Almost Home!

3.75 months, fourteen-thousand (?) miles, 28 states, 55 campsites, and
16 national parks or landmarks later, the Duncan girls are sleeping in
beds in a house again. Not OUR new house yet, but at my folks' place on
the James River in Virginia. We are quickly approaching our return to
stationary life, and husband/father! We set out at the start of May, I
eager to clear my head and schedule of the stresses of our busy suburban
lifestyle, and focus on relationships and the "boiled down" basics of
living. I was hoping to "heal my brain" (see May post) of
over-stimulation and exhaustion.

Our camps were usually in rural, isolated locations where the girls
could roam free. Their creativity flourished, and they have learned
patience as they endured "drive days" when we didn't know where our next
camp would be. Constant togetherness forced us to cling to Christ, so
we have better learned to work through our frustrations and ill tempers
with love. After all, what TV could I put them in front of to get a break?

We were nearly completely unplugged! Our cell service was even
desperately patchy. We've gotten so used to no internet and TV that
they seem a bit like needless time wasters when we have them. Our
habits, routines, and ruts have been uprooted so we are better able to
be spontaneous and "content whether in plenty or in want (Philippians
4:12)."

I wondered at the beginning of the trip, seeing how well the simple RV
lifestyle seemed to meet our needs, if I would want to leave it and
settle into a REAL house when the trip was done. Though I think we
could carry on and enjoy this lifestyle, I am happy to say we are
excited to be settling! The family is incomplete without the presence
of husband/father (who of course had to WORK after the first three weeks
of the trip). Additionally, I now crave a more steady routine including
a workout BEFORE the kids wake up. Violin lessons, anyone???

Besides the memories of our amazing America, camping experiences, and
time with Grandma/Grandpa and other friends and family (the boys
:).....), how has this trip changed us? Only time will tell, but I
believe we are more resilient, able to handle unpredictable
circumstances with contentment. We are MUCH more aware of the resources
we use (try living with only 40 gallons of water for a week at a time,
for example!) so we are likely to be more "green" after this
experience. And by God's grace, we have learned how to be together
through thick or thin. I think this year has fresh blessings in store!

Little House on the Prairie

I've discovered over the past few years that teaching a healthy work
ethic in suburbia is a challenge. Survival is so easy in our
convenient lives, with entertainment so often our focus. Developing
family cohesiveness in work, with no absolute necessity of hard work,
is difficult. Why make it if you can buy it? Why mend it if you can
get another? Why be creative if entertainment just falls into your lap?

When we found out that the Ingall's Homestead (of "Little House on the
Prairie") was on our travel path, we made a point to read the books and
captivate the interest of the girls, so that they would be fascinated by
this place of the pioneers. For the past several evenings, we have read
"Little House on the Prairie" as our bedtime story, and the girls have
made clay figures of the characters and played many pretend games.

Wow! What an experience was the actual homestead! The crowds were low,
the feel authentic, and the staff were genuinely engaged in the story.
We rode a wagon out to a 124 year old school house where the kids put on
era-costumes and were even called to the front of the class by the
teacher to skip-count and have a spelling bee. The girls washed sheets
on a real washer board, ground wheat, made rope, fashioned corn-cob
dolls, rode horses, and basked in this lovely time period. I pray the
the children will learn character-building lessons from these brave
pioneers, and cherish their memories of this place.

Junior Ranger Program

One of the coolest things for us on this trip has been the Junior Ranger
Programs at our national parks and monuments. Every time we visit a
national park, we pick up the workbook describing the tasks our children
must complete to become "Junior Rangers" at that park. Usually, we must
attend a ranger-led program, complete a hike, and fill out a certain
number of educational activities in the workbook. The activities are
scaled for age-appropriateness, which keeps it fun for the little ones.

The girls are proud to show off the Ranger Badges they have earned at so
far, 11 of our National Parks and Monuments. At every one, they have
taken the pledge to support our nation's parks and conserve resources.
And when we go for walks, they are educated to identify all of the scat
(animal poo) that we encounter!

Nine Mile Canyon

Today we treated ourselves to a bit of exploration. Nine Mile Canyon is
not nine miles long, rather 50, and contains the best specimens of
Fremont Indian and Ute Indian petroglyphs and pictographs in existence.
In addition, the careful observer can spot ancient granaries high in the
cliff walls, as well as watchtower and pithouse remains.

The 8 total hours we spent in and out of the car looking at these
amazing sites was a touch long for the small kids, but we pray their
memories of the beautiful rock art is deep in their minds. Hopefully,
skipping the DVD player on the drive today paid off!

Condors in the Wild!!

Some days are just so perfectly prearranged that one is reminded that
God is in control. Joy and I have long dreamed of seeing a California
Condor in the wild. As fellow birders, (she the one that introduced
Skye and I to the "sport"), claiming a C. Condor on our life list would
be a prize.

