Need a statistic?

datum that can be represented numerically.  

Always changing.  Mostly stated wrong.  Yet, our minds find them fascinating and important.

Feast here on statistics.

Yesterday, HISTORY and GREATNESS!!

Remember the first day you rode you bicycle by yourself.  Without someone running behind you. There to catch you if you fall.  Scared of every crack, rock, curb and the fact that somehow you have to slow this big machine down.  That day, was yesterday for this little guy Brett.

See video for proof!

"You need balance, think about your belly button.  You need speed, don't stop pedaling.  You're going to fall over and bleed at some point, it happens to everyone, but it's totally worth it.  You ready to try this by yourself Brett?"  ......

Do you blame a kid for wearing that helmet if his name is Brett?

 If only there was a camera there to capture the smile that was RADIATING from Brett after he was done showing mom and dad his new accomplishment.  Fear conquered.  Scrapes, bumps and bruises to come!

Zach is fearless....already jumping curbs with training wheels!

Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Recommended by a close friend.  This books been burning a hole in my bag, itching to be read.  Well, started it today and feel like the underlying message of this book thus far already justifies a blog post and more.

If you're in the market for a book.....might see if you can find Zen for yourself and your soul!

The Decisive Element

"I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element. It is in my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather.
I possess tremendous power to make life miserable or joyous.
I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration, I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal.
In all situations, it is my response that decides weather a crisis is escalated or de-escalated, and a person is humanized or de-humanized.
If we treat people as they are, we make them worse. If we treat people as they ought to be, we help them become what they are capable of becoming."


 - J. W von Goethe

Tapped.

Please, take a second and think about it.  The earth will thank you!

New hobby

Crocheting:  process of creating fabric from yarn with a crochet hook.  It consists of pulling loops of yarn through other loops.  A hobby my family claims only those over the age of 60 should be doing.  I disagree.

Thanks to Tim and Kerin for patiently teaching me!

Ultimate favorite food

Lefse

Lefse is a traditional Norwegian flatbread.  Made out of potatoes, the main food group in Norway!  Typically eaten with butter and sugar, rolled like a pinwheel to be devoured.

Try it today or during your next holiday celebration!  You won't be disappointed!

Texas

When in Texas, head to a ranch!

Pickin' pecans 

Free Photo Recovery

Recently deleted some important photos from my cameras memory card by accidentally ejecting it from my computer.  The sickly, sinking feeling in my stomach was overwhelming.  With a little patience and luck I found a great software ...free and available online, that helps aid in photo recovery.

If you ever delete your memory card:
-don't use your card again or there is great risk you will completely lose them.
-download MjM Free Photo Recovery Software
-smile, watch your photos magically return, reminisce great memories!

Photos that were once lost.....

Making homemade Pumpkin Ravioli with Kari, Jake and Tim

Perfection!  Look how long the noodle was before we cut it into ravioli! 

My first ever snowshoe!

Mountain Ash

Happy?

 

Shared from a friend at Naked Binder

Capitol Reef National Park

In roadtrip day of snow, Capitol Reef National Park just happened to be on the road towards home.

Because of the snow, we did car sightseeing.  We drove along the scenic drive inside Capitol back into the gorge when the snow accentuated the grandness of it all.

Snow falling over Castle Rock

Bryce National Park

When in Southern Utah.......visit national parks.

Bryce National Park.   Best described on the NPS website as 'a cave without a ceiling, a forest of stone.'  Another national park where your eyes just need more time to adjust, more time to perceive, more time to attempt to understand 'how does all of this work?'

Spent two days here.  Driving the 18 mile long scenic drive.  Stopping off at random overlooks.  My favorites were Agua Canyon and Bryce Point.

Fences are meant to be climbed!

These 'hoodoos' are rock formations that have been sculpted by water and time.  Bryce receives snow over 200 days in the year.  With the snow, ice, freezing and melting processing taking shape, Bryce has received its   rare shape.

Zion National Park

Coming from the Grand Canyon, our eyes were used to looking along the horizon line, gazing downward.  Until we entered Zion.  The way Zion is, you drive that scrapes the bottom of the canyon.  Looking up at giant walls of sandstone formations, 2000+ft tall.

We started driving along the Virgin River inside the canyon.  Took the Riverside walk up into the start of The Narrows.  The temptation took us, the boots and socks came off as we waded through the river, upstream for a few hundred yards.  The canyon walls of this gorge are sheer faces and they enclose fast, soon you find yourself enclosed by very steep walls and in a river.  As our feet were beginning to freeze, we found a warm water spring and warmed up for the trek back.  Next time visiting Zion, I plan on hike the 16 mile trail which is 90% 'in river' walking.

One hike that's a must in Zion is up Angels Landing.  It's an easy go of switch backs until you reach the last .5 mile of climb.  Thats when the signs saying "not for children or those scared of heights."  There you must use a chain to pull yourself up and around rocks.  Adrenaline practically seeps out of your body as your knuckles turn white from grasping the chain, looking down on both sides of the narrow rock that your standing on.  Below is over 1,200 feet.  Cars become tiny.  Life becomes a little more real.

View from atop Angels Landing

You walk along and up this skinny ridge line, carefully placing every foot, reminding yourself that 9 people have died along this trail and the number seems small.  One of my favorite day hikes EVER.

Grand Canyon National Park

Driving into the Grand Canyon's north rim was breathtaking.  We didn't see the open canyon, desert sandstone or sun-aged rock.  We saw forests.  Forests after forest fires.  Forests flourishing.  Forests needing TLC.  Totally unexpected, we even saw open golden meadows for the deer.

Pt. Imperial.(highest elevation in the park at 8,803ft)

The vast.  Grandness.  Creates a wonderment.  Questioning of 'how' & 'why.'  It's so big our eyes can hardly process a tiny portion of it all.

We obtained a back country permit and hiked down into the mile deep canyon on the North Kaibab Trail. The canyon sees over 5 million visitors every year, tho most in the spring, summer and early fall.  Because of that, we were fortunate and saw very few hikers. We stayed at the backcountry camp of Cottonwoods for 2 nights.  Hiking from the north rim to Cottonwoods the first day, to the Colorado river and back to camp the next and out on the final day.  The hike totaling 28 miles of awesomeness.  Of cliffs.  Of sheer rock faces dropping thousands of feet down.  Of pristine, oasis-like waterfalls.  Of rock formations dating back 1,200 million years.

The Bright Angel creek pumped fresh water through our campsite both days.  We pumped water from the creek, through a filter for drinking and cooking.  Waters' a valueable resource for hikers in the Canyon, did you know over 250 hikers have to be rescued from the Canyon every year.

Returning from the trail

News....

PS moved to Colorado yesterday.  Will be up near Vail for the winter!


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Come visit!!!!!

Off to the Grand Canyon today.