Making memories one day at a time.......and then I write about it.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Day 3 Fall Break


Day 3:  There are a lot of photos.  We loaded up in the truck early in the morning and didn't get home until 11:00 PM.  The day was full and fun.  Can you see it?  Can you see what we were looking and searching for all day?  Look close in the rock.


South of where we live is a place called Nine Mile Canyon.  Why it is called that is beyond me because the canyon is more like, 40 miles long.  It is literally an art gallery left by the Fremont and Ute Indians.


An art gallery that was more like a scavenger hunt.  We had a map.  A sort of map.   A really lousy one actually but because it was lousy it made it more of an adventure for us.  Most of the sites where you find these petroglyphs aren't marked.  On the 'map', it would tell us to drive so many miles and then to look for such and such.


So, we'd set out odometer and when it reached approximately where we thought it should be, we'd get out and start clambering and climbing around searching for more art work.


Some of the petroglyphs were closer to the road while others were quite a climb and took a bit of searching.


We loved the texture.  The Sheep.  Look at the little dots on the sheep depicting the wool.


Head dresses on the figures.  Lots of scorpions.  Most of the petroglyphs had a scorpion somewhere on them.


We also noticed that the Indians would find rocks like these that had a darker background and this is where they would carve their pictures.  Not always, but often.


This Native climbed up to this ledge which makes your heart stop to get a closer look at some art work up on the ledge.  I gave him my camera and had him take photos as I don't seem to have the ability to climb like I did when I was younger and not get woozy when looking down.


Climbing to the ledge wasn't good enough.  He and Mr. M had to climb to the very top.


I wonder how long it took them to carve out these pictures.


A perfect little nook.


Why can't this punk smile like a normal child??


A sphinx.
 

The petroglyphs are fascinating but this 'village' was even more so to me.


Hard to see but The Scout Master is climbing around with The Natives looking at all of the rocks that had been dug into that were made into homes for the Indians.  They would use the rocks as walls for their shelters.


Care to grind some flour?


Or maybe you'd rather take a stick and play in the water.


Hard to see in this photo but these rocks were a foundation to an Indian home.  I wish I could get a better birds eye view so you could see the rooms and hall way.


One lone Indian Paintbrush.  Very fitting we thought.


This structure was SO fascinating.  There are two big rocks on top of each other that made up the roof.  Under has been dug out and chipped out to form rooms and passages.  You can't stand up in these rooms which makes you wonder at just how comfortable this could possibly be.


I don't imagine that the Indians spent much time inside of here except in the winter perhaps.  It would have been great for protecting from the elements though.


This is what it looks like from the outside.  Sitting outside looking out at the valley below, it is spectacular!  Just gorgeous.  Why did I not take a picture?  Who knows............


This is taken from the other side.  The first photos were taken from the east side.  This is from the west side.


And this is more from the south side.


And this is where I had a heart attack when I realized that just beyond the doors of this shelter was this drop off!  My little Natives were climbing and playing all over before I got to them and I shudder to think if they'd come near this drop off before I got to them.   It does give you an idea though of the view from this structure and how beautiful the valley is below.


We called this the biffy.  Out door bathroom facilities.


This is actually a famous piece of art.  People have put this on t-shirts, have painted this scene.....


As you can see, it is called, "The Great Hunt".


A lovely spot to stop and have a picnic lunch.


But not before asking some other adventurous folks to take a picture of us.  Sad....... I don't like having one of my Natives missing.  Darn college exams!!  Mr. B wasn't able to go on this adventure with us either...


Levi.  Gosh I love this kid!


Take notice of Native Mr. C who won't let me take his picture.  He knows I am trying to get a picture of my boys sitting on the fence so he does this.


And this:


And this:
(I told him I see monkeys acting just like him.  Letting their food hang out of their mouths..... crossing their eyes.........)


More crossing of the eyes.........


Trying to get a good wad of food to stick out again.........


Making scrunchy faces..........


Sticking more food out.........


Sticking food out even further............ Mr. T is getting disgusted with his brother.


Charming isn't he?  Mr. T is completely turned away and Mr. M is bailing off the fence.


Back to the rock house with the drop off on the side.  This is from across the valley.  You can see the rock house about 3/4 of the way up the photo.


