and now for my final TRICK: Rain, Rain Go Away

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Rain, Rain Go Away

Torrential downpores, thunderstorms, and tornado watches. That about sums up the weather since we arrived here on Sunday evening. It has been NONSTOP rain and sleet for 4 straight days. My ideal vacation did not include exploring Zion on the shuttle bus

and viewing (or not viewing as the case may be) the Bryce Amphitheater through an opaque fog.

Let's start at the beginning. 6:21 am on Sunday.

Our drive was perfect. Seriously. No crying or complaining, no potty or diaper accidents, and no vomiting! A complete success. Holden peed on the side of a highway for the first time and Ev had his diaper changed on the desert floor.

It was a total of 11 hours door to door, which isn't bad when you factor in our stop in Grand Junction to fix a flat tire!

This cabin is super cute with a big deck and table, which we have yet to use and nice swing where I could (possibly, if it stopped raining) sit and watch Scout chase wild turkeys and the kids build mud castles.

We thought the tv and wifi would be a bad thing, but since we don't have a covered canoe, they are both coming in handy.

We headed over to Zion on Monday and the rain did relent for brief periods and we got out of the car for a little while and the kids rock climbed,

threw rocks in the river,

and splashed in many mud puddles.

Tuesday, when we awoke to more rain, we decided to head over to Cedar City and look for some indoor fun for the kids. We first hit the Frontier Museum. It was fun to see the old wagons, farming equipment, and authentic cabins. The kids found a stray cat to chase, which provided them 30 minutes of entertainment while we read all of the information and explored the history of southwestern Utah.

Then off to Taco Time and an indoor play area for a lunch break. The adults were ready to go home, but Holden heard rumors of a jump castle and we just had to go. So off to Bounce insanity we went. It really was so much fun for the kids. They had never been to an ondoor bounce play place and they got out alot of energy. Ev even took a hit to the head from a boxing glove bigger than him, and he got right back up!

We woke up on Wednesday and it was actually raining more. We went to Bryce Canyon anyway, and spent A LOT of time in the visitor center and Ruby's Inn where we had a big cowboy lunch. Finally we gave up and drove in to Sunrise Point so Ian and my dad could run out in the rain for a brief glimpse of the canyon, and nothing. They couldn't see 5 feet in front of them. UGH

Here we ar back at the cabin, watching the Phillies game, sipping tea, and trying to entertain this kids, who are dying for some action.

Tomorrow my dad and Ian head out to Vegas, Ian has work for a couple of days and my dad is going to enjoy all the Blackjack he can handle. I will stay here with the munchkins and pray for some clear weather. I heard a rumor that it may only be cloudy at Zion on friady, but I am afraid to get my hopes up. Ian will be back here Friday night and we are here till Sunday.

So three full days left and we are singing, "Here Comes the Sun" by the Beatles and all have our fingers crossed for an improvement!

Quote of the Day

"You've got to be #*&#@* kidding me! I can't see rock number 1!"

-Dennis Diehl, after hiking through the sleet and fog to the edge of Bryce Canyon

No comments:

Post a Comment

Recent Reads

Honolulu by Alan Brennert- 4 Stars
A lovely tale told by a Korean woman who came to America as a "picture bride." We learn of her challenging and oppressive childhood in Korea, her journey away from all she knew, learning the new culture in Hawaii, escaping an abusive husband, becoming an entrepreneur, finding love, becoming a mother, and living a fulfilling life. I previously read Molokai by the same author and loved it, which is why I snatched this one up as soon as I heard of it. I think I enjoyed this one even more! The writing is smooth and easy, the tales are gripping, and the experiences are harrowing which keep you wanting more of this woman's incredible story.

The Book of Awesome by Neil Pasricha- 2 1/2 stars
This book is a collection of vignettes celebrating the awesome things in life. The cold side of your pillow on a hot night, finding money in your coat pocket, popping bubble wrap, when cashiers open up a new line at the grocery store, and watching Price is Right when you were home sick from school. This guy also has a blog where people can submit more awesomness. It was fun to read, but not as great as I was hoping. I will probably read his blog though, because he is pretty witty and definitely made me chuckle and remember to appreciate the small things in life.

Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson- 3 stars
PAGE TURNER! I read this in 1 1/2 days. The story begins with a woman waking up in a bed, next to a man, in a house and she recognizes none of it. Over the next few minutes she learns that she has amnesia and every night when she goes to be she forgets most of her life. She begins working with a psychiatrist who convinces her to write in a journal, so she can reread it each morning and hopefully begin to build memories. The mysteries of how she ended up in this condition and her relationships with friends and loved ones kept me on the edge of my seat.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet - 4 1/2 Stars
Another winner here folks. This book was AWESOME (and a bit shorter than Cutting for Stone). This was a new perspective on World War II for me. The story follows a boy growing up in a Chinese household in Seattle during the war. He befriends a Japanese girl, which is STRICTLY forbidden by his domineering and emotionless father. He realizes he is in love with her just as her family is removed to a Japanese Internment camp for the remainder of the war. The stay in touch through letters and his enormous risks to visit her . I don't want to give away any more, but you simply HAVE to read this book. The relationships between the children and their families and even the public during these war years was an interesting perspective for me. The twists and turns kept me up till midnight and the ending was wonderful!

Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese- 5 Stars
Oh my! I LOVED LOVED LOVED it. It was long and delicious and I did not want it to end. The premise is a nun working at a clinic in Ethiopia dies while giving birth to twin boys. The story explores the people and relationships in these boys' lives through the eyes of Marion, one of the twins. He grows up in the clinic in Ethiopia with amazing adoptive parents who were friends with his parents and gives us a taste of the culture, food, and everyday life of an Ethiopian. He heads to America to pursue a medical career and his birth father. We read this for book club and had wonderful and rich discussions...I wish there was a part 2!

The Distant Hours by Kate Morton- 3 stars
This was pretty darn good. It took me about 100 pages to really get into it and the ending was a bit too quick, neat, and tidy. But not nearly as terrible as the ending of Handle with Care by Jodi Piccoult (I threw that book across the room and into a wall as I read the last word). I was hooked and couldn't stop myself once I was into it. It was a book club choice and there was more discussion than I remember in 3 years of book club. We were talking over each other and jumping into other conversations. I couldn't even keep up. This story centered around the lives of three sisters who grew up in a castle in England from World War II to the present. They had an eccentric family and extremely odd and famous author father. The mysteries weave through history and the walls of the castle, revealing themselves to the woman chosen to write a piece about the famed play written by the father. It was very good and I would highly recommend it.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Rain, Rain Go Away

No comments:

Post a Comment

LinkWithin