Tuesday May 21 to Friday May 31: These last days of May are punctuated by inclement weather. Lows are mostly in the low to mid-30’s and highs vary from 40 to 70 degrees. Rain, sleet, and snow make for interesting interludes between the sunnier days. Some days I can sit outside in the morning to write in the journal, but most mornings journaling happens at the writing table at the sliding glass door.
Sitting outside on a sunny morning
Sitting inside on a chilly day
Rain
and
snow
Inclement weather
Clifford
is focused on his work in the lab, the most important being the
development of a process for protein separation.
Work in the lab
The
to-do list for busy work continues with consolidating our various car
insurances, involving much time on the phone. Where is our secretary
when we need him (or her)?!? In my morning quiet times, I try to see
a positive aspect to all the daily activities that I would gladly
turn over the maid and the secretary.
In spite of the busy work that eats precious hours of the day, I continue editing photos, writing and posting blogs, playing viola or cello, and editing for my daughter Ang, making good progress on Emperors and Exiles, the second trilogy of the current series.
The only outing other than errands is to a view point where I can take photos of Abajo Mountain cloaked in new-fallen snow.
Abajo Mountain cloaked in new-fallen snow
As May draws to a close, I am encouraged to see the appearance of some kind of mint family blooming in the back yard, as well as the the promise of rose and poppy blossoms to come.
The days of Wednesday May 15 to Monday May 20 are spent with the busy work of taking care of emails for CI, paperwork for this and that… things that have been on a back burner while traveling. More interesting for me are blog writing, editing photos, editing for my daughter Ang, sending letters to literary agents, and sending texts with photos to family and friends.
One day Clifford and I make another trip to Abajo Mountain, to Monticello Lake again, so I can gather a few rocks for the landscaping project in the back yard. It is a windy day with a smeary jet-trail sky, so not many photos. However, Clifford takes his dulcimer and I have my journal, and we improvise outdoor seating out of the wind in the lee of the Suburban. We have hot tea and enjoy the warmth of the sunshine out of the wind. Too bad I didn’t bring snacks!
The road to Abajo Mountain
Windy at Monticello Lake
Clifford plays dulcimer in the lee side of the Suburban
La Sal Mountain to the south
Some mornings I can sit outside to write in my journal, but other days, the wind and rain, and even snow, keep me inside.
Snowing
Some days the high is only in the 40’s, which seems quite chilly for this time of the year. However, my morning writing table at the sliding glass doors provides a view of the backyard, the early morning light, and the activity of the birds coming to the feeder.
Sitting inside at the sliding glass door
I
am using the food dryer to dry bananas, apples, spinach, and other
veggies so as to have a better supply of food when we are traveling.
It is time-consuming to prepare the food for drying, but worth it to
have the greens and fruit available.
Clifford
continues research in the lab, and we both play our instruments –
Clifford with his dulcimer, and me with either viola or cello –
whenever time allows.
Research in the lab continues
We enjoy outdoors when the weather allows, whether Abajo Mountain or our backyard.
Friday May 10 to Tuesday May 14: Upon our return to our “base-camp” and the CI lab in Monticello, the days are focused on settling in. This includes unloading essentials from Cougar, catching up with email, Amazon order (food dryer and sprouting seeds), errands, and getting the back yard in shape. Thanks to the winter snows, the yard is green with “grass” and colorful with a crop of dandelions. My daughter Merri and I have a conversation about how much we like dandelions, and shortly after that, Clifford uses the weed-eater to trim the whole backyard. The yard looks great, and the resilient dandelions make a good comeback.
Creative look at dandelions
Sitting
out in the backyard with the journal, poems by Mary Oliver, and a
good cup of organic French press coffee is my favorite way to start
the day.
One day, Clifford and I put together the shed that he had ordered from Harbor Freight last fall. It took all afternoon, but it will provide a good storage space for many items that are in waterproof tubs. Another day we walked to the historic site of the original church, enjoying the blossoms all around.
