Cold Drinks Here --getting ready for summer

Phoenix Road Art

To keep us entertained while driving...Have a great weekend!

Stay SAFE!

Mrs. Mette Making Flowers

(click for a larger view)

1884

Family of Mrs. Mette making flowers in a very dirty tenement.

301 Mott St.

Josephine, 13 yrs. old, helps out side school hours until 9pm, sometimes. She is soon to be 14 and expects to go to work in an embroidery factory. Says she worked in that factory all last summer. Nicholas, 6yrs, and Johnnie 8, they work some. So does Rosie 11 yrs old, (not in photo) who has been sick a good deal. All together earn only 40 - 50 cents a day. Baby (20 months old) plays with the flowers, and they expect he can help a little before long. The father drives a coach (hack) irregularly. New York, NY.

Photo and caption by Lewis Wickes Hine.

Valley of the Gods Snowy

Our route home from Moab took us through the Valley of the Gods. It is beautiful and aptly named. I was so happy to see it snow covered.

Amazing that it looks so far away, but the monuments are huge!


I love the color contrasts in the rocks, the spires.


A view from the windshield


Incredible rock formations


This one makes me think of a science fiction story


Beautiful red rocks, snow and blue background


Ok, these remind me of elephant feet...

And, back to civilization...I think a sign is missing...
(click on the photos for a large view)

Mass Communication or Confusion

Information

It swirls in so many different directions. It's mind numbing. It's contradictory. It's too much.

There are times that I wish for simpler days. Days that I didn't feel like I was bombarded by the latest theory, trend or discovery times 1000. I seem to be too easily distracted and almost feel like I have ADD. I use to be able to focus for hours on a project. But, have noticed that while I'm working on a project that I love, my mind races to start ticking off the "other" things that I need to be doing. I can't seem to simply enjoy the moment. I need to fix this.

It's hurry up to keep up, catch up, or get ahead. What happens when you chose not to play the game? Does your life become more or less complete? If you don't keep up with the world news are you really behind the times? It seems that one news story contradicts another, be it today or a year from today. For example, we have all been told that red meat is bad for us, but just this week it was reported that it's not red meat that is bad, it's processed meat (which does make sense). How many times are we told that if we are doing this or aren't doing that it is bad for us and then recanted at some point in the future?

How do you handle all of the information? Do you find yourself frozen or overwhelmed?

Mass communication = mass confusion...

CanyonLands Beauty

To see a larger version click on 4 arrow box below:

Cure for Cancer Hand Embroidered Cuff

I've created a new cuff with the familiar pink ribbon. Something pretty for the wrist and to show your support for others who may be survivors or fighting the battle. Give someone a hug with this lovely cuff.

This cuff will be available in my Etsy and 1000market shop. With the purchase of this cuff 70% of the proceeds will be donated to the American Cancer Society for Project Embrace. In just a year our group has donated close to $10,000. Woo Hoo!!!

Please join us by making a purchase from any one of the shops on our team.

CanyonLands Off Roading Her View

Sorry for the blurry picture, there wasn't time to stop, we had to get to the real stuff!


Still not quite there yet...

Airing tires down to make the ride more comfortable and safe


From the top early in the morning. See the trails way down there? Yep, that's where we are headed!


Making our decent down a switchback


Looks like a lot of room there to make that turn right? But it's barely a one point turn! I would have been happier if we had made it a two-point turn


A view from the windshield


Awesome views all around us


Getting out for photo opportunities...just wait...


You could walk out on this natural bridge. Once again I'm being the photographer and not risking the possibility of that bridge falling down


While I waited for people to walk across the bridge I saw this lizard.


It may appear that we are at the bottom of the canyon, but we are only on the first level down!



There was about 12 of us on this adventure. Jeeps, Land Cruisers, and FJs.


In many places these rocks were right above where you were driving.

Getting ready for a steep ascent.

First one up.

This is the same view of an earlier post where bicyclists are going up. The rule is that vehicles make way for all other trail users --bikes, hikers.

An awesome view once we got to the top and looked over the edge

On the way down....again...

See the White Rim, you could see it all over the canyon. It's how this trail got its name

At this point we were able to "baja" through

Lovely landscape with the Colorado River

See that Finger rock? Soon we will be driving right underneath. It doesn't look like there are any roads over there...but there are. I had no clue how close we were going to get to it.


Here is the finger rock as we get closer...looks pretty close right?

Another climb...this one was a little scary for me.


Look how far away the bottom of the canyon is



This view, while a little messy is as we go right under the Finger rock. I held my breath and hoped this wasn't the moment it got tired of standing there...


Finger Rock from behind, past the danger...

The final ascent



The vehicles look like colorful ants...

Back at the top, just in time to miss the coming storm

We started this trail about 8am and got to end around 7pm. We did take our time to stop and take pictures and have lunch. We also had a trail repair of a leaky power steering hose. Luckily between everyone we had the parts to repair it. Overall this trail was not too intimidating. Some of the switchbacks took my breath away, but I just kept snapping photo's. If you aren't too afraid of heights and narrow shelf roads this is a wonderful trail to go on. The beauty of this area really helps offset any fear. My next post will be a slide show of the dramatic beauty!