Sunday, March 30, 2008

my life imitating an rei catalog

Sometimes, in life, you turn a page, like when you watch a movie or read a book or make a new friend that creates a spark.

Other times, you begin a new chapter. A child is born. You get a new job. A marriage.

Sometimes, however, a change is so dramatic that it's as if you were closing one book and opening up the next one in the series. These aren't necessarily the "big" moments or the traditional rites of passage. But they are the ones that shift your perspective and create a whole new way of being in the world........


For the first time in Spengler family history, we loaded FOUR mountain bikes onto the Blazer! For those of you who think that's just a page, think again. This is monumental. A whole new world. A new book. Let it be known that my boys, on their very first true mountain biking experience, went up and down shit I had to stop for. Oh my.....





Yeah, we were simply one of many. One of the loaded down SUV's headed out to the desert for Spring Break. Yeah, we burned a whole lotta oil to get there. And yeah, we feel insanely guilty about it. And yeah, we had a really great time.

Nightmare necklaces made by the Navajo:

Newspaper Rock:

North Window:

You know, you can't really capture the essence of Canyonlands NP or Arches NP in a photo. At least I can't. But the first time you walk under one of those arches, something begs you to lie down on your back and look up. Only from the most vulnerable position can you truly get a glimpse of the greatness.

Arches is a place full of sexual imagery like no other I have ever seen. Or maybe it was just me. There were penises and breasts and pregnant women and vaginas and all manner of earthly delights. I desperately want to go backpacking and lose myself in this wildness for a few days......



In a moment of insanity, I thought I could ride up something that truly was not within my realm of ability:

Bennett and I conspired to tell Grant that a mountain lion had attacked me, and that Bennett had scared it off and saved my life. The look of panic on Grant's face for all of three seconds before he realized it was a joke was priceless.

I guess this photo pretty much sums it up:


Yeah, it's like that. In the desert. In springtime.

9 comments:

Maria said...

That is truly gorgeous.

But..camping? You all look so happy and calm and...um...content.

I would be the one getting cranky because my back hurt from laying on the ground and because I really, really wanted some ice cold orange juice.

I am a bad ass camper. Just a total loser at it....

Anonymous said...

That's stunning.

But you know, I especially like that great photo of your boys.

Friar Tuck said...

We wanted to go there on our honeymoon but weather prevented us

reliv4life said...

I loved the North Window picture! Looks like so much fun! It snowed 5 inches at our house today, boy, seeing you guys in shorts in the desert made me a little jealous! Glad you had fun!! Makes me really ready for summer, I love to camp by the way.

Rebecca said...

Those really are some gorgeous photos! I wish my husband would like camping...but he'd be in Maria's place...cranky, in pain and wanting SOMEthing impossible to provide at that moment! Oh, well...Glad you had a good break :)

Cindy Fey said...

WOW! Now THAT'S a spring break!

Anonymous said...

mm, mm, mmmmm. so good. it must feel like such freedom to have both your kids old enough to hang with the grownups on such a bike adventure.
glad you got to commune with the desert, ancient rocks, and those gorgeous pictographs.

Anonymous said...

Great pictures. They're giving me multiple awe-gasms.

John said...

Awesomely awesome! Amazingly amazing! I love the shot of your truck all loaded up. You guys totally rock.