Sunday February 24: Visiting my daughter Becka, a teacher in Atlanta, has been so much fun. This morning she makes us a great scrambled egg, steak, and potato breakfast before she goes off to school to get her classroom ready for the coming week. When she returns, she and her friend Jason take me to Stone Mountain. This unusual “mountain” is a big stone hill surrounded by Atlanta and its suburbs. It is a popular recreation area and there are hundreds of other people here to hike Stone Mountain, just as we are. Luckily we find a place to park and with water bottles and cell phones for taking photos, up we go. It is quite pretty and interesting, the stone path also being a natural course for the stream that runs down the hill.

Becka at the beginning of the hike
Warm down at the bottom
We don sweatshirts as we climb
Jason and Becka
Atlanta in the distance
Stone pathway

At the top it is very windy and chilly, but luckily sunny, and we have a great time hiking.

After stopping at Golden Corral for dinner, back at Becka’s place we watch a recommended movie, “Zookeeper’s Wife,” only to find that it is quite a grim depressing movie about war and not very fun to watch. Oh well. Becka goes to bed early, as she has school tomorrow. I stay up a bit longer to text Clifford about the day and then read before going to bed.

Monday February 25: Becka leaves early for her teaching day and I have the place pretty much to myself except for Kufu, her shy cat, and a short visit with Jason before he goes about his business. It is a day of blog writing, photo editing, editing a book proposal for an author I know, a call with Clifford, and reading the book I picked up at the neighborhood library. I also start packing a couple boxes to mail stuff back to myself since I have acquired too much to fit in the backpack for the flight back Tucson. I have dinner nearly ready when Becka get home from school and after we eat, we go for a short neighborhood walk. Back at her place, while she does lesson plans, I correct papers for her. What a big job! She could use a couple of really good assistants to do this chore. Then off to bed after sending texts to Clifford and reading awhile.

Tuesday February 26: Today is my last day here in Atlanta visiting Becka. She gets off school a bit earlier today so we have time to hang out on her deck in the sunshine before she gives me a ride to the airport.

She buys us a snack and we visit until time for me to go through security. I had such a great time with her and I know I will miss her. I am already looking forward to our next opportunity to spend time together.

Monday December 26^th is moving day, but since I am up before Clifford, I have time for tea and journal writing on this frosty morning.

Once he is up, we finish packing up and are on our way after saying good-bye to people we have met here and at Percha Dam.

South on I25 to Hatch, then State Hwy 26 to Deming, stopping at Walmart for groceries. While we are there, we decide to go ahead and replace a worn tire on Terry. One axle is bent, causing one tire to wear faster than the others. Another 25 miles brings us to City of Rocks State Park. The Visitor’s Center is closed, but we head on over to the electric sites. The site on the end with a view all around is free, but then we see an OCCUPIED sign. My instinct is that the people are gone and just forgot to turn in the sign, but we can’t take a chance on someone coming in later and claiming the spot. Although I am grateful that there is another site available, I feel a bit disappointed that we didn’t get the one that seemed meant for us. We get set up and I am glad to see the rocks through the front window.

I go for a short walk in the rocks at sunset, glad to be here at this unique place.

Tuesday December 27^th I walk in the rocks at sunrise to take photos.

A tremendous volcano 35 million years ago created this interesting geological feature as it spewed out rock debris and molten lava that cooled and coalesced as it hit the ground. Millions of years of erosion followed the eruption, and now we have “City of Rocks” State Park – a giant labyrinth of nature-made pathways, with twists and turns every-which-way.

It is sunny and warm enough that we are able to sit outside for breakfast; later we set up our chairs and small tables on the warm sunny side of Terry to read, study, and (me) play cello.

In the later afternoon, I hike in the rocks again, hoping for a colorful sunset. Even though the sunset was not exceptional, hiking in the rocks is always fun

Wednesday, December 28^th the morning sky is overcast and the sunrise is modest, but I walk in the rocks, anyway, looking for more subtle photo opportunities.

Sun peaking through the rocks; Cooke Peak in the background

More self-talk on the need to not only be grateful, but to feel grateful. Easier said than done, but listing the positive aspects of a situation is a good way to start. Back at camp, after breakfast, I download my cameras and look at the new photos, which is always fun to do. Then we sit outside again and I play cello for awhile, but after the wind blows over the music stand a couple times, I decide the annoyance to Vata is not to be ignored and I head inside. Organization project for today is the closet, rearranging to make hats and gloves, which we are needing, more accessible. Photo editing and blog writing fill out the afternoon.

A walk in the rocks at sunset is a pleasant close of the daylight.

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Quiet Walk Photography

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Tag: Travel Photos

Stone Mountain – Atlanta – February 2019

Winter Journey – Arrival at City of Rocks – December 2016

Monday December 26^th is moving day, but since I am up before Clifford, I have time for tea and journal writing on this frosty morning.

Once he is up, we finish packing up and are on our way after saying good-bye to people we have met here and at Percha Dam.

I go for a short walk in the rocks at sunset, glad to be here at this unique place.

Tuesday December 27^th I walk in the rocks at sunrise to take photos.

It is sunny and warm enough that we are able to sit outside for breakfast; later we set up our chairs and small tables on the warm sunny side of Terry to read, study, and (me) play cello.

In the later afternoon, I hike in the rocks again, hoping for a colorful sunset. Even though the sunset was not exceptional, hiking in the rocks is always fun

Wednesday, December 28^th the morning sky is overcast and the sunrise is modest, but I walk in the rocks, anyway, looking for more subtle photo opportunities.

A walk in the rocks at sunset is a pleasant close of the daylight.

Monday December 26th is moving day, but since I am up before Clifford, I have time for tea and journal writing on this frosty morning.

Once he is up, we finish packing up and are on our way after saying good-bye to people we have met here and at Percha Dam.

I go for a short walk in the rocks at sunset, glad to be here at this unique place.

Tuesday December 27th I walk in the rocks at sunrise to take photos.

It is sunny and warm enough that we are able to sit outside for breakfast; later we set up our chairs and small tables on the warm sunny side of Terry to read, study, and (me) play cello.

In the later afternoon, I hike in the rocks again, hoping for a colorful sunset. Even though the sunset was not exceptional, hiking in the rocks is always fun

Wednesday, December 28th the morning sky is overcast and the sunrise is modest, but I walk in the rocks, anyway, looking for more subtle photo opportunities.

A walk in the rocks at sunset is a pleasant close of the daylight.

Monday December 26^th is moving day, but since I am up before Clifford, I have time for tea and journal writing on this frosty morning.

Tuesday December 27^th I walk in the rocks at sunrise to take photos.

Wednesday, December 28^th the morning sky is overcast and the sunrise is modest, but I walk in the rocks, anyway, looking for more subtle photo opportunities.