Friday, May 23, 2014

Our Trip to Dinosaur National Monument

Friday Morning, May 16

Yesterday was a great day.
We left about 11:30 and filled
up with gas  in Loveland then
went to Family Tire to get the spare
and mounted it under Antelope.
That was a huge relief that we
were able to get the spare.
Next stop was JAX outside Fort Collins
where we filled up the propane tank.
Another huge relief.
Finally we were on our way!

The drive up Poudre Canyon
was really pretty and we saw
4 moose between Gould and Walden.
The drive over Rabbit Ears Pass was a little scary
because we thought we might run out of gas.
But we didn't.
We had clear roads
to drive on all the way but there was
a lot of snow everywhere around.

Not in Steamboat Springs though.
It's beautiful here.
We are in spot E in Steamboat Campground right by
the river with nice warm bathrooms and showers nearby.


Last night we soaked in the hot springs for a couple of hours.
Wonderful. So relaxing.


And this morning we are going to breakfast at Freshies.
Coffee!

After breakfast we will be heading to
Dinosaur National Monument.

Friday night, May 16

We're sitting around the campfire
in Green River Campground in
Dinosaur National Monument.

I'm writing this now because we're
leaving early in the morning to
go on a bird walk.

We had such a great breakfast at Freshies.
I had tofu scrambled eggs, potatos and pumpernickel raisin bread.
And coffee!! In green cups!!




Then we drove to Dinosaur
National Monument.

On our way, when we were in
Maybell, Faith called and said we
had a water leak in our downstairs
bedroom. I said no problem.
We've had that before. And I
instructed her how to go up by the
road and turn the water off.
No problem. Steven will fix it
when we get home.

We stopped to get gas in
Dinosaur, Colorado and I was
just fixing to buy a toothbrush
(I forgot mine and and have been
using Steven's) when Steven asked me
to go clean Antelope's windows while
he went to the bathroom.
So I am still using Steven's
toothbrush.

Here we are in Green River
campground site #3.
It's such a great spot right beside
a really old cottonwood tree.


We went for a fun hike by the
river and I found the coolest fossil!
But I left it there because you
are not supposed to take them.



I saw this unusual rock formation
that I wanted to hike to and
Steven climbed up to it so
I could get a picture of him there.



When we got back from our hike
we drank wine by the river.


It's heavenly to be
camping in Utah.

Saturday night, May 17

We went on a bird walk this morning
and met a new bird...
Yellow-breasted Chat.

Then we went to the Visitors Center and rode
the shuttle up to the Quarry Exhibition Hall and saw
1500 dinosaur bones and got to touch some of the really big ones.
These amazing creatures roamed the earth 149 million years ago!
We got to see the fossils of Allosaurus, Apatosaurus, Camarasaurus,
Diplodicus, Stegosaurus and several others.


We walked back to the
visitors center on the Fossil Discovery Trail,


had lunch in Antelope, then drove
to Vernal, which is where we are
spending the night in the
Resides In Hotel room 9.


I finally bought a toothbrush! Hallelujah!

Tomorrow we are looking forward
to seeing lots of petroglyphs
and hiking more trails.

Sunday night, May 19

We slept good in the Resides In Motel,
had their continental breakfast,
then drove to McConkie Ranch which is 10 miles
outside of Vernal and hiked up to see 100s of cool petroglyphs.




We also saw a cool gopher snake.


Then we went back to Vernal
and had a yummy lunch at
Plaza Mexicana.

We went back to Green River
Campground and got site # 8


then did the Cub Creek Road autoguide tour,
hiked around to see  lots more petroglyphs



 


and hiked the Box Canyon Trail
and the Hog Trail at Josie's cabin.



 
We just now drank wine down by the
river and as I was sitting here in
Antelope writing this Steven said
"Come out here.
There's a cute little toad sitting on your shoe"


Monday night, May 19

We're almost home. Should be there
in about 45 minutes. This morning
we went on one last hike before
heading home, the Sound of Silence Trail.
That was an adventurous 3 mile
hike and we thought we were lost a
couple of times. Then we went back
to the Visitors Center so I could
get souvenirs for the kids.
We ate mango pie and bananas
for breakfast while we were driving
and had a late lunch of leftovers
at a scenic view pull-off outside
of Walden. It was a fabulous
mini vacation and the weather was
absolutely perfect. And now we are
anxious to get home and see
Koyuki.

If you want to see all 119 pictures
from our trip click here

https://plus.google.com/u/0/+zoenishimuta?tab=wX#photos/113331472821012850589/albums/6016300929345906609



Lots of Love
Zoe

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

April Magic



April has been a month of transformation.






Did you see the eclipse?
We watched the whole thing.
What an awesome experience.



In April we got our cool dragon statue to put beside
the Sandalphon Circle. We named her Queen Golden Smoke
because the day we set her up we went for a canoe/hike
by the lake and there were these beautiful
yellow wildflowers all covering the hillsides.

We found out later they are called Golden Smoke.
So we named our dragon
Queen Golden Smoke.




The other day our neighbor's white peacock Jonathan
came over to meet Queen Golden Smoke!







