Birthday Rocks!

If you are inclined to subtlety you will notice that the title did not say Birthdays Rock! They certainly may do, and this one did, but the point of the title is that I spent my most recent birthday climbing rocks in Arches National Park. Kris was in Arizona helping the Youngs usher young Beck into the world and Rob and Anna invited me to join them in Moab for three days of adventure. I was reluctant because I had stuff to do on Friday and there was nobody to dog sit Winnie. Early Friday, however, it struck me that I could zoom down on Saturday (Happy Birthday to me) and zoom back home that evening. Stephen was kind enough to feed Winnie her delicious dinner, which I left ready-prepared in the fridge, and I was free to roam. I left at 5:30 A.M. and arrived in exactly three hours in Moab. We piled into the Hastings van and headed for the Park. One of the absolute best perks of being and old guy is that our wicked socialist government gives you a free pass to all the national parks, AND, get this, everyone in your car comes in free, too! I know: a wicked waste of Tea Partiers' precious taxes, but LOVED by Commies like me.

We hiked ourselves silly. Most of the morning was spent hiking into Delicate Arch, enjoying it , and hiking back out by way of the petroglyphs. We had lunch in a beautiful spot between a couple of rock fins -- why does food eaten out in nature always taste better? The afternoon was spent driving about 8 miles in and 8 miles out on a washboard dirt track to Klondike Bluffs for a an almost 4 mile hike to see the Marching Men and Tower Arch. The hike taxed the boys to their limits, but, in the end was beautiful, and free from the hoards that descended on the Park during the day. Rob's Management was excellent and we avoided the crowds at every turn. On the way out we did a couple of drive-by sitings, and then returned to Moab where the Hastings fêted me with chicken-fried steak at Zax, kitty corner from their hotel. And what birthday adventure would be complete without an extraction? The trip home was made, once again, in exactly three hours to the minute, blessedly, without a tinge of drowsiness!

Birthday in the park

This little guy is the best darned socialist perk ever

On the ascent to Delicate Arch

The Hastings taking in the perspective of Delicate arch --
please note the young fellow with blond hair in the background

The young man, named Parker, pictured above, is Maxwell Ensign's doppelgänger. He is probably a year or so younger, but like Max in every way. His family was near us for most of the Delicate-Arch hike and he sounds like Max, walks and runs like Max, and effects an attitude like Max. Anna chatted with his mother and told her how much Parker reminded us of Max. His mother asked Anna if Max's hair was stringy and gross, too. Anna, ever the diplomat, did not answer yes or no, but said the hair was the same.

Parker the doppelgänger

Cairn: c-a-i-r-n, cairn

Petroglyphs

Alfresco lunch in the rocks

Lucy and Anna squeezing toward Sand Dune Arh

The snow-capped La Sal Mountains

The Marching Men and marching Hastings in the Klondike Bluffs

Tower Arch was well worth the hike

I popped Tucker's tooth

Good dinner, good day!

I had a great day and am grateful to the Hastings for the kind invitation. I loved the hikes and wasn't the least bit stiff this morning.

That's all for now.

OXO

D.