The night before our planned outing to hopefully see condors sunning
themselves and then rising on the warm morning thermals, I was so
confused about the time. We were in Arizona, which did not observe
Daylight Standard Time, but yet my clock was set to "Daylight." My
compadres didn't wish to follow Arizona time, so I could not ascertain
when it was we planned to depart.

At 5:30 (of whatever time my clock was set to) I awoke from a nightmare
that the group had left me and I'd missed the chance to see condors.
Then I heard a thrush making his morning call. He drew me out of bed,
one hour earlier than my planned get up time. I found the thrush, which
turned out to be a Hermit Thrush (a new bird for me). A good start to a
birding day.

Joy and Dave looked ready to go when I walked back. We were all set to
leave camp in search of condors one hour earlier than expected. Had I
slept to my planned alarm, I would have missed what was to follow. It
turns out that had we driven to Vermillion Cliffs any later, we would
have missed the condors all together. God had been gracious to provide
me with a bit of confusion, a nightmare, and a Hermit Thrush "alarm" to
help us make this deadline.

Just as we drove a long dirt path on the southwest side of the
Vermillion Cliffs, Dave spotted condors lifting off! About 8 of the
huge birds rose into the thermals - distinctly different from Turkey
Vultures and so awe-inspiring. We watched them for nearly 30 minutes
before all were lost from view.

Our kids were sad to have missed this treat. We prayed they might have
the chance. As a sweet reminder of his presence and provision, we ALL
spotted a beautiful California Condor flying near Lake Powell, Utah, a
couple of days later. How many small children can claim such a memory?
Our God is amazing.

Replenishment

This is nice.

In the past two weeks or so, we have seen 7 national parks, camped in a
half dozen locations, spent many mornings on long (often HOT) hikes, and
generally toured southern Utah and northern Arizona at a quick pace.
We've slept deeply at night, worn out from the day's excursions.

But right now we are relaxing in a gorgeous meadow at a high enough
altitude that we are cool. There isn't much dust, instead there is
lovely grass, tall Ponderosa Pines, and the sounds of the wind in the
trees and the children laughing as they build a fort.

Today is a day of replenishment. We have time to read books, paint,
exercise, enjoy each others company, and take some alone time. Soon,
Skye's cousin's family will part ways as they depart for their new life
in Vermont. For today, we'll enjoy the blessing of time together. We
thank the Lord for his grace in these weeks of togetherness and wish
them well on their travels.

A Long Hike With an Amazing Reward

We set off early in the morning to avoid the worst of the mid-day heat.
The whole group was taking the Lower Calf Creek Trail in the Escalante
wilderness. The distance: 6 miles round trip. Not a thing for many
adults, but quite a distance for our 6 kids (including Carys and Élise
at age 5). As we walked we enjoyed views of "desert varnish" painted
cliff walls, Gambel Oak groves, the creek laced with Horsetail grass (a
really wonderful plant that is jointed- you can pull apart the pieces
and put it back together again), and Fremont storage granaries and
pictographs on the cliff walls.

By the time we heard the distant waterfall, it was hot, and we were all
ready for the refreshment that awaited. What an enchanting place! I
think the water was barely 50 degrees, but after changing (behind
bushes) into our swimsuits, we raced to see who could win the first
piece of Grandma's carrot cake by touching the waterfall first.

Although Skye and Liam did their fair-share of piggy-backing the twins
on the hike out, we were so proud of all of the kids for making the long
hike. We pray the children treasure these memories.

How To Catch a Solar Eclipse

After a full afternoon of travel, we raced to find a dispursed campsite,
somewhere in the region of Escalante, Utah. Besides the normal
challenges of finding a place suitable for three big rigs to stop for a
night (or hopefully more) we were in a rush to find a place to catch a
FULL SOLAR ECLIPSE. I'm not sure if the eclipse was to be full on the
east coast where we are from, but here in Utah we had heard that it
might be. The time to find a good spot: 6:30 PM.

Unfortunately, the road we hoped would have great camping turned out to
be a long drive into nowhere and with (practically) no turn arounds. So
we stopped where we were and decided to deal with the campsite search
later, and direct our attention to making an eclipse-viewing station.
Revived with a slice of Auntie Jen's amazing gluten-free banana bread
and some "lil' smokies" sausages, we refined our
hole-punch-in-paper-sun-projection techniques.

Our efforts did not disappoint. The eclipse was full, and the kids
discovered all you have to do to project several images of the eclipsing
sun onto our camper is to hold your fingers close together and the gap
between fingers acts like a pin prick on paper. What an amazing
evening! And yes, we eventually found both a turn-around, and camping
location in a gravel pit (with a fire ring!)

The Coolest Road in America - Yikes!!!

Highway 12 across the wild and mountainous reaches of south-central Utah was not completed until 1985. As we passed through the Escalante Canyon portion of this road, I think I figured out what engineering puzzle had prevented it's earlier completion. Unfortunately, due to my combination of excitement and terror as I watched Skye (to ensure he was driving directly in the center of the road), my photo taking abilities failed me and I did not depress the click button enough to actually get pictures of the scariest (and coolest) part. The pictures I post won't do it justice, I'm afraid.

