tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294520932024-03-13T14:40:30.225-07:00Sanna's Bag“I never seem to have what I need when I need it. I’m going to make a belt-bag that’s bigger on the inside than on the outside, and just carry everything with me.”roxiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14916948065233137971noreply@blogger.comBlogger1939125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29452093.post-87828097309051175592017-11-03T07:58:00.000-07:002017-11-03T08:02:15.120-07:00November<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-kerning: none;">November</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">November is a time of little endings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">when we are spending our strength today</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">to make tomorrow secure.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">But life is uncertain, and we can’t be sure</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">of anything.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Leaves wither and drop, </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">revealing clouds of gray.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The barbecue is put away.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"> Days shorten, and the cold descends,</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">and our snowbird friends </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">fly south. I know</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">This hemisphere will tilt again toward the sun, </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">and women, slim and young</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">will dance in the summer moonlight.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">How I loved that summer moonlight!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">But my dancing days are done.</span></div>
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<br />
The Little Guy<br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">The committee in my head</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">hears a lot from him lately:</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">the little guy, hiding behind his chair</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">screaming, “We’re all gonna die!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">He’s right of course. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">No one gets out of this alive.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">But right now, just this breathing moment</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I AM alive.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Why should I spend a good day</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">listening to his fear?</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">When I could sew or write or bake</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">or sing and dance </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">(in the feeble lumbering stumble I have come to.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Breath goes out, breath goes in. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Heart goes thumpa, thumpa.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">My favorite toy, my mind, is wearing thin in places.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">names have unraveled,</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">and memories tangled.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">But I still know a few jokes,</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">and the world still holds love and beauty.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We’re all gonna die, </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">but not today, sucker. Not today!</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></div>
roxiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14916948065233137971noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29452093.post-22877851491579569242017-11-02T08:52:00.000-07:002017-11-02T08:52:01.471-07:00All the wordsThe words<br />
all snarl in tangles,<br />
scrambled angles,<br />
curves of words that trail away<br />
without rhyme or reason<br />
or even a pleasing<br />
turn of phrase.<br />
Like fry, they flash and flee<br />
through the still clear water of my mind.<br />
The words used to be my pets.<br />
They came purring to my hand<br />
and curled<br />
content and perfect on the page.<br />
The words were a fountain, now gone dry.<br />
They have become a shadow of an echo<br />
of the voice that lies.<br />
There is sunshine and blue sky<br />
and my heart lifts<br />
but the words won't come to play with it.<br />
I could force some doggerel to jog along,<br />
but even if clever, it wouldn't sing true.<br />
I am afraid of what the words might want to say.<br />
<br />roxiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14916948065233137971noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29452093.post-28402043571263757672017-09-14T05:31:00.001-07:002017-09-14T05:31:39.418-07:00Headed home<div style="color: #1d2129; font-family: 'SF Optimized', system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, '.SFNSText-Regular', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
I should be writing this all down as it happens. We left Cottonwood today at about 9 AM. and drove north through Flagstaff, onward and upward to the Navajo Indian Reservation on highway 89, then took highway 160 toward Tuba City in search of the dinosaur footprints. We saw a hand-painted sign on a piece of plywood saying, "Dinosaur footprints, left 1/4 mile." One quarter mile further on, there was a gravel road leading off to the west and about a quarter mile along it were a series of shelters with tables set up under them. We drove, quite uncertainly up to the arrangement and were greeted by a young man who welcomed us, showed us where to park, and volunteered to be our guide. His name was Dennis. He was very articulate and well informed, pointing out the various tracks and fossils, and highlighting them with water to make them clearer on the pale sandstone.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BLD8LhOluVM/Wbp0G6IJxZI/AAAAAAAAM2g/YAu_GLAgMZEjYAcatVGM3XL5MmL8snV_wCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5391.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BLD8LhOluVM/Wbp0G6IJxZI/AAAAAAAAM2g/YAu_GLAgMZEjYAcatVGM3XL5MmL8snV_wCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_5391.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LRx2c745Y1s/Wbp0TC3KB0I/AAAAAAAAM2o/JhypJnd5cAIBCuLJnXvmOZfZfvhQNYVlwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5407.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LRx2c745Y1s/Wbp0TC3KB0I/AAAAAAAAM2o/JhypJnd5cAIBCuLJnXvmOZfZfvhQNYVlwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_5407.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
Tyrannosaurus Rex was here.<br />
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This is a fossilized pterodactyl. The head is looking to the left. The dark lines show the wing bones.<br />
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A fossilized dino claw. I touched a real dinosaur claw!!<br />
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Eggs from a little dinosaur. Kyle's feet to give a sense of scale.<br />
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Dennis would have taken us down the canyon to see the petroglyphs as well, but I was feeling the heat and not ready to take my unsteady steps out of sight of the RV. It was a fascinating experience, despite the unprepossessing signs and set-up. I was expecting something air-conditioned with displays in cases. This, run by the Navaho Tribal council, was vastly more enjoyable. And Dennis pointed out his home for us (about five miles away - under those trees.) as we were walking around. Also, we bought some hair-clips made by his auntie.</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9CsP-6Tjymc/Wbp2Kzn15gI/AAAAAAAAM3A/9grHyscf8O07gHF5RNfgE6ahHV-OCKGQgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5442.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9CsP-6Tjymc/Wbp2Kzn15gI/AAAAAAAAM3A/9grHyscf8O07gHF5RNfgE6ahHV-OCKGQgCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_5442.JPG" width="320" /></a>Then back to highway 89 and on to Page, Arizona by Lake Powell. This involved climbing some fairly steep hills and took us to a stunning, knock -your-socks off viewpoint where we could see the East end of the Grand Canyon and the cliffs of the North Rim. <br />
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The scenery along this road is even more amazing than the scenery around Sedona and Cottonwood. All these colorful sandstone ramparts and monuments, carved into fantastic shapes, looming overhead or thrusting up out of the flat desert. WE drove through one area that looked like hundreds of piles of gravel set up for the road crews to use in the winter. But one pile was gray and one was buff and one was red and one was almost blue . . .</div>
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We stopped in Page for gas and lunch. If you stop in Page around lunch time, be aware that tour busses stop at the MacDonalds and Taco Bell. We got there just after a busload of Asian tourists debouched. They all had menus with pictures, and their translator was doing her best with "Quarter Pounder" and "Sweet Potato Fries." We decided to get lunch elsewhere.<br />
