Trip to the Susquehanna River

This past week we went down to Oakland, PA to the site of the restoration of the Priesthood on the banks of the Susquehanna River.  We weren't able to go on May 15 since Joseph worked and Kimball was at preschool so we went the following day.  The drive took just over an hour and it was a perfect day for it.  The temperatures were warm but not hot and there were just enough clouds to make the sky pretty without it being cloudy.

Joseph and I visited a year and a half ago right after Hurricane Irene had hit the area.  When we visited it was very muddy and flooded with a lot of mosquitoes.  It was much prettier this visit and mosquito free!

Joseph and the kids wanted to feel the water temperature so they went wading.  They wanted to see how cold the water was so they could get an idea of how cold it might have been when Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were baptized.  Joseph guessed that it may have been about 50 degrees.  It was cold enough that all three let out a gasp or commented when they first felt the water.  

Kimball signed his name in the guest book.  For being an "out of the way" church site there have been quite a few visitors.  The book we signed started in 2012 and  quite a few pages were filled.

We found a live crawdad in the river.  It was playing "dead".  We also saw a river otter,
but we made too much noise for it to get close to us.

Kimball and Rebecah sitting in front of baby Alvin Smith's grave.
Rebecah has a great expression on her face!

In front of the Priesthood monument.

We almost had some excitement on our trip.  As we walked down to the river the kids were running ahead of us.  They startled a deer and the deer headed in the direction of Joseph and me.  Thankfully, once the deer saw us it veered off again, but it could have been deadly for Joseph, me or both of us.  I'm sure a startled deer running swiftly would have caused some painful damage.