what autumn feels like around here

I must start out with a Leonard Cohen quote. Since his voice is the perfect sound for Autumn. Since he turned 80 years old yesterday. Since he just released another album this week:

“If your life is a leaf that the seasons tear off and condemn they will bind you with love that is graceful and green as a stem"

I am a big fan of resolutions. I always make them on new years eve, I always make one on the night before my birthday, and I always make them at the start of a new season. I love fresh starts, I am a sucker for second and third and fourth chances. I don't always complete them, but saying one or two of them into the air, under the moon, helps me to release. I gave a portion of the load to the world, I said a prayer, I acknowledged my power.

This season, in particular feels so magical. And it seems like everyone agrees. What is it about the human race that craves the departure of sweat on their brow, longs for chilly mornings and for those ugly dead leaves to break away from our weary trees? It's always been my favorite time, but this year it seems unreal. We have a child. We have a daughter. She has never seen the fall. She has never experienced the bursting joy that comes with watching our surroundings turning bright red. She is seven and a half months old. Her world right now is small, and it is all up to us! What we give her, what we show her, what we read her, where we take her. So this year, this is what Autumn looks like in our little world. In our new house. In our new life as parents to this blue eyed wonder of a girl.



So, one new tradition we started in our family is that we want to give scout a little gift at the start of every new season. Something that celebrates what is to come, even if it's just a little book or a set of colored pencils.

Here she is enjoying a couple of them today:



And here is some more of her loot, the little ghost, the wooden black kitty, and jack-o-lantern book are from Nana :) The witch hat was made by my sister!



Since scouty and I are home together a lot, we have lots of conversations. What is a friend? what is the rain? what is a promise? In this case, what is a flame? My baby looks nothing like me, so I like to think we have matching witch souls anyway:



Around here, especially in autumn, there is always a kitty or two napping on our couch



We have a million pumpkin treats and lots of apples



There are always candles burning, and Practical Magic is always on



We nap as much as possible, especially once the rain starts! (by WE, I mean Scout and the kitties. I have only had the pleasure of napping twice since she was born)



There is always a cozy blanket handy



Books are more tantalizing than ever. They are the sirens of the house. You walk by them and become transfixed, you have to force yourself to keep on walking. Or, in scout's case, you attempt a headstand in celebration of their greatness.



Windows are always open in the evening and early morning



Mama does a little light reading and studying



And wears her best slippers (even if it's still too damn hot)



So, happiest Autumn ever to everyone. Celebrate your lives and the brand new fresh air on its way. We have a lot of firsts on the horizon for our little lady, and in a way for us too. We get to re-feel raindrops. re-smell a christmas tree, re-live all the best parts of the world through her eyes. Happiness doesn't even begin to describe the feeling.

Wyoming 2013 PLANS

So we will have a total of 9-10 nights, and I'm trying to plan out campsites kind of grouped together.

(1)

The first 2-3 nights I am planning on us staying at Granite Creek.

http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/btnf/recreation/recarea/?recid=71637&actid=29

It's the raddest campground, right next to the Gros Ventre Wilderness (pronounced grow-vahnt), Granite Creek runs almost literally through camp, there's Granite Creek Falls just up the road past the river where there are natural hot springs pouring down the canyon, and further up the road is Granite Creek Hot Springs, a USFS-run site that is awesome and beautiful.

Granite Creek is pretty close to Jackson and the Hoback River and the Snake River, tons to do from here, including hanging out in Jackson. I recommend we stay 3 nights, but we'll have to talk about it depending on how much time we want to spend in Grand Teton and Yellowstone. The sites are first come first served, so Amy and I may try and go up a day early to make sure we get sites.

(2)

The next 3 nights or so we will camp in Grand Teton.

There's the huge Gros Ventre Campground at the south end of the park that has like 300+ sites and rarely fills. It's not the greatest site, a little drier and exposed, but easy to get to, most of Grand Teton's bison are nearby, among tons of other things (the pretty Gros Ventre Creek runs through camp). We might want to start here.

In Grand Teton we will want to explore a lot, our favorite stop the Menors Ferry General Store, Jenny Lake, Mormon Row, Kelly Warm Springs, Colter Bay, Lupine Meadows, hikes, backpacking? I'm open to suggestions.

Grand Teton can get REALLY crowded. It can be frustrating. But it's still awesome.

I am thinking our last night (or two) at Grand Teton we try to get sites at Lizard Creek Campground, north end of the park. It is small, forested, beautiful, right off Jackson Lake (you can walk down to it). Plus it's close to Yellowstone, so the travel up there will be shorter. Also, it's close to Colter Bay, which has a great native american museum we will want to check out.

