Need a Break

Noah was gifted a large box of Lula's chocolates earlier this summer. He carefully portioned out the tasty pieces one at a time so that by the time we were ready to move, there were plenty of pieces left. He carefully wrapped the box in paper, bubble wrap, and taped it shut. It could now safely travel in the cooler, and nobody could tamper with it without his knowledge.

It was a joyful unraveling here in Flagstaff and Noah is still portioning out the pieces one by the way. I think this box will last until Christmas at this rate.

This is the pebble that made our half day excursion to Grand Canyon become a full day adventure.

After several days of unpacking, sorting, organizing, and building furniture, Bob declared a half day holiday. We woke up early and headed for the Grand Canyon. We entered the park a little after 8 am and enjoyed a leisurely walk in the cooler morning around the south rim.

We marveled at God's creation, oh and ah over the colors, and almost got dizzy looking over the fence into the depth of the canyon. It was a delightful morning, and as the temperature approached triple digits, we cooled off with an ice cream and then headed back to the car.

A noise as we backed out made Bob stop the car and do a walk around - nothing unusual, so we continued. The line to get into the park was approaching a mile; it was going to be a busy day in Grand Canyon. Once outside the park, the brakes acted up. We pulled into the nearest - one of the only - gas stations in town and began our quest for a mechanic. None in this little village, the closest one could be found in Williams - about 65 miles away. It did not seem prudent to take a chance, so we called for a tow.

Fortunately, we are USAA members so arranging the tow was easy. However, the tow truck could not accommodate four people. Noah and I set off for the little airport since it said on Google that it would be the place to rent a car. Alas, no car rental. Their suggestions: a taxi. Further investigation identified a shuttle service that would leave in the late afternoon and take us to Flagstaff airport. Bob and Lukas would travel with the tow truck and Noah and I would take the shuttle.

We settled in at Wendy's waiting for the tow truck and enjoying lunch. After lunch, still waiting for the tow, we explored every tourist store in town.  Still waiting for the tow….As we lingered around the gas station, we befriended the manager who told us all about the ins and outs of Arizona, Grand Canyon, and his life and lessons learned. He certainly made the time pass by quickly, which was good as the tow took much longer than promised. By the time the tow truck loaded the car, it was almost time for Noah and I to board the shuttle.

By the time Noah and I arrived at the Flagstaff airport, Bob and Lukas were there to meet us. The car had been dropped at a mechanic who in less than a minute solved the problem - a rock, or rather a pebble lodged between the rotor and the brake pad.

It certainly was a memorable first time in Grand Canyon for the boys.