Coleman and I playing around on my phone in my car. I realize I am hideous here but I had fun with my little buddy.
We were headed to Grouse Creek to our friends' cabin but on the way we made a pit stop at the City of Rocks national park. Who would have thought this strange landscape existed out here in the boonies?
Nelson and Evy climbed up a big rock once we got there. It was so hot and desolate here. Many people come here to rock climb. I can't think of any other reason they would come.
The town elementary school. We peeked in the windows. It was very tiny with a small kitchen-like cafeteria. It was almost like a big house broken into segments. The basement windows were covered so Nelson tried to tell me freaky stories about it. It was cute though.
My kids (husband included) loved the school's playground. I love small towns.
We ate at the local steak house. It was dee-lightful. Nothing like a good meal in the middle of nowhere.
Horsey ride
We got to Grouse Creek. Robin and Nelson would hunt in the mornings and evenings. We would go on adventures during the day. Nelson and Robin bring out the redneck in each other. We do activities we don't normal do and get outside and get dirty. This is Nelson teaching Evy how to shoot a bow. I shot for awhile. I stunk at it but it was fun.
Evy and Avery riding "Whiskey". These kids live in Grouse Creek and horses are their lives. It was interesting to see the contrast in their lives to ours. Theirs seems a cleaner, wholesome life than our kids will probably be exposed to.
Coleman joined the ride. Yes that kid is hanging on the horse's neck and the horse is just mild enough to let him do it.
We swam in a couple shady (not literally) reservoirs. Amber and I swam in the first one but not in this one. When Avery came out, Robin had to pull a leach off of her leg. Nastiness.
Evy and Avery collected seashells.
Nelson and Coleman
We went sightseeing. This area is where many Native Americans dwelled as well as pioneers. There are many old homes that are hollowed but still standing. This is a small cave/cliff we drove to. I deemed this the butt of the cave.
Nelson enjoying the view. Below are many burned trees from a previous fire. There is a large canal/river with no water in it. There are cattle scattered around. It looks like a vast desert and it was hotter than hades. We got to enjoy our strawberry lemonades in our air conditioned car and thought about how spoiled we were compared to the previous settlers. If our car broke down we would have died. Only joking. Maybe.
Nelson, Holly, Coleman and Evy
On this trip Coleman fell into the irrigation creek (just his body--he wasn't harmed), drank from Taggert's dog bowl, put a paintbrush full of paint I handed him into his mouth (it was for him to paint a barrel but he was confused), swam in 2 creeks with leaches, had his sandwich snatched out of his hands by a dog, rode bareback on a horse, went into a cave with bat poop and a live hawk, played in the mud and so forth. He got to experience how a real cowboy lives. Nothing makes a boy happier in my opinion.
