Dave and Jan headed east in early March to see what winter is like in the state of Utah.  They have driven through the town of Cedar City on previous vacation trips and camped overnight at the local KOA campground, but were curious to know what winter weather would be like in that part of the country.  Because the town is at an elevation of 5000 feet, it was predictably cool, and there were even times when snow was falling.

But is wasn’t snowing most of the time, so Dave and Jan had some fun exploring the town during their visit – including the downtown business area.

The town’s population is around 30,000, so it is large enough to have many of the conveniences of a population center.  There are no shopping malls, but it is likely that Cedar City’s stores which are connected indoors preceded many of the malls larger cities have.

The indoor attractions in this part of town include an old-fashioned soda fountain in a colorful variety store.

The largest employer in town, after earlier lead mining operations faded out, is Southern Utah University – home of the annual Shakespeare Festival.

A nice series of in-town trails for walkers and bikers circles much of the town and some of its parks and other attractions.

One of the features Dave and Jan find most interesting about the town is its proximity to the mountains.  Brian Head, one of the state’s premier skiing areas (not that Dave and Jan are skiers) is in the mountains around 25 miles east of town – where it is reported that there are hiking and biking trails and a resort setting where summer temperatures can be expected to be comfortable.

It was a cool trip!  And the Cedar City area is an area Dave and Jan hope to visit again because of the natural beauty which surrounds the area – one of the many beautiful areas the Lord has created for His people’s enjoyment!

Dave and Jan’s grandson and granddaughter (Ryan-5 and Erin-2 – Stephen and Meagan’s children) both celebrated birthdays during the month of April.  Because their birthdays are within two weeks of each other a joint birthday party was held in the back yard at the Balsley house in Brea.

Joining the celebration were the Seymours and Clampitts, Ryan and Erin’s other grandparents and uncle and family.  From left to right around the table are Zerlinda Clampitt, Jan, Dave, Amos Clampitt, Ryan, Benjamin Clampitt, Bruce Seymour, Meagan, Stephen, Connie Seymour,and Heidi and Chip Clampitt.

The theme for the party (planned by Stephen) was based on the video character Mario and company – as evidenced by this colorful crew.

Gift opening, of course, is always a highlight of any birthday party.

Erin became better equipped to serve as a cheer-leader at the event.

Erin’s gift in the big box (which kept the kids fascinated until it was finally opened) turned out to be a slide of an appropriate size for a busy two-year-old.

And what birthday party would be complete without yummy deserts?

Two weeks later, on Easter Sunday (Erin’s actual birthday), the same group re-gathered at the Clampitt home in celebration of the Lord’s resurrection.

Grandma Connie Seymour planned a clever Easter-egg hunt where each youngster was searching for “eggs” with individual animal faces so everyone ended up with the same number of “eggs” in their basket after the search.

Grandma Seymour also had an “Easter basket” for each of the young people, so everyone had fun exploring and playing with the contents of their basket – as Amos and Stephen are doing in the picture below with Heidi Clampitt.

As you can easily see, Ryan and Erin (along with their Clampitt cousins) are having a good time growing up – and they are certainly growing up!

It happens every spring.  The hills come alive – not just with the sound of music, but with fresh new foliage and colorful blossoms.  And this spring, in Southern California, blessed with such abundant rains that talk of drought has subsided for the time being, the Lord has turned the hills green and golden.  So Dave and Jan have enjoyed some recent hikes not far from home in some of their favorite places – like Chino Hills State Park, for example.

It hasn’t been only this year that the hills in Chino Park have come alive with fresh green and gold because in 2017 the park looked like this.

At another nearby location, Powder Canyon, park authorities have spent a great deal of time and effort and money (to be sure) replacing colorful mustard plants with plants which were native to the area before the mustard plants moved in – though there are still some higher and rougher elevations where the mustard plants are abundant and colorful.

Wooded areas at lower elevations are displaying lots of green grasses.

And hillsides where the mustard plants have been replaced with native grasses are showing both some beautiful greens and some nice stands of lupine.

With all the talk we have been hearing recently about a Green New Deal we are far more grateful for God’s Green New Deal which comes each year with the spring season.  And Dave and Jan are grateful, as well, that there are numerous “islands” of open space in the middle of congested Southern California to be enjoyed after only a short drive (or even a bike ride).