Holiday Fun for the Wasatch Front

With Thanksgiving approaching I thought this would be a great time to share the treasure trove of seasonal events going on right here in the Ogden/SLC area. This is by no means a definitive list so please, anybody who has an event I haven't listed, fill me in via the comments section! Our family is always looking for cheap (or free!) activities to do.

OGDEN
1) Christmas Tree Jubilee presented by Weber Schools will be at the David Eccles Conference Center November 26,9am-8pm, & 28, 8am-8pm. The trees are decorated and auctioned off to raise money for special needs children in the school district. Admission is FREE, the conference center is located at 2415 Washington Blvd.
2)Holiday Lights Parade takes place on November 29th at 5:pm, early arrival is recommended to get a good view. The parade route runs from 22nd to 26th Streets along Washington Boulevard in downtown Ogden, floats will be viewable along 25th street afterwards. This event is FREE
3) Light of Christmas Village takes place immediately following parade on November 29th, at 6:30pm in the Municipal Amphitheater. There will be live entertainment and fireworks to mark the occasion, Santa Claus will be present & there will be vendors selling refreshments. This event is FREE, pictures with Santa are permissible (bring your camera!)
4) Peery's Egyptian Theatre presents The Polar Express as part of their Len Allen film series on December 8th, afternoon showtime TBA (call the office at 395-3227) Children 16 and under are free, adults are $3 and tickets will be sold one hour before the show. The Theater is located at 2415 Washington Blvd.
5) Weber County Library presents Family Fun Night at the Ogden Valley Branch, December 8th from 7-8pm. There will be stories, crafts, refreshments and more for the whole family, no registration necessary. Admission is FREE, Ogden Valley Branch is located in Hunstville at 131 S 7400 E.
6) The Old World Christmas Market will be held at Union Station on December 12, 13, 19, & 20. Local art, crafts and foods are sold at this outdoor market, childrens' activities will take place on Saturdays. Open to the public, located in Union Station Plaza at 2501 Wall Ave.

LAYTON
1) Layton City Parks Holiday Lighting Ceremony starts at 6pm on November 24th (that's tonight!), with singing in the Ed Kenley Amphitheater prior to turning the lights on. Admission is free, the amphitheater is located at 403 Wasatch Dr. in Layton Park.
2) Journey to Bethlehem is held at Mountain View Baptist Church on December 4, 5 (6:30-9pm) & 6,7 (5-9pm). This is an interactive drama for the whole family replete with live animals and an outdoor manger scene. Admission is FREE, the church is located at 2585 E 3000 N.

SLC
1) Feast with the Beasts at Hogle Zoo on Thanksgiving Day, November 27th. From 9-12 you can watch the animals recieve turkey shaped pinatas and other food-based enrichment treats, including an enormous pumpkin for the elephants to smash. Last year's was 800 pounds and this time it's supposed to be even bigger! Admission is FREE to members, regular admission otherwise. Located at 2600 Sunnyside Ave.
2) Lights On! is presented by DowntownSLC on November 28th, starting at 4:30pm. The lighting of downtown will begin at the Gallivan Center and progress through Temple Square and Gateway Mall. Activities include ice skating with Santa, free cookies, live music by Kurt Bestor and the One Voice children's choir at the Gallivan Center, plus visits with Santa, a Jon Schmidt piano concert and tree lighting at the Gateway. SLC Old World Christmas Market also starts on the 28th and will be held in the Gallivan Center through December 6th. Admission to Lights On! is FREE, as is downtown parking that night.
3) Zoolights! at Hogle Zoo begins on with special member days on December 3, 4 & 5 from 5-8pm. Members receive an additional $1 off the admission price ($5A, $3C) on these nights. The lights will be up through December 31st, regular admission for all other days. Be sure to bring your 3D glasses, or pick up a pair at the zoo!
4) Holiday Open House and Art Fair will be held at Red Butte Garden on December 6th & 7th, from 10am-5pm. Admission to the garden is FREE during the open house, making it a great time to enjoy the beauty of nature in winter. Red Butte Garden is located at 300 Wakara Way.

The Real Work Begins

Gosh folks, sorry to leave you hanging for so long! We've been spending the past weeks getting settled in our new home & neighborhood, dealing with the obligatory plumbing/electrical problems that always surface when moving into a new place, and unexpectedly commencing homeschool a la kindergarten. Busy, busy, busy! But now that we've settled into somewhat of a daily pattern it's time to bust out the tools and start work in earnest on what really needs to be done here in the Nuclear Bungalow.

Since we in the Rockies are rapidly closing on "frost date", I'm starting with that exterior job closest to my heart, planting the roses(cheers!). In preparation for the planting I get to do FUN things like tilling/composting the site, removing cat pee bushes(yes I know that's not what they're called), and knocking down the world's ugliest brick planter. Which has already broken one sledge handle. Hopefully the mason's chisel will work a little better, but there is a strong possibility that I will be planting around the thing for now.

So here are a few pics of what my front yard has looked like up to this point:

And this is what's going in the ground today:

Also, if I can find a "Green Gage"plum and "Blenheim" apricot locally that aren't budget-breaking these babies will be in rings around the trunks, in the island part of our yard:

Rough Landscape Plan

Here's what I've come up with so far. Of course, all this will be relative to the lot and house dimensions, which may be slightly different than depicted here. I know that some of the writing may be hard to read, so I'll try to clear things up with a list of the major plants that are going in. The pavers are only representative right now, still haven't decided between brick and pre-cast stone. One is more aesthetically pleasing, the other easier for kid traffic. And the drive will eventually be repaved with concrete, pigmented and scored to mimic slate tile. Also, we are considering switching out the teepee in the Kid's Garden for a wooden play/potting structure at Costco. The thing is ready to assemble and only costs $300, plus G is begging pretty heavily. I am so happy to have another plant lover that I will probably cave!

Front yard view

Rear yard view

-Rose Garden (inspired by Prairie Rose House!)

2 "Austrian Copper", rambling species; 1 "Eden", climbing tea; 1 "Sombreuil", climbing tea; 1 "Abraham Darby", English shrub; 1 "Queen Nefertiti", English shrub; 1 "Graham Stuart Thomas", English shrub; 1 "Golden Celebration", English shrub; 1 "Gertrude Jeckyll", English shrub; 1 "La Reine Victoria", Rambling bourbon; 1 "Mary Rose", English shrub; 1 "Angel Face", hybrid tea; 1 "Apothecary Rose", Gallic; 1 "Reine des Violettes", bourbon; 1 "William Shakespeare 2000", English shrub; 1 "Wise Portia", English shrub; 1 "Mme Alfred Carriere", noisette; 1 "Mme Hardy", damask; 1 "Darlow's Enigma", musk; 1 "Desiree Parmentier", gallic.

-Fruit trees in front

1 "Green Gage", European plum; 1 "Wilson Delicious", apricot.

-Fruit trees in rear

1 "Wolf River", apple; 1 "Lodi", apple; 1 "WhiteGold", cherry; 1 "Royalton", cherry; 1 "FlavorCrest", peach; 1 "O'Henry", peach.

-Ornamental trees/shrubs in Kid's Garden

1 "Autumn Gold", gingko biloba; 1 "Nicholsonii", Japanese maple; 1 "Blue Atlas", weeping cedar (not shown); 1 "Primrose", lilac; 1 common lilac.

-"Possible" hedge along drive ( I feel a little mean about planting something that will definitely spread to the other side of the fence, but I also want some privacy)

2 "Adelaide Dunbar", lilacs; 2 "Mme Lemoine", lilacs; 2 "Charles Joly", lilacs; 2 "President Grevy", lilacs.