October in Sedona

31 Oct-Sat: The End of the Trail! We leave Sedona tomorrow morning: the bibliographies are completed - one is inserted into its book and the other will be soon; indexing may be completed during the next two weeks of travel. The financial spreadsheet is up to date with asset allocations rebalanced. Four large address files are updated and moved into one HUGE Excel spreadsheet (not counting the 675 names and addresses of Rambo correspondents in yet another spreadsheet). A large envelope of loose addresses is now gathered from many, many crevices and corners to enter into Excel while traveling.

We hiked for an hour plus in temperatures that reached almost 80 degrees after eating lunch at Old Sedona Bar and Grill where the waitresses made us promise to return to Sedona (we will - next October). And we packed big time before having champagne on the patio watching the glorious sunset. A beard and hair cut was the only disturbance on the horizon. By the time we had dinner at Shugrue's we were exhausted but congratulating ourselves for accomplishing most of our goals this month: have fun and laugh a lot!

30 Oct-Fri: Sedona Sunset Last Night - Temp this AM was 37 degrees. Filled with zeal and enthusiasm we hiked to the end of Boynton Canyon Trail and back - about three hours for the five mile trip with steep ascent the last twenty minutes. The view from the top of the canyon was spectacular but we could not tarry long because evening promised to darken our path at five-thirty. We just made it back in time. Enchantment Fine Dining allowed us to be seated in our hiking clothes instead of a shirt with a collar.

Red Rock View From Our Patio










Smooch Amongst Fleurs (Yellow Rose Petals - and Other Bouquets Bought for Many Romantic Points (62 years it took to learn this!!!!!)










29 Oct- Thurs: More cold weather but we hiked about an hour. Work for today is compiling addresses into two lists. The correspondent list for Rambo books alone tops 675 people. Personal address books (and piles of little pieces of paper with names and addresses) are going into one other combined book that should contain about three hundred names. A test mailing will be sent to inform everyone that the aol address no longer works. Send email to rsbeatty@gmail.com. Another email will be sent with links for the completed Rambo books and updated websites. Yet another mailing will be to save the date of 12 May 2011 - for our wedding at Gloria Dei (Old Swedes Church) in downtown Philadelphia and to let us know if you plan to attend. After finishing work we headed to Shagrue's for dinner.

The evening sunset was glorious - brilliant reds, glowing pinks, purples highlighting the sky for an hour or more. We endured the chilly temperatures to have dinner on the patio for the views. The serving staff deserved generous tips for their willingness to wait on us outdoors. It was chilly but well worth the exposure.

28 Oct-Wed: BRRRR! The morning temperature was 37 degrees - too cold for hiking or biking. We spent the day working inside and... ahem - someone ate a half gallon of Blue Bell Mocha Almond Fudge. Once in a while the stringent diet has to go down the wadi with the wind.

27 Oct- Tues: After enjoying our favorite egg white omelets we headed to Boynton Canyon to meet Fall; hiking about four miles RT - three hours - we were simply amazed at the magnificent fall foliage - so incredible we can only echo, "Praise God." The photos help - but like words - they cannot really convey the wonder of the woods in brilliant color. There were a lot of super nice people on today's hike - each one nicer than the last. A little fawn crossed the Arroyo - no sign of mama. After a lovely lunch at the Old Sedona Bar and Grill Smooch Smooch forced slave labor to get the last two books to the printer by Sunday. Woe is I! The afternoon turned dark and cloudy while the sunlit just the mountains. Gorgeous view from the windows of the house ... if we hurry we can make it to the Hilton for dinner to view the spectacular sights underneath a canopy.




















26 Oct-Mon: After a #67 and #91 at the Coffee Cup we hiked the Boynton Canyon Trail for two hours and worked the remainder of the day until dinner at the Hilton. The sunset was glorious - including the stars so bright we had to stop twice to watch them twinkle.

25 Oct- Sun: We hiked the Airport Trail without a camera and had lunch at the Old Sedona Bar and Grill before Jon left to return to Texas.

