grand canyon

Made it to the Grand Canyon. Took lots of pictures but this is one of those places that you have to see-pictures don't do it justice but here are a few.

This is not a fruit stand. The Indians set up several of these along side the road and sell indian crafts and jewerly. I bought a couple of pieces. Yes it is made by the Indians from beads bought at Michaels.

This is the Little Colorado. It is the beginning of the Grand Canyon. From where we were standing the water looked real thick, like mud.

Just look and enjoy a few of these pictures without any comments from me.

This is a watchtower that they built in 1931 as a gift shop for the tourists. People would ride 12 hours to see the Canyon from Flagstaff, AZ.

I just think this is a neat tree. I called it narley.

You have to look real hard but there is a suspension bridge. S0me 440' long. (Middle to the right) The 2" cable was carried into the canyon by indians every 10'. There is a "Phantom Ranch" on the other side of the cliff (to the left) where you can stay when you walk down into the canyon.

When I first saw the Grand Canyon my first thought was "What did the pioneers think when they saw this". Did they see how awesome it is? Did they see how powerful and moving it is? Phil said no they probably said a few curse words, and figured out how to go around it. No matter how awsome and magnificant The Grand Canyon is, how powerful and moving to look at it is. I found this last picture to be what I was looking for the last hour or so.

pool party and morning surprise

This was our "Pig Jig Pool Party" They roasted lots of pork and we all brought a "dish to share". Look at my plate, we brought home enough pork for another meal.

Here the line is to get there plates Our table got to go first this time. Yea!!

This is the line dancing group. The singer is setting down behind them and her husband played the piano. They were very good and come from Branson. The second lady is a real good dancer to the 60's music. The first lady asked for the receipe to my salad.

Woke up this morning and Phil said how would you like to see the Grand Canyon? So within the hour we were gone. This is taken not to far from Flagstaff, Az.

We started seeing snow covered mountains and then looked at the temp and I thought ohoh I'm in trouble. My sandals just are not going to be warm enough.

We went to Sunset Volcanic Crater first. It erupted 600 years ago but look at the ash on the hill side and how barren it is. This picture was taken just before sunset.

This is the lava flow-rocks. We were looking out the window and were shocked to see the lava. It is very amazing to see it.

Then we saw the Painted Desert but pictures just didn't due it justice.

Here is an old Indian ruin. This is just 18 miles from the volcano - no wonder they left. They built this around boulders as part of there rooms. The big circle in front is there ceremonial lodge.

Then my camera battery went dead.

Spending the night in Flagstaff, Az (thanks Kathy) and early morning wake up call and we are off to the Grand Canyon. They tell us we will pretty much have it to ourselves. It is 17 here tonight and high of 48 Friday. Tucson is in the mid 70's what are we thinking?

Happy Birthday BRENNAN

January is birthday month for some of our favorite people. Just three of those is my best sister Patty on the 26 and my bestest oldest brother Terry on the 28. Happy Birthday to you both (lucky you I don't know how to sing on the blog). The 3rd person is our grandson Brennan on the 27th. He came into this world fighting for his life and that kinda set a tone to his first few years. HAPPY BIRTHDAY "B" this is your blog.

We have to start here because I wasn't savay on saving pictures and such. Here he is playing soccer, which he was a real hustler.

We stay at the Coliseum when in Wichita sometimes and here he is playing on the big front end loaders (we gave him permission mom) when not riding his bike.

Our little guy hiding in a tree. Isn't he just wonderful. Look at that smile.

I guess this wasn't maybe his favorite place to be on this day. He really didn't mind it as much as his face would indicate.


For Thanksgiving we as a family would go to an inside water park (which is closed now -darn it) The 6 little kids loved the water slides. Well I should really add the 5 big kids enjoyed it too-I'll have to share their pictures someday. Right now they are paying me money not to show them. haha But I can just hear Brennan saying "cool Grandpa let's go again".

Look at this one real close. Here is our "angel".

Not a picture you will see very often in real life but he did a good job portraying one in the church Christmas program. Wasn't smiling thou was he!

Look Grandma no teeth. Guess where he is spending his birthday today. An hour at his orthdontists offfice

On his way home from Maine last year he and his family stopped in Memphis and spent a few days with Grandpa and I. We had a great time showing them the city and eating the BBQ-which Brennan likes alot. See the ducks in the fountain. This is the hotel where the ducks walk out of the elevator on red carpet and up into the fountain.

This is our young man playing football last fall. We enjoyed watching

him. Grandpa named him "Freight Train Ricks". He played all the positions. He would go after the guy with the ball, chase him and pull him down. Even if he had to go from one side to the other. We loved watching him do what he enjoyed.

He called us yesterday and told me he read his birthday card and then wanted to know when we would be home (so we could go out to eat and celebrate his birthday). Gotta love him.

Happy Birthday Brennan we love you so much and wish we could be there to help you celebrate today. Just know that we love you and think about you. I pray for you knowing that God will be with you and protect you. I ask for low numbers today (he is insulin diabetic) so you can enjoy your cake. Hugs and Kisses Gma and Gpa

Phil's big weekend

I went to the Pima Air Museum Friday with
Marilyn's cousin John. This is a OV-1C . A
friend that I graduated from high school with flew an air plan like this over Turkey, Central and South America during Iran Contra. He was based at the Army Base here in Tucson.

This airplane is a neat ole sea plane built in the 30's and has been completely restored.

This is one of two B-52 that carried the X-15 in the empty pod on the wing. The hash marks on the body of the plane shows how many flights it had.

