The wildflowers are in glorious bloom right now  in the Albion Basin at the top of Little Cottonwood Canyon in the Wasatch mountains past  Alta Ski Resort. Rick and I always try to have our anniversary picnic as near to our actual  June anniversary as the snow pack will allow. So we went this past week. If you decide to go be prepared to hike a bit and prepared for the temperature changes at about 9,000ft elevation. It’s definitely a bonus- although a bit more crowded when the wildflowers are in bloom. We didn’t want to brave the crowd in order to get anywhere near the actual Albion Basin Campground  or the Cecret Lake trailhead this time.

We  hiked nearby but in the other direction and packed in a picnic of wine, Manchego cheese, bread, Picholine and Sahli olives, fruit, nuts and the darkest chocolate we can find -short of cacao nibs. We perch on a huge granite boulder and celebrate our love of  our life for yet another year.  Cherries and olives are requisite because we’ve developed a contest of blowing the pits as far as we can. (Rick always wins.) We do this only because they’re biodegradible and are unsuitable for the climate so we don’t feel we’re littering. Although if one day there is a little cherry grove in a small dell surrounded by granite boulders and pines and near a certain ski lift- you’ll know they came from us- the johnny cherryseeds- Rick and Gabi. Our favourite anniversary picnic wine is a Katherine’s Vineyard Chardonnay from Cambria. – Which of course Rick always opens with his trusty Swiss Army Pocket knife.

We saw our Mr. Moose again this year he was a nice glossy chocolate brown with a huge set of antlers. I didn’t get a picture because there was a crowd ogling him and I didn’t want to add to the throng.

Wishing you all a year of love and laughter and serendipity do.

Oh and here’s a good reminder to….

Bloom where you’re planted!