Another BANNER Day!

Wild horses on the Navajo Reservation.

Wow! I had another group who demonstrated their appreciation and responsibility by Paying-the-Man. And, even better, this group wasn't cajoled or trained.




Jong Choi with his Korean mother and aunts in Sedona. I thought it was hopeless till he let slip that he is a Hair Stylist in New York. Good boy! He was clear on the concept and paid with three $20 bills. Furthermore he was very nice to his family and a pleasure on the trip. They were friendly and respectful. They can come back.

Kelly and Paul from Chicago. The day was crystal clear and the sky could not be more blue nor the rocks in Sedona more red. They came to AZ. for a three-day vacation, one day of which, they saved for me and Grand Canyon. They were here thinking about getting married. .... I don't know if they made any decisions when they were with me - for better or for worse.

That actually happened to me before. I had an exclusive Grand Canyon tour with a family of 10. This was so the boy's girlfriend could meet his family. At the end of the tour, he asked her to marry him. It was sweet. On the way home I explained that, on the tour bus, I have the same authority as a Ship's Captain, so I offered to pull off the road and marry them right their. They declined.

Anyway, Paul and Kelly paid up! They can come back. Even if it's their honeymoon.

I also had George and Sandy. George immigrated from Poland -- through Ellis Island -- when he was 14 in 1950. Wow. I met an Ellis Island immigrant. He talked about the hardship of the passage and the hope and fear at Ellis island. The on-the-spot medical exams and mental and character evaluations. They were cattle in a lot. He later became a Chemical Engineer and an Electrical Engineer and a good citizen. Now retired in Florida.

I wish I could talk to him again. He was born in Poland in 1936. Imagine his earliest childhood memories! And, how the heck did his family get out of Poland in 1950? What were the feelings of a 14 year old Pole who had never known a fear-less moment when he was "approved" at Ellis Island?

I wonder what his opinion is of modern immigration.

They only paid $10 (which puts them on par with Canadian retirees.) But they were nice and they can come back.