24 Oct-Sat: Jon, Smooch Smooch and Ron ready to roll over Sedona by air. Jon enjoyed a great breakfast at the Coffee Pot first; after the air tour we hiked Boynton Canyon Trail for two hours and spent the afternoon viewing Sedona by car. Dinner was at Enchantment with a lovely sunset to keep us happy. We saw a coyote cross the road while driving ... lots of deer.



23 Oct - Fri: One and one half pages of reference notes to edit left in the fifth and final volume. At that point the index goes into those last two volumes and they get sent to the printer to create the galley proofs. ohboyohboyohboy! And AuthorHOUSE is finally re-cutting two royalty checks that had languished beyond ninety days allowed for deposit. More ohboys. We spent the afternoon in Jerome with an early dinner at the Asylum Restaurant watching the sun light striking the red rocks. Left photo was taken on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. Arne's response read: Soooo beautiful...you two are "morphing" into one beautiful sphere of bliss!
Thank you...there IS hope in this world and it's gliding down the Colorado River."

22 Oct - Thurs: We hiked Boynton Pass in the AM - worked in the afternoon while Smooch Smooch had a girls day at the nail salon and enjoyed a lovely dinner at the Old Sedona Bar and Grill.

21 Oct- Wed: We met Cousin Kay and her husband Tom at the Point in Thyme for breakfast and a great time conversing and planning a reunion in Keosauqua for next Fourth of July.
Actually we enjoyed our time with them so much we did not get started east bound for the Salt River Canyon until lunch time so we had to buy food to eat en route. The drive on 88 E - and then the Apache Trail (which is a 22 mile dirt road) onto Apache Lake and Roosevelt Dam was spectacular. The dirt road was so slow going we turned towards to AZ 260 - into Cottonwood and then north on 89 A arriving home about nine thirty PM TIRED.

In case anyone wonders ... the Angel Resort (of now Sweat Lodge deaths fame) is only two miles from the house we have rented. Three people have died - 21 taken to the hospital out of 50-60 crammed into a low roofed lodge after detox - then a long fast - and finally crowded into the sweat lodge.

20 Oct- Tues: We were both awake by four AM and ready to work before we departed for Phoenix about lunch time. We did have time for an hour and thirty minute hike on Boynton Canyon Pass. By the time we checked into the Fairmont Hotel in Scottsdale and fed Smooch Smooch cousins Kenneth and Jewel had already made plans for dinner; we waited at an Italian restaurant for them to return from dinner at 6:30 PM. Smooch Smooch was very concerned because the concert tickets said starting time was 7 PM. (She has never attended a Rock Concert in her life - and had NO IDEA - that they don't really get started until about nine PM. But concert or not - the visit with Kenneth and Jewel was a must. He is 95 and she is 96 - retired school teachers - true treasures. He has macular degeneration and she has had five strokes but it is not apparent. After a most enjoyable visit we left Scottsdale for the U of Phoenix and the U2 Concert arriving at nine PM - about two minutes after they began to play. None of the songs were familiar; but they played good music (a little strong on the metal). One of the fellows in front of us was having a very good time (if he can only remember it!). He had waaaayyyy too much to drink and had to be supported by his friends. It was a good concert - enjoyed by Smooch. It took awhile to find our car when we got out of the concert (and we had only ONE glass of wine hours earlier).

19 Oct- Mon: After a thirty minute hike near the airport - we flew Sky Trek Tours to the Grand Canyon Hualapi Indian Reservation - then by helicopter down to the Colorado River in the floor of the west section of the canyon - onto a pontoon that took us up the river. Following the helicopter return we were taken by bus to the Hualapi Indian encampment for lunch overlooking the rim. Food was not good but the view was awesome.

18 Oct-Sun: It was an unusually quiet day with work scheduled after a morning hike near the airport. We had dinner at Enchantment Resort - great choice.

