Zion National Park

Today we drove the rest of the way to CA, but first we visited Zion National Park, which was less than an hour from Cedar City.  Here is Owen, my nephew Drew, Rylan and my nephew Connor.  My nephew Alex, the one who will be marching, is traveling with the band.  Everybody else is either behind their own camera, NOT listening that we are taking a picture, or in the bathroom.  sigh.

Zion is absolutely beautiful.  It was a little chilly in the shade, but otherwise a gorgeous day to be outdoors.  We picked up Junior Ranger books at the Visitor Center, watched a short presentation and then the kids HAD to have these from the gift shop:

Many thanks to Aunt Joyce for the Christmas money for each kiddo, and a thank you to the kind Park Service employee with a sharpie to lend me so that I could initial each tag, thus avoiding endless fighting about whose raccoon was whose.

We went on a short hike up the Weeping Rock trail.  In the spring, summer and fall there is water that seeps out of the rock and trickles down the wall.  Now, in wintertime, the water is frozen, so the giant rock wall is covered with thousands of icicles.  There is the constant sounds of ice cracking and icicles falling and crashing on the rocks below.  It was quite the show..

The trail was steep, and icy in sections, so it was a bit dicey for me in places, but thankfully there was always some small child nearby that I could hang on to, to keep my balance.  We stood and watched and listened for at least a half an hour, but alas, California is calling and we have hours of driving ahead of us.  First though, our stomachs are growling and lunchtime is near.

Las Vegas is also near, so we hatch a plan to hit a buffet on the outskirts of Vegas for lunch.  We drive just over an hour and arrive for the last 25 minutes the buffet will be open.  Kids pile their plates and we eat.  The food was less than fabulous and the casino was smokey.  We are so accustomed to living in a non-smoking environment here in Colorado, that it is a shock to the system to walk into a smoky establishment. It was also a challenge to steer small children through the casino to even get to the buffet.  So many flashing lights!  So many sounds!

Back in the car, we drive, drive, drive.  We break out the Star Wars trilogy (4,5 and 6) that Santa brought for Christmas, and the kids have a mini-movie marathon, while Dean and I crack up at their commentary.  The desert is endless.  So is the stretch from Vegas to Barstow, that moves at about 15 miles per hour.  HOW CAN THAT MANY PEOPLE BE DRIVING TO CALIFORNIA!!??  It takes forever, but we finally reach our hotel in San Bernardino.  Tomorrow is Lego Land, so to bed we go!

Girl Scout Day Camp: Day Three

I left my house grumbling again this morning - camp starts at 9 a.m., and when I went out at 8 a.m. to load up the car, the smoke was so bad I could barely breathe.  Which means it must feel ten times worse for Owen, our asthma child.  Even though camp was on a delay schedule on Monday, a day that wasn't too bad, both Tuesday and today the air was so thick with smoke from the fire that visibility was at a quarter of a mile.  We had no business being outside today... and I feel like I have no choice in the matter - my child should stay home, but since I am a volunteer I am expected to be there.  Where is the common sense?

Here we are, just after 10 a.m., working on a craft project....

See how hazy it is?  What the hell are we breathing?  And we're basing this decision on a 'sniff' test?  I just have to rant a little about this... I understand the pressure to continue on with camp, BUT, I seriously question the priorities here..

Oh well, on with the day.  The high today was about 94F.  It was hot and miserable, with a breeze every once in awhile.  Rylan had a busy day - canoeing, swimming, a cookout and smores.  And a lot of singing and skit practice.

Rylan is the far background, second girl to the left of the lady in pink.

Ten seconds ago she was doing a little dance/skit/thing... I couldn't walk over fast enough!

Our little kids were wading in the water today and playing with mud.  And making swaps with messy glitter and glue.  Fun stuff.  Later we kept filling the wading pools to keep them cooled off.