When we saw this photo we busted up laughing.  Mr. J is depicting what he sees in the petroglyphs but Henny Penny's shadow!!!  SHE'S A WITCH!


Normal.  Can I please just have one normal smile out of this punk?


Snakes.  My Native who loves anything reptilian and creepy crawly.  Shudder.......


I thought this one was charming.......  A family.


Mr. T knows I hate snakes so he wanted us to be sure and find the petroglyph that was a huge snake.  For me.   This photo was taken just for me.  At this point I was all for sitting in the truck and giving my camera to The Scout Master.  This is a gift to me from Mr. T.  So thoughtful.........


Again.  I think at this point I don't have to point out the punk in the middle and his lack of ability to smile normal.  He's been taking lessons from Mr. C


Sadly, there are those who had to go and scratch their own initials and graffiti into the rocks.  We saw a lot of this.  They (who ever 'they' is) are thinking about closing down this canyon so it can be preserved because of people who are defacing.


These dots were another thing we would see a lot of.  I don't know anything about petroglyphs to know what they mean.......


On the 'map' we were given, it told us to look for the rock that looked like Porky Pig.  Found it!  Do you see it?  This was the last set of petroglyphs we went searching for before heading home.  We were told to look for Porky Pig and around the corner behind we would find another panel of rocks with petroglphys on it.

And that folks, wraps up our Fall break.  The Natives are all back in school.  I am looking at buckets of apples they've picked off our trees and trying to get up the energy/desire to cut up all of those apples and make them into apple sauce.  I think I second what Henny Penny said on her way out the door this morning for school.  "I wish Fall Break was all this week too"!

Yeah.  Me too............



36 comments:

  1. Way Cool!! Reminds me of Kanab. A new place I want to see in person, thanks for the great pictures!

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    1. Your family would love it. It's an all day adventure. Be sure and leave early in the morning.

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  2. OK. I want this on the list of things to do when I come back next year...and tubing down the Provo River. I love how Levi has his sword to protect everyone!
    So, in the picture of all of you, the two on the far right, C and T? will go on their mission about the same time as B?
    Trying to get it all straight. I think meeting your kids needs to be on the list, too!
    We made applesauce with the kids each fall...and ate it with skinny graham crackers for the spoons....yum!
    It will be worth all the work...right?

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    1. It's a fun thing to do. Make a list and we'll see what all we can do when you're here.

      Yes, those are the two boys that will be gone on their missions when Mr. B is. And yes!!! Next time, you've got to meet The Natives and The SM. Crossing fingers that no pets decide to go dwerpy on me when you come to visit. That was unreal!!!

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    2. How is the dwerpy pet? Still medicating two here. You will tell the Natives and the SM they have to take turns talking and not be too loud, right? Heheheheheheh :-)

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    3. Oh my heck! I don't think that is possible? Not be loud and take turns? You are asking me to build Rome in a day!!! :D

      The dwerpy pet is still dwerpy. Old age will do that to anyone/thing. Make us dwerpy.

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    4. You have almost a whole year!
      Sad that the puppy is dwerpy....sad that any of us get dwerpy....
      Isn't there an EO for any of that?

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    5. There's an EO for everything!!! :D

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  3. That looks so fun!You guys are such great parents for planning and doing fun things with your kiddos! My kids would love this!

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    1. Your kids really would Carrilyne and Jared would love the photography aspect.

      I thought The Natives would peter out after a few finds but they went all day and kept going wanting to find more. Even when they said they were done because it was getting dark and their hands were cold, when I would tell them we were close to another site they'd pile out of the truck and go and look some more. They made me laugh several times! I kept telling them: I thought you were done!

      One more. One more....... until it really was too dark to see anything. Then we came home.

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  4. Love the pictures. Looks like it was quite a fun adventure.
    Wish I had known you were going to be down in my neck of the woods. :-)
    Glad you had a good Fall Break.

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    1. Your neck of the woods? How close were we to you? I saw the sign to Green River but didn't see how far away Green River is......

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    2. Okay... they are very LARGE woods...lol...Green River is about 60 miles south of where you turn off to go to Nine Mile. But considering we're in the middle of well... nowhere... we consider that distance just a hop, skip, and a jump away... lol...