17 Oct-Sat: Fall in Sedona is a splash of green turning gold with some splotches of red changing daily. Fall should arrive fully this week. We were surprised to discover fallen gold leaves in abundance at Flagstaff two days ago - the color came and went from just one week ago when we drove through Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon and did not meet fall. Tourism is high for the peak fall colors. There is a Porsche convention in town, too, filling two hotels. One of the Porsche owners described owning a Porsche as a motorcycle on four wheels.

Work has commenced on the fifth and final bibliography with less than fifteen pages of footnotes to complete. Excitement is high for that conclusion. Dinner at Shugrue's Restaurant outdoor deck was excellent. They have good seafood choices and the views are magnificent.

16 Oct. Fri: A good breakfast at 101 Omelet was a treat before a second trip to the Grand Canyon on the bike. Smooch Smooch loves her body armor and helmet: thanks Walt and Pam once again - good advice. The roads along the south rim are appalling. They have been "improved" removing many of the great overlooks; this was done to keep the road free of autos and bikes for paid tours? We traveled the south rim on the bike but it was disappointing not to have access to the overlooks more often. The little canyon road is now blocked off for all but walking traffic - which we did: we hiked to the sheer cliff and back not seeing any other hikers. In Flagstaff, the Taverna Greek restaurant is a great choice - although it is good to know that when the maitre d' tells you sit at the "Bar" it means sit only at the "round thing" where liquor is served. Smooch Smooch was told we could sit in the BAR for food because there was a thirty minute wait. She sat down at a long table in the same room as the BAR where liquor is served - only to be asked to move because the table was reserved. "But, but... she sputtered... isn't this ROOM the BAR?" We moved to THE BAR where liquor is served and we did get to eat good food, too. The Greek soup is made with a lemon base, rice and chicken. YUM.

15 Oct. Thurs: Breakfast at Enchantment on the patio proved to be warm - but the views are wonderful as was the food. We hiked for an hour - beautiful place - before we rode the bike to Jerome up the winding switchbacks with more glorious vistas. If you go to Jerome (a repopulated ghost town) you will find many working artists in studios like the old Jerome High School.. A must vist is the Jerome Grand Hotel outfitted to the ultimate as a ghost and goblin mecca. Check under the radiators for bodies. The spinach salad is terrific - with sonoran chicken. You will enjoy the views from the dining patio and the friendly, courteous staff in the Asylum Restaurant as well as the owners in the hotel lobby. VERY NICE. Even though we are not guests they let us print out our tickets for the U2 Concert on their computer without a charge.

Affirmations: they work! A couple of years ago upon reading some science fiction - the author said, "Ok, we have had fun and now let's be serious. Affirmations work." Life was happy; what more could it be? Yet it seemed that it would be nice to have a stronger belief in God. After being a Methodist and later a well-drenched Baptist turned agnostic it was problematic to say who,what,why, God is - (it is not my job )- only that it would be good to have a stronger belief in God. I realized that no matter what one believes (who why what God is) - what God is asking of each one of us -is to give Him thanks. Who cannot be thankful for waking up each morning and for whatever still works? Who cannot be thankful for the beauty of creation? Faithfully for a year I wrote the affirmation, "I believe in God to my great benefit." And what greater blessing should appear but a greater belief in God and Smooch Smooch?

Continuing to write that affirmation again this past year (and thanking God daily for Smooch Smooch) brought about the recognition that the affirmation should now change. This is my new affirmation (after much refining): "I love God for the benefit of all." This includes my personal benefit and also for Smooch Smooch - plus everyone else around me. Life is indeed good. This is an amazing affirmation.

Another Grand Canyon view from the South Rim



Photo left of Ron in the Grand Canyon smiling OH SO GRANDLY...

