Today is Pioneer Day

Pioneer Day commemorates the entry of Brigham Young and the first group of Mormon Pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847.

This picture was taken last summer when the Florida Pattons went on a "trek" with friends in Liberty, Utah. They pulled handcarts, wore long skirts, and were real pioneers for three days.

When I was 8 or 9 I visited my grandparents in Utah. I must have been there for Pioneer Day (which is a BIG holiday in Utah) which probably prompted the writing of this poem. I remember writing it in my head and then getting out of bed and finding pen and paper to write it down.

I WISH I WAS A PIONEER
I wish I was a pioneer so I could wear long dresses
But still they didn’t have the stores like Skaggs or even Kresses
They didn’t have a laundromat
They washed their clothes in streams
And when they made new dresses they would sew up all the seams
I wish I was a pioneer clomping through the rains [that was me last Friday!]
I wish I was a pioneer crossing many plains.

I have a soft spot in my heart today for my relatives that crossed the plains and heard Brigham Young say, "This is the place!"