I want a 10 gallon stetson and a horse that bears my brand

The other day Tasha asked where I would go if I could go back to any time period, any place. The answer, which shouldn't surprise anyone who knows me, is the southwest of the late 1800s. While the only things I have to show for my love of the southwest/cowboy/ranch ideal is a couple pairs of boots, a stetson, and some second hand cowboy shirts (which I'm too chubby to wear now, by the way), I would live that life in a heartbeat.

I wouldn't even have to go back in time. I drop everything to be a rancher/farmer (I know their is a big difference between the two) and never look back. Which is saying something because I really do love my job. I can easily see myself in just about any Marty Robbins song.

Anyway, that love was reaffirmed last week when I was scouring flickr for pictures of downtown Logan, Utah for a project a work. Amid the pictures of the Bluebird, Logan Canyon, Main Street, the tabernacle and the rest of the Logan landmarks I found this beautiful piece of cowboy poetry carved into the back of a headstone in the Logan cemetery.


I would have liked to know him in real life, I'm sure he had a wicked sense of humor.

Life on State

I think about three people read this blog. Since the three of you know me, you know that I am an urban planner. You know this because it is the only thing I talk about. Well, that and bikes. You also know about this project I am working on at work, the one about State Street, yep, that one. The one I've droned on and on about for months.

Well, it is in full swing now. We have a website (it will look much, much better in the near future), a facebook page, and we are even twittering (tweeting?)!

I think I may be the first person to get a facebook profile because my boss told me to.

Anyway, we are having two public meetings at the end of the month. These are the first two of the process and we are looking for a) a lot of people and b) a lot of input about State Street. We have done some existing conditions analysis (did you traffic volumes haven't changed much on State since 1970), but the process is still in its very early stages. These meetings are really going to be the jumping off point for our work in the next few months. And we do actually listen.

The meetings are:

May 26
Copperview Elementary
8449 South Monroe Street
Midvale
6:00 PM

or (because they will be the same meeting)

May 28
Columbus Center
2531 South 400 East
South Salt Lake
6:00 PM

You should come (and tell everyone you know to come) because it is one of the rare opportunities to get involved in the planning process at the beginning as opposed to right at the end when it is too late for your input to matter.

Tell us what is working on State, what isn't working, and how we should go about fixing it.

Oh, and there will be food.

There is a woman sitting in her car at my dad's house blasting Mormon pop with a gigantic plastic sack of bagles on her lap. So there's that.