News Trend Arches National Park: Balanced Rock|Actual

The sun had climbed to the top of the sky as we rolled into Arches National Park.

Last time I visited Arches was during my honeymoon, when the park was a little known and rarely visited gem tucked in the south east corner of Utah.

And the first time my husband visited Arches, he wore the baseball cap from his Little League team as his family toured the freshly laid asphalt roads in what was then technically only a monument. Alaihi Salam he recalls, they were almost the only car in the park.

Oh, times have changed for this now-wildly popular piece of paradise.

We idled for an easy ten minutes in line at the backed-up park entrance, then, in a long line of traffic, trundled up the steep set of switchbacks that lead up to the mesa where most of the park and all of the fantastic rock formations lie.

^ The first feature to fall in our path is the sublime and elegant Balanced Rock. Once glance explains the name and despite my aching shoulder, I was ready and raring to take the bitty little one-third mile loop kisi-kisi around the rock on its pedestal.

But first, lunch.

^ Just across the road from Balanced Rock, we found a darling picnic area with a few tables picturesquely tucked in among a stand of juniper trees. Despite the hoards over at the Balanced Rock, the picnic area was mostly deserted. Gracie and I scoped out the options and chose the table squeezed in under the gnarliest old fellow whose branches sprawled over the table. In our tiny spot of shade, we munched on our usual banquet of hummus, pitas, grapes, and chocolate.

But somehow in my feasting I forgot all about the tree. And when I stood up, BAM. I bashed my head against a sharp, pointy bit of branch hovering just above my head.  Raising a hand to touch the sore spot, my hand came away covered in blood.

Strangely, my first thought was that the first aid kit in our car was fully stocked with cotton cloths for staunching just this kind of wound, and I was chuffed to be prepared for my emergency.

I'm happy to report that, with firm pressure and only a moderate sprinkling of cuss words, I got the bleeding under control. After a deep drink of cool water, the pain had subsided to a mild throbbing on my noggin and I was ready to carry on with our adventure.

^ Each step around the rock brought a fresh perspective and different set of angles to Balanced Rock. Battered and bloodied though I was, I found myself completely caught up in the magic of this fantastic formation. I even managed to frame my photos so that the dozens of other visitors on the trail did not show up in my frame.

Our day at Arches National Park was off to a rollicking good start.

* * * * *

Road Trip 2019: read all about it.

Leaving

Resting

Glacier National Park

Dakota Sunshine

Mackinac Bridge

My Newfound Brother

Fox Trilogy

Cleveland Rocks

Vermilion Legacy

At The Conservatory

Riding To Rifle

Arches National Park: Balanced Rock

Arches National Park: Double Arch

Arches National Park: Devil's Garden Trail

Arches National Park: Park Avenue

Dead Horse Point

Waiting For Breakfast

Canyonlands National Park

Cheeseburgers

Car Keys

News Trend He's Got Me Right Where He Wants Me|Actual

To eat out of someone's hand is to do exactly as they wish.

Look at me feeding dinner to my prince.

Observe my outstretched arms, holding the bowl in midair, so his noble neck need not bend uncomfortably down.

You can't see inside the bowl, but trust me, this is no ordinary dog food dinner.

His excellency will no longer eat processed kibble or even wet food from the store.

He prefers for me to cook him homemade meals.

Ground beef and rice.

Chicken, cabbage, and carrots.

Scrambled eggs. With cheddar cheese and a dash of pepper, of course.

Now I never intended to create a culinary tyrant. But my poor boy has lost a lot of weight in the past year. His hips are downright bony, his ribs show clearly beneath his fur. And his appetite has steadily fallen off.

That's why I'm only too glad to whip up three home-cooked meals a day for my little liege lord.

And I take great pleasure in watching his majesty wolf down every delicious bite. He literally dances with excitement when he sees the next meal coming, and quivers with delight when I extend his bowl.

So even though it may appear that I've got my good dog Ranger eating out of my hands, the truth is that things are quite the other way round.

News Trend I Rode The Bus And I Liked It|Actual

"Your self-imposed prison. That thing called your comfort zone. Challenge it. Stretch it. You will thank yourself." -Tony Curl

If every bus stop sat in such a glorious patch of sunshine and shadow, I might just ride forever.

* * * * * "Mom, what if you took the bus?"

