Bryce Canyon

"If I were to name the three most precious
resources of life, I should say books, friends,
and nature; and the greatest of these, at least
the most constant and always at hand, is nature.
Nature we have always with us, an inexhaustible
storehouse of that which moves the heart, appeals
to the mind, and fires the imagination,--health
to the body, a stimulus to the intellect, and
joy to the soul.'
John Burroughs
From: The Art of Seeing Things

The sky was the bluest I've ever beheld-honestly I think it was morphing into an azure!
English was NOT the common language in the Park.
Winter temperatures were threatening-but held at bay. I was grateful for my layers, but it was delightful to strip them off as the day warmed up.
Tourist shops were battening down their hatches, closing shop and readying for a long, cold winter. We picked the perfect weekend to visit. Next weekend it may resemble a ghost town.

The trails we hiked were beyond description in their beauty.
The company was the best-though I do admit that Im not used to hiking with boisterous kids.
The rooms were clean, and the mattress was good.
The fall colors were all but gone, but who needs fall colors when you have colors such as these!?!

Memory cards in cameras were being filled by the dozens.
Trail maps were utilized to their fullest.
Swimming and bike riding were included.
Petrified wood was the novelty-(if you dont count the hoodoo of course!!)But you cant take a hoodoo home with you !!

There was a strange void where Anna and Clark and Steph and Ben and Carly used to be... (I missed them so!!)
But Bri and Becca stepped right in and did a great job of filling the space. With Ali and Mikele found quickly on their heels. Cousins rock!!
The deer and the antelope were playing.
The sound of the wind through the pines caused the familiar longing to my Builders soul. Its a peaceful ache.

The chipmunks didnt fail to entertain.
Im going to sum up the weekend with some silly generalities.
When one is among tourists:
I see-
*The Europeans smoke-and dont smile much.
*The Americans eat.
*The Asians come in numbers.
But one and all cant help but appreciate all that they see in Bryce!!
We will return to this glorious landscape again!! But not until the summer heat returns as well!!