This is the Peter Whitmer home where the church was organized. They said there were seventy people there that day.  It's a nice home for that time.  It was a good two or three day ride from Palmyra by horse and wagon. 

A small sail boat being lowered in one of the eighty three locks along the 363 miles from Buffalo New York to Albany New York on the Hudson river. This lock raises or lowers fourteen and a half feet.  The original locks were ninty feet long and fifteen feet wide.  The canal was forty feet wide and the long boats were pulled along by a mule or horse walking along the edge pulling the boats at four miles per hour.  The canal cut costs by ninty percent, a great savings.  There is still a lot of trafic both private and comercial.  It took them from 1817 to 1825 to finish the canal. 

The places around Palmra was neat.  Nice to have been there

Were in Boston now.  We drove in the down town area for about two hours.  There are no lines for the lanes and people get in and out of cars in the middle of the streets and people cross anywhere they want and cars stop for them even on high speed roads.  Crazy Mom says.  We drove back west about twenty miles and found a motel.  Were taking a seven hour tour of the city tomorrow.   

I tried hard to find more about Nikola Tesla but this is all I got.  The Statue is in bronze and this side was in the shade so I lighten him to get his features.  You pass by here on your way to the falls.   I got more pictures for later. 



This is part of the Cave Of The Winds.  As you can see it is a down pour of water and very heavy winds and roaring sounds.  I was completly soaked up to my belt front and back. 

This is an old abandoned power plant on the Canadian side.  It was abandoned at the turn of the century because it was falling apart.  there are many of them along the river.   The buildings on the left are all casinos.  We have a lot we can tell you about the city of Niagra Falls when we come back.  We did not cross over yet, since we will be on that side on our way home. 

These are baby Sea Gulls, their mother was a couple of feet from them.  There were a million of them on the way down and you had to walk very carefully not to step on them.  You could touch the chicks and the mothers would let you walk within inches of them without flying. 

Were on our way to the horse shoe falls.  I didn't take any pictures since the mist and rain was so heavy when you get anywhere near the falls.  You actually go so close to the falls your in like a down pour and high winds and you can't see out in any direction and the boat is rocking.  Mon got scared with all that was going on.  We took a tour that lasted a little over five hours.  A great deal with all we got to see and do. 

Makes you kinda want to be there, HUH. 



The plant on the left is Canadian and the right American.  They both have huge tunnels that bring water from the Niagra River to lakes behind the power houses.  They take twenty five percent of the river durring the day and another twenty five percent at night.

The Falls are a beautiful site at night.  You really need to be on the Canadian side to see them best but we really enjoyed them. 



Today the fourth of June we went back to the visitor center at Kirtland and went through an art gallery of penciled drawings of the Savior.  Then off to the Isaac Morley farm.  Next was the John Johnson farm where many events took place.  The picture above is the Johnson home.  It was built about 1835.   It is very large and nice on the inside.  President Hinckley asked that the home be restore to its original and 85% of the home is original.   Everywhere you go here there is history that you have not heard of and the Spirit is strong. 

Yes, were alive and doing well.  Thanks for the concern.  Love Grandma and Grampa

We went to visit the Amish.  First we had a dinner cooked by them which was really good.  I got some fudge and Mom got a cinnamon roll.   This picture is taken at the Walmart parking lot.  There is another rail from the building down as far as the one with the horses.  They even have some covered places for them too.  Its neat to see them on the streets.  We drove out through their farming country.  I saw a older man setting in a lawn chair toward the back of his home so I drove up their drive way and got out and talked with him.  His daughter had a plant nursery next door.  we talked about farming in the old days and how it has changed.  Their homes lack electricity  so we talked about life without such things.  I still remember not having it at home so we talked about the different lamps we used to light our homes.  They were really very nice people. 

Tonight were staying in Austinburg, Ohio and we will be at Niagra Falls next.  Its so green out here and every house has huge yards and there so well kept up.

We had a very nice stay with Becky and her family.  After leaving them we drove up to lake Erie and this is the first light house we saw.  Patsy was so excited to see one and it was not open this weekend but the next so we didn't get to go in it.  The lake is huge and the waves were big as it was quite windy Saturday. 

