I Never Met Easton Liechty...But I'm Sure He Was Loved

 Yesterday, I found myself at a city park in Logan, Utah, in an area the locals call The Island. Cache Valley is beautiful, and this particular spot is idilic, surrounded by older trees and a river, unique homes and quaint streets.

In the park I found a plague, a tribute to Easton M. Liechty.

I've never heard of him.

Mr. Liechty passed away (according to Find A Grave website...) March 1997, more than twenty-five years ago. I'm sure when the plaque was placed at the base of a tree (perhaps planted at the same time...) almost everyone in attendance knew Easton, but as time goes on, fewer and fewer people who happen to pass that particular section of the park knew him, or know who he was.

Even though I don't know him, I know someone went to a lot of effort to create the plaque and jump through the hoops required to create the memorial in the first place. 

While the memorial sits under the tree day after day, year after year, do Easton's loved ones drop by to remember the man and conjure those memories they hold dear? Do family take young ones to that park and show them the plaque and tell them about the man they never knew?

I wondered these things after I snapped the photo. No, I never met Easton. I'll bet he was a great guy.

Logan's Grandpa's Bookshelf...With A History Straight Out Of A Novel

Yesterday, my wife and I checked out some of the local shops in downtown Logan, Utah. The one store we wanted to visit was closed. Bummer. I had some trash to throw away, so I ventured up the street to the nearest garbage can. It was there I spotted a small business that was open...

A bookstore.

Score!

It's called Grandpa's Bookshelf, and it's adorable.

The entire shop is long and narrow, not much wider than an RV. It's broken up into individual rooms, each room containing its own genre of books. I'll bet the history of that particular building is fascinating. We met Grandpa of Grandpa's Bookshelf, a nice man who quietly went about the tasks of running a quaint small business. 

And the place was crowded, too. Granted, it didn't take much to crowd the space, but people kept coming in. It also answers the eternal question, how many books can you cram into a small space? The answer...

Quite a few.

While we were there, we struck up a conversation with Grandpa and he said he took over the store after he retired. Today I decided to do a little research on the store, so I did an internet search. I found a story from 2022 in the Salt Lake Tribune. It's amazing. I highly recommend you read it. You can find the link by clicking: HERE.

The story behind the store is more interesting than many found in the pages of the books on the shelves. If you're in Logan and you've got some time on your hands, check out Grandpa's Bookshelf at 29 West, 100 North. 

It was inspiring.

Box Drop Mattress & Furniture...Good Place

 My wife and I found ourselves in Logan, Utah with a few hours to kill today. We had done our shopping, and ran a few errands, when the topic of an adjustable bed frame came up. Why did this particular topic came up? Because it's something we've been thinking about getting for a while.

If you're familiar with Logan, Utah, you know it's a thriving area. You can find almost any store (except a Target or a Harmons...) and anything you need in those stores. Years ago we were looking for a couch. We saw an ad for Box Drop Mattress & Furniture so we checked them out. We ended up not buying a couch from them, but we remembered the place.

You've probably know places like this. Their showroom is in a warehouse...not a bad warehouse, but a big open space. Compare that to say, a RC Willey furniture store (a local furniture chain...) and you know what I mean. A newly-constructed RC Willey's store is like a cathedral. They're opulent, some would say...over the top. Box Drop is so much different. 

We found a bed frame we wanted, but we hesitated. After a short discussion, we agreed upon the price and delivery and the deal was done. 

I'm not expert on the price of most things. I walked around the floor and looked at both mattresses and couches. I don't know if the prices were good or great, but I do know they treated us well and we didn't have to pay for overheard (or, too much overhead...).

If you're in Northern Utah and you need mattresses and/or furniture, give Box Drop a chance. They're north and west of the city. If you've reached the airport, you've gone too far. Check them out. Hopefully, you'll find what you're looking for.

Though I Didn't Grow Up Eating Here...I Know What My Friend Is Talking About

 The first time we dined at El Toro Viejo, it wasn't in Logan, Utah, but Brigham City. We did not know it at the time, that the Brigham City location was not the original, but a satellite restaurant. We didn't get a chance to eat there often...it closed shortly after we found the place.

When we discovered another El Toro Viejo, this time in Logan, Utah, we rejoiced. We learned from our past mistakes and have eaten there many times.

The last time I took a picture of the name over the front door and posted it to social media. I thought I'd hear from a good friend who grew up in Cache Valley after posting the picture. I thought this because I'd discussed the restaurant in the past and he commented on it then.

The place remind him of his youth, so much so he commented even on the decor that once graced its walls.

Even though I never ate at that particular restaurant growing up, I knew exactly what he was talking about.

The same thing happened to me and my friends, though about ninety miles south of Logan.

