My Job(s) are better than your vaction

"My job(s) are better than your vacation"

I have been very blessed with great opportunities because of the work that I do. Travel, training and the people I work with, have been a great blessing in my life. There have been a few perks along the way. March has been a tough month:

Nassau, Bahama: 4 days of being cooped up in a hotel was rewarded with a day of Scuba diving.

Why is this guy smiling?

This is the plane from the movie Jaws that got eaten by the shark.

[Hey! whats that shadow behind you?????]

Some people ask me why I stay at Powder Mountain teaching/guiding skiing for the past 36 years. Well yesterday one of my dreams came true. I have been training the past year [Wilderness First Responder, Avalance training] so I could lead back country cat skiing. The call came late Monday night and jumped at the opportunity. Of course 18" of new snow and blue skies helped with the sacrifice....

Powder Safari Tour Cat

Which track is mine??? :)

LaPlate/Davenport canyon [East of Powder Mountain] I'm still smiling :)

Twins?

2 VERY cute cousins. Sporting 2 cute shirts from Grandma.

Just 5 weeks apart in age. Very FUN! Best of friends

Stratford Family Christmas party 2010

Stratford Family Christmas Party

2010

December 19, 2010, the Stratford family held their annual Christmas party at the Weber Co Sheriffs Posse House. Great Grandpa Stratford [age 94] enjoyed his posterity along with a visit from Santa.

Trev was happy with Santa and his first Christmas.
Tracen was all smiles as he told Santa what he wanted. I wonder what it was?
Tyler was making a list and checking it twice, to make sure Santa got it right.
Tate was checking Santa out. Making sure it was really Santa.

Rhett liked the beard for his first Christmas with Santa.

Mav had a great time with Santa.

Slater was not so sure about this guy in red. A bit overwhelming.

Santa remembered when these two fit on his lap.....

Princess Madi was sweet as always with Santa.

Kevin loved all the attention and was ready for the candy cane.

Nathan was all smiles as usual and just as plump as Santa.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Subway Slot Canyon- 9/2010

Zions NP: Subway Slot Canyon; Sept. 2010

This past weekend I had the great opportunity to hike the Subway Slot Canyon in So. Utah. WOW! What an amazing place. The hike took about 7 hrs and 10 miles through, pines, red rock, narrow slot canyons, very cold water and even a few dinosaur tracks.

Each spring this canyon is filled with rushing water, rocks, and mud, that carves a new channel.

There were many places that we had to rope up to get through.

This giant marble is lodged into the rock. During high water, you have to swim under the water to get past it. We just had to rope up and drop into the water.

YES THE WATER IS COLD! We wore wet suits and use water bags to keep our stuff dry.

This is my good friend Mark Meadows -he set Janelle and I up on a blind date... also the best man at our wedding.

Every good hike needs at least one "cheese cake photo"

-What a stud-

[or was that what a dud?]

Tyler Jacobs 1st time waterskiing...

Great Grandma Waite and Trev at Avery Martin's blessing.

Deanne was a trooper and brough 2 day old Trev to Avery's baby blessing. She's amazing!

Deanne had baby Trev last week, so to keep her other kids happy... Grandpa took us all boating! (Except Tracen, he was at his Aunt Jill's house :( ) The grand kids got brave with Grandma and went on the tube.

This is the ski that Tyler so amazingly skied on. He saw Caden ski on it and from then on he was determined to ski! So Uncle Shane jumped in the water with Ty to help him out. He told him, "You'll probably fall a few times and that's okay. We'll just keep trying!" First time he got up and skied all over the lake! Good Job Ty! He was so proud of himself that he could "skate ski". (That's what he calls it)

Baby Trev Jacobs finally arrived... Nate and I went to visit him in the hospital. Nate looked big enough to eat Trev! They grow so fast!

What a beautiful little baby! So sweet!

Nate's documented smile! He's so happy to have his cousin here with him!

Kings Peak 2010

Kings Peak 2010 = Utah's highest peak: 13,528 '

July 28-29-30, 2010

Tyler [mad man] Wangsgard

Keith [Old Man] Stratford, Jr.

We started at Henry's Fork Camp Ground: 9,200', on Thursday; July 28th. Hiked 7 miles to Dollar lake, where we made our base camp.[10,000'] Along the way we crossed rivers, dodged rain and rocks.

On Friday at 6:30am we started our 6 mile [one way] hike to the peak. The trail was tough. The finial 2 miles and 2,500'elevation was boulder hopping.

You are above the tree line, so only rocks and rocks and then there were a few more rocks to climb.

The views were spectacular. The weather was perfect.

We finially made it to the top: [left to right,back to front] Mark Meadows, Dean Barney,
Scott Diamond, Tyler Wangsgard, Tyler Kunz,Carson Kunz,

Keith Stratford, Adrean Diamond, Dean Foust, Landon Foust

Old Man vs Young Man [4 hrs vs 2 1/2 hrs]

Sue [Diamond] "Supper Dog"[she made it to the top]

Henery's Fork Lake

Causualties of the hike "Ouch, that hurts" Mrs. Diamond.....

We had a great time. Traveled 35 miles in three days, 4,500' elevation gain, a bunch of calories burned and yes we did stink...... but who cares, we bagged the peak!

93 Not a bad golf score

93

Is not his golf score.... It is His Age!

On June 19, 2010 Great Grandpa Stratford, Brian, Dan, Shane and Keith Jr. went to Riverside Golf Course for a day of Golf.

The first time Grandpa went to swing the club alone, he stagered forward about 5 steps, we thought we had lost him.
From then on one of us would hold on to his belt when ever he would swing.

What a great day!
He still has a pretty good swing.