Weekend Reset

I have to say it was very considerate of my husband to have emergency surgery on a Holiday Weekend over Memorial Day so that I wouldn’t miss any work!  Suddenly struck with excruciating pain in his abdomen/chest we headed to the ER on Thursday. Weirdest thing ever; His stomach protruded into his esophagus folding over and blocking it. Cut from sternum to belly button he actually recovered quickly and was home in his cozy bed by 5pm Monday evening.

Even though hospitals and surgeries are not new to me, I still learned a lot of things from this experience. Nurses are Rockstars-a given. Time is relative. If you’re waiting for pain medication then minutes seem like hours. If you are at home grabbing a quick shower time flies by so fast you may end up wearing your shirt inside-out back to the hospital. (Yep, totally did that.) Laughter is the best medicine except after abdominal surgery. Each shift change start over patiently explaining what you need. This may be due to a nurse named Maria who  put her convoluted opinion in the chart.  This must be done every 12 hours to the new shift nurse and tech. One must work very hard to change the opinion of Maria the Know-it-all nurse who wouldn’t give you a blanket and thinks vertically cuting  the abdominal muscles and pulling a stomach out of an esophagus is like a C-section.  Finally most of all – there’s no place like home.

Zion For Days

We planned several days to explore Zion and still not enough time.  Choosing to enter from the East end of the park was a great decision for us. The RV site located less than a mile from the entrance was much less crowded than the Hotels and camping areas to the west.
I would recommend the Hi-Road Campground for  convenience and surrounding beauty.


However, a rake and a little maintenance would go a long way. WiFi only in the laundry room/showers only and sites were not policed for trash and debris. Even though conveniently located just off the highway, the traffic simply stops around 8pm when the National Park closes. Very dark and quiet.  Great for a cozy fire & stargazing.

 Hiking, hiking, hiking for all skill levels.   Starting at the visitors center, and with the help of some knowledgable park rangers, we were able to find exciting and challenging trails.


On one of the trails we were approached by a barefoot young man and his very friendly dog named Bogart. We chatted for a while learning he was from Maryland and how sad he was that  he had to be  back at work in 10 days.  We played with Bogart and listened to his stories about traveling across the US in an RV aloneand the people he met along the way. He gave us directions up the dry riverbed to a lovely area. We said our goodbyes and headed out.
About half way through the hike under a ledge we saw a piece of paper flapping in the breeze on a jar full of green buds and flakes. It had rained the day before so we knew the note was freshly placed.  G investigated and the note said “From Me to You”   Inside the note  went on “Trainwreck, use at your own risk!  ENJOY!” We laughed and surmised that our new friend fashioned himself as some sort of modern-day Johnny Appleseed, and whatever “Trainwreck” was he wanted to share.  We left it for the next person to discover.
A storm moved in the next day creating an eerie fog near the peaks of the mountains.
We were excited to see the water in action. Whichever one of us was driving the passenger was on waterfall patrol.​
Sometimes we are lead to a place and we don’t know why. West of the park we pulled in to discover the Fort Zion Virgin Trading Post.



I have to say it was one of our most colorful stops!  We enjoyed the quirky buildings outside. They even have a petting zoo.  It is a definite must see!!  Be sure to save time  for some Homemade Ice Cream after  a yummy lunch at the restaurant.
We asked about the area and were introduced to the Owner, Andy.  We talked for about 90 minutes and were fascinated by his interesting stories.   One I can share was about the Coyote Dance. The indigenous people of the area believe that on  full moons Coyote’s gather high on a certain mesa and dance in a circle to celebrate their strength and victories.  Andy and a friend were hunting on top of a mesa in the area and came across disturbed ground in a circle  around a some brush. He whipped out his phone and showed us pictures of the circle and zoomed in on what surely seemed to be coyote footprints.1087535980Here’s the coincidence; One of G’s favorite artists is  Robbie Robertson to whom he listens every morning during workouts. His favorite song is Coyote Dance.     <Click on the link to listen.Ahhh Beautiful Zion, I will see you again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The North Rim Made Me Cry

As many times as I have been to the South Rim, hiked down in to and  rafted through the Grand Canyon, I had never been to the North Rim.  I’m so glad we took the time. It is truly hard to explain the experience of such a wonder. We started by just relaxing and mapping out our hiking day at the Grand Canyon Lodge viewing patio. Plan on spending some down time here! 
Someone pointed out a peregrine falcon soaring over head. At one time there were only 70 in existence.  This male peregrine is banded with a metal leg band 7/X black over green.  The band code identified him as breeding 4 miles from his natal territory on Elkins Marsh on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Photo by Barton Paxton.Now thanks to the efforts of the National Park Service conservation there are over 400.

