More good times at Dolphin Arch

The Weavers came to town to enjoy our warm weather and we went on an outing with them, the Smiths and the Sheffields to show them Dolphin Arch.  They followed us out and then parked and loaded up into the back of the Toyota to drive to the trail heads.  We visited both sides of it to get the whole view.  It was a fun outing.  Glad we got to get out with everyone.  

Happy Birthday Christie...at last!

Christie is our one and only April birthday and she waited patiently until the family dinner to get her present.  We had the feed at Weed and Derek's this time and it was yummy of course.  Ferf brought some homemade cookies for dessert and they doubled as a birthday cake, candle and all.  After the food and present we played some fun games.  Weed came up with some crazy Mad Gabs for all of us to decipher.  She's pro at them.  Thanks for the good food and fun times everybody.  Happy late birthday Christie.  We love you even if we are slow to show it!  (Sorry for the blurry pics.)

Sweet Sarai...sorry we missed out

The present got there, but we didn't make it, so pictures will have to suffice for this birthday.  Sweet Sarai turned two without us.  Heard it was happy.  Love you Sweet Sarai!

The Naming Cave...we made it!

After a couple of false starts we made it to the Naming Cave.  It is a really cool place and it was worth the repeated efforts.  Even without the cave it is a beautiful area.  We took the wimpy way out and went up by ladder instead of around the edge.  I'm sure we could have done the edge, but the ladder felt a lot more comfortable.  We were surprised at the traffic in the area with a whole group of people coming out just after us and several driving by.  If we go out again, we will brave the edge.  

The picture of me right below the ladder is the edge where where you can come up and over instead of using the ladder.  It would be a piece of cake if you just didn't have that 30 foot drop to stir up your imagination.

First Camping trip of 2013 and Easter fun

We finally got to go on our first camp out for this year.  We have planned several, but then things came up and they didn't happen.  This one almost didn't happen.  Friday afternoon we went out looking for a cool place but kind of misinterpreted the directions and ended up stuck in some deep red sand.  Almost got out after a couple of tries, but then decided since we had phone reception we would just call Moss to bring the big truck and pull us out.  He did and it pulled us out just like that.  It was about 6 pm by then so we just threw everything in the truck and grabbed some food and got set up just as it got dark. We went out to the old quarry just above Cottonwood Canyon. It was a perfect night with a full moon. We ate dinner on the tailgate of the truck by lantern light and then watched a movie and snuggled down for a perfect cool night.  In the morning we checked out the scenery and ate breakfast.  Then we found we had a flat tire.  The valve stem got loose when we were letting out some air trying to get out of the sand.  Paul changed the tire while I cleaned up camp and then we headed home.  It was a good start and I hope its the first of many more camp outs to come, a little less rushed.

Not to be deterred we decided to take the big truck out to try and finish up the trip to that cool place...ended up not making a sharp turn quite sharp enough and fell through a cattle guard bottoming the truck out, flattening a tire suspended about 18 inches above the hole below the cattle guard.  It was a very interesting process, but inches at a time we got the truck lifted up enough to change the tire and fill the hole with rocks, back out and get home in time for the family BBQ and Easter egg hunting. Thank goodness for Paul's ingenuity and  answers to prayers. We are not sure if we should try to go to this cool place or not!

Thought we had it high enough to get the flat off, but not yet.  Had to go a little higher.  

 The BBQ was tasty and the egg hunting fun.  For dessert we toasted meringue dipped strawberries and bananas.  Very yummy!

Spring Break here and there

After my little day trip to Zion we took a couple of days to do a combined business/pleasure trip to check out some stone and then visited Sedona and enjoyed Jacob's Lake en route. We had planned to camp down at lower elevations, but didn't really find anyplace and ended up moteling it in Flagstaff.  It was a relaxing and enjoyable trip.   Sedona was pretty crazy with lots of people in town for something, but we did visit several galleries and saw some beautiful art work and scenery.  (Sedona scenery)

Friday we went back out to the Yant Flat area.  I had checked out a side road on Google Earth that looked like it would take us to the area across the canyon from the arch we happened upon last week.  We had a good time just taking every side road along the way there and checking things out and seeing some cool stuff.  We did find the road I looked up and did see the arch from that vantage point along with a beautiful slick rock area.  That evening we enjoyed a visit from Brenden, his folks and his "MissElizer".  We got bargain cupcakes at 25 Main and walked over to the Town Square to enjoy them and the beautiful evening.  I asked Brenden about his other Grandma's puppies and he told me she is going to sell them...and then added that they are NOT going to sell their "MissElizer."

On Saturday we convinced the Borrowman gang to go out to see the arch with us from both sides.  Someone we saw out there said the arch was named Dolphin Arch.  I can see how it could be called that, but can't find it anywhere on the internet.  We ate lunch at the arch and then checked out the old quarry site. After that Ryan treated us to home made Oreo shakes. 

It has been a good break with unbelievably beautiful weather to make it even better.  Back to school next week!

Zion afternoon

Wanted to find the arch in Hidden Canyon that I somehow missed last summer.  Today was not the day.  Got to the trail that takes off to go to Hidden Canyon (about a mile up Observation Point Trail), but just barely.  Every place there was shade was iced over and oh so slick.  Then the Hidden Canyon Trail was iced over too.  Not a smart trail to be on in that condition.  So I picked my way carefully down again and just went over and walked the Riverwalk Trail. It was a nice walk and a beautiful place to spend an afternoon.

Quilts - re-imagined

Friday evening was the Art Walk.  Since it was rainy, we only hit the Art Museum exhibit.  It was spectacular.  It was a combination of photos/landscape quilts.  The quilts were amazing.  I have never seen anything so intricately and beautifully done.  Can't take pictures of course, so I just got some off of their sites.   The quilters made quilts of the photos and some that didn't have photos to match.  This exhibit runs through May 11th.  Take a bit of time and check it out.  You will be amazed.

Mud and a nameless arch

Tried to head back out to Yant Flat today, but the mud was just impossible - at one point we were going sideways down the road - so we had to turn around before we got there.  Not to be robbed of some time outdoors, we pulled out at another side road and walked up it and were rewarded at the end by finding an arch.  We looked it up on Google Earth and couldn't find a name there.  We also stopped here and there to see other cool stuff. Too bad the camera ran out of batteries at the end and I missed a few good shots. It was beautiful with snow melting all around.  

The arch was a little hard to see.  It just kind of blended in to the background.  

More grand scenery.

Weed & Ferf B-days + Family Feast

Sunday we gathered at Ferf and Ryan's for the monthly family feast and celebrated Weed and Ferf's birthdays too.  The dinner was great and it was good to wish the girls a happy birthday. They have both grown up to be such wonderful and beautiful ladies.  It was such a nice day that the kids could eat out on the lawn picnic style.  After dinner we opened presents and then had a short concert by Brynnli and Tavin who are really getting proficient on their violins.  It was fun to spend time together.  We don't get to as often as we would like to with all the busyness of life.   We forgot to put candles on the pies, so we didn't get the regular birthday blow out pictures...doggone it!  Happy Birthday girls.  We love you!  Thanks to the Borrowmans for a great time and and really good food everyone!