A Change of Heart

Not only do I not mind this whole camping thing...if it means I can experience hikes like this...I quite like it!

Like the nameless character on to whom Sam relentlessly pushed his Green Eggs and Ham...camping being my savory dish and my boys embodying Sam with the pestering to camp with them that just wouldn't quit...I must concede "hey, I do like hiking in a canyon...I do like camping under the Banyan...I will explore HooDoos here...I will enjoy an after-hike beer..."

My first solo hike...Lower Calf Creek Falls back to the camp site...3 miles...mostly powder sand...AND...ground squirrels, really cool lizards, several dozen trout in Calf Creek (the trail follows this all the way up the canyon), 16...really 16...humming birds all in a 10 feet radius, 3 separate thunder storms that rivaled a bowling match between Zeus and Hera (including bowling ball hail, golf ball size rain drops and lightening a little too close for comfort), the intoxicating scent of Sage Brush (never mind the havoc it plays on your sinuses), crickets galore...meandering thoughts...barefoot...and only passed 2 people in the 110 minutes it took...in a word...amazing!

incredible geography, gorgeous cowboys...Utah...I hate to leave you!

Bigger is NOT Better

let’s just chat about the good ole DFW, shall we? My encounter here is best described with an animated, ‘…F**K! Are you kidding me???!!!

Try these shit kickers on for size: My 10 year old son's best friend is flying alone for the first time…Seattle to Dallas…joining us on the rest of our adventure…he is MY responsibility! I am staying about 30 minutes from the airport…check online one more time and DAMN! his plane is 20 minutes early…f-ing tailwinds…I bust out of the house…of course, I get on the wrong freeway! Right, what else would I do?! I figure this out 10 minutes down the road and thankfully there is an alternate route…it takes a few more minutes, but I have no choice… Oh, btw, it is 5:30pm…nice! I get to DFW…realize that all the terminals here are completely different buildings…Crap! Finn and I are quite certain we saw Charlie's Alaska flight pass to land…driving, driving… circling again...finally, see the E Terminal signs…by this time Charlie’s plane has been on the ground for 15 minutes… …if you have never been to DFW…it is a cluster f**k! I am panicking…nearly in tears…Finn IS in tears…the thought of Charlie not knowing where we are and not having any way to call, is too much…I am looking around like mad trying to figure out how to get into the goll dern parking garage…I see an opening…I accelerate…feeling a bit of relief I tell Finn '...it is going to be fine'.

Not so fast, I notice the 6’4” clearance sign…”6’4”? I am fine,” …BANG! BANG! BANG! Oh crap! the Thule pod on the roof…that makes my car at least 6’8”! and those bangs were the three concrete rafters we hit and I realize the car is stuck…the only thing I can do is back up and hope for the best…needless to say there was no ‘best’. Exciting events ensue...large stranger helps me drag the pod off the car hood and over to the side...leave the pod and all the contents on the gravel near the garage ($1000's of camping equipment...remember I am about to camp for 2.5 weeks)...hope to gawd it is there when we return...pull an OJ through the airport to get to meet Charlie...pacing...waiting...pacing...waiting at baggage claim...10 minute search for the spot we left the pod...tearful phone call to Tom to explain (not sure which was worse the heat, the call...or the frustration of the ignorance it took to pull off such an incident)

lessons learned:
1. when entering a concrete airport parking garage, it would be prudent to remember when one is driving a Yukon with a Thule pod on top
2. the 6'4" height limit sign should be taken literally
3. do not drive 30mph in a 15mph
4. a Thule pod does more damage when hitting the hood of a car moving in reverse than it does to the roof to which it was attached (no more XM for this trip...damn!)
5. Multi colored duct tape and all the stickers you can find along the way on a road trip all make up a f'd up Yukon and Thule rack look pretty sweeeet!~

Frivolity

Oklahoma
Zooooom! There went Oklahoma...not much to say about that…we experienced the great state of Oklahoma for all of 36 miles! Got a pic at the state welcome sign…good times! Finn, Teage and I did realize is that we only know this much of the famous song….OOOOOOOOK-lahoma where the winds……dat daa da daa dat da… Mr Rodgers and Mr. Hammerstein would have been terribly disappointed!


Sweet Sweet Texas
Pullin’ across the Armstrong County line, balmy and 98…Lyle Lovett on the ipod (Cute as a Bug)…a fresh roadside stand peach in hand…heaven…and it hits me…I am inspired and with the notion that I may have found my hook… you know that feeling when you mind spins…you are so excited about something you find yourself smiling ear to ear…giggling…can’t quit fidgeting? I can’t even write about it without getting all befuddled …well, it was that kind of inspiration! more on this as it develops...

