Opening of Hermit's Rest Road

It was great to see the road finally open after being closed since March. They have repaved the road, fit the trails in some spots & have added a new 3 mile trail.
I was at the opening ceromonies, they gave out a special pin for those that were there. Only 250 were made! NPS had 2 of the 3 horses there, so it was nice to see them riding around.
Today I am taking a break,well,sortof, I am going to start an art project. I have plans to start to work on the book I started when I first got here. I can't beleive I have been here 1 1/2 years!
Time moves on ,it seems to go faster as we get older. I have yet to met the "cowboy" of my dreams out here! But one never knows what is around the corner ,who knows maybe I'll met him tomorrow. Life is always full of surprises!

First Snow at the Grand Canyon

This is what we all woke up to this morning on Nov.10,2008. It had snowed in the night.

It sured looked pretty out there with all the white "stuff" on all the trees. A peaceful feeling

comes to mind as I look at the beauty here at the canyon.

It was so quiet this morning when I went out to take these few photos of the snow...Some time today the wind is to pick up & I am sure blow all the snow off the trees. In the mean time,it is quiet, peaceful, & beautiful . Last year first snow came on Dec 1, I wonder if this means we have along winter ahead?

the Ghost fo the Canyon

The Ghosts of the Canyon
By Brenda Dewey
As the harvest moon rises over the Canyon,
With twinkling stars all around.
A lonely Witch flies in it’s warm light.
She is getting ready to cast her spell on this night.
As she waits, eyes of yellow, red and green with
Gleaming, Scary smiles are watching her
From the Shadows in the Canyon of time.
Slowly she says the magick words…
“Come, Come, join the revel, lets have some fun!
Lets scare the people in the village below”
Slowly the ghosts come flying over the Canyon wall,
Flying all around the hotels on the trails of time.
Some go to the El Tovar, for they love music, so
They head to the piano room on the second floor.
Soon the eerie, scary music can be heard,
As more ghosts come to join the jubilee,
They sign & dance, scaring all the guests who are there to see.
They bring out pumpkins to carve out scary & silly faces,
And light them with candles, so they have lanterns to see by.
The ringtail’s fangs and eyes glow in the night
As they watch the ghosts from the rafters high above,
For they know this will only last this one night.
When the ghosts of the Canyon visit the hotels on the rim to cause such fright.
As the dawn breaks, the ghosts slowly leave
And go back into the Canyon of time.
All that is left, from their passing, are all the pumpkins they carved
For their lanterns, burned out in the shadows of time.
The Witch flies away, knowing the revel is done,
The pumpkins left behind, so guests will know the
Ghosts of the Canyon
Were really here this time.
So, if you hear scary, eerie music, coming from the hotels along the
Rim this Halloween
It is just the
Ghosts of the Canyon
Having a good time
And
To wish you all
A Happy Halloween

Halloween 2008 at the Grand Canyon

Happy New Year !! Everyone

We can;t use candles up here at the Grand Canyon ,so I used the next best thing ! A green glowstick. this guy sat outside the dorm door.

I enjoyed Halloween this year, I made alot of things to pass out to all my friends & co-workers. This is my favorite time of year, and there are some who call me the "Queen of Halloween" but few know the reason why I celebrate Halloween & enjoy the season.

I have always loved Halloween as a child,as a teenager I created a few tricks back in the 60's & early 70's. toliet paper the trees in the park in the center of town,smash pumpkins, the egg throwing contest at cars passing by, soaping of windows- you know the normal stuff teenagers did back then.

Then as I got older, married and had children of my own, we had the scare of tainted candy, ravor blades in apples, and what used to be a fun time for kids turned into parents checking all the candy to make sure that the wrapper was still all sealed. If they got apples, they were throw out. So, it got to the point where you took your children to people you knew. No more sackful of candy (like I used to get trick or treating) and the local firehouse had a Halloween Parade & Party for the children of the town.

Then as time passed by, children got older, Halloween once again became a little safer for the door to door trick or treating. It wasn;t an important day or night for me back then. It became important to me slowly,it was, My mother died suddenly on October 24, actually 24 years ago. I sometimes can;t beleive that so much time has passed, since her passing on to other side. She was put to rest in Vermont on october 30, the day before Halloween. I don;t remember much about the Halloween, I only know her spirit came to me on that first Halloween Eve,& she let me know that she was ok, in this new land she had entered, that there is "life" after death and that this time of year it was easier for loved ones to call out to those still on the "living" side. So, I started looking into the meanings of Halloween, reading up on it, learning what I could, & I discovered alot about myself & how these things made more sense to me. So, before I knew it,I was on a new path of thinking ,finding that earth based religions felt right to me.

As the years have gone by, I started doing more for friends at Halloween ,making things, sending Halloween cards, and thiis has just grown as the years have gone by. I do more for Halloween, that I do for those "other holidays" thou I will celebrate Winter Solitice.

