Greetings from Zion National Park

We are camped out in the entrance of the park. We are watching 'The Biggest Loser' on NBC and I am typing away on the laptop. Meanwhile the neighbors have a campfire going and their smoke is wafting in through my window. Campfires and tents, how quaint. I might have to go have a word with them, this is really upsetting. Oh now they're getting the marshmallows out, I'm going to puke.

Backtracking a little, we spent about 5 days with my Dad and Stepmother in Palm Springs, CA.

Palm Springs is a city in the desert built on top of an underground aquifer. There are lush green yards, palms and golf courses everywhere. If you are an old Jewish gay golfer you are at home in Palm Springs. Actually, any one of the above descriptions are in the demographic here. My stepmother is Jewish and my dad is er uh ...well, he doesn't play golf and he ain't gay. The folks home here is beautiful. Lush green yard with tall hedges, pool. hot tub. and the obligitory orange tree in the front yard. The smoke from the San Diego fires blew offshore for a couple of days and then came onshore to haze up the Palm Springs area. We hiked in painted canyon and Joshua Tree National Monument and had a couple of nice dinners and chats with my folks. The smoke came, so we left and headed to Las Vegas. We spent two nights in the Oasis R.V. park, which has 1000 sites or so. It has two pools, hot tub, workout room, theater room, and all the amenities. After a nice meal and a small amount of gambling (I won a whopping $80.00) we took off to Zion.

We had a great hike today up an eight mile trail. We got to go through some narrow canyons and alongside a creek. I took too many pictures. It is beautiful here with the fall colors and the low, autumn sun dancing off the canyon walls. The pizza we had a while ago was beautiful too. Pesto, canadian bacon, mushrooms and feta cheese ... numskie. Kim is playing solataire and watching the Biggest Loser, now that's good ol' American multitasking. She is more tired than I am, that is new. It is tough being chipper, saying "morneen" to everyone on the trail and "good afternoon" or "hello, how are you" to everyone on the way down. Tomorrow we hike up the canyon by wading through the river, I can't wait.

Talk to you soon, James