Adventures in Camping: Summer 2008

Once upon a time, a little family went camping in the White Mountains of Arizona. And as anyone knows a camp trip would not be complete without an adventure. So the little family set out to see what they could see.

They braved the dangers of a raging river,

and climbed rocky and mountainous terrain.

On every side there was evidence of wild, ferocious beasts just waiting to gobble them up.

Luckily, they were led by a fearless and brave scout

who inspired courage when faced with crossing the bottomless "Gorge of Despair" with only fallen timber as their bridge of narrow escape.

At last they reached their quest: The grand vistas of Box Canyon where they soaked their tired feet and lived happily ever after.

...That is until Griffin said he was hungry and Logan became scared of bugs. Then it was a long walk back to camp.

Ode to Cowley

I always leave my hometown a bit nostalgic and sad. My roots there are deep and profound, and I am amazed how such a small and insignificant place has formed the blueprint of my character. That little town with its odd and delightful people is etched all over my values, my moral integrity, and soul. I love so many things about my childhood home, and yet, as my adult self, I'm conflicted about it, too. I know I wouldn't choose to live there now. It's too remote for me. I'd miss too many things to which I have grown accustomed. Yet, at the same time, it's one of the things that made growing up there special and unique. How can the longing for adventure and the longing for home both be satisfied? Of course they can not, which I have always known. But I suppose there is always a sadness in flying from the nest.

As an ode to Cowley, here is a list of some of the things I love most about it.

1. Laughter and storytelling are a tradition.
2. As the sun sets, it casts a glorious glow right down main street.
3. The simple goodness of most of its residents.
4. People's character traits are attributed to the family origin, as in "Oh, that's the Lewis in her."
5. Cowleyisms, such as "Dan Baird'n down the hill." (Don't worry. No one outside of Cowley will understand it.)
6. The nicknames of some of its older male residents. Gump, Tookie, Rud...Until recently I thought these were their given names.
7. The town is known for its musical ability.
8. Growing up there has made it impossible for me to be uppity about anything. Playing in open ditches, floating down the canal, dirt roads, and having one TV channel keeps things real.
9. People know you AND your family tree.
10. Being a part of a small town has given me a forever appreciation for the sense of community.

Thank you Cowley.

A Heartfelt Prayer

Getting Griffin to attend Primary here in Cowley has been impossible. For whatever reason he just refuses to go, so I told him he would have to come to my grown-up classes but be absolutely quiet. Needless to say, he didn't have a great time.

So last Sunday night I was helping him with his prayers, and it went a little like this:

Griff: Dear Heavenly Father. Thank you for this day...
Me: Thankful that we could be here with Grandma.
Griff: Grandma. (For the sake of brevity, he chooses to repeat only the last word.)
Me: Thankful that we could visit with our cousins, aunts and uncles.
Griff: Uncles.
Me: Thankful that we could go to church.
LONG PAUSE.
Griff: I don't want to say that.

I guess it's like Huckleberry Finn said, "You just can't pray a lie."

Letters Home III

Dear Mr. Wicke,

Mom and I drove the children up to the mountains yesterday. You would have loved seeing them explore and go on the "best adventures ever!" We hiked to the first spring, but they didn't stay in the ankle deep water very long. Snow run-off is a bit too cold for our Arizona babies. Then they scooted on their bums downhill and pretended to fish in the stream. They insist that we must bring you next time and go camping. I agree. The beautiful Bighorn Mountains are a delight to me. Just smelling the mixuture of pine, juniper, and sagebrush brings me a sense of peace.

Today I have promised to take them to Slide Rock and then to Ratatoille at the Hyart. It will be a busy day, but we must make up for the time spent on the couch nursing my poor tooth. What a disappointment that was. But we are up and at it and making the most of these last few days.

It won't be long now before we are home with you again, and we are all looking forward to our return. I'm not sure I will be able to convince Logan to ever go on a trip without you again. She misses, and I quote, "...the good trips when Daddy came with us and all the things we used to do together." And when I ask Griffin what he thinks he says, "I wanted him to come here."

I am being called away to settle some disagreement between our little angels. I'm not sure I want to take a trip without you either.

I love you.
Your Mrs.

Road Trips include Potholes and Alternative Root Canals

Just to answer my last blog, the ginger root and mangos were not available at the Lovell Red Apple. In fact, just to give you a glimpse at what I was up against, there were only two red onions to choose from: bad and worse, and the lettuce was limp. All of it. I miss good produce.