For us, it was Robintinos. Even the name conjures memories--wonderful, incredible memories.

When I attended high school and later college, the eatery of choice for my friends and I was Robintinos on Fifth South in Bountiful. I must have eaten there hundreds of times. Only the home my dad built for our family and my family's first home have I eaten at more than Robintinos. Robintinos serves mostly Italian food, pizzas, pasta, soups, salads. I tried almost the entire menu at one point or another.

The restaurant moved from its Fifth South location years ago. Now it can be found a few blocks away on Fifth West where Brattens Fish Grotto once stood. I've been back a few times after the move and they have some of the original artwork hanging on the walls, paintings I recognized immediately, pictures that transported me back in time to those high school/college/Lagoon days...

Wonderful days.

My friend from Logan commented about his memories at El Toro Viejo and I knew exactly what he was talking about. I'll bet others have similar stories of their youth. Funny, how we're alike in so many ways.

When Your Search Yields Good Results...

 Success.

It took months and month of searching, but last week, me and my boys entered a second-hand media thrift store and came out with our prize.

This past summer our family went on a yard sale binge. Almost every weekend we'd load up the van--including our standard poodle--and search for treasure. Every once in a while we'd run into a stash of media, vinyl records, cassette tapes, and movies--VHS and DVD. We'd check every box, every crate, every nook and cranny for films we'd like to add to our quaint but increasingly ancient collection.

Every time we'd come up short.

You see, we were looking for the 1992 classic, Singles, a musical tale of heartache and triumph set in the grunge capitol of the world...Seattle. If you've seen it, you know. 1992 is when I graduated from college, when my wife and I got married. The film (even with some outrageous exaggerations...) is a cultural snapshot of the age, sort of a hipster anthem. 

It has, apparently, failed to speak for future generations.

This store in Logan is amazing. It's in the Cache Valley Mall, a once-sprawling oasis for most things retail. Now, it's a shell of its once-former self. This second-hand consignment store set up shop in an anchor space and it's huge. They have video games and players for every era. They have novels, magazines, trading cards, and yes, VHS and DVD movies. My wife and I visited the store several months ago. We searched the stacks and stacks of movies, but not Singles. 

Last week, however, it was there and I snatched it up.

It's a tale with a happy ending...just keep searching and good things happen. At least, it did this time.

Give Thanks...For "Grand Teton" By Andrew Fowler

 They sat us in the basement--must be because of the reservations we made days earlier. Without the reservations, it would have taken a long time to get into Herms Restaurant in Logan, Utah.

Oh, the food was definitely worth it.

As we waited for our food, because of where I was sitting, I spotted a painting on the wall, and because I had seen those mountains from that vantage point many many times in my life, I knew immediately, the painting was of the Teton mountain range...

And I knew it a view from the Idaho side.

Personally, I like the Idaho side of the Tetons better. It's probably because my grandfather and my mother and my cousin's kids grew up with that very view in their east windows. I've seen that view hundreds of times visiting the homestead that was built in 1906 and remains in the family still today.

I don't have anything against the Wyoming side of the Tetons per se. I think the Idaho side has more personality. The Wyoming side looks like a huge knife with a jagged edge, the Grand Teton being the highest of those edges. The Idaho side offers something different. Even Table Rock is unique.

I don't know Andrew Fowler--never heard of him, actually. Several of his paintings hung in the basement of Herms Restaurant and they were for sale. I checked out his Instagram account, you can access it by clicking: HERE. I like his style, and I especially love the painting he did of the Grand Teton.

I'm glad I recognized the mountain. I'm glad it was accompanied with so many incredible memories, memories of family mostly, of cool summers, of knowing I was loved and valued by parents, grandparents, cousins, and those who had passed on.

I'm also grateful Andrew Fowler used his talents to create the image that hung for sale in a Logan Utah restaurant.

So Many Incredible Cars To See...I Was Drawn To The VWs

For the second time in as many years, my mother-in-law and I attended the Cache Valley Cruise In car show. Last year was a first for me (my mother-in-law had gone years before...). Like last year, there was a lot of walking, a lot of sun, and some incredibly beautiful cars.

I was drawn to the Volkswagens.

I always am.

Seeing the cars is bittersweet for me. Until I got married, and a little bit after, I only bought/drove VWs. I had bugs and a convertible rabbit. Of course, that was decades ago. And when I think I should have kept those cars, it would have been a hassle to store and keep them running. No, it was a good decision to sell them when I did. They were fun, they had their purpose. Still, it would be nice to have one (or all...) of them back.

Since I can't show you them, here's some of the cars we saw yesterday.

(it's a VW kit car, or truck...)

