Palo Duro Canyon, Texas

For the past several days, we have been camping out in Palo Duro Canyon, Texas. The trails here are incredible. Some are flat, some hilly, all excellent for running and biking, with views of the mesas all around. What I dislike about running in the east are the toe trippers. Alex has so much trouble with them--rocks and roots that come at us at all times. I usually have bruised toenails by the end of my long runs in the east, and Alex usually has bloody skinned knees. Running out west, we do have the occasional fall, but so far, no major bruises. Getting used to the heat has taken some time. Regardless of the weather, Alex continues to have headaches when he runs. We have tried everything to figure them out and make them better, but the only thing that helps is a small tylenol before the run. He gets them when he plays any sport. They seems to be activated by strenuous activity. I'm hoping he is going to outgrow this problem, but for now we need to numb the pain. This trip has been amazing. Coyotes sing to each other in the evenings and we wake to the sound of turkeys cackling to each other around our campsite. Signs of wild boar are all around, but so far no sightings. It has been too hot to take Potter on all the runs, so I find myself in the middle of nowhere, looking over my shoulder for tusks. Today, we went horseback riding, which is another awesome activity to do with kids, especially if you have a child who needs to quiet time. Today, we all fell into silence with the natural beauty of our surroundings and the quiet clop of horse hooves. It was mesmerizing. Then off to lunch and nap.