~CAN"T GET ENOUGH~

I can't seem to get enough of the beautiful fall colors! Steve and I risked our lives last weekend as we rode through the mountains taking in the breath-taking beauty of the changing leaves. Seems it is time for the sheep herders to get all of the sheep to lower range land for the winter. Lots of semi-trucks loading lots of sheep one of which was going WAY to fast ran us off the road. We were very grateful that we were not next to a cliff when he decided to come barreling down the mountain road and around the corner in OUR lane brake-less! It wasn't that he didn't have any...He just chose not to use them so that he could keep his speed up for the hill to come... After realizing that we were alright and that we hadn't rolled the truck we "sort of" forgave the dork, I mean, how can you stay mad in such breath taking surroundings...

Don't you wish the leaves could just hang on for a couple of MONTHS instead of weeks when they are so pretty?

~A LITTLE SEPHA-A LOT OF LOVE~

Sutherland, Utah
Sept. 27, 1929

Dear Ward,
I received your letter this morning and it goes without saying that we were glad to hear from you. I have been worried and I am sorry you are not doing so well.

We are as well as can be expected with all this rainy weather. Makes my back ache, both literally and figuratively. Rained again last night, still cloudy but the clouds are shifty. It may clear, surely hope so.

It sure beats the Dutch how you can live on chocolate! Maybe you will learn to like it.

Dr. Wright was here Wednesday. He wanted to take Eleanor's tonsils out but, I told him we would wait for awhile. I have a sneaking idea that he wanted some money too. Delilah said he visited them for $5.00.

Marion finished the seed down home Saturday. Eleanor went to work for Lawrence Christensen. She liked it all right. Got $1.25 for her day's work.

Everybody advised us not to shock the oats last week. They said it could be hauled to the thrasher all right but, because of the storms I kept Lela out this morning and started them to shocking.

Mr. Thorston is here now unloading some wheat. He had 155 instead of 165. He tells me he sold 55 bushels for himself unloading 45 bushels in our granary and will sell the rest to settle the threshing. Perhaps there will be a few dollars for us over and above the bill.

Mr Craner was here just now after oats.

Marlan sold the calf yesterday for $15.00. It hasn't been doing too well the last week. Both Lawrence and Howard thought that was a pretty good price. We haven't been herding the sheep the last two days. The bucks got out Saturday night. We couldn't separate them yesterday. Shall I try again or let them go?

Lawrence has been very good. He and Josephine were here a little while last night .

George is going to thrash the rest of his seed. I don't know whether we can get the thrasher before you return or not.

The girls say the grain is drying fast. Shall I try and get the girls started to school or shall they remain home and help get the fall grain in. If I thrash, shall I get the drill and some fall wheat from Al and seed the 20 acres or can that wait a little longer?

Do you need anything from home? Let me know and I will try and get it to you.

Grandpa did not write back...This is obviously very frustrating for Grandma as you will see in the next letter. I also thought that it was interesting that they opted not to have Aunt Eleanor's tonsils taken out...She would later die at the age of 53 from complication of Rheumatic Fever as a young girl. Too many strep infections and too little knowledge. Just a little penicillin when Aunt Eleanor had her sore throats would have kept her from a heart condition that eventually took her life at such a young age.

Once again how priviledged we are to have the technology we have in our lives today.

~CONFERENCE WEEKEND~

LOOK UP!

~FINDING FALL~

I have needed a little R&R for a while and decided that I wanted to see Yellowstone and the Teton range again. It has been years since I have been there and with winter just around the corner what better time to take advantage of this beautiful weather! Steve was just as interested in going as I was but for very different reasons...It being where the "deer and the antelope play sort of thing. I was in it for the mountains, rivers, waterfalls and color!!!

The week before we left I started thinking about how much my dad would like to see that part of the country again too so, I called him and invited him to come with us. He was so much fun to have along. There is not anything he will not try. The guy amazes me everyday. We hiked and hiked, one day doing 385 stairs down to the bottom of Yellowstone falls and then 385 stairs back up! There is not a place in Yellowstone that doesn't include a lot of walking. Dad is better at that then I am! I hope I grow up to be just like him.

We saw so many things that I can't remember all of them by name but, I have lots and LOTS of pictures. Here are some of my favorite. Most were taken in the bright sunlight making it hard to really appreciate how absolutely beautiful everything really was up there. Yellowstone is mostly pines so the fall color is not like it is here but, still very, very pretty. In 1976 over half of Yellowstone was destroyed by a fire that was started by a "controlled" burn. You can see in one of the pictures how much the trees have come back. They are about 10 feet tall now and SO thick. I would be completely lost in 5 minutes...Pure bear bait! Notice how tall the burned pines are. It really makes the little ones look small and they truly are about 10-12 feet tall!

From Yellowstone we made our way south to the Grand Teton National Park. What can I say? I think I will just let the pictures do the talking...And yes, my dad hiked up to inspiration point! It is a steep, rocky trail full of twists and turns yet, he was ahead of me the whole way. I never even heard him get winded. The picture of him sitting with his arms around his knee is at the top looking down over the lake. I can not tell you how many times I have seen him in this exact same pose. I had to snap a picture. He started to get a bit annoyed at me and my camera after about the millionth picture, well, as annoyed as my dad ever gets. I just told him it was for posterity and he seemed fine with that. hehe.


