Tuesday, July 11, 2023

Day 6 - Zion National Park

 Sunday, June 18, 2023 

Utah

Today is Father's Day. A day spent with our family in nature, a place where my man thrives!

It's also a day of a needed mundane happening---laundry!! 🤪☺️

So I'm sitting here having some time to simply reflect, to let what comes, be, and to sift through what we've seen so far and all that's happened. 

Not all is perfect, but my prayer is that we find more forgiveness, grace, and the space to enjoy each other. 

Perspective. I sit here looking out 3 windows and in each I see something different. 




Neither one is more right than the other, Yes, I may prefer one above the other, but each have a view to be seen and a beauty to be discovered.

What we see and our interpretations of that image affects the moment so profoundly.  And if the window is dirty our interpretation is so directly affected and then influences the way we live out what we're seeing.  So, it is, if our emotional and mental lens is 'dirty' it will affect our interpretation of what happens in our day.

And today there were different perspectives and different views of what is fun. I enjoyed the walk along the river while the men were 'bored' with the 'easy' walking along the canyon's bottom. Yes, I enjoyed my more strenuous walk to the Emerald Pools along the west rim, with it's own challenges and beauty, while my men relished in the thrill of conquering Angel's Landing.  It's a place discovered, that a man once said,  "The only way you can get there is if an angel lands you there!"
And yes, my man informed me once we met again that I'm glad you can't see what they are doing! 

There is space for each 'window' and we should not feel like our 'view in that window' is less than another's view, but celebrate each 'window'.  And maybe, just maybe, if we let another describe their 'view' we will see more in the world and our horizon will expand.  
(And that is what happened as I listened to the stories and descriptions of what they saw and hiked... glad to enjoy it through the eyes of another.)

Just make sure your 'window' is clean or at least 'clean' what needs to be cleaned as you become aware of any 'dirt'.

Of course, I have taken many pictures out the window and needless to say, the window isn't always clean of bug splats or void of the sun's glare which always affects the end result.  Sometimes if the image was one I really wanted, the spots or glare stayed,

What is affecting my view on life?
What is my framework?
Are there any spots that need cleaned?

And sometimes we need to live with what we can't control and see the beauty that's still there.

What frames our view is so very important to pay attention to because it affects how we process what we experience.

Our morning was a relaxed one and one that was very much appreciated as we adjust to the constant going and of being somewhere.  We had a eggs, bacon, and toast kind of breakfast which was our first and tasted great after cereal, bagels, or breakfast bars.

1:38 pm. we headed to Zion.

Zion National Park ~
A beautiful walk in the slot canyon's bottom.  My men tired of this walk, but it refreshed my soul.  They wanted a challenge or more of a panoramic view.

Well, they got it.  

We separated and they went on to Angel's Landing trail while I went on the west rim and did the Emerald Pools trail.  

For Angel's Landing isn't for the faint of heart, and it didn't disappoint them, and shook their knees and challenged their mental capacity and physical abilities, stretching them in good ways.

They wanted to do it again!



Taking the shuttle to the top and starting there and working our way down the park.
We did the Narrows but walking up the river at the end was closed because of the high waters due to the winter's melting snows.


















These squirrels were fun to see if you could pet them.














Here we part ways...
the men to do angel's landing trail and me to emerald pools.
To go to the top you need a permit but they were going to go as far as they could.  Once they go to that point, they met 2 men who just came down and didn't have a permit.  There were no rangers at the point to go on up.  

My trail hike and views



















not all easy...

















ahh... so much beauty!!






emerald waters

down from my hike and waiting... for my men


And as I am waiting....
Titus returns, without the boys...
He says, "You don't want to know what their doing!"
No ranger was at the bottom of the permit area and so they sat down and talked about if they wanted to keep going??  The boys did but Titus decided to turn around.

And theirs!
This is the trail they kept going on...




chains needed...




That point, yes, that point you see is where they ended...

This ended our day and on our way out of the park we saw wild turkeys.

Our second night's stay... it was so nice to not have to pack up and come back to it being setup.


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