Fancy tulips at the historic site
Replica of the original church
My favorite day was a trip to the Abajo Mountain. Clifford needed to get pond water for an experiment, so I made a picnic and we went up the mountain to Monticello Lake. I do love being there, and even a bit of rain did not spoil our picnic.
Abajo Mountain still snow-covered
The road up the mountain
Reflections on Monticello Lake
Clifford gathering pond water
Cloud reflections on Monticello Lake
Picnic
Looks like rain is coming
Droplets of rain on the lake while the picnic continues
During these first days back in Monticello, along with settling in, I continue with blog writing and editing of several books while Clifford begins to delve into the lab work of CI.
Tuesday May 7: Clifford and I have enjoyed our time in New Mexico the past couple of weeks, but it is time to head back to “base-camp” and the lab in Utah. After making tea for the thermoses, we say good-bye to our friends here in Santa Fe where we have been parked the last couple of days, and we are on our way by 10:30 a.m.
The wind is not a problem today, which makes for easier and safe travel. I take lots of photos of the New Mexico landscape along the way, and we arrive in Farmington in the northwest corner of the state by mid-afternoon.
On the road from Santa Fe to Farmington, New Mexico
Northwest New Mexico landscape
After parking in a far corner of the Walmart parking lot, we go in to buy what we need for a good lunch.
Far corner of the parking lot
Then naps, although I finish reading Erica Elliott’s book, Medicine and Miracles in the High Desert first. Later we go back into the store to stock up on groceries and sundries that we will need in the upcoming weeks.
This is a good read
We have leftover Dions pizza for an easy and tasty dinner. I do some photo editing, but am too tired for much of anything else. Clifford is up late with his project – writing tablature for his dulcimer music.
Clifford works on tablature for dulcimer
We are keeping an eye on the weather forecast, as strong headwinds may make travel tomorrow very difficult. We will check again in the morning.
Wednesday May 8: It is windy and raining here in Farmington this morning as I start packing up after a little breakfast. After checking the weather forecast, we decide to stay put. We are somewhat reluctant because of the Walmart policy on overnight parking, but it is not a good idea to drive in the strong wind and rain, either. We do a bit more shopping, take naps, and while it is not a very productive day from my side, we are both relieved to not be traveling today.
Thursday May 9: It is calm this morning and after making thermoses of tea and snacks for the road, we head west from Farmington to Shiprock, north to Cortez, Colorado, and west to Monticello, Utah, traveling through three of the four states that make up the Four Corners. Jet trails crisscross the sky on much of this journey, turning it a drab grey, so I don’t take many photos.
New Mexico formation near Colorado border
Before we reach Dove Creek, it starts to rain and sleet. I had planned to buy us lunch at Wild Coffee in Dove Creek, but we are disappointed when we get there to find that it has been closed and replaced with a liquor store.
Rain continues to Monticello
So, on to Monticello, arriving in early afternoon to a rainy and chilly 38 degrees. Everything looks to be in good shape here. We only unload the herbs, our instruments, and enough food to make lunch. It is a good day for a long nap. Tomorrow will be soon enough to shift gears and settle into the home-base and lab routine.
Sunday December 30: Snow and forecast for snow storms delay our departure from Monticello, Utah, but we finally make our get-away on December 30th. We finish packing, say good-bye to our place, and by mid-morning we are on our way. It is 13 degrees and the landscape is snowy, but the highways are clear.
Good-bye to snow-covered Abajo Mountains
Heading south
Utah formations…
and Arizona formations
Heading south toward Flagstaff
Rugged Arizona mesas
Due to the forecast for a big snow storm in region of Flagstaff, Arizona, we push on through Flagstaff and make it all the way to Seligman, Arizona, along I-40.
Last view of the San Francisco Peaks at Flagstaff
It was a super long day’s drive for us – 350 miles, but we needed to get far enough west to be out of the storm.
