Missing Stockings

MISSING!

Have you seen us?

Connor's Solution:

Darren's Solution:

*Note the names on each of the stockings.

Something must be done about this.

Please join me in a moment of silence.

Creepy Crawlies

The females in my family are deathly afraid of spiders.

Naturally, we were repulsed and horrified yesterday as we listened to someone relate his story of setting up a campsite at Zion National Park last summer and being swarmed by hundreds(!) of the creeping, disgusting things. Not a couple, a few, or even dozens - he said 'hundreds'.

*(Note to family: If you ever hear me say anything along the lines of "Hey, we should go camping at Zion National Park," please realize that dementia has set in, because I will never, NEVER, utter those words again while I'm in my right mind).

Last night, we further discussed the awfulness of spiders and listed their horrific qualities. (I'm rating this "R" and discretion is advised!)

• They're silent predators
• They stalk and prowl at night
• They bite
• The way they move is just....wrong
• They crunch when squished - again, just wrong
• They have fangs
• They make webs. Ew. Charlotte may have been cute and charming - but that was a cartoon. Normal spiders don't help pigs.
• There are billions of them on this planet. Billions. And they keep reproducing.

I could write volumes about their disgusting qualities - but I need to think of something happy and cute or else I won't sleep tonight.

So - talking about spiders brought up a decade-long debate that we've had in our house. While I realize there are spiders everywhere - I don't think tarantulas are extremely abundant (am I in denial?).

The following is an actual conversation:

Todd: Tarantulas are everywhere - even in our backyard.

Me: No way. They like hot climates like Arizona and Mexico. There might be some in our mountains or in Southern Utah - but not in our neighborhood.

Darren: It's true - they are all over the place. We probably have hundreds of them in the field behind our house.

This debate has been going on for years! YEARS! Please help us put it to rest and feel free to be especially vocal if you agree with me. ;)

Bryce Canyon - January 2010

Todd and I journeyed to Bryce Canyon this weekend. It was a great way to start out the New Year. It was chilly, but sunny and beautiful, and of course we found an adventure or two. This is the entrance to Ruby's Inn. I love how they decorated for Christmas!

We stayed at this motel - the Grand Staircase Inn, in Cannonville. The rooms are clean and very affordable ($39 per night is not too shabby!) and is on the very spot that my grandmother was raised in the early 1900's. It turned out that we were the only guests that evening. The office closed at 7:00 and afterward there was not another living soul on site. It was eerie to say the least!

This morning we explored the area a bit before we started our trek home. Todd just happened to notice something as we drove down a little dirt road. I don't know how he saw it! Look closely...

It was only by extraordinary luck (and Todd's excellent vision) that we saw this Bald Eagle!

A beautiful, regal creature...

We saw this abandoned cabin near the Georgetown Cemetery.

We eventually made it to the rim. Regrettably, I can only recall being in Bryce Canyon in January once before.

It was a quick trip - but it was fun, and Todd and I were able to plan for the upcoming year. Happy 2010!