Yosemite Recap # 3: 2 Person Rafting as Marriage Counseling

I am extremely disappointed to say that I don't have any pictures to go along with this next story. Please bear with me.

Anyhoo - One of the many delightful activities that we partook in....had partaken off...ahhh, however you would say it, was rafting. We rented 2 person rafts and did the little hour and a half float down the river (I can't remember which river it was at this point.) The current was calm and there weren't any rapids to speak of, but it was a beautiful view. No guide was provided so we had to figure out how to navigate our way down the river ourselves. One would think this shouldn't be too difficult, I've been rafting a few times, and Zeb has been before as well. We both have a pretty good feel for the oars. Well let me tell you, it was a struggle. You see...I don't take orders very well from Zeb...and anyone who knows him probably has an idea that he's not the most patient knife in the drawer (don't bother commenting that "thats not how you use the phrase" I can use it any darn way i please) We were paddling in all different directions and getting generally no-where. We could not steer our little raft straight down the river to save our lives. Zeb kept making me switch him places, trying to figure out a way that he could single handedly control the vessel. Finally he told me to sit at the back of the raft and steer, yet he sat at the front maniacally switching off rowing from side to side, I couldn't figure out how to steer against that. My Mom & Ford glided off ahead of us, their raft floating perfectly straight and down center of the river. AGH! Frustrated, I snapped at Zeb, "We are not any good at teamwork!" As I debated in my head which would be the most dramatic way to get my point across A) toss my oar into the river or, B) cack Zeb over the head with it, he defensively quipped back something about how I was doing it all wrong, blah blah blah. At which point we both started laughing. Somewhere along the way after that we started working together instead of against each other, and things got much better. For couples looking for a little team bonding experience I highly recommend it. If you both make it to the end of the trip without being dunked in the river or being beaten with an oar...call it a success.

Here are a few more miscellaneous pictures from the trip:

Counter clockwise starting at the bottom center: Grandma Grant, Mom, Ford, Charles, Jesse, Dan, Aunt Sherri, Uncle Jim, Heather, Zeb, & Grandpa Grant)

Grandpa & Grandma Grant at the tunnel view.

The Fam outside of Yosemite Lodge.

Yosemite Recap # 2: High Class Photography

We all know that Zeb just got a new camera right before we left for the Yosemite trip. He really enjoys photography, and I do think he has a knack for it, but he is still in the beginning phases of becoming an expert photographer. He is still getting the hang of his new camera, and he doesn't have any formal training, so everything he knows about lighting and composition and all the technical aspects of taking a picture is either self taught (much like his golf swing,) or has been learned online. My Uncle on the other hand has several decades of experience under his belt and had quite a wealth of knowledge to share with Zeb when it came to taking pictures. Zeb took the opportunity to really pick his brain, and I think he learned a lot. One thing that he did not pick up from my Uncle however was his natural ability to view a scenic landmark and then determine how to turn it into something silly. I think you'll agree that it is a skill that you just can't teach. Pictured here are some of our favorites:

Yosemite Recap #1

Heather, Zeb & Charles at the trail head to Bridalveil Falls.

As some of you may have gathered, Zeb has gotten into a little bit of a kick of blogging some of the pictures he has been taking lately, so I'm going to stick to posting up some of the group pictures from the trip and leave the scenic pics to Zeb. I'm also going to try to break down some of the funny moments and whatnot - although I have a sneaking suspicion that most of it is going to be one of those "you just had to be there type things" We'll see.

I had heard and been informed about the Bears at Yosemite National Park and some of the precautions that were required to ensure that we would not have any visitors during our stay at the camp site, but when we arrived at the park and were briefed by the woman at camp registration, everything somehow seemed a little more serious than I had imagined. (Emily & Gal, remember when we went rafting for the first time, and the guide had us scared shitless before we got into the raft, but it turned out to really not be that bad? Well, thats how I was feeling about the bears, scared shitless) We painstakingly unpacked the cars making sure that we didn't leave any type of food or drink behind that would lure in Bears and tempt them to pry open the Civic's front panel with their paws. Then we carefully locked away all the food in a large metal locker outside of the campsite. Throughout the first day, we went to great lengths to quickly sore away all food, drinks & trash as soon as we were done with it. When it came to bedtime that first night there were several last minute finds of things that needed to be stashed away in the locker, toothpaste, deodorant and other various snacks that had been previously forgotten.

Now you know how sometimes you think of a joke, some clever remark, but you have to wait for the perfect time to unleash said joke? Come on people, don't leave me hanging...we've all done this at one time or another right? Well, anyway, earlier in the evening while playing Apples to Apples I had hatched the perfect joke in my mind. Laying there as we had all finished our last check of forgotten bear magnet goods and had finally gotten cuddled up into our sleeping bags I found the perfect timing for my joke.

Me: Jolted upright from my place on the cot in perfectly planned dramatic fashion. Ummmmmmm....do you think we should put Apples to Apples away in the food locker???

Others (Zeb, Charles, My Mom, Ford): crickets

Me: busts out lauching hysterically

Others: busts out laughing as well

Me: Still laughing hysterically I thought of that earlier, and saved it all this time.

Charles: Wow, I was hoping that had just come to you spontaneously, but really, the fact that you saved it all that time makes it even worse.

Everyone: Everyone now laughing hysterically but more so at the lengths that I had gone to in order to deliver the extremely corny joke rather than the actual humor of said joke.

This was really one for the ages, I EXpecially wish that Damon could have been their to witness it, as I know what a great appreciation he has for my style of humor.

Heather & Zeb at Vernal Falls.

Yosemite Pic of the Week!!!

Just got home and thought I would share a pic with you all. I took over 450 photos in Yosemite so I will be using them in the next few weeks.