(3)

The last nights will be in Yellowstone. We have spent lots of time in Yellowstone, the southwest quadrant--geyser country. I know that area well, but we have actually never camped there, or ventured beyond, so I know a little less about it.

Of course we will want to see Old Faithful and walk around Geyser Hill, lots of coolness here. The other geyser basins are very close and fewer people. We'll want to see Grand Prismatic Spring, the Fountain Paint Pots, walk around West Thumb (of Yellowstone Lake), maybe even Black Sand and/or Biscuit Basins, play in the warm Firehole River.

After that, I don't know the sights quite as well, but we def want to see Mammoth Hot Springs, go to the north part of the park to try and see some grizzlies, see Yellowstone Falls and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

We could backpack/long dayhike to a wilderness geyser basin (no boardwalks! no crowds!) at Shoshone Lake! I want to hit hot springs, at least the ones in the Rockefeller Parkway (between the two parks):

http://www.jacksonholewy.net/nature/area_hot_springs.php

Here are supposedly some good places to camp in Yellowstone:

http://www.gorp.com/parks-guide/travel-ta-the-five-best-places-to-camp-in-yellowstone-sidwcmdev_159352.html

Please offer up any suggestions. Esp for the Yellowstone portion. Anyone doing any reading? I have quite a few books and am going to start going at it. Let's talk more soon.

It's that time again - Beatty Christmas List 2011

Well kids, it's that time again. Please everyone post your lists! Including kids & significant others! It makes it soooooo much easier for us all I think :)

Well, it finally happened. I wrote a blog intended for my personal blog and it ended up in the Beatty blog. Ahh well.

Sorry for the typos

The smell of the ocean and the ancients overwhelms my senses

What was this life once lived by a previously reincarnated Me

This clean sweet sewer of nostalgia, you who flood my ears
Why does this parking lot make me so terribly sad,

Too refined and belittled
Wasted

What have I become but a disembodied embroidery belaying
The breast of barely baked busts in the cold, unsettling afternoon.

It's time for me to be Me
I miss the great white
The serious and free
Give me this ocean breeze again
But promise me eternity
And I will bleed what years you
Need for drink
So drink
My tears
And let me be free
Again


Mikie

southern Utah itinerary!

Everyone: What follows is an itinerary. Let me know if you agree, disagree, want changes, etc. We also might want to put together a don't-forget list and a to-do list. Happy excitement.




[Tuesday, 08/09/2011]

Drive to Utah from California (or from within Utah). Adie and Mandy will be meeting up with us from Great Basin National Park. Jealous.


Camping: Snow Canyon State Park. We have sites SC28 and SC29 reserved, with primary occupants listed as Matthew Beatty in one and Heather Beatty in another. This campground has flush toilets, water, and showers.
Costs: entrance cost to the state park is $6 per car. Camping costs $24 per site, per night ($16 for the site + $8 reservation fee, per site).

--- ---

[Wednesday, 08/10/2011]

Eat breakfast and pack up camp.

Explore Snow Canyon State Park (check out the park brochure PDF for more info). Snow Canyon is right by, almost part of, the wonderful Red Cliffs Desert Reserve -- an interesting Washington County conservation area. Pretty beautiful over here.

Recommended activities:
--Pioneer Names Trail: really short, where you can see pioneer names graffiti written on the sandstone using wagon wheel grease, from the 1800s
--Jenny's Canyon: a cool little box canyon right at the beginning of the park
--Sand dunes: there is a large natural sand dune area right at the beginning of the park
--Petrified Dunes Trail: a very cool trail that leads up these frozen sand dunes to a beautiful view
--Lava Flow Overlook & Trail: this one looks pretty cool (we haven't done it)

Here is our blog from when we came before (also Zion). If we have extra time, there are other great nearby attractions that we would all love:

Santa Clara River Reserve / Land Hill / Ivins Petroglyphs -- An awesome, easy walk along cliffs atop the Santa Clara River, where there are tons of petroglyphs etched into the rocks (and carved into the cliffs if you're daring). Easy to find, just take the first left at a dirt road after you drive through the little town of Santa Clara (outside St. George, on the way in to Snow Canyon), right after the Jacob Hamblin home, and it'll take you straight there. We've been there twice (once and twice). Below is some extra info on it:
--BLM PDF document
--BLM area of critical concern
--BLM public use site
--map and info
--someone's Flickr photos

Kayenta -- An artists enclave, known for its Coyote Gulch Art Village. We haven't been there, but I've heard a lot about it.

