ROAD TRIP....

A few weeks ago we had to journey to Springfield to take of some business.  Buck decided we would make it a ROAD TRIP!  Everyone knows he isn't the biggest fan of vacation so it was a pleasure to drive 1,500 miles with him and enjoy the scenery.

Typical Buck pose 

not the best vacation taker

(is that proper grammer??) 

We stopped in Arkansas

at Gaston's on the White River

a beautiful setting for relaxing 

Buck tried a timed photo

not bad ~ if I do say so myself 

Another shot of the river

quite swift ~ wouldn't want to fall in! 

The private landing area for

personal planes SHOULD have

given us pause ~ NOT

Don't even ask how much we paid for supper!

And here is ME 

always ready for a road trip

Dam on the White River

Is this the front?? 

Or is this the front??? 

As you can see

you can drive across the top of the dam!

This is me

"striking a pose" 

Buck and I attempted another

timed photo

(we were both cracking up)

The sign said BLACK bear

so why is it BROWN???

We traveled on, took care of business, and came back to Wheeler State Park in Alabama. Another lovely ~ quiet area where you just want to say "ahhhhhhhh".

Doesn't that look serene??

hmmmmm ~ was this sunrise

or sunset??? 

We drove through the camping area, across the bridge with the lock system, and through a parking lot filled with vehicles pulling boat trailers.  We spotted 21 deer!!  I won't bore you with 21 photos but here are a couple....okay three!

Right in the center of the photo

do you see it?? 

These two were just chilling beside the road

This guy was looking at US 

There were plenty of geese

Not my most flattering angle

THE END

A hiking we did go....

Colorado ~ home of Mile High Stadium, Denver Broncos, and the Willenbrechts (the most important attraction if you ask me).  We do something different almost every time I'm there.  This trip, we HIKED.  Yes, you read that correctly ~ we hiked.  It was a day like any other day ~ special because it was Sarah's birthday but other than that, an ordinary Thursday.  After breakfast at the Egg and I, Arie went to work and Jennifer, Kim, the girls, the boys, and I headed to Horse tooth Park.

The horse tooth formation for which it is named

A snapshot with the grandchildren before we

got to far into the hike

We were excited ~ we were pumped ~ we were together in the beautiful Colorado air ~ celebrating Sarah's seventh birthday.  We walked a little way and came to a fork in the road.  We took the "easy" route.

Which way to go

which way to go???

We followed the path stopping to marvel at

the scenery and to snap a few dozen photos.



The girls and I got a little ahead of everyone else

(I had my eye on the bench in the distance)

Sarah, me and Claire

Love those girls!!

I'm not a great hiker but I gave it my best, kept up with the group, didn't complain, didn't pass out.  It was a gorgeous way to spend our last day with Jennifer and the girls.

No mountain goats but Kim and the children

saw a deer (Topher spotted it first)

I was glad when I wasn't the one

who called for a break

(maybe I was the reason

 but no one mentioned that) 

While sitting under this tree we met a Dalmatian and his owner ~ both very friendly.  The park is animal friendly ~ leash rules apply.  Everyone we met was friendly and courteous ~ staying to the left of the path.

Me with the grands on a small bridge over

a small creek

Shortly after this photo ~ I turned around and went back to the picnic area.

I admit it ~ my face WAS RED!

Whew!!

They made it to the falls and everyone took off their shoes for a wade in the cool water.

The Wet Wilsons

Topher made it to the top

Loving the curl on the forehead 

"What?" 

Claire is not a WATER PERSON

so Jennifer "helped" her 

Were you expecting Niagara?? 

Jakob, Sarah, Claire, and Topher

Kim snapped the next few shots on the bridge you saw me on earlier.  She has a good eye with the camera.  And she had some really great subjects to work with. 

My adorable Claire

My cool Jakob

  My sweet Sarah

My irrepressible Topher 

Not sure who was enjoying this piggy back

ride more ~ Kim or Claire

Deep in thought 

Very Little House on the Prairie

What exactly was he doing in there??

Do we want to know??

We had a nice picnic lunch when everyone returned.  It was a wonderful way to end our time at the Horse tooth.

Jakob particularly enjoyed the

Pistachios!

Through the eyes of a grand daughter....

Sarah has a camera.....she also has a blog....when I travel to Jennifer's we always snap a lot of photos.  Arie graciously loads everyone's camera onto a CD or junk drive? for me before I leave.  This last trip, I got Sarah's photos, also.  Let me say this is not all that was in her folder....there were pictures of the TV....feet....furniture....well, you get the idea.  I took the shots with people "subjects" and "tweaked" them a bit.  Girl needs work on her exposure but all in all ~ not bad for a five, six, or seven year old.... depending on which photo you are looking at :-)

This is Claire ~ one of Sarah's models.

It's an older photo 

notice the length of Claire's hair? 

Did she just get caught doing something

she wasn't supposed to be doing?? 

If your sister is going to persist in sticking

a camera in your face....

gotta expect one of these! 

 I like this shot because she is

"working" the eyes

 Shake your groove thang!

 Goodnight, sweet Claire....

 Another victim... I mean model

is Felicity.  She seems to be saying

"What! again with the camera??"

 And our young photog enjoys

being in front of the lens also 

 She especially likes the "self portrait"

and yes her eyes are really THAT blue.

 Am I blue...... well, yes you are!

Technique will improve

I can see it now on FACEBOOK!!!!