If I fall asleep, will it be over?

When I started writing this blog I planned on full disclosure-and so far everything has been pretty awesome. I feel like Winslow is trying balance the universe-we just had too much fun, too many great experiences in Enterprise and Winslow is planning to bring us down a notch and it is succeeding.

From Arizona

Today Winslow looks more like a post-apocalyptic hellhole than usual. It is insanely windy and that has caused a raging dust storm. It is also getting really cold at night and we have been using the pellet stove in the dinning room to heat it-usually only turning it on the morning.

From Arizona

I had the stove on and was sitting at the dinning room table doing homework when all of the sudden smoke came pouring out of the back of the stove-now I have never used one of these stoves before and it seemed common sense to be to turn it off and unplug it and while it was probably the right thing to do if things were normal-but this is Winslow-so more horrible things have to happen. As soon as a shut it off sparks fly out of the back of it and it keeps smoking-and then the smoking gets worse and worse until the whole house is full of smoke. Keith finally gets home for lunch and figures out that the pellets at the hopper were on fire and causing all the smoke and that is was probably the force of the raging winds outside that caused that happen. Of course by the time Keith gets home, BJ and I are of the front porch so we don't breath in too much smoke-there's nothing like crying on the front porch with your lungs burning in the middle of a dust storm to ruin your day-thank you Winslow!

Now I am trying to get the overwhelming stench of smoke out of the house and clean up all the dust and dirt that blew in when we had the windows open. Oh and our landlord thinks there may be something wrong with the stove and has asked us not to use and it's supposed to snow tomorrow....

Exhausted, Sore, Stinky, Starving, Exhilarated!

After a delicious breakfast of Moroccan oatmeal, we got going on the North Kaibab Trail to hike 7 miles down to the Cottonwood Camp Ground. According to the Park Service: The North Kaibab Trail is the least visited but most difficult of the three maintained trails at Grand Canyon National Park. The trailhead is at 8241 ft and the campground is at 4080 ft-yup we have to go straight down over 4000 ft in 7 miles-ouch!

Here you can see some of the trail-all of the trail you see we hiked-then it turns right and you can't see it anymore.

From Grand Canyon

At least it was a pretty day!

From Grand Canyon

More of the trail:

From Grand Canyon

There were a few things on the trail I didn't expect, like pretty fall colors but the most annoying of them were all the trail runners-what is wrong with you people??? You are in the Grand Canyon and you're just running past it-not appreciating it all! I think these people are crazy!

From Grand Canyon

After an exhausting seven miles, we finally made it to camp (not before a super perky teenage trail runner jogged by me and had to say 'Yay! Keep up the good work!' She's lucky I didn't have the energy to throw my boot at her!)

From Grand Canyon

And even though my feet were killing me-my two best friends, Aleve and duct tape made everything a little better!

From Grand Canyon

After one of the most beautiful and warmest nights camping I've ever experienced, it was time to go. What goes down the Grand Canyon must go back up! This is the part I was scared of!

This is what we had to go back up-the little plateau in the center of the picture is where the trailhead is

From Grand Canyon

At least we had the most perfect morning to do the most demanding and painful hikes I have ever done!

From Grand Canyon

After climbing, climbing, climbing, and climbing we finally made it to the top-in only 4 1/2 hours! Keith thought it would take us me 6 hours! After we got up to the top I started eating and haven't really stopped-pizza, Snickers, Pepsi, ice cream-delicious!

I can't believe it! We hiked down into the Grand Canyon! Even though I can barely walk today, it was totally worth it!!

Love at first site!

This weekend we went to the north rim of the Grand Canyon and it was my first time ever going to the Grand Canyon! It was so amazing!

We left Friday morning-after stopping in Flagstaff to drop BJ off-and made our way to the more remote, less touristy side of the Grand Canyon. We made a stop at the Backcountry Permits office to see if it was possible to hike down and camp in the canyon-it was-but that's for Saturday.

On Friday, once we got to the camp ground and set up camp, I still hadn't seen the canyon yet-agh! I was jumping around like a spazzy five year old until we finally got back in the car to do a little touristy driving around to overlooks and of course we did a little hike.

From Grand Canyon

I was so excited to finally see the canyon! After going there and actually seeing I don't think any picture I have ever seen has done it justice-it just isn't possible!

From Grand Canyon

From Grand Canyon

Our first day at the Grand Canyon was beautiful and relaxing-but there would be no more relaxing for the rest of the trip starting Saturday!!