This is a EC-121, one of these was shot down while I was in Korea. In civilian life it is called a Super Connselation. This was designed by Howard Hughes for TWA. In 1958 my uncle Bill Day flew to the oil fields in So America on one of these TWA planes and sent me a picture post card of it.

This little plane is a Twitty Bird, T-37, John is

standing next to. I worked on the A-37 model

when I worked at Cessna in Wichita.

Saturday I went to downtown Tucson to the John

Dillinger Days. They arrested 4 members of the

gang 75 years ago here in Tucson. They do a re-inactment of a bank job they pulled back east somewhere as well as the capture of them here.

This is a 1930 2 door Ford that a father bought for his son in 1964. The son wanted a muscle car in high school but his father bought him this in-stead and he rebuilt it while in school. See the water bag hanging off of hood ornament.

These are two of the Thompson Machine Guns that they took from the Dillinger Gang. They are insured for a million dollars each.

A close up of a water bag on the back of a 30 Ford Coupe. The canvas bags would sweat, when the air hit the bag it would cool the water for drinking.

snow

I know back home you may have snow this week end, well I wanted to see snow too. Sooooooo we set out to find snow today. The temperature in Tucson this morning is 58 degrees. Tucson is approximately 2500 ft elevation and Mt Lemmon is over 9000 so we headed for the mountains.

On the way up the mountain I saw color. I don't know
what kind of bush this is but it was colorful among all the
brown and greens of the desert.

Then I went crazy when I saw the magnificent rock formations.

Then we were up high enough we started seeing pine trees.

It was foggy up on the mountain. The higher we got the thicker the clouds.

Just enjoy the pictures

Then we saw what we came to see. The temperature

was now 44 degrees and our elevation was 7600 ft.

We saw SNOW. Didn't see much snow but then again we couldn't see hardly 1 block in front of us due to the clouds.

So we decided that this was high enough for today and that we would have to return to Mt. Lemmon some other day. We returned to Tucson where it was raining and had been off and on for most of the day. We had a great day. Phil and John are going to the Flight Museum and Bone Yard tomorrow so I'll let me write the blog. Please tune in.

? answered

We were just plain lazy Monday-lounged around most of the day and then went to Furr's for a late lunch. We ended up at an RV dealer "shopping". I hate shopping. I mean I really don't like to shop. Saw some really nice RV's but nothing that we really don't already have in ours.

Tuesday we stared at the TV watching the inaguration of our new President. I liked President Bush. I feel he was president at a very tough time (I know he helped make some of it that way) but I also feel he was good. The things that we are hearing that President Obama wants to do scare me too. But I think we need to give him a chance. I love the way that Michelle and him look at each other, he will need her love the next four years because we as a people turn on others way to fast.

Now to answer some questions being asked:--- Tom Mix was an old silent cowboy actor who was driving to fast in the desert, came upon a gulley being worked on. His metal suitcase in the back seat came forward and hit him in the back of the head and broke his neck.---Wyatt Earps outhouse door handle Phil read about on the internet so he went on a "road trip" to find it SURPRISE it wasn't there.---Larry, Moe and Curly were the Three Stooges-a funny (in those days) comedy act.---yes I sent grandma and grandpa the pictures of us. Come to find out Terry and Barb had the same picture under the same tree when they were here.---Casa Grande is in Az it is the adobe dwelling indians we don't think you were here you were at Mesa Verda in Colo.---The painted desert we went thru at night and never let Dad forget it.---The Great Sand Dune National Park in Colo we all saw.Dad went on another road trip yesterday he found a winery and toured it. He got a wine glass that says: "Elgin makes wine. NAPA makes auto parts." (Thought Laramie would enjoy that). He had a great time was a good day for the ride.

Rained last night and there is water in the gullies so we are going up into the mountains there we should find snow. We will send pictures if we find some snow (as if you all don't see enough).

Arizona family

This is the main reason we came to Arizona this January. This is my "close" cousin Linda (she is 7 days older than me) her husband Johnny, my Aunt Esther (my dad's sister), and cousin Beverly. Phil and I are in the back.

And here is Linda and Johnny's daughter Stephanie and her daughter Brieanna 5 and son Tyler 9. Her husband Rob was at home. Steph reminds me of a young Linda (her eyes mainly) and a little of Johnny.

Saturday we spent the day Mission hopping. This is Mission San Xavier Del Bac just a little south of Tucson. Built in the 1700s. It is in the constant act of refurbishment, inside and out. This is a corner of the inside where a wooden statute lies, under the blue blanket, people think that it you touch the blanket and lift the head you are blessed.

Phil went out in search of food and this Indian
called him Santa Claus so he stopped and they talked before Phil asked for Flatbread. It reminds me of left over pie dough that mom would put in the oven and bake and then sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on it. They take a bread like shell and deep fry it and then sprinkle the cinn and sugar on it. It was pretty good.


This is the Tumacacori Mission in Tubac. It is in what they call "adobe ruin". It went without a roof for 60 years. Built in the 1800s it is slowly being refurbished. But I enjoyed seeing the way it was built. You can see the adobe bricks and such.

On the inside you can still see some of the paintings on the wall in bits and pieces. You can see the new roof. Under the steps they say are buried a couple of the Franciscan priests.

We ended our mission hopping with a picnic lunch I had packed. It was a fun day

After attending church with Linda and family I went shopping and Phil went for a motor cycle ride in search for Wyatt Earps outhouse door handle. The lady at the museum said that was just a urban legend. But he did find the gulley when Tom Mix had his car accident and died. He thought it was strange that they had a statute of "Tony" his wonder horse but no picture of Tom Mix. I think this proves that he will find any excuse to go on a "Road Trip".