Oh Happy Day ~ Summer Vacation

I am definitely a warm blooded creature and summer vacation from school started today. I traveled to the picturesque canyon where the summer "jhome" is being built. There has been a great deal accomplished since my last visit.
The General Jack.... standing at the front door! What an amazing job he has done.

This is a view from the road below the cabin. A circle of chairs for rest periods is where the future front porch will be.
This view is from the southwest end of the lot looking at the kitchen door in the corner and the front door by the clump of trees.

The last row of 15 high logs is now in place....look at that beautiful mountain top and blue sky!
This stream of water caught my eye as I drove towards the canyon.

When all is done the cabin will have 3 levels...here is the door to the basement entrance. There will be many there to greet you if you choose to venture on up the canyon. The scenery will take your breathe away and the cabin is something to behold.

Where did the week go?

Regretfully I have been gone from the blog world for over a week. Quick Recap:

* 3 days of Core Academy...love it!
* 1 week of year 2007-2008 school left

* Jon Meloan was back in town with the 51s so we spent time with him and Matt ....and Devre! Yes, I'm the match maker!

* BC was wonderful....I didn't take pictures but BFF did so I have one!

* Ogden-Raptors are 0 - 5 and I haven't brought them any luck. The season is young...Jessie (catching is a great guy!)

* I won (YEAH) a great gift from my BFF's blog giveaway...yes including the candy! Won't they be great for the 4th of July picnic table!

* The cabin is growing... Julie and family are working 24/7 and it shows. DS has designed a T-shirt for the working crew. Check it out at http://www.emptymind.org/

Doesn't this look beautiful?




Finally a new challenge has come to my life..................................

* DH has made a commitment to go vegetarian for 1 year... he has terrible gout (the medications....make him sicker than the gout)so he is hoping that avoiding meat will improve the condition. This was today's inventions...and I might say it was very tasty. Grilled veggie sandwich:

Here's the recipe:

1 cup sliced red bell peppers

1 small zucchini, sliced

1 small yellow squash, sliced

1 red onion, sliced

1 cup mushrooms

1/8 cup olive oil

I grilled this in my grilling basket for about 10 minutes.

Mayonnaise Spread: 1/4 cup mayonnaise

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Mix together and set aside in the refrigerator until ready to assembly the sandwich.

When the vegetables were almost finished I spread the mayo mixture on Garlic Onion sliced bread from (Great Harvest)....I'm sure you can use your favorite bread focaccia would be awesome because you could cut it horizontally and make 2 long open faced sandwiches.

On top of the mayo mixture I added crumbled feta cheese on DH's, goat cheese on mine and grilled them until the cheese was melted with the lid closed. I watched very carefully so the bottom of the bread didn't burn. Removed them from the grill, and layered with the vegetables. YUMMY!

Leaving Italy for Egypt

DF will spend the morning hours in Milan then board Egyptair arriving in Cairo tonight. Tomorrow there is a shopping trip on her itinerary! Oh Happy Day! I told her she couldn't go to Egypt without getting a Cartouche...so that is the scheduled shopping trip!

Day 7 and DF is traveling by train and ferry to Lake Lugano. Lake Lugano lies in the southern Swiss canton of Ticino where Italian is spoken. It is very much the south side of the Alps, where temperatures and hours of sunshine are generally higher. The lakes in this region run into Italy and the whole character of the countryside is quite different to the part of Switzerland further north.After all the travel in Italy...now into Switzerland... DF will be a well prepared to travel on our very own Frontrunner in Utah. Ours looks almost like this:

Even though the main valleys around the bustling town of Lugano are well populated roomer is you will be surprised how quickly you leave the town behind and reach secluded, small villages, nestling in large forests of chestnut trees, where time seems to have stopped a long time ago.

Tomorrow DF is off to Cairo, Egypt

Verona ~ Bolzano ~ Dolomites

Verona is one of the richest and most prosperous cities in the North of Italy, when you get to Verona you can see this everywhere: streets are clean, people wear elegant (and expensive) clothes, restaurants and shops are chic and hotels are very comfortable (and expensive too!) There are also many very nice stores to buy very expensive Italian fashions. DF doesn’t include to many shopping tours… so we’ll just continue with the main tourist attractions. I selected 3 sites in Verona….this girl would have been shopping though!

Although the building is now used for operas and other cultural shows, its original use was (as you can imagine) crueler: the famous Gladiators fights. Oh….I had to hid under the covers when I watched The Gladiator!


Tower Lamberti is the highest tower in Verona, it’s 83 meters high. Its construction began in 1172 and it took several centuries to finish. The octagonal end of the tower still holds the old ‘Rengo’ and ‘Marangona’ bells.




