What a difference a day makes.

I do declare I am okay.

I prayed.

Some of you prayed.

All of you were kind and 

encouraged me.

My sister promised to slap me 

when she sees me.

My daughter told me to 

"put on my big girl panties".

(eww I hate that word "panties").

Today, I had on my "rose colored" glasses.

 

 

We started our day with the train trip

to the Grand Canyon.

Now, I ask you...

if a train looks like a bus

and rides like a bus...

is it a bus?

Holy choo-choo, we booked the wrong trip.

We were on a bus to the Grand Canyon.

A little bus, but a bus.

Our guide was named Cody Coyote Victor.

White boy claimed it was spelled 

Kodie Kiotie Victor.

I gave him a couple of Indian names,

Annoys Me Alot

and

Runs His Mouth.

Both fit.

Supposedly, he was a rodeo announcer after

years of rodeo competing.

He taught Western history for years at a 

junior college.

He gave us way more background than 

even this blabber mouth wanted.

We first stopped at a volcano

Sunset Crater National Monument.

We were given a 15 minute allotment 

to check out the scene

following a 15 minute lesson on

 the difference between a National Monument,

a National Forest,

and  a National Park.

Google it b/c I can't remember

and I can't care to google it for you.

From there we ventured to the Indian ruins.

Pueblo ruins.

I now know pueblo means 

communal dwelling.

We were given 20 minutes there.

We may have gotten griped at b/c 

Stuart and I started to walk away from 

the Talk Master to get a picture

before he gave the time assignment.

The ruins were really fascinating.

It was so still.

 

hubba hubba

Oops I digress.

When we were back on the bus I texted 

our daughter Annie

that I had just seen Indian ruins.

She said she thought I was sick.

Indian ruins not Indian runs.

Ha ha ... Idiot. 

From there to a Trading Post for lunch.

Menus were passed back.

We needed to know what

beverage and entree' we wanted.

He told us "don't let them give you a menu.

Know what you want.

It will be faster."

We arrived and were seated.

The older guy across the table

had a menu in his hand 

I warned him,

"Oh, he is going to flip if he sees that menu."

Just then along comes Kotie the Time Nazi

and he grabbed the menu out of the guy's  hands.

He walked away and my sis-in-law said

"when I got up this morning, I was an adult"

haha

The guy across the table and his wife

were visiting AZ 

to celebrate their 50th anniversary.

They were from WI.

The man gave me my new catch phrase.

"It's the berries."

Love it.

Feel free to use it.

I will share it with you.

We had a few minutes to 

look around the Trading Post gift shop

and then

35 minutes later 

we were back on the time machine

headed to the Big Canyon.

And then smoke was coming out of the engine.

Pull over...

pour water in the engine...

creep along...

pull over and repeat...

and repeat again

Finally, we got to the first stop of the look out.

We are off schedule.

I think at this point 

Kotie had the Indian runs.

We went off to look at the site.

We had 30 minutes.

We then had to come back to the drop-off spot

  where he instructed us to 

walk over to the visitor center 

and wait for a big bus.

That bus would take us to the main visitor center

25 miles away

and then the company 

was sending another small bus

to take us home.

We walked to the visitor center 

and then he came over there

and said oops, walk back to the first spot.

Stop the madness.

We had 3 people who could hardly walk.

2 walked with canes.

Finally, we boarded the "new" big bus

and made the trip

to the main visitor center.

I took lots of pictures

from a safe distance.

I really couldn't get to the edge.

The railings are about mid-thigh.

Some people disregard the warnings and

go outside the railings.

None from our group disobeyed

but a man let his kids climb out on rocks.

I had to walk away.

Stuart took pictures but they all look the sme.

Words cannot give it description.

I tell you,

God is good.

God is such an artist.

It is amazingly huge and beautiful.

Breath-taking. 

 

We soaked in the beauty

and then loaded up in the replacement bus

for the long drive home.

The sun was set

and we were tired.

Kotie was now back at the wheel.

He called on his history as "the History Teacher".

He asked questions.

He called out True or False?

I called out in my mind...

gun squad or lynch mob?

We were all too tired to do 

History of the West,

Real or Reel?

(how Hollywood gave us fake facts.)

Some played along.

Most napped.

All in all, it was a good day.

I loved the sights.

I loved the 14 other bus mates.

All were so nice.

Everyone helped each other.

We enjoyed the marvelous sights.

I encourage you to

go see the Grand Canyon if you can.

But take the train.

I hear it's the berries.