Apr 30. 2011

Where did you attend seminary?
I attended seminary from 7th grade to 12th grade in Duchesne, Utah. The first two years were only half years but they were offered for us then. It was in an old seminary building that sat on the south end of the high school lot. It always reminded me of an old one room school. After the new seminary building was built it was moved to the fair grounds and became the first senior citizen building for Duchesne. The last four years were in a new seminary building north of the high school. It was located just half way between the high school and the elementary school. We had our lunch in the elementary school so we always liked it when our seminary class was 4th period just before lunch. We could get to the first of the line that way.

April 29, 2011

Tell about a memorable campout.

See the answer to this one as given in my blog on 2/10/2011.

Also in the blog on 4/11/2010

Here is another one as written in my history.

Chasing Muskrats at Palisade lake and pudding

When I was a youth in scouting I really enjoyed going on the summer camps. I think I went into the Granddaddy basin for about four years. I remember going to Palisade lake three times and to Governor Lake once. As an adult I went back into the basin and went to Pine Island Lake and hiked back with my scouts to Palisade and Governor lakes.

I had a lot of special experiences in these trips of my youth and adulthood.

One such experience was at Palisade Lake. Near the lake on one side are some cliffs that are above the water by 20 feet or so as I remember it. We camped both times near those ledges. One night when we were there we were in the process of cooking our supper. I had taken a pudding mix with me and was going to eat it that night. I remember being puzzled by how I was going to mix that pudding. I had a spoon but no bowl to mix it in and I wasn’t sure what I would do. Finally I hit upon the perfect plan and I must admit it was perfect. I had decided to put the milk into my canteen and then add the pudding mix, shake it up well and pour it out before fully setup. So I poured in the milk and then added the mix and was shaking away when someone came into camp and told us they could se a muskrat just below the cliffs. I put down the canteen and went with the others out to see the animal and try to figure out where it lived. It was a lot of fun but we only succeeded in chasing it out into the lake to where it finally dove under and we had no idea where it came back up. Satisfied that we had seen the end of it for that evening we went back to our supper preparations and eating. When I got back I found that I had another hurdle to jump in my food consumption. The pudding had setup in the canteen and I couldn’t shake it out. I finally took my table knife and dug it out one scoop at a time. The blade was just narrow enough to fit through the hole. There was only a little of it that would come through the opening of the canteen so needless to say the process was extremely slow. I think I probably only ate about half of it before giving up and washing the rest of it out. I don’t think that I ever took pudding mix again. Must admit though that what I got to eat was good.

April 28, 2011

Were you involved in Cub and Boy scouting? What Rank did you achieve?

I was always a scout it seemed. I earned my Bobcat, Wolf, Bear, Webelos and Arrow of Light awards as a cub scout. I earned my Tenderfoot, 2^nd class,  1^st class, Star, Life and Eagle Awards as a Boy Scout.

What was your favorite merit badge to earn? Why?

I would say my camping merit badge. I enjoyed every campout and loved every one of them. I also learned many things about the world of nature around me as I got to go out camping. I have been lost on a campout, swam in mountain lakes, hiked in the rain, signaled messages across a like and won a contest doing it, learned to cook in a reflector oven and sleep on rocks. Of course I have since learned how not to sleep on rocks but it did make those camps very memorable. I also learned how you can hike right over a trail and not know it is there unless you are watching your surroundings and looking in every direction as you hike. I have learned not to make instant pudding in a water canteen because it sets up and you can’t spoon it out. I have learned how to not have to stay up all night drying out a wet sleeping bag because I properly waterproofed it when packing up for the camp. I probably learned more form the requirements of that one badge alone than all of the others.

Britt's Easter Bday Party

Tia was pretty proud of some of the places she hid the eggs. They seemed to have more fun hiding than finding but then they also experienced the problem of having to remember where they hid them which is the hardest part.

Tia did it again with a fantastic cake, a Skittle machine.

We then held a frog jumping contest while waiting to start.

This had to be the winning spot to hide an orange egg.

Alex loved the whistling that Cat was doing for him.

April 27, 2011

What was the dumbest thing you did to impress a girl? Was she actually impressed?

 I cannot remember anything that I ever did to impress a girl although I am sure it had to have happened. I do remember things that I did to be in places where I could be around girls I liked but I cannot remember any stunts that I may have pulled.