13 Oct - Tues: Smooch Smooch went house hunting in Sedona yesterday; she loves red rocks. We worked - and hardly worked and worked hard hardly working some more today. The bibliography for Vol. 4 is completed and ready for the index insertion; now to start the bibliography on Vol. 5 - hopefully we will have the last two volumes finished this winter.
Oh. We had some excitement... a bad smell was permeating the master bathroom and dressing area... Smooch Smooch declared, "Smells like a dead mouse." The realtor called the Rodent Patrol who - (after investigating on the roof of the house) announced, "Smells like a dead mouse" and he departed. DUH!
Photo of Nina's visit to Sedona - taken in the State Park. "YIPPEE!" was her response when we asked if a book of her poetry and artwork could be commissioned in honor of our forthcoming wedding 12 May 2011. Check out Nina's website: http://www.ninafarana.com/




A Side View of Our House in Sedona, AZ























11 Oct-Sun: Sedona is beautiful: red rock mountains majestically enthroned against a bright blue sky - bits of fluffy white clouds dance just beyond the mountain tops as the wind blows the variegated greens in contrast to the Red Rocks in the State Park below the patio on our house (left).

We will miss you Nina (who left this morning to return home to Santa Fe) after yet another great breakfast at the Omelet Cafe. But good byes have benefits: hugs from beautiful girlies! Nina wrote the following poem for us a few weeks ago:

I thank you again for the beauty of your love and the generosity that flows from it. You are fast in my heart -- sudden, sweet, a breath and deep -- a prism of angels. Be well and safe on this next facet of your journey together. Take this little memory of last evening with you -- what I saw and what I felt -- it purity and its attractive light. As ever, Nina.

Unto her –
his eyes –
If water
was a flame –
lift and chase
the sparkle
in her veins –
Not a rock
is he –
Or a stone –
But a canyon
with a thousand
depths –
The red core’s
heart –
The lips
that taste
the marrow
in her bones.

(and we thank you Nina!)

A pit stop at Basha's produced three more half gallons of ice cream: Blackberry Cobbler and Strawberries with Vanilla... and Southern Hospitality. Yummy! One half of the ice cream is now in the freezer. And the other half???? Look closely at the bulging tummy slid up to the table.

10 Oct-Sat: A late night means we slept late. It is a gorgeous day - 70 degrees. We hiked for two hours in the Red Rock State Park and saw some spectacular views before going to dinner at Enchantment with Nina. We saw a deer en route - and drove back towards Sedona just to try to catch the first rays of the sunset from a lower elevation but the sun was behind the clouds. Once we were seated on the patio at Enchantment (a high elevation) The sunset was magnificent... brilliant light illuminating the red rocks and turning the clouds all shades of pinks and reds. Later, The night sky was bright with stars and the stargazing telescopes were set up once again. Oh... a funny note: Two guys dressed in white tie and tuxedos arrived on motorcycles who said they are part of a trio of musicians - and to watch for the drummer to arrive on his motorcycle. When Ron went into the restroom he saw a guy dressed similarly and asked him if he was the drummer... and he was indeed.

9 Oct. Fri: We followed a great breakfast at 101 Omelette... with a hike at the Sliding Rock State Park and a late lunch at the Old Sedona Bar and Grill - just in time for Smooch Smooch to get their nails done and RACE home to clean up for dinner at Enchantment. The wait staff is quite good and make the meal very special. We saw several deer. The stars are really bright. Nina is missing her glasses!

8 Oct. Thurs: We arose early for a drive to the south rim of the Grand Canyon --- a 2.5 hour trip that was pleasant and scenic up to 8000 foot elevation and down again to the 7000 foot elevation to see the glorious canyon and be somewhat dismayed that it has become so developed. The shuttle was fine - but hiking along the rim was really good until getting back on the shuttle for the sunset ride that we could not see through dirty shuttle windows. We saw a moose and some deer as we left the area. Dinner was at a Greek restaurant highly recommended to us: Taverna on Woodlands Valley Road. It was OK.

7 Oct. Wed: A Praying Mantis visited the east window of the house this morning. We both woke early for project work - 30 per cent rain forecast but the sun is shining brightly - and decided to take a driving tour to show Nina the country side after an hour hike and tour of some of the Sedona galleries. The drive through winding switchbacks up to Jerome was wonderful. Lunch at the Grand Hotel was fun; it is decorated "Ghost Town" for Halloween. Blue Bell Ice Cream is on sale two for seven dollars. Now that is the perfect reason to break the diet for three or four days, right????????? Chocolate Chip and Blackberry Cobbler. Oh. Southern Hospitality, too!

