Monday Memories.......Arizona

Arizona…..the Good…..the Bad….the Sad….the Ugly….

This is about a time in Doug’s and my life that was all of the above things. “Growth” comes from adversity.
Doug and I were married in October of 1971. I was finishing up my degree at Weber State in Radiology and Doug was deciding what he wanted to do. We had talked about joining the Peace Core [I know, hard to imagine], but then I got pregnant right off the bat and that ended that dream [Doug’s dream] It was at the “tail-end” of the Vietnam War, [but we didn’t know that at the time]. They kept calling up numbers in the draft and his number was 22. If you got drafted you were pretty much assured as infantry, with a free trip to Vietnam, but if you joined, you could sign up for what you wanted to. So since we were making little money, and living in Grandma Hokanson’s apartment in her basement, and Doug was not in school [again no money], we decided to join the Army. To top it all off I was pregnant with my first baby and due the middle of July. So off Doug went to basic training for 6 weeks. That was the longest 6 weeks of my life. I visited my sister in LA while he was gone and he got a chance to come visit for the weekend.

Doug at Basic training at Fort Ord California

When he got through with Basic, he was assigned to Ft. Huachuca, Arizona about 60 miles south of Tucson, and 11 miles from the Mexican border [near Nogales] and just 20 miles from Tombstone [and the OK Corral]. It was in a little town called Sierra Vista.

The UGLY:
Doug found us a little trailer outside of town [way outside of town] seriously, have you seen the sheepherder’s trailers? That is what this was like. It was green and white. You could not see anything for miles. It was Doug’s first [actually 2nd] lesson in “Colleen just can’t sleep any where”. He had lived in Brazil and I am sure lived in worse, but to me it was dingy, and lonely, and far away from anything and we had one car, which he drove into base everyday. Get the picture? There was barley enough room for a bassinet. However, Doug loved it for all of the above reasons. He was a country boy after all. So I got in the habit of going in to town with him everyday and staying with the Marlene, the wife of one of his army buddies while they were on base for the day. Exhibit "A" The inside of the trailer

The first weekend we were there we drove to Tombstone and visited the OK Corral. Note the curlers in my hair. I can’t believe I did that, but back then it was common to see people go to town in curlers with a scarf over their head. Or was it? Hey, maybe I was just oblivious to what was proper and what was not. That is why it is in the “Ugly” section. Anyway there I was all pregnant with curlers, me and Doc and Wyatt Earp at the OK corral.

OK Corral

The SAD:
The next week I had a doctor’s appointment on Base. In the military, you go to the infirmary and take what ever doctor happens to be on for the day. I saw a doctor Sisone. He checked me and said everything was OK. I was 34 weeks along by this time. I went back to Marlene’s trailer and then later in the day my water broke. I could not believe it! It was black and green. I was so scared, this was my first baby and I was not prepared. I hadn’t read any books, or taken any classes, or anything. Marlene took me to get Doug and we went to the hospital on base “Raymond Bliss Army Hospital”.

Raymond Bliss Army Hospital

Dr Sisone checked me and said I was in labor. Due to the color of my water, there was cause for concern. So they gave something to help me along and I started hard labor. I don’t remember anything good about this labor and delivery, I did everything wrong I am sure, not knowing what to do. Our little boy, “Brady John” was born. The only thing I remember about the delivery is that it seemed so dark and cold in the room. They had Brady off to the side and were working on him under a light. I could see his little body resting on a table and I have a vivid memory of his little hand waving. [My only memory of Brady] He weighed 4 pounds which was good size for a preemie. Then they took me to another room which just had curtains. Doug stayed with me. We waited to hear about our baby. The closest neonatal facility was in Tucson, too far away for his condition. His little lungs were not well enough developed yet and without specialty care, Brady lived only a few hours….then passed on. The whole experience was so impersonal. I never saw Brady, no one wrapped him up to let me hug him goodbye, or ever asked me if I wanted to see him. I was just a naive little girl really, certainly not prepared for this. It was a lonely few days at the hospital, I can’t tell you how many nurses told me, “don’t worry honey, you can have more children”. I wonder if they understood how “painful” their comments were. To me it was like dismissing Brady's birth as if it had never happened. Although I had a testimony of the gospel, at that time, so far away from family and friends, and knowing that I would see Brady again someday, was really no comfort to me. Doug tried hard to keep things together. We both reacted differently to the situation. He kept everything inside. He did not want to talk about it. I talked about it all the time, put together a little scrapbook, and wrote letters, read poems. It was not until years later that I realized how Doug had suffered that night. How he had cried all the way home on that long drive to an empty trailer, an empty bassinet, alone in our lonely place on the outskirts of town. I was so caught up in my own grief that I failed to see his.

