The Things I Do

 

A year ago, on the day of New Year's Eve, I stood on the shores of the Great Salt Lake, near the causeway that takes you out to Antelope Island, taking photographs.  It was a bitterly cold day, with temperatures in the 20s (Fahrenheit), and overcast.

The water levels of the lake are low after years of drought, and the snows of more recent and wetter winters have not raised the levels much.  Because of this there is no water near where I stand, only lake bottom covered with snow.

But there, to the west, the sun is trying to break through the clouds.

Perhaps, if I wait long enough, the sun might join me here on the shores of the Great Salt Lake.

"The things I do for a photograph," I say, "no, the things I do just in the hope of a good photo."  And I can't help but smile, for though I am freezing in the bitter cold, I am happy because I am doing something I love to do.

Then I wish that I could bottle this happiness so that I could feel it again later.

Christmas Street

Every December, Glen Arbor, an ordinary cul-de-sac at 1735 South 1500 East in Salt Lake City, Utah, becomes Christmas Street. 

One holiday season, when I was still young, my family went on a drive to see the lights, and Christmas Street was one of the places we went to.  I always remembered that street, and wanted to go back each year, but it was not until I was older, after I got married that I was able to go back.  My wife and I made it a tradition on Christmas Eve to take a drive to see the lights, and Christmas Street was a place we went each year.

Christmas Eve at Christmas Street is usually packed with cars, each driving slowly in and out of the cul-de-sac.  One year I wanted to get out of the car and walk around, and we did, despite the cold night air.

 

Fortunately, it was not a very cold night when I visited Christmas Street in mid-December last year to take pictures of the lights.

About a block to the west of Christmas Street is Christmas Story Street.  On this U-shaped street there are sign boards on the front lawn of each home with a verse or two of the Christsmas story.

To include each house on Christmas Story Street, some homes have the Beattitudes on their sign boards.

Family events on Christmas Eve have sometimes made it difficult to visit Christmas Street and Christmas Story Street.  Those years that we were unable to visit these streets, we have felt that something was missing from our celebration of Christmas.  At least I've got the pictures.

The Lights on Temple Square

Every year, during the holiday season, thousands visit Temple Square in Salt Lake City to see the Christmas lights.  "The lights have been a tradition for 48 years and have grown considerably since their introduction," according to the Deseret News.  In 1965, then LDS Church president David O. McKay asked J. Leland Behunin to take on the project of stringing lights on Temple Square.  "From 1965-1982," reports the Deseret News, "Behunin and his son, wrapped the Temple Square trees in Christmas lights, and in the beginning they did so without ladders or many tools."

15,000 people crowded Temple Square on the night in 1965 that the lights were first turned on.  “Our minds tonight should be on the Babe of Bethlehem whose coming into the world Christmas morning reminds us all that we each should have in our hearts the love of Christ," said President McKay in his remarks before he pressed the button that turned on the 40,000 lights.  The crowd responded with “a mighty ahh”.

When my wife and I were first married, we made it a tradition to visit Temple Square on Christmas Eve, to take in the lights and the nativity scene accompanied by a narration of the Christmas story and music by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  In trying to accomodate the family events of the holiday season, it has not always been easy to make it to Temple Square.  Last year, on November 29, I made a special trip of my own, with my camera and a tripod.

Source:

http://www.deseretnews.com/top/2108/0/Christmas-lights-on-Temple-Square-in-pictures-from-1965-2013.html

Winter is Here Again

We are getting our first reall snow of the season today, the kind the doesn't come overnight and melt off by the afternoon.  Last year, when we got the first real snow, I saw it as another photo opportunity and headed up to Main Street.  I didn't even wait for it to stop snowing.

We got more snow the following day and it was a few days before I got back up to Main Street to take some more photographs.

The Garden Park Ward

In 1938, the LDS Church acquired some property from John C. Howard.  This was an estate on land originally owned by Brigham Young; Howard bought the estate from Brother Brigham's nephew, LeGrand Young.  Howard had made improvements to the estate, including enlarging the home and adding walls to surround the property.

After purchasing the property, the LDS Church built a meetinghouse on the foundations of the Howard residence.  On April 2, 1939, the chapel was dedicated by Heber J. Grant, who was then the presdient of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  The ward (congregation) organized in this neighborhood was given the name Garden Park Ward because of the garden enclosed in its grounds.

The Garden Park Ward is located at 1150 E. Yale Avenue in Salt Lake City, Utah.  The grounds lie between Yale and Harvard Avenues a half block east of 1100 East.  Many of the trees on the property were planted by LeGrand and Lorenzo Young.  People are invited to visit the garden and take pictures Monday through Wednesday and on Saturday between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. or sunset when earlier.

The Garden Park Ward is a special place for me.  My father grew up attending this ward, his family lived a few blocks north on Michigan Avenue.  In later years an aunt would live in this neighborhood, and her funeral would be held in the Garden Park Ward chapel.

Here are some photographs of the Garden Park Ward I shot on July 23, 2012:

The water running through the garden is Red Butte Creek.  According to my father, kids in the ward would dare each other to jump over the creek -- a broadjump, without a running start.

This structure is known variously as the Scout House and the Carriage House.

Sources for information about the Garden Park Ward:

http://utahspresenthistory.blogspot.com/2013/02/salt-lake-city-garden-park-ward.html

http://gardenparkward.org/