An early harvest

It was time to do a check on some of our veggies. So we went outside to see what we could find. We have a lot of veggies. We had already harvested the peas, but that was because they, the peas, not me, crushed the strings holding them and fell down. We have been eating a lot of peas and have planted new ones.

Here I am reaching for a carrot.

I got it...

Me and Daddy with the carrots.

Pulling up potatoes. The carrots were better....

What am I looking for again? You can see the red onions, some are doing good and others not so...

Still digging....

This is hard work, I need a break.

Me taking a break with some small red onions.

A bucket of harvest. Ha ha... now Daddy has to clean and cook it.

We have started eating our veggies. Well, we always eat our veggies, but the ones we are eating now come from our garden. So they are really fresh.

Updating History, telling a story (Before and After)

While on our trip to Georgia, Daddy's Aunt Coleen gave him the display case that contains his Grand Father's military awards and other items. He had been asking her for about twenty something years and always hoped one day it would go home with him. Guess he wore her down. I will make note of that and use it later. That said, Mommy and Daddy shipped it back to Utah and it arrived a week or so after we did.

Once it got here, Daddy set out to update it and make it more complete. Daddy told me, that he remembers that his Mother, his aunts and uncle gave it to their Dad, when he was a young boy, some time in the early 1980s. It was either a birthday or Chirstmas gift. After his Grand Father died in 1989, he reorganized it a little. By then he was in the Army and kind of knew something about what was in it. Over the last twenty plus years he has learned a little more and found documents, pictures and other stuff explaining the patches and other items in the case. The first picture is of the display case before he started.

Display case prior to work beginning.

LTC (R) Arnold Collins Jr. complete medal set.

Left to right, top to bottom: Legion of Merit Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Army Commedation Medal w/ 1 oak left, Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, Eroupean Campaingn Medal w/ 4 campaign stars, World War II Victory Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Occupation Medal- Germany, National Defense Service Medal with 1 bronze star, Korean War Service Medal w/ 4 campaign stars, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal w/ date bar 1960, United Nations Korean War Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal w/ Bronze Hour Glass (Verified of DD 214)

Work in progress.

The process continues.

Ideas keep coming.

A 95% solution. Not all items need are readily available.

The seven patches in case represent the major units the Daddy's Grand Father served in. From the top left, the 15th Army Air Corps (WWII), the 45th Infantry Division (WWII), the Berlin Brigade (1950s), the 25th Infantry Division (Korean War), the 10th Moutain Division (Late 1950s) and Military Assistance Command- Vietnam (Vietnam) and the bottom center is the Second Infantry Division (Early 1960s).

In Daddy's Office, on his wall between his enlisted time(Left) and is officer time (Right).

As far as the 95% solution, Daddy needs to come up with a "Mountain Tab" for the bottom left patch and for the top left, he needs to find a unit crest and and get an enlisted rank. Over all it is a different set up and it better reflects his service.

An interesting note, the LTC shoulder board top were supposed to be buried with Arnold, he was buried in his full Dress Blue Uniform. However, they could not be found. Daddy found them at Grandma Kathleen's house several years later. To add to the family value and connection of the display case, some of the medals and rank are Mommy and Daddy's. Daddy did not have all the items from his Grand Father, so both contributed items to make it complete. That way it would not sit half finished and would display as complete as possible tribute to his service.

It is often said, the medals and ribbons a soldier wears tells the story of his life. But, in this case it is incomplete. A huge part can not be displayed here, is the story of Arnold Collins, Jr family. His loving wife, five children, ten grand children and a large number of great grand children. For no soldier's story is complete without his family.

The rest of Timpanogos Cave

This is part two and I know it comes after part one, but go down one post and this will all make sense.

Mommy showed Daddy how to download pictures from his phone. Only took a few tries, but now, I can finish the Timpanogos Cave post.

According the Park Ranger who was guiding us, this is "The Heart of Timpanogos." That is what she said.

Stuff hanging from the roof....

Mommy's turn to carry me. If I did not mention it, you can't have any baby carriers or hard frame back packs in the cave.

They have leaks in the cave and it makes a real mess.

Here is another mess.

Daddy said I was heavy and he made a sling to carry me.

What is this?

Did not like the sling too much, so back to Mommy.

Ohhh thank God, light!  I thought I would never get out of the cave.

And, non-messy surface. I can step on it.

Ok folks, you heard the lady, move that way and go home.

She showed us the way out and closed the door!

Again, it was fun, now you can read the first part. C u guys later!

A visit to Timpanogos Cave

Now that life is back to normal, Mommy is out of school, we are back from Vacation, Daddy does not have drill, we thought we would go for a walk. We were going to do Antelope Island, but we have been there before, so I suggested Timpanogos Cave. We have always seen the sign and now we have seen the park and cave.

If you have never been there and live close enough, it is really cool. It is cool inside, especially on a hot day. But, I meant cool as in cool, well fun and cool. Gosh, you get what I meant.

Some back ground: the cave was found a long time ago. Which I can't understand, there is a side walk and steps and even a bathroom, so I do not know how it was hard to find.

The walk up was a good walk. You walk 1 1/2 miles and go from 5,638 feet to 6,730, which is a gain in elevation of 1,092 feet. That translates to it is up hill, way up hill. The views are great and the whole trip, we only saw one rattle snake and he wasn't even rattling.

It was a nice way to spend a day with Mommy and Daddy. And truth be told, I think the hike was a lot harder on Daddy, mostly, because he carried me on his back. I don't even think I broke a sweat.

Me and Mommy at the sign.

Me explaining to Mommy water is wet.

Had to help Mommy out of the stream bed. That is what a good son should do.

Me sending out hugs to everyone.

Me looking for cool rocks, while daddy makes sure I don't fall in.

Me and Daddy at another sign.

Me rock climbing, well I am on top, but it was a tough climb.

Me hiding under the thing on Daddy's head. Who is he kidding, I want to see where I am going.

A view from the trail.

Me controlling the camel back straw. I needed the water more.

Passing through a tunnel. I was glad this was not the cave, otherwise I would have been disappointed.

I thought that was the cave, but nope!

A view out of the American Fork Canyon.

A real popular spot, the bathroom at the top. Everyone was taking pictures of it.

It is hard to see, but if you look, I was sitting down waiting on Daddy. Guess he got tired. Really, that is what happened. Really, do you think I was having a tantrum or something?

A sign that we are at the top.

Snacks after the walk.

I shared with Daddy. I was counseling on his performance and on the things he could pack next time for lunch.

Me blocking Daddy from taking a picture of the map of the cave.

A cut out of the cave, you start on the right and work your way left. It was a long cave.

I was talking baby talk with another baby and explaining the thing in the middle of his face is a nose.

The tour is beginning.

Inside the cave.

Man, they could have made this place a little wider.

Everyone look, a cave.

More cave, without the heads in the picture.

Me keeping an eye out for Mommy.

No I am not eating, just checking my teeth.

At this point, you're most likely wondering when the tour will be over. The batteries died in the camera. So once we download a few pictures from the phone we will do another post to finish it off.

Just in case Daddy does not get around to it, I should say it was a fun day and we enjoyed the walk and the cave. It is a must see if  you visit Utah, hint hint.