A
truck stop in Seligman provides a place for us to set up for the
night. It is chilly enough that we use the furnace for the first time
to warm Cougar up a bit, but we are dismayed that we can’t get the
fridge to light. Maybe too cold? I wanted to play viola and write in
the journal, but I am too tired. Since the bed is cold, I nap on the
couch until Clifford, the night owl, is ready to go to bed.
Monday December 31: I wake up about 7:00, don warm clothing, and walk across the dark parking lot to the restroom at the truck stop. When I get back to Cougar, I am too awake to go back to bed, so start making tea for the thermoses. By time Clifford gets up a short while later, it has started to snow here. That was not part of our plan! So Clifford skips his shower and we pull out as soon as we can.
Mountain in the background, west of Seligman, obscured by falling snow
For
the next 50 miles we are driving in a snow storm, which wouldn’t
have been so bad except for towing a trailer. Certainly not ideal
conditions, but Clifford is steady, and I don’t make any moves that
might distract him. We are nearly out of the storm before I feel
okay about taking a few photos of this rather scenic drive.
This is when it starts to get better!
Snowy but scenic drive
As
we near Kingman, the snow lets up and we stop at a Petro truck stop
for gas; the gas in Seligman was highway robbery, which we decided
not to give in to, but it did mean running a bit closer than
comfortable to the empty mark. In Kingman, lunch at Cracker Barrel
is a treat and then we stop at Walmart for supplies. What a zoo! We
could hardly find a spot big enough to park our rig so
we could go in to shop.
Heading
south out of Kingman, still on I-40, at the junction to highway 95,
we pull into a Love’s truck stop for the night. It is cold out, but
with the furnace and burners on, we are quite comfortable. We have a
restful night here, glad to be out of the snow and eager to reach our
destination tomorrow.
I try to start each day with quiet time at the slide-out door, candles lit to provide light as I watch for the dawn and the rising of the sun turning the naked tree golden.
First rays of the sun on naked winter trees
I read poems by Mary Oliver and other inspirational works, write in the Gratitude Journal and the main journal, make coffee in the French press, always filled with gratitude at what it takes to have this cup of coffee – the trees grown on another continent, the workers who tend the trees and harvest the beans, the process by which beans are packaged and transported to the continent, the state, the town where I live. And the process by which a French press is made and how it has come to be in my kitchen. And coconut milk from coconuts grown on trees thousands of miles away. And what about the honey – the bees, the flowers, the beekeepers, and those who are responsible for packaging and delivering honey to my location. I could go on about the water and the device used to heat the water, the skill of the potter who made the coffee cup, and so on. I am indebted to possibly hundreds of people, as well as the earth, the sun, and the rain. Having a good cup of coffee is not something to be taken lightly.
A chilly start to December
View from the sliding glass door
Even the ravens have come looking for food
Newly fallen snow provides a few opportunities for photos, and it is good to get out for a few minutes, to tromp around and feed the wild birds, mostly juncos and doves, but also ravens, finches, and the occasional flicker. A walk takes us to the old church, which doubled as the community center in the 1890’s (if I have my dates correct).
Every
day I try to discard something – give it away, take it to 2nd
hand store, or toss it into the trash. Often it is just something
small like an old cassette tape that I know I won’t listen to
again. It is more about the process of letting things go, which has
always been hard for me, but it gets easier with a steady practice of
it.
Morning view from the sliding glass doors
I edit, send agent queries for Princes and Priests, write blogs, send texts with photos to family and friends… The days slide by so quickly I can scarcely capture them in a journal or with a few cell pics.
As the days go by, Clifford spends hours and hours in the lab. We also get the CI quarterly newsletter out, which is a big item to take care of before leaving.
The lab is a busy place
The snow melts and preparations are made for travel, including a storage rack on the back of Cougar.
I have decided to write a 2018 letter and make greeting cards this year. Our move to Utah and our travels this past year might be of interest to family and friends. I use old prints for the cards, some taken with film camera as far back 1995. It is a big job getting the software and printer in action again, but I hope recipients enjoy getting a real card in the mail.
