Earth in the nude

Moab Art Festival


homemade coconut popsicles

sweet grilled corn

and creamy homemade ice cream. so we basically mastered the art of eating.

for dessert...

swimming

towels? none needed, when there's sunbaked cement around to warm little bodies

Little did we know that little town of Moab, population 4,000, had 80,000 more peeps come in for the weekend. It proved to be nearly impossible to find a site (or even a room) our first night. Fortunately for us, after hours of searching all known campsites we decided to just crash on a meadow. Which we came to find out was an actual group site, that they freely shared with us - phew. Early the next day, after people packed up, we got ourselves a site of our own (more like a dirt parking lot). Orion made it feel more homey with his rock collected firepit.

which was soon christened

One night in the parking lot was all we wanted. Bella sat and read while the rest of us packed up.

Now this is a site!!! Down in the Canyonlands Needles we had land and cliffs of our own to roam, dream, and breathe.

which the kids got right to work at

"The wind will not stop. Gusts of sand swirl before me, stinging my face.

But there is still too much to see and marvel at, the world very much alive in the bright light and wind, exultant with the fever of spring, the delight of morning.

Strolling on,

it seems to me that the strangeness and wonder of existence are emphasized here,

in the desert,

by the comparative sparsity of the flora and fauna:

life not crowded upon life as in other places but scattered abroad in spareness and simplicity,

with a generous gift of space for each herb and bush and tree, each stem of grass, so that the living organism stands out bold and brave

and vivid against the lifeless sand and barren rock. The extreme clarity of the desert light is equaled by the extreme individuation of the desert light is equaled by the extreme individuation of the desert life-forms. Love flowers best in openness and freedom." -- Edward Abbey

peppergrass tasted just like wasabi

harvesting some for the trail

bracing Bella in the almighty wind and grit storm

lying low

feeling lucky to have brought sunglasses while the kids blindly walk towards the sound of my voice

we knew our hike could not go on in the wind at this very site

even daddies need protection

the walk back was surprisingly calm

not the first time this has happened down here, and most likely not the last

not Oey's firepit, but it will do

testing out our newest toy

perfection!! ooey gooey marshmallow cream and melted chocolate all wrapped up in a toasty croissant

or you can stick to the original

no wind needed for this guy

ranger campfire talk about the Anasazi

waking up in time to watch Orion excitedly pull on his shoes

First things first with this one. Wanting to finish her Junior Ranger program before she plays.

or perches in a juniper

couldn't drive by this valley of globemallow without thinking of this dress and snapping a few pics for our shop

hanging out in the old rustic cowboy camp

Ancient grinding stones. Wonder what life was like in this kitchen. Nicely settled out of the sun next to natural running water, a seeping spring rock.

climbing high

And taking more photos wherever we go. I just bring my little handy dandy suitcase which made for a nice prop.

happiness

Orion's face is the clincher in this one

Oldest newspaper out there

We had driven back into town to get ice cream and hike but the kids fell asleep on the drive and Matt had really want to stop during our drive to do this mini hike but I opted to let the kids sleep and keep driving. We stopped to get ice cream. A nice way to wake kids up, but the place we stopped at was half ice cream, half book shop - everyone's favorite, unless it's one of those shops where you can feel the disgust in the worker's stance and a glare since you have wild KIDS!! Which then very quickly becomes my WORST nightmare. I made us leave, much to everyone's disappointment. No books and no creamy ice cream. I did find another place real quick but while waiting in line Matt said one little thing that really ticked me off like "this doesn't look as good" and I stormed out again with no ice cream. Feeling hurt. Like Matt was mad and taking it out on me. I sat in the car to burn off some steam in my journal while the kids laughed and played in the sun, ice cream dripping off their chins and Matt sneakily taking photos of them in front of a bright colored graftti wall. Guess I was the one in need of a timeout.

Journal entry
May 30, 2011 Moab

Guess what? I'm sorry you are mad! I have been having a fine time. Not saying a word that said otherwise. Sorry I don't like kids in stuffy quiet book shops. Sorry this weekend has not gone to plan for you and your many plans. But in the end it has been GREAT! - fun memories made and you will forget that nothing went your way. Our pictures tell a story of wild rafting way more fun than we ever expected. The kids wanted more. Waves so big we were afraid we would be washed away. We did get soaked but managed to stay in the raft. We were lucky to find a campground every single night even if it didn't go to plan. 1st night after hours of searching we were able to share a meadow. Night #2. Not wanting to mooch any longer and wanting a campfire of our own you found the one and only open campsite of our own. We set up camp and swam the night away. We had no firepit so the kids gathered rocks and made one - they were so happy and pleased with their efforts, excited for some real camping to begin. FIRE! A fire you made them - they danced with delight. Day #3. We packed up early to make sure to get a spot at our next destination. We arrived at Needles, Canyonlands. The woman working told us we most likely would have no luck finding a spot. Not taking her word till we saw with our own eyes we not only found one, but two.... three!! What to do? We hurried and claimed the very best - 2. The kids had natural-made forts out of old junipers- climbing walls of stone. We pitched our tent and went for some hikes. The winds were wild and intense which made your 6 mile hike 2. But the views, seen through our tear-sand-blasted eyes, were seen in awe. Lying on warm stones safe from the wind, chewing on our new found snack - peppergrass. More campfires inbetween ranger speeches. Loving our plot of land for the night with dust, sand, and grit in our ears, to name one safe place. Glow in the dark star books. Orion wanting you to read about Scorpius again. Hearing the story how Scorpius stung Orion. And Orion saying, "he don't have my face," looking at the bearded hunter in the book. Snuggled in our tent feeling like we were in the middle of a tornado. Sunny peaceful morning brought eggs and toast. More exploring and climbing to all's delight. Kids earning Jr Ranger badges because of you. Kids all asleep at the arch you wanted to climb. Till now. Everyone is back in the car. Faces freshly washed. I saw them all smeared and dripping chocolate and animal tracks ice cream outside - while I sat here in the hot car and wrote - all refreshed - off to the next hike.


which was just what we all needed


Matt and kids at Bow Tie Arch


Standing under Corona Arch

"The beauty of Delicate Arch explains nothing, for each thing in its way, when true to its own character, is equally beautiful." -- Edward Abbey

Pepper Pot

But some sweet someone can look beyond the crazy and find love. See... he takes a picture of me and then of heart shaped rocks xoxo.

"our journey here on earth... is the most strange and daring of all adventures" -- E. A.