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We pulled out of Page with tanks full of gas and hearts full of gratitude for our forethought. The cupboards are packed full of yummy treats to get us to the next stop. We crossed the Little Colorado River at the Lake Powell dam, and before you know it, we were in Utah. Headed south, was a flatbed truck piled with stacks of bran new fire hydrants. Kyle pointed it out to me and said, "Look, disaster relief for all the dogs in Houston." </div>
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We drove and drove thro<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;">ugh red and gray and buff colored country, over hills and down gullies and across washes and through cuts. We passed an old sheepherder's wagon headed in the other direction, drawn by six mules and bedecked with enormous signs stating, "Jesus saves." There was traffic behind us or Kyle would have pulled over for photos. I couldn't believe my eyes and we were past before I could turn on the camera. I have seen the most amazing sights on this trip.</span></div>
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Kyle has been immensely kind to me. the drive today has been just over 300 miles. We are now comfortably established at the Kanab RV Corral,It's clean, compact, right off the main highway in Kanab, Utah, attractive, and fully equipped with electric, water and sewer hook-ups, and offering the extras of showers, a laundromat, and a pool. I am so very grateful!!</div>
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We walked about half a mile to Big Al's Burgers and had a very tasty early dinner. I recommend Big Al's if you are ever in Kanab.</div>
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Do be aware, though, this is an open carry state. I especially appreciate that, "Judicious marksmanship is appreciated."</div>
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roxiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14916948065233137971noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29452093.post-78299115246864791272017-09-12T16:18:00.002-07:002017-09-12T16:18:56.751-07:00jerome<div style="color: #1d2129; font-family: 'SF Optimized', system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, '.SFNSText-Regular', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
Yesterday, we departed for the old mining town of Jerome. But on the way, everyone seriously indulged me and we stopped at the Quilter's Quarters store. while I wandered around, petting the fabric and oohing in awe over the finished quilts, Brother-in-law Dennis started chatting with the owner. Turns out they are neighbors. Dennis now has permission to bring the kids and his camera down to the farm and interact with the cows and chickens and Chester the donkey. Meanwhile, I found the "Washed fabric." This marvelous store will re-sell people's overstays for greatly reduced prices. Fat Quarters for $1.50 each. I exercised terrific restraint and got out of there for less than $30.</div>
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And then, on to Jerome. Jerome is a mining community. Tons of copper, gold, silver, zinc and tin came out of these mines. However, the mother lode is thousands of feet up a wickedly steep ridge. The drive up to the town is exhilarating, following a two lane road with more hairpins than Madame Pompador's wig. The views just keep expanding! And people hang houses on the side of the hill where there is NO flat land what-so-ever. At least you don't have to mow the lawn.</div>
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The town itself is a historic site, with many of the old stone buildings preserved and in operation. The boutiques are very artsy and charming, mostly displaying the work of local artists. If you go there, do take the time to visit the Liberty Cinema and spend the $10 to see the movie about the town's history. It's narrated quite charmingly by an "ghost" character who lived in the town from 1922 till his death in 1927. The script is very well-written, managing to be engaging and informative at the same time. The theatre is allegedly haunted. As Kyle was trying to get a photo in the dim light, I was looking over his shoulder and saw the face of an indian watching the movie . He was dressed as a miner, with a sweat band binding his hair back. It was just a flash. I could have been mistaken. Jerome is supposed to be quite haunted. Evidently they have quite a wild time over Halloween.</div>
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We had lunch at Bobby D's Barbecue. Omigawd, yes! I had the ribs with no sauce. The meat literally fell off the bones! Tender, juicy and full of that wonderful smokey flavor. Dennis had a burger with two patties, cheese, barbecue sauce, and bacon. Yolanda had the taco sampler with chicken, brisket and pork, and Kyle had the chicken. They offer 6 different sauces ranging from mild and sweet to incendiary. the coleslaw has chunks of green apple in it, and the corn bread, lavishly spread with butter melting in, is almost a meal in itself. WE ate on the deck in the shade of a friendly tree with gentle breezes and a hundred mile view.</div>
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The old hotel is in operation and is booked up five years in advance.</div>
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At one time the largest hotel in Arizona was in Jerome - 200 rooms. But fires repeatedly swept the community, wiping out everything but the stone buildings. The mines built rooming houses for their workers and three different hospitals. But the veins of ore played out, and eventually the mines closed. In the 50s there were about 100 people living in Jerome. But they were stubborn people, and found ways to attract tourist dollars, and now it is a thriving community of about 3 thousand. You have to have legs of steep to live there. Everything this is uphill. Going the length of a city block takes you up about three stories. Parking spaces are rare, and probably not wasted on residents.</div>
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But the view! Ah, the views!</div>
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We stopped at a jewelry store where the artist/owner does commission work. If I had several hundreds of spare dollars . . . <br /><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VPh3TP4xy2k/WbhpiARMfYI/AAAAAAAAM2A/bqxRpkdsXeoDE8swuuTwweE6H5IJPRybwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VPh3TP4xy2k/WbhpiARMfYI/AAAAAAAAM2A/bqxRpkdsXeoDE8swuuTwweE6H5IJPRybwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VPh3TP4xy2k/WbhpiARMfYI/AAAAAAAAM2A/bqxRpkdsXeoDE8swuuTwweE6H5IJPRybwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VPh3TP4xy2k/WbhpiARMfYI/AAAAAAAAM2A/bqxRpkdsXeoDE8swuuTwweE6H5IJPRybwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_5359.JPG" width="240" /></a>But Kyle bought me a a geode about the size of tennis ball<br />
there. We cracked it open with a hammer when we got home. It's all white and clear crystals inside!! Neat!!roxiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14916948065233137971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29452093.post-61643592841459720532017-09-11T07:17:00.000-07:002017-09-11T07:17:13.185-07:00Tuzigoot<div class="_5pbx userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="js_u8u" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.38;">
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Tuzigoot ruins: Another pre-Columbian community. This was nothing but a stony hill in the 1920s when some locals began mining it for arrowheads and pots to sell to the tourists. Archeologists managed to get it protected, and were able to get funding to excavate. In the 30s WPA paid for a proper archeological dig, and the site was made a federal park. It is just too cool for school! You can walk among these walls that sheltered up to 1100 people centuries ago. The corn <span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;">mortars are there in ever room, and I imagine the women grinding away every day. Most of the mortars are made of lava which will break down under persistent abrasion, so there was some lava dust in the ground corn which can't have done the teeth of the consumers any good. But they probably didn't live long enough to suffer much dental problems. This hill is in an elbow of a river, with rich flood plaines for farming, to the west, and to the east, a fertile marsh. Their diet must have been varied and abundant. They clearly traded all over there, as there are Zuni and Hopi pots in the ruins.</span></div>
