Camelback Mountain

Camelback Mountain in Phoenix, Arizona 

is 2,704 feet above sea level.  

We took the Echo Canyon Summit Trail.

It is described as "extremely strenuous and difficult" 

on their website and is 1.5 miles one way.

We were aware it was August

and that we were in a desert.

So we got there early hoping to beat the heat.

Along the way, Sarah picked up this walking stick.

At a particularly difficult place

there were metal hand rails  to aid the hikers.

(When we came down later, they were too hot to touch.)

The sky was brilliant blue.

A fellow hiker offered to take this picture 

and I was so thankful.

Because this was the last time we were together until the summit.

The boys and Ranae tended to go faster and off the beaten track.

As you can see.

Sarah's pace was perfect.

So many fellow hikers gave her encouraging words.

As we climbed, I kept thinking that the mountain was bigger

than it had seemed when we started.

And the views were so amazing.

Brian carried our water in his backpack.

I just carried the camera:-)

We made it to the summit.

And so did Sarah's walking stick.

This picture thrills me because a butterfly made it into the frame!

After all our exertion, she just fluttered by on the breeze. 

This picture cracks me up.

It seems Matthew is already thinking about the hike down.

What an amazing prospective.

Believe it or not,

I thought going down was harder than going up.

The three of us stuck together.....

and met the rest of our crew at the trail head below.

We loved this hike so much!

Everyone said they would do it again.

(Just not tomorrow.)

After Camelback Mountain, the hotel stairs were a cinch.

Family Vacation

Each year it gets harder and harder 

for everyone to get together for a family vacation.

This year we were happy to squeeze in 8 days all together.

We started in Phoenix.

In Phoenix, there were cacti everywhere.

The song that kept going through my head was:

Roadrunner..... 

the coyote's after you.

Roadrunner.....

 if he catches you you're through.

Early in the day we went to the famous Heard Museum.

It is known worldwide for its exhibits of Native peoples art and culture.

A current exhibit at the Heard Museum featured LEGO bricks.

And that's where the kids spent a lot of their time.

They had exhibits built out of LEGOS that were truly inspiring.

That afternoon we all went on a horseback trail ride.

Even Sarah got to ride a horse all by herself!

All the horses seemed to be large breeds with easy going temperaments. 

We rode up and down rocky, sandy, hills

and even spotted a coyote.

Ranae was right behind me.

And Alex and Kevin were behind her.

Matthew and Brian were right in front of me.

And little Sarah was all the way at the front behind the lead horse.

It made me a little nervous.  

But she wasn't nervous a bit.

Every horse that we rode was sure-footed.

Except mine.

  

She tripped several times.

And once my saddle started slipping to the side,

and the guide had to stop and help me shift it back to the top.  

The trails were at times narrow and rocky.

But I didn't get a picture of that because I was too busy holding on.

The rock formations were so unusual.

Nothing like Florida.

We made it back.

Safe and sound.

We absolutely loved it.

And would do it again.

Afterwards we had a BBQ meal on site,

and headed back to the hotel tired and dusty.

Yippee and goodnight.

A wedding and the zoo.

We went to a lovely, fun wedding on the east coast this weekend.

The daughter of my great friend Mary had found the love of her life.

The are the sweetest couple and so happy.

Weddings are such a joyful event.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Zoo on the other hand was an accident.

An afterthought.

A spontaneous exit off the main road on our way home.

As soon as we drove in this ostrich came right up to our window.

He pecked at it for a few minutes.

And that alone was worth the price of admission.

We couldn't stop laughing.

Next were the lions.

And their cage was made out of chain link.

WHAT!

That wouldn't keep out a goat!

We kept our arms and legs inside the car

and tried not to threaten him by starring. 

The lioness hunters were looking longingly.....

.....at every animal as if it was dinner.

And the vultures were just waiting for something to happen.

Preferably something that involved death, and subsequently, their dinner.

The giraffes were lofty.

And the rhinos went anywhere they wanted.

I mean anywhere.

The zoo turned out to be a great excursion.

I would recommend driving through a zoo.

We had so much fun it makes me wonder

what billboard will get us off the highway next.

Swimming

For  a long time,

Sarah's goal has been to swim the length of our pool.

And today was the day.

Way to go Sarah!

The Beach

Summertime.

Beach time.

First Timothy at the Vet

What's a shot?