Senseless

Both Jim and I were confused as to why we slept so late this morning until we remembered the time zones we have crossed. I hate wasting adventure time to sleep.

Thanks to the blessing of Internet and live steaming, we were able to worship with our home church this morning. It was good to see familiar faces. We were also able to Face Time Shari and Kayleen and see all the grand kids today while we were driving. What an amazing world of technology we live in.

We started today's journey on Route 66. It seemed appropriate to turn on '50's music and sing along loudly, so we did. We stopped at a Route 66 museum but unfortunately it was closed for the day.

Jim got in his wildlife count today with antelope and a (ugh) tarantula. He also saw some Texas longhorn cattle. I told him that cattle do not count for wildlife no matter how long their horns are.

We stopped in Oklahoma City and visited the Oklahoma National City Memorial. It is a beautiful memorial site, but the impact of the sadness and of the senselessness of hate and violence tempered the beauty. When we saw the fence still decorated with mementoes, we realized that there are still many living people hurting over this horrific crime and the deaths that occurred there.

Tonight we are staying in Fort Smith Arkansas. Already we are experiencing a great change in weather patterns. I think we have left the heat of summer behind us.

Losing Time

As we came down a hill on Highway 40 last night the city of Albuquerque lay before us looking like a blanket of sparkling diamonds. We have so rarely driven in the dark of night so the display took us by surprise. First impressions generally shape an attitude, so we drove into the Old Town of Albuquerque this morning with great expectations. We were not disappointed.

Old town has the architecture of the 1700's, the strong influence of an Indian/Mexican culture, and the impact of modern day American marketing to tourists. We enjoyed it all. We toured the San Felipe de Niro Church and wandered through gift shops. We found the buildings that housed the shops more interesting than the goods inside. There were both Indian and Mexican live bands playing in the park which we both enjoyed. I think there is a Spanish soul hiding in my Dutch body.

We didn't get back on the road until early afternoon. As we often do we stopped for a snack along the way. It is nice that New Mexico provides little picnic shelters for travelers.

We thought we might experience a rainstorm today but even though we could see a downpour less than a mile from us we remained in the sun. We enjoy seeing clouds again.

Tonight we are in Amarillo, Texas. We ate at a Tex-Mex restaurant for dinner. Jim was a bit surprised to find two fried eggs on top of his burrito!

We have crossed two time zones in the last 24 hours. The lost time is bringing us closer to home

Light and Shadow

Jim was delighted at how the day began. He was carded at a Mc Donald's for a Senior coffee! He was still laughing 30 miles down the road.

I suppose the reactions to Grand Canyon are as varied as the people who visit the park. When I came around a corner and saw my first glimpse of that yawning cavern, my first thought concerned the beauty of light and shadow. I wished I were a painter. The canyon itself is incomprehensible and beautiful. It made me wonder again exactly how God might have created this earth.

Within seconds of our arrival at the edge of the canyon, we were gifted with the flight of two California Condor. Jim wrote a research paper (which I had the privilege of typing) on the condor when he was working on his degree in Wildlife Management. To see this endangered species soar above the canyon was thrilling for both of us. Naturally I didn't have camera in hand which was disappointing because the sight of the birds against the canyon walls was awesome. We did see a Bald Eagle take flight a few hours later.

We have more respect for our son, Aaron, who trekked to the bottom of this canyon on one of the toughest trails available. It is a long way down on narrow, treacherous trail. I couldn't even go near the edge anywhere even though there was fencing everywhere we went.

As we have in all the National Parks we have visited on this trip, we heard a cacophony of foreign languages. It seems there are more foreign people enjoying our parks than Americans. It is a gift I am glad we can share. God shows Himself so beautifully in His creation.

One more thing is checked off the bucket list. We have seen the Canyon. It is Grand.

We are breaking rules again tonight. We continued east on our journey and because there are things we want to see tomorrow in New Mexico we decided to drive an extra hour. Jim said because I made the rules, I am allowed the privilege of breaking them.

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Outdoor peace

As we drove through the lower desert of Southern California this morning, Jim commented on the fact that he was enjoying the scenery. I looked around and saw scrub brush growing haphazardly on dirty colored sand and jagged rocks. I thought of all the beautiful countryside we have driven through in the past several weeks and  wondered how he could find that landscape even interesting, let alone enjoyable. And then he said that it reminded him of the home of his youth. The environment in which one is raised must seep deep into the soul of a person. Give me the rolling corn fields of Iowa any day!

Because some politician decided that it was important to share his virtues with us on the phone at 5:30 in the morning, we were off to an early start. It actually ended up being a blessing because we arrived in Sedona, Arizona in the early afternoon which allowed plenty of time to enjoy the area. The rock formations are beautiful. We noticed the way all the homes and commercial properties are built to blend in with the landscape. We visited the Chapel of the Rock which is a beautiful Catholic Chapel. The architect took outdoor peace and brought it inside. God, everywhere.

Tonight we are in Flagstaff, Arizona. Tomorrow we hope to check one more thing off our bucket list.

Packing and planning

This morning Jim rode with Don to Indio to visit the Rescue Mission there. It seems sad to me that even in the middle of the desert, and even with all the affluence around us there is still need for a Rescue Mission. Jesus said "the poor will always be among you". We have seen much of that on this trip.

Of course there is a golf course along the way, so even in the heat of the day, the guys managed to get in one last golf game. Jim will miss his golfing partner!

I spent a good part of the day doing laundry, re-packing and planning the direction we might want to take over the next few days as we start the last leg of this Victory Lap. It is hard to believe that in just a little more than a week we will be back home. We are looking forward to these last adventures, but we are also beginning to long to see our family and Michigan friends again.

