When will I learn?

So this week I will have my birthday and officially turn OLD. You would think that someone 50 years old wouldn't have to keep learning the same lessons over and over again. Yet I am still having to learn the lesson of proper sunscreen application.

When I grew up my parents had a boat and all summer long I was having to relearn the importance of putting sunscreen on shoulders, thighs, feet and ears. I knew the places that the sunscreen needed to go, I just didn't always get it there.

Then I had children and I learned the lesson over and over again, that sunscreen was the most important thing to do and it shouldn't be done on the fly. Also, it needed to be reapplied throughout the day and to be rubbed ALL over several times to make sure every inch was covered.

I learned that you don't just slap some sunscreen on your hand and then try to put it on your own back - you will end up with a white hand print and a burned back.

I learned that spray sunscreen still needs to be rubbed in - I had little white dots all over my body.

So when I took Preston skiing over spring break and we had a beautiful sunny, clear day - I knew that it was really important to use sunscreen. (I have been burned really bad from skiing - I also know that you never ask the lift operator how he got so tan and then use his suntan oil when spring skiing.)

We were late getting to Snowbowl and anxious to get on the slopes. I hastily put on some sunscreen and thought I had done a good job. But at the end of the day when we returned to the car, I noticed that my chin was burned - oops, forgot my chin. I also noticed that I hadn't quite gotten the sunscreen clear over to my ears - oops, line down my cheek. And I didn't get my neck down to the top of my turtleneck - oops, line around the middle of my neck.

I looked like some freak with white lines and splotches all over my face. Oh well, after all it was only my FACE! (At least it didn't have blisters like the time I used the lift operator's suntan oil). You really would think I would have learned the sunscreen lesson by now,but I was only 49 when all this happened and maybe once I turn 50 I will be smarter.

Another Ohio Trip

The end of February I had to make a trip to Ohio to see this sweet little face.

Amelia had been wanting her grandma to come visit so I had to oblige her.

While I was there, Lonica and Scott showed me a great time. We took Amelia on her first tubing expedition and she had a great time.

I've been tubing just a few times, but it has been years and I had a great time, too.

Here is our little Ohio family.



Then we went to the R-pac (sp) or recreation center at Ohio State and took Amelia swimming.
She thought that was great too.
And so did I.
I got to go with her to music class and we both thought that was great, too.

And one day we went shopping which was great and she got this great hat.

She also worked on eating table food some of which she didn't think was great at all. Luckily, Lonica and Scott are wonderful cooks and everything I ate was great.

While I was there Amelia started to roll from her back to her stomach and she was almost sitting up. I thought that was really great that she would do those things while her grandma was there.

All in all, my five days in Ohio were GREAT!

Geronimo's Cave

On President's Day, I got together with two of my hiking friends (Cindy and Terry who didn't know each other) and two of Terry's granddaughters (Camille and Bunzer, Terry's nickname for her) and we headed out to the Peralta trail head for a hike to Geronimo's cave. When you hike with Terry we always have to have a pre hike photo, so here it is. You've got to love those lovely blue knee braces I've got around my ankles!
We have had so much rain this year that the desert was so green. Okay, I know that if you live anywhere but Arizona you are going to say that looks dead and brown, but to a true desert dweller with a discerning eye - this is green and we are going to have wonderful wild flowers this year.

Instead of going on the heavily used Peralta trail we turned right and followed a trail that most of the time wasn't a trail and we had to look for cairns to follow. In this photo you can see the 'cave' - the dark spot just below the rim and at the top of the yellow rock. We had to scale yellow rock which was anything but easy.

Terry had done all the research for this hike and was hoping to find Geronimo's bathtub. He was so pleased when he did, that he had to sit in it for a picture.

Here is Terry in the cave which was bigger than it looks in this picture. Most of the cave is behind me and several people could have slept in it if they wanted to endure a night on solid uneven rock. We were all pretty sure that Geronimo never actually was in this 'cave' but the name was intriguing and part of the draw to the hike.

Once at the cave, we had to find a way to the very tip top of the ridge, and here I am on the top. while Camille is making her way up as well.

On the way back down we took one last shot of the cave and where we had been. Can you believe that beautiful blue sky? No photo shopping done here. It had been a beautiful day all the way around - beautiful scenery, beautiful weather and beautiful friends to share it all with.