India opened in Beauty and the Beast Fri. She is the plate on top.

'Be Our Guest'-India is on top in the back again.

India in the center of the angry mob...

India with her stage family in the finale.

The star of the show-India Sherman!!!

The boys and I took Marie-Anne on a quick trip to Yellowstone. It seemed wrong for her to be this close and not see it. We booked the only room we could find in West Yellowstone-at a 'only room available' price, ouch- and drove up early Tuesday morning. We ate lunch at a darling '50's style diner before heading into the park.

I could look at this blue color in the water forever.

Niall and Leith quickly had their fill of the sulphur smell.

The setting for my up-coming suspense thriller.

The boys climbing on the 'Sheepeater Cliffs'- one of my favorite features in the park when I was a teen.

We had a picnic in the town of Mammoth at the north end of the park. In spite of the signs, there was really no avoiding the resident herd of elk,or the ranger whose full time job seems to be babysitting them. He placed these cones after we had been sitting there for a while. The elk are definitely in charge-stopping traffic, eating landscaping, etc. There were several very young ones with spots.

The lower falls

The GRIZZLY BEAR that we watched for about 30 minutes on the mountainside. Really, it was more like communing with it from a safe distance. I have wanted to see a bear in the wild since I was a child. This was a dream come true-and I am not exaggerating.
We also saw a coyote, a bald eagle on its nest, bison, many, many elk, chipmunks, and so many beautiful landscapes and interesting geothermal features. The 'people watching' was even more varied. The first day I was really bugged by the crowds, but by the time we left I was impressed by the variety of cultures and languages represented. And, I am grateful for and impressed by the organization and work involved in making the park available to the world while still preserving and protecting it.

That being said, I would love to go again when we could reasonably expect a bit more solitude.

I have been covering the tomatoes with netting at night to prevent the deer eating them. I have, however, been taking the nets off in the morning to allow the plants to grow. This has been working so far, and we are eating some cherry tomatoes as we wait for the others to start ripening.

Yesterday, I was working with Coral in her room to sort and pack for her transition to dorm life. Kevin arrived home from work at 5:30 pm to see a deer LAYING DOWN in the middle of my cucumbers apparently digesting all the lovely tops of my tomato plants!

When it noticed it was being watched, and perhaps heard everyone racing to the window yelling, it stood up and stared at us for a while before Leith rushed outside to scare it off.

On Monday, we hiked with the Daudins to the caves at Mt Timpanogos. The views in American Fork canyon were wonderful. We were glad we walked up mostly in the shade, as the day was hot.
The last time we did this, 3 years ago for India's birthday, Leith refused to go into the cave after riding up the 1.5 miles and 1100 ft gain in elevation on Kevin's shoulders. And, once inside, Coral discovered that she has a phobia to being inside a cave. I had to hold her and whisper in her ear the entire to time to get her through. It was a terrible experience for her. This time, sans Coral and without any hitch-hiking small children, we were free to really enjoy the caves and the scenery and the company.
Niall, Leith, Astrid, & Pauline

Taking a brief rest... Toto, we are not at sea level any more!

The Daudin family

The 'Heart' of Timpanogos, with a cool Native American legend to go with it

The two parts in the center of this photo should connect the last 3/4 inch between them in about 200 years.

Here is a list of some of the diversions that are keeping us amused and tolerant of the summer heat:

Marie-Anne and I checked out the Farmers' Market at Pioneer Park downtown last Saturday. I wonder where they put the drug dealers during the market hours? We only found fruit & veg, crafts, and prepared foods for sale. We brought home a very tasty Green River watermelon, some amazing fresh pasta, green beans, and basil. I found a vendor who brings red and black currents to sell early in the season. I will have to remember to get some at the beginning of July next year. We passed on the the cowboy-looking sculpture featuring a cow's skull and a kitschy replica of the Eiffel Tower.

India and I-along with Ashley, Marie-Anne, and the boys-made our yearly drive to the Springville Museum of Art to see the quilt competition entries. I saw some amazing workmanship, both hand and machine, but not as many inspiring designs as in years past. The teens and boys seemed to enjoy the new sculpture garden the most. I also looked around an exhibit of Soviet era paintings-something I may need to revisit for a better look.

Leith started swimming lessons and we are all trying to take advantage of our swimming passes at the Draper pool. The view from in the water is 360 degrees of mountain tops.

We reprised our Bride & Prejudice video party complete with Indian takeout- yum. Afterwards, we heard from a number of people who wished they had been invited. We may have to stage yet another one and broadcast the invitation more widely.

Marie-Anne accompanied me to my book club's discussion of Bill Bryson's I am a Stranger Here, Myself. It was a lively discussion complete with a few shocking moments, a tasty snack, and a variety of people for Marie-Anne to listen to. We are finding that some of my neighbors and friends speak way too fast and slur too many consonants to be easily understood. But, I think Marie-Anne enjoyed reading the book and participating in the discussion.

Kevin skied with friends, Nate and Brian, on Deer Creek Reservoir, Friday. Not surprisingly, they ate junk food and pushed safety limits.

Marie-Anne's family-Steve, Pauline-13, and Astrid-8 Daudin, arrived a few days ago. They are a beautiful family and seem thrilled to be reunited after three weeks apart. They are staying in a hotel while they sight see, but joined us for a BBQ last night. It was a beautiful night and we enjoyed getting to know them a bit. Marie-Anne keeps encouraging us to visit them in France. I hope she understands that if it were not for money, an ocean, and the schedules of 6 people, we would come tomorrow. As it is, we will be looking forward to an opportunity to make it happen.

Kevin and I spent this morning at the annual art fair in Park City. We were delighted to encounter an Israeli artist, Amos Amit, from whom we bought prints many years ago at a similar fair in Ann Arbor, MI. Although we both love his work, Kevin is more enthusiastic about it than I usually see him. We bought several more of his numbered batik prints, including the 1/500 of his new print, Tree of Life.