Moab: Part One

Audrey, Rachel, and I made plans to reunite in Moab for a July get-together. The kids and I arrived in the town a day earlier than Rachel and her kids. The first evening after getting to Audrey's house we attended a free concert in the city's park. The band was great and the kids rolled around on their wheels during the music.

Before the sun went down we decided to go to the river and run around and get the dogs exercised.

The following day, while waiting for the rest of our party to show up we hiked up to Mill Creek. It was going to be 103-105 degrees all week long. Apparently it was just as hot in Baker as well. Heat waves all around. We intended to plan our activities around bodies of water, and kept our bug spray on hand! The mosquitoes were already getting us. Ugh.

I really appreciate this sign (next picture). One of my biggest peeves is people throwing trash on the ground.

That evening Rachel and the kids arrived! We spent the night relaxing and soaking in Audrey's hot tub. The kids rode their scooters and rolller skated around the neighborhood. I like to take advantage of Rachel's hair dressing skills. She braided my hair and did all the girl's hair too. Adventuring in style!

So, now that we were all together, we were ready to tackle the next couple of days. We spent many hours in the Colorado River. There's a ledge that we are familiar with that we enjoy jumping off from. We had to make sure the water wasn't moving too fast. Didn't want any kids to get swept away.
Some of these pictures I stole from Rachel that she took :)

The river always calls us back. But, we were ready to visit some other places.
Much to do. So little time.

Sizzling July

July came in like a heatwave. Normal weather I suppose. Usually by the end of the month we are happy to see the monsoons bring in more clouds to create a barrier from the sun. Tomorrow is the hottest day at 105 degrees. Then it cools off. Maybe we will get some isolated thunderstorms.

We attended the Hanks Family Reunion. It tugs on my heartstrings to see Grandma and Grandpa together :)

We try to find water on our free time. The cousins were able to join us at Silver Creek one day.

Going up to 10,000 ft is a nice break from the valley heat. The Faber cousins were able to join us on a hike. We intended to go up to Teresa Lake but it was closed. We ended up returning to Stella Lake. The snow had melted a lot. But there was still large patches in the shade. How refreshing.

Clara and Willow are so freakin' cute.....

The meadow was bursting with tiny flowers. So pretty.

Stella Lake: 

Beautiful end to a beautiful day

"Midnight Sonata"

What a better way to spend Summer Solstice weekend 2019 ~  then joining forces with my friend, Gretchen, for a night sky photography session? It was a "stellar" evening that will be etched into my memory.

Golden Hour: 
7:15 pm - various shades of color painting the sky as we drove from 5,000 ft in elevation to 10,000 ft in less than 20 miles.

The last of the day's light painted the peaks. The glow before dark, as we hiked the trail to Stella Lake with our gear..... 

Blue Hour:
8:30 - Gretchen and I set up equipment and started to play around with different settings on our camera. In this stage it appears that it's daylight, but with stars. We decided to have fun playing taking a few selfies in twilight :)

"Between every two pines, there is a doorway to a new world"
 ~ John Muir

Astronomical Hour: 
11:00 pm - where the magic is laid out across the sky.
The conditions were ideal. The milky way and Jupiter were clustered in between the peaks.
Ahhhhhhhhhhmazing.

This midnight sonata has made it to my list of one of my greatest adventures. I stood there in wonder and amazement knowing our cameras wouldn't truly capture the essence of this moment. But I look at these pictures, a digital memory, and I get transported back to feeling of that moment.

Hugged by the forest, the snow crunching under my boots, crisp mountain air, looking up at the universe that we still know so little about. I feel small. Humbled. Grateful. These experiences help me look at the bigger picture.

After we realized we rolled into the morning hours, we decided to hike back. We paused at Mather Overlook on our return home.

Life is meant for adventures.

Let your feet wander.
Your brain wonder.

Your eyes marvel.

Your soul to ignite.