Torrey and Upper Calf Creek Falls

The rain kept coming all week (two weeks ago- I'm a little behind) but we were lucky enough to spot this double rainbow at Grandma and Grandpa's house in Torrey.

We hiked upper Calf Creek Falls on a cloudy-kinda cold day. The chilly air/water temperature didn't keep the kids out of the water. Doesn't he look like he's having so much fun?

The kids with Grandma Jan and Grandpa Owen hiking to Upper Calf Creek.

Jazzing up the hike a little.

The Upper Falls- so beautiful and such a great hike.

city slickers

We have been spending the week in Escalante, with my family. It's been a very wet and cool spring and summer- all the desert is in bloom. Everywhere you look there is something beautiful flowering or patches of green spread out across the desert.
Here are the cowboys who came to 'fix' (castrate) my brother's three Longhorn bull (boy) calves- telling my brother Adam that two of the calves were in fact heifers- that's means 'girl' in layman terms. Awkward.

The kids learned how to drive the tractor by themselves and even made a trip across the river without Uncle Adam, to find and load some landscape rocks by themselves. They think they've die and gone to heaven.

Here is Uncle Adam, (greatest hero- my kids will follow him anywhere and happily undertake any job/task with him, I wish they would do that for me) and his new baby 'Roscoe' his catahula puppy, about 2 months old being held by Q, M is looking on. In the background is the Slot Canyons Inn, my folks bed and breakfast.

word up to all the crafty people

Our lady friends at Slug magazine are putting on the 1st annual Craft Lake City crafty festival in Salt Lake City this August. For all of you interested in becoming a vendor you have a few more days to get something put together and apply. Applications are due at the end of the business day on Friday June 12th- yeah that's this Friday.
Otherwise- put it on your calendar. I have a feeling it's going to trump the Utah Arts Festival and all of their cowboy art and blown glass- oh wait that's the Park City Arts Festival.

century

We rode the Little Red Riding Hood Bicycle Ride on Saturday. I was a little nervous since this is the first century I've ridden in 12 years, the week before the ride I spent sitting on my butt at Lake Powell- not riding and eating too much and I admit to a less than serious training schedule for the last few months. But, I can honestly say- the ride was fabulous. We had a jolly good time riding and snacking all day.
There were about 20 soggy miles as we pulled through Preston Idaho, a seemingly endless headwind no matter which direction we headed, a nail in my tire at about 85 miles- other than that- no troubles.
I swear by the 'magic juice' on long rides like this (or triathalons). The pink 'magic juice' in my bottles (next picture) is some PowerBar endurance drink I found at Sports Authority, when that ran out I drank Gatorade all day and (at least my legs) felt like I could have kept going another 50 miles. My shoulders, neck and butt were done when I finished at 103 miles.
The day was another renewal for my love of cycling. It's such a good, clean, efficient way of getting around and bringing folks together.

Here is my trusty Bridgestone RB-1 I've had for 15 years or so. It just keeps treating me exquisitely year after year.

I donned the fish taco costume for the costume contest before the ride. There weren't many participants at 7:30 am- I think the staggered start times for the different distances all the 2600 lady participants rode may of had something to do with the lack of enthusiasm in the early hours. I think I missed most of the costuming later on in the morning.
I will freely admit I didn't ride 103 miles as a fish taco (that would've really been somethin'). For one thing I couldn't get my helmet under the fish head and another thing- who likes a soggy fish taco??

moon shadow

We just got back from a wonderful week at Lake Powell- what a way to jump start summer. I stumbled across this tiny arch (in Hansen Creek Canyon) when I was hiking around one morning. Later that day, when it had cooled off- we took the kids and hiked them back up to find it. The sun had set as we walked and by the time we got up to the arch it was dark. The moon was nearly full that night and just perfect for night hiking, casting a distinct moon shadow as you walked. Steve O took this picture with just moonlight and a super long exposure, the arch is actually big enough to crawl through, but you can't really tell from this angle.
Good times, there is truly nothing like being in the middle of the desert, camping under the stars, miles from civilization- no electricity, email, phone or any of the other gadgets that clutter up our lives- just the bare necessities and good, simple, big water fun.