2000 Flushes, Iron County

Today was the most gorgeous Fall day... 77f, bright sunshine in clear blue skies... an adventure was most definately beckoning! We left the truck at Three Peaks rec. area a few miles West of town and headed further West on the dirt-bikes. A series of dirt roads and off-road tracks meandered through to the edge of the Three Peaks area where we crossed a County Road and continued on dirt tracks to 2000 Flushes. What was once a coal mine has long since been abandoned and flooded with water; the mine was used in the early 1900's. Legend has it that miner's hit a water vein, engulfing the mine in water and taking with it, huge machinery and several workers.. the area certainly has an eerie feel to it - the size is immense and it's really very remote out there. Owen thought the sounds from the echo of his voice were very cool - he was yelling out all kinds of words and couldn't quite figure out where the echo was coming from - it was fun to watch him. The water color is the most intense shade of blue / green, rather like toilet cleaner I guess, which is how the area got its name.. 2000 Flushes. We hung out by the water's edge for a half hour or so in the warm sunshine before heading back a different route to the truck. We rode alongside a rail-track for a while - Owen is loving trains right now, so that was very exciting for him. There were some old rail-cars that we lifted him up onto and he had a great time running round. We made it back to the truck a little sunburned and saddle-sore (well, I was!) and thankful for this perfect weather that made such a day out possible.

Mammoth Cave, Utah

So our Sunday adventure took us up the mountain to the amazing Mammoth Cave. A natural geologic wonder, the caves were created from thousands of years old molten lava that I guess had natural air-pockets in and formed these amazing caves that are safe to walk through. With only 1 flash-light between the 3 of us, it really wasn't enough light to see where you were walking so I opted out after the first couple minutes in pitch darkness.... a pitch black, quarter mile trek below the ground in thousands of years old lava caves that are home to 7 species of bats is something that i'm not afraid to admit that I'm a chicken to do, lol.... Alfredo & Owen however were more than game to stumble round

the rocks in the dark and Owen had a blast. The exit to the caves is really small and Alfredo had to make like a contortionist to squeeze through the small opening at the end. Both had a great time and said I would have loved it had i gone down... next time I'm ging to find the biggest, brightest flash-light available and overcome my fear of those scary bats and do it!... for now, I just enjoyed the view of the surrounding mountains and the warm sun on my face while I waited for them to 'surface'. We had a picnic and then drove the loop-road back home via the ski-resort, so it made for a really nice Sunday trip.

Skyfest 2009, Cedar City, Utah

Getting up at 6am on a chilly Saturday is not my idea of a good time.... but for Skyfest, I am happy to make an exception... we had a super time. Everyone gathered at the launch field on the edge of town at just after 7am to watch the hot-air balloon owners get the balloons unpacked and spread out on the ground ready to inflate. Of course I've seen hot-air balloons in the air before but I never knew or realized just how insanely huge they are when you are stood just feet away from them being inflated. Owen was in his element as these huge balloons rose from the ground all around him, their bright colors and designs so vibrant and alive in the early morning sun (which we were very thankful to see as it took some of the chill out of the air!). Being a small town, of course we saw lots of friends and neighbors and that was nice to visit with them while we enjoyed the spectacular sight as the 20 or so balloons one by one lifted off the ground and floated away over the valley... what an amazingly beautiful sight. I hope you like the pics.

My little boy is mobile!.....

