Some people told me how much they liked my last entry and the letter from Grandpa Jem to Grandma Lucy that I thought I would post another, but first I 'd like to tell you about my trip to Utah with Mom to see her friend Mary Jo (I forgot to ask Mom if there is an 'e' in Jo). It was a really nice trip and we stayed outside of a city called "St. George". We also spent one day at Zion National Park, which was very beautiful with many colorful rocks and cliffs.

I also learned a lot about Utah's history from Mary Jo and her boyfriend, Nick. Nick is a Native American and his ancestors, like some of mine, came from what is now Missouri. Although, his ancestors were there a long time before mine moved there and some are still there. Mary Jo and Nick told me about how the name Utah came from a tribe of Native peoples called Utes. There was also ancient people called Anasazi and Fremont Indians and there is a record of them being there since before the birth of Christ. Dinosaurs bones have also been found in Utah that could be over 50 million years old. That seems like a really long time ago! The period that those dinosaurs may have lived is called the "Mesozoic era", which is when the first mammals appeared.
Utah also has a history involving a struggle for land and who gets to use its resources. A lot of land is still owned by the government and therefore the people of Utah, but many companies are trying to buy it and "clear-cut it" as Mary Jo says. She also talked about the struggle to keep underground water from being "grabbed" by big cities like Las Vegas, who need a lot of water. I told Mary Jo about what Dad and Cousin Bruce have been doing about water in California and she said it is similar in Utah except that a "commission" in Nevada wants to "pump the water down to Las Vegas". I asked what a "commission" is and Mary Jo said that it is a group of people that represent "districts" of people. She also said that they plan to use a 500 mile pipeline to Las Vegas if they finally "get their way". I asked what she means and she said that "so far the people of Utah have refused to allow it to happen". "Thats good", I said and Nick stopped eating his turkey sandwich and said "Las Vegas won't give up until they get as much water as they need". "Oh" I said and Nick said that there are now almost 2 million people living around Las Vegas and the city only gets 4.5 inches of rain per year. We then talked about the damn projects around the Grand Canyon and Lake Powell and how that helps people get water, blah, blah, blah. "I've been to the Grand Canyon!" I said, which disrupted the conversation for a moment, but the adults kept right on talking. Mom seemed very interested in the conversation, but it is one I have heard around my house many times and I decided that I would go walk Mary Jo's dog, Zeus, down to the end of the road and watch the sunset. Zeus is a border collie with a lot of energy and he made me run all the way back to Mary Jo's house. Zeus seemed to figure out right away that I am a dog-person and that he could get me to go anywhere he wanted to go just by giving me the "sad eyes" as Mom calls it. I had fun taking walks or "runs" with Zeus and he seemed to be sad when I was leaving.
The picture is Utah from space.

Now for the letter...

"My Dearest Lucy,
It is outrageous of me to feel as strong as I do for you after such a short time, but I do. What is even more amazing is how cold I have been for so long and how warm I am feeling now. It is almost too abrupt a change in temperature and I feel like I do when I run my cold hands under hot water after being outside during a winter storm without my gloves on. An intense stinging has set in and I tremble with the thrill of knowing you. I am thankful for the times when you allow me to put my cold hands against your warm skin even though it gives you an unexpected jolt. If you only knew how far down your warmth goes when you touch me like you do. Your warm embrace has begun to break through the wall of ice around me and I have been allowed to slowly seep through the cracks, spilling out at your feet.
I am so grateful for you and the time we share together.
Love,
Jem