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<a href="https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-0/s370x247/21616085_10211923702146150_2719291165082331408_n.jpg?oh=9bc63f0919fe001ec060572fa696a808&oe=5A598C0B" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>And they even have a piece of woven cotton fabric. Omigawdomigawd! It was in a case next to a handful of the cotton they would have harvested. With all the seeds and vegetable matter included, it made it clear to me how very labor intensive and time consuming the process would have been. Cotton fabric must have been incredibly valuable! I was jazzed all day after seeing that.</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sOQt9afV058/WbaYb5b-fmI/AAAAAAAAM0w/Hwxoskmw350H00V__eW76sRvKKPGbGTlACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sOQt9afV058/WbaYb5b-fmI/AAAAAAAAM0w/Hwxoskmw350H00V__eW76sRvKKPGbGTlACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_5337.JPG" width="320" /></a>If you are enjoying taking this trip with me, imagine that it is a lovely fall day in Arizona. Everyone is happy because the temperature has NOT gotten into the triple digits. It's a brisk 96 degrees. Since we are near the river, the humidity is right up there - maybe 7%. Butterflies of all sizes and colors drift by, though God only knows what they find to feed on. The flowers, though abundant after the monsoon season, are teensy, weensy little dots of color scattered through the brush. There is an intermittent breeze, and even though it is Sunday, the visitors are few and far between. You can feel the time and the lives that have passed here. The rangers scattered around are cheerful and well informed and happy to discuss all associated topics. </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aL_n3Myadsw/WbaYkh7yA1I/AAAAAAAAM00/BfylkgXKQnoRGN_YzGgHwzY4sKpj2a90ACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aL_n3Myadsw/WbaYkh7yA1I/AAAAAAAAM00/BfylkgXKQnoRGN_YzGgHwzY4sKpj2a90ACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_5341.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
They have built a ceiling on the highest room so you can climb up top (they built stairs for us wimpy tourists. The natives would have used ladders.)<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rtryvn0v_BQ/WbaYmCSjpvI/AAAAAAAAM04/OI73aw8lIZgGvi9Rz723cNltMwi0v8i7wCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rtryvn0v_BQ/WbaYmCSjpvI/AAAAAAAAM04/OI73aw8lIZgGvi9Rz723cNltMwi0v8i7wCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_5342.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
The roof was built as the original inhabitants would have built it - which means they would have had to walk about a day's journey up into the mountains to find a tall enough tree, then chop it down with a stone ax and drag it all the way back to the community and lever it into place using only manpower. Across the logs went reeds from the marsh, then brush from the surrounding hills, then mud to seal it all water-tight. The current roof has rats in the rafters. They park should get some resident cats.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Yr-ZK6JMxeU/WbaYmpyXBiI/AAAAAAAAM08/q_veV-59vD0lNcJOw-RvCtm_GhKUi0sdACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Yr-ZK6JMxeU/WbaYmpyXBiI/AAAAAAAAM08/q_veV-59vD0lNcJOw-RvCtm_GhKUi0sdACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_5343.JPG" width="240" /></a> <span style="font-family: inherit;">The view from the roof of the highest building. The community spreads downhill on both sides. The view is breathtaking! Pictures don't do it justice.</span></div>
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roxiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14916948065233137971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29452093.post-50750887322741951502017-09-10T06:58:00.000-07:002017-09-10T06:58:13.965-07:00Wow! Just Wow!<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="edd4v" data-offset-key="fs43v-0-0" style="color: #1d2129; font-family: 'SF Optimized', system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, '.SFNSText-Regular', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
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<span data-offset-key="fs43v-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">Saturday we went to Crescent Moon Park outside of Sedona. Sedona is evidently a center of great spirituality, and now I see why. The scenery is breathtaking! The red sandstone has been eroded into cathedrals and spires, and the quiet little river at the foot of these monuments is a divine oasis of greenery. </span></div>
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The pioneers built a waterwheel and a mill here. Imagine the labor necessary to create this in the middle of no damn where. It's days of travel by horse and wagon through seriously stinking desert to get nails and iron. and the timber would have been hewn without power tools. Have you ever seen two men working a misery whip? It's a long two-man saw sometimes used to cut logs into boards. It's aptly named.<br />
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<span data-offset-key="fs43v-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">The river flows over plates of sandstone, and local families were all around, picnicking in the shade and playing in the water. It was peaceful. It was full of life. We all took our shoes and socks off and sat on a slope of sandstone with our feet in the water. Miss M. started splashing and her mom said, "Don't splash anyone." Miss M. looked cunning and splashed me. I grinned evilly and said, "Do you really want to start a splash war with me, little girl?" She giggled, and dashed a spray of water at me. I kicked a wave back over her, startling her so much that she sat down and got her shorts wet. No one gave her any sympathy, so she quietly got up and sat on the dry stone, leaving little wet butt prints. <div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="edd4v" data-offset-key="b8i1u-0-0">
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<span data-offset-key="b8i1u-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">MA little further down the trail we found a place where some well-balanced person s had been stacking rocks. Does anyone know what this is all about? We instinctively all added our own stacks. A way to say, "I was here."</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">My stack wanted to be near the water.</span><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GMn4iDJh3eY/WbVDKIIGfqI/AAAAAAAAM0Y/g7kiN5-JYsIujBvE8CDZhmnjv4jHF2P2QCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GMn4iDJh3eY/WbVDKIIGfqI/AAAAAAAAM0Y/g7kiN5-JYsIujBvE8CDZhmnjv4jHF2P2QCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_5326.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--1K2HSTjm9s/WbVDJb05A3I/AAAAAAAAM0U/pYQdiZsFfGAC9b-kWiDAapePe2g90cexACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5330.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--1K2HSTjm9s/WbVDJb05A3I/AAAAAAAAM0U/pYQdiZsFfGAC9b-kWiDAapePe2g90cexACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_5330.JPG" width="240" /></a> <span style="font-family: inherit;">We were all hungry, and headed back to the car. on the way back we saw a fledgling Red Tail Hawk perched on a branch, calling for Momma to come feed him. The parents were back in the tree, coaxing him to spread his wings again and try just a little harder to get to the nest. Soon, he will be flying all over the park, hunting for his own food, and in no time at all he will mate and raise his own fledglings. </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RlejdAX919g/WbVDGBJCQpI/AAAAAAAAM0Q/Yf8Fjg47yHgaGUR3skK4RxA6pmLKCIbMwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RlejdAX919g/WbVDGBJCQpI/AAAAAAAAM0Q/Yf8Fjg47yHgaGUR3skK4RxA6pmLKCIbMwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_5329.JPG" width="320" /></a>A Buddhist nun and some friends enjoying the scenery and the vibes.</div>
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<span data-offset-key="3da32-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">We feasted at "Steak and Stuff" and were tended to by the sweetest waiter. It was 2:30 by the time we headed home. We lay around the house watching MASH reruns and digesting the food and the experiences. I stepped outside just before dinner. The sunrises and sunsets are perfect here.</span></div>
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roxiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14916948065233137971noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29452093.post-43990618132995316792017-09-10T06:39:00.000-07:002017-09-10T07:03:54.710-07:00Rodeo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d27QAzAzWhw/WbVAKts4g6I/AAAAAAAAMzI/mrfxNvuh418gFhZbbATMZ4Uj191zla5qgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5277.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d27QAzAzWhw/WbVAKts4g6I/AAAAAAAAMzI/mrfxNvuh418gFhZbbATMZ4Uj191zla5qgCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_5277.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: 'SF Optimized', system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, '.SFNSText-Regular', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px;">Yesterday we went to the Yavapai County Fair and rodeo. This is country where livestock and horsemanship are still significant parts of daily life for most folks. It was a small fair, but great fun!</span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: 'SF Optimized', system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, '.SFNSText-Regular', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px;"> </span></div>