As you’ll probably know Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet’s love story takes place in Verona. This city is not only the perfect place for this story to take place for its middle age ambient, there are also some real references here. The house you’re seeing is the "real" home of Juliet’s family (the Capuleti). DF will actually be going to this tourist attractions when Jess joins them later in the month.

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In keeping with rules of Playing for Pizza we are stopping by this Duomo in Bolzano today

A two hour train ride north from Verona, Bolzano is a provincial capital located in the Trentino- Alto Adige region of Italy. Noted as the “Gateway to the Dolomites”, Bolzano, gives way to the feeling of a village surrounded by orchards and vineyards. The Dolomites tower over the city in the distance, dwarfing everything below and reminding the residence and tourists of its distinctive beauty. They are always present. The streets are cobblestone; shutters adorn the windows in colours of blue, coral and yellow. Frescoes from years gone by adorn the walls of many of the current establishments, connecting the present with a rich historical past.

Wordless Wednesday ~ The Front Porch Visitor

Lake Como ~ Nina Day 5

From Milan, DF is taking a train to Como. Trains leave from Milan's Stazione Centrale and Stazione Porta Garibaldi, and arrive at Como's San Giovanni station 30-60 minutes later. The ferry terminal, at Piazza Cavour, is just a 10-15 minute walk from the station.
Train Station from Milan to Lake Como
Ferry around Lake Como
Bellagio Italy has been called the pearl of Lake Como and some have even gone as far as calling it the most beautiful town in Europe.

Its superb location in between the two 'legs' of Como and Lecco and its mild climate year-round have enchanted the famous and the wealthy for centuries.

Whether it is peace and tranquility you are after, or romantic walks through stepped alleyways and English gardens, or dining in exquisite restaurants, or perhaps you are more in the mood for exciting water sports and winter skiing...the list goes on...you are sure to find it in Bellagio Italy.

People who come back home from their Italy vacations to Lake Como, usually talk in "oooohs" and "aaaahs" about the spectacular scenery they witnessed. Can't wait to see the pictures Nina brings home.

Parma ~ Bologna ~ Ravenna ~ Ferrara ~ Padua

Nina is on a quest today....5 cities and a rental car. Hope you found a nice full sized car. Today's activities included ~ Parma, Bologna, Ravenna, Ferrar, and Padua. This map shows the proximity of each city. Padua is not shown on this map but it is a little northeast of Ferrara.

Padua is a pilgrimage city where millions of pilgrims and tourists come every year to visit the Basilica di Sant’Antonio.

City Gates of Ferrara

The Este family ruled Ferrara from 1208 to 1598, constructing many of the monuments you can see today. Under the Estes, Ferrara became a center of the arts. Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Titian, and Petrarch, among others, spent time under their patronage. But the Estes lacked a male heir. So the Pope claimed Ferrara and it became part of the Papal States, beginning a three decade decline before awakening in the 1900s, seemingly becoming aware of it's own glorious past.

Ravenna is known as the mosaic city because of the stunning 5th-6th century mosaics that adorn the walls of its churches and monuments and because it is still one of Italy's top producers of mosaics. Ravenna has eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Roman sites, museums, Dante's tomb, and many cultural events. Much of Ravenna's historic center is a pedestrian zone. Wonder if you DF had time to do a walking tour in this city.

Neptune Fountain.....this is the place!

Bologna is a town of 400,000 people in the Po river valley in Emilia -Romagna. Known for its cuisine, it's porticoed (A porch or walkway with a roof supported by columns, often leading to the entrance of a building)streets, and for hosting one of the oldest Universities in Europe, Bolgona is a great tourist destination--especially if you like people and food. Don't all of us love both?

Our BC read "Playing for Pizza" this put Parma on the list of a must see. I'm sure the football stadium was not exactly on Nina's list........maybe James talked her into it???

Parma is famous as the capital food centre of Italy, for its inimitable products and in particular for its Prosciutto of Parma,cured pork meats and its famous Parmesan Cheese. There is going to be some serious dieting when you return home girlfriend. I'll be there with you, just blogging about all the wonderful place in Italy....makes me want food!

Monday Nina is in Turin

Today my DF is off to Turin. Turin is known for its proximity to the Alps. You do remember that the city was also the host of the 2006 Winter Olympic Games.

My ancestors are from the Piedmont area, which is why Nina is taking a day to visit the area.…thanks Nina for making this a part of your extended trip to Italy.

On tours to Turin, you can enjoy its architectural splendor, cultural, and artistic richness, or indulge in exciting recreation, including skiing, trekking, hiking and mountain biking in nearby Alps.

