Cove Fort

Outside Entrance to Cove Fort

On of the wings inside the fort walls

The Blacksmith Shop of Ira Hinckley

Wayne and I went to Cove Fort in central Utah a couple of weeks ago. It was freezing and snowy but we decided to venture out to get to see this historic place. This was a fort that was established by the LDS Church in 1869. It was built of volcanic rock and limestone and was used as a way station for pioneers traveling along the Mormon corridor from Idaho to Nevada and also for government business travelers and immigrants. It was connected by a network of roads, telegraph lines and postal routes. Ira Hinckley was called by Brigham Young to take charge of the project so he left his home in Coalville, UT to take up the assignment. When the fort was done the walls measured 100 feet long and 18 feet high. The Hinckley family then moved in.

It was a lively functional fort for 20 years with two stage coaches passing by daily and giving rest to weary travelers, while Cowboys tended to their horses. Many people were treated to dinner each night and ate alongside the family. The Hinckley's were so good to the Indians that trust was established and there was little need for a fort for protection from them.

They were very self sustaining here growing their own food, caring for cattle and weaving their own fabrics.

After they had woven their fabrics, they would make their clothes. When the clothes wore out, they made rugs from that fabric in these looms. When the rugs wore out, they would use the fabric to kindle the fires and when the ashes were gathered they used them to make soap. Waste not, want not.

These are the telegraph wires in the telegraph office

and here is the original telegraph.

Many, many meals were cooked in the stove. This is not the original but an exact copy found in another state.

The toothbrushes were made from boar bristles. The block of soap is like the kind made from the ashes.

The laundry room

More laundry facilities

A original coverlet and as you can see it was woven in 1855

This was the kitchen. Remember those pie safes with the tin punched fronts? Did you know that they always punched the tin from the inside out so the insects wouldn't get in them? Bugs don't like the sharp points on the outside.

There was one room with a large cellar where they stored the veggies for the winter. I still think they are a good idea except I wouldn't go down there. I am too afraid of spiders.

Every bedroom had a fireplace, dresser and pitcher.

This was the dining area with home-woven tablecloth. Sister Hinckley insisted on using good china for every meal. Nobody was turned away who really needed help and a place to rest.

Cove Fort was sold at one time and then repurchased by the Hinckely family who gifted it back to the church hoping that it would become a way station once more. Only this time, as a reminder of sacrifice and obedience, dedication to duty ,the value of hard work and faith and as a reminder of the faith of our forefathers.

Alex's Birthday

Happy Birthday on the 25th Alex, you are special!

The birthdays just keep on coming. This is a special one for me. My first grandchild, Alex is turning 16. He has had some very hard medical problems lately and it's not over. He has been in the hospital for 8 days now and will likely have surgery in the next few weeks that will be life altering we hope. He has been in much pain and had so many hard trials to endure for a long time but is the sweetest and most loving teenager I know. Get well Alex, you are a precious young man. 16 is so much older than 15. Come to Utah and we will have a fun spree. Woo Hoo!!

May is a big month for special occasions in our family: Mother's Day, and the birthdays of Colett(4th), Amy (9th), Alex (25th), Greg (5th), Debi (10th), Jem(21st), Kymbre' (18th), Matt J.(30th) and two of my favorite men, hubby Wayne (20th)and son-in-law Wes (21st). Whew, what was in the food of their mothers in August? Then... my nephew Ammon is getting married on the 22nd and Colett's and Matt's anniversary is on the 6th.

It's constant "party time" and "spend the money" time around here. We celebrated Mother's Day and Colett's and Amy's birthday on the same day, and now Wayne and Wes will have their chance together. Same party, separate cakes. What lovely men these two are. Caring, hard working, and just plain wonderful. Happy birthday to them both, You are truly loved!!!!

I better head to the store.

Fun House

We traveled though Richfield, Utah on our recent vacation and drove by this house. I just had to go back for a picture. The front of the house is covered with lava rock. The floral decoration on
top of the rock is also lava rock as are the statuettes standing in the front of the house. You will need to enlarge this to appreciate. I don't think I would ever do this to my house but I love those creative people who do. You can tell they are artistic and have a good sense of humor.

