A Sunday Afternoon

We had everyone over for Sunday dinner (Well except for Michael and Heather who are in New Mexico and very missed.) Darcy found my little flag in my "book business" room and pronounced it her "Michael Michael" flag and seemed quite happy waving it.

Amy is holding Jeremiah. Matthew is hold Jacob (alone) - of course in the one photo he has both boys.

I realized as I was posting these I failed to get one of Jessica. Next visit will be all Jessica!
Chris

Taos

Thursday and Friday Michael and Duane were bound and determined to go fishing. Now I had been to New Mexico once before - as a teenager. I had been all over the state pretty much. And I didn't remember seeing any water (except the Rio Grande and that doesn't count.) Michael assured me there was a lake in north New Mexico and we set off to find it. (It is there and man made and FULL of trout. They had a great time). Heather and I left them there and headed to nearby Taos to bond and shop. We arrived about 9 AM. The shops don't open until 10 AM. But not to worry. Kit Carson's home in right downtown Taos opened at 9 so I bought us tickets and we watched a 30 minute video on his life and toured his 3 room house (that didn't take long at all - see bottom photo for courtyard). Then we just started going store to store and having fun. After a dozen shops we quit even looking at the signs - just went in. We went in one shop though and had only been in just long enough for me to say hello to the lady behind the counter when Heather grabbed my arm and practically pulled me out of the store. I had to ask what was wrong when we got outside (I was wondering WHAT they were selling in that shop!). Seems it was a museum...not a shop at all. I think she was afraid I was going to make her see another 30 minute history video...

I found the perfect bookstore I want to own one day. Complete with cat. I only posted one "town" shot here but the whole town looks like this. GREAT town. I loved this place.
Chris

Albuquerque/Sandia Mountain

The cat is my youngest grandchild, MaryAnn. I always wondered if Michael liked MaryAnn or Ginger best. I guess I know now. She's 7 months old and SO much fun. She pounced on everything that moved.

We spent the day on Sandia Mountain one day. Michael wanted to run up it. He does that for exercise. I insisted we DRIVE up it. We hiked all over the top anyway. I still had the remnants of a cold the twins lovingly gave me. It wasn't bothering me too badly but Albuquerque is 5,000 feet above sea level and add another 5,000 feet to that at the top of Sandia Mountain and I was dizzy. I've been at that height before in the Rockies and it didn't bother me but I couldn't breathe! It was lovely anyway. Then Duane got to playing with his fancy camera and taking closeups of wildflowers. I was beginning to think we were spending the entire day there but about the time he decided to leave the dirt started moving at my foot. I looked down and a groundhog? popped his head up. I was so startled (and so was he!) that I didn't get a photo. He quickly disappeared. I waited and waited at that new hole but he didn't come back. By then everyone else was sitting in the car waiting on me.
So Michael then decides to take us to the Petroglyph National Park. I told him fine as long as it was on FLAT ground. He assured me it was. (He and Heather had taken Amy when she visited.).

http://www.nps.gov/petr/naturescience/index.htm

Turns out they had only visited a SMALL portion of the park. We were visiting on 9/11 and the Park Ranger was out. He told us to go two more exits down for the main petroglyphs so we did. There is a small mountain there - full of petroglyphs. We climbed it. I was ready to kill my middle son. But I was too tired to do so. And dehydrated too. Not to mention sunburned. And the New Mexico bugs were loving me.
The petroglyphs were so unimpressing to me (sorry petroglyph lovers). There is a boarded walkway to walk between the "mountain" and other rocks/petroglyphs. We headed that way. Some kinda BIG bug landed on me and I started stomping to get it off of me. Michael grabbed me and said, "STOP". I just looked at him (I was nearly to the passing out point). He just pointed at the wooden platform board walkway and said, "Rattlesnakes.". Suddenly I just wanted to go back to see MaryAnn.

Overall it was a nice day. Especially the cool water part after we got out of the Petroglyph Park. And we didn't see any Rattlesnakes.
Chris

Barringer Meteor Crater

As we were driving to see the Grand Canyon we came upon this "little hole" in the ground. After miles of desert we needed to stop. It was a nice break and quite interesting. The rim of the meteor crater is about 150 feet around. The crater is about a mile wide and over 570 feet deep. There are boulders around the top that are the size of small houses. The force the impact made is said the be about the force of 2.5 megatons of TNT or 150 X the bomb destructive power that hit Hiroshima.

http://www.barringercrater.com/science has more information on the science.

The one photo above is the largest fragment they could find of the meteorite. Most of it is dust or small pieces - some molten. If you read the sited page you'll find at first they thought this was a volcano and it took a few geologists to change the thinking to meteor. The thinking is that the meteor must have been about 150 feet big originally.

We THOUGHT this was a BIG hole until we saw the Grand Canyon. This is SMALL compared to the Canyon..
Chris

Grand Canyon Part III (Misc Shots)

Morning Has Broken (Grand Canyon Part II)

We left the hotel about 5:30 AM. The sun was due to rise at 6:06 AM (and it did). There were a couple of hundred people (that we could see) at the Grand Canyon when we got there - all spread out and ready to get the best photos they could get. We joined them. It was so quiet and a bit cool. It was almost like "church". Then Heather broke the spell. "Why is everyone SO quiet?" And many chuckled. "Are we going to clap when the sun comes up?" And then we laughed.

And then I noticed Michael had disappeared. I was not about to look around for him. I was determined to enjoy the sunrise without a heart attack. It was nearing time. A few people had to turn about this time in the opposite direction of the sun and start pointing. I STILL did not look. The sun rose (see top photo). It was beautiful. As the crowd started to disperse Michael came bounding back. A few asked him, "Was it hard getting out on that ledge?" (I knew I shouldn't have looked!). He replied, "Hard is relative." (or something like that) and I told them not to try it. (And I didn't even want to know where he went.).

It WAS beautful!

As you drive out to the Grand Canyon there is nothing to remarkable about the scenery - oh, it's nice desert scenery. I was beginning to wonder about this "hole in the ground" we had drive 6 hours to see. Then you make the entrance and there are no words to describe it.

We've been to Niagra Falls and that's the closest I think I can say to the wonder we saw here.

Chris

The Grand Canyon

At first sight the Grand Canyon takes your breathe away. Then as you start to take it in and snap a few photos your son gets closer and closer to the edge and your heart starts going faster and faster. (He lived - I almost didn't.). Awesome work of God..no way to describe the splendor. More coming..Chris

Sharing some Fruit

We had Darcy spend the night for the first time this weekend (and Amy was home too). Here she is enjoying Aunt Amy's fruit selections. (Pineapple and mango).

We had a great time but my she is a busy, busy girl. Duane's computer is in our bedroom. About 9 we started TRYING to get her to go to bed (she slept with us). I went to get my pajamas on and when I came out she was sitting at the computer desk looking at the screensaver - which is photos of the family. I said, "Let's go to bed now Darcy." She held up her hand with

index finger pointed up and said, "One more minute please. I have a little more work to do."

Then she grabbed the mouse. I snorted and grabbed her but it WAS a nice try.

She's two going on 21 I think. I'm thinking they really better get ready to homeschool this one

as there isn't a school around ready to handle her!

smiles, Chris