The last couple of weeks with our California friends have been amazing. How I wish I could pack them all up in our car and take them home with me. We will always treasure this time we spent together. We already treasure the 43 years of friendship that we have shared. God has blessed us greatly by bringing each of these friends into our lives, and each couple has had their own special influence in helping us become who we are today. We will miss them and look forward to their return visits in Michigan.

Tomorrow we leave California.

Velvet

I received a few e-mails over the last few days that required me to consult my calendar for dates in the future. It made me realize what a stress free, relaxing life we have been living these past weeks. A part of me never wants to return to a scheduled life, but I know that eventually we will have to leave this fantasy we have been living.

Jim is loving getting up to a round of golf in the morning. It was a little cooler today, so he and Don came back looking like there was a little more life left in them.

After a very full yesterday I was happy to sit on the patio and do some reading and just relaxing. We played games again in the afternoon, and at least we women can say we are consistent. In losing.

Tonight we went to a restaurant that sells 30 different kinds of huge, juicy hamburgers. We probably didn't do our cholesterol levels any good, but we came home full and happy.

The night ended on the patio under a moonlit sky. The warm breeze felt like velvet on our skin. My soul is fed.

In love

I am falling in love. With California. If only the other millions of people that live here didn't feel the same way...

Today we traveled to San Diego. I had never been there before, and although many years ago Jim attended San Diego State University, he had forgotten what a beautiful city it is. We took a lovely walk along the waters edge and saw ships of every sort. The skies were a beautiful blue and the climate absolutely perfect. No wonder so many people choose to live there!

We ate lunch at Anthony's which is a restaurant known for its fish and sea food menu. I felt a little bad not ordering fish, but even in this ocean environment I still don't like fish. Everyone else enjoyed the fish, though, and I had a wonderful chicken breast in a lemon sauce that quickly negated any thought that I should be trying the fish! We sat right by a window overlooking the ocean and could see a dolphin playing in the water.

After a time of shopping the gift stores we drove to Old Town San Diego. There were museum exhibits as well as more gift shops. It was a great experience.

Later in the afternoon we drove to Carlsbad. Not knowing the area, I had no idea we would arrive at another beautiful seaside town. We sat for a while on a boardwalk, just enjoying the ocean and watching the surfers play in the sea. I feel sad knowing that this is the last time we will see the Pacific Ocean on this trip.

We met Don and Betty's son Mark and daughter-in-law Kimberley and their three daughters Hayley, Hannah and Noelle for dinner at a restaurant. We have now met all of Don and Betty's wonderful family on this trip.

Today was another gift. I am feeling overwhelmed by all the fantastic experiences we have been enjoying but we are grateful for the blessing

Scream!

We are staying in a beautiful villa and one of the things I look forward to every evening is retreating to the wonderful Master Suite and climbing into the king sized bed with its down comforter and crisp white sheets. Last night I drew back the covers. Imagine the decibels that filled the room when a huge, black spider scurried across the bed. Jim, great white hunter that he is, brought it swiftly to its death, but my comfort level throughout the night was greatly diminished. There was a detailed search before bedtime tonight.

We started our day with worship at the Palm Desert Community Church. It was good to sing praise with fellow believers and to learn more about the God who fills us with His Spirit.

Right across the street from the church is a huge open air market. Jim and Don lasted only a few minutes, but Betty and I braved the intense heat and had fun wandering though the market.

Later in the afternoon we drove to Cabazon where we visited the Hadley fruit market. They had dried fruit and dates of all varieties. I wondered if some of the dates are the same variety that are hanging from the trees here in the resort. We have enjoyed seeing all the fruits of California in their growing stage, and it was fun to sample a lot of them today.

Tonight the women were again sadly trounced in the game of Sequence. I am beginning to suspect the losing streak is due to my inattentiveness and total lack of competitiveness. I heard several comments tonight that seem to validate that premise.

Tomorrow we go on another adventure. I need to go to sleep so I can wake up soon.

Clouds

I drove a car for the first time in over 6 weeks today when Betty and I decided to shop some thrift stores while Don and Jim golfed another 18 holes. I tried to tell Jim that the filled Macy's shopping bag I came home with was from the thrift store. He didn't buy into it.

Today was another warm 100 plus degree day in Palm Desert. The guys woke up with the moon so they could get in their play before the heat of the day set in. I'm not sure if that made a big difference in their score, but they came back looking a little less melted than yesterday.

We witnessed something we have not yet seen in California. Just about the time we decided to go for a swim and relax in the hot whirlpool the skies clouded over. It seemed odd to me to see the grey clouds. After so many warm, sunny days the bright blue California skies seem like a much more natural phenomenon. It was a nice reprieve, though, to sit outdoors at poolside without the hot sun beating down on us.

I hope I remember to love Winter.

Luxury

It is a luxurious thing to wake up in the morning with no reason to rush around getting ready for the day. I reveled in that today.

In spite of a very warm morning, Don and Jim got in 18 holes of golf. Betty and I sat on the patio, talking, reading, crocheting, and did I mention talking? It was fun when the guys golfed their way right past the patio where we were sitting in the cool of the shade. It was probably the hottest golf game Jim has ever played and I'm not talking about the score.

I am finding it hard to read here even though I have some quiet time to do so today. My eyes keep wandering to the beautiful landscape outside. Perhaps I am absorbing more food for my soul just sitting in this environment than I could ever glean from a printed page.

We shared a home cooked meal tonight and learned a new version of Skip-Bo. I feel like we are on a vacation within a vacation.

I need to remember to use a flash with my camera for indoor pictures!