The BAD:
The week following Brady death; we prepared to take him back to Eden to bury him. My mom called and said the family would like to view him. I had not even thought about that. So I called the funeral home and told them my family would like to be able to view our baby. This is seriously what they told me “Lady we don’t embalm preemies, we wrap them in rags and throw them in a box”. I was without words. That's when I realized we weren’t in Utah anymore! So no one got to view Brady’s little body. The army flew his little casket home [a little white satin box], But we had to fly commercially. We had to drive to Tuscan to fly to Utah. When we got about 5 miles out of Sierra Vista, Doug noticed that he had a large hole in the seat of his brown corduroy pants. We flipped the car around and he hurriedly changed his pants back at our huouse in Sierra Vista, and we drove like crazy to get to the airport on time. It was at the height of the “high jacking” back in 1972. We were to fly a big yellow Hughes Air West Plane. There were federal Agents at the gate checking everyone’s ID before they would let any one on the plane. Doug reached for his wallet and realized that he had it in his “brown corduroy pants back in Sierra Vista”. They were not going to let us on the plane.......Well, all the drama, all the hurt, all the sadness, came to a head at that moment and I started to cry. “I just want to go home and bury my baby, please just let me go home”. Doug was so good, he was patient with me and in his quiet way, he took care of things. He did have his orders with him that showed he was OK to go to Utah. The federal agents called his CO who for some unknown reason was in his office [little ways we were looked after] and we were allowed to board the plane. I was still crying when we got on the plane. It was such a traumatic time for us. But we survived and were able to bury Brady John Wilson in the Eden Cemetery at a graveside service with friends and loving family close by. I can still hear Melba Hogge singing "Lullabye, and good night" while her daughter Janis played the violyn. Sometimes it is the little things that mean the most......

The GOOD
Having gone through an experience like this can do two things. It can pull you apart, or it can bring you together. In the long run it brought us closer together. I was so full of self pity, that I pretty much only thought of how this affected me at the time. Looking back, I think I went in to a sort of depression. I did not want to go to church; I think I must have been mad at God for a while. But Doug hung in there with me and just loved me. He even found an old army barracks turned apartment in town, next to the Bishops wife, Sister Mechum where we lived the rest of our time in Arizona. Views of our duplex in Sierra Vista & me in curlers again.

Looking back, I really loved Arizona. It was close enough to home that it did not seem like we were too far away. We had a great Ward there, with a great Bishop and Ward Family. Sister Mechum literally saved my life during that time as she had Doug and me over for dinner, and she and I had long talks which helped to heal my soul.

