Pioneer Day

     Today is pioneer day here in the great state of Utah.  It's like an extra fourth of July.  I remember when we moved here four years ago today.  I couldn't figure out why some of the stores were closed, the streets were shut down for parades and there were fireworks.  Pioneer Day? What the heck is that?  It is a day where Utahans celebrate there pioneer heritage.  And celebrate they should.  I mean those were some hardy folks crossing the plains in covered wagons and hand carts.  They didn't have shock absorbers in those days and the food must have been awful, kind of like at the beach when you bite into your burger and find that even though you guarded it like Fort Knox, there is sand in your burger. Crunch crunch.  You had to deal with the freezing cold, blazing heat, bugs, snakes and all the other creepy crawlies and critters.  Not to mention trying to keep clean on the trail. I mean, can you imagine all those people not bathing for months. Gross!  I won't even go into the bathroom situation.
     I have always found that time period fascinating and if given the chance I might even go back in time to see what it was like for about a week and that would be it.  I like not having to kill my food before I cook it. I like indoor plumbing, air conditioning and an oven I don't have to chop wood to turn on. I like ice. Can you imagine on a blistering hot day what the pioneers would have given for a bag of ice. I like my washer and dryer, my car and the air conditioning therein.  I like Walmart.
     Yes, let's tip our hats to the people that made the settlement of the west a reality.  They were strong, faithful, long-suffering and patient men and women.  How else could they endure months and months of, "Are we there yet? Are we there yet? I have to use the chamber pot. Tell dad to pull over. Are we there yet?"