Wilderness Adventure

Dear Family

Last Wednesday (May 23rd), Robbie and I hooked up with Marv Curtis and Vern Dellapiana at Grandma’s house to start a weekend wilderness escape prior to Robbie’s induction into the Air Force and embarkation for boot camp at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio starting on June 3rd. We didn’t leave SLC until 10:30 PM, so we stopped for the night in Pocatello. The next morning we drove to West Yellowstone. After getting all our fishing gear in order we drove to a stretch of the Madison River between the Hebgen Lake dam and Earthquake Lake, formed formed on the night of August 17,1959 as a result of an earthquake that measured 7.5 on the Richter scale and caused a massive landslide that blocked the Madison River. Many of us remember that night because we were staying at the Homer’s in Idaho Falls, and the earthquake caused the water in their pool to slosh back and forth, nearly emptying the pool.

Thursday afternoon’s weather was wet and wild, with snow and sleet moderating into steady rain. The river was swift enough that to cross it safely in thigh-high water required us to form a four-man chain and inch across the mossy river rocks. That day’s fishing was Robbie’s and Vern’s first try at fly fishing and maybe my sixth or seventh. Marv is way past avid and proved it by catching at least 30 fish in four hours compared to one for Robbie, one for me, and none for Vern. Nonetheless, the scenery was beautiful, the air crisp and clean, and every cast an adventure for the three novices.

That night we drive into Yellowstone to observe the wildlife, the rebirth of the forest after the fire in 1988, and the geyser pools. Calving season just ended for the bison, and the meadows were full of calves, yearling, and mature bison. It’s amazing that such adorable calves can come from such mangy cows. We saw several herds numbering between 50 and 100. We also saw lots of elk, sans antlers and looking the worse for wear after a long winter. We arrived at Old Faithful Inn just before sunset, but decided dinner was more important that waiting for the geyser. Robbie and I tasted the bison at the buffet, but he elected (and loved) the elk medallions and the rest of us went mainstream with rib eye steak. The drive back was under a clear, moonlit sky as beautiful as the drive in.

We started early the next day, reporting at the outfitters at 8:00 AM to meet our guides for a float trip down the Madison past Quake Lake. It was snowing as we changed into our gear, but the weather cleared into a gorgeous but cold spring day. We floated from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, with Robbie and I in one boat and Vern and Marv in the other. With expert instruction, Robbie and I increased our catch to between 15 and 20 landed fish, with numerous strikes that we weren’t quick enough to land. This stretch of the Madison is world famous for fly fishing and portions of it were in the movie “A River Runs Through It.” It has been a catch-and-release river for over 40 years and has never been stocked with non-native fish. The fish we were catching were consistently 14-15 inches. Marv probably caught a hundred and landed a 20 inch rainbow.

Saturday we helped Marv open their family cabin on Hebgen Lake, took a side trip to Mesa Falls on the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River, and drove home in time to catch the Jazz game on TV.

It was a great weekend for some male bonding before Robbie leaves for major league male bonding in the USAF. After six weeks of boot camp at Lackland, he’ll have his first posting at the Defense Language Institute at the Presidio of Monterey where he’ll train as a cryptologic linguist in either Chinese, Korean, Arabic or Farsi for 18 months. He won’t know what language he’ll be studying until he arrives in Monterey, but his aptitude tests qualified him for their hardest languages. After he fulfills his four-year commitment to the Air Force he’ll decide whether to pursue a career in the military or return to civilian life. We’ll keep you posted on his progress and will appreciate your faith and prayers for him while he serves.

Love to all,

Bruce

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New Cabin Blog

We now have a new page that will let you reserve the cabin online! You can now email the dates you would like to visit the cabin and Betsy will add your reservation to the calendar. As always, you can always call Betsy to reserve it. You can also see when the cabin is available on the calendar. Thank you Betsy for keeping up the new cabin website.

To visit the new website, click HERE.

There will also be current cabin news and an online wish list.

Question of the year...

What does this equation mean? If you know the answer post it in a comment below.

Nagel News

We're catching up on all of our cute grandchildren these days. In April John and I spent a fun weekend in the Columbus Residence Inn with Rebecca, Garrett, Josh and Cate while Jack and Jolene did a 1/2 marathon. Well, they didn't take the whole weekend to run, so we only got the kids to ourselves for a few hours. We managed to hit a great ice cream place a couple of times, take apart a computer at the children's museum, do the OSU tour with the best guide ever, and check out one of the Columbus wards.

As we write, Jack, Jolene and Cate are in Evansville, IN, looking for a house. Jack has accepted a job there and the family will be moving at the end of June. We are all excited for them to be finished with school, etc., and to have a real job.