And then more snow. It is fun to decorate the bush outside our front door, but we had not expected this much snow in December,
Snowy days in Monticello
Decorating the bush in our front area
We watch the weather closely, and our departure is delayed as we see storms forecast that will cross our route making travel unsafe. We had thought we’d be in Arizona for Christmas, but the day is spent quietly at home, lighting a candle for Christmas Eve and watching the snow falling, wondering if we might not make it out of Monticello.
Christmas Eve
View from the sliding glass door on the evening of Christmas Day
In the morning, I am enchanted with the loveliness of snow-laden trees before the breeze comes up, but wondering when (or if) we are going to find our way clear to leave this winter.
Pretty, but cold
It is December 30th before we finally make our get-away. It is 13 degrees and the landscape is snowy, but the highways are clear. We finish packing, say good-bye to our place, and by mid-morning we are on our way to Arizona where winter is more tolerable.
After our two-day trip to Farmington, New Mexico, I spend several days thoroughly cleaning Cougar and packing for the next outing. We have thoughts of going to Canyonlands for a week, but it doesn’t happen, as there is just too much to do here before we leave for the winter.
View from the sliding-glass door
As part of his research, Clifford needs some pond water, so one day we go up Abajo Mountain to Monticello Lake, which really is just a pond. It is a nice enough day that we could have had a picnic, but we didn’t plan for it and Clifford is eager to get back to his research. I am happy to have another outing to the mountain; I feel altogether better when I am here. I submit one of the photos to the San Juan Reporter and am quite delighted when they print it for the featured photo of the week.
Monticello Lake
Capturing pond water
Sowing seeds
A highlight of these weeks is receiving the hand-crafted knife that my son Tye has made for me. He has made and sold a number of knives this past year, each one distinctly unique. The beautiful knife made for me fits my hand perfectly and is a pleasure to use.
Hand-crafted knife by Tye
Our projects continue as the weather becomes more late-fallish. Clifford is spending hours and hours in the lab. Moss balls are sent for and added to the pond aquarium for research. I even get a couple of these “plant pets” for the kitchen. Even though my head and hearing are still not quite right, I begin playing my cello and viola again. Blog and journal writing continue, as well as agent research and a few other home projects.
Plant pets
Collage for journal cover
Organizing the agent research
Thanksgiving: I send texts to family and friends, feeling quite grateful for these people in my life. How I would love to be sharing the day with them. Since we aren’t out camping this Thanksgiving, I fix a turkey dinner, which I haven’t done for years and years.
The
weather is turning colder and I am excited to get a photo of falling
snow.
Snowy morning
November ends with falling snow
Mother Nature is happy to oblige the last day of November, and now we will see what December brings.
Sitting on the same rock with the same river below, the same red cliffs before me, the same trees, the wind as before. But not really the same – the water in the river has now reached the ocean. New leaves have come and gone. The wind, where does it go? Still windy, but not the same wind at all. Even the red cliff, solid and unchanging as it seems, has weathered away a bit under the forces of nature. How am I like the river, the trees, the wind, and the rock. Life moves on – no moment is repeated, new experiences come and go, some things about me that are unseen are the most powerful, and even that which seems most solid and stable is ever-changing with the forces of nature.
Life is a journey. Even when Clifford and I are not on the road (the outer journey), the inner journey continues. Being back at our home base in southeast Utah, the lab for Carnicom Institute, we appreciate its conveniences. We have power and internet, not to be taken for granted, and Clifford will have the full lab to work in.
We take care of business, I do a lot of photo editing, blog writing/posting, finish editing and begin doing agent research for Ang’s fantasy novel Princes and Priests. Clifford is deeply immersed in his lab work.
Although being in town is not very inspiring for me as a photographer, there are moments that are worth documenting and remembering, even if only in their ordinariness that is part of the fabric of life.