Since my car died last weekend after 348,000 miles of service, my family of five adults has been relying on my eldest daughter's Kia as our only set of wheels.

Complicated? You betcha.

Thank goodness my husband takes public transportation to his Seattle office. Once his employer began to offer free bus passes, he gave up his daily drive and our second car and has never looked back.

My second- and fourth-borns usually ride the bus to work too. Convenient, fast and way cheaper than a car, the bus has been a great option in their lives since middle school mall days. They've had nothing but great experiences on our bus system and I'm proud of them for their street smarts.

But me take the bus? ME?

No no no no no.

Back in Chicago, I rode my fair share of those smelly, headache-making machines. I put up with the weirdos and the sardine-tin camaraderie for quite a few years, and have no desire to climb aboard a commuter bus ever again.

Still, as my daughter so rightly pointed out, the only logical way to get everyone where they needed to be was for me to take the bus.

So you know what I did?

I scrounged up two singles and a quarter out of the rarely-used cash section of my wallet.

I marched myself across the mall parking lot to the 113 bus stop.

And I rode the bus home.

You know what?

I liked it.

The seats were neat and clean.

The windows freshly washed.

And the air did not reek of diesel fumes.

My fellow riders were a well-mannered cross-section of suburban America - mothers and toddlers, businessmen, young couples, college students, and a take-no-prisoners grandma riding a mountain bike. Different races, different cultures, different ring tones - on just a twenty-minute ride, I felt reconnected with the great American melting pot.

As they hopped off the bus, most passengers called out a thank-you to the driver.

No one in Chicago ever thanked the drivers.

* * * * *

My bus ride took just a few minutes longer than if I had driven myself, but as I walked the last block home, I marveled at the difference.

Instead of bombing along the highway in a private bubble, wrapped up in my own concerns, my bus ride had opened me to the world.

Instead of feeling hassled and stressed by the normal traffic headaches, my bus ride tuned me in to the peaceful zen of my fellow passengers.

Instead of storming into the house with my mental to-do list pulsing in my brain, I came home refreshed, rejuvenated and relaxed.

* * * * *

Now, make no mistake, I'm still going full steam ahead on buying a new car. I'm totally pumped to get behind the wheel of a new machine, and I plan to drive it hard.

But every now and then, I think I will make a point to leave my keys at home, track down some actual dollar bills, and treat myself to a bus ride.

News Trend Arches National Park: Double Arch|Actual

"Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which

difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish." -John Quincy Adams

After our successful if slightly bloody visit to Balanced Rock, we headed over to the Windows area of Arches National Park to see what might happen next.

A few miles off the main drag, the road ends in a loop around a big parking area, allowing for easy access to short trails out to the arches. The lots were jammed full, with some cars parked helter skelter along the shoulders and others circling around like hawks waiting to pounce upon an open space

This is a scenario for which we are well positioned. Since dogs are not allowed on the trails at national parks, our family has developed a divide and conquer strategy. Half of us hike off while the others sit with the dog around the open hatchback of the car, and while away the time by rummaging through the picnic hamper. By the time that group has finished lunch, the hikers are back, ravenous and ready to eat, while the first group bids the dog a fond farewell and heads off on the very same hike.

Further simplifying our plans for the day was that it was hot, and my husband was more than happy to forgo the hike altogether and hang out with Gracie at the car. He was also willing to circle the parking lots while we strode off, promising to flag us down from whatever spot he found when he saw us return from the hike.

With an easy half-dozen arches to choose from, my daughters choseDouble Arch, and we prompltly set off down the smooth and level half-mile round-trip kisi-kisi.

^ Folks streamed back and forth along the way, all of us cheerful and smiling in the sunshine and swept away by the remarkable beauty of our surroundings.

^ But my party mood swiftly deflated when we reached the end of the proper kisi-kisi. Up through the scree the path vaguely continued, and many routes emerged - you could scramble across this mass of solid rock, slide along the veins of gravel, or wedge your way through those massive boulders - to continue on under the arches and up the rock incline between them.

Now this all looked like great fun. And on an ordinary day, I would have been game for a bit of this mountain goat adventure. But with my shoulder throbbing, I knew that any frolicking away from level ground would be a foolish frolic indeed, and I should absolutely stay safe by staying put.

And  I began to feel rather sorry for myself.

