Beautiful Bryce!

There are 5 National Parks in Utah:  Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches, and Canyonlands.

There are also 45 State Parks, 12 National Forests, and 4 National Wildlife Refuges.

To say that Utahns love and appreciate the great outdoors is an understatement.



Last weekend I got to experience the amazing beauty of Bryce Canyon National Park.

I wish I had a quarter for every time I uttered the words...

"Wow!" "Amazing!" "Beautiful!"





However, I rarely uttered...
"I really have to pee".

I have acquired great bladder control since I've become a winter hiker! (TMI?)

We saw grand landscapes




 ...Hoodoos...

...and tunnels.

...and crossed paths with an occasional hiker who kindly agreed to take our picture.

 
There were bold and beautiful ravens...

...who looked a bit peeved when they couldn't cajole a handout.

Lunchtime with a hoodoo view...

...Aahhh...

...Life is good!

Julian or Bust...or Apple Pie...or Cemeteries

Last month on a cool Sunday early afternoon I decided to go exploring and drive east to the mountains.  I pointed my trusty Camry toward Julian, CA - traveling on the 8 freeway...because as sister Kathy regularly reminds me..."The 8 is my friend".

Julian is a quaint mountain community known for its interesting history - but mostly for its legendary apple pie.


While en route - about a 40 minute drive - I gave my sister Ruthanne a call to see if she wanted to meet me there.

She answered my call - as she was driving back home from her own early morning visit to Julian.  I guess great minds think alike - just not always in the same time frame.

It was a beautiful day for a drive. With the elevation - the surroundings seemed more reminiscent of  "real" season changes.

When I arrived - the place was bustling with lots of like-minded folks who also thought it would be a good day to visit Julian.

I walked around the many shops and displays and found a great little place to eat.  So I had a healthy salad...and a piece of pie.

Afterward I wandered toward the edge of town and came upon an old cemetery.

I've always been fascinated by cemeteries.  I wonder about the lives and circumstances of those people whose headstones help remind us that they once existed in this world.

So as I wandered and wondered - something struck me about this place.  It was very different from most memorial parks with their manicured lawns and straight tidy rows of traditional headstones and monuments.

This was definitely not a resting place with rules and regs about keeping the area free of mementos that would hinder lawn mowing equipment.

Many displays were far from traditional.  Some were very clever and unique, some touching, others a bit gaudy and over-the-top...but they were real and heartfelt and amazing.

It was by far the most wonderfully eclectic collection of memorabilia, doodads, nick knacks, and "stuff" ever assembled.

I wanted to know them...and their stories.

Like Ian - the young man who left too soon and was someone's best friend.

 Or Jeffrey -

What's the significance of a "headstone" being forged on the back side of a shovel?










This one reminded me of Miss Havisham from the Charles Dickens novel "Great Expectations". 

I'm pretty sure I haven't thought of that character in 100 years...or at least since the time the book was 'assigned reading' in high school.

I guess after all these many years - she must have made an impression on me after all.






I love the shape of this rock and the
sweetness of the necklace wrapped
around it.



A special gesture in memory of
someone who was loved and is missed.







So is life...or death

...merely a crapshoot?










Whatever it is....or isn't...

 ...it was evident that there was a lot of "Forever In Our Hearts" going on in that place.

This lone head stone looked a little under-dressed.

On my next visit to Julian - it'll be wearing a flower.

...a gift from me.

Why WiFi? Just becuz!

It's not exactly the "Mile High Club" - but I am writing this blog post from at least 40,000 feet above Colorado - en route from San Diego to Minneapolis. 

I'm using the free trial of the Google Chrome WiFi signal available on this Delta flight.

We're still not allowed to use the cell phone however. 
That may never happen for reasons of annoyance.

I know I wouldn't want to sit next to someone for 3 hours listening to them talk to Aunt Edna about Uncle Buzz's hemorrhoids or cousin Leona's gingivitis.  Ish!

Pretty amazing this technology stuff....

...that I can be on this flight - traveling 500 miles an hour - and connect to the internet. 

That fact - makes this photo - all the sillier.

I want and need to laugh more again. 

Thanks Moose!

Break time!

It's been a crazy busy time with all the logistics of planning - and executing -  the move from Minnesota to California.  I'm discovering that the unpacking process is almost as stressful and time consuming.

My goal was to try and put things away only once - to be methodical about where things should go.
I have failed miserably at that goal.  Oh well - it's not like it has world-wide repercussions - but it is frustrating and draining for me.

I took a much needed break and drove to Las Vegas on July 4th.  My Camry felt like it had wings compared to driving Penske #2 - especially having cruise-control.   I had a great time with my mom and sister Ruthanne and her husband Dan - who were passing through in their motor home on the way to Montana and Canada.

I also had six wonderful relaxing days of kicking back with MRW,  his mom, sister, and Pepper the Prison Kitty.

It was a time for reading, napping, hanging out at Starbucks with the laptops, eating out, cooking in, and getting hooked on watching the Tour de France.  We even seemed to get a bit acclimated to the hot temperatures.  It's weird how moderate 90 degrees feels after a day of 107!

It was so nice to not have all the move-related stuff staring me in the face - as I would have been compelled to keep working.  I'm now back in San Diego - back to reality and finishing what I started.

But....can't go without sharing the latest Las Vegas street-corner food item.  This poor soul was dressed in this get-up with temps over 100 degrees! Whatever he was getting paid - it wasn't enough!

Bye for now...

Wild Blue Yonder

In a few hours I'll be heading to Minnesota.  This trip is the culmination of months of soul searching and decision-making to try and figure out what to do and where to settle.  I have changed my mind so many times that I'm getting motion sickness!  I'll be sorting through my stuff, selling what I don't want, and packing up what's left for the drive to California.

I know I have many fears - some justified and some not.  One that weighed heavy on my mind was not being in Minnesota while Nate is still living there.  He had been gone for over 4 years - having graduated from The Berklee College of Music in Boston - and returned to Minneapolis in September of 2009.  Less than 3 months later I packed up my car and headed west.  I already have some self-imposed mom-guilt about that decision  - and fear that I would regret making the decision to settle in California.

Honestly - it really is MY issue in that I'm sad to miss going to his gigs, going out to eat, and basically just being around and available for him like my mom instincts dictate.  He's a self-sufficient young man and fully capable of taking care of himself.  He proved that time and time again while he was away at college and since returning to Minnesota.

   
 
I finally broached the subject with him and he helped alleviate my fears.  He is happy, busy, motivated, and looking forward to his future with wonderful anticipation.  How could a parent ask for any more positive validation than that!  ...and I think he kind of likes the idea of having a California connection. 

Thank you dear son of mine - I love you forever!