April 26, 2011

What was the name of the first girl you liked? Did you ever go on a date with her?

Ione Hooper, Never dated her just secretly liked her when I was in elementary school.

Apr 25, 2011

Did you have a mentor or friend you admired and followed? Is there one person who really changed the course of your life by something that person said or did?

Wow how do you limit your choices to just one person? I have a good friend who always said: “it takes a village to raise a child.”  Well that was certainly the way it was growing up in Duchesne. I had a lot of mentors and friends. Just to list a few : Harold Spencer, Steve Asay, Leland and Carol Wright, Neil Jensen, Ray and Donna Hansen, Lowell and Beverly Caldwell, Jinx Ivie, Mont  Poulson, Milton and Pauline Poulson  Nana (Grandma Poulson), Jack Skewes,  Art and Pauline Taylor, Nadine Wimmer, Glen Stevenson, Trooper Hooper,  Trooper Phil Barney, Doug Horrocks. That is only a drop in the bucket too. There was one who does stand out and of whom I have told the story many times to scouts trying to earn their eagle. Bev Caldwell moved to town when I was a Senior in high school and she was a member of our ward. She was also a professional lifeguard and after graduation she worked with me all summer to teach me to swim and earn my swimming and life saving merit badges. I earned my eagle rank because of her. There were a lot along the way who had helped me but she was there at the point where no one else had been able to help and she cared enough to take the time to do it with me. I had me Eagle Board of Review on Aug 4, 1971 and my Eagle Court of Honor on Aug 13, 1971 and left for college as soon as the program was over. I now help boys who are almost 18 and have not quite gotten over the hump whenever possible because of her. Her influence has reached far beyond the realms of just one scout.

Good Morning pictures from Jan 2010.

April 19, 2011

Who most influenced your thinking during your growing up years? Why?

I would say that my mother was probably the most influential with my father a close second and hen my grandparents and relatives. I say my mother though because of one instance that comes to mind quite often through my life. The story goes like this. We had gone from Duchesne to visit mother's sister Zelma in Mapleton. We had a great time and I don't remember what all we had done but there was some small expense involved and mom was not one to leave without paying what she felt was what she owed. Well Ilean and Zelma both had the same parents and so when mom tried to give money to Zelma she would not take it. I don't remember how many times the money went back and forth between them but I remember very well the last one. Since it was obvious that mom wasn't going to give up then Aunt Zelma gave the money to me and told me not to give it back to mom until we had left. So a couple of miles down the road I gave it back and we turned around and went to visit my Aunt Zelma again. I don't remember much after that but mother one that round, I think. Anyway I now accept money or things now and then make it up later you might say, if possible.

April 18,2011 Kade and Brooklyn

Thank You Loren and Rachelle for putting up with us for an entire week. It was so much fun even when we were suppose to be bored weeding the back yard. We loved the aquarium and USS Lexington and our trips to Bishop and Padre Island. It was very difficult to come back (especially after today when I met the load of work they had saved for me at PC). It was so special to be locked in a room with Brooklyn and her books and to just get to hold Kade. Alex is so light, even though he has gained weight I think he actually lost it since he seems so light. (I will say though that it was fun to hold him again last night as well.) Thank You again for the trips and all of the time you spent worrying about what you could do to entertain us. We really aren't too hard to entertain. We love you and were so glad we got to come down even though Marie was so scared to get on those planes. She actually loved sitting by the window and looking out to see the ground so far below us.

Apr 12, 2011 #3 A road trip to Loren's work

Brooklyn is ready for a trip to daddy's work so we can have lunch with him.

We started out across the wide expanse of the Texas countryside.

And kept going across the wide expanse of the Texas countryside.

We got onto the freeway, well 70 mph 2 lane road.

And passed by the sprawling expanse of new buildings, well old buildings.

Then we passed by the tall mountains stretching across the wide expanse.

We passed by the renovation housing projects.

And we saw where they were getting all of their water for the expansion complete with the water storage facilities.

We also passed by the gas station collection systems.

Then we finally reached our destination of Bishop, Texas.

We then returned past all of the business districts.

And more businesses.

Then finally past the Post Office of the Chapman Ranch, Tx, somewhere midway between Bishop, TX and our destination of Corpus Christi, Tx.

Apr 12, 2011 #2 Loren's Home

A very skewed look of the inside from the corner on the south east.

Outside views