      (But you know - we are totally on the way to Arches or Goblin Valley... so if you ever decide to venture further southward... let me know...)

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    3. Maybe next time you are down exploring Nine Mile, I'll come and join you on your wandering trek. :-)

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    4. Do! It is quite fun! I saw that you were in Provo recently? For a day only or what?? :D

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    5. Dentist appointment... Loads of fun...lol...

      We had fall break this week so I drove up Wednesday evening and went home Thursday after my appointment - and of course a restocking run to Sam's Club...lol

      And even more fun - I "get" to come back in November to finish... sigh... lol...
      My appointment is early on Saturday so I'm coming up the night before.

      So, if you know of anything thrilling and exciting going on the 3rd weekend in November be sure to let me know...:-) ... (Okay...so it really doesn't have to be thrilling OR exciting...lol)

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    6. That's weeks away!!! :D I can't think that far ahead.

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    7. Yeah... me either... lol...

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  5. Now THAT is a family adventure! I am swooning over all of those petroglyphs. Such lasting art. Such a connection with nature.

    And LOOK at you guys! Clambering all over, breathing it all in. As a family. LOVE that. And all of the individual and sibling antics you captured. Those are treasures, you know. I know you know - that's why you take the photos. Your crew is beautiful, Rachel. You guys all make me smile :-)

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    1. I do love taking photos of all of the antics. :D It is so..... THEM! Goofiness and all. Trying to make each other laugh. Joy. Discovery. Friendship. Lasting.

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  6. Oh! Oh! AND I LOVE YOUR SHORT HAIR!!!!!

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    1. THANK YOU!!! Cuz that was a bad hair day. A truly bad hair day which is why I had it hiding behind the sun glasses. Wind. Dust. Not good for hair.

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  7. Jody, Especially with his jeep! We came home covered in mud. :D I had to take the truck to the car wash a few days later it was so bad. Normally we wash the truck here in the yard but there was so much mud I took it to the car wash.

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  8. :) I've thought the same thing. There should be like buttons on comments so we can go and click on them if we agree/like.

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  9. I wanna go! You weren't kidding about it being so amazing. Looks like something to put on the bucket list!

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    1. Do! Your kids would love it. Wait until Emma can clamber around by herself though. :) Lugging her around for hours would be killer.

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  10. Wow, what an awesome place and a great family adventure - good thing too that you took lots of pictures to share with Mr B xxx

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    1. I really hated not having Mr. B with us. It is a foreshadowing of things to come and I can't stand the thought of my little ones (LOL! They aren't so little are they?) leaving the nest!

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  11. Well. Where have I been? Wait. I know. Blurb was running a sale and I needed to get another book in the box. Which I did, but only by working my head off day and night. Now I can't sleep because I went to Meridee's (and where were you?) and stoked up on sugar. What a great conversation this was. I think I'm more behind than just this one, though - I mean, there's probably one or five before it still. I have to catch up. I LOVE the petroglyphs. I gotta go there. And yeah, it's foreshadowing - but you still had fun, and you have to understand that that is foreshadowing, too. I should have gone down with you -

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    1. I really wanted to go to Meridee's and had it on my calender but with everything I've needed to do for young women's and the ward party tomorrow it just never made it to the top of my list. Making a hat...... so I had no costume and no treat to bring so...... I stayed home. :( Boo!

      YES!!! You should have come!!! You'd have loved it. So would Chazi.

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    2. She DID look like a witch. G and I want to go there. How far south is it?

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    3. Hmmmm. I want to say an hour and a half? Two hours?

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  12. That was an amazing day and yes I saw Porky Pig :-)

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  13. You get me itching to go out in the desert! What a great bunch of shots!

    I loved the funny faces that your kids were pulling. Real hams.

    Henny Penny isn't capable of a bad shot. Well, except when her shadow gets in the way.

    How good of you to get your kids exposed to this stuff. It takes a ton of effort to make something like this happen.

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    1. Thanks for appreciating how hard outings like these are. They are fun but they are work! Worth it.

      Henny Penny is very photogenic. All of The Natives seem to be.

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