Black Rock

Here it is Pioneer Day. In the early history of Salt Lake the pioneers visited an area on the Great Salt Lake called Black Rock for holidays and recreational purposes. It is quite easy to drive to Black Rock even though the last half mile of the road is unimproved and rough. Every time I have been to this location it has been on the 24th of July. Diane has been in the party most of those times. You might say that with her and me it is a Pioneer Day tradition. The very lowest picture on the right shows the entire party that went to Black Rock this morning.

Present were Lisa, Phil, Sheridan, Zach, Max, Diane, Evelyn and George. Max did not like the heights as we started to scale the rock, so Lisa stayed with him at the bottom. The photo above is on top of the rock looking over the lake to the southwest. Above, right, is looking to the south. Above, top, right are Sheridan, Zach and Grandpa. This direction over the lake is south. The top left photo is from the top of the rock looking southeast toward the mountains.

We observed an interesting phenomenon on the shore of the lake. The sea gulls were eating brine flies. The interesting part is how the gulls got the flies into their mouths. The gulls would lower their heads so that their beaks were as close to the ground as possible so as to not get a beak full of mud, and then they would run as fast as they could scaring up the brine flies and many of them would end up in the mouths of the gulls. The brine flies would be in swarms so thick resting on the mud that when the gulls would disturb them, it almost looked as if the ground sort of moved, when the gulls ran through. When we got back to the house here Clarine and Diane had provided a scrumptious breakfast. Diane also went out for a paddle boat ride with Max and Sheridan. It is now 12:34 PM; Lisa Phil and children have gone home and we have already celebrated Pioneer Day. Who knows what other activities Evelyn, Diane, Clarine and I may involve ourselves in before darkness sets in?