Petrified Funhogs
Elijah Wood
On the road and what an experience. We were able to leave on schedule and pull out of our driveway to call America our home. For our first day, we got an invite we just couldn’t pass up, and it was perfect for our first adventure. The Conner family invited us up to their family farm near St. Johns, Arizona. To get there we had to travel off road for 20+ miles. It was such a peaceful place, as you are literally in the middle of the open high desert with only the juniper trees and desert critters for neighbors. As we walked around the property, the kids delighted in all the Indian pottery shards they found on the ground. There were two types of shards, the painted pieces were Anasazi and the grooved pieces were Zuni. As a special treat, the Conners took us to a spot they nicknamed the Petrified Forest. It was so amazing to be able to walk around intact petrified trees and touch them. There was even one place the kids called a petrified waterfall, as tons of petrified wood had fallen down a gulley to create the look of a waterfall. The sunset was amazing too! The night was cool, and we awoke to a beautiful morning. The kids ran off looking for adventure and returned within a minute saying they had discovered wild animal tracks and would like to know if I was interested in helping them track it. My answer was, “Absolutely;” so away we went.
Tracking Wild Game
Our quest led us to a herd of open range cattle who were grazing the land. The best part was the new friends the kids made, the Conner’s nieces – Zelda and Esther – whom they are still talking about and hope to keep in touch with! Our whole family had such a great time with the Conners that we all left with smiles and happy hearts. A special thanks to our wonderful friends who made the start of our trip a beginning to remember!
Forrest & Christine Conner
