A week with the Grandkids

I was blessed to be able to spend a week with six of my grandkids, ages 4-13.  

Getting setup at Sylamore Creek Camp in Mountain View, AR.

We had ladder golf to play when we weren't in the water.

But most of the time we spent down at Sylamore Creek.

Amy brought the kids dog, Carly, a year old boxer.

The two four-year olds were best buddies.

We went to Blanchard Springs Caverns.

The kids had never seen anything like this before.

They really enjoyed all the different types of formations.

The Dripstone Trail, which is only about 1/2 mile and 1 hour long, was just enough for the kids.

After, we went to explore Blanchard Springs.

When the boys spotted the outlet for the spring, they all started scrambling over the rocks.

My favorite shot of the week.

Gavin actually walked up and grabbed this butterfly.  I got a quick shot before he let it go and it flew off.

There were lots of tadpoles and frogs and crawdads. 

When Aaron and Holly were there, we walked upstream to the rapids. 

 

I took my camera with me this day and it got waterlogged.  Didn't actually get it in the water, but the screen started fogging over, and eventually went black.  So I didn't get anymore pictures for the next few days.  I went home and put the camera in a bag of rice and left it and when I removed it several days later the fogging over the screen was gone and it seems to be working again.  I think I still want a waterproof camera though. One more thing to put on my list.

After a week, I moved the kids to Natural Falls State Park in Oklahoma.  By then my camera was working again and I got this great shot of the kids and their dad.

There's not a lot at Natural Falls State Park except for the falls themselves.  But in the heat, it is at least 10-15 degrees cooler here.

But we were close enough to take a float trip down the Illinois River, just outside of Tahlequah, OK.

  I have been floating the Illinois River since I was a kid.  During the summer there are thousands of people on the river.  You could almost cross the river without getting your feet wet by stepping on the canoes and rafts.  We had several small inner tubes and rafts (like the kind you buy at Walmart), tied them together to make a large raft, then had the kids wear their life jackets and we just floated down the river.  When ever the kids got tired they could crawl up on one of the rafts or tubes.  The water was fast enough to make it lots of fun, and except for only a few places, the water was only about knee deep.  I didn't bring my camera because it still wasn't working good yet, so the only pictures I got were after we got off the river using my cell phone.

Since Aaron and Holly live in Tahlequah, they knew of this great place to spend the rest of the afternoon, 'the tubs'.  A large rock where the creek had hollowed out lots of holes and chutes.

The kids slid down the chutes like a waterslide.

All too soon the week was up and the kids had all gone home. It's time for me to move on down the road, but I sure had a grand time.  Thank you kids for giving your grandma such a great week.

Thanksgiving in Tahlequah

I know, I know, I'm still a month behind.  Here it is Christmas and I'm still posting about Thanksgiving.

After spending time in Oklahoma City with my grandkids, my son, Sam, picked me up and we headed to his brothers house in Tahlequah, OK, for Thanksgiving dinner.  I was going to stay there until I returned to Mesa  the next week.

While I was there they took me exploring to one of their favorite places, Devils Den State Park in Arkansas.

Aaron, Holly, Adrion and Gavin standing in front of one of the smaller caves.

Aaron and Sam in front of one of the larger caves.

The kids found these wonderful, large vines to swing on.

On another day we headed out to hike Sparrowhawk Mountain.  Yeah, yeah, I know, there really aren't any mountains in Oklahoma, but is sounds funny to say Sparrowhawk Hill.  Most people think of Oklahoma being nothing but flat wheat fields.  But in the south and east they have a very different terrain.  Lots of lakes, rivers and forests and yes, even mountain ranges.

Getting ready to head up the hill.

We made it.  Actually it was only a short hike, maybe a mile to the top.

But it was a pretty view overlooking the Illinois River.  The Illinois River is popular in the summer for floating, kaying, canoeing, as well as fishing.

Another 20 miles down the road was Dripping Springs State Park.

Not a very large park, it did have a nice waterfall.  During dry times, waterfalls and many springs in this state dry up.  Glad it wasn't that way this year, even in the fall.

Gavin is practicing his balancing act on this bench.

While his brother, Adrion, is playing King of the Rock.

Back in the city of Tahlequah is Northeastern State University, the oldest college in Oklahoma and one of the oldest west of the Mississippi River.  Although a Cherokee school was founded in 1851 on this site, the university didn't get going until 1909.  Located on 200 acres, it still uses one of the original buildings from the Cherokee Female Seminary and currently has an enrollment of approximately 6500.

Tahlequah is also home of the Cherokee Nation, where they still have a Cherokee High School and Boarding School and a required course in the Cherokee language.

All too soon it was time to head back home, but on the way we stopped for coffee and what a site.  Someone came to the store on their tractor!