Beware of ..... books....

this summer, I have been able to read more books than I ever thought I could read. I mean, I really enjoy reading, but wow.... I really got after it... or I've been really sad trying to escape the everyday struggles, of struggling everyday....
So here is a list of the books I read, and a little description about them.

first, well, I guess the book I literally just finished and made me want to do this.
Free Fire by C.J. Box

REALLY good book! here's the first page
"A half- hour after clay McCann walked into the backwoods ranger station and turned over his still- warm weapons, after he'd announced to the startled seasonal ranger behind the desk that he'd just slaughtered four campers near Robinson lake, the nervous ranger said, "Law enforcement will be here any minute. Do you want to call a lawyer?
its a story about the "zone of death" in the Idaho section of Yellowstone national park.
Joe Pickett is the main character. The author has a whole Joe Pickett series of books that I'm very excited to start reading.


We stood upon stars by Roger W. Thompson

He explores a lot of places that I hold very dear to my heart, and has great stories and views on life throughout!



Get Lost. . . and Find What Really Matters
We are made for freedom and adventure, friendship and romance. Yet too much of life is spent unfulfilled at work, restless at home, and bored at church.  All the while knowing there is something more. You’ll find some of life’s best moments waiting for you over a campfire, on a river—even in that coffee shop or brewery you didn’t know you’d discover along the way. It’s time to begin the search.

In the literary spirit of well-worn tales about America’s open road, this poetic, honest, often hilarious collection of essays shows how to embark on adventures that kindle spiritual reflection, personal growth, and deeper family connections.
From surfing California’s coastlines, stargazing southwestern deserts, and fly-fishing in remote mountains of Montana, you’ll be inspired to follow the author’s footsteps and use the hand-drawn maps from each chapter to plan your own trips.  There you will hear God’s voice – and it may help you find what you’re searching for. 
“We search mountaintops and valleys, deserts and oceans, hoping sunrises and long views through the canyons will help us discover who we are, or who we still want to be.  The language of our hearts reflects that of creation because in both are fingerprints of God.”
—Roger W. Thompson



The paradox of choice

this book helps me make decisions everyday. just read it, and you will be more okay with how things are and not over think things, because over thinking things makes you sad.

Whether we’re buying a pair of jeans, selecting a long-distance carrier, choosing a doctor, or setting up a 401(k), everyday decisions—from the mundane to the profound challenges of balancing career, family, and individual needs—have become increasingly complex due to the overwhelming abundance of choice with which we are presented. We assume that more choice means better options and greater satisfaction. But beware of choice overload: it can make you question the decisions you make before you even make them, it can set you up for unrealistically high expectations, and it can make you blame yourself for any and all failures. In The Paradox of Choice, Barry Schwartz explains why too much of a good thing has proven detrimental to our psychological and emotional well-being. Synthesizing current research in the social sciences, he makes the counterintuitive case that eliminating choices can greatly reduce the stress, anxiety, and busyness of our lives. In accessible, engaging, and anecdotal prose, he offers practical steps for how to limit choices to a manageable number, have the discipline to focus on the important ones and ignore the rest, and, ultimately, derive greater satisfaction from the choices you do make.

The Monkey Wrench Gang- Edward Abbey

If you don't know about the monkey wrench gang by now.... then I don't know, but you need to!

lets just say, the are environmental activists and they take matters into their own hands.

JACK LONDON- just read everything he has. its pure..... gold.

THE END- G. Michael Hopf

For Gordon Van Zandt life once was one of duty and loyalty to his country, so when 9/11 happened he dropped out of college and joined the Marine Corps. This youthful idealism vanished one fateful day in a war torn city in Iraq. Ten years later, he is still struggling with the ghosts of his past but must now face a new reality thrust on him and his family. North America, Europe and the Far East have all suffered a devastating Super-EMP attack that has caused catastrophic damage to the power grids and all electrical devices. With nothing working from cars to phones and with the total collapse of the economic infrastructure, Gordon must fight for the limited and fast dwindling resources. He knows survival requires action and cooperation with his neighbors; but as daily life continues to break down so does all sense of civility within his community. With each passing day Gordon makes choices that would seem extreme in today's world but necessary in this new world. 

