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We have a lot of pictures and a lot of stories, but suffice to say the real story is the snow is finally gone. Here is likely the last snow shower until next season - and even this didn't stick. Foregrounded are two of Anna's beautiful flower boxes which are literally overflowing.

As you may recall, when we last left off we were in California. We had one more roll to finish, so here are those shots. Anna and Jordy pose at Max's Opera Cafe...

...Where Anna indulged in her favorite sandwich ever...
... and finished things with their divine 7 layer chocolate cake.

And while in CA, we imbibed. Here Misha and Jordy, aka Gin and Guinness, pose with their libations of choice.

"We're too full!"

Jordy prepares for the flight home.

Just before the clouds closed below us, we took our last picture of Oakland and the Bay Area.

Once back in UT we had to scramble to finish our finals. Anna, however, was assisted by her new speakers (next to the monitor) and her thinking cap.

Behold the speakers and their accompanying sub woofer of DOOM - which weighs 28 lbs and, as you can see, is almost as large as the computer that powers it. But it puts out some nice bass!

Yet again, we decided to rearrange things to accommodate more books. We made a midnight run to Wal-Mart for a new bookshelf which we sandwiched between the two existing bookshelves. We moved the fish tank to where the little bookcase was, and the little bookcase is now in the entryway. And full. We have no idea where more books will go from here.

And, you can see we had no problem filling the new bookshelf.

With the end of the semester, Jordy got a job outside the University. He's now doing IT here at the Dutro Company who also own CampChef and...

...Logan Coach. They make hose trailers.

Gary was nice enough to give us his 35 mm film camera, as he's made the move to completely digital pictures. We were going to wait until the roll on our old camera was shot, but towards the end almost every picture was double exposing. So here the camera takes its last shot which is of, ironically, its replacement being loaded with film.

On Mother's Day we finally got into our garden plot. Here is a picture before we began. These giant squares are quartered off, and we have the plot in the center of the photo.

One of the wonderful things is that we don't have to have our own gardening tools - instead we have access to that little red shed which contains shovels, rakes, and, yes, even hoes.

Here Jordy lays out the plants before actually putting them in the ground. We were just about the first people planting, and we've been amazed how anal some people are with their perfectly, laser calibrated planted lines, yada yada yada. Just put the stuff in the ground and it'll grow. As Gary would say, "it's not rocket science."

By day's end we have our plot planted. You can read in Diaries about how some things (like the marigolds) have faired, but overall everything is looking good!

Soon we were preparing for Momthra to come visit. That meant doing all the laundry that we haven't done all winter (blankets, curtains, etc.) in addition to our usual laundry. Loaded up like the Joad family, Jordy prepares to make the arduous trek to the laundry room.

While we were waiting for Momthra to arrive, we witnessed a Mormon missionary coming home. It was gag inspiring, we assure you.

But then Lana came through the gate and... didn't see us. But we got her attention and snapped this first sighting of the Momthra in Utah (well, since we moved at least).

And she soon settled in and insisted on doing our dishes. We were helpless to resist. When we moved in we bought dish washing gloves. But we used them so rarely that we eventually threw them out. Momthra needed gloves. So she used our Ron Popiel chicken handling gloves. Shortly after, we bought new dishwashing gloves.

Shortly after she arrived, we headed out for Jackson, the Grand Tetons, and Yellowstone. Here Anna and Lana pose above Star Valley, Wy.

And Lana and Jordy. It was actually more than a little chilly out there, and both Jordy and Lana desperately want Anna to take the picture so they can get back in the car.

First stop, Jackson, Wyoming. We fell in love with the town and its little shops and restaurants. Here is a view down Broadway, the main drag.

Lana and Jordy window shop in downtown Jackson.

After dinner that night, we came out to see a bunch of para-gliders soaring over the SnowKing ski resort hills. It made for a wonderful end to our first day.

Okay, not quite the end of the day. On our walk back to our hotel, we stopped in front of a deserted garage where Jordy practiced his best Hamlet impersonation with a cow skull.

The following day we gassed up and headed north. First stop was the incredible Grand Tetons.

Jordy and Anna pose before the majestic sagebrush. Oh, and the Tetons.

As we got closer to the parks the views of the mountains seemed to become even prettier.

We had to stop at the Continental Divide sign for a photo-op.

