Friends, mules, countrymen, lend me your ears.

I have been actively crossing things off of my bucket list. This week it was Spiral Jetty!

Um, I don't really know what to say about it. I had the day off on Thursday, so after my mom and sister got off of work, we picked up my niece and all drove up to Box Elder County to see the spiral. It was fifteen miles past Golden Spike on a gravel road.

It was smaller than I expected, but I was glad, because it meant I could see all of it. I worried it would be much larger and it would be hard to tell what it was.

I ran up a nearby hill for a better view.

 I was glad it was dried out so I could walk on it. I followed it the entire spiral.

An olivine-rich basalt rock!

 Though it was mostly dry, there were a few salty puddles. I ate a piece of the salt. It was salty.

I like the spiral design on the interpretive sign.

I accidentally stepped in a salty puddle. Good thing I retired these running shoes!

Then we ate dinner in Brigham City, because I've never been there, and it would be nice to visit all the county seats.

The rest of the week wasn't super eventful. Except that mulesears are out in full abundance. Last week I said, "Give it a week or two, and this meadow will be jaw-droppingly fabulous." And I was absolutely right.

I think this is Wasatch penstemon.

I couldn't get away from mulesears if I wanted to.

Of course, we can't forget our old friend Sticky Geranium.

Such beauty from arrowleaf balsamroot, common paintbrush, and penstemon. I can't even.

Arrowleaf balsamroot on the left and mulesears on the right. 🎵"But they're cousins, identical cousins all the way! One pair of matching bookends, different as night and day."🎶

Can something this pretty really be a noxious weed?

It sure was nice of all those mules to donate their ears to the foothills.

I don't really get a Memorial Day weekend, since I have to work. It will be the first time I have ever worked on Memorial Day. But it should be a fun day. This is one of my favorite weekends of the year (after Thanksgiving, of course).