Graduation and Zion.

Carol and I flew out to Lee's college graduation. Flying is something new to us, it was the first time we'd ever flown commercially. I found it rather boring (I guess that's a good thing). We flew on Allegiant Airlines out of Springfield, Missouri to Las Vegas, Nevada on Friday, May 2. We drove to Cedar City, Utah to spend the night.

Lee's graduation was at Southern Utah University in Cedar City. He graduated from the College of Business with a degree in Hotel, Resort and Hospitality Management. Carol and I felt like we'd accomplished something, even though he did all the work. With all the hands on experience he has working at Zion Lodge, he was used as an example quite often and even led a field trip to Zion to tour the Lodge.

Afterward, we went to St. George for dinner, then to Zion National Park to spend the night. I even had enough time to hike up to Lower Emerald Pool before dark.

Sunday, I took two hikes, the first to my favorite place in the Canyon, Weeping Rock. That afternoon, I hiked to Hidden Canyon as far as the arch which is almost hidden in the side of the canyon wall.

Monday, it was back to Vegas for the Allegiant flight back to Springfield.

A whirlwind trip, but I did get a couple of hikes in. We'll be back out there in a few weeks to work at the Cave in the Lodge. That will be the 4th summer in a row we've been able to work in one of America's most beautiful places, Zion National Park.

Watch out for those dogwood packs!

Driving my school bus a few weeks ago, I noticed that the dogwoods run in packs. I'd drive a mile and see no dogwoods, then a patch of white would show 20 or 30 dogwoods in a grove. One thing I noticed is that they seem to tend to be on the edge of the woods or in the disturbed parts of the woods. They don't grow under the old growth, rather in the younger sections of the woods, including the areas that burned.

It was really pretty this spring for wildflowers. I can look out my window here at home and see dogwood, daisies and various other wildflowers, including a bright red flower that is in the shade.