Sunday Smiles * Snow time*

If you click on the image it will enlarge.
Sunday we rested!
We decided to take our little family on a short holiday to the snow Country.
Living in Arizona in the winter we have a 2 1/2 hour drive in the winter to the pine and fur forest of Coconino forest. There we can play like a real soul in the woods. We are normally surrounded in the desert but wide open sky's that are surrounded as in a bowl by lovely mountains. Every so often we escape the city and head up to the woods. Northern Arizona is a spectacular wide open sky vista as far as the eye can see. Traveling up the highway to Payson Arizona is a flood of beauty. Canyons full of magnificent boulders and views to die for. It is like stretching your eves as far as one can see.
We traveled a few mile north of Payson passing through Pine, then a small community of Strawberry (that was where the Gallery is where my jewelry was). & and 1/2 miles north of Strawberry Arizona on highway 87 is a cozy spot off the major highway where they have made a nice area to sled. Only plastic sleds or inner tubes are allowed No steel sleds or the like.
We made a grocery stop at a local store and loaded up with snacks for the family and drinks. We had prepared a pick nick of peanut butter and strawberry preserves on whole wheat.
We gave our dear Dove the Bennidrill to put her out of the target of motion sickness and she slept up most of the way. Once her belly was full of snacks.
When we arrived we were greeted by hundred or so folks attending as we turned around we discovered a parking spot just right their! We rejoiced as not to have to park on the highway with the kids. It was the perfect parking spot.
We opened the tail gate and dressed out the kids in the snow gear.
It was so warm that in no time we disrobed a layer and took them back to the truck. It was 60* or so and beautiful!
We hiked the tall hill and we all had a turn going down it Yes! even me! It was a ball!
Fast! Wow that tall hill was a fast down fall.
It was a 60-80 ft tall hill with a 250-350 yard hike up to the top.
I was able to hike it with a bit of care for my knee.
I loved the first run I took! It was so fast. I really had fun. Yes I was careful. :)

Thats me!
Hair in the breeze and courage in the fun of play.

This felt so good to do something fun with my body.
I love it!
I felt so strong and able.

Dash carried the sled up for us several times, He is such a gentle man.

Daddy Man and Dove started off a few hards below the top.
Off they went

This is a little perspective ...

and... as in each run Dash Hawk would fly down afterward to tow the sled up.
The sweet little boy drove us a bit nuts with chatter and attitude.

It was some distance from the top.

We took a lunch break, and had a nice rest.

The kids warmed up and ate inside. Dash had a melt down.
He has sensory issues and was absolutely f reeked out by cold feet.
Now mind you we spoke several time to him about keeping his feet dry but he had to learn the hard way. We put dry socks on him and a second pair of shoes. He was just not able to deal with feeling cold at all. He just was very overwhelmed by it.
Now Dove was the opposite too warm.

We had our lunch.
I made the sandwiches on the tail gate.
We had several folks walking by with comments, about being well prepared.

There was an vendor selling hot dogs for a hefty price.
All the hungry souls were either paying it or leaving earlier to eat. We were able to stay longer and have more fun due to the pick nick lunch we packed.

I had a visit from this raven who came to have a hot dog or some chips...
I was only 10 feet from him at one point he was beautiful!

Dove again proves to be very athletic.

Dash was "Foot Boarding" as he called it.
Then he would pull the sled up for his sister.

I tried the slope they were using it was a shorter less steep slope,but...
It had a bump that jarred my low spine hard. I did not like that slope but...
it was fun for the kids.

Dove and her Daddy

The snow was getting a bit sloppy.

This is a cross view of the high slope that I went down twice.
I did three runs total, Daddy Man did 5 or 6 runs and the kids 12-15.
A lot of climbing and fun!

This is a view of the parking lot.
Off to the far left is the highway with maybe 5 cars on each side of the entry road. Ours we were grateful to say was one of them.
God is good!

The last run of the day.
I flew like the wind!