Zeitoun- Dave Eggers

This book is crazy. post hurricane Katrina madness!


The true story of one family, caught between America’s two biggest policy disasters: the war on terror and the response to Hurricane Katrina.
Abdulrahman and Kathy Zeitoun run a house-painting business in New Orleans. In August of 2005, as Hurricane Katrina approaches, Kathy evacuates with their four young children, leaving Zeitoun to watch over the business. In the days following the storm he travels the city by canoe, feeding abandoned animals and helping elderly neighbors. Then, on September 6th, police officers armed with M-16s arrest Zeitoun in his home. Told with eloquence and compassion, Zeitoun is a riveting account of one family’s unthinkable struggle with forces beyond wind and water.

Final Edge Project.

Soundscaping Austin Guevara Outdoor Engagment Spring 20new news letter

Project Summary

We got a grant to acoustically monitor the Escalante Grand Staircase National Monument to just get an idea of the sounds that are there and how they affect what’s around them. We go out into the Monument and set up multiple recording devices and leave them there for about two months. Once their recording time is done, we bring the data into a sound lab and go over the patterns and irregularities.

Project Highlights

This is your opportunity to highlight the best part of your project.

·       Going over all this soundscaping stuff, you really get to here a lot of really neat, and creepy things.

·       I learned about how much sound influences our daily lives and how I will better control what sounds are in my life.

·       This will prepare me for the future, because I have a better understanding of the natural world, so I won’t be so loud when I’m recreating.

From My Journal

“we headed out into the dark abyss of a national monument only using the bright full moon light, and we hiked with all of the batteries to change the old ones out and take down another so we headed out into the dark abyss of a national monument only using the bright full moon light, and we hiked with all of the batteries to change the old ones out and take down another site.”

digital portfolio

Journal Entries-

              09/24/15

This was the first day, and we were trained with the equipment, the computer software, and given an overall runt through of the whole process. Mace showed us on maps where there were already sites, where the current projects are, and where the future ones are going to be. This is going to be a fun, and exciting time learning how all of the equipment and stuff works, but I’m really excited to head out into the field and go gather the soundscaping research!

09/26/15

This was the first time that I was able to go out into the Escalante Grand staircase national monument and I was amazed by how vast, remote, dreary and beautiful it was. It blows my mind how the stair case is as big as some eastern states. The drive the first time down to Escalante seemed to go by faster than I thought it would, because I was so impressed by all of the mountains and desert landscapes that I had never seen before that trip. When we got to the campground area where our group was, we set up our tents, got acquainted with the area, and then hung around camp until the rest of the group made it (since they had to leave later than us because of classes.) When everyone arrived, they also set up their tents we had a short little, “get to know each other” session, because a lot of us where new to the whole soundscaping thing. Once we got that over with, we headed out into the dark abyss of a national monument only using the bright full moon light, and we hiked with all of the batteries to change the old ones out and take down another site that was right by it. We were able to successfully take down the old site, put new batteries in the other, and the hike back was pretty interesting, because we got a little lost, but found our way back to camp. Slept, woke up the next morning and came back to cedar to watch SUU win the homecoming game!

              10/3/15

The second time I was able to be out in the field, was just a day trip to where we drove down and were looking to put up a new site somewhere in the Escalante River area. It was really fun walking down the river seeing the incredible canyon like walls, and trying to find the perfect place to set up the equipment. The site had to be in an area that was away from the trail, so people wouldn’t be able to mess with it so easily, had to be in an area that wasn’t getting blasted by wind, somewhere that didn’t echo, somewhere that had a slow moving water, so the microphone didn’t just pick up wind and water. We found an area tucked away behind a cool rock wall formation and set it up there after scouting a few other options. We successfully put up the new site, hiked back a few miles to the cars, and came back home to Cedar.

Soundscaping

              For my edge project, I was able to help out Professor Briton Mace, by helping out on his soundscaping trips. I first heard about soundscaping when I was in his Environmental Psychology class and he showed us some of the research he has gathered over the years. He also let us use some of the sound equipment and go around campus to see what sounds we could hear with the equipment that we normally don’t pick up on. I have been able to help out with a few soundscaping trips out in the Escalante grand staircase National monument. While we were out, we were able to set up new acoustic monitoring sites, and take down old ones to bring back to the sound lab and go over the last two months of data.

