16th April - Cedar City
I remember going through that long hot summer we just had in Perth and longed for cooler temperatures. Today it has snowed all day in Cedar City. The temperature maxed at 2.2C and will fall to -7.2 tonight. It is cold!
Our car hasn't been used all day and is covered in snow, the snow is just amazing to see when you are not use to it.
This morning we played pickle ball. Then Rayls and Amy took the 45 minute drive to St George. They tell me they had a great time. Apparently one person who served Rayls wanted to know if she was from Canada!!! Rayls saw six WalMart trucks as they headed too St G and back - they don't count as under the WalMart Truck Counting rules we need to be together.
Steve and I relaxed at home and had Market Grill for lunch.
At 4:00pm we braved the cold and headed to the movies, we saw 42 - we all thought it was an excellent movie.
Applebees for dinner, poor Steve had his steak dinner dropped on his lap by the server.
Home arund 7:30pm where the heat was put up to another level.
Salt Lake City tomorrow, which is 406 kilometres away and the forecast there is for a partly cloudy 7C.
Snowing in Cedar City
Cedar City 15th April
Just another one of those quiet days that we like so much.
Amy's daughter Katie lives in Boston and she rang to say she was OK before we even knew about the events there. We watched TV for much of the afternoon, keeping up with the events.
There was a visit to Ace Hardware for fabric and WalMart.
Forecast for snow tomorrow.
Cedar City 14th April
Rayls and Amy did a Joann trip. There was a sale on and as Amy says they got "enough thread to choke a horse".
For lunch we bought Subway and then went to the Lake of the Hills where we ate lunch on the shore and then Steve and Amy went out in their kayaks. Fun to watch, we could have gone out ourselves but elected not to. Rayls did her best to get a tan. The lake is in a lovely setting, close to the middle of Cedar City.
For dinner Rayls and I went to Dennys. Also a WalMart stop, Rayls wanted a jacket but came away with two pairs of pants.
Watched a movie, Safety Not Guarenteed - time travel movie, OK movie.
Cedar City 13th April
Today Rayls and Amy worked in the studio and created thing! Amy made a table runner and Rayls worked on these hexagons she keeps doodling with.
Steve and I did 'yard work' - there is a council pickup soon so there is branches and clippings, etc to put out on the verge. Kind of tough work given the up and down of the block and the 6000+ feet altitude.
After dinner we played cards. We played Five Crowns, play with a double deck containing five suits, but it has no Aces or Twos. Potential for card games back home. Steve won, Amy came last! We will see if we can buy a deck to bring home.
Scott and Shannon have arrived in LA and have gone to an LA Kings game tonight.
Cedar City 12th April
National grilled cheese day in the USA!
Another quiet day, a WalMart trip, Rayls and Amy did a Joann store, and a movie. No grill cheese sandwich but a very nice barbeque dinner.
Weather is really good - not warm but pleasant all the same. I see some rain in Perth, cool!
Scott and Shannon are over the Pacific and will land in LA tomorrow morning.
Cedar City 11th April
We were up a little earlier today so that we could join Amy and Steve playing pickle ball. Pickle ball is sort of like tennis but on s smaller court and with paddles instead of a racquet. The ball is the same size as a tennis ball but is plastic and has many holes in it. We played on an indoor court with other people and it is hard work but fun. I won a few games and lost a few games - definitely slowing down though!
After pickle ball Rayls went to Joann whilst Amy had her hair done. I spent time at home alternating nap-time with doing cricket work on the computer.
Pretty quiet day, Market Grill for lunch and iHop for dinner.
Sadly Market Grill did not have their famous banana cream pie so I had to make do with coconut cream pie, which was fine. I will have to go back some other time to have some of the much preferred banana version of the pie.
Rumour has it that if the weather is fine we will be going kayaking over the weekend! That should be interesting.
Son Scott and fiance Shannon leave Perth for LA tomorrow and will be in LA on Saturday morning. Hope to see them in LA later in the month.
Cedar City 10th April
The next week or so will be nice and quiet. The holiday within the holiday.
Both Rayls and I had bad nights, in fact I believe I am guilty of slugging Rayls whilst dreaming about something or another. I have been banished to the teddy bear room to sleep tonight.
This afternoon the four of us went to the movies to see Admission - OK. Sizzlers for dinner again and more West Wings on TV during the night.
Virgin River Gorge, Arizona
Vegas to Cedar City 9th April
We have arrived in Cedar City.
We left Vegas at 9:00am and fuelled up - $50 for 13.444 gallons. $190 for fuel so far. We intended to have brekkie in outer Vegas but ended up heading along I15 to Mesquite on the Nevada/Arizona border. Maccas for breakfast.
I15 heads in a northeasterly direction from the Nevada border northeast of Mesquite, to the Utah border southwest of St. George, Utah. We are in Arizona for 47 kilometres driving through the amazing and scenic Virgin River Gorge.
In St. George we met up with Amy at a Quilt Shop, where else? Nice to meet up again, its been 6 months. Another quilt shop and Subway for lunch before we all headed the 85 K's to Cedar City. Temperature dropped from 14C in St George to -1C in Cedar City, with some snow.
Now we are comfortable in Amy's house - we have met up with Steve again and are watching the news on TV.
Sizzlers for dinner, very nice too. Lins for groceries and then home to some West Wings on TV - perfect.