So, now you all know how I came to find Halloween & my way of live.

I hope you all had a Wonderful Halloween & Happy New Year!

In the background in the Club House at the Turning Stone Casino in Oneida ,NY. The wedding was held in the back in the gardens, which you can see small part of it the photo. The Casino has grown over the years & now emplyee's over 5000 people. Brian is a sous chef at the Wilflowers Restaurant. A 5 diamond restaruant.

Wedding day

Brain & Becky dancing at the wedding reception ,The first dance as Mr &Mrs.Brian Dewey.

Their wedding was wonderful to be a part of!

Wedding Day

This is a group shot with my "kids",Becky,Brian,Jacob & Jason. Plus Albert was ex-husband.

Wedding Day Sept 17th

This is a picture of all the Bridal Party, on the circular stairway.

The Wedding in New York

Hi

Hi everyone,

Here are Jason & Bryan, Jacob & Christen inside the "club house " for Brian & Becky's wedding.

I had a great time in New York ,seeing all my boys! I tried to spend as much time as I could with all of them.

Here are more balloons flying in the early morning !

This shows the red rocks all around Sedona, the shadow is our balloon !

We were not the only ones flying this beautiful morning !

UP,UPand Away in My Beautiful Balloon

Well,My friends here is the best thing I have ever tried! If you ever get a chance, please go on a hot air balloon! It was the most peaceful & calming to the soul I have experienced

We flew over the red rocks of Sedona, of course this is done in the early morning. I saw the sun rise while riding on the waves of air. You are just floating in the air, the winds gently pushing you, the only sounds are the birds waking up to welcome the sun ,that and of course the hot blast of fire the pilot makes to keep you a float!

They has this balloon up in about 25 minutes! It is really interesting to see how the crew works together as a team.

The basket on this balloon will hold 20 people if need be,I was very glad there was only 11 of us. You hardly notice when you lifted off the ground,it was done so smoothly.We stayed up for about 1 1/2 hrs. Then it was time to come down & back to the ground. Now the landing was not so smooth, because at the last minute a breeze came up& we were coming in a little to fast for the pilot, So he radioed his crew to help slow the balloon down by grabbing for the handles on the bottom of the basket, they all tired, but we were still coming in fast, & when the pilot says" well, if I don;t land so, our van will stop us"

We did land within a few feet of the white van. It was still an exciting trip.. I would go again in a flash.

I will try to post more photos of this trip into Sedona, Cottonwood, & Jermone. We had 3 days to cover a lot of things we wanted to do.. & we did get most everything we wanted to see. The only thing we never found was the ghost town of Bumble Bee. We took the scenic way whenever we could, meaning we did a lot of driving on what they call primitive roads, which back in my area are called dirt roads! I even took a picture of a sign that told us we were on primitive road!

A Field of Yellow Flowers

Well, coming into Flagstaff,AZ I spotted this big field of yellow daisies.My plan was to stop & take a picture of it on the way back to the Canyon.But due to circumstance beyond my control, I didn't get to take the picture before the sun set. As most people know who live here at the canyon seem to "know" that when you go to Flagstaff you usually spend the whole day there running errands. I think maybe the errands just take longer than we think! I am hoping that this field of yellow daisies will still be blooming when I go south again to Flagstaff. It was really wonderful to see.

As I took this picture, there was a slight breeze gentling moving the flowers slowly to and fro.

Kinda like a rocking chair slowly rocking on the front porch.I miss not having a porch to sit out on in the evenings to feel the breeze on your face, to get stop for a few minutes and relax,just enjoying what Mother Nature has to show us.

Mother Nature the past few nights has giving us a light show! The storms have been really something ! Lightning & Thunder right on top of the Canyon. Had it not be so dark out I may have tried to get a few pictures of the storm. But the storms were so close this time, I figure if you can feel the crackle of lightning & the hair on your arms stand up, that is too close for comfort for me.This is really when I miss that porch to sit & watch a storm. I used to just that living in New York.

I am heading back to New York in September for a week vacation , My son, Brian is getting married! I will be out there for 6 days! Then back to the Canyon for fall.

I do love being out west, it seems to fit me. I just love the landscapes here, you can drive 30 minutes and be in the desert or high on a mesa.

next weekend I am off to the big sky around Sedonna, I will be flying high above the vortexes in a hot air balloon! I am sure it will be an adventure. I will be sure to post a few pictures once I get back.

I am now off to get some hiking in, before Mother Nature has time to work up a storm.

Rays of Light

Here is a picture I took going down Rt 64 to Flagstaff,Az. I was a wonderful sight to see.
Dark skies with the sun rays coming out to light up the sky. I couldn't help but wonder if the fairies & angels were sliding down the path of the rays.

