Game of the Year

Kanien and I used to play Scrabble at least once a week, and I always won. Then we stopped playing, I think it must have been the arrival of Marcella that changed things, but can't really remember. Anyway...we recently resumed our Scrabble, but Kanien, after a series of pagan sacrifices to the Scrabble Gods, beat me 4 out of 5 games, and one game she beat me by over 100 points. I was totally getting schooled by her. I don't think I really cared that much, but then we played last week. She started the game with a really high-point word, and I thought, "Oh man...here we go." And that's pretty much how it went. She led the entire game, until I played my last word.....Banality! It got me 92 points and I beat her by 100 after subtracting her letters from her score and adding them to mine. The best thing about it is if I hadn't gone out, she would have used her X on a double letter score....to spell TWO WORDS, so she would have gotten like 60 points. Victory is sweet, but it's that much sweeter when you snatch it away from someone right at the end.

Capitol Reef

Mom, Dad, Miriam, Kristin, Marcella, Kanien, Miriam's friend Chris and I all went to Capitol Reef a few weeks back. Kristin already made a post about it. These are some of our pictures. There are four posts in total. Picasa only lets me post four pictures at a time.

This is the picnic table at our campsite, after we emptied the entire Suburban, including the roof carrier, onto it. There was quite a bit of stuff, and my picture doesn't really do it justice.

Marcella quickly stared familiarizing herself with the campsite, and immediately took a liking to Grandpa's camp chair. She claimed it as her own, and used it the entire time.

This is a group picture from Sulfer Creek, a little out of order.

Cohab Canyon

The first day, after we unpacked, we ate lunch and decided to go hike up Cohab Canyon. It's right next to the campground, and leads to the Fruita overlook. To get to the canyon, we had to hike up seven or eight switchbacks. Dad explained how the canyon got its name because during the Church's polygamous years, men would flee to the canyon with their wives to evade being arrested for plural marriage. The story has more details, but I can't remember them.

Grandma found Marcella this walking stick. She took an instant liking to it, and kept it with her on every hike. When we'd gone about halfway to the overlook, she asked if she could get down and walk. I obliged, an easy choice as she was riding on my back. She walked the rest of the way to the overlook. She'd stop every four steps and dig in the ground with her stick, or look at a rock, or tell us she just saw an ant. She really had a fun time.

The wind was blowing hard up on top of the plateau. The closer we got to the edge, the harder it blew. On the edge, it was all we could do to keep our balance. I think Kanien tried to push me, until she realized my life insurance policy would only buy her about six gumballs.

The Top

Miriam on the way back down

Cohab Canyon II

Coming down

Marcella obeying our wishes and posing for an odd photo op

Sandstone

Desert Bloom

Sulfer Creek

Any seasoned Capitol Reef hiker knows Sulfer Creek is the crown jewel of the park. In the six times or so we've hiked it, I don't think we've ever encountered other hikers. It has some narrow sections (though it isn't a slot canyon), beautiful vistas of the variegated geology, and simple wet sections where you've got to go in the creek. This year, though, some of us finished without the water going much above our ankles. I didn't even fully dunk my boots.

Kanien is a master hiker. She did every hike with us and enjoyed them all. I can't think of a better hiker!

Mom caught Miriam attempting to push Chris off this cliff.

Here's another group shot

Last Few

Marcella in the carrier

Kristin

When we woke up in the morning, it was cold enough to keep me in bed. The campground is surrounded on all sides by mountains, situated in a natural bowl. The sun wouldn't hit until 9:00 or later, so breakfast was pretty uncomfortable.

Miriam and Chris