Leaping Lizards

I will say this...USA is different than Canada.

Beer in the gas station, ridiculous roadside snacks...well, maybe that's it's just Montana and Idaho :) The whole trip down and back was a road trip adventure, complete even with a stay in a tiny Swiss motel that had a working rotating clock with a milkmaid, goatherd and smiling goat spinning around the tower clock...

...and the Idaho World Potato Museum... I saw it and on our way home I pestered and giggled until we stopped and giggled our way through the world's potato knowledge...complete with a potato signed by Al Gore and the world's largest potato chip.

*and* add to that a gorgeous part of the world that I now have melted onto my soul - Canyonlands near Moab, Utah. It is breathtaking there. Like a holiday on Mars. We had 5 full days there, with 4 full day hikes through salt flats, mountains and green rain washes. JJ had hs first taste of off trail mountain scrambly hikes with a guide, and he loved it too. Hooray. Being with friends and relaxing with fire, good local wine and laughter...just haven't had enough of that lately.

Sunset with my lovely friends & love

 Snakes! Lizards! Even a (*gibber*) black widow...off trail hikes all over up and over and around the white and red rock. We scampered up the rock ledges to see early puebloan ruins and petroglyphs and scrambled through and over rocks in sunny 25 C. We even took a half day riverboat ride down (and Iswam in) the Colorado river through the red rock and I must say...if there is a way to make me more happy and content in a hiking holiday I'm not sure what else to add in... :)

part of an amazing wall of paintings

ancient ruins

...and a final night of mexican food and margaritas on our last night!

yes...a few zombies and margaritas and we were into the hats :)

Ah. I feel like I've been away for weeks.
Joy.