Camper time

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Last weekend, our neighbors had a visitor from New Zealand, so they wanted to take him on a camping trip up north. Since I'm hiking the Grand Canyon this weekend (oh how I can't wait to share the pics with you guys), we opted out of touring the Grand Canyon with them. Instead, Joe, Kaylene and I took a hike on Sycamore Falls trail in Williams. The state of Arizona never ceases to amaze me. Williams is near Flagstaff and only a two-hour drive from where I live, but it's a whole other world. It's cold at night and green and, well, awesomely beautiful. If I decided to stay in Arizona (after I do my international teaching stint), it will have to be somewhere up north. I love the desert too, but the heat is wearing me out. Plus, I want to be near water, and I miss having four seasons. Don't get me wrong we do have seasons in Phoenix too --- but it's the air and temps that change (only here do we get excited when it's a gray day, and we put on sweators when it's below 80 degrees). I want fall, snow and the soft green of spring --- call me greedy.

Okay enough of my words. Here are some pics. Next week --- if I survive the climb up --- I'll post the Grand Canyon hike pics. If you're bored and curious use attached link to learn more about where I'm so lucky to be going.

http://www.havasupaitribe.com/index.html

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Photos

campfire rave
me crazy offspring

random repeller
Kaylene kicks a rope we see tied to the tree. A few minutes later we see a head pop up over the canyon. um, never, ever kick a rope tied to a tree --- people do crazy shit like scale down cliffs with them

she's still so small
in the overall scope of things.

tarantula!
this is the first time I've ever run into one of these on an Arizona hike. I've seen rattlers, gilla monsters, all sorts of birds and lizzards but never a big spider before. The next thing for me to see is an actual scropion.

fall colors
and this is as close to Fall as I will come this year. I could drive to Flagstaff and see the birch trees turn yellow, which is cool but I miss the reds and oranges and all that good stuff

Irish Coffee
yum, yum ... best campfire drink ever

cutest puppy ever
Mickey's new pup. she's so freakin adorable