Walking along its beautiful medieval streets is itself like visiting an open-air museum.
Above I made a collage of the major tourist attractions that you can visit on Turin tours including:

the Piazza Castello, housing the grand palaces of the Savoy dynasty, such as Palazzo Reale and Palazzo Madama;

Mole Antonelliana and the Museo Nazionale del Cinema (Museum of Cinema);

the Duomo housing the sacred Holy Shroud;

the Museo Egizio (Egyptian Museum);

and the absolutely beautiful little hill of Monte dei Cappuccini, offering breathtaking views of the snow-capped Alps.

You can also enjoy a scenic ride on the River Po to discover the beauty and charm of Turin City. Though Venice is the ultimate destination for cruises on the Po, as it wends its way across the country, the Po travels through or near many important ports of call, such as Turin. Tomorrow DF returns to Milan and several other stops.

Weekend Warriors...Wow We Were Invigorated!

Saturday afternoon we drove to Garland, Utah for the annual Fireman's Salmon Bake. The temperature was about 55 with a slight drizzle of rain...which is not fun to stand in for 3 1/2 blocks of people waiting to pay our $15.00 each! We passed the time teasing each other and making pencil rubbings of anything that would make a design....thanks to Alicia, she had lots of paper and a pencil.
After waiting in line our group took up 2 full tables in the dinning hall! Look at all those people...Halie thinks there were thousands there!


Marcus and Stephanie brought their good friends Alicia and Daniel Coats. Daniel is a big eater.....

Our very good friends Lee and Robin Rhoades joined in the fun. Lee and Al went to high school together! This year they are on the committee for their 40Th year reunion....man you guys are old!
The people in the doorway are waiting to stand in line for food!
Dane and Donya brought along Donya's 2 children. Brady brought her family along as well.

Dane and Donya are always good to go when we invite them to do something....even at the last minute. What good sports!

Stephanie is elbowing Marcus for who knows what. Alicia's brother and father also joined in the feast.
Grandpa and Brevin ate up a whole salmon.

We all needed a nap when we got home.
Sunday morning we got up mighty early.....7:15! Packed the car and drove to Loafer Canyon where the cabin is coming along nicely. The picture below is a drawing of what the cabin is almost going to look like. Julie has made lots of mods... good ones.....to the original plans. The lot is also more woodsy than this photo. It's only the idea I'm looking for here.

This is what the view will look like from the loft inside the cabin.

This is the great room (I think that is what they are called in today's vernacular).

This is a view from the east side of the cabin....facing the mountain side. Won't this be a beautiful place to relax?

Here is the actual work in progress. The basement is framed and now the flooring is going on for the main living area. Jack, Jeri, Jim, Jared and Julie are one hard working crew. My Jason and I are very good on lookers. Actually Jason is doing his share.....cooks, tends kids, takes pictures, and documents the progress. I think he said he even cut some rebar yesterday.....yes the heavy steel stuff used to reinforce concrete.

The log kit is arriving soon. They have a motor home on site that they have spent many nights in. I can't begin to tell you how beautiful the canyon is!
Sunday Phase II..............The BOYS are BACK in TOWN. Yes sirrree the Ogden Raptors are back. They are the rookie team for the LA Dodgers. We have been involved with the Raptors for 12 years now as a host family. We have had many many many many.....boys live in our home. Several are now playing in the MLB, while others continue to play in the minor league. Linquist Field has been under major renovation during the off season. This picture was taken from the top of the club house...it will now be an open seating deck...the view is awesome. Today we met with 16 of the boys who arrived. They filled out host family applications, had something to eat, toured the facilities and returned to their hotel for the evening. They will be going to their host families Wednesday evening.

Final days activity: ROOSTERS on 25th street happens to be one of my favorite places to eat. I suggested it to the guys as some place to have a nice dinner tonight. Roosters is a fine dining and brew pub in a turn-of-the century building on Historic 25th Street with outdoor dining featuring pasta, steak & seafood. They are open daily for lunch & dinner. I love their hummus platter appetizer....followed by a blackened salmon sandwich.

This picture is looking into their open air dining.

Roosters 25th Street Brewing Company is upscale, upbeat and eclectic. Originally housing everything from Chinese Laundries to Houses of Ill Repute (yes even in Utah)in the early 1900's, the restored buildings on Twenty-fifth Street now offer trendy shops, restaurants and clubs. Here is the quaint, 115-year-old building. Roosters includes an outdoor patio with weekly summer barbecues and a unique ambiance conducive to mingling with friends. Come join me, I think you'll find the dining experience invigorating.
Now the weekend is coming to a close....back to work tomorrow morning!