Now to more current news: There has been a pothole in our road trip, aside from the poor vegetables. On Sunday my jaw began to hurt from my ear to mid jaw, and by Monday it was clear that I had an incredibly painful toothache, one like I have
never before experienced. Tuesday I went to my cousin, the dentist, who diagnosed my #19 molar as abscessed and needing a root canal. Fantastic. I hoped to just get by so I could get back home to have the work done, so he prescribed an antibiotic to see if the infection would subside. No going. By Tuesday night I was on the couch nursing glasses of ice water--the only thing that could bring relief. Despite my poor teeth I am happy to report that my kidneys work just fine.

Thursday morning found me in Dr. Scotty's chair enduring the wonderful world of dentistry. When I was a child his father, Dr. Scott Sr., forever ruined me for dentists. He was not pain sensitive, if you know what I mean. His son, on the other hand, is, but that didn't stop me from much nervous twitching, breath holding, and back arching. I am an embarrassment to myself in this arena, but it is what it is at this point. It seems to be uncontrollable.

By the time he finished at 3pm, the left side of my face, cheekbone to chin including tongue, was fairly useless, which wouldn't be much of a big deal except that Mom had scheduled me to sing at the nursing home for their weekly Relief Society meeting at which she was teaching the lesson. I sang Amazing Grace and I sounded a little like Sylvester the Cat:

Amazing Grastch, how stchweet the stchound that stchaved a wretch like me. I onstch was lostch, but now am found, was blind but now I stchee.

My jawline also looked a little like Courtney Thorne-Smith's which I've always secretly coveted. Unfortunately I found that it doesn't look nearly as cute on me. Oh well.

After the old folks home (I know. That's horrible, but it is what we call it up here in Cowley), we bought ice cream for the kids since they had behaved well enough to deserve it. At the Red Apple I ran into an old high school friend whom I haven't seen in probably 15 years. It was wonderful except for the part when she had to tell me I had ice cream on my chin because I couldn't feel it.

Today, though, I happily proclaim that I am feeling much better and more hopeful that I shall indeed reach home relatively pain free, but with the lucky obligation of seeing an endodontist quickly on the heels of my return. May God prepare both he and I for the scene we will most assuredly endure. And if you're lucky enough to see me after, you can give me an opinion on my Courtney Thorne-Smith jawline.

Me and the Pioneers: Looks Like we Made It

I am back in the land of my birth. We made it!! Even though I was dumb enough to leave SLC yesterday at 4 pm. Why? No good reason except that I am stupid. So that meant that we pulled into my mom's driveway at 1:30 am. Great thing though was that I wasn't even tired. See? That is the benefit of sleeping late and not hurrying out the door.

Highlights of our trip:
1. Buying fireworks in Evanston,Wyoming.
They've got it all! My kids are going to freak out over some silly
sparklers, bottle rockets, fountains and cakes. Can't wait!

2. Stopping for Sonic drinks in Rock Springs. Logan spotted the sign long before I did and directed me to it.

3. Our peepee stop 40 miles outside of Lander.

4. Following a rainstorm and savoring the sweet smell of wet earth, hay, and alfalfa.

5. Seeing the lights of my hometown.

6. Hearing my mom say, "You just sleep as long as you want tomorrow."

7. Waking to the sound of my children playing with their grandma.

A Funny Anecdote from our Trip:
As mentioned above, about 30 miles outside of Lander Griffin begins to wail, "I need to go POTTY!"

"Well, Griff, we've got to get to the next town, or I can stop and you can go outside."

"I don't want to go outside!" He's not happy.

"Well, you're going to have to hold it then."

"I HAVE-- to GO-- POTTY!"

"Okay! I'm pulling over and you are going to have to just go!"

I find a little turn out, open the doors and order him outside. As I'm getting him out of his seat I discover that he has been sitting in half of his Sonic Blue Coconut Cream Slush for approximately 1/2 hour. Delightful.

So he exits the other door while I use our supply of wet wipes on damage control. Logan, his sister, decides she needs to go to and joins him outside. I finish sopping up the mess and dig through our suitcases to find him new clothes. It was at this moment that I realize there is no way I can make 40 miles either. I NEED to go POTTY,
too!

Now, it has been many, many years since I have peed roadside, but I rationalize that it doesn't really count in Wyoming because, if you've ever driven the state's highways, you realize that there is little to zero traffic. I justify that it really could be considered camping. However, it's not something I necessarily want my children to witness because I will never hear the end of it, or, in all likelihood, neither will our friends.

"Okay, guys, get your jammies on." I get them sidetracked, look both ways for oncoming traffic (none for miles and miles), and squat. (I know. Not a great visualization.)