Jacob Hamblin pioneer home -- An easy free tour that is interesting. Cotton grows out front. It's right off the main road on the way into Snow Canyon, after Santa Clara.

Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm -- In Washington, north St. George area. They have tons of dinosaur footprints here, lying right where they were discovered in situ. They had to get special building permits to build the building overtop the footprints so close to the roadway, so that they wouldn't be destroyed. Cool dinosaur displays too, pretty cheap, an easy stop.

The Narrows -- A slot canyon that is literally in St. George. I have never been here, but I want to. Easy to get to, virtually in downtown St. George. You can wander a nice little slot canyon.

We might want to stop at the DI on the way out of town? It's easily accessible. I realize this is a lot to do in a short day. Just some ideas. If we were up to it, we could possibly eat in Springdale on the way into Zion. Springdale is right outside the park entrance. The drive from Snow Canyon to Zion is at most 1 hour 15 minutes.

Camping: Watchman campground in Zion. We have sites BO17 and D025 reserved, with primary occupants listed as Adrienne Beatty in one and Matthew Beatty in another. We will congregate around one site, whichever one is closest to the Virgin River, probably. There are no showers here, but that should be okay, since we will be swimming the next day.
Costs: Zion National Park costs $25 per vehicle. Lasts for 7 days. Whichever car Dad is in will be free (he has a senior pass). And the America the Beautiful federal lands pass will cover it too. Watchman Campground is $16 per site, per night. According to Adie there were no reservation fees for these sites (but we might want to doublecheck this).

--- ---

[Thursday, 08/11/2011]


We will want to get up at a good time and pack up camp, because today is the day with the most limited time for the whole trip (so that we can fit in the swimming hole and still drive the almost two hours to Bryce Canyon area). We will stop and park our cars at the visitor center, spend a little time there probably. From there we will take the shuttles, which are required up Zion Canyon this time of year, and explore Zion National Park. I think we should do a smattering of the shorter trails.

Recommended activities:
--Emerald Pools Trail: We should have time to do all three of the pools if we like. If there's been water lately we may see a waterfall.
--Weeping Rock: Very short (.25 miles), but a definite staple of the park.
--Zion Lodge: We can get out at almost every shuttle stop to check out the short walks and views and the lodge.
--Riverside Walk: The easier walk that talks you to the beginning of The Narrows. Along the Virgin River. At the very upper-north end of Zion Canyon.
--I wish we could do Angels Landing--another staple, necessity--but it's longer and difficult and there won't be much time.
--Canyon Overlook Trail: An easy trail just east of the tunnel. Great views from the top.
--check out Checkerboard Mesa on the east side of the park

You can see some of what our friends the Roots did on their recent trip there. They camped in Watchman too (you can get a good idea of what the river's like there). We were down here briefly in April, also in 2009 (+ Snow Canyon), and our first time in 2008.

I plan to have us done, at our cars, around 3:15 pm, so we can make it to park at the swimming hole by 3:30 pm. This gives us 1 hour to swim there, to leave the park at 4:30 pm. We will drive through the tunnel, through east Zion, and it should be about 1 hour 45 minutes to Red Canyon, where we'll camp for the night. This US Forest Service campground is first come, first served, so there's a chance we can't get anything (in which case we can head out toward King Creek Campground, a little further out of the way but it never fills). However, this is a Thursday, and their chances of filling are pretty slim, so I've been told. They also have a tent camping overflow area, so even if it does fill, we will have a place to be. This area is really beautiful, where redrock meets forest.

Camping: Red Canyon Campground (US Forest Service campground west of Bryce Canyon, campsites are first come, first served). There are showers, flush toilets, and water here.
Costs: Single campsites are $15.00 per night. If we can, we will get a multiple site (like a double campsite) to hold all of us, for only $24 per night. There's a day use fee of $4 here, but it shouldn't apply to us since we're camping.

--- ---

[Friday, 08/12/2011]

We will want to get up at a good time again and pack up camp. We can stop in at the small Red Canyon visitor center (Forest Service) if we want, then head east over to Bryce Canyon National Park. We have only been here once before (in November with some snow), so we haven't done many of the hikes. First stop would probably be the visitor center. Then we can drive to the end of the road (where we did the Bristlecone Loop Trail before). Views are amazing the whole way. We can stop to see Natural Bridge (right off the road). But I would really like us to actually hike among the hoodoos, on the Rim Trail around Sunset, Sunrise, and Inspiration Points. I think we can spend a LOT of time in there. Some good photos too.

Just today, our piano teacher (who is sick and in the hospital--Amy and the kids visited him) recommended that we check out the Fairyland Loop Trail. You can drive out to Fairyland Point (1 mile off the main road), and then hike down Fairyland Canyon on that loop trail. We could do it all or just a portion of it. I think this must also be a must-do. Check out the Bryce map on the NPS website.