It's the end of an era.... our little boy is growing up.... the training wheels are off and he's pedaling down the road with me running after him trying to keep up! With thanks to Alfredo's friend, Juan Andreas (gracias sangwiches!!!) for the advice, we removed the training wheels (and pedals) and within about 3 weeks, Owen had learned to ride a bicycle properly. He is so excited about it... and so are we; it's an exciting new milestone in his life. Alfredo has been watching the Vuelta a Espana a lot lately (it's like the Tour De France) and when Owen learned to ride his bike, he said 'look mommy, I can ride my bike like the men in Daddy's tv show'.... we thought that was really cute. Check out the attached video I took this afternoon.... yes, sorry, you're going to have to turn your head on its side to watch the movie... sorry!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Happy Birthday to you Daddy... I love you... y feliz cumpleanos abuelito... besos xoxo

Las Vegas

An appointment with the Immigration folks provided the perfect opportunity for an overnight stay in Sin City!! I worked half a day on Thursday and we were in Las Vegas by 3pm. Our hotel was an amazing last minute deal and we were very happy with it. We headed for The Strip where we walked for what seemed like miles while Owen was in awe with all the sights/sounds and his latest obsession.... escalators and elevators, which believe it or not, we don't have at home in our little town, so they were a very new experience to Owen and he couldn't get enough of them! We went to see the Lions at the MGM, walked the Miracle Mile mall and saw the fountains at the Bellagio... and all the other things in between!! Friday morning I had my immigration appointment which went really smoothly and very fast which was great and left more time to enjoy the hot sun and the hotel pool which we did until lunch-time. We then drove back up the Strip to the Outlet Malls where we shopped and got some amazing bargains in the Gap sale before making our way North and home. I love Las Vegas... the sounds, the lights, the people-watching.... just everything about that city is insane, scary and awesome all at once... the amount of money there is like nothing I could ever imagine.... even though i love it, 24 hours there is plenty enough for me and i'm always really happy to start the drive North and cross over into Utah state and see the red rock mountains... then I know i'm home in my friendly, safe and quiet little town..... Thanks Vegas for a fun 24 hours!!..... Viva Las Vegas....

Little Bunny Foo Foo

Here is owen's latest party-trick - a performance of Little Bunny Foo Foo... not sure he has all the words correct, but you get the idea! We thought it was kina cute.

Grand Canyon - North Rim

Finally, we got to see the Grand Canyon; neither Alfredo or I had been there before, so it was a real treat for all of us to be able to see this amazing natural wonder. Having lived in Utah for nearly 5 years, I'm kinda mad at myself for not having made the effort to have gone there sooner! We had a super time. We stayed the night in the North Rim, the only campground in the actual National Park on the North side (the quieter, less touristy side of the Canyon). We arrived at the park at about 1pm on Sunday, set up the tent and headed off on the first of 4 hikes that we were able to fit in during our time in the Canyon. The Transcept Trail is a really beautiful trail that follows the rim of the canyon from the campground to the Lodge - the views are amazing! We took a short break at the Lodge where Owen was most intrigued with the bronze statue of Brighty, a donkey who lived and worked with a family in the canyon many years ago - it's said to be good luck if you rub Brighty's nose (we all had a good rub!). After a short break and a few more 'wows' for the views from the gorgeous sun-terrace at the Lodge, we hiked the short Bright Angel's Point trail. Owen fell asleep on the way back from this trail so Alfredo and I took the opportunity to enjoy the quiet time and people watch from the shaded seating area back at the Lodge, and to browse the gift shop. After hiking back to the campground we started to prepare the camp fire for dinner.... one huge crack of thunder and lightening later, we made a hasty retreat to the car to avoid the most insane hail-storm - it was crazy - late August and we were freezing cold, looking out the car windows as everything got hammered with hail. Fortunately the storm didn't last long and we were able to sleep the rest of the night in the tent without getting wet. We woke to clear beautifully sunny skies and enjoyed an early morning camp fire before tackling the first 1.5 miles of the Kaibab Trail to the Coconino Overlook. Wow wow Wow wow Wow wow!!!!!! Get my point?? lol, the steep hike down there was well worth the views.... carrying Owen the steep hike back to the parking lot..... hmmmm, let's say we won't be attempting to go further on this hike until he is able to walk himself in and out! The hike actually continues down to the canyon floor and up the South Rim to the other side.... not for the faint-hearted, but I sure would love to give it a try!! Unfortunately we had to leave Monday for me to get back to work and Owen for school but we made the most of the journey home and stopped in Zion National Park for a picnic.. the perfect end to a short break.