I found an article from SUU.edu, and it does a great job of explaining what we do, and why.

http://www.suu.edu/news/2015/02/professor-researches-soundscapes-in-national-park.html

              “Mace is researching the soundscapes of Utah’s national parks, and has found a way to utilize the sounds to increase visitor safety and help park administration know where improvements are needed.”

”Though recent research has been conducted by National Park Service to learn the sound levels heard from coast to coast on the average summers day, the research did not get into the details that can truly help park administration in Utah.

This is where Mace and his crew will come in. The soundscape research being conducted by the Southern Utah University team will give specific information on what trails, observational points and other popular areas are in need of improvements, information that the Park Service is in need of, according to Mace.

Mace has already conducted research at Zion, Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon national parks, now he and his students have been asked by Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument administration to help with site management and visitor approval ratings through soundscape analysis.”

	Austin Guevara
Permanent Address:	Contact Information:	Student Address:
2476 W. Pine Meadow Place	801-631-8672	1480w center street #15
Taylorsville, UT  84129                        801-968-8715	austinguevara@comcast.net	Cedar City, UT 84721
Education
Southern Utah University, Cedar City, Utah Currently Enrolled, Outdoor Recreation in Parks & Tourism Major Graduate May 2016 Snow College, Ephraim, Utah Earned Associates Degree May 2014 Taylorsville High School, Taylorsville, Utah Graduated June 2011
Work Experience

Zion Ponderosa:   Employed 2015 summer and fall, Spring of 2016 and Summer 2012.  Recreation Guide.  Conduct, organize, lead, and promote recreation activities with groups, families, individuals, and employees. Activities include climbing wall, trampoline bungee, zipline, ATV tours, canyoneering, hiking, horseback riding, Jeep tours, paintball, rodeo, and shuttling them to and from the National Park.

Liberty Mountain.  Employed Summer 2014.  Warehouse Clerk.  Climbing gear, recreational, and outdoor product order fulfillment.

Sheet Metal Specialties:  Employed Summers and School Breaks of 2007- 2015.  

Site Maintenance.  Organize and clean the shop; maintain and weed the grounds; complete small production projects using machinery such as a drill press, punch, and small press brake; driving for pickups and deliveries; and many other maintenance projects.

Achievements

l  ORPT Degree (Outdoor Recreation in Parks & Tourism) May 2016.  My ORPT Degree is an interdisciplinary degree program offered by the Department of Physical Education within the College of Education and has included course work from Agriculture Science, Biology, Communications, Geology, and Hotel and Hospitality Management.

l  Wilderness First Responder "WFR" Certification in May of 2015

l  "Excellent Customer Service" Award from Zion Ponderosa

l  Eagle Scout Award

l  Honor and High Honor Roll Awards

l  Athletic Letter, Baseball, 2009, 2010, 2011 and Athletic Letter, Basketball, 2011

l  MVP, 2010 American Legion State Baseball Tournament

l  Honorable Mention All-State 2011, Baseball; 2nd Team All-Region 2011, Baseball 

l  "Excellence in Basketball and Baseball" award from Utah Army National Guard

Activities

l  SUU Wildlife Club.  Working with the Division of Natural Resources on captures and releases, including pheasants for the youth opener, Desert Big Horn for data gathering (blood check, disease check, radio collars)

l  Soundscape Research.  Part of a soundscape research team in Utah's National Parks.  Currently conducting research in Escalante-Grand Staircase National Park to help increase visitor safety and help Park administration know where improvements are needed.  We are using physical sound equipment to do acoustic monitoring of sites to gather data to see how humans and animals are affected by sound.

l  Sand Hollow Reservoir, assisting the Rangers with various duties as part of a practicum for my Degree.

l  Snowboarding, rappelling, canyoneering, hiking, backpacking, camping, hunting, fishing, and other sports

l  Competitive Baseball, 1996 - 2011 and Competitive Basketball, 1998 - 2011

l  Seminary Council, Taylorsville High School Seminary, 2010-2011

Skills

l  Wilderness First Responder "WFR" certified in 2015 through the Wilderness Medicine Training Center at Bryce Canyon National Park.  I am certified in wilderness medicine including basic pharmacology, patient assessment, environmental hazards and medical simulations.  Certified in medical protocols for situations requiring extended patient management in extreme environments with limited equipment.

l  CPR certified

l  Friendly, fun, outgoing, high-energy personality

l  Dedication, commitment, and determination

l  Photography

l  Public Speaking

l  Computer Skills inclu

l  including Microsoft Word and PowerPoint, Adobe PhotoShop, etc.

