The Grand Canyon

Our Friend Jema talks about our lives as a tapestry. StudioJemma
 I love that idea! It has never been as evident to me as it was this week, here in Williams AZ at the Grand Canyon. Who could have guessed meeting the Temme family in 2010 would result in our riding a train at the Grand Canyon? Permit me if you will, to do a bit of time traveling. A few years ago, I received a new student when I was teaching second grade. Ella came in and never left! I was lucky enough to have her again in fourth grade. The thing is, Ella and her family have been woven throughout the tapestry of my life in such unexpected ways. Soon her mother and I were teaching together and our kids had sleep overs. We shared ideas when troubleshooting my son’s learning issues, and oddly enough, during my travels, as I opened up any magazine article about the Grand Canyon, there would be… ELLA! Her father Scott works for the Grand Canyon railroad. So, as we approached the Grand Canyon this month we were delighted when Scott invited us to be filmed on the Grand Canyon Railroad. Scott took amazing care of us, setting us up in the fantastic campground near the station, and putting us on the train all the way up to the Grand Canyon and back! (First class and Dome car!) We had dinner and lunch and treated all around like celebrities! (Yes, deep down Aiden and I were fairly certain this was the only life we were meant to live. Jacob and Alan weren’t so sure about that part! ) It was one of those once in a lifetime experiences made even sweeter by the fact that we were able to spend time with Ella’s Grandparents, Aunt and Uncle and cousins along the way.

We had a camera crew with us the whole way and they were fantastic guys, very kind. The train is THE MOST CIVILIZED WAY TO TRAVEL! For the life of me I cannot understand why this isn’t the way we all travel all the time. Even if you are not being served drinks, and snacks and have a private car, (Oh no? You aren’t traveling that way, hmmmm) it is so relaxing, so meditative, so soothing! I just can’t say enough about the Grand Canyon Railroad.

The customer service was fantastic, the people kind and caring. The actors that “robbed” the train and the musicians that strolled around were all top notch. It was an amazing experience.

For me one of the most inspiring pieces was standing on the back platform and watching the tracks speed away behind me. I hope when I finally die it’s just like that. Smooth, calm, letting the past slip quietly away, no struggling to hold on. It is something I will meditate on for years to come. Hard to describe but one of the most soothing experiences of my life.

OH! The Grand Canyon! I almost forgot! Yep, it was amazing too! I was a bit sad. I think as a product of my desensitized generation it was hard to interpret what I was seeing. It seemed like a movie or a setting and though I was sure I should be feeling some deep connection to all things, all I could think was, “is the camera getting my crows feet?” Ah, vanity! It seemed unreal! I think I need to spend some time at the bottom of the canyon to appreciate it.  Alan and the boys however were clearly able to incorporate what they were seeing as they were awestruck by the sheer magnitude of the Canyon. The colors, the contrast in the landforms, the levels of  rocks, were extraordinary.

There was an AMAZING Hopi group dancing there and some wonderful architecture by Mary Colvert. That was awe inspiring as well! She was a woman who made all these amazing buildings in a time when women were not supposed to work, in a place that was only attempted by the most hardy of our citizens. This woman, these Hopi Natives, The Temme family, people from all over the world coming together to see a giant crack in the earth, all weaving in and out of a bigger tapestry. We are profoundly grateful for all of you being a part of our tapestry!

Off to stand on a corner in Winslow Arizona, and see the petrified forest!!