Family

Heather, Ze, and the grand kids all departed today for San Diego as did Linda.

Linny Goes Home

On Thursday morning I took Linny back to Salt Lake meeting her grandpa halfway at Price. As always, I will miss her. We went through quite an experience together and did pretty well. On the way we found this.

For a month I've been telling guests when they go through Kane Creek on the way here to go through the right side coming and the left side going back. I don't even call San Juan County anymore to come fix it as they always say we'll fix it when everything calms down and there's no more bad weather coming. So I just drive through it over and over to find the shallow places and most firm ground with little mud and tell guests to go through there. Apparently one of Doug's people didn't notice that the county finally showed up and graded it but pushed all the mud to the formerly safe side.

It's a Beautiful Morning

Wednesday morning Jax and I hiked out towards the Wind Caves and back. Beautiful and quiet.

Came the Rain, Then the Bows

Disc, Jax, and What Was That?

After getting back from Starship Enterprise Jax and I did the new 18 holes with Heather and Ze and the grand kids.

This is what Jax looks like after two long hikes in the morning and chasing squirrels through three vehicles.

Then standing on the porch I see a huge cargo tanker or of sorts come a couple hundred feet over the hill and make a diving motion towards the lodge, correct itself, and fly down the river.

Jax Had a Good Day

When we got back from hiking Jax said there was a squirrel in the Kymco but I couldn't see one anywhere. Still I hooked up the hose and sprayed the Kymco and the squirrel ran from the Kymco into the Polaris which I sprayed and it ran into the SUV, which I sprayed and it got away. But Jax was entertained for about half an hour.

Missing Vegetation

When you see a bush like this with lots of greenery missing on the branches. The mule deer stand taller than the big horn and so usually if it's higher than four feet where the vegetation is missing it's mule deer. Anything less is probably big horn. Squared off scat is mule deer and if it has a bit of a nipple on the end of it like a Hershey"s kiss, it's big horn.

Starship Enterprise

Jax and I hike over to the star ship. Jax always has to check on the dead cow.

The Fingers (Without Ladders)

Jax and I have returned to The Fingers, without ladders, to see if Mother Nature has eliminated all tracks of our intrusion. On Thursday it rained, hailed, rained, hailed, and rained one more time. Wash, rinse, wash, rinse, and wash. We're gone, no tracks, no trash. Jax and I will visit occasionally to see how long it takes for the little people to come home.

Saturday

Michelle took off for a couple days until we get busy on Monday again. Linny found that some of the cast and crew are still in town for a few days so she's off the visit them and the family has taken the side by sides to the Wind Caves and Chicken Corner. Kobae has come back to the porch, Jax too, and we're the only ones here.

Friday Morning

Everyone is leaving the lodge today. It's a disaster but with time the trailers are disappearing, the tents have come down, equipment is packing. Michelle and Jax returned Thursday night for the Friday morning challenge that is upon us. The lodge re-rents Friday afternoon and it will take a combined effort from Michelle, Linny, and I to get it done in time for the family reunion which takes up every room but mine where Linny and Michelle will sleep while my journey on the floor of the office continues.

We're a little late with guests who showed up but it's done. Tomorrow life returns to non movie normal.

That's a Wrap People

It rained and hailed most all of the day and as it turned out all scenes today were scheduled for indoor. Linny's room was a scene, then her bathroom, then the wrap up was in the living room. Around the fire pit tonight those that hadn't left after today's filming were talking about being on the road all the time and one said "This is the profession we choose. Sometimes the hours are long and the conditions difficult but to be part of a storytellers dream, well there's nothing better than that. We're all lucky."

The Director Said

"We have an announcement everyone. That's a movie wrap for Linda Villenueva." There was a lot of applause.

Linny's Last Movie Day

Wednesday is Linny's last day filming and she's not a ghost so no serious make up or blood involved.

With Morning

The rain hit The Fingers just before they wrapped up the filming and a lot of mud was tracked into the lodge. When I wake up Wednesday morning the lodge is as trashed as I've ever seen it.

Back in the Fingers

Cast and crew were under the threat of weather all day and evening and got hit once earlier in the day and during this shoot it lingered and began just a few minutes after the shoot ended. It feels as if Mother Nature is ready to cleanse the canyon.

I had to use the Fuji XP to video. It doesn't pick up sound very well as the Go Pro does but when the Go Pro shuts off or goes dead it makes a lot of noise and I didn't want to ruin any video. Stephanie is a lead character in the movie. We spend several mornings walking the property talking about and identifying life around here. Each time she'd learn something new she'd incorporate it in her part. She took the shoot very seriously as they all did.

After the Dying is Done

After the echoes of the screams have faded, the sound of the axe finding it's mark, the blood has stopped flowing and been absorbed by the ground and those that have tragically died on this day have ceased to exist, The Fingers and Base Camp return to themselves.