Striking!

I got real lucky and captured this ground strike from last Monday's storm. I was coming in behind the storm so I got to see it all without being caught in it. Amazing!


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Arizona Science Center

Let me say that the Arizona Science Center is WAAAYYYY cool! We had a great time yesterday--spent about 6 hours there. They have a huge Lego Castle Adventure exhibit going on right now. The kids got to build castles (ok, that didn't last long), joust a bit, dress up like knights and princesses, and look at some really neat Lego creations.

Other exhibits included learning about home construction, energy conservation and use, the human body, gravity, pressure, and so much more. Probably our favorite was the section on electricity and magnetic fields. We spent a lot of time there. To end our day we took in an IMAX show on migration--very cool. From whales to African wildlife to monarch butterflies to red crab on Christmas Island (very interesting segment), it was great fun.

Today we're just bumming around the resort for one more day. We'll be swimming, resting, and packing up for our long trek back to Texas in the morning. We'll be losing two hours on the trip so we plan to get off as early as possible. I'll be adding a few more videos from yesterday if you want to check them out.

New Videos Up, and the Dry Heat Thing

I've added some of our Grand Canyon Clips to the playlist at the bottom of the blog. Check them out.

OK, on the subject of 'dry heat'...Its been 111-115 each day we've been in the desert. Does the fact that its a 'dry' heat make a difference? First, let's get this out of the way--ITS HOT! The sun is extremely intense here. So don't kid yourself, 110+ is hot no matter what the humidity. However, the biggest difference is the fact that you don't sweat near as much as back in Texas (at least I don't, and I'm quite an accomplished sweater). It can be in the mid-nineties back home and just a couple minutes outdoors will produce significant sweat. Here, not so much. So far there has been only one time that I've broken a sweat (going from door to hot car). So, in that sense, it makes a big difference. Also, it seems that the shade makes a bigger difference in this climate. In Texas, muggy is muggy whether you're in the shade or not.

Not quite an episode of MythBusters, but it did answer a few questions that were on my mind prior to the trip.

A Grand Day

Yesterday was a day at the Grand Canyon. It was a really good day. The weather was really nice--low 90's, cloudy, sprinkles here and there. We squeezed about 3 hours out of the kids. Not too bad. I think they were more impressed by the birds and squirrels than the enormity of the Canyon. They're kids. That's ok.

It wasn't too crowded yesterday. We (fortunately) found a parking spot right off that was just a few steps from the information center, shuttle pickups, etc. I was a bit surprised by all the languages we heard as we poked around the canyon. At each stop, I'm certain we were the ethnic minority. Most of the English we did hear was spoken through thick accents.

For me, the Grand Canyon is just another testimony to the awesome creativity of our God. Its one of those moments where creation really reveals God's glory. I would love to go sometime and be able to hike down into the canyon, see a sunrise and/or sunset there--really drink in the splendor of God's handiwork. Maybe when we have older, more adventurous kids. Or, maybe without them altogether.

Shortly after we arrived back at the resort we were greeted with our first desert thunderstorm. It was nice to hear and see the rain. However, I don't think it will have any impact on our climate for the day. Today we're off to the Arizona Science Center and an afternoon at the resort. Should be a fun day.

I realized we didn't bring the cable for our camera, so I only have a couple of pics that I took with my phone. I'll upload the videos later today. You'll have to wait to see all our pics once we get back home. Sorry. :(

Another Day in the Books

We had a great day yesterday at the resort. More sun and swimming, crafts for the kiddos, a game of Chinese Checkers, and Ice Age 3. Its been very nice to have such a relaxed agenda. We've taken an over-planned vacation before. That can rob you of some of the fun.

This morning we're heading out for a day trip to the Grand Canyon. We'll have lunch, poke around the south rim a bit, and perhaps slip through Sonoma on the way back. Should have some good pics and video to share this evening.

First Full Day in AZ

Yesterday was a great first day. We bummed around the resort all day, enjoying lots of swim time, as well as free breakfast and dinner (not an everyday thing, mind you). Today will be more of the same, with dinner out and a movie (going to take in Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs).

I did manage to upload our travel videos to YouTube. I will be embedding a player to the right (check that--at the bottom) in case you want to take some of them in. Hopefully it will work. :)

Vacation 2009!

Well, our summer vacation is finally underway. We're spending a week in the City of the Sun (that's Phoenix, for those who don't know). And, boy, is it ever! We'll discuss the whole "dry heat" thing at a later time. But let's recap the last two days. I had planned to use video from the Flip Ultra we have on hand, but the software took a dive once we got here and my plans were undone. I'll try and get some of our travel log video up for you at a later date (as if anyone is actually reading this!).

We left home on Saturday morning. First stop: Fort Stockton, TX. We opted to break up the 17-hour trip with a night at Mammy and Papa's place. We'll do the same on the way home, but will leave the kids there for several days. More on THAT to come!

The second leg of our trip began about 9 AM on Sunday. I'll make this report much more brief than the trip itself--after several potty stops and a couple of meals, we finally made it to Scottsdale (where we're actually staying) 12 hours later. Ugh! But everything went without a hitch, so we were thankful. We're now into our first full day at the resort. I'll report on that when the day is over. Pics and videos to come!