Foto Friday: Campsite Dreams

There are many nights I dream of our first campsite at Lake Powell, what a view to wake up to.  We tried to stay there again this year only the lake had lost 20 feet of water and we could not maneuver our way in to the alcove.  Thankfully we found a new site and made new memories; however  I do love returning to places that have touched me, and where I have enjoyed my time there.  Perhaps that's why this certain location is so often in my dreams.

Foto Friday: Snowshoeing in the woods

My family and I had a very special visit from my aunt.  Snowshoeing in the falling snow was a perfect activity for us.  I believe my daughter was in pure bliss, a bed of snow to lie down upon.  I'm ready to get back out into the snow, the quiet; and so glad we could share an afternoon with her.

Longing for Color

On winter days when bare trees stand out stark against the gray skyline and temperatures are in the negatives, I long for coral colored sand, a deep blue sky, and bare feet.  I think of a tent in the desert where we sleep with a constant influx of open air and how the smoke from the campfire remains in our clothes for days.

In this photo my kids play at our camp site on our trip to Lake Powell, UT.

When I see this photo I think of freedom, that which comes from a soul that finds no hindrances.  The phrase, "To be a kid again", comes to mind, and I've said it plenty with a longing to run and play until the sun goes down.  To be a kid with no bills to worry about, no responsibilities other than growing and what to play next.  I'm glad my kids can find this freedom, because there are those in this world who don't get to grow up in this environment.

I would like to follow this road all day long.  In my mind I am right there gathering in all I see, especially the sky.  The sky has much to say.

 Here is a photo of my husband on our 2013 Antelope hunt. The action is about to begin.

Because Halloween is so much fun....

http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/modern/jb_modern_hallowen_1_e.html

An old-fashioned witch flies past modern witches traveling in a speedier fashion

CREDIT: Berryman, Clifford Kennedy, artist. “Halloween -- ancient and modern,” ca. 1909-1910. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress. Reproduction Number LC-USZ62-130251

This lonely tree seems to fit in with the cold, gray and wet day we are having...

Cheap Labor

The fun begins, loosening the engine.

Back in June on a trip across the state, and at 340,000+ miles, the Camry we have been driving "unexpectedly" broke down.  As liquid poured and steamed out of the car my husband spoke the words which we did not want to hear, "That's not good."  Since he is an optimistic and positive person, when he says something is not good, it really means the worst. But even at 340,000+ miles the little purple car really only had one major problem- a dead engine.

With some research and time on the internet my husband soon found an engine for us to buy.  Originally from Japan and taken out of a car there with only 50,000 miles, our solution rested in Canada and my husbands words, "I think I can put it in myself."

After we imported the engine from Canada we embarked on a Labor Day adventure down to my dad's place- who graciously let us work there and use his Skid steer- with a Chilton Manual for a '98 Camry and a lot of hopeful thoughts towards getting the engine put in over the long weekend.

Once my husband dived into the whole process of the engine replacement we began to ask ourselves questions like: What if this engine doesn't work? What if we don't get it replaced in the amount of time we have?  Are we crazy for thinking we could even do this?



Ease that engine out of there!

My husband has never replaced an engine before.  But he does things that he has never done before quite often with a high success rate.  After many, many laborious hours on his part and help from my dad, the engine miraculously turned upon the first crank of the key. The car even moved down the road. We were thrilled!  And I was amazed, once again, at all the talents my husband possesses.  Our scheme of cheap labor certainly paid off!




Sorry, but an adult has to drive!

Just a little higher...

 

 

                                                           And it's out of there!

 

 

 Bring in the new one...

 

Not everybody has to work so hard!

Easy does it...

 Just a little more...

 

It's in!

 

Time for a test drive!

 

 

 

Foto Friday: Natural Love

This photo was taken in one of the canyons on our trip to Lake Powell in the spring of this year.  As we motored along in our boat exploring and fishing, there we found this natural heart right in the sandstone of the canyon wall.

An illusion, a reflection- look in the right hand corner of the photo at the water drops for proof!- this photo makes me think that perhaps the natural phenomenon we stumbled upon is a little like love itself.  Love is usually referred to or regarded as an emotion, not a visual or tangible thing.  Yet it is a reflection, like this photo, given out by the people we love and by those who love us.  Love is real, and in the case of this natural heart, at times even visible.

Foto Friday: Back in the saddle

 

Our little girl has been overjoyed that she can now ride her horse.

Foto Friday: Surprise in the hay

The other day my husband lifted a bale of hay and there were seven baby rabbits sleeping in a nest their mamma made for them.  My kids were very excited to see them, and their presence in the hay has been the subject of several conversations in our house.  Seven all at once, my goodness.

Foto Friday: Boar's Tusk, Red Desert in Wyoming

Foto Friday: To be a kid again...

Foto Friday: Colors of Yellowstone

I enjoy being in Yellowstone Natonal Park for several reasons, the colors found there are at the top of the list.  This one I took while waiting for Old Faithful to go off.  It was worth the wait, perhaps the best part.

Foto Friday: Illusions

On a recent trip we launched our boat at Bullfrog Marina located on the tip of Lake Powell in Bullfrog, UT.

I had never been to Lake Powell before and was amazed, to say the very least. 

We set up our camp on the shore of the lake and then went exploring. Gorgeous canyons and landscapes were what we found, along with this section of quiet water and illusions of where the sky really began.

Foto Friday: Convenience

Although a couple of years have passed since I have been in Mexico, my heart longs to go back each year.

I took this photo while sitting with my cousin on a quiet beach listening to the Sea of Cortez as it moved in and out.  This man was well stocked with supplies of convenience.  There weren't many people out that day, so he had a long walk between potential buyers. 

Today, as I look out at the snow, I wish I was back at that beach and I could say to him, "Yes, I'll buy that hat on top."

Foto Friday: Under the slanted rock

Driving the back roads around Moab, UT is an adventure, especially when you are in a Dodge Ram 2500 truck.  Somehow we made it under this rock.  Talk about a "tight squeeze."

Foto Friday: Hockey

Our son has started to play hockey.  The season runs from October to March and they practice for an hour two times a week.  I'm amazed that a four year old can stay focused for a full hour, let alone keep interest in a sport for six months!  He started out barely able to stand up on skates, to participating in several games with a couple of tournaments yet to come.  As for what the future holds for hockey and our four year old, only time will tell.  For now he asks everyday if he has hockey and says, "Next time I want to make a goal!"

Foto Friday: Kings in cottonwoods

I found these two bald eagles perched up in the cottonwoods taking a break on a cold winter day. They paid me no mind as I took their photo.  Instead they looked on, and what seemed to me, in a gallant manner with strength and dignity.  They are the kings in the cottonwoods, rulers of their territory.