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.