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One of my favorites in the horse showmanship competition was the young lady who had boots the same color as the tape on her horses ankles.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7L_NypJYt-M/WbVANFYpLJI/AAAAAAAAMzQ/SoMpzFGmtN8qhv7-3zm3HZihY8f_g12cwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7L_NypJYt-M/WbVANFYpLJI/AAAAAAAAMzQ/SoMpzFGmtN8qhv7-3zm3HZihY8f_g12cwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_5282.JPG" width="240" /></a>We saw piles of piggies and strutting turkeys and marveled at the wide variety of ducks. Western domestic ducks are built rather like Mae<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;"> West or Marilyn Monroe --short and placid with full, plump bosoms. Indian Runner ducks are built like Twiggy or Kate Moss. Tall, lean and very nervous looking.</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NNcwNzOQ1m4/WbVALX9cyFI/AAAAAAAAMzM/ocx2mkJ2pkAAJugKS2YMfEK6uDdtS_1KwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5288.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NNcwNzOQ1m4/WbVALX9cyFI/AAAAAAAAMzM/ocx2mkJ2pkAAJugKS2YMfEK6uDdtS_1KwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_5288.JPG" width="240" /></a>Miss M and Miss P had a great time in the petting zoo. We had to teach these city girls about how you feed the critters with an open palm and let them nibble the alfalfa pellets off your skin. It tickles! The goats got fairly aggressive, trying to knock the cup of pellets out of your hand. There was one determined ewe who was going to get her share, dammit!</div>
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And then we tried the pony ride.The guy running it was great, being very kind and patient with kids who were not familiar with those big scary quadrupeds.<br />
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We played some games, and won prizes. We ate fair food. Miss P tried deep fried macaroni and cheese. Kyle had deep fried pickles. I went for the deep fried frog legs. I bought kettle corn - the large bag. It was about three feet long! I thought the others would want to share, but it turned out that it was ALL MINE.<br />
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The California girls were delighted to find an In and Out Burger in Prescott, AZ. We had to stop. </div>
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Meanwhile, Dennis had stayed behind to talk to sales people about putting in a fence. And while he was there, the city watermain out at the corner started a gusher. We returned to a house without water. The city workers were gathered around a hole seven feet deep. Dennis was watching them and saw them expose a number of different mains. "What are those?" he asked. The city worker rapped the wet one with his shovel. "This here's the water," then he rapped the one wrapped erratically with electrician's tape and other patches, "This one's the gas line," "Thanks," said Dennis. "I won't bother you any more." He went back to the house and tried not to think about yahoos with shovels bashing that fragile gas line.</div>
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Water was turned back on at 9 PM. I had been in bed for two hours by then.</div>
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<br />roxiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14916948065233137971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29452093.post-89628474313852278592017-09-08T06:12:00.001-07:002017-09-08T06:12:37.764-07:00Quiet day<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="ah3q4" data-offset-key="cu2ll-0-0" style="color: #1d2129; font-family: 'SF Optimized', system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, '.SFNSText-Regular', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
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<span data-offset-key="cu2ll-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">Thursday, Kyle was down with a bad tooth. A very, very quiet day. I got a lot of knitting done. Kyle and I have moved into Dennis and Yolanda's basement with the cats because the AC in the RV is just not co-operating. Thank God for tolerant and understanding family. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="d30b4-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">Today we hope to make it to the local County fair and rodeo. I Love fairs! Can't wait to see how the local ladies put up their preserves (carrot coins arranged in a meticulous spiral in the jar? Cucumbers selected to be all precisely the same size and tucked into their pickling jar with orthographic precision. And I understand that Arizona has some demon quilters. I'm eager to see. Photos will be forthcoming!</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="fu7dg-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">It's another cloudless day. One of the things I love about this place is the vast expanse of sky and the way the light changes through the day.</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="22d5v-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">Have you ever read any of the Tony Hillerman mysteries? Sgt. Joe Leaphorn and Detective Jim Chee of the Navaho Native Police work in this country, and being here brings the books vividly to life. I'm going to have to re-read when I get home.</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="3n3ht-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">When Tony Hillerman died, his daughter took over the series. She very cleverly took a subordinate character, Jim Chee's wife, and carried on the mysteries from a female perspective. Vastly enjoyable reading. And both Hillermans convey the power and the presence of the landscape. This end of Arizona is magnificent!!</span></div>
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it rained on Tuesday. by Thursday, the gravel parking strip had erupted in fierce little bits of greenery the were defiantly blooming. Life wastes no time in the desert.<br /><span data-offset-key="3n3ht-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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roxiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14916948065233137971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29452093.post-88749965961644589462017-09-07T06:22:00.002-07:002017-09-07T06:22:58.560-07:00Montezuma's Castle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The visit to Montezuma's Castle was really neat. The dwelling were built and extended by a series of native American cultures starting from about 600 AD. There were about 40 families living there at maximum occupancy. It would have been a city! The main structure is surrounded by numerous single units carved out of the limestone, with a front wall and door shaped from river rock and adobe. If you look below the main structure and a bit to the right, you can see two more <span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;">of these doorways.</span></div>
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The location was ideal. South-facing to catch the winter sun, less than a quarter mile to a year-round river, fertile, easily farmed land along the river bank. Best of all the castle is located on a major trade route between the gulf of California, and the central plaines. </div>
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The only way to reach the castle was by a series of ladders. I'm thinking that the folks living there had massive thighs. Not only did they have to carry themselves up and down several times a day, but they also had to carry all their food, water, and goods on their backs. Oh, and the babies, too. I try to imagine myself living there, in the heat of summer and the cold of winter, spending most of the day outside and going in only to sleep or to avoid the worst of the weather, hunkered down in the darkness . . .</div>
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And no one knows why they all packed up and left. A drought? An epidemic? An urge to move on? It's a mystery.</div>
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On the way to and from the Castle, Dennis gave us a bit of a tour of the neighborhood. We are here near the end of monsoon season, and everything looks green and such. It's actually quite beautiful country.</div>
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roxiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14916948065233137971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29452093.post-57796821699464947582017-09-06T06:16:00.001-07:002017-09-06T06:16:15.465-07:00Recovery<br />
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Tuesday was a good day to count our marbles, center our chakras and recover from the vicissitudes of the journey. Yolanda got the kids off to school, while Kyle, Dennis and i lounged on the back porch, watching the sun rise and and enjoying the cool of the morning. We watched the hummingbirds and butterflies, and found shapes in the lazy clouds drifting by. Such bliss!! Lunch was in downtown old town Cottonwood. The Tavern is next door to the old hotel, built in the gold<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;"> rush days, burned down and rebuilt in 1925 (? my memory of numbers is wretched) and subsequently enjoyed by John Ford the director of iconic westerns, and by many of his stars: John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Mae West, and the like. The hotel is being refurbished, but you can stay there as it is right now for $150 a night.</span></div>
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Cottonwood is a tourist destination, with many antique stores and chichi boutiques. The setting is so beautiful, with forested slopes on one side, and stark ridges and canyons on the other. And hanging halfway up the mountain to the west is a little valley holding the town of Jerome. We will go there soon.</div>
