Show Low

Our first full day in Show Low found us at Fool Hollow Lake. We just love this place, especially the little swampy/mucky off to the side part that no one else goes too. Lots of tall meadow grasses, mud, rocks to toss in the lake, logs to float on, flowers, about a million grasshoppers, and loads of fun. Personally I think Rowan loves this place best of all, he takes his shoes off and is in the water straight away, then wanders through the mud and grass searching for treasures (rocks, sticks, any sort of shinny do-dad). Mike took the boys on a wee walk about up the rocker side of the lake and left Fiona and I to bake in the sun and have me-milks. And bake we did, I was pretty well burnt to a crisp. Shoulders, back of the neck and my scalp are just flaming hot and red and sore has heck... 3 days later. Still a honey of a day.

Rowan's feet in Fool Hollow Lake

Rowan adventuring around the lake

Sagan with the fish shaped fishing lure we found

Fiona Rosy picking flowers

Caelan getting ready to float on the log

Fiona, very serious about that piece of grass

Sagan meditating with the grasshoppers

Pretty flowers

Giant clouds

On the second full day Mike found a sweeet little one mile loop trail that was full of signs full of information about the Rim country, wildlife, trees, flowers, and ancient peoples who use to live in the area. Super easy walk, with, seriously, the best show of wild life we have ever had in one mile! We saw a rattle snake (the first I have ever seen in the wild!), horny toads, a tree frog, about 1000 lizards, and a deer (that ran past us about 10 yards away!). Sadly I am so slow with the camera I didn't really catch much of the really awesome stuff.

one trees twisted branches

alligator juniper and a douglas fur next to each other... very rare

boys watching the rattle snake slither past

pretty flowers

checking for more rattle snakes

wee little frog (can you see him??)

old dirt road used in the mid to late 1800's for travel between forts!

crossing a bridge

Fiona checking out the baby horny toad

 Since we finished up the hike in the late morning, I took the kids to the park near the "Cabin". Had a great time, despite being a tasty snack for the mosquitoes. We even found a place were some of the local kids (we are assuming) we having fun building with the thinned trees.

Fiona running through the clover

sun peaking through the clouds

Logan (YES! Logan) and Caelan swinging

Caelan cloud watching

Fiona running off with Rowan's shoe

Fiona trying to move a log

animal skull found at "log cabin" site.

Our last day was spent cleaning up and packing. We left about 10:30 am and stopped off in Payson to have a picnic lunch in a big, green, city park. Sadly, I left the camera in the van, as there was much rolling down of hills, tree climbing and attempts at coaxing a squirrel out of a tree.
I think the best part of the whole trip, though, was taking the kids outside to see the Milkyway. They had never seen it before. Last year it was cloudy every night, and although we go camping, it is always in a camp ground which is practically lit up like a big city, very few stars to see. Living in a major city, we only get to see the biggest and brightest stars on any given night, and although Slow Low has city lights, they are very few. It made me a bit sad, actually, to think that my kids very rarely see the stars, when I was growing up I got to see the stars often, with no city lights at all to interfere... just a big round full moon. So many stars, that I remember once just feeling out of breath and a bit scared, so many stars, that they seemed to over flow the sky. I haven't seen that in decades. Something Mike and I need to remedy very, very soon.
I have been toying with maybe, just maybe, planning a two week trip next summer, it would be mostly the kids and I since Mike can't take be gone from work for two straight weeks... it would be a pretty amazing adventure.