Wow - I've been meaning to journal for a hour... and on many other days as well, but just cannot peel my eyes away form the landscape - which continues to change. They change from flat, monotonous Kansas, (which we learned possesses very few gas stations with hundreds of miles of open road between), to Colorado's majestic Rockies looming up over the horizon and drawing us up, up, up steep grades, gaining thousands of feet in elevation, in the span of 20 minutes, through awesome, dramatic gorges carved out by the Colorado River some ancient "post flood" era. We have not yet reached the Grand Canyon, but have been preparing our minds to wrap around such a monstrous marvel.

We hiked in the Rocky Mtn. National Park near the head water lakes, which begin the Colorado and many rivers, pouring down with Niagara force from either side of the Continental Divide. Hikes took our breath away as we passed through gentle aspen groves and fragrant pine forests and rushing waterfalls. Then we climbed higher to explore sub -alpine and alpine (above the tree line), teaming with picas (The little beggars, trying only to stuff themselves with enough food to survive the harsh long winters, scramlbed right up the children's hands, looking for a free lunch.) and a variety of tenacious alpine flowers, like the Snow Buttercup, which will grow beneath 3 feet of frozen blanket in early spring, and then push it's optimistic bright yellow face right up through the snow. Atta go girl; gotta love the sun!

We observed two bull moose, tearing away at swampy shrubs, their HUGE antlers awing us from the great view atop a local's truck.

"climb up, get a better look," invited the back country granola type as he extended a friendly hand to all the kids and me.

People are beautiful, and appreciation God's creation with those on the trail, from all over the globe, brings a kind of unity and fellowship that warms my heart again and again. Elliott enjoys wearing his Detroit Tiger's caps and t-shirts because they give him something to chat and smile about with other guys on the trail who sport their rival team's logo. Sophia makes friends everywhere we go, breaking the ice for the other girls. It's not unusual to see her hiking along holding hands with some new little girl with whom she's just become acquainted. She's already written and sent postcards to people she's met on THIS vacation. Kyria, Annika and I have fun sketching and "painting" (with oil pastels) each other and landscapes we take in along the way.

We were also welcomed, upon arriving in Rocky Mountain National Park, by a herd of grazing Elk - stretched out across beaver meadows, some of them as close as 6 feet. Does, nursing calves, two big bucks with towering racks crowning their lovely faces (Ken and Deej - a hunter's dream). Later in the week some of the herd crossed right through the campground, ambling among the tents and campers like they own the place. Actually, they do! Whenever you spot wildlife, small crowds begin to gather and informative Rangers immediately appear on hand to promote safety and to educate all of us. This is a fantastic feature of the National Parks. It's great for the kids, as these kind professionals possess patient child friendly attitudes and exuberance for teaching about the natural world.

Our frantic run, to beat the oncoming rain, as we transferred all our food supplies, dishes, shampoos and other human smelling items (per strict advice of the ranger) from our sleeping quarters, our beloved pop-up camper, to the more secure hard sided vehicle - grandpa's van, were rewarded, as we were NOT attacked by hungry bears as we slept. Apparently black bears have frequented the park this summer, eating junk that humans have failed to safely lock away. We would, however, love to appreciate these cuddly monsters from a respectful distance....maybe when we get to Yellowstone.

Following Rocky Mtn. National Park, Rim Ridge Road at Colorado National Monument was another fabulous prelude to the Grand Canyon, as you can drive up and around and through the entire rim of several canyons also carved by the Colorado River. The drive narrows out at precarious points into hairpin curves and zigzag switchbacks, with stopping points all along the way, where you can hike back into see caves and monoliths. We observed the bright teal blue and yellow Collared Lizard as he sunned on the sand, and the kids crawled through erosion formed tunnels in the red rock and climbed to dizzying heights at "Devil's Kitchen," an enormous rock formation which we renamed "Eagle Rock" with Isaiah 40 as it's theme verse. Dad shouted our new name announcement from the canyon and echos bounced boldly back at us.

Meandering along - sort of "loosely" chronologically....

On our last evening in Colorado Nat. Monument, after asking GOD to help us spot the Big Horn Sheep, whose weighty horns and skull we had held to our own heads, (at a ranger program) marvelling at how this animal carries such a burden around on its brain, we took a sunset drive on rim ridge road in hopes of spying this elusive goat. The sunset was no "big shake" that evening, but emerging from a tunnel on the way back down, having lost almost all light - and there she was...a big horn Ewe, crossing the road right in front of us. Thanks God!

Leaving Colorado Nat., at a record time setting camp-tear-down -and-pack-up of 8:20 a.m., we drove to Arches National Park and took a couple blazing HOT trail hikes to natural stone arches, on the length of a football field (Landscape Arch.) It took much endurance in the heat of the day but we make it and were thankful for the shade of the twisted Juniper tree, an a picnic lunch. The juniper is a small shrubby pine well adapted to desert life it has a wide root system to sponge up any available water and purposely kill off sections of root and trunk to preserve itself during drought, causing the tree to twist and turn into all sorts of interesting shapes. Sophia gained the nickname "huckleberry Soph" at this picnic spot, for her perfect reclining perch on a Juniper's horizontal trunk and her straw hat shading her face.

Relaxing against the cool rock wall, I had to laugh right out loud watching Kevin as he helped Sophia fill out her "junior ranger booklet" with information they have gathered from their morning of hiking. I always tell people "Sophi! - that child could find mud in a desert!" And sure enough, a small stream from the pump, at which hiker's fill their water bottles, had pooled near Sophia's Juniper hammock and she wasted no time in "damming it up", to mix the water with the red dirt into a fine sculpting mud. Dad was allowing her to build the arches she had seen that day.

After filling out "junior ranger booklets" at each Natl. Park and attending Ranger programs, the children are quizzed on what they have learned and then are rewarded with a golden junior ranger badge, which they then sport on their hiking hats. They have collected 4 to date (Jefferson Expansion Memorial (St. Louis Arch), Rocky Mtn. Natnl. Park, Colorado Natnl. Monument) and will gain 8 or 9 more before we're home. - fun! They get stopped often by Rangers and tourists, who congratulate them and ask all sorts of questions. Cool program. They also get their "National Parks Passports" stamped at most ranger stations and trail heads, giving them quite a collection of reminders of the places they've been. They all journal daily as well, ...so... we plan to just call this school and not begin home classes until - say...October. Just kidding.

Yesterday - from Arches, we took our most harrowing and awe/fear inspiring road trips to date. We watched the landscapes change as we covered 300 miles of canyons, foothills, and plateaus in various shades of red, brown, grey, white and yellow - much of it extremely arid and desert like and BARREN. Occasionally we passed a vacant ghost town, once inhabited by maybe 5o people - long ago left to decay. After seeing no other signs of life for literally hours, 3 antelope graced us with their stately presence at the roadside, and this song floated through my mind: "Home, home on the range..(though apparently no one chose to make a home here)..where the deer and the antelope play...where seldom is heard a discouraging word.. (Hmmmm - no one to SPEAK or HEAR a word of any kind..) - And the skies are not cloudy all day..." Well, this last part was true for a few hours - then... A cloud rolled overhead - as thick as pea soup, and stretching across the horizon to the south and north with only a small bit of blue sky in between where we hoped to be heading. But....NO, the road turned right into the storm.

To be continued.. Soon, i hope.