 

 

A tourist bus exploding with nylon tracksuits &oversized  visors  poured out just as we started down the trail  This interesting lady had just the hat for the occasion!

 (Go Dog Go quote “Do you like my hat?”) 
I recommend taking a lunch and eat at one of the high tables on the  observation deck. We did and enjoyed the view and the fresh air.  The lines for the one restaurant can be very long and lots of people were eyeballing my hoagie and pasta salad. We decided to head out to  Cape Royal. On the way we witnessed the devastation of a forest fire from years ago. Young Aspen trees have taken over where Ponderosa Pine trees once stood.  Soon the burned areas of the North Rim will be covered with lush Aspen trees. I was so Excited to see Window Rock!  I have always wondered where it was.  Walking on top of it is interesting. There is a 3′ wide by 4′ long rock to walk over to the point.  Both sides are straight down for a very long way. We noticed many people waiting on more solid ground for their friends.  No matter how their friends coaxed they wouldn’t venture out. Having never heard of Cape Royal I thought it was probably rocks that looked like a castle. I was soooo wrong. Cape Royal made me cry.  We walked along the twisted juniper path bundled in jackets because we were near 9000 feet elevation and there is still snow on the ground.  The people coming toward us on the path were silent.  Most smiled and nodded.  Thinking perhaps it was trail etiquette we stayed quiet too.  About a half mile later we turned a corner to a 270-degree view like I cannot describe.I couldn’t move.  Just as I gasped a cold breeze pushed extra air into my lungs.  My eyes filled with tears while my mind tried to accept this view.  No picture can capture that moment.  I tried.

 

We stayed for quite a while.  I wish I could stay forever.

On our way down we wanted to shout to the people coming up the path -“just wait! It’s so beautiful! You’re gonna CRY!” Instead we were silent, smiled knowingly and nodded.

Stop Locking Your Love On Bridges 

I have an unreasonable fear of bridges.
This includes bridge like structures such As the Eiffel Tower; which G points out stress cracks and rusty bolts holding thousands of tourists a day.  It’s like Gabriel Iglesias says about when a 400 pound person is getting on an elevator and we begin to calculate weights of the passengers.

This is how I see it.

The Navajo Bridge is now abandoned to cars which does not make me feel safer. I know that engineers spend their lives calculating the weights and measures on these projects. That’s why I started this by saying my fear is unreasonable.  Now this bridge is an attraction to take pictures like this:

and this:

I realize I am about half way and think I can always jump to the emerald water below if the bridge under my feet gives way.  The heros of ALL action movies hang on to the correct piece of rope/wood/steel and swing to safety.  Only bad guys fall to their deaths.  Then I see this sign which makes me question everything.

Perhaps the jump isn’t survivable so I hold on tightly to the rail and distract myself with the locks couples put on bridges now as a symbol of their love.  I do NOT want to put a love lock on the bridge because the engineers didn’t plan on that extra weight did they lovers?

Holding onto the rail I find this etched from 2010.

I know there is a story here so I Google the name.  Good to know he survived.

 

 

 

 

 

The Fork In The Road

Often my favorite places are forks in the road.  Stopping at Cameron Trading Post Est. 1916 is one of those. We hook up at the RV sites and begin our adventure.

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Exploring the area we are delighted to find such an interesting art gallery full of color.

We quickly unhook from the RV and head to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

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Even though we have visited these same sights often, we always come away with a different experience.

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We met Louise Y. Nez, a weaver.  Her hands lifted the different colors of thread through her loom with ease. Mesmerizing.

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Not surprisingly she has made hundreds of rugs as she began weaving at twelve. Three of her daughters & one son continue the tradition.

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Her work is exhibited in museums all over the world.  Unfortunately, some of her work is labeled unknown.

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On to climbing the tower for the view inside and out.

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My husband, who as you know does not do well in crowds & whose “whisper” can be heard for miles, commented on the following wall art:

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WHISPERS “Look it’s FART MAN” …..echoes through the tower…a 6th grade boy thinks he’s HILARIOUS!
A visit to the Tusayan museum provides history of the inhabitants of the area and  a walk around some ruins and kivas.

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A lovely way to end a day.

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So Much Better In Leather

I finally finished cross referencing  90 sites from a field guide to minerals and fossils to the Arizona Gazetteer!