Morning is a special time for me. The rising of the sun is the daily miracle that I delight in. The first rays of the sun bring a glow to the naked trees that I see from our east-facing sliding-glass door.
This is the time when I write in my journal and in the smaller Gratitude Journal, read inspirational writings, most especially resonating with poems by Mary Oliver, “…. and you too have come into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled with light, and to shine” and “My work is to love the world” and “be astonished,” (excerpts from the collection “Thirst”). As I write and read, I savor the aroma and flavor of fresh French press organic coffee.
The morning quiet time
Basil loves the morning light, also
Gratitude Journal
Some words of wisdom
We have had a bit of a rough start to our return to Monticello, as we discover that the hot water heater has been leaking while we were gone, and now the bathroom/laundry area has an unpleasant odor. A neighbor helps us cap off the leaking pipe, and after the mop-up operation, we run a fan and ozone to dry things out and deal with the odor. I begin having serious head ringing and auditory issues. From the ozone? I start spending time out in Cougar to get away from the source of the problem, whatever it is.
November 5th is a sunny fall day, so we go up Abajo Mountain to the Buckhorn campground for a picnic. I do a walkabout for photos, happy to have a blue sky day, rather rare nowadays. Because of the chilly breeze, we end up sitting in the car to have our picnic. A year ago we came up here and had a picnic sitting at the picnic table in spite of the breeze. Guess we were tougher last year. Haha… We then drive out to Pine Flats where we camped last June for the Amateur Radio Field Day. We are pleased to see that the roads have been improved, so we may able to come here with Cougar next spring.
Abajo Mountain, Utah
Aspens in November
As the days go by, my head and hearing continue to be “off” and I don’t know if it is the ozone, which is being run less or something about the house itself that is causing this toxic reaction. In spite of the head issues, I continue with photo editing, blog writing, and agent research, while Clifford works in the lab. We take breaks to run errands, walking to the post office, the hardware store, or the market. Because of the auditory problems I am experiencing, I don’t play cello or viola much, and Clifford does not take time for his music, either. He is focused on the lab and the work that needs to be in place before we leave for Arizona next month.
In mid-November we make a trip to Farmington, New Mexico, a drive that takes us through the reservations of the Four Corners region. It seems to me to be a rather harsh environment.
Ute Mountain Reservation, Colorado
We are meeting with CI associate, Gary S., who has been on our unofficial staff for many years. He is exceedingly talented at fixing electronic devices and has repaired an important lab instrument, an osmometer, for us. Once we all arrive in Farmington, we go out to dinner before Gary and Clifford run tests on the repaired instrument. Everything is looking good! Hooray! This is an important addition to the lab work that Clifford is involved in.
Gary and Clifford run tests with the osmometer
We spend the night in Farmington and the next morning, after saying good-bye to Gary, we head back to Monticello. We have many things to accomplish in the upcoming weeks.
Sunday October 28: Clifford and I are camped at the Dead Horse Point Utah State Park, thanks to our Colorado friends who are in the site next to us. First thing this morning I call my daughter Katie to wish her Happy Birthday and then head out to Rim Overlook on the west rim trail. I hike by myself, enjoying the solitude and beauty of my surroundings this morning.
The trail to the Rim Overlook
Views along the Rim Overlook Trail
Back at camp, I continue editing Emperors and Exiles, eat left-over pizza for lunch– not my usual, but sure tasty. In the later afternoon, we – Clifford, our friends, and I – hike to the same Rim Overlook where I was this morning. It does feel different hiking with others, with companionship replacing solitude.
Hiking with friends
Later, Clifford and I join our friends for dinner at their camp. Afterward, Dave and Clifford go out to use the night vision goggles, which is a lot of fun for them. We ladies are ready to turn in; I write in my planner and then head to bed, feeling a bit weary from the day’s activities, and knowing that tomorrow is another travel day. Only 3 1/2 months on the road this time, but it seems like a long time ago that we left for Montana and here we are, nearly back to our home-base in Monticello, Utah.
