Self Control

Yesterday we went to the Petrified Forest National Park.   While we were there we autohiked through the small eastern section of the Painted Desert that is most easily accessible.   Most of the rest of it's over 93,500 acres are Wilderness and back country.

For us, it was hard to tell where one stopped and the other began, so we made no distinction between the two.      The pastel hued badlands were everywhere we drove and hiked, we were blown away by the stark but magnificent landscape.

Depending on the time of day, season of the year and quality of light the colors seem to change  from pink to coral, from grey to lilac and blue, from tan to yellow and cream.  

We saw ancient Indian ruins, petroglyphs and spectacular petrified wood, large and small.

see our Jeep at the top of the Blue Mesa trail head?

We took a relatively short, steep hike at Blue Mesa.   We loved that we were able to get up close to these subtly colored features and see what they were made of.

pale pink chips

In one spot we had a very curious and insistent Raven who followed us wherever we went and noisily demanded attention.    I finally tossed him a tiny piece of dog cookie from my pocket, he snapped it up and left.  

Even though the thermometer read 80 degrees, and it felt all of that, the scenery at the bottom of Blue Mesa made us think we were walking through a snowy landscape.

mini "tent rocks" only about 3 feet tall 

some spots looked like someone just finished
cutting fire wood that afternoon

Dave saw this embedded log as we drove by...

A few dashes of summer yellow were giving way to fall's golden falling leaves.

Self control.....I almost forgot.    I'm a real rock hound.    I can hardly hike along without picking up beautiful or unusual rocks.   I have holes in my pockets from carrying rocks around.   I call our Jeep "Rocky" because it's always full of my latest and best finds.     I had to exercise EXTREME self control at the Petrified Forest National Park, I wanted some of those beautiful shards of crystallized rock.  I know it's against the law to collect rocks in National Parks and this park is really serious about that law.   You get a small lecture upon entering and must stop for a "car inspection" upon leaving.    I have to admit I was a bit nervous when I saw that last sign....as I said "Rocky" is chock full of rocks and even though none were collected at this park, I wasn't sure how I would explain.....

    Luckily the cheerful Ranger just waved us through and told us to have a good day.    Phew

thursday

After an overnight stop in Gallup, New Mexico last night, we continued west on I-40.

Today's drive was a bit of a trip down memory lane for us.   Our very first trip west in 1971 took us along much this same route, although then it was on route 66, (before it became "historic route 66") there was no I-40.    Our conversations took us back to the trip that started our wanderlust and our love of the west.

    Dave was attending R.I.T. (Rochester Institute of Technology) and I worked there at the Placement Office.   We were 21 years old and were married for just a year.   My boss asked us if we would be interested in driving her and her partner to Scottsdale in their brand new Buick Rivera.   They had sold their home in Pittsford, New York and were retiring to the sunny southwest.   They were concerned about their safety traveling alone and knew that Dave would take good care of us all.    All expenses paid, two weeks paid vacation for us both....   Of course,  we jumped at the chance and had a glorious time traveling across the country with these two fascinating women.

The die was cast.  

Today we drove through the high desert, passing small enclaves of Native American hogans and corrals and not much else.    In the distance, the presence of water was announced by a line of brilliant yellow cottonwood trees.

We were reminded how excited we were as we began seeing the flat topped mesas, wonderous shades of red.    And the endless trains snaking along beside them.

We pulled into a KOA (gasp) in Holbrook this afternoon and set up in a nice quiet site.   I don't actually know what time it was, we're now in Arizona where they don't do Daylight Savings Time, so are we still in Mountain Time?  We'll be here for the weekend, planning a trip to the Petrified Forest and perhaps the nearby Meteor Crater.    The local Safeway is on the old "historic route 66" and we passed a few remnants of the past on the way to buy bananas.

Last day in Albuquerque

Today is our last day here in Albuquerque.  This has been a wonderful stop for us, filled with blue skies, warm temperatures, colorful balloons, a little hiking and autohiking and most of all wonderful visits with friends, old and new.

