while. When we reported for the afternoon shift, there was one couple who had just arrived with a trailer house who were the only visitors we had for quite a while. They had the tour, saw movies and went to the foundations to take up some of my time. We eventually had a few more visitors come but not rushed. I was on tap for the FHE program. I basically volunteered a few weeks ago when I told Elder Osborn I thought some of the new converts needed a lesson on Prayer. So, that was my topic. Several people in attendance complemented me and said it was just what the group needed.

TUESDAY -- Our morning started with the Mission Zone Conference here in the South Royalton Ward Chapel. We stayed for the morning session, had a spaghetti lunch and then had the afternoon shift at the Memorial. Things there were a little slow but I did have several small groups who were non-members and we had a good discussion. I again gave away several copies of the Book of Mormon with promised that they would read them. Still planting seeds. We also had a number of the missionary drivers (adults who had to drive the missionaries to the conference) come and spend a good part of the day watching movies to help pass their time away.

Sister Jessica Vanderhoff - a former student from Willowcreek

WEDNESDAY -- We had the early shift at the Memorial but when we got here, things were all tore up in the office as they were going to re-carpet. As a result, we spent most of the day hanging out in the visitor center. Long story short, they didn’t order the pad for the carpet so have to move everything back and wait to order the pad.
THURSDAY -- We watched the weatherman say it was going to be thunder storms on and off today so we decided to take a car trip. We drove South down Interstate 91 to Brattleboro and then west to Whitingham, VT. This is where Brigham Young was born. We saw the monument, State marker telling of B. Young’s birth. We also saw a sign in a yard that said B. Young was born on the site. I doubt the house in the background was the original house. After our visits, we continued west until the very western border of VT, (Bennington) and from there north to Rutland. We did drive through a pretty good storm but by the time we hit Rutland, the sky was clear and sunshine. I spent a good part of the night reading the Rough Stone Rolling book. Rhonda is cutting-out and making Christmas shirts for the grandchildren.