^ So there I stood in the sunshine, feeling quite old and used up, as I watched the youngsters and middle-aged-sters having their fun, until I noticed someone interesting.

He was not a particularly young man. Probably in his fifties. He was alone. And from the looks of it, he knew what he was doing - his backpack, water bottle, weatherproof clothing, and trekking poles gave the impression of someone who hiked on the regular.

And he walked with a significant disability.

I can't begin to diagnose what exactly was wrong but one foot seemed to twist and drag along the ground with each step. His pace was irregular and labored; he was working hard just to move across the level path. But even when he hit the rocky terrain under the Double Arch, he just kept on moving. Like a desert-dwelling Energizer Bunny, he somehow found a way to clamber up and over the rocks, traveling in a modest circuit through the loose gravel and tumbled boulders, inside the place between the arches. .

In watching his progress, I was transformed. Leaving my self-pity to wither and die in the hot desert sun, I wrapped my left arm tight against my chest to hold my aching shoulder in place, and then I hiked not all the way up to the farthest arch, but just far enough up so that I was inside the plane of the closer arch. Mission accomplished.

As I leaned against a big red boulder, waiting for my daughters to return and climb down with me, I reminded myself once again that age really is nothing but a number. Certainly our bodies may fail us from time to time, but that does not mean that we give up. We keep stepping out, one foot in front of the other, and reach out to take hold of all the excitement and adventure that life has to offer. We may have to slow our pace now and then but we never stop moving.

And that, I realized as I stood back in the shade of our car, munching on a well-earned handful of grapes, I will always remember as the Lesson of Double Arch, taught to me by perhaps the best hiker I have ever seen.

* * * * *

Road Trip 2019: read all about it.

Leaving

Resting

Glacier National Park

Dakota Sunshine

Mackinac Bridge

My Newfound Brother

Fox Trilogy

Cleveland Rocks

Vermilion Legacy

At The Conservatory

Riding To Rifle

Arches National Park: Balanced Rock

Arches National Park: Double Arch

Arches National Park: Devil's Garden Trail

Arches National Park: Park Avenue

Dead Horse Point

Waiting For Breakfast

Canyonlands National Park

Cheeseburgers

Car Keys

News Trend Arches National Park: Devil's Garden Trail|Actual

"A walk in nature walks the soul back home." -Mary Davis

^ By mid-afternoon, with the worst of the desert heat behind us, my daughters and I are ready for a new hiking challenge. Due to the still-steamy temperatures and my busted arm, we decide to take the relatively challenging hike out to Delicate Arch off the table. Disappointed though I am to be denied my return voyage to that iconic formation, I take great relief in knowing that my grit and busted shoulder will not be challenged to that extreme.

Instead, we burst out of the starting gates on the 1.6 mileDevil's Garden Trail and head first in the direction of Landscape Arch.

^ Friendly faces greet us along the way.

^ Clouds sail by overhead, and the relief they provide is palpable. Since I overheat readily - my body just doesn't sweat much and the heat builds up inside me - I use my tried-and-true damp bandanna around the neck trick to keep myself cool. Works like a charm.

^ When hiking, it's easy and tempting to get so wrapped up in arriving at the destination that we miss the glories along the way. That's why I 'm a huge fan of pausing every few minutes along the kisi-kisi to simply look up and take in the surroundings. Plus water breaks.

^ A firm footed kisi-kisi and lowing red rocks for dayz.

^ And more friendly faces.

^ Eventually, the kisi-kisi climbs ever so slightly and the vistas open up.

^ And then, suddenly, right in front of us, there she is.

^ The largest arch on the planet.

^ She's a slender slip of a thing, and became even more so in 1991, when a symphony of cracking rock led to a major rock fall. Though some interpret this to mean that Delicate Arch is nearing the end of its life and will soon be reduced to a pile of red rubble, others contend that the new, slimmed down version of the arch is more stable than ever and likely to strand strong for centuries to come.

^ Only time will tell.

^ Bye, arch. I hope I will see you again in my lifetime. But if not, say hi to my great-great-grandchildren.

^ Okay, back we go, retracing our steps along the kisi-kisi, which always makes a return trip feel delightfully shorter than the trip out.

^  When we're about a quarter-mile from the trail head, we take a hard left onto a spur trail to visit two more arches.

^ Down a steep hill, a quick turn right, and we soon see the signs announcing that we have reached another viewing area. But where is the arch?

