Destination

I arrived at my destination on Tuesday and have not posted for enjoying spending time with my friends.  They left for their India adventure early this morning and 14 hours later are still traveling.  So I am back to blogging. Before they left, Kegan and I played a mean game of air hockey.  He is a formidable opponent. He and Aidan and I played around with my calligraphy supplies.

Here are all three boys (Aidan, Riley, and Kegan) with their space creation.

After my friends left this morning, I continued to love up on their three cats.  Hobbes is the most out of joint for their leaving.  He followed me around this morning and even helped me make the bed.

Since I woke up early this morning to see my friends off, I took an afternoon nap, and Buttercup and Gus decided to join me.  I think we will get along just fine. I was looking forward to Gus begging for dinner -- I think he is feeling a bit shy.  Jenn, I waited and waited, but no leg rubbing, no persistent glances.

The house where I am staying is lovely.  I am especially enjoying the light in the homeschool room where I have my art supplies spread out on a long table.  And I am so excited about the vegetable garden in the backyard: tomatoes, cucumber, zucchini, winter squash, watermelon, herbs, and more!!!

Tonight, I cut a fist-full of lavender to bring inside.  Then I spent some time drawing listening to Mozart.  The high ceilings have such a nice effect on sound.

California and American Wildflowers

Arriving in CA took me a bit by surprise.  No signs saying 35 miles to CA. None.  And speed limit signs:  you can go 30 miles or more without seeing one.  And police:  I think of them as sharks; they like to pull out behind me for fun to watch me cringe. 

I drove from 8:45 to 4:00 and time passed with amazing alacrity.  What a change from my first day driving, when I was oh-so-tired and when I watched the miles pass, one by painful one.

Here are some shots of the hotel I am staying at tonight.  Love the color scheme.

I am only 3 hours from my destination, though today, day 14 of my trip, was the first time I hit stop-and-go traffic.  I went 3 miles in 20 minutes.  A bit hard to complain.  And I got to stop to watch a train cross the road which was reminiscent of my childhood (though there aren't cabooses to guess the color of any more).

Since I took very few pictures today . . . here is a smattering of the wildflowers I photographed along the way.

The Word of the Desert

This morning, I was on the road by 8:00.  I stopped at Lake Powell – Glen Canyon.  I climbed down the red eddying rock to the lake and gave myself a bit of scare wondering whether or not I would be able to find my way back.  (There were other people around – no real worries).  The lake was clear to the bottom and October sky blue.

The wind has not stopped blowing since I crossed into Arizona.  If you forget that the wind is blowing, you will think your alignment it way off.  Is it always like this? 

 

Along the way, I stopped here and was still for a long while drinking in the rock, the shades of color, and the sounds.  The swallows forgot I was there and swooped right beside me.  They look to be playing hawk, catching the thermals. Then they take on sprint speed for their insect dives.  

Next, I drove down to the south entrance of the Grand Canyon.  I think you need to be an artist to take a good picture of the Canyon.  It is hard for the eye and mind to comprehend the depth and breadth, never mind the camera with its lack of peripheral vision and depth perception. How does one trick it into seeing what is there?

I managed to avoid the crowds.

Languages I heard at the Canyon:

French

German

Vietnamese

Korean

Spanish

Japanese

Russian

Swedish?

Croatian

Australian English

British English

I have come to an understanding with Arizona – the desert of Arizona.  It speaks a word that reminds me of asceticism and pulls me into meditation.  It is a word that I don’t really want to hear right now, and all the same it is good.  The desert is more forthright with its call to stillness.  The Canyon is easily underestimated and holds its cards close to its chest.  It can bewilder you with its beauty and hide its true self like a coy woman.

On a lighter note . . .

What I like about Arizona . . .

Dogs sleeping in front of hotels.

Goats – unpenned – grazing on the side of the highway.

The red-orange earth.

Asceticism.

What I don’t like about Arizona  . . .

           Does anyone live here?

           The questionable chance of surviving if my car broke down.

           Commercialism (I wonder if there are more tourist shops than people).

           Speed traps (no I didn’t get a ticket -- it just appears that this is a major means of state income).

Time for bed.