Hi, neighbor!

Once the unpacking is done, it’s time to see what neighbors are in residence. Fair warning: not every photo in this post is perfect. For instance this first one was taken in somewhat of a hurry with my phone because this neighbor is always leery of spending time in close proximity to the rest of us. But this isn’t so much about the photos but about the story told by those photos, about shy but always welcome neighbors and inhabitants of the mountains.

Although it was hot and getting close to the end of July, I was pleased to see plenty wildflowers, many of which were hosting their own guests. These guests never overstay their welcome.

The first two neighbors, although always enjoyed, aren’t as rare as these next drop-ins. Since we moved to Arizona at the end of March in 2020, the so-called monsoon season hadn’t produced much rain at all. I felt we were getting a good rain if there was enough water so that individual drops melded into the wet pavement look. (This year we’re thankfully getting lots of rain; lots for a place averaging 9″ a year.) So I was thrilled to see more drops in this photo than our back patio sometimes got in rains past at home.

Once the walk or walks are over, there’s always the porch. I like porches a lot. Spanish-style houses don’t have porches; they have patios. Patios are fine but they aren’t porches.

There are lots of good sayings about porches. Here are a few I really like.

Nowadays, people are so jeezled up. If they took some chamomile tea and spent more time rocking on the porch in the evening listening to the liquid song of the hermit thrush, they might enjoy life more. ~Tasha Tudor

True luxury is being able to own your time – to be able to take a walk, sit on your porch, read the paper, not take the call, not be compelled by obligation. ~Ashton Kutcher

My ideal summer day was reading on the porch. ~Harold E. Varmus

I dream of land, cut only where streams glistened with birdsong wander through quiet hills burnt hard by the scrape of wind, and of a porch from which a single road leads only homeward. ~Nancy E. Turner

Day one

No Thursday Doors today, so I’ll get right into the first day of my trip. I left the house at about 4 am, on the road for an hour or so before the sunrise I showed you yesterday. Daylight found me driving along beautiful highway 87 (the Beeline Highway) all the way to Winslow (more on standing on a corner there eventually), on to I-40 (paralleling or part of the old Rt. 66), and through Albuquerque, New Mexico where I hung a left to head north towards Colorado. As I got closer to my destination for the night, Raton, New Mexico, just a few miles from the Colorado border, I not only saw rain in the distance but drove through a mini-storm so intense that I had to slow down quite a bit.

Raton was hopping as it hosted the annual Run to Raton motorcycle rally, which I’d never heard of before. The plan had been to eat at a local brew pub, but that stretch of street and businesses was blocked off to vehicles and appeared packed, so I looked for somewhere less crowded, spotting this bit of street art during my search.

Bruno’s Pizza was my eventual choice. I ordered a pizza to go and a local dark beer to sip while waiting which gave me time to look at some of the paraphernalia on the walls, at least the baseball section. You gotta love Yogi Berra-isms. 🙂 I suppose today you might call him Captain Obvious, but his words will make you laugh. What to read some more? Click here for 50 of his most popular sayings.

Three of baseball’s most famous stars…

Another Yogi-ism, then it was back to my motel for some pizza and R&R before getting to bed early in preparation for another early start. I particularly want to be on the way early on the second day so that I get through Denver with the least amount of traffic as well as get to Sheridan in time to get groceries, gas, etc., get up the mountain, unpack, and still have some time to relax. Good night!

Wordless Wednesday…the morning I left

This one’s for you.

It’s that time of year again, time for me to do the two-day drive to Wyoming (about 10+ hours each day) to spend 2 1/2 weeks in the Bighorn Mountains, time I crave each year. There’s very, very limited wi-fi access there and no phone access unless you have a satellite phone. You can get wi-fi but we have yet to do so. It’s become a discussion, but I do like not being online that much. I go on to check (and delete) email or to send a text or photo to family and friends but why be on vacation if I’m on the internet all the time? So until the second week in August, keep this California mural in mind to let you know how I appreciate you. And of course, there will be photos, many photos, and a surprise or two as well.

What happens in Costa Rica

What happens in Costa Rica stays in Costa Rica and unfortunately, this pool stayed at our hotel when we came home. However, the memories of a wonderful adventure came back with us. The pink bricks around the pool contrasted beautifully with the blue water while the trees provided shade from the bright sun. In another pool, we stood cooling off while sipping a drink. Nice work if you can get it. We did and it was.

for Life in Colour: pink and Squares: bright

It was an excellent visit but like all good things, it came to an end and I’m driving home today. It’s good to get away and it’s good to go home and thankfully I have people I love at both ends of the trip. Thanks for sticking with me while I was gone. I’ll have some doors for tomorrow and be back visiting.

Beautiful blue

The strange year that is 2020 continues. However not everything has changed. I’ll be loading the van tomorrow, pointing it toward Wyoming where I plan to wallow in mountains, horses, and relaxation plus a bit of family time with our daughters. We don’t have internet in the mountains, so I’ll be incommunicado for at least several weeks. In the meantime, stay healthy and happy and know you’ll be missed.

Taking flight

Tomorrow I’m taking flight to France, although by plane, not by my own wings. God willing, I’ll be back in October with lots of photos and stories to share. BTW, we celebrated our 35th anniversary yesterday. Bless my husband for not minding that I’ll be vacationing when he can’t go! He’s a keeper (obviously). 🙂

I was finally able to get all my photos off my phone so I’d be ready for all the vacation shots, but it took hours and hours. I’d try one thing and it would work, but the next time it wouldn’t (or I’d forgotten how I’d done it.) Or I’d find empty files while my phone was filled with photos. Ah, for the days when I’d plug my phone into my laptop, the photos would show up, I’d copy, then delete. Sigh. Such is life in the virtual world.

Be safe and happy while I’m gone!

A little something

Thursday I’m heading to Philadelphia (by van, not by boat), to take a load of things to our younger daughter. I’m rather good at packing, but even I can’t figure out a way to get a small couch into my second bag with Southwest, hence the van and the drive. 🙂 Between today and Thursday, I work and have lots to do around the house, so I won’t have time to blog. But I wanted to leave you with a little something, as Winnie-the-Pooh might say, to make you happy while I’m gone and this is it, the view from the lake just a short distance from the cabin. Enjoy and see you next week!

Monday walk…Look out!

When at our cabin, there’s no phone service, so if we want to make a call, we have to walk to the “phone booth”, high on a ridge where we can look out over a good part of eastern Wyoming. A satellite phone will work, but being without phone service is one of the joys of vacation there.

The walk to the phone booth is a bit over a mile each way, but at 7200′ and in the mountains, it’s not like a walk in the park. Additionally, there are attractive nuisances in every direction. My method is look down, look out, look down, look out; repeat often. If you wander off the path, it doesn’t matter, just keep heading in the right direction. Let’s go!

Down.

This view is calling me.

Although I’d be seeing snow if I were sitting here right now (and I’d be bundled up against the cold), it’s time for the annual drive to Wyoming’s Big Horn mountains. This will be the last time I take the route that’s been part of my life for more years than we’ve been married (35 this September.) Driving from Arizona next year will show us new vistas and places to replace the ones I’ll miss.

As we have no phone service and very little internet, I’ll be enjoying the relaxation that comes from not being available all the time and online sometimes too much. I’ll miss you, but of course you’ll hear and see all about it when I get back.

See you in July and may you have a blessed rest of June.