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The best part of the day was in the evening when the clouds built up and the thunderstorms began. We all stood outside watching the lightning, oohing and aahhing, and trying to time our mystic gestures and cabalistic words to co-incide with the flashes. "Lux!" I commanded, throwing an invisible ball of will at the heavens. Inside a cloud, an explosion of light created a burst of luminescence. Dennis said, "Watch this," and cast a wordless command under his lifted leg. A huge triple-forked bolt crackled down into the hills to the south. "Incandescens!"" I cried, throwing both hands into the air. flash to the left, bolt to the center, blast to the right. Then Kyle very calmly, very silently did nothing, and a crackling sheet of of electricity covered a quarter of the sky. The natives probably thought we were mad, standing in the driveway and laughing like loons at the weather. it was the perfect end to a peaceful day.</div>
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roxiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14916948065233137971noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29452093.post-660261563690236182017-09-03T15:57:00.002-07:002017-09-03T15:57:27.813-07:00Off to Arizona<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="6fc2i" data-offset-key="7h9ig-0-0" style="color: #1d2129; font-family: 'SF Optimized', system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, '.SFNSText-Regular', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
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<span data-offset-key="7h9ig-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">We got the nice biker with the two Rotteweilers to house-sit for us, and hit the road. First stop was in Redmond for my Sis-in-law Frankie's 80th birthday. It was great to see so many of the family again. Nieces and nephews I would not have recognized, great nieces and nephews I have never seen before. My brother Denny does an awesome barbecue. A great and brief first day.</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="7h9ig-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">We are anchored tonight at Whiskey Flats RV Park, right across the road from Hawthorne Army Depot; the largest ammunition depot in the world. The park is neat, fully equipped with water, electric and sewer hookups, a laundromat and shower room, and even an intrepid little tree at each hook-up station. The temperature outside is 97 degrees, with 6% humidity. The air conditioner is roaring away, cooling down our rolling hot box. It's nice to be stopped.</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="291g4-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">We hit the road at 4:00Am so we could make Winnemucca before it got too hot. We did! six and a half hours across miles and miles and miles and MILES of stinking desert. I have come to the conclusion the God must really love sagebrush, because He has made such a lot of it. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="3r9ih-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">Then, having reached Winnemucca in such good time, the horse got the bit in his teeth and headed south. We passed alkali pans and sand dunes and many, many applicants for the Yellow Line Leather Company (featuring, stretched, pressed, naturally harvested skins and hides. Check out our special on rattlesnakeskin belts with Goodyear prints.)</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="9usi2-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">It was so hot, the vultures were panting, and could barely be bothered to waddle a few feet away from the roadkill.</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="3vopd-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">However, as we proceeded further south, the apron of the Sierra Nevada mountain range reach out to greet us. Clouds began to gather over head. Just a few at first. They were very shy. But if they get their courage up and party down, we might get a thunderstorm tonight. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="a8vo8-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">We passed acres of corn. Did you ever think of western Nevada as corn country? The Walker River Indian Reservation is decidedly replete with corn. (Paiute and Shoshone tribes)</span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="2rp67-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">Walker Lake was such a surprise to me. It's this big, lovely lake plopped right into the desert. OK, there is actually a lovely range of very decorative buttes along the east side, but I am accustomed to seeing lakes with greenery around them. Not here. Dry, sandy soil with sagebrush and bunch grass, and then, water. It's like it was built by someone on a budget with a tight time schedule who just couldn't be bothered with non-essentials. </span></div>
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<span data-offset-key="ev0er-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;">So, it's 3:15 and I have been promised a leisurely shower. No time like the present!</span></div>
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roxiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14916948065233137971noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29452093.post-28241706676485975532017-08-27T17:03:00.001-07:002017-08-27T17:03:25.541-07:00Where did the summer go?The eclipse was actually pretty awesome. I was most surprised by the drop in temperature. We all wound up grabbing blankets as the moon shaded the sun. And then, totality was almost mystical. There were two minutes when you could pull off your glasses and actually look at the sun as just this big black spot with light rays glaring out around it. That was a fast two minutes! and not 30 seconds after totality was over, the first yahoo was peeling out to get on the highway. Within 3 minutes of the end of totality, Madras was in gridlock. I heard that two people died before help could get to them. And one cunning lad decided to hold up the US Bank, then just casually walk away. Unfortunately, one of the tellers identified him.<br />
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We spent the night and headed out on Tuesday at 10AM. Steady traffic, but smooth sailing all the way home.<br />
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The time with the family was great. So good to spend time with those girls. the cooking schedule worked out well.<br />
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And I got many of my projects accomplished. Dying fabrics for piecing, performing the interpretive dance that Doug had requested for his funeral (called, "The weirdest thing on Facebook today,") making blank cards, and initiating embroideries. I'll have to do more embroidery on the trip to AZ. <br />
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I also acquired the makings for another quilt, with bling and t-shirts. I need not fear idle hands.<br />
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On Saturday the 27th, we attended Alena Eyesmont's wedding to Matt Hansen. What a lovely couple of kids, and what a wonderful wedding! I have to ask momma Yanna about the traditional Ukrainian ceremonial cloths, and what was the point of lifting the kids overhead in chairs? The loaf of bread was amazing!<br />
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The food was awesome, and it just kept coming. Ukrainian food is the best.<br />
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Formal attire was requested. We had everything from dark suits and long gowns, to sport shirt with no tie, and polyester pants and a blouse. I wore tea-length chiffon with a matching coat, and a wide-brimmed purple straw hat. Only hat there, but I got a lot of compliments.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cy1awpGo5ho/WaNb24s9sGI/AAAAAAAAMxY/stkHgruv9zQGIfCs5uimYiu6L1UXh2u5gCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cy1awpGo5ho/WaNb24s9sGI/AAAAAAAAMxY/stkHgruv9zQGIfCs5uimYiu6L1UXh2u5gCLcBGAs/s200/IMG_1174.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9nBQK4DhY-w/WaNc4Mtx2oI/AAAAAAAAMxs/lpSOeoAYyQkN9jymrunaCp4K70GUR2i1ACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5229.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9nBQK4DhY-w/WaNc4Mtx2oI/AAAAAAAAMxs/lpSOeoAYyQkN9jymrunaCp4K70GUR2i1ACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_5229.JPG" width="320" /></a>Bling to the nth degree!</div>
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Gene was master of honor. Handsome lad!<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-haMtm8QLSu4/WaNc4p5qgUI/AAAAAAAAMxw/2SMXUx4v4pYYZbcTJF7PgalTyv-AnZruwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-haMtm8QLSu4/WaNc4p5qgUI/AAAAAAAAMxw/2SMXUx4v4pYYZbcTJF7PgalTyv-AnZruwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_5231.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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And oh, what a beautiful, beautiful bride!!<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pYOzbnePppk/WaNcJb_ikoI/AAAAAAAAMxc/8PKlIqAlDUslMO_PLJ4YMjEO-orGkn0YgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pYOzbnePppk/WaNcJb_ikoI/AAAAAAAAMxc/8PKlIqAlDUslMO_PLJ4YMjEO-orGkn0YgCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_1176.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
roxiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14916948065233137971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29452093.post-56597702824477088242017-08-20T07:07:00.000-07:002017-08-20T07:07:13.483-07:00'clips day 3 reportDue to the influx of thousands of people, the internet connection has gotten s-l-o-w. If I don't get my stuff posted by 7 am, I may as well forget it. So here goes!<br />