Across the bay we were at was Cedar Point play area.  we wanted to go and had to drive about twenty five miles to get there and we drove out on a fill to this Island only to find we had to pay twenty dollars just to be there.  They say they have more roller coasters than any other park.  Looks to be true. 

As you can see the wind is blowing.  Sometimes the waves would come over the barrier in back of me. 

Patsy loved this park.  If you were down wind you could smell the roses a mile away.  Nice.

This is the saw mill at Kirtland.  It is amazing what they did with so little. 

We spent some time inside here and learned a lot of what happened here.  What a feeling you get.  They told us so many stories and you really feel the spirit.  We went through the Temple also and learned many things about how they used the Temple.  The people here are really nice and we meant several couples and families that are doing the same trip as ours.  One lady and three kids was doing thirty days just like us. 

Sara and Jake are on a co-ed soccer team and they play at a field in south Clearfield not far from Sara's house.  Jenny also plays with them.  All three are great players. 

Jake scores with the help of Jenny.  Way to go.  It's been fun to watch their games. 

Our yearly Robin family raised three chicks again this year under our back deck and they flew the coop last Monday morning.  I saw one the the young Robin on the swing set this morning.  they are about half the size of the grown ups. 

We wanted a fire pit for some time and this week I built one.  I set it on a concret ring so later one we will add a couple of mounds of dirt around the pit and plant some small trees and flowers.  Also we will add stone or cement patio blocks between the pit and mounds.  We may in time add a small water fall.  The family will enjoy this I'm sure. 

I signed up for a booth at the 4th of July activities and Ben is putting his Jeep in the prade and also in the car show the night before.  It will be neat to have all the family here for the fourth and taking part in it.



We try to attend the kids sports.  We don't get to all of them.  Here is Jack playimg T-ball.  He does a good job.

Liz loves vegetables so she is helping Fred with the garden.  She planted alot of peppers. We will be able to have peppers three times a day.

Liz, Jake, Fed and I went to Antelope Island.   I have never seen this many ducks in my life.  The seagulls make the ducks all go under water and causes the wave





Jake thought he could rope the calf, but I guess the calf was too fast.

We saw a huge buffalo.  Actually we saw several.  Some were taking baths in the dust. One tried to beat Fred to the drivers seat.

Liz made this beautiful fruit bouquet.  I love it.

Liz also made this beautiful cake for Afton's birthday.  She also loved it.

Afton blowing out the candles. 



 We took the kids to Golden Spike Train reinactment/  They had a great time. I have the best grandkids ever.

One of the engines the kids got to go through.



Just updating our goings on

Just a little update on our going on.  Lincoln has learned all his shapes.  So we decided to make a tractor, semi, and race car.

 Here's Lincoln doing a great job at soccer.

Sara decided to join a dodge ball team.  It was a new experience because they didn't know the rules of the game. 

Grampa's job was tending the kids.  Hard job. 

Our talented Liz made penguins out of olives and carrots.  Cute.  She also furnished Sunday dinner for us.  Good Job Liz. 

 Jack had fun playing catch with Casper.  Jack has a good arm and chasing the ball made Casper tired.  Way to go Jack.  Afton helped too. 

Great hair doo Afton,  As she started down the slide the wind took over.  How cute you are. 



For Easter weekend Jake and Liz took us to St George.  Liz found a new boyfriend right off.

We went to the art show and then hit the red rocks. Liz decided to kep Jake after all.

While everyone was hiking, I decided to watch people.

Liz found her house while we were there.

We then went to Las Vegas.  This is the temple there.  Very beautiful.

The Temple grounds are very beautiful and there were fountians every where.  There were a lot of people there so we to our picture at this one. 

After Vegas we went to Zions National Park. That is sure  beautiful also.

 

Liz Jake checking out sun glasses.  They both bought a pair, not these ones.  We shopped both St George and Las Vegas.  We each bought a pair of shoes in St George and Liz bought out the outlet stores in Vegas.

 

We had a very good trip and we had a great time.  Liz loved Zions and the country around there.