Fri., Oct., 22, '09 This day starts in the high 30s, wind blasting at us as we dump and hook up. We get the propane filled and are off for Zion Nat'l. Pk. Following the usual script, we disconnect car from mh and go through the long tunnel into Zion separately. I find that electric sites in Watchman Campground are all reserved but get a site reserved for later. Our interim site is in the woods and has a fabulous number of birds flitting all over--Flickers, BC Chickadees, Juncos, Yellow-rumps, Western bluebirds, Titmice, Cedar Waxwings, House Wrens, White crowns, Hairy Woodpecker, RCs. We take a short walk and foter various bugs and bees. Fall color is slower to come at this altitude; roses are blooming in Springdale, green grass is lush. Yet--the forecast has it snowing here in only a couple days! We take a park bus up the canyon and watch the sun fade from the valley. I watch a fawn and family browse as Charlie walks up the Narrows. The bus riders were delighted, as usual, to see climbers on the sheer cliffs.

Sat., Oct. 23 is time to move again. We leave our great site and move to the congested, reserved one--with neighbors enjoying a smoldering, acrid-smelling fire. But we do gain electricity and a better view of the red mountains around us. Once settled, we drive up to Kolob Reservoir with the thought of looking for CA Condors (saw none). The day is crystal clear as we look out from Zion's Lava Point. We see some very large homes being built up in this area.

We take a picnic up on Checkerboard Mesa one day--it feels so good to me to touch feet with the slickrock. We watch bluebirds in bunches fly down to deep holes in the rock still containing water, despite the long drought. On the way home we stop by a second time for fresh-pressed cider at an apple orchard nearby. They seem to grow Fujis and they are enormously delicious.

Mon., Oct 26 . We decide on a plan for getting home, taking into account the fact that snow is due here in a day or so. After afternoons in the 70s, snow. On Tuesday we will take the mh to Hurricane to park it till March. We will stay there two nights as we pack, clean up, get the mh winterized., then off to WF. Weather along the way is definitely on the wintery side. This decided, we take the car up to the Temple of Sinawava; bus transportation ceased yesterday and there is a massive jam of cars along the road. One car fell off the road and its back tires were buried in deep sand. Once in a while (not often) being gimpy pays off and we park at the Handicapped spot. Looking out over the Virgin River we see a large buck trying to get the velvet off his antlers. Clouds heralding the coming weather front are beginning to form over the valley.

Tues., Oct 27. Time to leave Zion. There's a lot of traffic in the campgrounds this year--more movement and noise than usual--plus lots of those acrid fires. Campgrounds are full each night.

Wed., Oct. 28. We try to see sun on the mountaintops but incoming clouds make the sky gray. Since we pulled in frontwards, there's work to do in getting out of our spot. A nice man pops up and gives a hand as I move the car. We take off for "Hur-cun", as they call Hurricane down here--about 36 miles south of Zion. What we think are rain clouds turn into dust clouds and they, in combination with blistering wind, force us to zig and zag down the road in a haze of red.

Our "plot" is # 80 at Willowind RV Park and as we back into it I realize we are open to about eight other campers on all sides of us! But it's okay--this is only our spot to organize -- and so what if we have to close curtains at night--though unusual for us.

We work hard to clear out of the mh, fill boxes, tape 'em up, and finally on Thursday get the mh into the parking enclosure. We take off around 10:30 AM, have breakfast at JB's and get our buns to Evanston WY that evening. Plans have been made to visit family in Pinedale the following afternoon and evening. We arrive in Pinedale around noon, have to call the attendant at the Teton Court Motel, and she comes cheerfully bubbling over in red her pick-up. Our room is quaint indeed, amusingly carpentered and decorated. It's non-smoking and that's all I care about, and we both sleep pretty well after our evening's visiting.

Sat., Oct. 31. We seem to have a better MO these days in getting stuff in order as we travel. We're out of our room around 6:30 AM and on the blustery road again. Breakfast at Rigby ID, followed by a miles-long, poorly-marked detour way out in the toolies. Then there is a sheep delay--this corridor of sheep and a few men traveling amongst them seems to go on forever! Eventually we get up on Monida Pass and the temp has decided to warm up--nearly 50. As we approach Polson, we begin to see a long string of rainbows--some huge--which I try to foter through dirty windows at 60 mph. The apex of the rainbows can't be seen in the hazy sky; the ends build up intensely and then fade, this happening for miles down the road. With a quick Safeway stop to purchase a handful of necessities, we arrive home just before dark--which is quite early these days. All is well.