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My celebration consisted of me finding and cleaning up  an old leather briefcase to hold the field guide and maps so that they may be accessed quickly.  Plus it looks very Indiana Jones.   Many times we decide to go at a moment’s notice so I have assembled kits. Like some kind of crazy hiking hoarder. We always have  a panning/mining backpack ready to go (just in case).

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Gold Pan, pick, huge screwdriver (for poking between rocks), spade, foldable shovel, magnet (for pulling out heavy metals), eyedropper (for sucking up tiny gold) magnifying glass and not pictured are the collection jars for the gold.  All fit in a regular Jansen backpack.  

We also keep a hiking kit ready in a brown plaid backpack.

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Boots, gloves, walking sticks, compass, hats, knife.  Not pictured but always with us are plyers for cactus removal, sunscreen and a first aid kit. 
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Picnic kit is a fully stocked picnic basket and a thick blaket

By far the most important thing of all  is water. Even in the winter we take at least a gallon a person.   I made these holders crocheted out of plastic bags.  They hang from our backpacks and we refill the bottles so no plastic waste.

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Arizona weather can go from blazing hot to freezing cold so we always dress in light layers and carry along jackets.  Kits are packed and ready for the next adventure!

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Dragoon Beauty & 310 To Yuma

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There’s a tale to tell that ends with a night gathering of  friends under clear desert skies & a crackling fire. We are here to celebrate a friend’s leap year birthday.  This weekend  was chosen to round up the RV’s and head out to   Triangle T Guest Ranch.

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They had me at Saloon

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Triangle T is surrounded by rock formations that conjur up images of wild west  hideouts & cattle rustling.  Some of the rocks seem to defy gravity…img_6032

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Birthday girl and the balancing rock

Check out this lizard rock.It’s huge.

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There’s horseback riding or you can bring your own horse.  Great riding trails, very little cactus.

There are little surprises all around the ranch.  Likethe rock maze below.

Moseying down the dusty trail we stumble upon  an  old movie set from 1957 – the original 310 To Yuma.  

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There is just too much to explore around this ranch. Bonus the Amerind Foundation Museum is within walking distance.   The hiking is spectacular:

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Wide open skies
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I call this one hope. Gotta hand it to this poor little tree.

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Blooming Manzanita!

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Arizona Stonehenge
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The guardians of the sky

I wrote about The Rock Saloon before here: Corny Shenanigans . This time there was live music and some boot scootin’.

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One more walk Sunday morning just to say goodbye and we are back on the road.  Camera roll below:

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Seeds

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The Little Things

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Crack Wine

Leaving on Friday my  co-workers are discussing plans. CW 1- “I’m just going home.”       CW-2 “I’m going to go home and change my clothes and”….something about doing work on a Friday night…(I zone out a little) Suddenly silent I realize it’s my turn and I say all nonchalantly “I’m going to the Liquor Store.”  Which I do.  This is why:

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This is  a wine cabinet I made out of some old barn wood, clay roof tiles, & wrot iron I found.

I have a plan to fill my empty wine cabinet & am truly amazed that I can’t find a parking spot at Total Wine. (My brother calls it “Totally Wine” which is adorable).  With all the cars and people  I am thiking there must be an event! Perhaps a sale!!  Nope.  Just a random Friday.  Most of the people here are over 65 pushing carts full of booze loaded up  for the weekend.  (I blame hours of retirement time listening to recent news reports).

I have a few favorites and it just so happens they are ALL on the bottom shelf CAUSING ME TO BEND OVER.  Once I was home I realized this little gem:

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This is a picture of my split ass pants as shown to the entire world today. Gary says this picture is the opposite of a “facie” (which is what he calls selfies).

 

 

 

 

Yep, I flashed an aisle full of people my shredded ass black pants with my white undies shining through.  How did this even happen?  Wait… don’t answer. In any case I filled up my wine cabinet with a few of my favorites:

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I feel complete again.

G entertains me when he’s sick

G-” Just as I get back into working out again I get sick. It’s like every 30 days. I  may as well have a period.”

G-“I really want chocolate cake.  They just found out Chocolate Cake doesn’t make you fat. No really, they just said it on the news when you went out of the room.” ( Me: eyeroll.)  G-“….. soooo are you going to make a cake or what?”

He’s out of books to read- Me: “I’m going to the library, what authors do you want?”         He tells me a few.  I say “What about that one; Tommy somebody”.  G: “Tommy Hillfinger” and he walks out KNOWING  I just spit out my coffee.