One of the annual celebrations in Cedar City is the Livestock and Heritage Festival which occurs near the end of October. The festival is a celebration of the ranching and farming heritage of the region – marked by a parade through the middle of town on Main Street, followed by a variety of demonstrations and vendors’ booths at the Cross Hollows Event Center. For Dave and Jan this was their first exposure to the festival – beginning for them with a six-block walk to Main Street through beautiful Veterans’ Park.

Patriotism is strong in Cedar City, so it was refreshing to see the arrival of the nation’s flag recognized by salutes and hands over hearts as it passed down the parade route through town.

The city was decorated for the festival with bales of hay, scare crows attached to light poles, and plywood sheep decorated by various businesses around town as a fund-raiser in recognition of the fact that hundreds of sheep would be parading through town toward the end of the parade.

The parade included a number of the mobile housing units which shepherds occupy throughout the warmer months when their flocks are grazing up in the mountains above Cedar City at around 10,000 ft. elevation.

Some musical cowboys shared their musical talents as they sang of thousands of sheep parading through town for the festival, and a group of young people demonstrated their square dancing skills as they passed.

There were many classic cars and tractors in the parade, along with some large farming equipment – including an interesting steam unit which dampens downed hay in a dry climate so it will bale correctly – and baling hay is serious business to support the livestock raised throughout the area.

The arrival of the sheep is always a highlight of the Heritage Festival.

At the Cross Hollows Event Center there were tractor pulls (to see whose tractor could pull an increasing amount of weight the farthest) and draft horse pulls (to see whose team of beautiful and hefty Belgian horses could pull a weighted wagon the fastest.

It was a fun, full day of heritage celebration – one of the many interesting features of the Cedar City area which Dave and Jan are enjoying very much – thankful for the Lord’s leading to their new “Life Elevated” location!

The sign in front of First Baptist Church in Cedar City, where Dave and Jan attend, featured the message not long ago “If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans!” So they were planning to go to Gilbert, Arizona so Dave could participate in the annual meeting of the board of directors’ for UIM (United Indian Mission) International. They made plans to visit some special friends in Arizona, Bill and LaVeta Sparks in Prescott and Lawrence and Diana Ray in Vail (southeast of Tucson). Because of the Corona Virus, board and administration members from Canada and Mexico were going to participate via Zoom, but with Zoom also an option for US board and administration members, not many decided to attend in person, so the board format was switched to Zoom only the week before the meeting. With the anticipated Thursday evening dinner and meeting cancelled, and the board meeting via Zoom on Friday, Dave and Jan decided to plan a side trip to Southern California to visit Stephen and family. They took a route they had not traveled before, enjoying many miles of the sights in the Vermillion Cliffs National Monument along the way.

In California, following the board meeting on Friday, it was time to pay a visit to the Burbank Balsleys.  Ryan and Erin were perhaps as happy to see Lola as they were to see Grandpa Dave and Grandma Jan.

At six years of age and first grade in his studies (which his mother, Meagan, is supervising at home on the computer), Ryan is getting to be quite a bright young man.

A highlight of Dave and Jan’s visit was the launching of Ryan’s rocket in a nearby park where the family enjoyed three successful launches, taking the rocket around three hundred feet into the air.

Erin enjoyed the opportunity to take Lola for a walk in the park.

Rocket launching was followed by lunch from El Pollo Loco.

With Halloween approaching the grandkids enjoyed carving pumpkins.

With a little help from Stephen, Ryan created a pumpkin masterpiece.

Erin showed her skills with blocks as a tower builder.

As Solomon put it in Proverbs 16:9, “The mind of man plans his way, But the Lord directs His steps.” Dave and Jan were very happy to have the Lord alter their way with an enjoyable visit with special friends and family as He directed their steps on their trip to Arizona and (surprise!) California.