There is a lot of turmoil in the world today. I feel a bit guilty to be having a great spring here in Idaho though everything we experience is tinged with anticipation and dread of the future. But there is plenty of open space for us without coming into contact with anybody, so we went.
We went out 4 times in April, 3 trips with Granddaughters and one with just me and Lynn, dogs and our little side-by-side funmobile. This trip report has the two camping trips.
My wife didn't care much for the Owyhees at first, I've had to get her here a few times before she caught on. I loved them right off, seeing many creatures coming out of the ground in the shapes of rocks, this one being a Chinese dragon. What, you don't see it? Ah maybe now? I know it's a bit goofy, use a little imagination.
The clouds were a real hit and added that other dimension to the scenery.
It looked to be a smoke signal, or had Boise just been evaporated?
The clouds came and went all day, we could see some dropping the wet stuff and I prayed for no mud.
Can I offer a piece of nature's toilet paper?
Was Lynn rocking out?
We found an interesting area though, with hand stacked rock walls.
Rock corrals used to hold the wild mustangs that wranglers would catch.
Here there be gators
Where we camped it was nice to see the green spring grasses were out.
Our evening fire in awesome settings, no wind and no people.
A far off view of the Owyhee Reservoir
And this far area of rocks called the Honeycomb. There was a hike there I wanted to make but we couldn't find the trailhead.
We had stopped and walked to the top of a hill for that view of the lake and while there could hear horses. Two were actually fighting though we could barely see them from the distance. These couple of pictures taken with my 135mm lens and then digitally zoomed a bit were the best I could do with a short lens. Even so it was cool to see wild mustangs. We didn't know if the two were fighting over the females, were mating or maybe just horsing around.
Another rocked in area to hold the wild horses.
I have to say that two weeks in a row the clouds were as much the show as the landscape, each one accenting the other.
I had always thought that Arizona where we lived 20 plus years was the signature old west. I have to say that Idaho is no slouch in western genre either. Three Finger Rock is the backdrop.
I call him Moon Doggie, I don't know why.
Ok ok, the real photographer in the Family. You knew that right?
It was shocking, to think we might have a long spring this year.
My wife, she has opened many gates for me in my life. Both figuratively and literally.
She actually gets all the credit for us having a truck and camper, specifically a pop-up camper. Yes, it was her idea and my allowance that paid for it. That gives me a little bit of credit yes?
We're on a diet, what can I say.
Actually we'd stuffed our dog and were about to roast him over coals with the closest thing we could find to an apple in his mouth, his orange tennis ball.
Do dogs get motion sickness?
Oh Dear, we scared up the herd.
Ah yes, the final chapter.
For the Gramping Trip, I'd wanted to camp overlooking the Bruneau Canyon and River. We headed south almost to the Nevada border with Idaho and took a two track road east through the middle of nowhere.
The girls wanted a view from the top of the camper before I ran up the top. Pigtails and ponytails is the name of the game.
Sure glad Lynn held my bear so I could take this picture. Ok both bears, there's 2.
The thin ribbon of the Bruneau River on it's way to the Snake.
A serious question coming on. Do ALL girls naturally know how to pose?
I asked Parker why she had her finger out. She said she'd seen a butterfly and was waiting for it. The butterfly never came back so I gave her one.
Every now and then I get a great picture, one that really means something to me. This is one.
Lynn/Grandma watches while they play, having forgotten the view.
Evening shadows were adding that extra dimension to the landscape. If a shadow appears on the land but there is no one to see it, is it really there?
Do girls just naturally know how to pose? I pose the question again.
Six years old and already stretching out.
What a great place to pull out the Benjamin pump pellet gun.
Then to try the kite. The wind wasn't that great but we gave it the old kindergarten try. Lets not rush college ok?
The scenery to the south and west of us...not so much. Yet the beauty is still there, along with the silence.
Parker took a real interest in just about everything that trip, and became the expert.
She was even wanting to know how to use a topo map, so I showed her where we were.
Then she showed me where to go, as if it was the first time a girl ever did that.
Parker was so excited she levitated, while Zoe kept at least one foot on the ground.
The wind was up, my kite not so much. Yes ol Baba can nosedive even a Miñion kite.
The girls were natural at it though, and had a great time.
Zoe took the two handed approach and had him doing barrel rolls.
Even Grandma got some fly time.
There were no other trees around for the miles that we could see, I felt fortunate to have stumbled onto them as a camp spot.
Afternoon shoot time. It was funny too, that Parker told me she liked me in my cowboy hat and that particular shirt. What 6 year old says that to her Grandpa? I told Lynn I was going to wear that every time they come over, 110º in the summer or not.
Parker has gotten real good for a young gal, I see a .22 in her near future...if her Mom lets it happen.
Parker shows us a huge ant hill. It was incredible to watch those tiny things climb that hill with small twigs 5 times their size. Nothing stopped them from piling on the twigs, must have been a room addition going on.
Many people don't get an oven when they order a camper, instead doing with just a range or a microwave plus range. We didn't get the microwave option but stayed with the traditional range and oven for so many reasons including Grandma's homemade pizza.
And yes, we have too much fun, if there is such a thing.
There may be a fire pit where we camp but we don't use them. We prefer our little homemade grill/fireplace for several reasons. We cook on it using a grill, then remove the grill and go to the fire. I can close the lid if it gets windy plus can either bag the ashes in the morning or dig a hole for the small amount, no one would ever know we camped there.
Morning gave us a Godwink, a punctuation to another fabulous trip. Thank you God.
My other Sunshine
It was time to be off, going home with more great memories to be added to the collection.
Thanks for reading, we'll see you again on some backroad...
Bonus Pics, oh yeah, of course they are of the twins
We were heading to look for Shoofly Oolites and stopped to check out an old cemetery.
What a name right, Shoofly Oolites. Oolites are a rock formation made of Ooids hah, very very small round rocks made round by wave action from inland seas millions of years ago. And they happen to be found near Shoofly Creek, hence Shoofly Oolites!
Very rough in texture they make for great climbing for kids, not being so tall as to be deathly from a fall.
And there in Ooid sand we found fossilized sea shells, it was very cool.
Ok, that's it!
Well, we did go out the next weekend with the Girls to look for Thunder Eggs, stay tuned...
