More pictures from the Gold Rush

Dear Family,

We had more pictures to show, but last week's post already had plenty, that I worried about how long it might take to upload all of them.  So here are some of the other pictures.

These folks are church members and are displaying the way lumber was cut with hand saws.

Making planks with a hand saw was very hard work.  A replica of the original Sutter's Mill is behind us by the river.

This is a cabinet of the style that was used back then.  No space was wasted.  The pans go in the drawer under the drop down preparation "table".

This fellow is a descendant of the Mormon Battalion.  Even his daughter was in character.

We had a great time there, and plan to go back in December when they will have one week-end with a Christmas version of what it was like back in 1850.  We are looking forward to that.

Transfers went fine this past Monday and Tuesday.  We all have our routines down now.

Mom was not feeling well on Friday and stayed home.  I was manning the fort by myself that day.

Saturday morning we went to an urgency care clinic to take care of what Mom thought was a bladder infection.  She got some antibiotics.  By Saturday afternoon she was in excruciating pain and we figured it must be a kidney stone.  I gave her a blessing, and off we went to the Emergency department at the hospital.

Sure enough, she had a 6 mm kidney stone traveling down the tube between the kidney and the bladder. They pumped her full of pain killers and send us home.  We started out at 300pm, and made it back by 700pm.  Of course all the local pharmacies close at 700pm on Saturday, so I had quite a time trying to find a 24 hour pharmacy.

Fortunately, mom was too doped up, and slept while I was gone for the almost 2 hours getting her pills filled.  The kidney stone passed into the bladder sometime during the night, and the pain was instantly gone.  She never even needed to take the medications I got for her.  She did have the residual effects of the pain medications given her at the hospital, and so we took it easy on Sunday.

She is better now, but still tires easily.  She has made it to the office for a half day on Monday and Tuesday.

Good thing we were not in some third world country.

Thank you for your love and prayers.  The blessing and prayers really helped us on Saturday.  I know Heavenly Father loves us and gives very sweet blessings.

We love you,

Mom and Dad

Pictures to go with Mom's letter

Dear Family,
Earlier this week, the turkeys were back.  The door to the mission office is a one way mirror type, and the turkeys were pecking at their image in the door.  The male turkeys even fanned their feathers for the occasion.

They are ugly up close.

Then on Friday evening we had a banana split party with our zone.  Elder Bunnell and Elder Ward are going home on Tuesday.  Elder Bunnell is the elder who lost 100 lbs on his mission.  It would be great to see the reaction from his parents when he comes down the escalator at Salt Lake Airport on Tuesday.

Sister Polidario and Elder Dryer

Elders Salvesen and Walkenhorst

Elders Bunnell and Calderon

Sister Barker and Elder Leetham (he is being goofy)

Elder and Sister Finch

Then on Saturday we went to the town of Coloma where gold was discovered in 1847, which started the California Gold Rush.  We timed it just right.  They have a special celebration on the second week-end of October commemorating the gold rush events.  Mom's letter details all the things we saw and did.

Mom panning for gold.

Mom actually found some flecks of gold dust.

One of the displays we saw was on how to make this very intricate ribbon.  What looks like pencils are really thread bobbins that are twisted over each other like making hair braids.  The Macrame we knew of in the 1970's would not come close to the detail and craftsmanship needed to produce this type of ribbon.

The ribbon is about an inch and a quarter wide, and it takes about an hour to do an inch of ribbon.  Very detailed.

Hanging out with "the Guys".

In the gift shop we found this hair pin that Mom liked.  It might be something lil' Lily might want to stock in her store.  You might look up the "Victoria Trading Co." online to find it.

Guess that is all for now.  On Monday we will be processing the guys going home, making sure their bags don't exceed 50 lbs, and getting their bikes shipped out.  Then on Tuesday we have the new missionaries coming in, so that will also be a busy time.

We love you.

Mom and Dad.

General Conference Week-end

The announcement yesterday of converting the Provo Tabernacle to a Temple was amazing.  The Church News this past week highlighted the groundbreaking ceremony for the Philadelphia, PA temple, to be located right there close to Constitution Square.  When living in Bethlehem, PA during my work assignment in Newark, NJ, we were only 40 miles from Philadelphia, and so we were able to visit the historical sites there.  One of the funny things I remember was all the pennies people had dropped on Benjamin Franklin's grave.  I guess they all knew his adage "A penny saved is a penny earned".  We live in exciting times.

I took the 8 Elders of our zone out for pizza yesterday after the Priesthood Session.  So here we are, all nine of us, in our suits and ties, in this very casual pizza place.  At home I would have gone with Ross and Carl, and would have been "Ross' guest".  I have comfortably made the transition where I let Ross pay.  We have come a long way from the "ice cream cone at the A & W", but it has become a great tradition that other members have also taken up.  At home we always run into other Dads and their sons that we recognize from church.

Tomorrow we will receive 2 sisters from the SLC Temple Square Mission.  A part of their 18 month assignment to Temple Square, is a 4 month assignment in a "regular" mission.  One is a convert of 3 years, and has been a "District Leader" and "Trainer".  The other one has also been a trainer.  Wait 'till I tell the guys that Sister Harris was a DL.  Our regular Transfer Day is next week on October 11th.  We have 14 missionaries going home and will receive 16 new missionaries.  Since the missionaries count everything in Transfer Cycles, we will be involved in 13 transfers during our 18 months, and this will be our 5th Transfer.  We have been out for 6 months already!!!!!  Hard to believe.

Mom told of the birds we feed in the back.  They are fun to watch.

We live in neighborhoods, but also have undeveloped fields close by.  The building we are in is a former Stake Center, where our offices are in what used to be the Stake Suite.  We are close to these undeveloped areas of farm land, and the other day we had about 7 wild turkeys by our office entrance.  I will have to check if there is a Turkey hunting season around here.  Thanksgiving is not too far away

We are entering the time of year that to me always moves fast, with Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas happening in each of the following months.  We had the realization that since we live in a neighborhood, we better be prepared for "trick or treaters".  Where we have lived in the past 18 years, we have lived so far out that the only trick or treaters were our grandchildren.

We are getting to know our neighborhood better.  Our 1 1/2 mile walk each morning gets us known to the neighbors. They wave and say "Hi" when we walk by.  We recognize the cars that belong, and know the name of the dog.  There is this one young couple living with their folks, and they have a 2 year old son who has to be out in the morning on garbage day to see the big truck pick up the garbage cans.  All the homes here have these same sized garbage containers that are mechanically picked up by a hydromechanical contraption on the side of the garbage truck (their dog's name is Lucky).

Guess that is all for today.

Love,

Elder and Sister Kolditz