We should plan to leave Bryce by around 6:00 pm. I think we should do the short Mossy Cave Trail as we leave the park, on the east side of it on Highway 12 (it's like maybe 1 mile roundtrip and leads a mossy grotto cave). We will head over to our next campsite in Kodachrome Basin State Park, where we will be for the next two nights. It should take a little less than an hour to get there, even though it's only about 27 miles. Now we're in the high desert, Grand Staircase-Escalante country. We should make sure we have firewood on this trip. Kodachrome sells it there, and the nights get cooler, so we will probably want a fire each night. The other campgrounds should have firerings too.

Camping: Kodachrome Basin State Park. We have site KO21, a double site, where we can all fit. This campsite has flush toilets and water, but no showers.
Costs: Bryce Canyon National Park costs $25 per vehicle, but the same thing will apply here as it did at Zion (as far as passes go). The double site at Kodachrome is $32 a night, plus an $8 reservation fee. So the total for the double site for two nights is $72. Not bad for all of us. We may have to pay extra for additional cars ($6 per car). I think we are technically allowed two.

--- ---

[Saturday, 08/13/2011]

We should plan to get up as early as we can today--no need to pack up camp--so we can get a good start on the Lower Calf Creek Falls hike, before it gets too hot, AND while there's parking left. This will be a little bit of a pain, because it's about 1 hour 15 minutes just to drive to the trailhead from Kodachrome. (For the record, camping at Calf Creek Campground, where we'll be later today, could've worked, but it's first come, first served, plus a small campground, and a weekend, so it would've been hard to guarantee sites.) The hike is a good one--3 miles each way--and can get very hot. We should bring plenty of water. Also swimsuits because you can swim at the falls at the end. A lot of this hike is in the sand.

If we get a chance, I would really like to see the gorgeous Hundred Hands Pictograph panel, which is kind of hard to find, at least a close-up way to see it. I am hoping to ask a ranger about it. It is supposed to be very near the parking area for Lower Calf Creek Falls, and there may or may not be a climbable trail leading up to it.

If we're up for it, we can try to get to Upper Calf Creek Falls, FAR more unknown and seldom visited, and there appears to be a rad swimming hole. I think we should be up for it.

After these falls--part of the heart of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, I think it'd be fun to do some short rockhounding. By Escalante State Park there are some petrified wood fragments you can find. And if you head south a little on one of the desert roads (Spencer Flat) there are moqui marbles--awesome iron ore balls that are almost perfect spheres. I think it would be cool to try and collect some.

We can also stop in the small town of Escalante, potentially for dinner or winding down. We will have another 1 hour 15 minutes drive back to Kodachrome at the end of the day, so we need to plan for that accordingly.

Head back to camp, make dinner. Relax. Today we will most likely be parting ways with Adie and Mandy as they up Highway 12 and through Hanksville over towards Moab.

Camping: Kodachrome Basin State Park again.
Costs: Everything today should be FREE.

--- ---

[Sunday, 08/14/2011]

This morning we need to get up and pack up camp. No rush. We can finally explore Kodachrome Basin State Park and its pipes and chimney formations. There are lots of trails here.

Before we leave, we will drive out further into the monument to see Grosvenor Arch. It's a pretty amazing double arch with a short walk to visit it. It requires about a 10 mile drive from the Kodachrome turnoff.

I recommend everyone coming back to Provo this night, to crash and sleep and shower. Then you can leave in the morning, drive across the Bonneville Salt Flats (and Amy may accompany you guys). This way you also don't need to book another campsite for Sunday night. Let me know what you think. The drive from this point back to Provo is about 5 hours.

--- ---

[Monday, 08/15/2011]

drive back to California

Tremendous Love

In order to re-enliven the family blog, and to celebrate love everywhere, I am hereby posting a blog.

As most of you know, May was a pretty hard month for me and joey, and for me in general. Faith was lost, my soul was longing for change and renewal, Mercury was in retrograde. But I am happy to report that with June came fresh blooms and fresh love and fresh life. I have discovered the reason for life: creation. It is the purpose of the world. Art, memories, babies, photographs, love, poems, gardens, wrinkly pages of expression and confession. Create them all. Life becomes clear and love becomes clear. June was a haven of light.

First, awareness. And appreciating and drooling over all our tiny trinkets, the little humble details that make our home simply...OURS.


Our tea cabinet, our mexican glasses, our mug collection, our fruit. These are a few of my favorite things.