Jordy and Anna on the Divide. Ironically, this is the same sign that Jordy has a picture of next to Pumba, his old motorcycle, taken seven years before.

After the Divide, we made a beeline to Old Faithful. As we drove up it was going off, so we had to wait.

As Jordy tries on a lovely moose hat, Momthra's head erupts in a lovely geyser.

Soon, the next eruption time was imminent and we joined the throngs of tourists to watch it. Unfortunately, the photography gods decided to laugh at us. While we had beautiful deep blue skies just hours earlier, now the skies had covered with thin high clouds which looked just like the geyser.

You can pretty much make out the geyser against the sky. It was cool (well, technically it was very very hot, but we thought it was cool).

"Hey, that looks like Momthra when she gets mad!"

"Jordalope, you're fired!"
"I dared Jordy to cannon-ball into it, but he just laughed."

To the right of Old Faithful are a number of little, less predictable geysers. The rangers told us that they appreciated our idea about changing the park's name from Yellowstone to "Hot Steamy Goodness National Park," and said they'd take it under consideration.

More hot steamy goodness.

Surgeon General Warning: Smoking Bison may be hazardous to your health (and smell really bad).

Anna raced across the road in front of a semi to snap this photo of this camera shy elk. Afterwards, she was shocked when the elk asked, "Are you looking at my bum?"

Bison dot the landscape like... furry... fallen logs.

We got an up-close-and-personal view of mama bison and baby bison as they sauntered along the road.

Next stop was the Fountain Paint Pots. We had to coax Momthra out onto the boardwalk. One of the two in this photo looks interested in the informational brochure. One does not. You figure it out.

The paint pots are geysers and pools of water that take on spectacular colors (and odors) from the bacterias that thrive in them, like Dubya.

This one didn't quite turn out due to the enormous steam coming off it. The water in the pool is an incredible deep blue.

We managed to cajole Momthra into walking the whole length of the boardwalk, around all the geysers and pools. Here, at the highest point on the boardwalk, Jordy and Lana look out across bubbling mud.

At day's end we found ourselves in the thriving metropolis of West Yellowstone, Montana, just outside the park's West entrance, but we think it's closer to hell. The town itself is less than a one horse town (half horse?), and the cabin we stayed in had a nice fireplace, but the ambiance was sullied by the manager we affectionately referred to as "Scabby." That, really, says it all.

Here Lana and Anna pose in front of Anna's roaring fire.

We originally planned for two nights in West Yellowstone, but we quickly decided to bid Scabby adieu and head back through the park for Jackson. On the way we passed some bison sauntering the other way down the road.

We passed some beautiful waterfalls on our way out of the park.

Anna was quite comfortable in the forty degree weather. Momthra, on the other hand was bundled up like a mid-winter bison (sans horns).

"No, Jordy, don't jump! Don't - Wait, pose for the picture first."

The main entrance to the park had opened just the week before and judging by the snow on the side of the road, it becomes clear why.

On the way back we decided to take the scenic route which followed more closely to the Tetons. Here Jordy stands before following that trail behind him into nowhere.

Here are the mountains across a beautiful lake.

Momthra simply refused to be subjected to anymore cold weather photo-ops, so while Anna and Jordy shot more pictures of the Tetons, she stayed toasty in the car.

Safely back in Jackson, Anna was able to let her hair down. Well, at least she tried.

That night we ate at the Gun Barrel where Jordy did what he could not do in Utah - have more than one alcoholic beverage on the table at once. Here he poses with a wonderful Snake River Brewery Zonker Stout, Anna's glass of '87 port, and a lovely Oban 14 year old Scotch.

Anna enjoys the port.

Anna and Jordy pose shortly before enjoying a wonderful dinner. Anna had a sampler platter: elk chops, bison prime rib, and venison sausage, which she could only eat a third of. Jordy dined on bison ribs, and Momthra had prime (cow) rib. Meat (and alcohol) rules!

The next day we reluctantly drove back to Logan, and a few days later we reticently bid Momthra farewell.

And back behind the Zion Curtain, we've resumed subversive acts of resistance. Yes, that's a Mormon ward in the background.

And with that we'll leave you for the time being. As has happened all too frequently, we've already got a roll half shot with the last Momthra pictures and our friends Andrew and Dorian's unexpected, but not unwelcomed, visit.

Until then, enjoy the warm weather everyone!