At the end of the day I had to pour a gallon of water on each kid to rinse them off before they could get in the car.  We were off to the airport to pick up Jordan - he will join us tomorrow.  On the way to the airport I caught a couple pictures of the fire.  It is directly west of us about four miles (as the crow flies).  A little too close for comfort.  I am longing for the day that I can throw the windows open again - and not smell like a campfire.  But, in retrospect, at least we still have a home.  Over 130 and counting no longer have a home... and the fire just continues to grow.  All afternoon I watched as the south-western edge just continue to flare up.  We are waiting with baited breath about the northern edge of the fire - it is dangerously close to Jordan's boy scout camp, and to Glacier View Meadows and Red Feather - some of the prettiest country in the world.  I will die of heartbreak if the fire rampages in that direction.



Girl Scout Day Camp Day One

I am beyond exhausted, so I'll keep this short.  Today was the kick-off for hell week around here.  The kids and I head out every day - all day for Girl Scout camp.  Rylan spends the day with her 'unit', and I stay with the two younger ones at the 'mini-camp' - the place for all of the younger boys and girls of full-time camp volunteers.  When Jordan flies home on Wednesday, he will join us for the last two days - spending his time with the older boys - fishing and so forth.

Today was most likely the nicest day of the week - the temp only got up to about 76F.  For the next four days it will get progressively hotter - high 80's, low 90's.  This camp is a very nice recreation area, but in the particular spot where we are situated at there are very few trees.  It will be a test of endurance to see this thing through.  We also had a late start to the day because of the air-quality from the the smoke from the High Park fire, 15 miles away.  The winds had shifted last night and the area filled with smoke.  The winds shifted away and the air was 'relatively' clear by mid-morning, when the camp opened up.

So - just a few pics from the day....

We are ready to go on a short walk around the ponds with the Master Naturalists who have come out for the afternoon to guide each group.  The older boys camp is situated right next to ours - that's them fishing along the bank of the pond.

Look closely and you will see that Colin is checking out a dragonfly hanging on a stem of grass.

The Master Naturalist is having the kids feel a cattail.

Milkweed in bloom.

Another dragonfly!

One of the things I love about our city is our Master Naturalist program.  These knowledgeable volunteers will guide you on a variety of excursions to check out plants, wildlife, insects and more.  All for free.

Our view of the High Park fire as it advanced down the ridge towards the north inlet of Horsetooth Reservoir.  I cannot express how sad this whole event makes me.  This advance pictured here is in the neighborhood of where a fellow homeschooling family lives.   So sad to see one of my most favorite places on Earth go up in flames.  This is also the reason I am so tired - it is hard to tear away from the news coverage and Facebook updates about the fire.

Field trip: Environmental Learning Center

This morning we woke up to about seven inches of fresh, new powder.  It didn't stop snowing until around eleven in the morning.  Our field trip was slated for two this afternoon.  The sun came out and warmed things up quite a bit and the snow began melting at an astounding rate.  Ahhh.. crazy Colorado weather.

Originally the plan was for Rylan's grandpa Len and grandma Ellie to take her along on the field trip to the ELC this afternoon.  But the snow made that a bit more of a challenge, so in the end, the best solution was for my dad to stay at our house with Jordan and play some games on the Wii, while the little boys had their afternoon nap.

So Rylan and I donned our Sorel's and headed out.  I even switched out to a lightweight fleece because the sun was shining by that point - so warm in fact that the snow melt was sending a small river down our street.  I can't remember my last hike in the snow - but I know it was before kids.  Shoe shoes might have been helpful today - but there were a lot of tree branches on the ground, hidden under the snow, left over from last week's disastrous heavy, wet snowfall that would have made snowshoeing a challenge as well.  We didn't get any damage at our house, but all over town there are gigantic brush piles dotting every street.

The ELC is located along the southern banks of the Poudre River.  It is also home to the Raptor Program.  I have never been there, so Rylan and I were excited to see something new and different.  Even though there was plenty of snow on the ground, we were fairly comfortable in our boots and jackets.