Reference list

Jake Millard, Recreation Manager at the Zion Ponderosa-

Work- 1(800-293-5444)

Cell-(435-691-2410) 

Email- jake@zionponderosa.com

Waisea Lesuma, Assistant Principal at Taylorsville High School-

Cell- 1(801) 783-9711

Email- wmlesuma@graniteschools.org

Ryan Aagard,  at Sheet Metal Specialties-

Work- (801)-972-4745

Email- Ryan@sheetmetalspecialties.com

edge project on soundscaping

Soundscaping

              For my edge project, I was able to help out Professor Briton Mace, by helping out on his soundscaping trips. I first heard about soundscaping when I was in his Environmental Psychology class and he showed us some of the research he has gathered over the years. He also let us use some of the sound equipment and go around campus to see what sounds we could hear with the equipment that we normally don’t pick up on. I have been able to help out with a few soundscaping trips out in the Escalante grand staircase National monument. While we were out, we were able to set up new acoustic monitoring sites, and take down old ones to bring back to the sound lab and go over the last two months of data.

I found an article from SUU.edu, and it does a great job of explaining what we do, and why.

http://www.suu.edu/news/2015/02/professor-researches-soundscapes-in-national-park.html

              “Mace is researching the soundscapes of Utah’s national parks, and has found a way to utilize the sounds to increase visitor safety and help park administration know where improvements are needed.”

”Though recent research has been conducted by National Park Service to learn the sound levels heard from coast to coast on the average summers day, the research did not get into the details that can truly help park administration in Utah.

This is where Mace and his crew will come in. The soundscape research being conducted by the Southern Utah University team will give specific information on what trails, observational points and other popular areas are in need of improvements, information that the Park Service is in need of, according to Mace.

Mace has already conducted research at Zion, Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon national parks, now he and his students have been asked by Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument administration to help with site management and visitor approval ratings through soundscape analysis.”

Equality is a lie...

Yes, you read it right.. equality is a lie...
In today's society we are so easily offended and look for any reason to argue with someone about how there opinion is right and how your opinion doesn't matter. We are in a time where really have to think about what we say, so no ones feelings get hurt. I don't think we should be mean and rude to people about what religion they are, what gender of person they like, who their political figures are, and what teams they like (unless they like the Carolina Panthers or The University of Alabama..)
 But we also need to grow up a little and realize that sometimes people are rude, and when they are, there is usually underlying problems that, that person needs help with. Not saying you can say what ever you want and get away with it, but everyone is fighting their own war, and may not show you the battles going on inside them. Along with trying to be nicer to people who are rude, we need to not be victims of everything that is different than what we are used to. We look to be offended by anything that isnt our own opinion and its just sad to see how many silly social media fights are started because of someones beliefs that oppose our own.
Okay, back to the title. No one is equal... lets say I have a friend, and he is my age, around the same height, likes the outdoors, has brown eyes and enjoys watching sports... On paper, we look like we would be the same person, but no, we have so many differences in that he drives a motorcycle and I dont, I love snow boarding and hes never been, he has tattoos and I dont, I am a Mormon and he is atheist. He likes the Raiders and I like the Seahawks. We have so many similarities, but so many differences, and that's makes us good friends.  I dont know when or where we got this idea of how different is dangerous, but it has to stop.  I say Equality is a lie, because not one single person in this world is the same as you. No one can do the things you do, because you are you, and you have strengths that I dont. Especially being a US citizen, I know how diverse we can be as a people, and we all bring something awesome to the table. Who thought that me, a kid that grew up in the suburbs of Salt Lake City, could go to college, and make friends from people from all over the world. We are not equal and thats what makes life so beautiful, we are able to  teach others our skills and in return learn other peoples skills and maybe even learn about new cultures, and make ourselves over all better and more informed people. Not being equal is a great blessing in my life, because we get to experience so many new things... if everyone was equal, then I would have never developed loves for duck hunting, canyoneering, Snow mobiling, Cajun food, crocheting, baseball,napping... you get the point, but because ive had so many unique people in my life, I have been exposed to so many different life styles and have benefited in my life from different people and cultures I have experiences and its made me a better and more open minded person.
So, dont be scared of something that different than you, dont be so close minded that if someone makes a comment that goes against what you say, that you will just fight and not listen to what that person has to say. Some of the best conversations ive ever had, have been discussions with people about what they think of a certain situation, and how they have come to that thought. I love learning about people and their live experiences, everyone has a story to tell and they will tell you and you can learn from each other if you just listen and show that you care about someone that is different than you
Lastly, I think that Equality is a lie, but equal rights, we need more of. I believe that when someone is fighting for a job, that their skin, race, ethnicity or gender should not matter at all. The person who will be the best at the job should get it. To what point does it stop at? sooner or later, the NBA is going to require the starting 5 on every team to have a person of different ethnicity to start, and have a coaching staff that makes so if you have a black head coach who is catholic and straight has to have an assistant who is white, gay and and atheist. (silly, I know, but its getting bad...)
Dont be scared of people that have different views or thoughts than you, and I know I need to work on being nicer to other people, and we all can.

