Grand Photos

The weather turned out beautiful- right around freezing with wonderful blue sky. Very different from the blizzard the day before.
Kassidy cheering for the Flames even from the top of the Canyon!

Go Flames Go!
Here are the kids with Ranger Dave. He took us for a tour along the rim of the canyon to explain how people have lived in and around the canyon for hundreds of years. He was great at his job and we all learned lots.
The overlooks at the canyon are AMAZING! They have guard rails in most spots, but not in all. Definately a good idea to stay away from the edge.
Here we are near our campground at Salome, Arizona going for a walk in the desert with Grandpa who was down for a vist. Notice the sticks...it was suggested we take them along to scare of coyotes who get a little hungry in desert. We didn't see any scorpians, although Jay did spend a fair amount of time turning over rocks looking.

Grand Canyon

January 25th, 2008
Snow!!! Real Snow!!!! As we headed toward the Grand Canyon yesterday the excitement was HIGH…very high. Not only were we going to see the Grand Canyon - we going to stay in a
H-O-T-E-L. - life was good! Real baths! A pool!! Television!!! The kids found it harder to sleep last night than they did on Christmas Eve!

The Grand Canyon was…is AMAZING! Pictures cannot do it justice ~ it is truly breath taking. We took in the IMAX movie presentation of the Canyon instead of taking a helicopter ride (the weather was not good enough to travel by air - we were all a bit relieved to be staying on the ground). Throughout the day we learned the history of canyon exploration and the kids participated in the Junior Park Ranger Program. They earned a Ranger Badge for the completion of a workbook and by attending a Ranger presentation. We toured the South Rim of the Canyon and were awe stuck by each new view. We will post some photos and please feel free to borrow the DVD of the IMAX Movie we bought when we return home.

January 27th, 2008
We are currently in Laughlin, Nevada and will be in this area for the next while. Gambling isn’t a high priority for us, although Jay did win $4.00 on the nickels slots today. What a high roller! It was enough to pay for laundry this week.

Jay had three exams this week so the rest of us Hohn’s will have to find something to do to keep out of trouble. We are thankful that there is always school work and …even more thankful that the AVI Casino and Resort across the road has a pool that we can access. We hope that it stops raining tomorrow as the pool is outdoors. Clearly, we have nothing to complain about as we heard Rimbey is currently having a nasty blizzard, however, we will not be having any snow days from school.

Beautiful Arizona

Arizona

Just a short 110 mile round trip to the nearest Safeway…in the desert. What the? We are in Salome, Arizona and yes there is a local friendly grocery store, but let me tell you the prices are not that friendly and the selection not that wide, besides I needed to go to a pharmacy and apparently that is not a very important service in this small community. They do have a lovely pottery shop and bakery that is open part-time- oh yah there is also a peacock farm right beside the campground, but no pharmacy. I did try to go to another small (yet bigger than our current location) town yesterday…by myself.

FYI- you should always take a map with you when you drive in an area you don’t know very well. I was heading West, which was a good thing and I did stop at the roadside café in “Hope” to confirm my direction-although I didn’t have much “HOPE” after that because there were no roads signs to help me. When I ended up going the wrong way on the Interstate- and I was faced with going 55 miles to the next exit and 20 miles to the nearest rest area with less than a ¼ of a tank of fuel – I did what I had to do! I drove…then drove awhile longer… I confirmed that I did have the cell phone ( in case I need to phone for help or fuel)…I tried to drive the speed limit and act cool-it was hard though because the speed limit was 75 miles an hour…it was getting dark and I had no place to turn around. About this time the cell phone rings- I look to see who it was (Jay’s parents) nope-sorry I am not answering it- daughter-in-law does not want to explain getting lost in Arizona at the moment. Ok – the mile markers are passing by quickly and so are the big truckers - who, apparently, have no problem with 75mph speed limit. I see an area that has the no illegal u-turn sign- I pass it going 70 – thinking “crap” - actually it was another word that I can’t blog…I am filled with regret and anxiety…for a moment I think about driving through the ditch over the shrubs and cacti-- isn’t that what having a 4x4 is all about??? I move to the left lane slow down to 55mph- that makes other drivers really happy- they love it when people drive 55 in the “fast” lane. I see a u-turn spot- I hesitate- too late- it’s gone by. There is another- ok I am doing it – I quickly pull to edge of the 12 inch shoulder of the Interstate (wonder if I am going to die) I slow to 35 and make a sharp left!!! YeeeHaaa- I am no longer heading toward Phoenix. I make it to Quartzite- the pharmacy doesn’t have what I need – that’s just terrific! Now I have to go home empty-handed, explain why I took too long, why the truck needs fuel, and that we have to drive 55miles to Wickenburg to get a $8.00 bottle of pills. ALWAYS – take a map!!!

