Carry your POOP out? What kinda hike is this?

Daron and I are newbies when it comes to hiking. During orientation we discovered we had to carry everything out (which we figured) we just didn't think about carrying OUR poop out. Sure we carry our dog poop our of parks, neighbors yards etc. but when it comes to our own poop...never. Anyhow, we prayed for constipation and were very happy when the only bodily function required during our 6 hour trip up and down the river was urinating. Since we walked IN the river it made it extra easy (wink wink). Thank goodness for the high water areas since as you can see from the photos there were no trees to squat behind. We rented neoprene socks, special shoes and walking sticks. I didn't think I would use the stick but it came in handy on the rocks that were slippery. There were over 15 of us (mostly Best Friends people and spouses) that went which made it even more fun. All of us said on the hike "We live here, how cool is that?" The Zion Narrows (which is the hike we took) is a 35 mile drive from our house. Yea, we're cool.

I apologize for all the times I said Daron didn't like to hike. He actually likes to go on hikes that are adventurous and exciting. My parents sent us some money for our wedding anniversary which came in handy when we bought our camelbaks. One bag carried 2 liters the other 3 liters. The $140 bucks we paid for the camelbak backpacks was well worth it. We drank all our water and could have used some more! We headed down the trail at 10:30 and returned about 4:15. Daron was my hero because he carried this guys backpack the last mile. The poor guy fell and scraped his head all up. The first people on the "scene" asked if anyone had a first aid kit and I did!!! It was little but I was able to put some antibiotic ointment on his head which helped stop the bleeding. The guys pack weighed at least 50 pounds and it was really awkward. Going over slippery rocks with a pack that is a good 12 inches higher than your head and wobbly is not good. Besides the metal frame broke when the guy fell. Our friend Brian stayed back with us and was willing to take the pack if Daron twisted his ankle. Brian (and I) were praying Daron made it safe. I didn't want him to hurt himself and Brian didn't want to carry that damn pack! Ha. He made if (of course - he's superman) and we were all glad to get back to the rest of the group and more importantly the cold beers in the cooler. Daron and I had a great meal in Springdale after the hike. I had scallops and a salad and Daron had a pizza. Needless to say, we slept like rocks (no pun intended) when we got home!

The pond is really coming along! A little greenery was definitely needed.

I am finally getting my painting back on. Here is a bird I did and I am working on a coyote. After that I am going to do a painting of Nala for Lisa!

We made it 2 years! Yesterday was our 2nd anniversary there seems to be a bit of a trend developing here... Honeymoon---Rocking V restaurant, 1st anniversary---Rocking V, 2nd Anniversary---Rocking V. The food was great though. We're still madly in love and all is well.

Last weekend Daron and I went to a resort outside of Zion to use their pool. For a day pass you can swim, mountain bike, play basketball, volleyball etc. They have rock climbing, horseback riding, and ATVing for an extra charge. We just wanted to get in the water. It is only about 30 miles from the house so it is a nice day trip. The photo of the red rock with a weeping waterfall is about 2 miles from the house. I discovered it on a bike ride to find plants for the backyard pond.

Lovely Bowling Shoes


My Fine Husband


A couple of weeks ago Daron and I went to Mesquite, NV with some friends. It is amazing to me that we can drive from Utah to Arizona to Nevada in two hours. We only stayed the day (because of the dogs!) but had a wonderful time. Our friends, Laura and Bill, stayed the whole weekend to celebrate Laura's birthday. We gambled when we first arrived (big surprise)then we went bowling, swimming, and to dinner. The guys ate at the casino (shocker) and Laura and I enjoyed Chinese Food - yummy. No chinese restuarants in Kanab. Then Laura and I went to the spa to get hour massages (love it!) When we met the boys at the casino they were winning and Daron and I headed out. The good thing about not staying the night ~ we left while we still had Darons winnings which paid for my massage, our food, bowling, gas etc. Yippy!

Just a quick pond update and a little bird who used the statue for a little rest.

OK, I finally got a pond going. It looks kind of rough right now, but I've only had a day and a half to work on it. It was pretty sweet. Jennifer and I were out in the back Sunday morning, and I was trying to figure out a project for the weekend... We thought about building a pond again like we had in Houston. I told her that "I will build us a pond today"... I had seen earlier that one of our neighbors had an old molded pond in their yard unused so I went over and asked if they would give / sell it to me. It turned out that they were very nice and were willing to part with the pond pieces. A ton of digging and rearranging rocks later here we sit with the beginnings of a back yard oasis! The statue was given to us by my mom and dad. The whole thing wouldn't even look as ok as it does without it... Please consider this a "before" picture. The rabbit and the humming bird are the latest animals I have "rescued". The stories are too long to tell, but they deserve a spot on the blog I guess... Happy Memorial Day from Utah!! D

How Lucky am I??? This is a portrait of my beautiful wife and my second favorite dog at work together at Best Friends. Beautiful!!