"Live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about his religion. Respect others in their views and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life. Beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and of service to your people. When your time comes to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song, and die like a hero going home." - LT Rorke
(pics from MLK Weekend)

You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club-Jack London

With the new year upon us, I would just like to wish y'all good luck on your New Years resolutions... Even though you probably have broke 6/5 of them already. Anyway, the new year brings so many new opportunities if you are willing to go out and get them. I am writing this, not because I have some generic resolutions that I want to make happen, but to try and make better daily decisions. I'm not saying you shouldn't have resolutions, but we tend to think of ourselves as failures if we do happen to mess them up. Like if your resolution was to eat more healthy, and you "accidentally" ate an entire pizza, because you strive for greatness and why run 1 mile when you can run 2, why eat 3 slices when you can eat the entire thing, why sleep for 8 hours when you can sleep for 10. Always strive to out do your self in all things and that's a 🔑 key to success. 

Okay, back to my point.... Just because you may have slipped a little trying to accomplish your goals, doesn't mean you have to abandon ship and give up. When you are trying to be better and making good choices, the lord knows  and he doesn't care if your goal was to watch less tv and then you find out that season 7 of Parks and rec is now on Netflix. He cares about the over all pictures. He watches us fall and pick ourselves up again, he just wants us to be the best version of ourselves. So if you do happen to mess up a little and sin, he knows that sometimes that will happen.... Obviously he doesn't want us doing those things, but we are human and we sin. That's why one of my goals for this year is to have a better relationship with my Heavenly Father, because I feel so much better about my self and life when I am on a good spiritual track and doing the things I should be doing. Life can be dark and dreary sometimes and nothing might seem to be going your way, but trust me, the lord has so many blessings coming your way. There have been times in my life where I have been bitter towards heavenly for how a few situations have happened. But looking back now, I wouldn't change a thing. Right now I am trying to figure out how I make a living and what I am going to do after college and for a career because I graduate in May.... I don't know for sure what I want to 100% do yet, but I have a good idea, and I'm starting to really realize that when I put my trust in the lord and do the things he's asked if me, that good things happen.  Sure bad things happen along the way, but they are just stepping stones on the trail to greatness. 

Along with a career, another thing that seems to always be on my mind is how I'm going to somehow find a woman that's going to be willing to put up with me and my crazy self for eternity. Embarrassingly enough, I actually think about marriage quite a bit, and I don't feel like I am at all ready to be a husband and provider. I'm starting to realize that the problem I am having, is that I seem to be looking for the perfect woman, even though I am not the perfect man. I am expecting to find some gorgeous, rad, outdoorsy, sporty, spiritual dream boat but I am not trying to be the best I can be. Ergo, the lesson I have learned with woman and dating, is to get the person of your dreams, you better start trying to make yourself the person of someone's dreams.  The lord helps those who help themselves and when you are ready for that perfect person for you and you are doing all the things you should, the lord sees that you are ready, he will make things happen. 

