Friday, September 25, 2009

Grand Canyon

Allen spent this past week hiking the Grand Canyon with a couple of his pharmacists and family members.



Can you read this?? "Getting to the bottom optional, getting to the top mandatory." There was a rescue just a day or so before, where a girl broke her ankle and had to be rescued by helicopter. It is VERY expensive, in the thousands.



When they applied to go hiking a year ago, they were to write down their 3 choices of trails. They ended up getting assigned their 3rd choice - Hermits' Trail. It is very rugged.



Al is reading the map. Sometimes the trail is not easy to see.




Landslides cover much of the trail.

They did not get to the destination they had planned on the first night. They were ready to quit when they got to the springs. They had one hour of daylight left. This is called "Hermit's Rest" because a hermit actually used to live here.






Here is my hermit!
Al's birthday was Tuesday so Michelle, Troy's wife gave him the cards we had secretly sent with her. She also provided "cake"!








They did get to the river the next day.



Al is posing with Loratab, the pharmacy mascot (a weasel) who has gone on many trips around the world; Rome, the Vatican, Paris, New Zealand, Mexico, Africa and all over America.

Day #3 - climbing out of the canyon












They had to rest a lot!





They made it!





This from Al: We made it. The Hermit Trail was actually much more difficult than we thought. The backcountry office did warn us, multiple times, and they were right. The word I use to describe the trek is "grueling". Some of the inner canyons were gorgeous, and seldom seen by mankind. Made the sore muscles, blisters, etc all worth it. As I studied the canyon for the trip, it became clear that the bulk of evidence points toward its formation by the receeding waters of the flood. Thus, it was not formed as part of the original creation, but as a result of God's judgement on a world gone bad. Interestingly, the day before we drove through some rain, revealing a beautiful double rainbow, visible from end to end - God's promise that He will never again destroy man and the earth with a flood. And even though man continues to gradually fall farther and farther away from God, He patiently waits for us to turn to him. Eventually, His patience will run out, and the Day of the Lord will come, like a thief. Then the heavens will disappear with a load roar (big bang), the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. In the meantime, he calls us to live for Him. That I pledge to do.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Road trip

For my Aunt Millie's birthday, I gave her a road trip to Paxico, Kansas to visit her granddaughter, Christie. Her birthday was back in July, but it was just now that we were able to do it. It was a beautiful day! The drive was just wonderful! Whoever says Kansas is flat doesn't know a thing! We took Highway 77 to Junction City, then 70 over to Paxico. Lots of hills and very curvy roads.

I was so disappointed because Al had our camera with him at the Grand Canyon (pictures to follow). I got on-line to get some photos to encourage others to take this wonderful day trip!


What a delightful little town Paxico is, filled with antique shops.

Millcreek
We ate lunch at a local place then headed out to shop!

photo by frankthompson

the above 2 photos by surfaceand surface photography. check out that website for more wonderful photos of Paxico!

We gasped as we saw one bedroom suite. It was gorgeous! But the price was worth gasping about too. $32,000!!! No kidding! One lady who was also shopping in the store said "That costs more than my house!"

Our excursion was cut short when Aunt Millie ran into a stove and got herself a good gash.




Millcreek
We ended up here. Paxico did not have any kind of hospital. It is only a town of 200. So we drove to Wamego, about 15 miles away.

wamegocityhospital
The hospital gave Aunti Millie quick and wonderful care! After she was all doctored up, we drove home through the beautiful Flint Hills, this time, going south on 99. Aunt Millie knew about Alma Creamery so we stopped there for some cheese curds, or as we call them "squeeky cheese".
almacreamery
Highway 99 is so hilly - up and down and all around! Some people would get very car sick I think. But I was driving and not in the back seat so it was ok. Of course we had to stop and read all the Historical markers (or as Aunt Millie says it - "hysterical markers") My kids laugh at us doing that. But hey, we learned something new. Did you know that the first Christian martyr in America was killed in Herrington? Well, it wasn't Herrington back then. This was ages ago before there was a town there. 1542 to be exact. His name was Juan Padilla. Now you know.
We picked up Highway 177 along with a drive around Cottonwood Falls. Love that town! Al took me there once for our anniversary and we stayed at the Grand Hotel. There was live music in the middle of the street downtown.
openroadjourney

galenfrysinger
Here you see all those flint rock fences. A historical marker said that back in 1857, they made it a law that Kansas would not be free range any longer so people put up these rock fences as flint rock is everywhere.
openroadjourney
Kansas is most beautiful!