Rambler Ranch July 2024

Fred and I drove out to Elizabeth CO. We had never been out there or even on the backroads that took us there. It was a lovely drive. We found the Rambler Ranch back in the woods. A beautiful location. In the showrooms there weren't only cars, but lots of nostalgic nick nacks. This clock is one of the first things that caught Fred's eye. So apropos for Fred.

I found this interesting. Really?

There was a smaller warehouse that housed these really older cars. Several were in the midst of renovation. I think it was a sample of the kind of shape they get these cars and then renovate them into masterpieces.

The following cars were in the first building called the Nash Building. Look at the size of that steering wheel!

1957 - my birth year. Most of the engines in the cars here at Rambler Ranch were V8s, very powerful cars.

Look at the fabulous colors of the different cars.

I don't how they were able to squeeze so many cars into this space with each parked perfectly.

Most of the cars in this wearhouse had signs in the front window with make, engine size, mileage and sometimes the color. The names were very entertaining.

This was the closest Rambler stationwagon we could find that was like the Rambler Fred's Grandpa Howes owned. Fred's parents gave it to us when we got married. When Fred picked me up for our first date in this car, I was a little taken back......but when I sat inside it was pristine. 

Taking a picture of Fred taking a picture.

Look at this fold down bed. Pretty inventive I would say.

So many cars and so many colors.

This is the interior of a 1965 Rambler. It looked a lot like the one my parents owned that I remember. I don't remember if ours was this fancy, but isn't it a beautiful interior?

 I love this pearl rose color that was prevalent on a lot of cars from ealier years. 

This looked just like the Chrysler New Yorker our family owned when we lived in Canoga Park in the late 1960s. It was a beast of a car. Very luxurious!

This AMC Eagle wagon was new in 1988 when Scott was born.

This is a new AMC Eagle on the market when Shannon was born in 1983.

This also is an AMC Eagle that came out the year Corinne was born in 1981.

I don't know what this is. There were no signs, but the showroom was basically Nash, AMC inventory.

Some wierd car with only three wheels.

These two cars reminded of the cars in Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters at California Adventure.

This one is just darling.

When Fred and I started dating, he said he would love to own a Black BMW. Well this guy is an predecessor of the BMW Fred had in mind. 

To get inside the car, you lift the front of the car, like a reverse trunk.

One of the building displays is basically a home from probably the 60s. The rooms reminded so much of the homes my grandparents lived in. 

Very impressive hair dryer going on here. 

This dresser reminds me a lot of Grandma Daly's bedroom set. The furniture from these earlier time periods were so much more decorative in the trim work. Works of art rather than totally just style of today.

I can't imagine an orange kitchen. Even the wall phone is orange. It is cheery and bright.

A very modern appliance of the day. Water faucet, blender and an early form of the Kitchen Aid.

This was the jute box in the living room. I don't imagine too many people actually had one in their living room, but it certainly represents music from earlier times.

One speaker on the wall was their stereo system.

How is this for luxury. A small black and white tv and box fan. It does look familiar.

I find this really so lovely. Simple. 

This dresser again reminds me of Delna's bedroom furnture. I just love the decor.

We never had a big console tv like this growing up. Very fancy.

This color scheme is pretty wild, but it definitely followed the orange theme of the kitchen.

I fell in love with this retro Pink Kitchen. I felt like I was in a life size Barbie Dream Home. 

I do love pink. This kitchen looks nothing like what we see today, but holding it's own on being pretty 

luxurious. 

                    

The Rambler Ranch is open only seasonally May through October from 10 am to 2 PM. If you are into old cars at all, you can spend the full four hours there. There is a $20 donation fee. We had such a good time reminiscing about our early lives. Seeing the marvelous inventive and beautiful cars through the ages. What wondorous machines and so beautifully detailed. 

Utah Extravaganza 2024

 Fred and I planned a roadtrip to Utah for our grandson Garrett's high school graduation.

As time passed, more events entered into our agenda.

We met with Fred's cousin Jim Daly and his wife Candace and their daughter Danika and Fred's sister Sharlotte and her husband Randy at the Draper Temple.