I guess to kinda close this up, I would just like to remind you to not give up on your goals just because you mess up a little, don't give up on dating because you've had bad relationships or dates in the past. And I encourage you to be the best you that you can be. I am trying to be the best that I can be, and yes I mess up sometimes, but the lord knows I am trying to be better in many aspects of my life and I can truly tell that he blesses me for it.... Sometimes in opportunities, sometimes just having the spirit comfort you in times of need. 

The Woman who loved the Mountian.

       In our modern society, we are growing further and further away from our roots and the natural world and in this story, one woman finds her self understanding nature in a much more personal way than she could have ever imagined.


      *beep beep beep*  alarm goes off sounding the a start to a new day, Briar Belle turns off the alarm and gets ready to head to class at the local community college and after class, straight to work, where she works at a small country diner as a waitress. The days go on and on and on, and everyday seems to not get any better and the bills, boyfriend problems, troubles with school, on the fringe of getting fired from her job because the diner isn't doing well and not to mention, her father been bedridden for months because of multiple illnesses who just passed only just a few months ago. Every night she fantasizes about leaving everything behind, exploring and having adventures where she is in control of everything. With just weeks of the semester left,  she decides that she will tough it out and just finish strong with classes and work. Finals happen, and she gets her results and to her surprise, ended up having some of the best grades in her classes. To celebrate, Briar decides she is finally going to take that trip that she had been longing for, a trip with no deadlines, no itinerary and no destination and would just go where the wind took her. She packs her bags and heads westbound and hits all of the major state and national parks the west has to offer. Along the way, she meets others that are kind of doing the same thing. Briar and her new group of friends spend a few weeks together just hanging out and seeing all the sites they can, but after so long, Briar decides she's going to continue her solo journey and keep seeing as much of the world as possible, again she packs up and leaves her new friends behind. Along the way, she talks to different people about what she should do and the things she should see. The people she talked to, always seemed to mention the cascades in Washington, so she decided she would visit this place that so many people had told her about along the way. Briar gets to the Cascade region and when she gets there, she gets this weird feeling of how she will figure out her life and all the missing parts in her life will come together. Before she starts to go out and just start hiking around, she stops by a little convince store/ diner th at reminded her of the one she worked at. While getting food, drinks, snacks and maps, she asks the old lady at the register, what she should do and where she should go while being there. The old lady tells Briar about a super remote and difficult place to get to place called Departure Peak that no one returns from, she also tells her about some of the lore and legends of the region and particularly about Departure Peak and how it is an ancient Mountain that has an overseer, someone that watches over and protects the mountain because at the top, there is believed to have a  magical stream that has the powers to heal you. But when you drink the water, the Mountain decides if you are worthy enough to receive its magical healing powers. But if you aren't worthy and or take more water than you need, you will die. If you are worthy enough to you drink it, you have to become part of the mountain and help look over it.
    Briar, now is more determined than ever to reach the top of Departure Peak and try its so called "magical" waters, because if she's not worthy enough to receive the healing powers and she dies, she doesn't really have anything to lose, but if she is worthy enough, then hopefully these waters will help heal her physically and emotionally.  She stops by the store to try to get more info and to tell the old lady goodbye. Briar starts the couple week journey up to Departure Peak, and runs into just about every problem you can have while trekking through remote wilderness. She ends up breaking her glasses, loses the maps, wind catches her water proof jacket and its never to be seen again, boot strings rip and a horde of ravenous Raccoons pillaged her food among some of the problems. While Briar was doubting herself and thinking about quitting the journey and heading back down the mountain, she thought of all the times her father had taken her outside exploring when she was a little girl, she remembered her dad always talking about how if you are good to Nature and have a good heart, that nature will be good to you in return.  He also talked about how mountains have feelings and that you could have a relationship with the Mountains. Briar had always thought her dad to be a little bit crazy in that regard, but ever since he had passed away, and she had been trying to find herself, she found that her father wasn't as crazy as she thought for so many years. With new determination to finish what she had started and to make it to the top of Departure and try the mythical healing waters, also thought she would try to spend more time taking care of Mother Earth, since she never had a Mother figure in her life, she decided that her real mom was mother nature and she would head to her fathers advice and starts to have a relationship with the wild. Briar, having fixed some problems from before and with a new attitude, was making really good time up to the Peak, and reckoned she was about 5 days front the Magical Waters and while she was hiking, she took a stumble and ended up rolling her ankle extremely bad and got some major scrapes and couldn't walk any further. So she  makes camp and sets up for a few days to allow her ankle and wounds to heal, to where she felt comfortable to head back up the Mountain. She finally got tired of sitting around and decided she would test out her ankle, while she did she lost balance and started falling down a little ravine, she was stuck and could not move. Briar had been stuck in this ravine for what seemed like ages, and she knew she was the only person on the Mountain, but decided to yell for help anyways, and yelled for hours and eventually passed out because of the pain and dehydration. When she woke up, she woke up in a hut like thing that was built of granite on the outside and moss on the inside and noticed that her ankle had a splint on it and that this hut looked like someone's home. After being really confused and being scared of how or who brought her there, a very sculpted and chiseled younger looking man peaked his head into the hut and said, "They call me Mountain, I heard you screaming and came to help you."Briar and Mountain spent the next couple days together getting to know each other and letting briar heal. She woke up one day and noticed Mountain was gone and so was the granite shelter they were in, but found her back pack to be heavier than is was before and then she dumped out what was in her bag and found all her gear, but also the gear that she had lost, plus Some more food and other things she didn't bring with her originally. She assumed Mountain had given her, his stuff and was also on his way to the magical waters, so she packed up and headed to the peak to thank him and to try the waters. With the peak In site and just another days push, she would be at the fabled waters, but still Mountain was nowhere to be seen and Briar couldn't find his foot prints. So she pushed on to the Peak and she could now see the mythical spring that the old lady talked about, and stops to get some of the water, and then Mountain comes out of nowhere and tells her that it is actually magical water and that if she does drink it she would die or join him. Briar says to him, " what do you mean ill join you if you, if I don't die?" he says that one time he drank the water, and that's why they call him Mountain, because he is in fact the mountain. The fabled overseer of the mountain, and that he would disappear, because he can only be in his human form for so long, or  magical spring would in fact die.  So Briar did take the risk  to drink the water, and then she started to feel funny, and Mountain said to her, I've been waiting my whole life for someone as worthy and special as you, so Mountain and Briar from then on took care of Departure Peak together for the rest of their lives.

