A surprise date

Over a week ago, Bryce told me he wanted to take me on a lunch date and that I should reserve Tuesday, July 12.  He wouldn't tell me where we were going, but did answer my questions about what to wear.  When he picked me up Tuesday about 11:15, he told me we were driving to Brigham City to see Moroni get placed on the new temple.  He has been watching the construction with great interest.  We hurried there because he knew it was supposed to happen at noon.  We went through a heavy rainstorm through the canyon and had to park about a mile away because everyone in the city was trying to get a place to see the event. 

At noon we found ourselves several blocks away underneath my umbrella watching as a crane carried three men in a basket to the steeple.  They hung there for awhile, and then went back down. 

 We could soon tell that nothing was happening quickly, so we walked closer to the temple and came upon the festivities on the Tabernacle grounds across the street.  Families were picnicking (one family had a barbecue grill) and sprawled out on blankets and lawn chairs.  Favorite spots were underneath trees, but one family even brought an awning.  Children were running around giggling and playing in the little irrigation ditch.

 The men in the crane went back down and a little bit later tried again.  It was soon apparent that the wind was too strong for them to lift Moroni into place.  A local Stake President gave a prayer over the loudspeaker asking for the wind to lift so that we could get Moroni into place.  Meanwhile, Bryce and I took a walk to the grocery store across the road to see if we could get some food or use a bathroom.  About half of the 5,000 people there had the same idea, so that didn't work.

 We did get some closer pictures on our way back though.

 Finally about 1:30, the wind had slowed enough that the second crane could lift Moroni into place.

  The workers in the basket spent well over an hour getting the lightning rod wires that were attached under the statue threaded down into the spire.  We watched for about twenty minutes and then decided to go get some food and come back to check later.

 Look at the sky now!  The wind had stopped and the clouds were gone.  After we had eaten lunch and came back to check, the men were still working.  Moroni does need to be very secure up there.  I'm sure he'll be there for a couple hundred years.