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Yesterday, Miz E and I rinsed and dried our dye experiments. Our long-tailed unicorn is now pink!<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nCfrwWejRUE/WZmR9d171YI/AAAAAAAAMwk/pSYLJ3VP9_kOU9fsHOBB7Ov0VoBCIrPOwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nCfrwWejRUE/WZmR9d171YI/AAAAAAAAMwk/pSYLJ3VP9_kOU9fsHOBB7Ov0VoBCIrPOwCLcBGAs/s200/IMG_5202.JPG" width="200" /></a> Random sprinkles of powdered dye on wet fabric, wrapped in plastic, and left to percolate in the sunshine. Surprisingly satisfying results.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IWIXzqA6HJs/WZmSCiF4BkI/AAAAAAAAMwo/r-M80sXsqRIPDJW2z0uq8jTokw5hxbynQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IWIXzqA6HJs/WZmSCiF4BkI/AAAAAAAAMwo/r-M80sXsqRIPDJW2z0uq8jTokw5hxbynQCLcBGAs/s200/IMG_5203.JPG" width="200" /></a> The last one was the most labor intensive, requiring two people to spend almost fifteen minutes placing rubber bands. I like it so much that I might just leave it intact and create a pieced border around it.<br />
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In other news, the sky-divers continue to leap six and seven times a day. The "Solar Fest" location across the highway is filling rapidly. You may even see some of the aerial shots of it - a veritable city laid out in the sun and dust. Folks who live in Madras are saying that the traffic is insane. My niece who lives in Seattle says, "Traffic?" It's all a matter of perspective. I remember when the Redmond city council decided the city needed a traffic light when a herd of sheep knocked over the local wino on his bicycle. It's all a matter of perspective. I think of that traffic light, patiently going from green to yellow to red, all alone, for hours on a Sunday afternoon. And a Tuesday mid-day. And a Wednesday . . . Traffic problems could, to an extent, be a matter of perception.<br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6K9mFxrQpCg/WZmW62wU-dI/AAAAAAAAMw8/W2Vqp5Z3nLICiHW0qNN2bwJNSjmUmnHkACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6K9mFxrQpCg/WZmW62wU-dI/AAAAAAAAMw8/W2Vqp5Z3nLICiHW0qNN2bwJNSjmUmnHkACLcBGAs/s200/IMG_1155.JPG" width="150" /></a><br />
Yesterday was Kyle's turn to cook. NOM! Toaster waffles with strawberries and whipped cream for breakfast. Whipped cream in a can can be lots of fun to play with, and the dogs are always happy to help clean up sticky hands and faces. Lunch was sandwiches and, for four of us, grilled beef bones. My inner savage relishes a grilled bone, and I wound up greasy from ear to ear. Then Miz L started sharing her bone with the dogs. If sitting at her feet and begging was what it took to get more grilled beef, I have no pride and I outweigh both dogs.<br />
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Dinner was roast beef. I went to bed in something of a meat coma. Life is GOOD!roxiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14916948065233137971noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29452093.post-29947276776274027972017-08-19T06:55:00.002-07:002017-08-19T06:55:45.532-07:00'clips, day 2 report<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: 'SF Optimized', system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, '.SFNSText-Regular', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tom is a ditch-rider. Which means, he is one of a squad of people who monitor the irrigation canals, so vital to the farming community. In the early days, the gentlemen did their job on horseback, making sure that no one was sneaking more than his share of the water, and making sure that the ditch was in good repair. They were hired by the federal government and were provided with housing in one central location. Many ditch riders now have homes of their own and drive their trucks in to work. Tom and Cheryl still live on the original property. There is a rosebush that was planted sometime around the 20s. It is now about 10 feet high and about 14 feet in diameter. And within its brambly interior lives a thriving family of quail. And several bunnies. I am sharing my sunrise with them. Life is good.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: 'SF Optimized', system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, '.SFNSText-Regular', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: 'SF Optimized', system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, '.SFNSText-Regular', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yesterday, Miz E and I did some dying. We used the laziest method possible. Sprinkle the powdered dye directly onto the wet fabric, wrap it in plastic, and leave it to simmer in the sun. Today we will rinse it out and spread it in the shade to dry. For the quilting, I often get second-hand sheets at garage sales for mere pennies, then dye them to suit my needs. Random tie-dye effects are great.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: SF Optimized, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, .SFNSText-Regular, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; white-space: pre-wrap;">We are a quarter mile from the airport. Yesterday, skydivers were making use of the light breezes and cleared fields. Their were at least 8 jumps with up to fourteen chutists in each. I lay in the lawn chair in the shade with my knitting and enjoyed the show. Gosh I'm good at this retirement stuff!</span></span></span>roxiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14916948065233137971noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29452093.post-89398627123859848802017-08-18T06:49:00.001-07:002017-08-18T06:49:05.296-07:00'clips day 1 report<div class="_5pbx userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" style="color: #1d2129; font-family: 'SF Optimized', system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, '.SFNSText-Regular', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px; line-height: 1.38;">
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It's 6:10 and the sun is just gilding the mountains. We are in Madras to watch the eclipse which will happen on Monday. Tom and Cheryl are the best! They have around 20 people camped out here, with meals organized, and protective glasses for all. </div>
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Kyle and I are in the RV. I am watching the sunrise. Young jackrabbits are scampering across the lawn. A covey of quail scurried by a minute ago. Doves are calling. The traffic is a steady drone from the highway already. </div>
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The campers are slowly arriving. Some folks have the big, comfy trailers and RVs. Some folks have brought their little pop-up tents and rented a space in some farmer's hayfield, flat on the dirt in the baking sun with no shade or comforts, and a quarter mile walk to the port-a-potty. Some folks have set up tent villages on their property. Many folks are renting out their homes or apartments for the week and crashing with nearby family. I heard of one young lady who is renting her 2 bedroom apartment to a Danish news crew for four nights, a thousand dollars a night, and sleeping on her mom's couch for the duration.</div>
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The local gas station ran out of gas two days ago, refilled overnight, and just about ran out again yesterday. The eclipse is Monday at 10AM I'm thinking that by then, the tanks will be dry, the shelves will be empty, and the black market will be charging $15 for a roll of toilet paper. Then, by noon, the roads will groan with the weight of departing tourists. This will be an interesting few days.</div>
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roxiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14916948065233137971noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29452093.post-75668397271918868222017-08-13T15:36:00.001-07:002017-08-13T15:36:42.215-07:00Walkies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vTRi_Nn0SUI/WZDQmQqSXyI/AAAAAAAAMvY/SBIvvUIkugEdNiF_ji2Fwh6gvwZglxcPgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1143.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vTRi_Nn0SUI/WZDQmQqSXyI/AAAAAAAAMvY/SBIvvUIkugEdNiF_ji2Fwh6gvwZglxcPgCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_1143.JPG" width="320" /></a>Kyle and I did the Providence Bridge walk today. 7.5 miles. After days of temps in the mid 90s, today dawned cool and misty. It was glorious. We manage 3 miles an hour and I'm very please with that! I know, some people run 25 miles before breakfast every day. They are freaking awesome and good for them! I managed to drag my rosy rump over almost 8 miles of streets, climbing the equivalent of 40 flights of stairs and thoroughly sweating through every garment I was wearing. That pink shirt tied around my waist? I could wring it out when we finished. I'm not in shape for this. Five miles, maybe. 7.5 - - - ow. The best part about these walks is going on foot across the top decks of the two freeway bridges. Such magnificent views, and time to pause and appreciate them. <br />
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The Marquam bridge had a marimba and steel drum band on top. It really put the lift in your step. The Fremont Bridge had taiko drummers, and they just SLAMMED energy into you. Of course, after climbing to the top of the Fremont Bridge, everyone NEEDED the energy.<br />