We just had a great visit with Mom and Dad Andrews. They flew in to Vegas and drove up for about a week! These two are NON-STOP tourists! Every day they discovered places and things that us locals didn't even know about. We celebrated my birthday a little early and threw Mother's Day in there with it too. Dad found time to fix things in the house that were falling apart again making me look bad... The light in the fridge, the oven door, the wooden chairs for our antique table; etc. etc. Anywho, here are some pics from the whole thing...

This weekend we went on a short outing with the doggies out near the Pink Sand where we typically won't run into anyone or any other dogs. It is getting HOT here! We had to rest in the shade and drink a lot of water. Here are a couple cool pics of where we were...

Guess who FINALLY got a Tattoo?

During my visit to my parents I took a side trip to see Lisa. Lisa and I went to the Hornet's Nest to get a long overdue tattoo for me and one more for her. She got a line drawing of her dog Nala and I got the one in the photo. The tattoo represents my family, husband, and life. I know you all know that the dog outline is my Rodeo and the opposite of Rodeo is a tail. I like it because it balances out the red cliffs. The red cliffs remind me of many things including our honeymoon, my Mom helping me plan out our move to Kanab, and my Dad who came up with a nickname of "the rock" for Daron. Yup "the rock" is in the middle grounding me and keeping me from losing my mind!! The tattoo is on my lower back.

Daron is no doubt saying something brillant and our friends are absolutely mesmerized! Of course. We had friends over to meet Charles (who was in for the weekend after a conference in Las Vegas, grill and sit around the fire pit.





Daron and Charles went to Toroweap on Sunday. Toroweap is a part of the Grand Canyon. The only way to get there is a sixty mile dirt road. It takes a couple of hours to get there but when you do the views are amazing. I actually haven't taken the trip yet but I plan to this summer.

Saturday I ran our monthly teen program and one of the highlights was spending time with the pot bellied pigs (PB pigs). PB pigs are incredibly intelligent animals, can be litter trained, and have quite the personality. In fact, their caregiver, Yvonne, has kept a journal on Metro’s 150 pound weight loss and overall progress. For Metro's Blog go here: https://www.bestfriends.org/guardianangel/index.cfm?csid=1388&csii=1392&csit=Set&entry=E683923C-BDB9-396E-9719D09ABD793C70

Unfortunately, PB pigs are usually fed like farm hogs. Apparently, these owners did not have a Humane Educator telling them to research research research before adopting a pet!!! Yvonne has educated herself and makes sure their meals are healthy. (Ahhh where is she when WE need her). This of course causes the piggies to HATE her when they first arrive (You can’t blame them for wanting their cheetos and snack cakes!). Once they detox from the unhealthy stuff they trim up and show some get-up-and-go!

Believe me, you can tell the ones that have lost major weight. They don’t walk but sashay around the parking lot in search of almonds that Yvonne has dropped. Yup, these little piggies know they look good and they want everyone to know it. This is when they start to feel the LOVE for Yvonne. Oh yea, the days of jonesin’ for Doritos and donuts is a thing of the past.

So what is the perfect piggie diet, you ask? She tells us that the optimum diet for Pot Bellied Pigs consists of a large salad in the morning and evening. The salads she serves our piggies include romaine lettuce, various veggies and a commercial pellet formulated specifically for Pot Bellied Pigs (not the same as pellets given to farm hogs to be sent to slaughter). The veggies differ from day to day and include broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, peas, corn, squash, edamame, mushrooms and others. She also includes berries, raw eggs and tofu several times a week. Occasionally she adds in some fruits such as apple (watch the seeds they contain a small amount of arsenic) or banana. Yvonne keeps fruits to a minimum due to the amount of sugar in them. After our time with Yvonne, I decided I am going to “eat like a pig” so I can be fabulously thin and healthy!

Our photographer, Troy Snow, captured some photos from the PB pig visit and I just had to share them with everyone.

Some of my art was on display at the Village at Best Friends. Here is a link to the article. http://www.network.bestfriends.com/villageartspace/news/13015.html The photo with the article is the other ladies art piece.

Luckily, I was able to enjoy my stay in Florida. Mom is recovering very nicely and now that she is not smoking and exercising daily she is looking even more fabulous! Hard to believe but her color is better, her skin is brighter, her eyes are clearer and she can breathe!!! Whooo Hooo. Dad has been keeping up with his tan and his workouts and seems to have his sense of humor back in full force.



Mom and I were able to visit the Wheelers, Lockes, and Saffells in Jacksonville. Man it was great to see everyone. Everyone looked great and was very excited to see a healthy, happy and slimmer Mary!



It was great spending a few days with Aunt Pam, Uncle Mel, Kristyn and the kids. We even met Kristyn at the country club she works at for lunch. We all wore black and white and talked with pursed lips! We called Mary “Mimi” and really hammed it up!

While visiting my parents I stopped by to visit the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue. I met with the operations manager, Mary Bart Houston, who was very warm and friendly. I was impressed with their set up and I wish them the best of luck.

Mom with some of her flowers. Mom's feeling good, Dad's feeling good and I am feeling burnt!