From: "John Blanding" To: "Charles Meyer" Subject: dsc00953 Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 17:30:54 Chuck, A Genesee, Idaho 4th of July Leland folk reunion: I'm sending you a group of digital pics I took while Nancy and I visited Bud and Louise Hall (Blackwell, of Leland), who now live next door to George and Carolyn Wilson (Fuller, both of Leland). This first pic is of Louise's and Bud's gorgeous back yard. The climate in Genesee, Idaho is cool enough that their yard stay in bloom all summer long. If you want you might include the pics in your LHS website for our friends there to look at. http://www.beautylawn.com/Canada/dsc00953.jpg ps...let me know if you have any trouble getting to my website and this url. Thanks.....John B. --------- dsc00972.jpg -- The LHSers without spouses. Blanding, Blackwell, Fuller, and Wilson. --------- dsc00974.jpg -- Chuck, Being an old farm boy, you can see why people would move to Genesee, Idaho. This is a pic of flowering mustard. It is a sight not common to Delta farmers, but one that calls out the artist's brush. Truly, one of the most striking displays of farming I've ever viewed. Just to think these people have this at their door step. You can see these fields from Carolyn and Louise's homes. In the spirit of being a proud old Lelander, I hope sharing these with all our other friends will give insight to the diversity Delta folk experience. And again, thanks for all your efforts to keep us all in touch. PS...It got so cold on our 4th of July picnic, we had to move in doors at Carolyn and George's house. John Blanding ------------ From: "John Blanding" To: "John Blanding" Subject: Leland HS reunion in Genesee, Idaho & breathtaking pictures of life in Canada Date: Sun, 14 Jul 2002 00:03:54 Hello All, Before coming up to the Canadian Rockies this summer, I decided to buy my first digital camera. Because I can put its' pictures on my website for your easy viewing, it gives me great pleasure to so easily share with you some of the near indescribable beauty I have had the pleasure and good fortune of viewing. I can say with certainty that virtually no tourists have seen the mountain, lake, and glacier shots I've just photographed. To get there is via my landlord, a logger. Yesterday, he took me on a trip with him about 125 kilometers up a valley filled by Lake Kinbasket. The lake runs north/south between Rocky Mountain ranges and is about 200 plus kilometers long. After getting to the turn off point on the side of the lake, we climbed several thousand feet above the lake to the logging sight. At that point, I started snapping pictures. First was to pan across the lake where a glacier was almost straight across from us. I am intrigued with glaciers, truly jewels of the earth. I zoomed in on it a couple of times. It is proof we are still recovering from the ice ages. You can see on the rocks below its' face, the scars left by ice now gone. From up top, I got a couple of shots that may give a feeling about how long the lake is and how high up we were. Next, we start the trip down hill with 35 tons of logs on the trailer behind. On some of the switchbacks where I was the outside person, I know there was nothing below me for a couple of thousand feet at times, and tires inches from the edge. Some shots, I tried to photograph that impression, but you just have to be there to believe it. At one point we stopped at a stream near road edge to fill a thermos with fresh mountain water. That water was foamy white from crashing on the rocks so hard. You may see the lake is dramatically low which is caused by a weakened damn now in repair. I spoke with my first friend up here about the trip and being the good back woodsman he is, he says the road is so narrow, it scares him to travel it in his truck. Now to the first set of pictures. Because 4 Leland High School friends were now so close, we talked up a reunion in Genesee, Idaho, the home of George and Carolyn Wilson, Bud and Louise Hall. It was a wonderful reunion due to the tireless work of our two hosts. Pictures of that group were forwarded to Chuck Meyer for publication on his Leland High School website. It was so cold during the middle of the day we all moved to the inside of George and Carolyn's home. In looking at our group pictures, you'll see the abundance of gorgeous roses which are just the tip of beauty found in George and Carolyn's yard. There will be many Lelanders interested in viewing life in Genesee so a picture of Bud and Louise's backyard is appropriate to show the artistic touch and green thumb they possess. I have never seen such a swath of color except in a public formal garden. These folks may be a long way from home, but the beauty that surrounds them is going to keep them there. To give you a hint of that beauty, in its' ever changing ways, is seen in the field of yellow mustard we photographed on the way out of Genesee. From their homes you can see miles of rolling country side planted in a variety of things so unknown to the rest of us Southerners. These folks are rich in natures blessings. Their world is truly unique. Included here is my website address: www.beautylawn.com/Canada Go there to find the pictures I'm talking about. Should you not find pictures there, please alert me, and I will try to fix things. This spot on my website is the place I will continue to update with more pictures as I am lucky enough to photograph them. When the next group is added, I will alert you and hope you are interested. Until then, you have an inkling of my wonderment, and peace shared with nature here. John B.