Well Steven and I both did get the flu in April but it wasn't too bad.
While I had the flu I dropped my iphone and shattered the glass!
My initial reaction was oh boy, now I can get a new iphone!
You see, I have been wanting an iphone 5 because several
months ago I found the coolest case for iphone 5 and
have been looking forward to the day when I could use it.
So Levi, the greatest son-in-law in the world,
bought me one for an early Mother's Day present!

In appreciation, I plan to do some really amazing
things with my new iphone 5s so stay tuned.








The night before I got the flu I dreamed that a bird flew into
a pane of glass and lay stunned on the ground. I woke up
from the dream feeling strange because it was one of those
dreams that seemed significant. Later that morning, I was
sitting on the couch talking to my sister, and a robin flew
really hard into the window. I went outside and the robin
lay stunned on the ground so I picked him up and held him
and sang Robin Song to him. Then I took him out in the woods
and set him down in one of my sacred rock circles, the one
closest to the house, so I could keep an eye on him. He didn't
look like he was going to make it. But after awhile he had
moved a few inches into the sun. He still looked pretty bad.
I walked out there every few minutes to check on him and
finally he was hopping around and seemed to be fine.
I was thrilled that he had recovered and also thrilled that I
had been given the gift of holding a robin in my hands.


That night is when I came down with the flu.
When an illness comes along, I like to think of
it as an opportunity for transformation.


 
April has been
a magical month
of transformation
and I feel new!

How about you?

 
 

Lots of Love and Joy
Zoe





Monday, March 31, 2014

March Magic


It has been a really wonderful March!





We snowshoed up the Boulder Brook Trail which is one of our favorite
trails in Rocky Mountain National Park





It is a beautiful hike
in any kind of weather




 

Steven made a snow heart for me




And then the first spring flowers bloomed in our woods



When we were cleaning out bluebird boxes
on the other side of the lake I saw this very cool rock





The most exciting thing was that my new book
The Turtle Path was published on Amazon!

http://tinyurl.com/theturtlepathbook


I gave a copy to each of my kids
and to Steven and to each of my sisters

and then there were so many
other fun things to do!

I made an authors page for myself
which lists all 3 of my books


amazon.com/author/www.theturtlepath.com

And then Rocky Rabbit
from the Rabbit Rock Cafe
interviewed me about my books
and I put that video on my authors page!

http://tinyurl.com/zoesbookinterview

And then I put my new book on Kindle!
http://tinyurl.com/theturtlepathkindle
That was really fun to do and now I
have it on my kindle reader and if I want
to find a haiku about a certain subject,

I can just search that subject in my
kindle reader and it takes me right to it.
For instance, I just searched for baby bluebirds
and there are 10 haikus in my book about baby bluebirds!


Wow, I am learning a lot and having such a great time!

I am thankful to March for all the miracles
and magical happenings.


I Love You
Zoe






Friday, February 28, 2014

February Magic

 
 
February has been a magical month,
a very cold magical month.
Just the other day I heard
the first mountain bluebirds
and we have daffodils coming up.
Yaye!
 
 
 
 
 
Steven and I had so much fun watching
Otis and Oona in the musical Clue Twisted.
Otis was Phantom of the Opera and he
wore the very cape that Steven was wearing
when we met at the vampire ball almost 18 years ago.
Otis sang The Point of No Return and did a fabulous job!
Oona was the youngest one in the show and did a
great job as the singing telegram girl!
 

 


 
 
On Valentine's Day I bought each of my kids and grandkids
a selenite heart and delivered them in person on my way to work.
Fun!  I love my cool family so much
and am so thankful they all live nearby.




 

 
Dusty was in the Love+Light Art Show
at the Feed and Grain Center and it was
just so awesome to see his mandalas and mantras
lit up on that building at night with the full moon in the sky.

 



One day when I went out to the fishpond to break the ice
the hole in the ice looked like a fish with its mouth open.
One of the goldfish came up to say hi
so the picture looks like a big fish eating a little fish.
All our 7 fishies have survived the very cold winter!

 




 


Today I made my very first loaf of sourdough bread!
Thanks to Faith for the starter and wonderful directions.
Here's a blog and video by Faith's friend Sarah.
http://thriftygoodlife.com/category/sourdough-2/




Another really cool thing that happened in February is
that I finished writing my life story and combined it with
The Turtle Path archives (over 10 years of daily haikus)
and just ordered my proof copy yesterday.
The front cover will probably look like this
 
 
and the back cover is a collage of my beautiful family
 
Fun times!
 
 
 
 
 
I Love You
Zoe
 
 
 
 

Friday, January 31, 2014

January Magic

 
 
 
 
New Year's Day hike on Fawn Trail
 
 
 
Me and Some Things I Love
 

 
Songbook Giveaway

 
 

 
Round Mountain Trail
 

 
Birthday Cranes
 

 
Birthday Turtle
 

 
Birthday Magic Stardust
 

 
Birthday Painting
Blue Crystal Deer
 

 
Dusty's Beautiful Calendar
 
 

 
 
Birthday Roses
 
 

 
Eagles Roost Hike
 
 

 
I Love You
Zoe