On Owens Pond

Aug 25, 2018: Kids from church have a great time at Owens Pond.

School started four weeks ago. A month from now, autumn will begin to set in and the leaves will start changing up their colors. Out-of-town visitors will flood our community for the annual Fall Festival at the end of September, hoping to see the changing of the leaves. 

Now was the right time for a late-summer outing, before colder weather moves in. Thus, the bishopric of our ward made plans for a church picnic at a popular recreational area located on property owned by one of the early settler families in our area, the Owens family.

Owens Pond is a popular spot for young people and families.

On Saturday, everyone from our church ward--young and old--was invited to join together for outdoor fun and delicious eats, and all ward members were encouraged to invite their friends and family to come celebrate with us. It was mostly the young, of course, who took advantage of the huge pond for swimming, kayaking, and other water games. Most of us oldsters were happier sitting in the pavilion and visiting, or playing horseshoes and cornhole (beanbag) games. Thankfully, the rain that had fallen all morning took a break while our picnic was going on.

Mark (blue shirt at right) stands at the top of a small ramp.

Since we shared the property with a herd of cattle, it was important to watch where you stepped. I warned Mark about the "cow pies" underfoot, and two minutes later he stepped in one. In flip-flops. He scraped it off in the grass the best he could, and then we hiked up to the pond to watch the fun for a while.

I turned away for a few minutes to capture kids swinging over the water.

While Mark stood at the top of a little water-ramp, surveying the scene, I wandered away to take pictures of other activities around us. When I returned, he was sitting on the dock next to the ramp, moaning. He told me, "I almost broke my neck." He explained that he'd taken a step down the ramp into the water, hoping to rinse off more of the cow-patty gunk, only to slip on the slick slime of algae on the concrete. His feet went up and he landed on his back. Not good, but at least he avoided a head injury or any breakage.

When I turned back, Mark was sitting on the dock, recovering from a fall.

He'd slipped on the slimy film covering the ramp and landed on his back!

After that, we wandered back over the hill to the pavilion, where we sampled delicious potluck foods and visited with great folks. The picnic was well-attended, with more than 100 people joining in by the end of the day. Our bishopric provided burgers and hot dogs with all the fixings, while volunteers brought the sides, like fresh watermelon, homegrown tomato wedges, baked and slow-cooker beans, potato salad, macaroni salad, two types of coleslaw, and a variety of chips and dips, as well as trays and trays of desserts. We were stuffed by the time the event ended three hours later.

It's always satisfying to spend time with our ward family, which I'm so happy to say now includes my daughter and son-in-law, Sarah and Chris, since they bought their house in our ward area. It's a good feeling to know there are so many people who love us and are there for us, whom we also love and care for. 

What better way to spend the dwindling days of summer!

Over the hill from the pond was our pavilion and picnic area.