. . . they walked and walked and walked . . .

. . . it was early this morning . . .

. . . about six o'clock . . .

. . . nearly time to go walking . . .

. . . tuesday is green trash 

and recycled trash day . . .

. . . as i emptied 

all our diet coke and lemonade cans

 {with loud clanking} 

and walked the green and blue bins 

out to the curb, 

i thought i heard 

someone sweeping . . .

. . . it was actually 

the sound of a lawn rake . . .

. . . my sweet neighbor 

was raking MY yard . . .

{thanks, susie!}

. . . crazy wind/dust storms 

over the weekend 

had left my yard 

looking sort of like this . . .

{well ~ maybe not quite so bad} 

. . . i planned 

to clean up the needles myself 

after walking . . .

{about three miles, or so}

. . . but she'd beat me to it . . .

. . . she assured she wouldn't 

do the whole yard . . .

{she did the worst part}

. . . so, i finished when i got home . . .

. . . i managed to get 

blisters on both thumbs . . .

. . . the one on my left hand 

tore open . . .

. . . wah wah wah . . .

. . . then i started thinking about today

 ~ the 24th of july ~ 

the day my church 

celebrates the arrival 

of the mormon pioneers 

to the great salt lake valley . . .

. . . they'd been walking, too . . .

{about thirteen hundred miles}

. . . they had blisters . . .

{and mostly no shoes}

. . . they'd been sleeping 

on pine needles . . .

{those things are pokey!}

. . . their faith was incredible . . .

. . . their determination unmatched . . .

. . . i doubt i'd have made 

a very cheerful pioneer . . .

. . . i'm pretty sure 

i'd never have been 

anyone's choice 

for a first wife . . .

. . . not in those days 

before makeup 

and blow dryers . . .

. . . but i am thankful every day 

for their sacrifice . . .  

. . . their dedication 

to what they knew 

to be true . . . 

. . . leaving their homes, 

their friends, 

their comfortable circumstances . . .

. . . many of them 

burying family members 

along the trail . . .

. . . traveling across this great land 

to build a new home . . .

. . . a home where 

they could worship 

as they pleased . . . 

. . . blessed, honored pioneers . . . 

{tomorrow's the day i'll pick a winner}