Independence Rock

This last week my family (including Grandma & 2 nephews) embarked on a trip to Mt Rushmore.

We drove through 7 states & visited several places of interest.

Our first official stop was Independence Rock in Wyoming. So named because to the pioneers traveling west it was an important landmark they needed to reach by July 4 in order to not get trapped in the mountain snows.

Many of the pioneers carved their names in the rock as a a remembrance.

While much of the names have been lost to the wind & the weather (oh. my. the Wyoming wind) many many are still visible today.

One section is fenced off & has plaques & fancy carving. But the really cool stuff is way around the other side...

had to do a little rock climbing too...

Can't you just picture the covered wagons moving through this valley?

Around this big rock we started finding names. We found dozens of names. We found some of the really cool ones they show on all of the literature. And my girl & I were flat amazed that this 150 year old graffiti ~ people carving their names into rock had better, neater hand writing than most people today. This was practically calligraphy y'all...

My girl was very impressed that she was there standing where the pioneers were, all those years in the past, carving their names for posterity.

This one is cool ~ Mr. & Mrs. R. somebody. I love that it is both of them.

These were maybe the coolest. They are soldiers who included their ranks. See how they were in the cavalry?

See the date? 1867

Another cavalry soldier.

This was waiting for us around the bend...

Reading the faded ones...

 King of the world.

This was just the beginning of the amazing things we saw.

Such majesty.

We truly live in a beautiful land. Stay tuned for more of it...

Blessings.

Crater Lake

Last week 4 of my children & I headed up to Crater Lake.

It's only about an hour and a half from us so we try to go a few times a year.

This was our first trip this year & although June is high summer in some places ~ at Crater Lake snow still rules the day.

Lots & lots of snow.

NJ found a new friend while we were there & named him "Smokey".

Check out the cool snow cave from the snow sliding off the roof.

The lake.

Bald eagle.

My chillin's (well, most of them anyway)

All of us. (taken by a nice lady from Mississippi)

Ooooo pretty.

(see Smokey?)

My son the tree hugger...

My girl.

Smokey. Getting back to nature.

For reference my son is over 6 ft.

In the lodge.

For reference I am under 6 ft.

We had a great visit. Enjoyed the snow & the lake immensely.

On the way up we stopped at Fort Klamath but unfortunately it was closed.

I was going to show the boys the graves of Captain Jack & his men from the Modoc Indian War. Last week we also went to the Lava Beds National Monument & hiked the Captain Jack trail which documents the Modoc War & the story of what happened to the men involved.

If you aren't familiar with that piece of history you should read up on it. 

(no. really. you should.)

Blessings.

Finding normal...

Our home school co op is over for the year but I noticed some things...

As all the kids would get up to give their speeches I realized most of the boys were dressed the same.

They were dressed in some form of camo & muck boots.

They looked like what they were ~ farm & ranch kids.

Not a designer jean or trendy shirt among them.

The closest thing to a brand name was Cabela's.

And that's our norm. That's what we 'look' like out here.

I realized that probably isn't true for the mainstream. We would be the odd man out in many places.

In fact, as a family we have been. But, here, at 'home' we fit in just right.

We've always been a cowboy family. We have always lived in a small ranching communities.

The first time I saw my husband he was striding across the quad in his boots & Wranglers & black cowboy hat.

(be still my heart)

That's just who we are.

My boys dress shoes are their boots. Not a pair of loafers in the house.

To me, men in suits look like they are wearing a costume. They stand out as different.

When we moved down to California last time, it was different for us.

We were not in a ranching community & we became something of a spectacle.

We would walk into a store or a restaurant & people would stare.

Kids would stop my husband in a store & ask if he was a cowboy.

That was different...

Normal is in your perspective.

We watched a documentary a while back & a Hollywood actor was talking about meeting a well known horse trainer for the first time in L.A.

The trainer walked in, in his boots & hat (totally normal garb for us) & the actor thought he was in a costume.

We've been talking to someone in a coffee shop & they asked us if those were our 'normal clothes'.

We weren't even dressed up it was just every day wear. I don't even think my husband had his hat on.

It sure makes you feel like you just landed from another planet though.

No earth shattering point here. Just a thought on perspective & how what 'normal' means isn't always the same for everyone.

What's normal for you?



Blessings.

London: Last Day

Today was my last full day in London. Tomorrow I fly home.

We spent the day wandering around. Enjoying a few pubs & doing a little last minute souvenir shopping.

We also went to the Columbia Road Flower Market which was a madhouse!

So many people.

Flowers everywhere. Potted & cut. Even potted trees. The sellers were calling out prices "3 for 5" "that's 3 for a fiver"

They don't do that in Bonanza...

Taz enjoyed the outing. He was carried around as befits a royal personage checking on the rabble...

Pretty! Pretty!

This was the cute little pub where we had a snack. Did you know most pubs allow dogs? They even had biscuits for them & a crystal bowl for them to get a drink of water.

See you on the flip side.

Blessings.