It’s Naught Pruh-nounst Like Tha-ee-ut
I was amused as we pulled into Dumas, Texas (pronounced doo-muss, mind you) for the night to pass a drive-thru liquor store/pawn shop. This was funny to me…but what reeeealy made me chuckle was the ‘XXX Movies and Sundries’ store situated right next door. There are SO many scenarios I imagine with these variables that make me smirk, question and shake my head, I think it best to just leave it out there to ripen…

Ahhh! Freedom of Speech in Texas (on billboards, anyway)
my favorites were:
Satan Sucks: my thoughts…You don’t say?
Jesus Christ is Lord, not a swear word: My thoughts…Geeezus, really? WTF, I am going to say now?

Paul Simon on my mind...

4th of July Weekend With the Whole Fam-damily - Incidents
1. MIL navigation can be daunting...a cold beer and a few sparklers can and will put it right into perspective
2. Dress yourself, your spouse, and most importantly your children, appropriately for the holiday, meals, visitors and for that matter the public pool…even if you do this there is an inherent risk being sent back to the suitcase
3. The kitchen does close…if yer hungry, don’t be late
4. Always answer with, ‘…that sounds like a great idea!’ then continue on with whatever you were doing...
5. If your counterpart must leave early, do not...under any circumstances...extend your trip

Road Trippin' Across Oregon & Nevada -Accidents
1. When enjoying a road trip from Oregon to Texas with your 80 year old aunt in 100+ degree weather, remember not to let her consume foods that are known to bring on digestive issues...especially when boys under 11 years of age in the car…and the conversation about appropriate bodily function banter has not occurred (unfortunately the heat was too much for her…we put her on a plane in Salt Lake City and meet her in Dallas)

2. Not many rest stops in Nevada. Moving up in altitude and heat...water consumption hits an all time high: Squatting is an art form…when a girl is rushed nothing good can come of it…I drove a little damp for the next few miles…ick, right?, I know…

Road Trippin' Across Utah - Hints of Allegations
1. Holy ever lovin’ Cowboys, Batman!!! Everywhere you look you can find a cozy little corral on the side of the highway...and there he is, maybe with a buddy...maybe not...practicin' his ropin' while the herd grazes on the hill...or just lazin' in the shade with his trusty horse..I had to stop and visit a spell.

2. This girl is not coming home a Mormon, but, since I am always game for stirrin’ up a little trouble, thought about switchin' it up and bringing home a few more husbands...don’t think Tom will mind….they would all have good paying jobs and look reeeal good all cowboy’d up.
Notable mention: the geography in Utah, specifically the salt flats …a must see for all the cool kats...

Steamboat Springs, Colorado - another accident...as accident, by it's very definition is something that could have been avoided
The people, the weather, the lifestyle…all fabulous! Too good to be true??? What is there NOT to love, you ask? The A Hole on the river through town…That’s what is NOT to love! The events of that first day went like this:
Kelly, Finn and Teage decide to tube the river…it is 97 degrees with no breeze, my youngest niece, Adelyn, has to nap and this should just about kill that 2 hours…we walk into town and size up the half dozen or so rental shacks…choose the one nicely snuggled up to the smoothie shop (thinking about how fabulous a cold smoothie will taste after a coupla hours on the river) I pay...and we move on to being fitted with life jackets...within seconds Teage's eyes are welling up with tears...he is afraid to ride alone…teens running the tube rental joint say they did not see any reason it would not be safe for him to ride with me, and offer “…the river is not that high...”. We are schooled with a very quick, and soon to find out, not-so-helpful, description of the river and areas to avoid…Teage is excited again and away we are sent…Immediately after putting in I realize I am not in Kansas anymore and key points are evident: 1. Whether or not the river was high was clearly a matter of opinion and safety is a relative term in Steamboat Springs...they had no idea what they were talking about with regards to either. 2. The equation of Mom +Teage+ one tube + high river + the approaching A hole, is not a good one…and the ending is a clear given… As soon as we get straight in the current we see the churning A Hole ahead...ever go gracefully, we dump, go under, roll around a bit and then endure a 20 minute ordeal stumbling, slipping and scrambling to the bank…revisiting the sub-aquatic world several times along the way…all the while Finn has grabbed onto a low hanging branch and is trying not to slip away down the river alone AND trying with all of his mite not to laugh (not real successful with the that last one)…all happening a short 100 yards from where we put in…the adventure was dashed, but thankfully not all was not lost...Fulfilled was a young boys’ dream to have mom's nod for the rest of the day to proclaim, “…mom was dumped by the A hole!”.