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Taiko drumming must be awesome exercise. All the performers had splendid upper-body definition in every muscle group! Males and females, you could break an egg on their guns.<br />
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As soon as I got home, I crawled into a hot bath. Then I took a brief nap. Now I am trying to remember to stand up and walk around the house for five minutes out of every hour. Getting so s-t-i-f-f. <br />
<br />roxiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14916948065233137971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29452093.post-25241568634254198162017-08-12T17:28:00.001-07:002017-08-12T17:28:58.411-07:00Second Saturday Tea party<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I got out my sarongs for decoration for today's party. They're souvenirs of trips to tropical climes. From Australia to Aruba, Mexico to New Caledonia, Hawaii to Jamaica, Fiji, Samoa and one chunk of polyester scavenged from a discard bin when I worked for Pendleton. They make it look so festive. I love my sarongs.<br />
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I've been watching the Great British Baking Show and have been inspired. We had fruit tarts (cherry and strawberry)with frangipani filling. Also hazelnut tea cakes, sunny orange cookies (some with chocolate eclipses) fruit salad, and crackers with a slice of cucumber and some salmon. And tea, coffee, cucumber water, lemonade, iced tea and ice water. It was much cooler than I had expected, so the tea and coffee went over well. The ice water - not so much.<br />
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Pat, Jackie and Moma. We sang happy birthday to Pat in harmony!<br />
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Pat got a tattoo for her 60th birthday. Her daughter has the other half of the quote.<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DV451wc-1GU/WY-Zf1Jii1I/AAAAAAAAMu8/Ed7t27wFU9kLa1cGknITHefIFPuyyVh7gCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DV451wc-1GU/WY-Zf1Jii1I/AAAAAAAAMu8/Ed7t27wFU9kLa1cGknITHefIFPuyyVh7gCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_5165.JPG" width="320" /> </a><br />
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Merilee, Diane, Jenny and Maggie, knitting and<br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LRoubFTga9k/WY-ZhwYXQAI/AAAAAAAAMvE/kZ_Mh5j1_tgYx3_J5rTMsQSg5Xe0YEyuQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LRoubFTga9k/WY-ZhwYXQAI/AAAAAAAAMvE/kZ_Mh5j1_tgYx3_J5rTMsQSg5Xe0YEyuQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_5168.JPG" width="320" /></a>laughing.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LRoubFTga9k/WY-ZhwYXQAI/AAAAAAAAMvE/kZ_Mh5j1_tgYx3_J5rTMsQSg5Xe0YEyuQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; text-align: start;">Carolyn, Esther, Beth and Linda. We discussed bunnies, and meat with two veg. </span></a></div>
roxiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14916948065233137971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29452093.post-79499637563908105672017-08-04T08:45:00.001-07:002017-08-04T08:45:06.331-07:00I haven't seen everything yet<div class="_1dwg _1w_m" style="font-family: inherit; padding: 12px 12px 0px;">
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In line at the grocery store yesterday. The gal behind me had a tiny bottle and a box of kitten supplement formula. The clerk said, "You must have new kitties?" The gal behind me smiled and said, "Bunnies." then she pulled down the neck of her t-shirt revealing quite a lot of creamy cleavage, stuffed with three tiny baby bunnies each about 3 inches long. "It's like an incubator for them. The mother tried to kill them, so I have to keep them warm." I never expected to see a bosom full of baby bunnies in the check-out line. I'm </div>
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Things I should have expected to see. Getting out my knitting to send to the state fair. Put it down on the table and turned around to get a box. Just that fast, it has been claimed.<div class="_524d" style="font-family: inherit;">
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roxiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14916948065233137971noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29452093.post-27787505339896018222017-07-30T10:45:00.001-07:002017-07-30T10:45:08.505-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Figs are the most sensual fruit I know. Plucking a sun-warmed, perfectly ripe fig, so tender, pliant, and swollen with sweetness, and devouring it on the spot is a taste of heaven for me. I love the flavor, the textures, the colors, . . .<br />
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Our fig tree has produced abundantly this year. when the figs first started to ripen, I was eating one or two of the ripest each day. Then I was eating ALL the ripe figs. Then there were more ripe figs than I could eat while standing out in the yard, with my hands and mouth smeared with sugary syrup. I will not abandon my lovely figs to the birds of the air and the squirrels of the street, so as fruit ripens, I pick them, eat them, and bring in the surplus to eat later. <br />
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There are consequences to gorging on ripe figs. I am now prepared to share my excess figs. Unless someone knows of a good way to preserve them? I should look up fig jam. Maybe I can make my own fig Newtons.<br />
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May your Sunday be as supple, sensual and sweet as ripe figs. With no consequences.roxiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14916948065233137971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29452093.post-83508313194830071952017-07-29T08:37:00.000-07:002017-07-29T08:37:01.907-07:00MORE backyard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This red machine is called a dingo. ("Dingoes ate my baby!") It's a tiny baby tractor with a front scoop.<br />
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This young man is T. W. We hired him to help with a little<br />
excavation project. We had a section of back yard about, oh, 12 feet square, that had been over-run by blackberries. There was, roughly 12 cubic feet of blackberry vines to deal with. T.W.took his mighty machete and made the blackberry vines feel desperately unwelcome. Then, using the dingo, he scraped the roots out and leveled the space. We discovered a cement pad under all that verdure. Now we have a lovely, shady, 12 more square feet in our backyard and a cement pad on which to place lawn furniture and sip iced tea. Life is good in Chez Matthieu.roxiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14916948065233137971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29452093.post-69294272491884589112017-07-28T08:36:00.001-07:002017-07-28T08:36:40.809-07:00tea in the backyard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Imagine, my children, that you made some dear friends back in college. Life took you in many different directions, but 40 years later, you still have connections. This is my friend Linda M. who has been serving overseas in various missions for the past four decades. Now, of an age to retire, she is looking to for a place to land. <br />
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After working in a refugee camp in Vietnam, in Bangladesh, in Pakistan, in Jordan, and other dangerous and exotic places, she is thinking about maybe settling in Portland. <br />
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She and another friend (Lucinda as she is known on Facebook) joined me for curried chicken salad, iced tea, and a plum tart in our backyard. Shady, breezy, peaceful, easy. We renewed old friendships and shared our varied histories. I NEVER expected to get this old, and when I think about it, I have at least another 20 years to go. What surprises do I still have in store?<br />
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Binge-watching the Greatest British Baking Show has inspired me to try short-crust tart shells and frangipane (ground almonds, butter, and eggs) filling with fresh fruit on top. Oh my! I can DO this. Tarts are in my future. Maybe I'll try a Bakewell tart next.<br />
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<br />roxiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14916948065233137971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29452093.post-22206970271304770232017-07-23T09:09:00.000-07:002017-07-23T09:09:07.142-07:00I am among the most fortunate of women!Twenty three years ago, Kyle and I got married in our backyard. This has been the happiest twenty three years of my life! Better than a third of my life with my wonderful, kind, smart, funny man. Every morning I wake up and thank God for KYLE.<br />
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OK, you don't want to listen to me praise the guy all day (I could. With praise enough to be continued on several subsequent days.) But falling in love with Kyle was the best thing thing I ever did. Thank you, Darling!!<br />
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The wedding was a real group effort. Paul's mother made my pink silk wedding dress, Tamara made the cake (Delicious!!) Jason and Cynthia did the photography, Dennis and Lynn got us a deal on the champagne. The day was the hottest day of the year, and our backyard was an oasis of shade and pink balloons. It was glorious! Paul was Kyle's best man. Lynn was my matron of Honor. Everett, who introduced Kyle and me, was the Man of Honor. The guys were heroic enough to wear navy wool blazers for the ceremony. They looked SO sharp!! Friends and familymade it such a splendid party. And for days afterwards, I was spotting runaway balloon nestled in tree branches around the neighborhood.<br />