You Can Catch More Bees With Honey Than With Vinegar--You Can Catch More People With Food Than With...No Food

 Before the world-changing events of the past couple of years, my employer held summer parties for their employees. Many times I've attended these events. Many times the schedule for these events remains the same...

Food and games.

Since it's summer and "recommendations" from experts have changed, my employer has resumed these parties. This past week, it was our turn. The location--an incredibly beautiful public park in Logan, Utah. The purpose--to gather as co-workers, eat food, and enjoy the break.

Like years before, I attended (as the photographs prove...). The event began with introductions. Of the fifty or sixty people attending, I knew about 10%. Next, came the food. Good food! It was catered and I filled my plate. 

A question came to me...

Would we have gathered if there was no food?

The idiom came to me, "You can catch more bees with honey than with vinegar." I'm no biologist or apiologist. I have no idea if this phrase is literally true, but I am pretty sure if this gathering had no food (or pre-meal snacks...), attendance would have been down. Of course, if this were a mandatory party, we'd show up, food or not.

Next year, God willing, the e-mails will be sent a month or two before the summer party takes place. If things remain the same, we'll have the option to attend or decline. Also, if things remain the same, food will be served. There should be a new idiom...

If you serve food, they will come.

Twas The Weekend Before Christmas...

 If you look closely at the picture above, you may be able to see a layer of fog hugging the valley floor over the marshlands of western Cache Valley. For those of you familiar with the valley, you may have seen this numerous times. I lived in Cache Valley for a few months almost forty years ago. I never saw the fog. Then again, I never knew there was marshland on the west side.

Going to school at Utah State University for one quarter didn't allow me a lot of time to explore the region.

I had heard there was a road connecting Logan with Box Elder County on the north side, but...once again...I never saw the road, either.

My loss.

The first time I drove on the road was a year ago, shortly after moving north. There's a gentle rise as the road curves east. You pass Beaver Dam, then Petersboro, then the road turns again and the Cache Valley opens up below. The first time we saw it, it blew us away.

Twas the weekend before Christmas...and that's as far as I'm going to go trying to come up with new words to the classic poem. As self-contained as our valley is, there are things unobtainable here. We have to venture either due east, or southeast for supplies. And as parents, preparing for Christmas is a never-ending pursuit to "get everything done" before the big day. This year, we're doing okay, but there's always something we'll miss.

The layer of mist spread across the valley. The white mountains matched the cloud resting just feet above the water and grasses. It was beautiful.

We shopped and searched for things we need and things we don't necessarily need. By the time we drove west, the fog had disappeared, blended into the nearly frozen air above. I hope one day we'll be fortunate enough to see the mist again. Maybe next year...maybe on the weekend before Christmas.

The Logan Hobby Lobby Is...In My Opinion...The Most Hobbyist Lobbiest Ever

 I've been in half a dozen Hobby Lobby Stores in my life, give or take, so this particular "take" may not be verifiable. But, in my opinion, I think the Hobby Lobby store in Logan, Utah is the most Hobby Lobby of them all.

You may be asking yourself, "Have I ever been in that Hobby Lobby?" Fair question. I guarantee you, if you love--or even mildly enjoy--crafts, you'd remember it. It is amazing. It's as big as a Walmart and it's full...full of stuff you want and so much more of the stuff you didn't know you wanted.

My wife has visited this store several times, but I entered the air-conditioned awesomeness for the first time last Saturday. We actually returned today and I snapped a couple of pictures. I didn't take any pictures last week because I think I was so overwhelmed I forgot.

Okay, okay...maybe I'm being too over-the-top about this store. But, in my defense, I don't think I was prepared. Most Hobby Lobby stores are adequate, but not very big. They have most of the things we usually need. I thought this one was the same as the others. My wife told me as we walked in last week that the one in Logan was special. She was right.

So, if you're driving on Main Street and you're in the north part of Logan, search it out. If you're a crafty person, I think you'll be impressed with the store, too.

Who Knew...Stopping To Look At A Multimedia Art Table Could Lead To A Ten Minute Chat With Santa?

 My wife and I did a little shopping this afternoon. We stopped at the Logan Utah Hobby Lobby--a finer craft store does not exist. It was there I spotted a multimedia art table we thought might be something our daughter might want.

I stopped to look at it (there were actually two models...) and that's when I heard someone say, "That's what Santa wants for Christmas."

That's not something you hear everyday.

I turned and standing in the aisle was a man, with a broad face and a round little belly. The full beard gave it away...this was Santa (off-season Santa, of course...). We ended up chatting for about ten minutes. He talked about things he told kids as a symbol of Christmas. He also told me of possible Christmas plans in the grand hamlet of Logan this coming winter.

Sounds like fun.

No, it's not everyday you run into Santa (off-season Santa, of course...) at a craft store in Northern Utah. But, when it happens, it's fun.