Picto Diary - 14, 15, 16, 17 October 2021 - Zion and Bryce Circuit
Above: Cliffside Restaurant, St. George, UT. 15 October 2021.
TIMDT checks out the view, looking NNE. St. George restaurants are better than we had been led to believe. We enjoy, Cliffside Restaurant, Painted Pony, Wood Ash Rye (WAR), Arrabiatta, and Rib and Chop House.
Above: ZZ Top Concert. The Venetian Hotel Theater. Las Vegas, NV.. 15 October 2021
We've had concert tix since February. When long time ZZ top bassist, Dusty Hill died July 28 2020, I wondered if the band would carry on. Carry on they did, in fine form. Long time ZZ top guitar tech, Elwood Francis replaced Dusty. Lo and behold, Elwood also has a long beard. He doesn't wear the traditional hat though... a good compromise to accomplish the funky ZZ top look, while Elwood remains cap free so as to not blank out Dusty's memory.
These sharp dressed guys had to be under a lot of pressure to have the legs to do a full concert. We weren't disappointed.
Above: Bishop, TIMDT, Flute, The Monk, Bronx, and Hoops. Ivins, UT. 17 October 2021.
The night before, we had dined at Arrabiata in Ivins. Chef Eric delivered.
Monk and Flute are proprietors of the Bar J cattle ranch in Gooseberry, UT. Monk, a former international banker, spins yarns and herds cows Flute is a Julliard trained flutist, now retired from full time teaching at Snow College. Now, with more time on her hands, Flute works on her PhD. Hoops is a basketball fanatic. He posted up against Alcindor in New York City. He played hoops for Harvard, then pro ball in Switzerland. For a number of years he was head of Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) in New York City, an organization with 15K basketball participants. Former attorney and ship owner, he now is board chair at his former high school, Monseigneur Scanlan High School, in the Bronx. Bronx is matriarch (CEO equivalent) of a family of four kids and fifteen grandchildren.
Above: The Three Amigos.
1. Hoops' beach house, Long Beach, NY. 2012. Hoops at right, with The Monk and The Bishop. Gathered then in anticipation of joining Nathan's Massapeaqua T-Party excursion to Washington, DC.
2. Bishop's desert house, Ivins, UT. 17 October 2021 Gathered, now to celebrate lasting friendships.
Above: Pine Valley Chapel, Pine Valley, UT. 17 October 2021. (File image).
The three couples visited Lone Pine, UT, site of the oldest functioning (built in 1873) LDS church. Church services had finished by the time we arrived and we were able to take a tour of the building led by and able, enthusiastic docent.
Above: Pine Valley Gorge. 17 October 2021.
Trees from this gorge were used for framework of Tabernacle Organ, Salt Lake City, UT. Because the trees grew in a gorge, most of the sunlight they received came from directly over head. Accordingly, the trees tended to grow more truly straight than pine trees elsewhere. That's why builders of the organ went to the trouble of using wood from trees growing more than three hundred miles away from Salt Lake City.
Above: TIMDT, Bronx and Hoops. Zion National Park. 17 October 2021
Above: Hoops and Bronx. Bryce Canyon National Park. 17 October 2021.
Above: Bishop and Hippo. Chez Hippo and Survival. Markagaunt Plateau, Utah. 17 October 2021.
Best friends from high school still friends sixty years later. Coach Hippo is in Utah Sports Hall of Fame for his six or eight high school basketball state championships. Son, Quincy Lewis has, now athletic director and basketball coach at Lehi High School has out done the old man with ten high school basketball championships. Hippo, naturally, is proud of his son and serves as unofficial advisor for his son's teams. Hippo wife Survival was Utah High School Teacher of the Year back in the day.
I had been looking forward to the day when I could get basketball crazy men Hoops and Hippo together. It paid off as both men developed a healthy bond around helping kids to develop in life by playing basketball.