Romantic Skirts

Amy was asked to model for the store "Lucille Elaine" on the "Good Things Utah" television program. The theme was romantic skirts. I'm not sure I would exactly call any of the outfits that were modeled romantic. I guess that would depend on the preferences of the gentlemen looking at them. But anyway, there were some cute things and Amy did her part well. I was in the green room baby sitting Emerson and when his Mommy came on the screen he got excited and waved to the TV and kept saying "Hi Mommy, hi Mommy" and waving his arms in the air. He was pretty excited to have his own Mommy on TV. If you haven't been to the store, it's in Fashion Place Mall right next to Nordstrom's. They have different things than you find anywhere else and although some of the lines are pricey, some are quite reasonable. If you go in, tell them Amy (and Amy's Mom) sent you. No, neither you nor I will get a discount, but Amy will get some good brownie points. Amy is in the blue pencil skirt and button up shirt at the end of the video. Cute model huh?


Click on: Romantic Skirts - ABC 4.com - Salt Lake City, Utah News

On The Road Again Day 1

Entrance to one of the subdivisions

Really cool rock formation

Wayne and I combined a business trip with a pleasure trip and headed south to Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico. There is a lot of our country that I have not seen and I want to see it all. I LOVE to travel, and to travel the back roads, byways, and roads less taken.

We stopped the first night in Cortez, Colorado. We have friends that live there but didn't bring the address book so was not sure where they lived exactly. It was too late in the evening to call, so thought we might catch them in the morning. I had their address from the phone book and entered it into the GPS but it said "No address found". We drove around for about 45 minutes and I am sure we must have been close but could not find them. SO...Kathy and Lenny, next time. Does the picture look familiar? Were we close?

Amy's B-day Tomorrow May 9th

It's not always fun to have a birthday on Mother's day and it happens quite often for Amy. She has to share the celebration with me when that happens, giving presents as well as receiving them. For me it is fun though, as it was a most wonderful Mother's Day 34 years ago as I held my 6 lb. 13 ounce baby girl.

My baby with her baby Emerson 2 years ago

The year was 1976, our country's 200th celebration, May 9th (Mother's Day), and the day I was in the hospital having a little baby girl named Heather. We were living in Idaho but I went to Wyoming to have her because we didn't have insurance and it was MUCH cheaper there. Besides, I had a fantastic doctor.

My Mom took me to Powell, where I got my cervical block and it was pretty much pain free. I fell asleep on the delivery table while my Mom sat there being nervous for me. Wayne had to stay in Idaho to work but we called and told him we had our little Heather. He went to work the next day and told everyone about her. When I got ready to leave the hospital, I changed her name to Amy. She just didn't look like a Heather at all. Then I had to call Wayne and tell him he had an Amy instead, and that names fit her perfectly.

Amy at Christmas with her hubby Wes

My pretty, pretty girl

Happy Birthday Amy. What a blessing you are to our family.

Wayne and I just got back from a trip through Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico.

We drove to the four corners so I could see it and get pictures. I had heard about it for years and was going to get a picture of Wayne straddling all the states. We drove 18 miles out of our way to get there. This is what we found. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr

We met another couple who had driven about 150 miles to see it. Needless to say he just cursed when he saw the sign.

I put the camera lens through the fence and tried to get a shot but it was too far away.
Will I ever get back there? Who knows? I have my doubts.

You can read about it here
Four Corners Monument - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A Birthday Girl

Forty years ago I had a little sweetest baby boy (4 months old) when the doctor told me I was going to have another baby in 9 months. WHAT!!!! I was not happy. In fact I cried my eyes out. But 9 months after that I had the most beautiful baby girl with huge brown eyes and little angel curls in her hair. It didn't take long to fall completely in love with her and then I was so glad I had them close together. What is another bottle and another diaper when you are already dealing with those things anyway. Tomorrow, Colett turns less than 40 (but only by a year) and she still has those incredible brown eyes. If she didn't straighten it every day, she would also still have the angel curls in her hair. Thank you for being such a great daughter Colett and happy, happy birthday!!

Lettie and her babies

With Tiger Woods

Here for dinner

That's my girl!!