Parowan Gap

So we decided to take Owen on somewhat of an educational field-trip this evening to the petroglyphs at the Parowan Gap. It was the first time that any of us had visited the Gap despite it being only a 15 minute ride from home! The Gap contains lots of ancient rock-art (petroglyphs) done by the Fremont peoples/Indians approximately 1,000 years ago. The atmosphere and scenery at the Gap is amazing.. it's peaceful, awe-inspiring and magical. It just has a calm feel about it and a magic that you just can't describe. The weather was just perfect too - a nice breeze blew constantly and we stayed until the sun started to set, casting a beautiful light on the already gorgeous shades of red rock. Earlier, Owen and I had hiked up to a little cave carved into the side of one of the huge rocks and he thought this was so much fun.

Pine Valley

Saturday afternoon, we took a drive headed West - destination, the beautiful Pine Valley. We did the first 30 miles or so on normal roads but when we got to New Castle, we took a dirt road for another 25 miles and I'm so pleased that we did this instead of continuing on the pavement because it was all so beautiful. The dirt road took us clear up in to the mountains and through the range, past New Castle Reservoir to the picture-perfect little town of Pinto (one of those 'blink and you miss it' kinda places). The road continues winding through mountains and valleys, ending up in Grass Valley (very aptly named) and then Pine Valley - a place that I've been wanting to go to for several months now. We spent the afternoon at the Pine Valley Reservoir, had a picnic and went on a short hike which Owen just loved since there was lots for him to climb on and explore. Alfredo did some fishing but had no luck - the fish seemed to be jumping in all the places that he was not! For dinner, we had reservations at the very popular Brandin' Iron Steakhouse - I had heard so much about this place and was excited to eat there, and wow, we sure weren't disappointed - this place is amazing and the food is delicious, with really huge portions.... oh, and their beans..... mmmmmmm.... if you're ever in Pine Valley.. you have to go to the Brandin' Iron... the atmosphere, the food.. just everything made for a really nice Saturday dinner, and the perfect end to a lovely day.

Happy Birthday to Me!!

Ok, so for those of you that know me well will know that I'm a low-key kinda birthday gal; I don't like a big fuss and I will probably never have a huge party since I hate being the center of attention!.. but I just want to say a big thank you to everyone who made my day yesterday so special. All my friends and family in England who mailed over gifts and cards, to my co-workers who made my work-day special and to Alfredo & Owen with whom I had a lovely time tonight at the Shakespearean Festival Greenshow.. what a super evening we had sat in the cool summer evening air watching very talented actors put on an a very fun little show in the gorgeous setting of the SUU Campus - I just love our little town so much for all the really cool stuff like this that they do. My 20's was a big decade for major life stuff (baby, marriage, house etc.) but I'm determined to make my 30's even better and look forward to sharing them with you all.

Wood's Ranch & Kids Pond

After a busy morning at work and with temperatures rising in the valley, we decided to escape a little ways up the mountain to Wood's Ranch and the Kids Pond for a spot of fishing. Owen caught his first little fish within 15 mins of being there; he gets so excited when he catches a fish, it's really fun to watch him. I took the mountain bike, hoping to do a couple of miles of the Virgin River Rim trail which starts/ends at Wood's Ranch... what I didn't know was that it's all uphill from Wood's Ranch and I was exhausted and out of breath before having gone more than a half mile or so, lol.. it was so pretty though but the deeply rutted dirt road and steep grade was a little more hardcore mountain biking that I like! We fished some more but didn't catch anything; we were just happy to hang-out in the cooler temperatures, have a picnic and enjoy the gorgeous setting. Owen and I hiked round the lake a couple of times; it's a really nice, kid-friendly hike and Owen loves it.