UTAH--LOOSE ENDS.

We spent our last day in Utah making a few small trips to some areas we had spotted during our travels earlier in the week. Our first stop was Grafton, considered, according to our trusty guidebook, to be one of Utah's "best-preserved and most picturesque ghost towns." We were intrigued by the ghost town part but additionally by a story behind two of the remaining buildings. Apparently a Mormon bishop built a house for each of his wives--directly across the street from one another. Wait until you see the difference in those houses! And THE very last thing we did in Utah . . . we went to the OSTRICH FARM! Our Ostrich adventure ended up being one of my very favorite parts of our trip--and also played a very BIG role in our Easter celebration!

THIS HOUSE BELONG TO THE BISHOP'S FIRST WIFE . . .

AND THIS ONE BELONGED TO WIFE NUMBER TWO!

GRAFTON.

NOW FOR THE OSTRICH FARM . . .

OUR TRIP TO THE FARM CONSISTED OF BEING COMPLETELY IGNORED BY THE OSTRICHES. HOWEVER, I DID MANAGE TO ASK MR. OSTRICH FARMER IF WE COULD BUY AN EGG FROM HIM. FOR $15 HE OBLIGED!

WE THOUGHT THE EGG WAS FANTASTIC! IT WAS QUITE AN EXPERIENCE TO HOLD AN EGG THAT LARGE AND HEAVY. AND THE TEXTURE OF IT WAS AMAZING! WE WRAPPED OLLIE (AS MOM NAMED IT) IN A GIANT TOWEL, SHOVED HIM IN THE REFRIGERATOR AND CARTED HIM ALL THE WAY BACK TO IDAHO!

AND, YOU ASK, WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU DO WITH A GIANT OSTRICH EGG?

WELL, FIRST YOU GET OUT YOUR DRILL AND CAREFULLY DRILL A HOLE IN ONE END.

YOU SCRAMBLE THE EGG, WHILE IT IS STILL INSIDE THE SHELL . . .

AND DUMP THAT GIANT EGG INTO A BOWL . . .

DID YOU KNOW ONE OSTRICH EGG IS EQUAL TO 24 CHICKEN EGGS?!

AND THEN YOU WHIP UP A QUICHE . . .

AND SERVE IT TO YOUR FAMILY FOR EASTER BRUNCH!

BY THE WAY, OSTRICH EGG QUICHE TASTES JUST LIKE REGULAR QUICHE!

AND IN CASE YOU ARE WONDERING, OLLIE'S HOLLOW SHELL IS NOW ON DISPLAY AT MY HOUSE! I CAN'T THINK OF A BETTER SOUVENIR FROM OUR UTONIAN ADVENTURES!

AND NOW FOR THE RANDOM PHOTOS . . .

THIS SIGN CRACKED DAD UP!

THIS IS A PHOTO OF ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS SIGHTS IN THE AREA.

THE WAVE.

WE WOULD HAVE LOVED TO SEE THE WAVE! BUT . . . SEEING THE WAVE IS A BIG ORDEAL! YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PERMIT TO HIKE THERE AND PERMITS ARE HARD TO COME BY! VERY FEW PEOPLE ARE ALLOWED INTO THE AREA EACH DAY. THEREFORE, YOU HAVE TO APPLY FOR YOUR PERMIT MONTHS AND MONTHS IN ADVANCE! AND THERE ARE ALL SORTS OF CRAZY RULES YOU MUST FOLLOW ON YOUR HIKE TOO. SO, WE MISSED THE WAVE. :( BUT, WHEN I'M LIVING IN SANTA CLARA--I GUARANTEE YOU WILL HIKE THE WAVE! WHO'S IN?!