Next, Our bedroom. The mosquito net that Joey always makes fun of and the kittens always tear down, Our thrifted duvet cover, our little home.










And My altar. Where I light candles and say prayers for souls that come knocking on my heart.




And then there was FERN



She found us just in the nick of time. When, above all, we cherished new life and things that need love.





Our perfect threesome:



Life is short and colorful and full of opportunity to express love and appreciation, along with sorrow and longing. Embrace it all and cherish every tiny detail. The world is so bright and so are each of us.
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.

Its Time...

OK Beatty's, it's TIME:

1 - To renovate this blog

2 - To figure out the camping trip

3 - To ring in the first day of Summertime

SO, to celebrate the solstice from my end (Los Angeles, as the sun has set) I just wanted to let you know that I love you all and I think we should get this Beattyball thing rolling again.

Let's see some responses, yo

Mikie

Date of Birth

Hello kids,

As you may remember, I breached the womb on February 22nd a few years back. Well in celebration of my continued existence, another annual life-anniversary is coming along...

and I have a request:

I DESPERATELY NEED

A dresser for my clothes.
A box spring.
A mattress, to put on top of the box spring.
A mouse for my desktop.
A new bicycle, or money for the one I want to buy ($200)
A valentine :)
A birthday party..?

Ok. These things are -

1 - all optional IF you feel inclined to celebrate with a gift
2 - would all be so massively appreciated, I'd pee.

I'm not really asking for gifts, I just wanted to update you guys on the things completely lacking in my life. I am aware of my inadequacy as a friend lately because I'm never around.. but don't think I don't wake up thinking about all of you every morning of my life, checking my Words With Friends, and wishing I could be involved in all of the projects, scriptwritings, acting, readings, shooting B-roll, joking, drinking good beers and staring at the stars that I know y'all do so regular. So the least I could do is say hello via blog and ask for stuff.

I love you all. I hope you're well. My new house/room needs help, especially from a girl...

I'm gonna go snowboarding/hiking/biking/working/driving/playing/reading/singing. Peace fools

Love Mikie

TETON TRIP!!!

mikie thank you for posting this morning and reminding me to get on the ball...i've been wanting to do this for days. okay guy, i have a suggestion of dates for our Teton Trip this summer. I have pulled this week out of the hat so to speak just because it is the week of the full moon in July. I think it will be an excellent time to travel and i want everyone to be able to agree upon dates early so we can take time off and plan for this NOW!

so my proposed dates are: JULY 8- 17.

if anyone has problems with these dates or has another suggestion, please write back as soon as possible! i am just putting something random out there to get this discussion started.


i think it's going to be really good for our family to do a big trip again this year. let's start talking!

matt you're in charge of info about the 3 campgrounds you are suggesting and the different parts of wyoming that we are planning to see. let us know whenever you get a chance, k? i would love to buy a book or get one from the library if you have any recommendations.

anyone have comments, ideas, thoughts, hopes, dreams, please write them! i love you all. let's make crazy memories together!!!

Happy new year everyone, let's write blogs again. shall we?
I miss our musings. Beatty's, unite.

Beyond that, hello and goodbye. I love our family.


Mikie

Beattyites PLEASE post your Christmas needs and wants!

Hi friends.

I know we all have been away from this blog, which makes me a bit sad. We all are so into our OWN thing lately but we should try to reconnect here at least sometimes! Anyways, this time it's inevitable, because we need an interface/web-place where we can all see each other's Christmas lists! So PLEASE....leave a comment with your wishes! Include big stuff, little stuff, pricey or cheap.....I know none of us has much money this Christmas, but this list will inspire ideas!

Amy and Matt please include the kids!

My two cents.....the teacher and most-kind Jesus is the reason for the season. He was the tiny baby that came from the sweetest love of all. If you aren't a believer, at least remember at this time of year how lovely it would be if the world had unconditional love, and maybe think of something kind you could do that's out of the ordinary. I like the Winter Solstice celebrations too, but I really mostly love how Christmas inspires people to be kind to each other. Even if in parking lots in the shopping madness not everyone heeds the call.....:) In the end, according to Jewel, only kindness matters. It's the true meaning.

Thanks all

Adrie

Down to the Lodge

Can you remember where and when this was. Take a look at Matt's pics on Flickr for the full (so beautiful) view of the scene. So memorable

Flickrtime

Hey dudes mikie again.

Just wanted to let you know I've been putting my pictures of late on Flickr, so if you have any desire to scope some of my ventures have a looksee. Can't wait to see y'all next week!

Mikie

Hey guysos

Just wanted to let you know that Beattyland is back up!

http://beattyland.blogspot.com