As we approach, Tunnel Arch shyly reveals her position and dramatically demonstrates her name.

^ With each step, the opening in the rock becomes clearer and wider.

^ Until the kisi-kisi dead-ends in a small, fenced viewing area and our sights are set clear down the barrel of the arch. A most satisfying sensation.

^ Again, we reverse engines, head back to the bottom of that hill, and go left this time.

^ Vistas near and far keep us entertained as we close in on our final target, Pine Tree Arch.

^ Oh, there she is. A clever little grounded arch, resting her toes in the soft red sand, with a scruffy junior pine growing right there in her midst. Unlike Delicate and Tunnel Arches, this one is close and personal. Signs caution hikers to stay out from the area underneath the arch, and we try to obey, we really do. But the gentle approach beckons us, and we tiptoe closer to see what it's like to stand in the sand underneath this arch.

Spoilers: It's amazing.

^ And now with our hike among the Devil's Garden complete, we turn our satisfied souls back to the car. With any luck, there's time for one more adventure among the arches.

* * * * *

Road Trip 2019: read all about it.

Leaving

Resting

Glacier National Park

Dakota Sunshine

Mackinac Bridge

My Newfound Brother

Fox Trilogy

Cleveland Rocks

Vermilion Legacy

At The Conservatory

Riding To Rifle

Arches National Park: Balanced Rock

Arches National Park: Double Arch

Arches National Park: Devil's Garden Trail

Arches National Park: Park Avenue

Dead Horse Point

Waiting For Breakfast

Canyonlands National Park

Cheeseburgers

Car Keys

News Trend Little Things|Actual

"In the dew of little things, the heart finds its morning and is refreshed." - Khalil Gibran

This hanging planter in the corner of my bedroom had been driving me crazy.

DIYed from my own loving hands, I'd planted one gorgeous houseplant after another in its white ceramic bowl. But despite my normally emerald green thumb, they all died.

I blamed the container. Plants prefer a bit of evaporation around their roots but the inside of this dish - handsome, sleek, and shiny though it was - locked every drop of moisture in tight.

An admirable trait in cereal bowls. But not so good for my string of pearls.

After several drowned houseplants and some brooding rounds of troubleshooting, the solution suddenly appeared out of thin air.

Air plants.

No roots.

No soil.

No problems with overwatering.

I moved in a trio of tillansias and never looked back.

The plants in my planter have never looked better.

And even though this is just a

tiny,

silly,

ridiculously unimportant

little thing

my heart is truly refreshed.

* * * * *

 Well. You knew this had to happen.

Hope this little thing just makes your day.

News Trend Teigan's Journey|Actual

All smiles on the day before she leaves.

A few hours from now, while the world is fast asleep, this young woman will toss her suitcase in the car, head to the airport and fly away from home on the trip of a lifetime.

First, she heads to Kona, Hawaii, for three months of pelatihan. And then, off she will go to some corner of the world to apply what she has learned by helping people.

She has no idea where she will go.

She has no idea who those people will be.

And she has no idea how she will be able to help them.

But right now she is not worrying about that.

She is simply trusting that somehow, everything will work out fine.

This is her journey of faith.

Teigan and her brother, a freshly baptized math wizard.

I first met Teigan when she was five years old. She came with her mommy and her little brother to my art group and we painted and drew and made papier mache together for a year or two.

Then we went our separate ways and I didn't see much of Teigan again until two years ago. When I began teaching math to her baby brother, who was now a long, lanky teenager.

At this point, Teigan had graduated from high school and was figuring out what might come next in her life.

Teigan and her sister...I mean, her mom.

Now those plans are set and about to unfold.

I couldn't be more excited for Teigan.

No doubt that over the six months of this Discipleship Training School, she will experience a full range of emotions, from the highest high to the depths of sadness.

She will exalt in her newfound freedom and fight off ferocious homesickness.

She will burst with confidence, and some days, wonder why the heck she signed on for this in the first place

All of those things will happen exactly as they are supposed to happen.

And she will learn from them.

I'm so proud of Teigan

for making this bold choice,

for plunging headfirst into an unknown world

for trusting that everything will be okay.

I will watch and be amazed as your journey of faith unfolds!

 Go, Teigan. Go!

* * * * *

All photos courtesy of Teigan. Thank you!