Demolition Derby

 The Kamas Fiesta Days Demolition Derby--one of Utah's foremost cultural events.  Camille secured the hotly sought-after tickets for July 23, 2016, and invited Mike and Heidi, Dave and me to join her family.  We started the evening with supper at the cabin--muffaletta sandwiches, fruit, chips, raspberry lemonade, and mint chocolate brownies.  Annelise, Emilie, and Sophia each brought a friend.  Jackie and Annelise have been close friends ever since Annelise arrived back in SLC from Ohio two years ago.  (Pictures for this blog posting are by Mike)

 Mike carefully briefed Heidi on the Derby, so she wouldn't be shocked.  Her taste runs to symphonies and classic movies.  Heidi is a great sport and said only, when it was over, "Four hours was a bit long.  I can enjoy anything for two hours."

 Emilie, Sophia, and their friends sat at the table, laughed, and talked.

 Before the Derby started, Mike and Heidi checked out the cars which would participate.  The first item on the program was the audience vote for the most beautiful vehicle.  The more US flags, the louder the clapping, so the cars were festooned with patriotic symbols, as well as names of beers and references to "Mom and Dad".

 Mia was a star of the show.  When the announcer mentioned a dance contest between Derby heats, Mia told Camille, "I can dance" and ran onto the field.  She was picked as one of the finalists, as she turned one-handed cartwheels all over the field.  Mia was sad she didn't win, but Camille explained the contest was rigged for adults.

 Ezra jumped to catch frisbees thrown to the crowd.  Gretta brought a book to read--"Imperial Grunts", a critique of the US military--and was surprised that Steve and Camille found that strange.

 One highlight of the Derby was the motocross presentation.  The riders did flips on their machines and hung onto their cycles by the handlebars, all before landing perfectly on the ramp, as the audience gasped.

Smoke, fire, and noisy crashes provide the thrills of the Demolition Derby.  There were plenty of thrills this year.  At one point, a rider leaped out of his car and peeled off his fire suit, down to his underwear, to avoid a burn, but that's as exciting as it got.

 We can hardly wait for next year.

Little Bear and Big Mountain

 Heidi's nickname for Michael is "Little Bear."  For Mike's 34th birthday, Heidi decorated a chocolate, raspberry-filled cake with a statue of Little Bear.  On the evening of Friday, July 15, 2016, we dropped by to wish Mike happy birthday.  The cake was delicious!

That night, Dave and I also attended a performance of the Utah Symphony with the 50's and 60's rock group, "Under the Streetlamp."  We loved the old favorite songs like "Peggy Sue" and "Little Susie".  Unfortunately, we got to the Deer Valley concert site just as the concert was starting, and after everyone else had arrived.  We were relegated to a spot so high on the hill that, if we sat in our concert chairs, we could see neither the singers nor the big screens that televised their program.  Oh, well.  The music was great and next time we'll come earlier.

 We watched the tram going back and forth to the St. Regis Hotel, and we resolved to take that ride some time.

 When the singers asked all the husbands who were happily married to raise their hands, David raised his.  That was gratifying.

 Park City has its own culture.  The ladies in front of us, with their short shorts, jersey tops held up with bits of string, and dyed blonde hair, had that "Park City look."  Camille remembers her Park City High School students saying they didn't want "Salt Lake City haircuts," so I guess there's a bit of prejudice running both directions!

 The sky turned pink as we relaxed on the high side of the hill.

 Deer Valley concerts are a luscious Park City treat.  I rewarded myself with another Park City treat this summer--tickets to five Wednesday night Utah Symphony concerts at beautiful St. Mary's Church.   Guest conductors and guest soloists perform in an intimate setting, with the beautiful meadow and mountainside visible through the windows.  There is time, at intermission, to buy a homemade cookie from the St. Mary's youth group and to wander the meadow to look at the statues of Jesus and Mary.

Fourth of July

Family for the Fourth.  What could be finer?  Michael K brought his fiancee, Rebekah, to SLC for the July 4, 2016 weekend.  We took Michael K and Rebekah to the Emigration Fourth Ward breakfast, to the Oakley parade, and then to the cabin for Grandpa Dave's Famous Hamburgers.

 Ewin Jones is now a deacon who helped cook the breakfast.  He was an eight-year-old in my Primary class just yesterday, it seems.

The Oakley parade is thirty minutes long, end to end.  We were 15 minutes late and nearly missed it! It has all the parade essentials, though--clowns, floats pulled by humongous trucks, lots of flags, candy thrown to the crowd, cute little kids dancing and singing, and politicians riding along to get a bit of publicity for this November's election.

 Camille and Steve were oh-so-glad to have their family together and well, after Sophia's surgery on June 9.  "I'm finally starting to feel normal again," Camille said.

 We hung out at the cabin for several hours, talking, riding the four-wheelers, and eating hamburgers and Camille's banana cake.

 The stuffed bear was a favorite accessory.

 Sophia was herself.

In the evening, Dave and I took Michael K and Rebekah to Holladay's central square to see the fireworks.  It wasn't as crazy-crowded as Liberty Park, but the fireworks were great.

Michael K and Rebekah will get married at the Salt Lake Temple on August 13, 2016.