Fred and Jim were here to serve as proxy for their father's Arthur (Fred's dad) and Frank (Jim's dad) to be sealed to their parents. A lot of coordination took place and in the end everything worked out great. After the temple, we all went to a nearby Kneaders and enjoyed lunch and visiting.

This is Fred and his cousin Jim. They have many memories of times together growing up along with Bob (Jim's brother).

This is a picture of all who attended the temple.

Ben and Corinne (our daughter), Fred and I, Randy and Sharlotte, Jim, Candice and Danika.

Three cousins. Sharlotte, Fred and Jim in birth order.

One day Corinne took us to the Church Office Building where she works on Temple Square in Salt Lake City. She works in the Temple department. She travels to all the new temples in South America to help train and assist the Laundry and Clothing Departments before opening.

For now, this is Corinne's office space. The members of this department are not required to come in everyday. They will start coming into work everyday beginning soon. The department will be moving to another office space at that time. Clara came along with us. That dress Clara is wearing was her mother Corinne's when she was five. We bought that dress in Japan when we lived there for a short time.

She is official now!

This is a view to the Church Administrative building. The circled window is President Nelson's office. Corinne said he always has his curtains open.

We ate lunch in the Church Office Cafeteria where the story about President Nelson squishing his plastic water bottle took place.

We went into the Church History Museum. This is the children's section. 

Clara being very sweet.

This is the construction of the Salt Lake Temple. This was the main entrance. 

A good view of the temple. 

Here is a closeup of the Temple's old entrance. 

Here is the Assembly Hall also under construction.

A good Grandma and Clara moment.

Corinne with me too! 

Stepped into the Tabernacle for a few minutes. 

Corinne also got us tickets to attend the Layton Temple Open House. 

Spencer, Henry and Clara came with us. Garrett was out with friends. 

Finally the Syracuse High School Graduation. I think I remember there was nearly 700 graduates. That's bigger than my high school. 

Obviously there is Garrett.

There again.

They provided a great picture moment for the graduates.

Here's our Graduate!

Ben's parents Gary and Margot, his sister Sarah and her husband Evan, Spencer, Fred and I.

We ate at Freddy's afterwards. Garrett was busy meeting up with his friends for all kinds of activities while we were there. He was hard to pin down. 

On our way to St. George Fred wanted to stop at several cemeteries to decorate the graves of his grandparents and parents. This is Orem Cemetery where his Grandpa Daly was buried.

The weather unfortunately was not very good. Lots of rain.

This is Fred's grandpa (LaVerne Daly) 

A beautiful display for the Memorial Day weekend at the Orem Cemetery.

Next we went to the Junction Cemetery where his Grandpa and Grandma Howes are buried. 

Fred leaving flowers.

This is Fred's Grandpa Howes and his Grandma Howes.

This is the headstone for Fred's Uncle Boss and his wife Elna. We have several memories with them. I love the time we were able to spend with them. 

Veterans who have been buried here in the Junction Cemetery have these plaques posted along the drive. This first one is a cousin of Fred's on his Mom's side.

This is Fred's grandfather's grave. Grandpa Howes lived with Fred's family in So. California during the summers and then finally moved there permanently. He and Fred shared a bedroom. 

Errol is Fred's uncle (his Mom's brother).

The last cemetery visit of the day was in Panguitch, Utah. Fred's parents are buried here.

They have a beautiful headstone. 

Here is the backside of the headstone with their children, Sharlotte and Fred.

We finally made it to St. George. We were able to stay with Fred's sister Sharlotte. It was nice to be there. We ended up being at church for four hours attending some part of four different wards. Each ward now has some portion of our original Treasure Valley Ward members. We were successful in seeing just about everyone that we really wanted to see. 

We attended an endowment session in the newly opened Red Cliff's Temple. Our previous home is 1.4 miles away. That was very disappointing to be moving away from having this beautiful new temple so near our home. 

Sharlotte managed to get one parting pictures as we were getting into our car for home. 

We met up with my brother Craig and his wife Lynette. I need to take a picture of us. I don't know why I don't get that done. Corinne came along so we had a very nice visit at Cafe Zuppas (so I got my fix).

A very action packed roadtrip. It was so wonderful to meet up with some of our family and old friends. 

Now looking back, I did love my time living in Utah.