1. Colors of fall

2. The Teton's @ Jenny Lake

3. Jenny Lake

4. Look close, you can see the railing
from part of the stairs leading to
the lower Yellowstone Falls.

5. Inspiration Point

6. All three of us

7. View from Jenny Lake

8. Signal Mountain

9. Lilly Pads at String Lake

10. Can you tell I LOVE the Tetons...

11. From the dam

12. Old Faithful

13. Castle geyser

14. Steve and Dad at Mammoth

15. Yellowstone lower falls

16. The STAIRS! 385 down, 385 up.

17. At the bottom of the falls

18. Burned but not dead!

19. Chillin

20, 21, 22, 23, 24, Mammoth Hot Springs.

25. Petrified tree...Thought to be around 50 million years old.

26. Tatonka

27, 28, Painted Pots

29. My typical view.

30, 31. Riverside
Geyser

~ALI TURNS *8*!~

It is hard to believe that this little baby girl is eight years old! It seems like I was making my way to Vernal just yesterday to be there when she was born! What a beautiful little thing she is. Ali and I have so much in common. She loves "girly" things and everything that "Sparkles". We could shop til we dropped just about everyday and still find things that we wanted...Sorry Stephanie you were blessed with a daughter that has her grandmothers genes...It's really not so bad, you just bedazzle her softball mitt and make sure that you dress her in ANYTHING that sparkles for gym class and she will be fine with the "tomboy" thing...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALIANAH. You are such a sweet and happy little girl. Don't ever change!

HEY ROZZY...

When I get back...



I have a surprise for you!











CHOCOLATE & VANILLA!













See you soon!

~A LITTLE SEPHA-A LOT OF LOVE~

Sept 21, 1929

Dearest Ward,

I wrote you last night while the girls were at the hobo dance with McBeth's but, in our hurry this morning we missed the mail so I will write another letter and send it to town with Marlan.

I am so worried about you. Why don't I hear? Isn't there some one who could let me know something once in a while? I try to kid myself that no news is good news, but even that is poor consolation.

We are all well, as well as conditions permit.

Mr. Thornton treashed the wheat Thursday. He had 165 bushels, about 20 bushels more I estimated.

It rained Thursday night and intermittently all day day Friday. No frost last night, no rain today so far. Although we have cloudy weather and wind.

I guess we will threash the oats Monday the weather permitting. The sheep are uncontrollable when taking them to pasture. What about selling Mr.'s Cramer and O'Conner some oats? They spoke like you had partly promised them some each. I understand they want about 1000 lbs. O'Conner was just here and said that he would come again next week.

Marlan finished the seed down home. Eleanor is working out today. We are anxious to see how she likes it.

Your father and Grandma and my father spent nearly all day with us Thursday. Grandma is not very well but, she is planning a trip to Uintah next week. That is if they don't have to move Myrl there. From what Grandma said old Pan is pretty mean to Myrl and the Dr. ordered her to move to save her life. Myrl seems to have not come back. She gets up then gets worse.

$15.00 is all we can get for the calf. Shall we take it? 16 cents dressed. I guess Mr. Thornton will get after the hay as soon as it dries up again.

I think I'll keep the girls out another week. By that time you will be home with me. I'm not feeling too good, but I guess I'll hold out. (Remember she is 8 months pregnant).

Last night when the crowds were coming home from the dance three cars piled up out by Wind's. From what the girls say I don't see how they ever escaped. One car rolled completely over. Don't know who it was yet. Ruby was at the dance. She seems to have a bright and shining flame.

Father started south this morning to the reunion. He is very restless and unsettled. He wants to trade his old sow and 8 little pigs to me. We will see when you both return.

Write soon with lots of love.

Sepha and Kids


Salt Lake Butcher Shop (aka LDS Hospital Grandpa's humor again).
Sept. 23, 1929

Mrs. Sepha Robison

My Dear Wife and Family,

Your letter was rec'd and am glad the boys are getting all the hard work done. I am getting along fine but am weak and sore. Think I can talk Dr. B.T.R. out of a few days if I don't grumble about the soup. The swelling has been bad. The Dr. has been scared of blood poison, but that danger is over now. I am still wrapped in cotton with five hot water bottles from hips down.

Perry and Lorena just left. They are trying to get home before the storm.

About the calf. Sell it for whatever you can get. And let Cramer have some oats but, O'Conner can wait till I get home. Use your own judgment as to the conditions down there for I don't understand them now as you do.

There is lots I like to tell you, but I am laying on my back and am tired. So will close with all the love in the world to my wife and children. I am as ever your husband and father.

Ward.

Have the children write.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As I have read and re-read these entries and talked with Aunt Mildred I have come to really wonder (being the nurse that I am) if Grandpa at this point didn't have colon cancer. In 1929 they had no way of knowing what colon cancer was let alone the obvious symptoms he was having. A few short years later he would die from another cancer...Could it have been a colon cancer (90% curable today) that metastasized? One can only make guesses and wonder how nice it would have been for our grandmother and their children to have been able to have THEIR husband and father in their lives a little longer...Technology is such a blessing.