Mexico

We made it back from Mexico! It was a fantastic experience, but…it is funny what a difference a few steps can make. We drove to Nogales, Arizona, parked the truck in a Burger King parking lot (which we paid $4.00 to park in), we walked across the street, down one block, through two-8 feet high turn-stiles and presto we were in a whole new country. It was easier than crossing the border from Canada to the USA and took way less time, however what was on the other side was so very different. 20 steps into Mexico Jay and I gave each other the look…like-“what were we thinking, bringing the kids here? Should we just turn around and go back now?” After almost 16 years of being married that’s all it takes-one look and you are having an entire conversation. We held little hands harder and continued forward. After making our way through the crowd of waiting taxi-cab drivers who were asking us (all at once) if we needed a cab- we continued down a block to be asked continuously if we needed medicine and if we could come into the pharmacy. We weren’t sure why there were so many “pharmacies” only a few steps into Mexico (although we did figure that out later) and we were sure wondering where the tourist items were. Hats? T-shirts? Mexican Jewelry? Tequila? One simple turn was all it took and there we were ---smack in the middle of tourist heaven. Shopkeepers were coming at us like bees to honey. It didn’t take us long to get into the bartering and we enjoyed a few hours of high intensity haggling. The kids were a little mortified at first, “Mom, come one- it’s a good deal” and “Dad, you always get your way!” In the end, I think Triana was mostly impressed by her Dad’s ability to get a $65.00 blanket for $15.00. If we had stayed any longer I am sure Kassidy would have been negotiating on her own silver jewelry. Ry was happy with deals and his very cool sunglasses, but just didn’t appreciate the high pressure sales. We certainly did not get to see much of Mexico, however it was a neat experience and we all came away with a little treasure and some cool memories- Kassidy also came away with braided hair.

p.s. the pharmacy stores were for Americans who had prescriptions for medicine, but no healthcare coverage in the States. One more reason to be thankful to live if Canada.

p.s.s. Vanilla is a VERY popular item to buy in Mexico- they said it was because it made good cookies, but we didn’t really believe that!

Winter's Fun

The kids ready for a great day of sledding...where do you find a sledding place in New Mexico you ask?
After driving a few miles on roads that had just been plowed we found the perfect place to hit the hills!
Testing the sled conditons.
Kass was the first to hit the hill- well the sand dune actually. White Sands National Park was a new adventure and unexpected place to wax up the sled and fly down the hills.

Triana's wipe out!
Jay even tried it outwith the saucer - he had tried once going down the dune without the sled, (by accident) when he fell...actually stumbled...rolled...and fell all the way. Too bad the camera was ready then!
Ryley was the first to make it all the way to bottom and he had the sand in his contacts to prove it.
Can you tell it was a tad windy? Sand really does hurt at 50+mph
Looks just as beautiful in the sand, as in the snow...much warmer!

Kassidy's Day

Today we woke up at around 7am and we heard hooting outside, so Dad, Tri and I went out to look for owls. Yesterday Mom, Tri and I found some holes in the sand and under some cactuses and I thought they were burrows for burrowing owls. We found none, but something ran across the path. It was either a jackrabbit or burrowing owl or road runner.

We then went to the White Sands Desert. We rented a sled and bought some wax. I went down a sand dune and made a sand angel. It was so windy the sand stung my eyes and legs. We went down the hills a lot. When you climb up the hill it is easy to start with - then you start to sink – you slip and your shoes fill up with sand. When you finally reach the top of the dune you’re tired. I rolled down the hill a lot too. When you start it’s soft, but as you roll you start to thump, your back hurts, and gasps of air come out of your lungs. When you breathe through your nose all you breathe in is sand. The sand is so white it looks like snow. We left the sand dunes and went to Wal-Mart, got groceries and had lunch. We headed back to the campground played for a while, ate supper, and went on the computer. I found out that one of my friends is in Los Angeles and going to Disneyland today!! I play Webkinz then watched the Beverly Hillbillies.

Goodbye Canyon Lake

Here's another picture of the Riverwalk in San Antonio. This is part of the downtown shopping mall.
Riverwalk, San Antonio
Canyon Lake December 31st, 2007. We hiked around the lake and across the dam. It was a beautiful day and great way to spend the last day of the year.
Triana and Kassidy feeding the friendly deer at our campground. The campground office sold deer corn and the critters were more than happy to accept some...ok alot...from the girls.
We had to go back to Clear Springs Restaurant for more Onion Rings before we moved on. Yes- they thought we were crazy for taking a picture of the Onion Rings!!! Mmmm tasty!

Maybe Tomorrow

Not sure how many people remember the show "The Littlest Hobo"- with that great German Shepard dog, but whenever it is time for us to move on from an area - it seems like the song from that show should be playing in the background. Here are some of the Lyrics...maybe it will jolt some memory. Apparently Corner Gas did a spoof on it last year too!

Maybe Tomorrow

There's a voice,that keeps on calling me. Down the road, is where I'll always be.

Every stop I make, I'll make a new friend.Can't stay for long, just turn around and I'm gone again.

Maybe tomorrow, I'll wanna settle down,Until tomorrow, I'll just keep moving on.

Down the road, that never seems to end,where new adventure, lies just around the bend.

So if you wanna join me for a while,just grab your hat, come travel light,that's hobo style.

Maybe tomorrow, I'll want to settle down,until tomorrow, the whole world is my home.

There's a world, that's waiting to unfold,a brand new tale, no one has ever told,we've journey'd far but, you know it won't be long,we're almost there and we've paid our fare, with the hobo song.

Maybe tomorrow, I'll want want to settle down,until tomorrow, I'll just keep moving on.

...we are moving on from this part of Texas- excited to see what else this State will offer. It has been terrific so far. By the end of the weekend we will be nearly to New Mexico...after passing (briefly) through NM and seeing the White Sands Desert we will journey to Arizona. We are also planning a day trip into Mexico soon, but it will have to be via bus as our vehicle insurance doesn't cover us there. Hmmm-I wonder why?

Until next time-take good care!!