Next thing I know I hear Logan say, "MO-O-O-O-M! What are you doing?"

There is no way I can be distinguished in this situation, but I try. "I'm trying to go potty."

"Mom. You're such a...(I wait for it.)...pioneer!"

Relief! It could have been so much worse.

And you know what? She might be kind of right. I did travail cross country with two children and no husband. I encountered my own hardships to be sure. After all I narrowly avoided hitting 1 cow, 1 calf, 5 deer, 8 rabbits, 2 mice and 1 raccoon last night. And worst of all...the third part of my book on tape did not download to myIPod correctly. At 11 pm, that discovery was a tragedy of epic proportion. And like Brigham, I thought with relief as I pulled into town, "This is the place."

However, unlike the pioneers I have to turn around and do it all over again in 14 days. Poor me! Good thing I've got horsepower,IPod, TV, air conditioning, and drive-through. Yeah, I'm a real pioneer alright!

I am a Survivor

Good news. Logan, Griffin, and I survived day one of our 22 hour drive. We pulled into my brother's house at 12:35 am last night. Having left at 11:30 am, and considering we took the scenic route, took many potty stops and got stuck in construction traffic, we made pretty good time.

Some highlights: We stopped in Orderville, UT for dinner. We were driving through, and I couldn't resist the adorable Soup Cafe. Really, too quaint to pass up, and who needs another burger anyway? So we stopped and enjoyed tuna fish sandwiches on marble rye with cream of asparagus soup. Well, I did. The kids had hot dogs, but Logan did eat the soup, even though it was very green and she said, "Sometimes things can look gross but taste better." A good lesson to learn in one's youth.

I also bought a $3.00 homemade booklet regarding the history of town, which, you may not know was settled under the direction of Brigham Young and dedicated to living the United Order, which they did successfully for many years. I haven't been able to finish it yet, but here is one fascinating point. The group initially settled in a nearby town, (I forget the name) but one large family became disgruntled and refused to participate. A bishop was sent from Salt Lake to find a solution, and finding the family unbending, suggested the rest of the company move 10 or so miles away, which was when Orderville was founded. I wonder how all the descendents get along now? Or how they feel about it? I mean the towns are a stone's throw away from each other now, and I am sure there are family members on both sides in the area.

Another interesting tidbit from Orderville: The whole town ate their meals together in the community cafeteria. I'll blog more on this historic little town later. So fascinating to me.

A second highlight from our trip was the unfortunate decision I made to take Highway 14 over the mountains into Cedar City. On the map, it looked like the shorter version; however, it turned out to be a scenic byway. You know what that means: The road for those not in a hurry. And also the road on which you will most likely hit or be hit by a deer. We had 5 close calls. But to make lemonade out of lemons, the children LOVED seeing the deer up close and personal, and we did have to stop to enjoy one of the scenic overlooks, which was be-a-u-tiful!! An absolutely fantastic view that filled my soul with well-being until Logan stepped on a sharp rock and began crying bloody murder. So much for the soul--back in the car!

The final hightlight is my increased love for my IPod. I found that it muffles a lot of the whining and complaining. (Although that was fairly minimal, I am happy to say.) Before leaving home I downloaded "The Boleyn Inheritance" by Philippa Gregory. A great book on tape, by the way. Thank you, Lord, for modern technology!

So on Monday we will set out on the final leg of our trip. Only 9 hours to go. I'm not thinking about our return home. As in the words of the ultimate survivor--NO! Not Richard Hatch!--but rather Scarlet O'Hara: "I will think about that tomorrow. After all, tomorrow is another day."

A Packed Schedule

I have been bad all day. What I was supposed to be doing was packing and tying up all the loose ends before I leave tomorrow for a 3 week trip to Wyoming, but what I've been doing is...well, anything else. I DID get my dvr cleared so that I won't miss any scheduled recording while I am gone. VERY important. And I did see a couple, okay--a few, episodes of "Hey, Paula." Which has me completely persuaded that she does, indeed, have a drug problem of some sort. I'm just saying! She acts a little...odd?...most of the time.

Where was I? Oh, right! All the important things I've been doing to get ready for my trip.

Yeah, that's about it. I am half packed, so that is something. I asked Thomas what my problem was. He is sure it is an avoidance issue. Like if I put it off long enough somehow I will get out the 21 hour drive, alone, with two small children whose favorite pastime is irritating one another. I don't know what he's talking about! Why would I want to avoid that?

Ooh, look! "Flip That House" marathon. Gotta go.