Anna went house hunting last month. Or was it March? Anyway, she is in a classic bungalow with three other women on Sherman Avenue. They needed a lawnmower so they made a deal with Cindy's brother who lives across the street. They use his lawnmower and he gets free babystting once in awhile.

At the end of April, we got to have Miles and Owen for a few days while Matt and Sara went to Hawaii. Ask them for pictures. Harper stayed on the other side of the valley and we missed him. It takes a village to get Matt and Sara out of town. Helping me were Martha, Richard, Anna, Cindy and her whole family. Harper got passed around a bit, we hear. Quote of the week from Owen after being told that Martha was his second cousin. (Really his first cousin once removed.) "So who is my last cousin?" Cindy tried to treat them to a night out at McDonald's, but Sara has taught the boys that McDonald's is bad for you. It's true. So they told Cindy they didn't want to go. When I asked Owen how come they didn't eat at McDonald's he said, "Because we're Mormons."

Catherine and I spent a couple of days at the BYU Women's conference. Now we can both say we went to BYU. Highlight of the conference was Buffy's talk, of course. I'm not kidding. I think she should post the text on the blog.

We're looking forward to having all of our family together at Keuka Lake, NY, in June. It is one of the Finger Lakes. If you want to see where we will be, check it out HERE.

We hope it is as gorgeous as it looks on the web. John and I will go to his nephew's bar mitzvah in Toledo on the way to New York and to JB's wedding in NH after NY. Two days after we return to SLC, we're going to Cape Canaveral to watch Jeff's last five years of work rocket into space. If you want to learn a little about the DAWN satellite, click HERE.


We will also have a chance to spend some extra time with our cute Virginia grandchildren. When I can figure out how to post pictures on the blog, I'll send some beautiful ones.

This has gone on too long. Maybe I should make my own blog.
XXXOOOBetsy


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New Template

We have picked a new template! The other template was hard to read on some computers. We hope you like the new format.

-The Fetzers

*Note* We have also added a "Today in History" section.

*Update(APR 30)* We now have an "Upcoming Birthday Calendar" on the side panel.

David O. Family's Easter

The David O. Family had a fun Easter weekend. Karli
was able to fly in from NYC for 48 hours (thank you
Delta) and Clay drove down from his place in Park
City. Saturday was Prom for Heidi so Karli did her
makeup and David taught her how to pin on the
boutonniere. Grace experienced her first Easter egg
hunt. So that is life in Alpine!
-Sydney

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The Villiage Blacksmith: Longfellow

GRANDMA SHARED THIS POEM WITH US AT EASTER DINNER. SOME OF YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH IT. UNCLE DAVID OWEN (WE'RE HAVING TO GET SPECIFIC THESE DAYS!) HAS WRITTEN THE STANZA THAT BEGINS: "TOILING, -- REJOICING -- SORROWING..." IN THE FRONT OF HER FAMILY DIRECTORY SO SHE COMES ACROSS IT EVERY TIME SHE OPENS IT UP. IT REMINDS HER OF GRANDPA. I THOUGHT ALL MIGHT ENJOY IT. IT'S TENDER AND INDEED VERY APPLICABLE TO THE WAY GRANDPA LIVED HIS LIFE.
~ MARTHA


The Village Blacksmith
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Under a spreading chestnut-tree The village smithy stands; The smith, a mighty man is he, With large and sinewy hands; And the muscles of his brawny arms Are strong as iron bands. His hair is crisp, and black, and long, His face is like the tan; His brow is wet with honest sweat, He earns whate'er he can, And looks the whole world in the face, For he owes not any man. Week in, week out, from morn till night, You can hear his bellows blow; You can hear him swing his heavy sledge, With measured beat and slow, Like a sexton ringing the village bell, When the evening sun is low. And children coming home from school Look in at the open door; They love to see the flaming forge, And hear the bellows roar, And catch the burning sparks that fly Like chaff from a threshing-floor.

He goes on Sunday to the church, And sits among his boys; He hears the parson pray and preach, He hears his daughter's voice, Singing in the village choir, And it makes his heart rejoice. It sounds to him like her mother's voice, Singing in Paradise! He needs must think of her once more, How in the grave she lies; And with his hard, rough hand he wipes A tear out of his eyes. Toiling, -- rejoicing -- sorrowing, Onward through life he goes; Each morning sees some task begin, Each evening sees it close; Something attempted, something done, Has earned a night's repose. Thanks, thanks to thee, my worthy friend, For the lesson thou hast taught! Thus at the flaming forge of life Our fortunes must be wrought; Thus on its sounding anvil shaped Each burning deed and thought.