Monday morning when Bruce and Maurice came up to bring
the rubber foam mats and chairs they had borrowed for the reunion
Bruce started talking of wanting to go up to the mountains for a
couple of days with his family. I could sense his desire to go again
to the mountains and I was in full sympathy with his feelings for I
have those same feelings many times. Actually we were waiting for a
good excuse to go up to the property and see if it had rained there
and check on the cattle and things in general. So I said, "We cannot
go until Wednesday because we work in the Temple on Tuesday". So the
plan was to get ready and go on Wednesday and to try and include Troy
and family to go with us.
It has long been my practice to make a detailed check
list in preparation of what we need to take. Since Bruce was planning
to take the food I decided that we had better go down and make a check
list with him so that we would not find ourselves up in camp lacking
many things that we wanted to take. Troy had other things planned and
didn't want to go with us so we proceeded to make out the list
starting with tents and ground sheets and camp equipment that we would
need. Finally we completed the detailed list of the food and all the
little details. Bruce decided that he wanted to be here for the 24th
of July celebration and wanted to leave after that. I told him that it
would not be wise to leave so late and not give us time to set up camp
before dark and the rain. We finally decided to leave on Thursday
morning early and come back on Friday so that Bruce could go catch his
plane on Sat.
Paul Price and his wife Michelle came to visit us on
Tuesday afternoon. During the conversation we told them that we were
planning to go to the mountains on Thursday morning and come back on
Friday. Paul turned to his wife and asked if she would like to go and
she said that she would so they decided to go with us and they would
drive their truck to take the load of equipment. I suggested that they
come down the the 24th Celebration and then load up and we would meet
them in Colonia Juarez about 8:00 AM Thursday morning. This was a
great relief since we had been very dubious about taking Maurice's
truck because the tires have been a doubt and a worry for some
time.
Naoma and I were both awake before 5:00 AM Thursday
morning so we decided to get up and get ready to go. We packed our
bedding and pillows and our little overnight bags that we in our old
age feel that are necessary to take. We had a leisurely breakfast and
put in the last details that we could think of. After gathering the
fresh herbs for the herb tea, we went promptly at the appointed hour
to pick up Bruce and family. Daniel was ready and waiting and came out
burdened with two back packs. Soon all was loaded and I could feel the
excitement and anticipation of the older children Daniel and Georgia,
even the beautiful little dark curley headed Emma seemed full of
wonder and anticipation. It reminded me of when we used to pile all of
our family into the van and start for the mountains for a weeks pack
trip.
When we arrived in Colonia Juarez Paul was all ready
except to load the foam pads that he had unloaded the night before so
they would not get wet from the rain that fell during the evening and
night. By the time the Pads were loaded Michelle and little Meg and
Peter were in the truck and waiting to get started.
As we came onto the San Diego flat we could see signs
of the heavy rains that had fallen recently, My heart was pained as we
saw the deep ugly gashes of erosion on either side of the road where
the rushing water had gouged out the soil and left deep gullies. On
one side in places it was a drop off of 4 or 5 feet and on the other
side there were places that had washed a deep gash that was ten to
twelve feet deep with the sides straight up and down.
On each side of the road and just beyond the gullies
the grass was green and anxious to receive the life giving water
holding it back and letting it soak deep into the roots and the
thirsty ground. No erosion here just the natural beautiful grass that
for ages has defied the erosion and had held back the water and slowed
it down to give life to the grass and provide graze for the animals
that fed on it. Only where the blade of the bulldozer had cut into the
earth and destroyed the grass roots and left a nice road of dirt for
the vehicles to rush over, only there could the erosion of wind and
water carry away the good soil and leave the rocky gullies. These
gullies often crossed from one side of the road to the other and back
again leaving rock strewn gullies in the road to slow the traffic to a
laborious crossing. When it rained the water would begin to gather and
flood down the road washing the dirt off the rocks. Before long a
raging flood would be washing the deep ditches on the side of the road
and flooding from side to side. Then farther down the road it would
become a river filling the whole road and carrying the soil away and
leaving the rocks. I have driven on the road at such a time when the
water was a foot deep running down the road until I could hardly tell
where the road was.
In contrast the water out in the grass was evenly
spread and slowly moving down through the grass soaking up the country
giving life every where. Even in the lower swales the water moved
slowly watering the plants and trees and Mesquites..
In our lives we need to have our values deeply rooted
and our knowledge of the Gospel keeping us protected from the erosion
of the floods and torrents of evil around us. If we are firmly rooted
in the principles of the Gospel we can defy the erosion and use our
experiences to give strength and beauty to our lives. With self
discipline we can control the floods and slow down the stream and
control it to our good.
After fencing our stream in the mountains to protect it
and let it grow back naturally, it slowed down the floods and the
water ran clear and beautiful. It was no longer a muddy torrent
carrying the soil away and leaving an ugly gash in the land. The
natural grass, plants and willows can control the rain water letting
it soak in and form a sponge and actually run longer and raise the
water level of the land around it.
If we read the scriptures, study and pray we can firmly
root our knowledge and values. With self discipline we can control the
floods and turn them into life giving water and raise our spiritual
level and strengthen our lives. If we let the erosion of wrong choices
and mistakes begin to wash away the good soil of our lives, our road
of life can become rough and rocky with plenty of bumps to slow our
progress.
As we climbed the grade we found that a lot of roadwork
had been done and we could increase our speed except where they had
made high mounds in the road to divert the water and keep it from
collecting down the road to wash away the dirt they had worked so hard
to haul in.
This is Friday August 2, and we will leave for Texas in
the morning early so I will not be able to finish this little account
until we come back. First our phone went out then our Modem was hit by
a surge from the lightning and burned out. Consequently we have been
without a computer for a few days while they were replacing the Modem
which seemed to be giving them some problems getting the new one
installed.
We love you all and send our greetings and love to each
of you and will write again when we get back from Texas. Anthony and
Rosalee have invited us to come and be there for the naming of the
baby our Little Aleia Rose. We will fly from El Paso tomorrow and
spend a week there with them.