The stretch of road I describe is called the Hog's Back, and it is a single road with no guard rails, and sheer drop offs over slick rock cliffs, on BOTH SIDES- at the SAME TIME. Crazy! Remember, our group is traveling in three rigs. Ours is an F-250 pulling our 28 foot trailer, Grandma and Grandpa drive a Dodge with a big fifth-wheel, and Chris and Jennifer's family drives a full-on bus pulling a Jeep. Good thing we are all good drivers!

Goblins and Capitol Reef National Park

The morning after the sand cleared, we entered one of nature's coolest playgrounds. Goblin Valley State Park is landscape of funky looking sandstone formations that look like little goblins/gargoyles. Most exciting for kids of all ages as that you are allowed to climb on all of them. All 3,600 acres! We were able to burn quite a bit of energy jumping and climbing, so we set off for Capitol Reef National Park.

Our hike on the Hickman Bridge Trail in Capitol Reef included views of Capitol Dome (so named because it reminded the original visitors of our nation's capitol building), Hickman Bridge, and Fremont tribal ruins and petroglyphs. By the way, an arch is formed by wind erosion, but a natural bridge is formed by water erosion. The Hickman Bridge is the largest natural bridge in North America, if we remember our facts correctly. It was hefty enough to provide a nice shady spot for our mid-hike snack break - necessary when hiking with 6 kids!

Shelter From the Sand

Blowing sand! Our traveling compadres have endured many weather conditions that have caused them to be “trapped” in their rigs for hours (or days) at a time. A sandstorm in the San Rafael Desert near Goblin State Park was our first.

But what a blessing! With our mouths filled with sand and our hats low over our faces, we found a lovely little canyon for our shelter. We had little turn-around room, so we lined up our rigs end to end. During breaks in the storm, we enjoyed hiking through the weather and time eroded sandstone formations of the canyon. And when the wind blew? We had a great excuse to do “nothing” and relax with family. I think we will sleep well tonight- lulled by the rocking of our RV in the wind.

Canyonlands and Arches

The Duncan crew descended upon one of Skye's favorite places (with memories of rock climbing trips fresh in his mind). Our four days and nights near Moab, Utah was filled with adventure. We visited Canyonlands and Arches National Parks, in which we enjoyed lovely hikes, grand drives and views, and the kids had fun satisfying the requirements for the Junior Ranger Programs in each park. A side trip in our four-wheel drive vehicles led us to real dinosaur tracks! How cool to put our feet in the steps of ancient beasts.

The whole group at an arch in Canyonlands

The kids love to climb rocks and have had lots of opportunities. This shot was taken at Arches NP. Skye is a kid too.

Élise and puppy Cleo looking at a dinosaur track.

Healing My Brain

An article in the May 2012 issue of Backpacking Magazine details how wilderness exposure helps a person think and focus more clearly, and perform at a higher cognitive ability. After three days of hiking and backcountry living, the test subjects improved their cognitive performance on simple tests by 50%. Apparently, the frontal lobe of the brain, critical to our thinking when we multitask, is able to rest while we engage in a more stream-of-consciousness type of thinking.

Our family has lived now for five years in Northern Virginia, a very busy place. Our lifestyle required daily multitasking as we attended both to a demanding schedule and the pressures of raising a young family. I have found myself so mentally fatigued from the constant multitasking and stress that I have been hungry for simplicity.

Wilderness living seems to fit the bill for a bit of mental recovery! Right now, we are camped in a remote area in southwestern Colorado. We are living quite communally with Skye's cousin's family, his folks, and our family. We have three rigs parked in an open field on private, secluded land. The clean air and easy rhythm of life are like a healing balm to my tired mind. The nights are cold, the days hot (and variable), the children satisfied with outdoor play, and the schedule practically non-existent. Our meals are cooked over a fire pit dug by the men, and archery with cousins, birding with Grandma, playing with the dogs, and hiking are favorite activities. Already our family seems more tightly knit, and the respite is soothing to the soul.

Sand Dunes in the Rockies?

"This is WAY better than Jockey's Ridge," Keelin said as she neared the top.

I never knew this place existed! The five of us just ascended the highest sand dune in North America, placed right in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. The place? Great Sand Dunes National Monument, in Colorado. What a treat! From wading in a warm stream across the sand, to stepping through lines of snow with our bare feet, this 750 foot climb was spectacular. With views of the Sangre de Christo Mountains to our east, and a stunning valley to our west, this hike was sublime. The girls had a huge sense of accomplishment after enduring the climb of 750 feet.





Élise was afraid of the heights and ridges but was comforted following in footsteps laid before her.



Trust in the Lord with all you heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will lead you in straight paths. Proverbs 3: 5-6