When it was really hot outside we would go down to buffalo river and hang out. As you can see from the picture you can't keep Rob off of the rocks! So I figured that I should try to climb outside for the first time while we were at Horseshoe Canyon. Rob and I hiked out to a 5.6 climb for me to start off on. For anyone who doesn't know - a 5.6 is super easy. I started to climb up the rock and thank god that I didn't look down or I would have freaked out - I was up so high! When I was closer to the top of the climb a spider decided to crawl over my next hand hold. Yuck a spider! I figured falling would be worse than a spider jumping on my hand so I grabbed the hold and kept climbing! Rob yelled up encouraging words to help me along and I made it to the top! I was so happy that I had overcome my small fear of heights and my even bigger fear of spiders! Now when a spider tries to attack me I simply brush it away.... well sometimes I still scream for help. Later that day I went on to climb another 5.6 and part of a 5.7! Do I love to climb now? No.... but I like it way more than I used to :)

Goats waiting in line for the outhouse...

Horseshoe Canyon Ranch Pictures

Our camp set up!

Horseshoe Canyon Ranch

I had a great time at Horseshoe Canyon Ranch in Arkansas! There were a few things that went wrong though.....

We picked the hottest week of the year to stay at the canyon. The first night in the autohome was unbearable! It was so bad we broke down and went to Wal Mart the next day to buy battery operated fans to keep in the autohome at night.

The heat combined with the bites of these tiny biting midges (also called no-see-ums that could fit through the bug netting of the autohome) kept us up all night! I made the decision right then that I would pile on the deet everyday to keep the biting midges away! Then when we were trying to prepare a meal, we found that our camping grill was not compatible with our propane tank. At this point I thought Rob was going to lose it. He was very angry and was even thinking about leaving the ranch! And for anyone who has met Rob you know it takes a lot to make him mad - believe me I have tried! haha However, after we purchased an adaptor for the grill it was smooth sailing. Well, it was smooth sailing after we purchased two fans, gallons of bug spray, and the propane grill adaptor. And to think after all of that I am still Dr. Pepper free!

I smell something...

We had just drove into Arkansas and the car read 107 degrees outside. After about 30 minutes of driving we begin to smell something bad. We do live in the Jeep so at first I just thought Rob smelled bad but minutes later it was evident that it was not Rob. The propane tank in the back of the car was leaking and we pulled the car over at the next available exit. You may be asking yourself why we would even have a propane tank in the car. Well, we use the propane to ignite the camping Coleman grill we have to cook on. We get to the first gas station and take the tank out of the car and the leak was audible. After an hour or so of trying to find a place we could dispose of the tank it magically stopped leaking. Robs theory was that it over heated and that caused the leak. We googled Camping World to find the closest location so that we could have them take a look at the tank they had sold us. It would not be open until the morning so we decided to spend the night in the middle of no where Arkansas. The next morning we arrived at the Camping World. They said that it had been filled to a level appropriate for a cooler location, the bleeder valve wasn't tightened enough, and it probably had just over heated. They drained some of the propane out of the tank for us, we moved the tank to a cooler part of the car, and jumped back on the road towards Horseshoe Canyon Ranch. Crisis averted.

Last day in KY

My last day at home was spent in Owensboro, KY, eating at Moonlite Bar-B-Q for my Grandma Martha's birthday. It has the best Bar-B-Q in Kentucky. So good that many people will drive for hours to eat there, have it shipped to them, or fly in to get some! Former President Bill Clinton even came to Moonlite to sample its famous bar-b-q! I enjoyed going even though I still think my Grandma Thelma's barBq is better!

The next day Rob and I said our goodbyes and headed off towards Jasper, AR.

When Spiders Attack! #2

While at home in KY I was taking a shower and soaping up my hair when a gigantic spider decided to join me. I yelled for help but my cries of fear went unanswered. So I attempted to retaliate against the spiders attack with a shampoo bottle. The spider out smarted me and moved to the other side of the shower curtain! For most this would be the end of the story, but I could not continue a shower knowing that the spider was waiting for me on the the outside. I yelled louder this time and my mother came to my rescue and killed the beast. She scolded me about how I, "shouldn't be so terrified of something that was more afraid of me than I was of it." Mom had been telling me this my entire life about spiders, but I am not completely convinced.

First Rob and now my mom! Maybe I should stand up to the spider next time!

On The KY Bourbon Trail

Now this is my kind of trail... a bourbon trail! The family and I had a great time drinking our way through Bardstown, KY. There is nothing better than Maker's Mark when it comes to bringing people closer together. We went on the Makers Mark Distillery tour, which comes with two shots of bourbon for every person. We were able to see the entire distillery ranging from the fermenting room to the two warehouses that date back to the late 1800s and hold about 4000 barrels of bourbon!

On a side note to all of my single girlfriends. If you are looking for a boyfriend just take a bourbon distillery tour. That is where all the men are! haha

Night Out With The Girls!

Miss you guys!

Home

Just wanted to say thanks to all my friends and family for hanging out with me when I was at home! Especially to mom and dad for letting Rob and me take over your house. And I just wanted to let everyone back home know that they better start practicing their Bocce Ball that way Rob and I will have some real competition next time!

First Night Out in Kentucky!

Me and Cindy! Rob, Me, and dads hand. Rob, Me, and Dad

As these pictures prove.... you cant take my dad out anywhere! haha (just kidding dad)

So before I have to live completely out of Rob's Jeep I thought it would be nice to party it up a little in my hometown. Above are some pictures from my first night out in Bowling Green, KY. Since Bowling Green is such a nightlife hot spot we decided to go to the only place you really can go - the town square. It has a variety of restaurants and the three semi-decent bars in town. We had a great time and I think Rob and my friend Cindy really bonded with my dad that night! haha

When Spiders Attack!

I would like to start this post by saying that I have a phobia of spiders. I really think that every spider is out to get me. So as Rob and I were driving to Bowling Green, KY, it was no surprise to me that a spider would try and attack me while we were in the car. It dropped down from the ceiling of the car and slowly made its way toward me until I spotted it! I screamed while flailing my arms all over the place. The spider realizing it had been discovered fell to the ground and went into hiding. However, when I screamed it caused Rob to swerve the car into another lane. We were both thankful that no one was in the other lane of traffic and Rob was understandably upset with me for screaming so loud. But I guess he just does not understand - spiders are evil! Don't get me wrong spiders are great when they are outside where they are suppose to be. They just do not belong indoors!

What do you think, did I overreact about the spider? I already know that Robs answer is YES! haha

While in West Virginia.....

While in West Virginia I learned...

1. That after not drinking Dr. Pepper for a week the caffeine headaches really do go away!

2. That you can live off of a diet of Honey Nut Cheerios.

3. The Autohome is super comfy! No really I sleep like a baby.

4. That Rogers Rocky Top Retreat is more than some guys yard - it is a climbers paradise.

5. That if you want to stay in smokin' shape at the age of 53 start climbing.

6. That I can't climb..... well at least not yet.

After a short stay at Rogers we sadly said goodbye and headed to my old Kentucky home!

Crazy looking mushroom we found on a trail at New River Gorge.

And no I did not try and eat it ;)