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Yesterday, we went on a Volkswalk in the local timber town of Estacada on the serene Clackamas river. We did a leisurely walk along the river, into town, through the street festivities, admiring the plethora of murals, with a brief stop at the AW root beer stand for hydration, then back along the river to the park again. Six K total. I am so out of shape, but Kyle was kind enough to go slow and I enjoyed the whole thing thoroughly!<br />
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roxiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14916948065233137971noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29452093.post-47216132691556634652017-07-22T09:03:00.001-07:002017-07-22T09:03:43.429-07:00Sales are dangerousI went to Joanne's yesterday for three skeins of red embroidery floss. Came out with $31 worth of stuff. I saved $16 on it, and it's all stuff I WILL use, but geeze . . . the biggest chunk was the canvas tote bags -- Medium and large sized tote bags. A three pack missing one -instead of 3 for $11, I got 2 for $2.49 If I bought just a single one, it would have cost $3.99 (SCORE!!) So that was $4.99 for four sturdy, heavy canvas tote bags. How can I pass that up?<br />
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And a box of brightly colored blank cards, 40% off, because I like to send cards and haven't done so for too long. Also, because we will be camped for the 'clips for almost a week with teens and tweens, and embellishing brightly colored cards is a reasonable craft project for those 90 degree afternoons. Hence the bottle of rubber cement as well. We will be staying with my niece, Cheryl, who has loads of crafty supplies, so these cards will be noteworthy! Hmm, and with three teen girls in the house, I bet we could use some old nail polish to paint awesome designs . . . Where did I put that old polish? (I use old nail polish to mark MY scissors for group sews, or OUR hammers when Kyle helps friends, or . . you know. Old eyes - this is the On position for the headset power button.)<br />
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I also bought some dye, because people have given me stained white sheets that need to be dyed and cut up for quilting. Another great 'clips project. We can spread the sheets out on the lawn, splotch and spritz to our heart's content, roll the artworks up in garbage bags, and let them cook in the afore-mentioned 90 degree sunshine for the remainder of the afternoon. The next day, when things heat up, we can unwrap, hose down, and admire our creativity. (I plan on doing the blues and greens together, and the pinks and purples together. I will try to avoid the green and magenta cross-dyes.)<br />
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Also some iron-on transfers because I am taking a load of estate-sale napkins on the trip with intention to embroider and teach others to do the same. Also, embroidery floss (The original intent.)<br />
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Also . . .Well, it was all an awesome good sale. And I had such a lovely time, poking through the deals! Joanne's is a toy store for me. Or a candy shop.<br />
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I was strong. I did NOT buy more yarn or fabric, though there were great bargains. I stayed strictly away from the baking aisles. And the beading. I did, at the last minute, succumb to a beach tote with a big pink flamingo on it. My sister-in-law loves flamingoes. I don't know what I'm getting her for Christmas, but I know what I will wrap it in.<br />
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SO, next month, I have loads of fun stuff to do for the almost a week that we will be camped. I still have to think about what knitting to take, though.<br />
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<br />roxiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14916948065233137971noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29452093.post-76761416878637647192017-07-21T14:48:00.001-07:002017-07-21T14:48:46.845-07:00Friday check-inOn Thursdays I get together with MJ and we sew comforters. It is a deeply satisfying sew hours when we talk about anything while we arrange, pin and stitch pretty colors into new patterns. Yesterday we were ready to start a new comforter, but the fabric stash was in such a tumble . . . I'm so glad MJ didn't mind, because I just dropped down on my knees and began pulling everything out so we could sort and re-organize. It took a couple of hours, and a garbage bag for the stuff that honestly was just too small. Why is it so much more fun to organize someone else's things? I had the best time, and we wound up with the sprawl neatly organized and tucked away. And we got a start on the next comforter. MJ has a son who is renting a house with some friends. Just moved in. MJ has some lovely wool suits that her husband had made in HongKong 30 years ago. Unfortunately, the suits have been mauled by moths. So we filleted the suits, cutting around the bigger holes, and will construct a comforter with lovely fine wool patches, and a backing perhaps of flannel. It's nice to have a plan.<br />
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Meanwhile, back at home, I am going to wade through my sewing room and tidy up somehow. There is the material for knitting projects in bags on the floor. There is a pile of nylon net in case I ever actually DO get around to making myself a tutu. There is a pile of ironing pouting sullenly in a corner. There is a fibrous film of threads and dust over everything. Actually, I have developed a sort of blindness about the chaos. I can focus on the cubbyhole where the filing gets stuffed until the day when I'm feeling alphabetical. Or I can focus on the stack of fat quarters MJ bought for me when she was in Hawaii (I adore those asian prints!)n Or I can focus on specific knitting projects, but the whole room - - Lordy, when I die, whoever has to clean that place out will be chipping away at it for days. <br />
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I have, in fact, a sort of smug satisfaction with the fecund disorder. it's a nest of possibilities and there's no telling what might hatch in there. Hmmmm -- Kinda like the inside of my head . . .roxiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14916948065233137971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29452093.post-313520548199444932017-07-19T07:49:00.001-07:002017-07-19T07:49:57.774-07:00I gotta get the flock out of here.Sometimes you just have to start writing to find out what you're going to write about. There are all these ideas penned up in my head like a flock of hungry sheep in a barn. Occasionally, when you open the door, they get themselves jammed in the doorway because they all try to squeeze out at once. Then, I don't know, one pushes harder or one backs up and suddenly they explode out into the sunny meadow and immediately start to graze.<br />
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Ha! Here they come. First thing I have to do is make a list of the things I have to do. 1.Cat to vet? A. Look up cystitis. B.Wash bedspread. I.Use laundromat big washer and dryers. a. round up quarters for Laundromat washers and dryers. 2. Get dressed 3. Unload dishwasher. 4. Breakfast dishes into dishwasher. 5.Fold laundry and put it away. 6. Start another load of laundry (it never ends. Never,never,never!) 7. Make bed. 8. Start clean-up in work room. No, 8.Make vet appointment. Probably ought to do that before folding laundry. Then Laundromat, but the laundromat will take hours. Prep entertainment for Laundromat. Damn - writer's group today. and sewing with MJ tomorrow . . tea with Maggie at ten on Friday . . People who have jobs need to use the laundromat on the weekends sooo it looks like the bedspread will get washed next Tuesday. Start a list for Tuesday.<br />
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The lambs and ewes are scampering in and out of the barn, trying to find one another. Lots of bleating and jostling and the thunder of little hooves in the dust.<br />
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And my eyes keep rolling closed. Kyle has been waking at 3 in the morning and getting up, which wakes me. Then the cats decide that if he's up, it must be time for them to eat, so I spend the next two hours trying to sleep while fuzzy faces stand on my chest, squeaking their starvation at me. Oh, yes, they are clearly starving. They're down to nothing but skin and fat. Their solid little bodies stomp over my full bladder and my boobs like . . .like fourteen pounds of annoying cats. <br />
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And I'd better throw something over the bed or the cat might pee on the mattress.<br />
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1. Look up cystitis!<br />
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Today's blog post has been brought to you by distraction, mental clutter, and the wrong side of the bed. These sheep are not going to settle down and graze today. I'd better go deal with them.roxiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14916948065233137971noreply@blogger.com0