How I Spent My Birthday (and the day before)

Happy St.Patrick's day Everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And Happy Birthday Carly from Leah and family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks everyone for all the Birthday Wishes! I am glad that you remembered!

On Sunday we visited the Joshua Tree National Park. This is a new park and did you know that U2 even named a record after this park!

We went to 3 different spots. #1 We went to an oasis. In case you didn't know an oasis is, in the middle of the desert all of a sudden there's bright green trees and bushs. And sometimes if your lucky there might even be a stream or something.

#2 Next we went to the most dangerous part of the desert. The Cholla cactuses! Every since then if you ever get hurt really bad, oh I don't know maybe not paying attention and banging your head on the van roof!(Grandpa H!) Instead of swearing say Cholla! Anyway I can't tell what exactly happened because it is our trivia question.

#3 This was my personal favorite. We went to the White Tank campground. Surronding it was big red desert rocks, that were so cool they looked fake! We climbed and we climbed and we climbed. There was one set of rocks called the Arch rock. The Arch rock is a big rock that is in a natural shape of an arch! It was pretty cool. With effort, I climbed up on top of the arch rock, but then I got yelled at by..............MOM AND DAD, so I had to come down. But then an English Lady came up to me and said "is it hard to climb up there". So I said "well yes". But she was determined to climb up and she did.

Now let's get to the importand part................MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well this was the most interesting birthday I've ever had.

First we stoped at an old dirty gas station and I got some gummy Octupuses. Mom told me not to eat them all, because it might be my cake. But I finished them up anyway.

Then after traveling for about an hour in a half, we say the Sultan Sea which is a large salt water sea just like a lake. Tons of different birds like pelicans were there.

Our next stop was a very interesting place called Slab City. This is an old Air Force Base that people camp at. There was moterhomes (from brand new to very, very old ones) scattered all over, and guys had taken old dirty toys, old tires and well just trash and painted it up and make it look artsy. Dad wanted to stay there overnight but mom said NO! Not far from the campground was quite a sight - Salvation Mountain. We stopped there and met the man who made it out of clay, straw, and bright colors and it took him 25 years! So there is a big mountain of colors and paint in the middle of the desert. It was SO cool. And up the mountain he had made a path that went all the way to the top called the yellow brick road. (which of course was yellow.) He was a really cool guy. And for the 25 years of building it he lived in the back of an old white truck and beat up motorhome!

When we got on the road, we stopped at a Mexican market and got Ice cream sandwiches, strawberries, whipcream, and candles. And that was my birthday cake. And for supper, mom made me delicious noodles, and ceaser salad. mmmmmmmmmmmmm................And all and all not a bad birthday. And the best part about is today (now that we are back in Yuma) is that for lunch were going to the Olive Garden for Lunch and shopping for my b-day present!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are going to be in Yuma for a couple of days and then head east towards Tuscun.

Oh and about the cholla cactus - that is our trivia question - one of the members of the Pilkington/Andrew family had quite an experience with the cactus - who was it??

Bye for now,

Emma