Arches National Park AKA Lotsa Rocks

On our way to Bryce Canyon, Utah, we stopped overnight at a truck stop in Green River, Utah. Rosie tends to draw attention at these kind of places, and I've noticed that people watch us like one would a clown car at a circus: first the goat comes out for a walk, then two dogs on at a time, then a cat on a leash, and the we do the litterbox shuffle with the other two cats. It all looks kinda funny. While we were at this truck stop a truck driver on his way to deliver produce pulled over next to our spot (we were just preparing to sleep in the car) and called me over to his window to chat about the goat. I told him the story and introduced him to Rosie. He was charmed to pieces and told me about his four dogs at home, one of which is a little beagle and cattahoula leopard mix that is his spoiled baby. I told him I have a dog that might look similar and I brought out Juno. He fairly glowed over that little dog and said she was just beautiful. That's a big compliment to Juno, since most people tell me she's ugly. We had a good long chat, and this wonderful trucker gentleman gave us a generous donation to our trip which has funded our campground stay and adventures in Moab. The next morning he was returning to his truck after grabbing breakfast, and I was walking Rosie so we talked some more. We are so grateful and thankful for everyone who has helped us out or donated to our adventures. I hope that we'll meet again sometime and we can repay him for his kindness.

All I could think of for the next day was the stories that I loved to read as a child (and still do) about adventurers in olden times who could pay for a meal or lodging with a song or a story. I'm glad to know that even know a story is worth something to people and just having a good story to tell can get you places!

Pack Creek Campground in Moab, Utah, is the place we've called home for the past two days while we explored Arches National Park and did some laundry and fall cleaning. I got rid of some unused gear (less than I had hoped) and rearranged, but we've still got stuff laying on the floor everywhere in the camper. It seems to be unavoidable with two messy people and six messy animals in 7x10 foot box. Pets are not allowed in most of the National Parks, so we had a day to ourselves. It was quite nice to have a day in the car without Bartleby's yowling and the ominous noises which make me ask Dan, "Did (insert pet name here) just (insert bodily function and fluid here)? Pull over." 

Here's a photo tour of our day at Arches. 

He always looks like that. It's just the way his face is.

Balancing Rock

My family took a trip out west when I was about twelve, and we went to Arches then as well. I remember the hike up to one of the arches. Around that time was when I first started having knee problems, and this time I remarked to Dan that it had been more than ten years and I'm in the same boat. Although this time I wore boots instead of tennis shoes and halfway through the park decided that I couldn't or shouldn't walk though the pain anymore. When I was twelve my parents fussed at me for resuming my book in the car instead of looking out the window at the scenery. By the end of this trip I felt the same sentiment that I expressed to my parents back then: "Too many rocks. I'm ok if I don't see another rock."

Tired, footsore, and hungry, we skipped the 1.6 mile hike to the most beautiful of the arches, Landscape Arch, and voted to go snuggle with the animals and have supper.