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!