Who says an "old" dog can't learn new tricks?

Check out the talent here. The elders worked hard on their new found skills.

 Well, it did take a few practice tries.

 Trust me, it only looks like ballet.

Elder Johnson will be learning another new trick. He has been asked to start practicing the piano to play for Rendezvous starting in September. Playing for Rendezvous is a little like switching from regular violin to fiddling. It moves incredibly fast probably so the "old" folk missionaries don't fall asleep on the job. Either that or the speed is mercy for the audience since we have talent like you may never have seen!

Happy Father's Day to men everywhere!

 On our preparation day we went to Fort Madison. The tour guide below was a good sport when the men asked how the wooden stocks worked.

See definition below:
Rather like the lesser punishment called the stocks, the pillory consisted of hinged wooden boards forming holes through which the head and/or various limbs were inserted; then the boards were locked together to secure the captive. Pillories were set up to hold petty criminals in marketplaces, crossroads, and other public places. They were often placed on platforms to increase public visibility of the offender. Often a placard detailing the crime was placed nearby; these punishments generally lasted only a few hours.

Elder Johnson was born in the wrong time and place don't you think?

 Old Fort Madison 1808-1813 is a reconstructed frontier outpost situated along the Mississippi River. I am always in awe at the scenery everywhere we go. That's one advantage of being raised in Arizona; the whole rest of world looks beautifully green in comparison.

San Francisco, you don't have the only set of hairpin turns. Snake Alley is a street located in Burlington, Iowa, once recognized by Ripley's Believe It or Not as the Crookedest Street in the World.

Lombard Street is an east–west street in San Francisco, California. It is famous for having a steep, one-block section that consists of eight tight hairpin turns. 

 Snake Alley only has five turns.

More relatives come to Carthage! Niece, Teresa, and Tyler's family along with Nephew, Phil and Julie's got a personal tour Saturday.

 We love company!

The tidal wave in Carthage has begun! We used to have anywhere between 50 and 150 guests each day. We are now averaging between 300 and 400 visitors. We currently close at 7 PM except Sundays which is always 5 PM, however, most people still think we close at 6 which is good with us since we're wiped out by then.

With the Nauvoo Pageant starting in a few weeks our life of being able to give private tours will be over.