Gunna hang me in the mornin'

Yes, I realize I haven't been on here in forever, oh well. Today I had the opportunity to explore a bunch more of the southwest I haven't seen before. I went to Modena, a tiny little rail road town, that looks like there isn't a soul that lives there, and besides the few residents, no one would ( duh Austin) When  I visit these old western towns, it always gets my mind running and wishing that I could of been alive during the expansion of the west. For my own salvation, I'm glad I wasn't... heavenly father knew I shouldn't of been alive then, because frankly, I am a bandit of sorts and if I was in a lawless time... who knows how my life would of played out. In western movies, I am always rooting for the Outlaws. The ones who live life like it was their last day on earth ( most days it was..) These outlaws, made (took) money from rich people, traveled the world on their Nobel steed, always seem to get the ladies, and get to play with guns all day, when living the luxurious life you travel via the railroad and you are always dressing up to the 9's even when robbing a train.
Besides Modena and other little towns along the 56, I stopped by  The Mountain Meadows massacre....  a place I've always heard about, and wanted to go to, but never have. What happened there, over those few days, was a major dark time for the Mormon church.. while it would be dumb to guess why the Mormon militia massacred these other pioneers from Arkansas, the only reasonable reason why, is that the Mormon pioneers were very tired of getting mistreated and often times killed because of their religion. So, they decided to be on the offensive and not be pushed around anymore. Again, this is just a assumption, I do not agree with their actions, but I was not in their situation.  This was a terribly unfortunate time, for not only the Mormon religion, but for western expansion.  Just like the old west towns I occasionally visit and wish I was an outlaw, I too wonder if I could have been a pioneer and made the journey across the ocean and across the young country we are so lucky to live in. I always am so grateful for what the pioneers did, they sacrificed themselves so they and future generations could enjoy religious freedom.