Sister Mechum and daughter Kay Dawn

Sierra Vista had a great Dairy Queen in town and because we were so poor, we used to look under the seats in the car for a nickel or pennies to buy a “soft serve cone”. That was a real treat. On Sunday nights after Sacrament meeting, you could see just about everyone in the Ward at the Dairy Queen buying ice cream until the Bishop mentioned in Sacrament, that it probably wasn’t the best thing to do on a Sunday night. We entertained our selves by driving to Mexico [Nogales] and Ward outings where they had the biggest rattle snakes I have ever seen. I have never seen bigger bugs or harder rain storms than they had in Arizona. Doug and I grew close there and did a lot of growing up as well. I am thankful for the blessings we received there and the hardships which made us stronger. I can see this all in hindsight. Sometimes you just can’t see it when you are in it. Doug finished his training. [He had a high security clearance and was taught how to read photos] Our prayers where answered when he received his next orders. They were for Hawaii. He and just one other guy got orders for Hawaii. The rest in his class got orders for Vietnam. The ones that got orders for Vietnam were later changed to Fort Riley, Kansas. Yes, we were blessed. Years later, the things that happened in Arizona would become a strength to me, a life line to hold on to. We were just two kids from Utah that had to do some fast painful growing up. We did it together........

Wind Rivers Hike......

Wow!! What a fantastic few days we spent hiking up in the "Wind rivers". The good news is we didn't see a bear, and bad news??????????? I forgot my camera. Ouch! But Jen is going to email me some pics to post. I will post them when she sends them. Here is the low down on our trip.
Those that went:
Myself, Brenda and Jackie, went in Brenda's truck with all of our gear and coolers in the back. Connie, Jen, Vickie, and Sally went in Jens SUV. The highlight of the drive? Near Evanston, Connie saw a large cougar feeding on the side of the road. The GPS failed us.....you know...".turn right in .3 miles". Therefore we relied on the good old map. We had a great drive thru Evanston, Hammerer, and arrived in Pinedale where we stayed for three nights.

Our accommodations: Teton Lodge /Pine Dale
As we drove into town, we saw all of these really nice hotels. I thought, oh maybe it is this one, or this one, but no, we kept driving. Then we went down these side streets that looked a little scary, and sure enough we pulled into the "Teton Lodge". I thought for just one moment, "Baker, Nevada revisited". You have to understand, a tepee on the freeway would be a step up from the accommodations in Baker, Nevada. Can you say mosquitoes, no air in 100+ degree heat, bed bugs, no screens on windows, and sharing the shower with huge bugs.....that was what the accomodations in Baker, Nevada were like. The brochure had said "recently remodeled"....NOT. Back to the "Teton Lodge" in Pinedale, Wyoming. Here is the deal, we had to stay in a place that had kitchenettes. This was one of the few motels that had them. We had three rooms. Brenda, Jackie and I shared a room. Our kitchenette consisted of a small fridge in the bathroom......and a microwave on the dresser. But hey, we had a large couch and a coffee table. The decor was a little of this and a little of that. It was a log cabin sort of , complete with dusty hanging plants. There was a gas stove that made the room sooo hot! We had to rely on ceiling fans to keep us cool. Other than questionable blankets on the bed, it wasn't really too bad. Just old and well used. The most unique feature was the bathroom door. They had to cut out a little square in the door so they could close it because the light switch was in the way. Oh and by the way, the door pushed all the way through, like a swinging door and we did not even have to pay extra for that. Special for sure.

The Food: The first night we ate at a local restaurant in Pinedale called "Cafe on Pine". The food was OK, the service was not. But we enjoyed each others company and the owner came out and told us before we were seated that we would have to be patient, but it would be worth it. We were patient, and although the food pretty good, it can not compare with Connie's cooking. The next night Connie worked her magic. She cooked Salmon with dill sauce, new potatoes from her garden glazed with Parmesan cheese and fresh green beans from her garden, and of course homemade zucchini bread with chocolate chips. The next night we had Parmesan chicken with wheat pasta and marinara sauce and spinach salad with fresh carrots and tomatoes also from her garden.. Homemade cookies topped it off . Thanks Connie, we ate like queens!!!

