Last Hurrah 2011 - 9-Mile Canyon

As one "last hurrah" before school started, we decided to take a day trip down to 9-mile Canyon. But, don't let the name fool you - this canyon is NOT 9 miles, it's more like 70.
Balancing Rock was one of the first sites to see. We had some waypoints to guide us through the canyon and we just could NOT find this "balancing rock." We drove back and forth past the spot where it was supposed to be and just could not see it. We finally gave up and moved on thinking that either it wasn't as obvious as the description made it sound, or it had fallen. But, once we moved on, there it was - just around the corner from where we were searching. It became the joke when we couldn't find other sites - "it's right around the corner, like the 'balancing rock'."

We took a short jaunt through a gully where there were a lot of rock art. It was super hot that day and the rock walls just about baked us. That, and the signs warning of snakes, drove us back into the cool van. These Indian petroglyphs were sure neat to get up close to. Don't worry, we did NOT touch - there were enough vandals who had already done that. Boo.

Just above our heads is a nice collection of rock art. There were several major sites listed in the guide, but as we got going and better at spotting them, the kids were able to find smaller petroglyphs all along the road. It became a challenge to see who could find the most before everyone else.

This one is the "Big Hunt" - one of the most famous examples of rock art in the world (0r maybe just the United States - can't remember).

You could tell this was the famous one because of all the money put into the nice railing, graveled walkway, and sign. Dallin's "last hurrah"!
After being in the car for 12 hours - definitely a trip better taken with older kids - we ended up with this nice souvenir - a piece from off the bottom of our van. Let's just say that when you drive a low-clearance minivan like ours, dirt roads are meant to be taken at a slower pace than what we took. Hmm. We saw some beautiful country, learned about history, and hopefully made some good memories.

Small Town Parade

Since discovering the Lindon Days parade last year, we will be hitting it every year. This small town parade does not disappoint. Parking and crowds are not an issue, thrown candy and treats (hence the Otter Pops) are aplenty....
...there are high school marching bands right at your feet,...

...a smattering of large floats (for some reason Leon feels the need to "wave to the pretty girls")...

...and it's the right length - not too short and not too long. My kind of parade.

Highland Splash Pad - A Decade Too Late

Since we had an errand to run up north, I thought the boys would enjoy a visit to Highland's Splash Pad. Little did I know - we were a decade too late. My three older boys were by far the oldest kids at the park, but Landon fit right in. I didn't draw this to their attention and they managed to eek out a bit of fun.

At one point the older boys got a bit bored. This is how the 14-year old entertained himself:

The 11-year old took control of the camera and came up with his own form of entertainment:

Seeing all of the little kids enjoying the water made me wish they had come up with these Splash Pads about a decade ago. Oh well, better late than never, right?

Monsoon, Monsoon....

Summer started off cold and rainy, and has continued to be wetter than usual. Most of the time it's just plain annoying to have to watch the skies when you want to plan something for the afternoon. But, on other days when there is nothing in particular to do, the rain isn't so bad.I remember being a kid and playing in the summer rains. I remember the warm, wet concrete under my feet and the flooded gutters that were great for wading and making lakes and miniature docks for various floating debris.

This was a short-lived rain storm, but the boys got sufficiently soaked.

The rainbow was pretty cool, too, even if you can't see it on the video.

Another Brace Face

Here we go again. I think that braces make a kid look instantly older. He's no longer my little Jaybers (I guess that has been gone long ago). He chose orange in honor of the Denver Broncos.