I’m dreaming of this place…

A place where you drift in a quiet wooden dory boat at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, taking in the breathtaking sights, listening to the history of how the canyon was formed, flying through the rapids,

stopping to explore and play in various caves, 

 hike up to side canyons to jump from cliffs,

sun yourself on a rock in the Little Colorado, 

take in a great view, 

 chill by the Little Colorado,

 hike up to a side canyon to listen to Roger tell us the geology of how it was formed, 

 take a nap, 

 take in the cool formations that have taken millions of years to form, 

 relax by the river after a day on the dories, 

go fishing, 

 and fish some more.

I am missing the quiet and slowness of our time on the river, being together as a family with no outside distractions; no cell phones, iPads, laptops, Facebook, twitter or instagram.  No worries about who is bombing who, or care about what player is going to what team, who is leading the pennant race, or who is ahead in the polls.  Being disconnected from the outside world allowed for us to connect with those around us, our family and friends and ourselves.  It allowed us to connect with the river and the canyon, those who have come before us and those who will come after us.  It allowed us to listen without thinking of what was coming next.  

In trying to keep with that simplicity, I took one camera with me – my plastic $20 Holga.  I love the simplicity of the Holga.  The fact that there are 12 frames per roll and that you need to think before pressing the shutter.  It was the perfect camera to have on the river, simple and slow – giving me time to think.  Coming back to reality was a bit shocking but I have taken some of the slowness and quiet of the river with me and hopefully it will stay with me until we have a chance to get back there and float the second half in the simple and elegant wooden dory boats with our favorite guides from the Dale Family.