This morning Dave played golf with David from Los Lunas and I held down the fort catching up on laundry, bills and a little baking.   I was scheduled to meet Dave,  David and Ann after golf for a late lunch/early supper but Lewis seemed a little under the weather this morning so I decided to stick around for him.    It didn't turn out to be an issue and I got a lot done so things worked out for the best.

Sunday afternoon we were invited to Hector and Brenda's new home for dinner.  After finding a house they couldn't pass up they've decided to settle down and plant roots in Corrales, New Mexico.   I have to say,  if we had found this house, in this setting,  we may very well have made the same decision.   It's a real beauty, perfect for them.    

I took my camera along, but managed very few pictures.   They'll show you their "find" soon, I'm sure!   islandgirlwalkabout.com

On our way to their home, we noticed clouds begin to build and darken.  Just as we arrived, the sky opened and the rain came down.   Hector built a cozy fire in their outdoor patio's fireplace and we sat down to enjoy a delicious bottle of local white wine (Milagro Vineyards right around the corner)  and some yummy cheeses.

Brenda points out the first rainbow

Hector takes aim

It took us a while to settle down to enjoy the repast, however, because there were rainbows!    Two of them in the black sky!   We ran from front to back to try and get the best view.  

 
And the clouds!   We were so fortunate to be in an area where the sky is a prominent feature in the views.     Another reason this small adobe house is perfect!

Mammatus Clouds and Alpenglo over Sandia Peak

Once the sun set and the evening chill set in we moved inside for dinner.   Hector grilled salmon and potatoes and we finished the meal with apple crisp and ice cream.    We talked and talked and laughed and laughed.

We didn't know Hector and Brenda well before our visit, but we left their company feeling like friends.   Thanks guys for your gracious hospitality.....and Alaska trip tips!

Yesterday, Monday, we packed a lunch and headed towards Cochiti Lake and Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument.

The Lake's visitor center and bathrooms were closed and locked....must be near the end of their season.

 We had discussed moving Beluga to the COE campground there this week but decided that driving the jeep was preferable.  We really liked the campground and noted it for future stops.   We ate our lunch along the shoreline.

We had gotten a later start (what else is new!) than we'd planned so we didn't have high hopes for being able to hike around the Tent Rocks.    We bypassed the crowded parking lot and continued on the graded dirt road toward the Veteran's Memorial Overlook.

We had the area and fantastic views all to ourselves.   We both remarked on how absolutely silent it was, save for the wind fluttering the American flag.

We could see the Tent Rocks area clearly standing out among the green forests below.

On our way back down to the trail area we picked up a small hitch hiker on the Jeep's hood.    He stayed with us for a long time.

We parked, somewhat reluctantly, in the busy trail head parking lot, determined to walk the slot canyon area of these wild pumice, ash and tuff deposits.

the trail ends up there

We're spoiled....In the past, we've been able to enjoy many of these magnificent and unusual natural formations by ourselves, with no one else in sight.    The parking lot was full, we were expecting hordes of people crowding in the narrow recesses of the canyon.

Occasionally we did pass people along the trail, but not many, and not yakking loudly and checking their phones, oblivious to the beauty around them.   Most people seemed to be caught by the spirit of the place and were talking quietly and respectfully.

The footing was damp from the previous night's rain and our footsteps unlocked a wonderful light fragrance from the pines and small junipers as we passed.

When we moved our eyes off the trail before us we were rewarded with little surprises.     Beauty was all around us.

Parts of the slot were narrow, sometimes just one foot front in front of another, hands on the walls narrow.     As a result I put my camera in my pocket to keep my hand free.    Trouble is, putting the camera in and out of my pocket constantly evidently twisted the settings from auto to.....I don't know which ones.   If you're noticing slightly odd or blurry images now you know why.

In a few spots there were choke stones and roots to scramble over and/or under but nothing my short self couldn't handle.

So, in the end, we (think I) weren't bothered by having to share this magical canyon with others.   It was quiet with only the sounds of bird song and wind twisting through the curves.   The soft skitter of tiny pebbles, dislodged by the breeze, drifted down from above reminding us that this place is alive, ever changing.