Getting out of town!

After being back to Winslow from Illinois for about 30 seconds, we are off this weekend for adventure at the Grand Canyon! This is going to become a recurring theme of our time in Winslow-getting out of town!

While we are in town, Keith is working at North Country Healthcare and has been for about a week now-he is generally super bored by just working in the clinic and as with everything in Winslow-it's just kind of lame. The people working there keep telling him that they are recruiting him-but you wouldn't know it if they didn't keep telling him! So far I still haven't met a single person he works with, we have not been invited to anything as simple as drinks-that is not how you recruit-or maybe that is how people recruit and we just got spoiled in Enterprise.....

Ugh, oh well, I'll stop ranting! Be prepared to be inundated with more pictures of the Grand Canyon than you ever wanted to see on Monday!

Champaign bound-for the last time!

Very, very early tomorrow morning we are going to get up and drive to Phoenix so I can fly out to my last weekend at school!

I'm really looking forward to this weekend-not only is it my last on-campus weekend for school before I graduate, I get to see tons of friends, spend what I know is going to be a super fun weekend with Colleen and Randy (the in-laws) and spend some time with Rich and Beth (other in-laws)-I also get to get the hell out of Winslow, AZ-which may be the best thing about this weekend-maybe I should have extended my stay....

Hello Champaign!!

Trying to find the bright side

Let's be straight, to put it lightly-Winslow is a dump. But we're here for the next two months and are going to make the best of it-hopefully.

Our double-wide looks exactly like it did on craigslist

From Arizona

From Arizona

From Arizona

There is one main thing that they didn't tell us-the trailer has non-potable water. Yup-we can't drink the water here! We have to buy big ole bottles of water-even BJ gets bottled water. Last time I stayed at a place with non-potable water was in Costa Rica-there is was kind of expected-here not so much.

Keith just informed me that while trying to find a radio station-there were 3 AM stations that simultaneously broadcasting Rush Limbaugh-great....

But good things-it is sunny, warm and pretty-as long as you don't go to town. I got some pretty good sunset shots last night. There is really nothing to do in the town so I have nothing to really distract me from all my school work-still wondering if that's a good thing.

From Arizona

Well-we're here!

Not quite Winslow, but close enough!

We have made it to Flagstaff-with time to spare before class tonight!

After a beautiful, scenic drive through Utah where we got to watch the sunrise

From Enterprise

From Enterprise

We made it to to sunny and warm Arizona.

From Enterprise

We are crashing at Derek and Kathryn's tonight-where not only do they have the internet so I can do class here tonight and cable TV but it is so awesome to see friends!

It's only another 45 minutes to Winslow tomorrow where we pick up the keys to the double wide and set up our temporary house-again!

Another leg of the journey begins

After Keith driving 618 miles we are finally in Springville, Utah-just outside of Salt Lake City. Tomorrow we have about another 450 miles to Flagstaff.

We have been driving is a super packed car, even though we have a storage box and Keith's bike on the top of the car! Poor BJ is stuck in a tiny little corner in the back

From Enterprise

This has been my view for most of the trip

From Enterprise

At least we got to watch a beautiful sunset in Utah-from the car

From Enterprise

Tomorrow we just want to get out of Utah as fast as possible! I have class at 5 p.m.-the goal is to be in Flagstaff at least 15 mins before it starts!

We should probably be packing....

Since we're leaving tomorrow morning for our long drive to Arizona you'd think that we might spend the day getting all of our stuff packed up and ready to go-nope that's not what we did!

We spent most of the day in Imnaha in Hells Canyon by the Snake River. We (Keith) drove 25 miles on some of the roughest roads I've ever been on to go for a super short little over a mile hike to an overlook of the Snake River.

From Enterprise

From Enterprise

From Enterprise

I really want to go back when we can spend some more time there...but of course make Keith do the drive again!

We also had to stop at the Inmaha Store and Tavern which we had heard was like 'stepping back in time' I have to say it really wasn't-but we still got t-shirts!

In the evening we went to a show at the high school called the Young Americans. Morgan, Craig and Renee's daughter (along with most of the kids in town) was in the show. The show was put on by a group of college age kids and was kind of like a low budget production of an American Idol show with a lot of Glee thrown in. The show itself was cheestastically adorable and all the kids were really talented and clearly had a really great time. It was pretty impressive being in high school gym knowing that just about everyone in town was there to support the arts in this rural community.

