Anniversary Trip -- Day 5

OK. I know I have to stop blogging, but it seems abrupt to stop in the middle of our Zion Park trip.  I know this is probably not interesting to anybody besides us, but I am on a mission to finish what I started.  Or perhaps I am procrastinating.

Anyway, Day 5 dawned bright and early, because we had scheduled a Canyon Adventure.  Our guide, Zach, picked us up promptly at 7 a.m.  Yes, we were on vacation.

I will, for the most part, let the pictures speak for themselves.

 This is where the canyon opened into the ground.

 Here, Zach is getting the ropes ready to go.  He was very careful, and I trusted him.  He and Shawn were dressed the same, which can get confusing in the pictures.  Shawn is the one in a protective hat.  Zach did not wear a protective hat.

 

 

 Yepper.  That silhouette is ME.

Here I had to jump.  It was probably the hardest part of the whole adventure.  I was fine as long as I could use leg strength, but when shoulder strength was required, my bum shoulders messed me up.  We had to fill out a health questionnaire before we started, but it only asked about things like high blood pressure and diabetes, not faulty rotator cuffs.  So I just didn't say anything and tried to be a good sport.  At this point, after I jumped, I did experience a bit of blinding pain, which I silently sucked up.  Afterwards, when nobody was looking, I lifted the arnica out of Shawn's fanny pack and spread a bunch around my collar bones.

 I have to be honest, the farther down I went, the more anxious I became about how difficult the climb back up would be at the end.  But the trail at the opposite end of the canyon wasn't bad at all!  I cruised up that path, hand over hand.

We are so tough!  I tell you, I was very proud of myself at the end of this adventure!

Later, I was floating in the pool at the lodge when Shawn told me he thought he'd lost his credit card.  While I cruised around in an inner-tube, he retraced our steps from the day (we'd gone into the park after our canyon climb), and he actually got the card back because somebody had turned it in to the ranger station.

It makes you feel so good to have a day like that, sort of builds your faith in humanity, or in Utah Mormons, or something.  Maybe this is a sign from God to me that I should vote for Mitt Romney.

Hope to be in contact later...

I will write again some day.

Maybe.

In the meantime, we've encountered a serious family illness that I do not yet have permission to discuss.  No, it is not AIDS... don't worry.

Little Schubert had a tumor removed and biopsied, but yesterday we found out that it's benign, so that's good.

I got a job teaching English at the local private Christian school.  This may signal the end of my blogging days.  My kids tell me that teachers can't have blogs.  At least, not this type of blog.  Teachers can have teacher blogs and post assignments and all that jazz.  Teachers can't core dump their deep feelings on-line, though.  Yes, it makes sense.

Jonathan has pneumonia.  (He is not the one with the illness I'm calling serious.  He has a Z-pack that he will finish on Saturday.)

Shawn is in the process of moving Laura back to college, and I needed to stay home to prepare for other things.

And that's just the big stuff.  Well, most of the big stuff.

So, there is a lot to do, and a lot to pray about.

If you are up for praying, please pray particularly for Jonathan on Friday and Saturday.  Also, please pray for my sick family member who will undergo a third surgery on 8-17-12.

Thank you.