native dreams from the backseat

...far out silly

I asked Boo to tell me the story her Papa read to her about Perseus & Medusa.  She has a marvelous gift for relaying details, even whole paragraphs in perfect order word for word.  Don't ask her about a movie, story, or tv program unless you have the time to hear it ALL.  But in this account lost in translation was this: "So Perseus went to a far out land."  I tried not to laugh but far out really got me going.   

real fake maple syrup

I hate to admit it but I don't like real maple syrup.  I don't care too much for the cost (or the taste) but High Fructose Corn Syrup in store bought artificial maple syrup doesn't make me any happier.  So, I turned to my mother-in-law for her recipe for her real fake maple syrup.

Maple Syrup

1 3/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup water

Combine and bring to a boil cooking for 1 minute.  Remove from heat.  Let it cool slightly and add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla & a 1/2 teaspoon maple flavoring. Cover saucepan for a few minutes as syrup cooks to melt down crystals: it helps prevent syrup from crystallizing in storage later. 

Enjoy!

5 craft ideas for Easter & Spring

*I found these cute images of carft ideas all over the web in multiple

 spaces & places so apologies if I missed giving credit to original sources

they seem to be public domain.

a history of life long learners

The collection of Ancestral Puebloan Pottery at
Edge of the Ceders SP Blanding, Utah

While we were away my oldest child house sat the farm.  I left a crazy list of to do's and not to do's and 20 bucks (I'm a cheap mom).  I also had left a printed list of questions about ancient Greece on the desk.  Boo wanted a question bowl where she could reach in and grab a question to research or answer.  I was collecting test and quiz questions to use. 

The scavanger hunt for the museum's
jr. ranger program

While I was down loading our trip photos I noticed my older daughter had answered all the questions (about 10 pages worth!) in short essay form in her argumentative college voice. 

Note to self: never leave unanswered history question lying around when your house sitter is a history major.

post cards from Southern Utah, day 4 Goblin Valley to home

We hiked for hours through Goblin.

Boo jumping down.

The kids together (rare).

You might have noticed Yugly tucked inside my jacket. 

Yugly had to come hiking.

This is Boo popping out of Goblin...

And this is Boo sound asleep as we pulled into our driveway, safe at home.

post cards from Southern Utah, day 3 Hovenweep to Temple Mt

Right after breakfast we hiked through some more sites at Hovenweep before heading out towards Montezuma Creek (via back roads) and the Trail of the Ancients. 

More catch & release lizards.

We stopped in Bluff at Fort Bluff to get a little pioneer history

and to eat fry bread at Twin Rocks. 

Then continued on the Trail of the Ancients turning off onto a little sand washed road driving the Comb Wash. 

Found a real cowboy :) along the way and a spot to rock hound.

Once out of Comb Wash we drove towards Hite passing along the way the Colorado River & the San Juan River.  We passed Fry Canyon and the 3 Sun Tables, Cheese Box Butte, Jacob's Chair, Natural Bridges and White Canyon. 

That was a long drive along the San Juan Swell toTemple Mt where we camped at the gates of Goblin Valley.

 We found a spot to dry camp and of course then we hiked!

 Uranium mine anyone?

Boo collecting 'leaverites' (leave 'em right there rocks)

 BLM rock finds

A huge starry sky and warm sleeping bags for our last night out.