Halfway (Either done or left)

Dear grandkids and all you others

We mentioned that we were allowed back into Zion's Camp Monday. Before that we officiated a session in the Temple with our good friends from the Payson Temple, the Hathaways as patrons. Then we met Pat and Kathleen Rose in the Temple after our shift. We went to lunch all afternoon with them and talked missions and other things. When we got back we found out about the reprieve and immediately made our jail break with three others. The next two to go waited long enough to move in the rain. Act immediately and you often avoid negative consequences.

Tuesday we cleaned part of the Erie Canal Trail as a service project. 1 and 1/2 mile walk and we found virtually nothing. We walked with Larry and Jolene Reynolds and that was fun. Then we had to get back set up and everything in place here in the RV. Moving is a pain.

Wednesday was our split shifts and very exhausting. Mom and I had a very interesting experience in sealings which caused us to think 'What if the mother came and the father had not accepted the Gospel on the other side?' It is almost too sad to contemplate. You want to do anything you can to bring that family together, but they have to make their own choices.

Thursday we went to Lockport and rode the canal boat.

Before that we all helped the Odds who had a leak in their trailer. (And it was raining.)

Then it was off to Lockport and the boat for a ride through the highest locks on the Erie Canal.

This is Paul Bisig who went with us.
Here are the rest of us.

There used to be five locks each rising ten feet, (the hole in the ground before where the water is now)

Here is where the old locks and new ones come together

 but now there are two that do twenty five feet each.

Inside they like huge cement boxes with doors on the end you sail into and either let water out or fill up, depending on whether you want to go up or down. The ducks love it and eat things off the wall. The lesson is to enjoy where you are.

This cute little boat used to work around the locks and push barges. Small things accomplish great works.

The doors are never sealed shut, but always leak. We aren't perfect either, but just need to get the work done.

The locks are never allowed to get more full than the green line on top. We should be the same way and never over do things. When we do, we can overflow and fail.

There is one bridge over 300 feet wide over the canal that has buildings on it, but the canal goes on anyway, unnoticed. We should never worry about recognition.

You can see how the canal carved it out of the rock. It was hard work.

Very hard. But they did it step by step. It took three years to complete this section, but they did it. There were many piles of green shale left lying around after they were done.

But always be careful what you agree to. The railroad asked to build over the canal. They were required to keep the rails fifteen feet above the canal. And they did, but by building the tressel upside down, they closed off most canal traffic and forced the barges to transfer their cargo to trains. Don't let anyone fool you, always ask the Lord if something is right before you do something, because you could lose the strait and narrow way to the Celestial Kingdom if you're not careful.

And watch the lights. There are three red lights, one for each quarter of the way up or down in the lock, but only when the white light shows is it safe to go on.

Remember that there was lots of extra rock piled up after the canal was finished, so they used it to build with "free stone". Waste not, want not.

Along the sides of the canal are many businesses, homes and churches. If you are busy doing the right things, people will want to be around you.

And always eat ice cream.

Grandma will tell you about our special experience Friday. Saturday we worked very hard and Sunday we had 3 extra kids in our class from the Syracuse Stake. We talked about being always worthy to go to the Temple. We stopped by after Church to give a friend a blessing. He is having very dangerous surgery tomorrow but the Lord will heal him.

Love you all

Grandad