Today's class was about Wildlife Detectives.  We headed into the classroom area first to look at stuff.  We looked at animal skeletons, snake skins, fur pelts, antlers, jaw bones, turtle shells, birds' nests, and tons of other stuff.  We got a basic overview of how to look for signs of wildlife when out walking the trails.  Then it was time to head out and see what we could find.



We crossed a bridge that was sturdy but swayed as people walked across.  It was enough movement to make your stomach a little queasy.  We walked towards the trail system that criss-crosses everywhich way as it travels through the different habitat zones along the river.

Two wildlife biology students were our guides, and they would point out this as that as we walked on.  We spotted deer poop, deer and rabbit tracks in the snow along the trail, yellow snow (snigger), bird nests and potential dens hidden under tree roots.



The kids played a game called 'Camoflague'.  The person who is 'it', is called the 'prey'.  All of the kids are the 'hunters', and they have 20 seconds to scatter and conceal themselves from the prey.  The prey then looks around and tries to spot any hunters who are not well-hidden.  When the prey has finished calling out all the individuals he/she can see, he/she counts again, and the remaining hunters have to hide again, in a different, closer position.  The routine is repeated.  After the prey has counted for the third time, the first hunter to sneak up to the prey and touch him/her, before being seen, is the winner.  It was quite fun to watch.  It is also a little disturbing how quickly fifteen or so noisy children can quietly slip into a hiding place.  Of course, then, there is my child.... all is quiet, and the prey is scanning the trees for hidden hunters..... and I hear Rylan's voice, "Hey momma!  Can you see me??"

We had a wonderful time, and I think the best thing about the trip was some one-on-one time with my daughter.

The second best thing was the scenery.  Ahh... Colorado.  I heart you.

Camping, the Girl Scout way

Last weekend we went camping at Meadow Mountain Girl Scout Ranch with our Girl Scout troop.  We went with five other families - yes it was for the whole family, not just moms and girls.  We were situated in a cluster of units, called 'tabins' (stupid name) that surrounded a campfire ring, tables, and a supply shed.  Here is our tabin.  It had eight bunks (the most uncomfortable sleeping platforms on this earth), a wooden floor, and a split between wood and canvas walls.  It was actually very nice to have room to spread out and we could set up Colin's bassinet near our beds and so forth.  I didn't get a whole lot of sleep on this campout, but it was nicer than being in a tent.

There were three main activities that the girls were focusing on during this campout.  Now, Rylan is too young to be doing badge work yet, but she will get a couple of participation badges out of it.

First up was making gorp.  Every family brought something to add to the mix...

It was very good - and was going to come in handy for the next activity - Geocaching.  There were seven (I think) geocaches spread out over the property, just for the purpose of the scouts to find them.  We split into three teams, each with a GPS and waypoint coordinates, and set out.

The camp property is pretty vast... this was going to be a bit of a hike!



This was our team, on our way to our first waypoint. 



Onlookers...



Brush pile.... NOT a bonfire waiting to happen...



Mt. Meeker, to our north...



Another troop was preparing to ride...



A meeting between teams.  There was some confusion about waypoints.



See all the berry seeds?  Bear scat.  Luckily, a few days old...



Now that is a happy hiker!!



We rested the remainder of the afternoon.  The kids explored around the campsite...

Not what you think...



Colin's first time in hiking boots (they were Owen's)

While the older girls settled down to do some Basic First Aid training.  Rylan sat in on this but quickly became bored.  About this time an afternoon rainstorm blew in, so we were in our tabin, napping with the boys, while Rylan was with the rest of the girls.  The girls were also to do some solar cooking with pizza boxes on this day, but the sunshine just never did show up.