Our last day in Enterprise! Tomorrow at this time we'll be in Salt Lake City!

If you ever find yourself in Wallowa County

Here are some things not miss-Keith and I haven't done everything listed-but most of it!

Go to Terminal Gravity Brewing for a buffalo burger and a beer-which we have done all to often-but it is SO good!

From Enterprise

Go to the Book Loft for a book (obviously), coffee, delicious chocolate bars and check out the gallery in the back-all of which Keith still has not done!

From Enterprise

Go to the movies at the OK Theater, which we also didn't get a chance to do...we are just such busy social butterflies!  It's the  second oldest operating theater in Oregon and just recently re-opened.

From Enterprise

Check out the bronze statues in Joseph

From Enterprise

From Enterprise

Go to Wallowa Lake

From Enterprise

While you're at the the Lake check out the Tram-which I have to be honest Keith and I never went on-$24 per person when I rode a tram on an almost daily basis in Portland for free-please! But I have heard the view is amazing.

From Enterprise

From Enterprise

Pay your respects to Chief Joseph

From Enterprise

Watch a sunset

From Enterprise

Go backpacking in the mountains-there are so many good places to go Keith could not give me just one, but you could backpack into Maxwell Lake, where we hiked a couple of weekends ago-there were a lot of campsites along the lake-just one option!!

Go do a little dancing and karaoke at the Hydrant on Thursday nights-the only place Keith have ever done it!!

From Enterprise

From Enterprise

Giggle at the super conservative signs in the area

From Enterprise

There are about a bajillion more things to do....the Wallowa Museum, the libraries (of course!), go to the Lostine Tavern...I could go on and on-like I said a bajillion things. We have to come back because Keith is leaving his kayak here-which I think he's doing just so he knows he can come back here-but that's cool with me!

A very lonely Clydesdale

Today I stopped on the side of the road to take some pictures of the mountains and this one lonely Clydesdale horse that I drive by all the time.

What I wanted was to take of picture of was this lonely horse looking off into the grey, cloudy mountains. So I started taking pictures of the mountains, working my way to towards the horse.

From Enterprise

All of the sudden the horse turns around and starts walking towards me! I'm thinking-NO! you're ruining my shot horse! Go back to the one place you are always standing in when I drive by!

From Enterprise

Of course I soon realize that the shot I had in my mind was only possible it I was 7 feet tall...so she (he?) isn't really ruining my shot-ah the drawbacks to being vertically challenged!

I couldn't believe it-this huge Clydesdale horse is walking right up to me to say hi! I felt so bad I didn't have any snacks to give her!

From Enterprise

She (I've decided it's a girl!) was so beautiful!!

From Enterprise

From Enterprise

I was just so happy to have this experience and to feel so small next to this big beautiful horse-it made my day!

The Snowy Mountains

Well the clouds have finally let go of the mountains for a little bit and we get to see the aftermath of a long, cold and snowy weekend and the results are beautiful!

Here is the view looking back at Wallowa Lake

From Enterprise

And Chief Joseph Mountain and the Lake

From Enterprise

The Seven Devils mountains in the distance

From Enterprise

I'm sure Keith's knows which mountains these are, but I don't!

From Enterprise

Hopefully I'll have time to get some better pictures soon but I have to get back to doing homework!

A winter wonderland in October

After yesterday, I was kind of scared to wake up this morning and look outside.

Yesterday we woke up to a light dusting of snow on the ground, but it was in the 40s and raining-just as predicted. When we got back from the gym is was starting to snow, but it wasn't really sticking and there wasn't much accumulation. Slowly but surely then snow started to accumulate more and more.....

From Enterprise

From Enterprise

By the evening we were kind of seriously worried about losing power since this snow is SO wet and heavy...luckily we didn't, but upon waking up this morning I'm kind of surprised we didn't! These pictures are from the road to our little cabin. Downtown Joseph almost looks like a bomb went off with the number of trees and branches down (sorry no pics, it was barely above freezing and raining..I wasn't about to get out of the warm car!)

From Enterprise

From Enterprise

As I am sitting in the Sip and Surf I have heard that not only that there is an 80% of more snow tonight but also that a bunch of people did lose power up here on the lake-we did get lucky. I would also like to say that on Monday it was hot and beautiful 87 degrees here!!

Hopefully I'll be posting beautiful pictures of all the snowy mountains soon... but so far the clouds haven't let go of the mountains yet-yet!