Rim of the grand Canyon

Here is a view that we don't see much on the canyon. Gray skies!!! A storm is on the brink of letting some rain go. It seems to rain at night around here. Which is a good thing since the park is packed with guests. I have been out playing with my camera again. Taking odd shots ,like this tree. It was really twisted from wind . The winds that have blown here for centuries.

As I listen to the wind, I get the feeling that the trees are talking to one another. I can't help but wonder what kind of stories those trees could tell. I wished I understood tree talk.

I know that in the evening the winds feel cooling & calming to the soul. I am still searching for that inner peace within my soul. At times I feel it and other times I don't. When I don't feel it, I try to get myself back to that place. I have found walking , listening to trees talk, watching a storm come in are good for my soul. It is in those times I feel the peace within.

Things are changing at work, we have a new staffing manager, someone I have worked with before when I first started at HR. Things are different now and so I find I need that calming place more and more. I have been given more to do, so I do keep busy(which is a good thing so I won't have to think about who I have to report to) Life is always changing & so we have to learn how to roll & change with the flow of life.

I can only hope that you have found that inner place within that helps keeps us calm & at peace within.

Sunrise

Shasnownee Point , Grand Canyon.

You have to know where this place is, to be able to find it. It is not marked on any of the maps you get here while visiting the park.

There is about a 1mile hike ,once you know where to park the car.

Sunni & I got up early Saturday morning to drive out here, walked the mile in the dark, with a flashlight just so we could be there when the sun came up.

It was all worth it! I got some great shots as the sun slowly rose beyond the canyon. As I watched grandfather sun come up ever so slowly at first, then "he" seemed to pick up a little speed, & before you knew it Grandfather had the sky ablaze with reds,oranges & yellows. The "layers" of canyon walls took on tints of the same colors. I sat there thinking about how we all need to give thanks for the day that is to begin, to give thanks that we are alive & can enjoy life and all it has to offer us. To be thankful for the friends we all have, the friends we see almost every day & the friends that are far away. They are a gift from the Creator, & we should be able to tell our friends how grateful we are that they have crossed our path ,for they have helped us become who we are meant to be. One never knows how long a friend will stay in one's life. It could be a season, a year or a lifetime. I only know that I feel richer in spirit for having known them ,even if they only touch our lives for a moment in our lifetime.

So, to all my friends I am forever grateful that you have come into my life! You have all enriched my life in one way or another. To all the "friends" I have not yet meant I know in my heart you too will touch my life. I can only hope that I have also touched you my friends, in one form or another,as we journey on this road of life.

May your heart be glad, let that smile & laughter be part of your life, may you spirit be filled with tenderness & love. May your soul be set free. May you walk tall & speak your truth,& may you listen with your heart to hear others speak there truth.

I came across a quote the other day that has been in my mind since I read it. This was said by a great man.

" All things are connected.Whatever befalls the earth befalls the children of the Earth." by Chief Seattle

We are all connected my friends.

Gold Canyon ,Horsebacking riding

Well, here I am horse backing riding in the

Superstition Mountains! 4 of us who work here in the Grand Canyon,took this past weekend to go horse backing riding, & to visit a ghost town.We all had a great time! The scenery was breath taking& so was the heat

I now have a new idea of what heat is, I had always thought that hot was 85 to 90 degrees. Well, on this trip ( we were on the outskirts of Phoenix) the hot sun was 114 degrees & if you were lucky to find shade.The shade felt like a few degrees lower, not much difference to me!

The horse backing riding was to be 4 hrs long up in the mountains. We stopped to rest for about 20 minutes at an old store that was long gone now,but some of the building remain. It was here that I realized I was way to hot even after drinking lots of water the whole time. Our trail guide ,Sue, was really great! She knew I was way to hot & so I got water poured on me, which helped some. But in the end I could not finish the last hour of the ride. I knew I was at the point of heat exhaustion. So Sue called the ranch to have the truck come get me. My safety was more important than finishing the ride.At least I know enough to get help, I have heard plenty of stories were people don't get help. So, once back at the ranch, i removed the cowboy boots, sat on the porch & drank water and more water. Your body doesn't cool down very much in 115 degrees heat. So, I got another ride back to the hotel ,so I could get into air conditioning.I took a cool shower & that helped get my body back to cooling itself.

Then, once everyone got back to the hotel & got cooled off themselves, we all headed out to Goldfield Ghost Town. We ate lunch at the Saloon, walked around town ,but here we could get out of the hot sun cause the shops were all air conditioned! We all had an old time group photo taken and just tried to enjoy what we all could .The other picture I have added is of Goldfield .

I will write more about this trip in the next day or two. Cause on Sunday, I drove the Apache Trail, which I thought was great! but my passenager John, said it was the scariest road he had ever been on!