The Hikes:
We had to change some of the hikes we had planned because there were fires in the area we had planned on hiking to. Thursday we hiked about 12 miles in the "Green Lake" area. on the "Clear Lake trail" We were going to hike to two different lakes, but were given wrong information. So we hiked to the "natural bridge" formation which was beautiful. Then we hiked up some pretty steep switchbacks to an amazing water fall called "Slide Creek Falls". It looked like the spillway because the area that the water was falling on was very wide, and flat. From a distant, it looked like snow, but up close it was a water fall. It was amazing. It was pretty hot that day and so many of us ended up with blisters or re blistered our blisters. The lakes were beautiful and that whole area was amazing!
On Friday our hike was all in the pines. This was a beautiful hike on the Elkhart Pine Creek Trail. It was about 11 miles long. The day was overcast. We hiked to "Photographers Point" which was just beautiful. You could see the wonderful majestic mountain ranges from there. Jen thinks it was Fremont Peak we were looking at. The wild flowers were gorgeous that day. We met many hikers that day that had hiked in one or two weeks ago and had been camping. We met one family from Sandy that had leased some Alpaca's from a place in Provo to haul in their gear. That was fun. We ended up at a Ekland Lake for lunch that was so calm and mirror like. We also saw outfitters with horses and mules going in to pick up campers gear. During our trip we saw plenty of wild life, deer, antelope, and NO BEAR. That is the one thing we did not want to see. There were warning signs warning about grizzlies in the area. Jen had bought us bear bells but they were so obnoxious, no one wanted to hear them. So Sally made me sing Primary Songs to keep the bears away. I guess it worked.

Well, that about sums up the hikes. A great three days, great company, great food, great shopping, great hikes, great friendships, and great therapy. I feel renewed and rejuvenated.
Lest you think we suffer when we hike, let there be no mistake....I'll give you an example. When we pulled in with our truck full of gear, a guy at the motel said "with all that gear are you ladies camping for a few days?'. In unison we said "no"!!! "We don't camp"...., we hike, we shower, we shop, we eat, we laugh, we cry, but we don't camp. We like showers and clean sheets. Til next year. ......

Monday Memories.........

The boy I fell in love with in 1971...

I've been thinking a lot lately about the boy I fell in love with in 1971. We went to high school together, he was a year older than me from Eden. I was too caught up in high school life and pining for a boy from St. Josephs to really notice him back then. That was 1967-68. My friend Dixie was best friends with his best friend and cousin Brent Hogge. Doug went on his mission to Brazil [south], and then a year later Brent got a mission call to Brazil [north]. Doug came home from his mission and Dixie invited me up to a fireside at his house where he showed slides of his mission. I should have known then what I found out later about his "love" for leather. I heard that night how he got off the air plane to greet his family in leather pants and jacket handmade by a Brazilian craftsman. [Not your typical missionary homecoming attire].

The fireside was the first time I really met him. I was immediately drawn to him. He was tall, handsome, and had really broad shoulders. I really liked his look and I wanted to date him. Dixie put in the plug with a disclaimer. Something like "OK, I'll line you up, but I am not responsible for what happens after this".

Our first date was at Dixon Pies when it was up on Harrison Blvd. That was in February of 1971. From that time on we were inseparable. I worked at Kentucky Fried chicken [Harmon's on 14th street] and he worked at "Taco Time" [Washington Blvd next to McDonald's]. It was love at first bite....so to say. We spent every possible minute together. We were both going to Weber State at the time. I was in the Radiology program and he was just getting back into the groove. He drove a red Volkswagen bug. We were engaged in May. Doug drove me up on Avon divide half way between Eden and Paradise and asked me to marry him. I said yes, and we began to make plans. To save some money, Doug left to go work down by Las Vegas as a seasonal employee in the Toibe National Forest. That is where this picture was taken. I loved his long sideburns and long hair and free spirit, and laid back personality. I missed him terribly and wrote him every day. I hope my kids never get their hands on any of those "love letters", it might be embarrassing. But love him I did. He came home, we got married, and the rest they say is history. We have been married 37 years give or take 5 years. The boy I married is now the man I love. He is seasoned, has wrinkles that give him character, he is a hard worker and has always been. I love his hands. They are the hands of a man who is skilled at fixing anything and everything. Why pay someone to fix something you can fix yourself. The reasons I love him now, are different than the reasons I loved him then. He is an amazing man. He is a forgiving, trustworthy, a little quirky at times, has a great laugh and smile, is loved by his grand kids [seriously they fight over him], and is a great father. But the reason I love him most is because through everything, he loves me....we grew up together and now we are growing old together. Just like our wedding bands say " A minha p'ra Sempre". Thanks Doug for all the wonderful memories and for letting me back into your life.......mammer

Ben Lomond Peak Hike.........