Then it was dinner time.  Each family had signed up for one of the meals.  Tonight's dinner was 'Hobo packets'.  This was the highlight of the camp for me - it was an awesome dinner!  To make hobo packets, you can use beef, chicken, maybe even pork, and a variety of vegetables.  We had sliced chicken breast (pre-cooked), raw ground beef, diced potatoes, diced sweet potatoes, sliced zucchini, sliced carrots, and a bag of frozen corn to choose from.  Then you add some sauce or seasoning - jarred spaghetti sauce, salsa, minced onion, S & P, seasoned salt... the list is endless.  You make your packet by taking a generous square of foil, spray it with nonstick spray, make a central pile of the meat, veggies and seasoning you choose, and then wrap it up.  I would put in several dabs of butter for good measure.  Then just nestle it into the hot ashes of the fire, or on the grill plate above the fire, and give it a good 30-45 minutes to cook.  If you are using raw meat, I would go with closer to 45.  Pull it from the ashes, put it on a plate, and open carefully.  The great thing about this dinner is that it stays hot for a long time.  The kids really enjoyed it, and ate a decent helping for a change!

Then it was time for s'mores and a talent show. 

We had a good time, and being able to visit with the other parents was fabulous - especially as a family.  We don't get together as "families" nearly enough in this group - it's mostly just moms and kids - so I like it when dads can be involved too.  This Girl Scout troop is a homeschool troop, so there is a kinship there.

The next morning we all settled in for a group breakfast, and wished Dean and another dad a Happy Birthday and sang to them.



All in all, it was a good experience.  The camp itself was a wonderful facility.  There was plenty of firewood, water and a pit toilet was nearby.  We had a nice shed to store our coolers and food boxes overnight.  There were several other troops in the camp, but we were spread out enough that you couldn't hear them very often.  But.

A couple of concerns...

1) I cannot stand screaming girls.  I just can't.  Especially the screaming for no apparent reason.  Most of the girls slept in the same tabin - so the screaming was intense at times.

2) There was an issue of the older girls being exclusive and shutting others out.  I have no idea, because I was mainly focused on not losing two toddlers in the woods or keeping them away from all things deadly, like the campfire, hot water and the cook stove.  I hope the older ones sort this out - I gather this is an ongoing issue.

3) One girl in particular, (I don't know her very well - in fact this was the first time I had ever met her) did an incredibly mean thing.  I won't repeat it here, but as soon as Dean and I heard her shout out something extremely inappropriate about another little girl, we looked at each other, too stunned to speak.  It reminded me of those horrible camp movies of the 80's, like Little Darlings or something like that.  The wonderful thing was that the other girls immediately told her to not say stuff like that - that it could hurt some one's feelings.  Good for them!! - Huge kuddos for doing the right thing.

But that got me thinking... Girls can be so mean.  The kind of emotional havoc that can ensue when a little queen bee is around can be devastating.  That is one of the primary reasons why I don't want Rylan in public school.  The subversive psychological warfare is unbelievably effective - worse than any bully who takes a swing on the playground or snatches your lunch money.  It's the same stuff that leads older girls to consider suicide when it gets bad enough.  But it seems that, whenever you get a bunch of little girls together, there is an unspoken event taking place. They are categorizing, sorting, sizing each other up, and determining who is on top.  No matter the age.  Alliances form and the low woman on the totem pole is shoved out.  I know.  I was one who was shoved out - in Bluebirds.  I even remember the day it happened - at a meeting at Suzi S.'s house.  That is the sad thing.  You don't ever forget it!

I will try my hardest to prevent it from happening in our own Daisy troop, but I have my concerns.  I suppose, in my role as a Daisy leader, I need to help guide these girls and help them manage their feelings and emotions as they grow (so much happens when their parents aren't watching...), but I don't want my own daughter caught in the fray either!   I suppose this is where I need to consider what is to be gained in the big picture.  I know that, at some point, there will be hurt feelings in our group.  Behaviors will have to be addressed (even more so since some girls are not accustomed to being in a group such as this - I know Rylan isn't), and life lessons will be learned.

There are plans afoot to return to the camp this November.  I'm not sure if this will be a whole family thing again, but I imagine since it might be considerably colder, the little ones would stay home.  We'll see!