Beautiful Red Rocks

This is a wonderful place to sit & relax, ponder where life is taking you & if you really wanna go in the direction you are, or change direction, try a different road,follow the path less traveled,or even make your own path . As I sat here, enjoying the peace & quiet, I started to realize I have change alot since coming west & working at the Grand Canyon National Park. I am not the same person who came out west a year ago.

I am no longer in a hurry, the rat race is a thing from my past. I take time to stop & enjoy the things I see on the path I am traveling. Here you slow down, taking time to enjoy what life has to offer. You stop & take pictures of things you want to remember. Then in times of trouble you can look at those pictures & find that inner place, the inner beauty you found in yourself. For being here I found my spirit within,the beauty that lies within me,a peaceful soul .Something I thought was lost for me. I found that I am strong woman ,& I found my voice once more. I also found my spiritual path once again. I have change on the outside too, 60 lbs lighter,because i now go hiking & walking 2 miles a few days a week.

Yesterday, while in Prescott, I bought cowboy boots( something I Never thought I would buy) & a cowboy hat! I would have liked to have gotten a few feathers for my hair, but they don;t seem to sell those. Since I do follow a path more native American than a cowboy.

Change is good at times,sometimes not, but I feel that the changes I have made have helped me become the person I am meant to be. We are forever changing & learning as we travel on this journey. May you too find that place of inner peace .May you enjoy the journey of life.

Bell Rock

Well, now that the snow is gone. I thought I would talk about the vortexes of Sedona . The next place I stopped was Bell Rock. Now you couldn't get to close to this massive piece of red rock.

As I stood there, looking at Bell Rock, I could sense energy in the air, in the ground. I am not sure if this came from the rock or was just energy coming from all over. I only know that as I was quiet & still, I felt a peacefulness come over me, the soul ,mind,& spirit felt so much at peace.

I know there are some people more sensitive to energy flow than others. The energy in Sedona,

I could feel the chakras of the body starting to get more in balance as I stayed so quiet like looking at this wonderful Bell Rock. I only know that I will go back to Sedona, 1 day was not enough to explore the area. I know that I felt at peace within my being, so I will once more go to Sedona, to explore this wonderful area & maybe feel the energy from the Mother Earth once more.

this is what we got this morning

Well, it is May 13 & we had about 4 inches of white stuff on the ground this morning! I was so surprised when I got up this morning & saw all the white heavy snow sticking to the trees. The snow is gone now, only lasted a few hours before the sun melted it all again. A picture says 1000 words in this case.

this is front of the dorm , the tree was so heavy with snow it

was leaning almost touching the sidewalk.

vortexes of energy

On Saturday I drove into Sedona to see the red rocks & visit a few energy spots that are in that area. I went down 89A with was a fun road to drive on, the switch backs down into the "valley"from oak canyon were at times pretty scary! I stayed in 2nd gear all the way down!

Once I was off the switchbacks, the road followed oak creek, & here was my first sight of this area. I felt like I was back in Vermont ,as I drove the creek road. it looked so different than the high desert I have come to know in Arizona. Here is a picture I took of this wonderful blabbing brook. It was so green, that spring green, kelly green ,the water clear, that if there was a fish swimming you would be able to see it. I sat here for awhile just listening to the water babble on as it moved over the smooth rocks.

So for me this was the first place I felt the " mother earths energy",peaceful, calming, healing water. Water seems to be the place I go first, Here at the waters edge you can let go of your troubles, just by letting them float away. The trees all around offer protection & their healing energies. Green is the color for healing, so I stayed here awhile to feel the healing energy that was all around me.

Spirit of the River

Well, since you can't read my first poem on the photo I submitted, I thought my first blog would be my poem. The photo is of Great Falls in AZ. It has a nickname of " Chocolate Falls" This great falls only runs during March & April, I was so glad to be able to see this place. It is also taller than Niagara Falls in New York State. So here is my first poem ;


Oh, Spirit of the River,
I hear your roar
As the waters come crashing
Over the falls.
The mists & turmoil below
I see a rainbow all-aglow!
Slowly your waters calm,
You become the gentle river,
Twisting & turning,snake-like
Through the canyon of time.
I feel the peace with these canyon walls,
That now hold you as you flow thru time.
May I learn the gentleness I See
& I hope to find the Peace within me.
May my Heart be healed ,so I can Feel
& I hope my Soul will be set free.
In this canyon of time, may I find new Eyes to see
All the Spirits that are around me.
As I find my Way,may I learn to stop & enjoy
The places I see.
No more rat race for me,
& Wondering what is around the next corner to see.
Here I stand in this canyon ,made by the River Spirit
Who has lost tract of time.
For he has been here since time began.

Here the River flows & May i find Rainbows
Wherever I go.
b.dewey 2008