On the trail again

Breakfast Break

Nik and Mom

Today was our last hike before our big trip this coming week. We decided to hike Ben Lomond Peak. We have done this before several years ago as a hiking group and I have done it before with friends and family but this is the first time in about 5 years. This week, Connie, Jen, Sally, myself and my daughter Nikki went. We left the trail head about 6:10 AM at the top of the divide. Round trip it is close to 16 1/2 miles. About 85% of the hike was fabulous. The hike up was enjoyable and not that hot. In fact the higher you got the more breeze there was and therefore the cooler it was. We really did not have any problems hiking to the top. We got to the top about 10:40. The view was spectacular! From the top you could see Pine View Dam in Ogden Valley, Willard Bay, North Ogden, Pleasant View, Avon Pass, into the Logan Valley, Antelope Island, and about as far south as you can see. The view is amazing and worth the hike. We ate lunch at the top. Some other hikers brought our attention to the goat just below the Peak. Connie & Jen went on to Willard Peak to see more goats. Nikki, Sally, and myself chose to head back down. We stopped at the last little bit of snow up there and wet down our neck coolers. It was refreshing. We got back down to the parking lot about 2:30PM.

Here is what was GOOD about the hike:

• the view anywhere on the hike
• the shady areas thanks to the pines
• the wild flowers
• having Nikki there
• the company of good people
• meeting other hikers along the way
• breakfast and lunch on the trail
• the exercise
• my hiking poles
• getting back to the parking lot [it always feels good when it is over]
• and last but not least my "new hat"

Here is what was NOT good about the hike:

• Motorcycles kicking up dust.
• the dusty trail [we were all filthy
• the heat on the last switchbacks [hot sun reflecting off rocks. This is the 15% I was talking about]
• Big blisters on my heels from the heat and lengthy hike
• Nik had knee pain most of the way down
• I was ornery from the heat the last hour
• Nik ran out of water, and then I did just before the end [100 oz]
• Hot car when we were finished

But, I can't think of a better way to spend a Saturday!!!!!

Here are a few Pics:

Wild Flowers

Here we are at the Peak! Don't you Love my new hat!!

Sally and I find the last of the snow and cool off!!!

Nikki just sent me a few new Pictures that she took so I will add them, Thanks Nik!

Just Having Fun!

Panoramic Pines

On the Trail North Ogden Side

Beautiful View from the Mountain

Monday Memories...............

What was I thinking?

I received an email today that was about the classic 80's and all of the things that happened and one of them was "You know you grew up in the 80's if you wore a side pony tail". Well, I had my last baby in 1980, and I thought I was all grown up, but I wore a side pony tail just the same.........what was I thinking? I only wish I had a picture to share. Anyway, this made me think of some of the "classic" hairdo's I have had over the years. These are probably 3 of my favorite "What was I thinking hairdos".

The first one was when I was 4 in 1954.......

This was a classic "50's" hair do. All short and permed. I call it the "Poodle-Do"

This next one is by far the biggest "What was I thinking?" 1964-65. I was a ninth grader at Wahlquist Jr. High.

I call it the "Birds nest". .. Wiglets were popular at the time [little extra hair pieces you could curl and then stick in your hair to make it look thicker] , but no, I had to have a "switch" [a long pony tail that you could attach to your hair to make it look longer] but no, I had to braid it, form it like a "nest", stick it on top of of my head and pin it with bobby pins. This photo has not been photo shopped, it is original. I was very particular about my hair and I know you won't believe this, but a trend setter. However, I don't remember anyone else with this particular hairdo...........hmmm.................

