A Spot of Sun

Monday, September 28, 2009

MaLM - Dear Fall

In our family when someone is feeling down or grumpy or maybe even when they are happy, you'll occasionally hear the refrain of "let's all say something we like about _____." We all take turns and usually the person is beaming by the end.

Yesterday we went for a ride through American Fork Canyon to look at the fall leaves and we all took turns saying what we liked about fall. Here is how it went.

Dear Fall,

We love you so much. In fact, some of us like you best of all the seasons! We love (in no particular order) your
1. beautiful leaves
2. apple cider
3. pumpkin bread
4. our annual pumpkin carving party
5. Halloween!!!
6. Thanksgiving!!!
7. cool weather
8. walking along under the trees, wrapped in a warm jacket and crunching leaves
9. starting school
10. soccer
11. fall leaf drives
12. our annual Arches camping trip
13. any pumpkin food
14. BYU football
15. back yard fires complete with smores

Oh, we do love you fall. But would you be offended if one of the things we most loved about you is that we get to look forward to Christmas all through your sweet, crisp days? Because we do. Sorry.

Love, us

Sunday, September 27, 2009

FYI: Dusk vs. Twilight

Note: This is NOT a post about the book, Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer. Please continue on.

For Your Information

Twilight begins when the sun sets. It lasts until dusk, which is the end of twilight, or more specifically, when the sun is 6 degrees below the horizon.

So, twilight is a period of time, dusk is a certain moment.

Morning also has a twilight period, the time between dawn, the beginning of morning light, and the sunrise.

Just in case you were wondering. See here for more information.

Friday, September 25, 2009

14 Steps to a Great Camping Trip

1. Take your trailer (extra points if you just borrow one) up a day early to save a spot.

2. Since you already have the site, go back up on Thursday for a picnic. Just take left-overs; you'll be glad since it may be raining. Be glad you already set up the trailer.

3. Try your best to go up the canyon early, but don't despair when you don't.

4. Also, don't despair if it happens to start raining again on the way there after a beautiful clear day.

5. Play a new game while you try to cook the tin foil dinners in a skillet.

6. Laugh when kids all reject this cool meal.

7. Take advantage of the pause in rain for a campfire.

8. Roast marshmallows and make smores, even if the fire doesn't like the wet weather.

9. Go to bed late, read a little Harry Potter even thought it will be really late.

10. Sleep well!

11. Make sure someone who regularly uses pancake mix has bought the supplies for breakfast, or you might end up with the kind of mix that needs eggs and milk.

12. Pack up early to go have breakfast at home.

13. Make sure you camp by nice people who will move their camper to give your battery a charge after you realize it is dead.

14. Make sure you talk about how much fun it has all been on the ride home, enjoy the leaves, and take a nap later.