Mushrooms/lemonade/sego/poppies

I promise that this week I'm going to talk about things besides running.

But first, I have to share some of the wonderful things I saw this week.

Last week, when I hiked up North Canyon with my nephews, we saw a large mushroom.

But this week, it had doubled in size! I was amazed.

They grow up so quickly.

I also found myself surrounded by swarms of butterflies. I've been surrounded by butterflies before, but never as much as this week. But I must say all those butterflies made me a little uncomfortable. I didn't want them to fly into my mouth, and I worried that I might hurt them. But they're harmless, so it's better than being surrounded by stinging insects or mosquitoes. They congregate on wet dirt, and Wikipedia tells me they're consuming minerals.

Sego lily season continues to amaze me. I disagree with many of the state symbols that were selected in the past, but they did a good job with sego lilies. (At some point I need to write to a legislator to get the state rock changed to sandstone, because coal does not represent our geologic state very well.)

It amazes me that cell phone cameras are good enough to capture bees in sego lilies with minimal effort.

As you probably know, I only consume candies, desserts, and drinks with a holiday theme. Last year, I officially began considering lemonade a Fourth of July drink. In this day and age, lemonade is generally seen as a summer thing, not necessarily an Independence Day thing. But in my historical research, I have learned that in the decades surrounding the turn of the twentieth century, lemonade was very much part of the Fourth of July, almost as iconic as firecrackers. And I'm more than happy to welcome it to the family of seasonal food, because there is comparatively little for the Fourth of July. Last week, my mom bought lemons so we could have fresh lemonade. And it really is the best lemonade I have ever had. Even using bottled lemon juice doesn't have the same result.

I have also enjoyed having other items flavored like lemonade (or strawberry lemonade): frosted lemonade, gum, cookies, Powerade, and even Tums.

Last week, I watched the Republican gubernatorial debate between Spencer Cox, Greg Hughes, John Huntsman, and Thomas Wright. And to me, the clear choice is Spencer Cox. He understands both rural and urban Utah. He doesn't support Trump, which shows he hasn't sold his soul to the party. He has support from people whom I consider far right but also from people who lean left. He has proven leadership during this difficult time, and he values public health. And more than any other candidate, he exudes kindness.

I am an unaffiliated voter, so I can't vote in the Republican primary. So to show my support, I ordered a Cox sign. I don't know who delivered it, but they went ahead and put it in our yard.

When I think about the way my political opinions have changed, much of it has come when I have heard opinions from people whom I respect. So I hope that showing my support for Cox will sway people who respect my opinion.

I think Huntsman and Wright are roughly equal; they would be OK, but not my ideal choice. But Hughes exemplifies everything wrong with the Republican party. Whatever you do, don't vote for him!

On Thursday afternoon, my school plans got real. I had a Zoom meeting with the other matriculated grad students; it was my first time ever being on a Zoom meeting. We all introduced ourselves and asked question to the outgoing and incoming directors of graduate studies. It was good to get some of my questions answered. It alleviated some of my nervousness, though I'm still plenty nervous to start school.

This week, my sister and niece had seen posts on social media of a poppy field near Mantua, Utah. So we took a little road trip to the poppy field. I thought I was clever by making a comment that I hoped we wouldn't fall asleep and then have it start snowing, but then my sister said my dad (who didn't come with) said the same thing.

It was a pretty poppy field, but it was small. There were tons of people there. I don't think it's worth all those people driving to Mantua for this small field. But I don't regret going; we need to make fun memories during this strange year.

Really, my beloved Woodbriar Trail has just as stunning fields of flowers.