Man...I've Missed Slapfish

My wife and I found ourselves in the town where I lived for half a century today. We were passing through and decided to stop for lunch. "Where should we eat?" I asked.

"Slapfish," my wife said.

Bingo.

It's been years since we visited the restaurant. Back when we lived a few miles from the restaurant, we didn't eat there every week, or every month, but it was a reliable go-to place for us. What we especially liked was we could order one meal and split it between the both of us. Good food and cheap as well. And the fact that seafood is one of my wife's favorite foods only adds to our love of the place.

Today, we bought one meal and split it. The photo is actually half of their fish and chips serving.

As we drove through Davis County, we discussed things we missed about our old stomping grounds. One thing we missed was good restaurants. It's not that the restaurants where we now live are bad, there just isn't many of them. 

We do not miss the traffic.

As we ate we wished they would build a Snapfish restaurant somewhere north. Ogden is acceptable, but Logan would be great. Maybe one day it will happen.

Time will tell. 

What I See...When I Look East

I have lived—off and on—on the same street for half a century. When you live in the same place for that long, you get used to the view. What we see looking west is incredible, the sunsets, the storm rolling in, but the mountains to the east are incredible, too—sometimes more so.

Tonight, the mountain displayed its autumn colors, not as brilliant as other years, but beautiful none the less. Ever since I was a little kid, there’s been some rock formations I’ve identified—they look like things to me. Maybe you’ll see them too, maybe not. That’s okay. We all see things differently.

Here’s what I saw tonight, and what I’ve seen so many times in the last five decades.

First...well, there’s Flag Rock. We have an excellent view of the formation. What impresses me most is that for a few miles north or south, if you’re at a certain elevation, Flag Rock rises like a huge stone pimple on the mountain face. It’s something many Farmingtonites know, like a stone lighthouse hundreds of feet above.

The next thing I see is what I think looks like an old football helmet. I call it the Football Helmet Rock Formation (original, I know...). The flat surface must be a shear wall, and big. I can’t see anything else when I look at it.

Then, there’s the rock formation above Patsy’s Mine. I’ve heard from many that the mine’s now sealed up. I’m sure they have their reasons for doing this and to them, the reasons are good. To me, I’m sad to know hundreds—maybe even thousands of kids—will no longer have the thrill of seeing just how deep they can venture into the mine before turning back.

There’s a couple of other things I see. A little south of those three I can spot what looks like an old craggy face. It wasn’t until the Harry Potter films came along that I realized the rock looks like a hat-less Sorting Hat. Still, it’s always had that crooked smile I love.

A little down from the face is another face. This time I see what could be a face—maybe a George Washington face—in the mountain. The eye socket and nose are definitely there.

And last, the hill is covered with huge fields of rocks, places where bigger rocks succumbed to nature and have gathered together. It’s hard to see from this angle, but I always thought this lower rock field looks like a running dog, some sort of terrier.

There’s so much I’m going to miss when we pack up and drive away later this week. This mountain and the things I see is definitely one of them.

Tonight's Western Sky...And What It Said To Me

I've lived on the same street for almost forty of my fifty-four years. I grew up on the mountain, constantly looking east at the familiar rock formations, the indents carved by water runoff, the patches of scrub oak trees, the open fields of grass, the entrance to Patsy's Mine, and to top it all, Flag Rock.

But, as magnificent as those views are, they many times pale to what I see looking west, especially after a storm and the air is clean and the visibility is unobstructed.

And at sunset.

Tonight was one of those almost perfect nights. I walked out on the back porch before the colors arrived, just to take in the view. Though we're not as high as some, our vantage point is just fine. I could see the entire valley, from the Oquirrhs to the southwest to Weber County to the northwest. And Antelope Island right in the middle. With a full sky of clouds, I thought the sunset would be beautiful.

And it was.

As far as color, there's been better, but the lack of color doesn't make tonight's show any less worthy. A thought came to me as I took it all in...We are constantly surrounded by overwhelming beauty. Do we block it out? Do we ignore it? Maybe we do, because to acknowledge all the amazing things in our world would cripple us almost to inactivity.

It's not a great thought, but as I looked west tonight, into the original fireworks, the stunning views reminded me again of what is there for us to see, if we only will.

My Fyrecon Schedule--Something For Everyone...Well, Almost

In just a couple of weeks several will gather in Davis County for an event where creativity is key. It's called Fyrecon, and it's going to be great!

I feel honored, and a little bit humbled, to be one of the presenters. Now, since the schedule's been published online, I can let everyone know the classes I'll be teaching. So, if any of these strike your fancy, sign up and check out the con, my classes, everyone else's classes, and all the other fantastic stuff planned for our first-ever event.

The convention runs Thursday through Saturday, June 8 through 10. On Thursday the classes and panels run from 12:30pm to 5:30pm. Friday and Saturday, they run 9:30am to 7:30pm.

My schedule is:

Friday, 3:30-4:20pm, Building D3, Room 204

Heroes That Wheeze

Heroes mean different things in different eras. What possibly is the most interesting aspect of any hero is their weakness. In this class, we'll discuss what makes a hero and what can bring them down.

This is set for Teens, but anyone can attend.

Friday, 5:30-6:20pm, Building D3, Room 203

Creating Another Wizard That Isn't Another Gandalf, Dumbledore, Etc.

An in-depth discussion of the wonderful world of wizard, what they are/aren't, should/shouldn't be, and just how far can you go with the character?

Again, a teen class, but feel free to check it out.

Friday, 6:30-7:20pm, Building D3, Room 206

 Are Critique Groups Worth It?

Writing Critique Groups--some swear by them, others swear at them. But are they worth the work and effort it takes to create a successful, sustainable group? In this class we'll discuss what works, and what doesn't. And above all, will it make you a batter writer?

Friday will be a busy day for me, but I can't wait! Please let me know if you have any questions for me--I'll be glad to help out any way I can. Or, you can click: HERE to access the Fyrecon website directly. Writer, editor, or just someone who loves literature, consider attending. I'd love to see you there!

I Can See Clearly Now...The Smog Is Gone!

Oh what a difference one storm makes! On Saturday I wondered out on the back porch and took a panoramic photograph. What you see is a view looking west. There's the neighbor's field that converts into a sledding run in the winter and the pine trees that line the field. 

What you don't see is much of anything beyond that. You don't see downtown Farmington. You don't see the Great Salt Lake, and there's no way you see any of Antelope Island. You can barely see the sun.

Saturday night/Sunday morning a storm rolled through and cleaned out the air. Today I went back out on the porch and took another panoramic view of the valley. This time, well...there's so much you can see. We get winter inversions every year and every year people complain. I can understand why--it's not the healthiest thing to breathe.

And so today we flew the flag to honor President's Day and the sunset was beautiful. I'm glad I can see clearly now. And so is everyone else.