And at last, this one is from 1966 when I was sixteen and a sophomore at Weber High School.

I call this one the "Perfect Aqua net flip". This was accomplished by a lot of "teasing" the hair, spraying aqua net hair spray on it and carefully combing each strand of hair into a perfect poof head of perfection. Then carefully flipping the bottom with rollers and then "back combing" the flip into symmetrical curls all the way around. Note the thick bangs that you could drive a lawnmower through. Oh and the thick "Ferrin" eyebrows.

Now, if only I had that "side pony tail" picture, it would be a nice finish to my "Monday Memory" post.

Saturdays Hike.....Mt. Ogden

Saturday, our hiking group plus a few extras, minus a few regulars hiked from the Ogden side at the "Beus Trailhead" at the top of 42nd street, and ended at Snow Basin "Needles Lodge". Wow what a great hike! I had hiked Mt. Ogden before, but not for many years. I must tell you for all of those who have done this hike in priors years, the trail is much better than it used to be. There was a good trail most of the way. When we got close to the top we opted to not go to the towers, and instead to head right and take the ridge trail that takes you over the top and down to the "Needles Lodge". Right on the ridge where one trail meets the other there is a picnic table where one can have lunch and see all of Ogden on the West, and all of the Ogden Valley, Pine View etc., on the East. We were worried about the heat, but there was enough of a breeze to keep us cool until we dropped over on the Snow Basin side. The Wild Flowers were beautiful. We saw blue bells, Indian paint brush, sego lily's, daisies, sun flowers and many others. Most of us rode the gondola down due to time restraints. Those who went this time were Sally and her daughter in law Nicole, Vickie, Connie, Steve [her husbands law partner], Jen, and myself. Next week, weather permitting, another long hike before the Wind Rivers Hiking trip.

Monday Memories....

Warriorettes..........

This is a picture of the Warriorettes my Sophmore year. I am on the far right standing.

Cathy is seated on the far right. Hey maybe someone will recognize their mother or grandmother or something. Here is a list of their names [maiden].

Front row: Claudia Carnahan, Kathy Griffin, JoDell Jones, Sherrie Hudgens, and Cathy Dodgson.

2nd row: Kevon Costley, Janae Favero, Joy Saunders, Jacque Farr, Nancy Hodson.

Third row: Sue Hadley, Connie Cragun, Nancy Blanch, Karen Preece, Calene Oviat, Joy Sorensen, Ann Degeorgio, and me, Colleen Ferrin

Since I brought up the whole Warriorette thing in my last post [see picture last post] and since those memories have been brought back this last weekend I decided to post some pics from the yearbook. Cathy Dodgson and I were both Warriorettes in our Sophmore year. Cathy stayed there for all three years. Brenda was a Warriorette her Junior and Senior year. Dixie was a cheerleader with me her Junior year and then made the Warriorettes her Senior year. Jone was a Warriorette her Junior year and then moved to Roswell New Mexico...why?

The thing I remember most about Warriorettes is marching in the heat on the 24th of July in the parade. We had to wear these heavy boots [see picture] with red and black pom poms on them. When we got tired of marching, we would do the "heel walk" so we did not have to lift our knees so high. We were serious about our knees when marching. Our uniforms were handed down from year to year and were reversable. [red on one side, black on the other.] Our military style of marching was unlike the jazz dancer Warriorettes of today. I could have never done what they do now. But we were a precise drill team and even did a military march with fake white rifles. We were instructed by a drill sargent from the military. We did an assembly every year where we did several different routines in different costumes. It was great fun, but very diciplined.

This is a picture of the Warriorettes when I was a Junior.

Note: Jone is on the second row third from the left.

Cathy is on the second row second from the right.

Brenda is on the bottom row second from the right.

This is the a picture of the Warriorettes when I was a senior.

Note: Brenda is on the left on second row from bottom.

Dixie is on the third row on the far right.

I have no clue where Cathy was, she was the President. Maybe skiing.