6 Oct: Tues: Nina joined us for white egg omelets at 101 Omelets before we hiked for an hour Old Sedona. Nina visited galleries and a cute shoe shop encouraging Smooch Smooch to be CERTAIN to go shopping. We had a nice experience at the Sedona Art Center and a watercolor exhibit before we met for lunch at the Old Sedona Bar and Grill.

5 Oct- Mon: The hotel Sedona Rouge offers a nice white egg omelet. And for those who might want to know the diet for reversing coronary artery disease - it is simple: 20 fat grams a day meaning protein comes from fish, chicken or turkey. No white flour, sugar or animal products like cheese or butter. Add 1 tablespoon of essential oils per day: avacado, walnut oil, or extra virgin cold pressed olive oil or nuts. Sourdough bread is a good choice.

Smooch Smooch had errands to run - Ron worked hard hardly working: the next galley proof was approved and should be in print in a week or ten days. And Nina arrived (with homemeade sour dough bread) about 1:30 in the afternoon for a visit in the guesthouse. We had dinner on the patio at Shoguns: watching the moon rise over the mountains made for some memorable moments.

4 Oct - Sun: We waited a VERY long time for breakfast- but it was worth the wait. Enjoyed a walk of sorts because of the rain. Met a delightful gallery owner/photographer Leo De Salvio; we had a great conversation. Rain continued in the afternoon until clearing early evening allowing time for a good hour's walk into the next mountain homesites. We watched a beautiful sunset and saw five deer.

3 Oct - Sat: Breakfast at the 101 Omelette Coffee Cup restaurant proved to be a delicious delight. Later we walked for about two hours in Sedona enjoying a late lunch at the Old Sedona Bar and Grill visiting with four girlie motorcyclists. The afternoon was spent enjoying the vacation rental patio with a short bike ride before dinner at the Enchantment again. After dinner we particpated briefly in a star-gazing event. It was interesting to see the laser point out the stars. Jupiter was very bright through the telescope. The vacation rental was in the Edsel Ford family and refurbished by his granson, Benson Ford. It is built of the red rock from the mountains, with five thousand feet of patio space - southwestern style with three bedrooms - lots of wonderful art work and filled with light. The views of Red Rock State Park are magnificent. The compound has a guest house, gate house and stables for eight horses. Friends from Santa Fe will ve visiting as early as Monday.

2 Oct. - Fri: We drove directly to Prescott with the car - leaving the trailer and motorcycle in Flagstaff; Smooch Smooch had a routine medical appt... after getting the keys for the vacation rental in Sedona we took 89A to Flagstaff to retrieve the trailer. The ride was beautiful and uneventful. Dinner was on the patio at the Enchantment Resort; even though the sun was long gome it was quite beautiful. The red rocks are magnificent. We saw two deer.

1 Oct: - Thurs: We headed west on I-40 to Sedona with a stop at the Acoma Pueblo. The guide was quite delightful with a jolly sense of humor. The paintings in the chapel are quite splendid. Arrived in Flagstaff about 11:30 PM.

Southwest in September

30 Sep - Thurs: Charley joined us visiting a Rambo genealogy cousin, Dr. Scott Jordan who captivated us by recounting his research of Leukemia related effects of the nuclear bombs in Japan post WWII. Scott taught at the medical school in ABQ until retirement. After dinner we all visited his son who has a shop full of old and new Honda Goldwings.

29 Sep- Wed: Enjoyed a great reunion with Charley and Sam in ABQ - along with their now grown up lovely daughter and new granddaughter.

28 Sep - Tues: Busy Busy Busy socializing in Santa Fe. It was great to enjoy best buddy Mark V and Sandy for dinner along with Tony and June. Jim May joined us for lunch at Tia Sophia's; And how great to see Maria Tortilla (smile!) and her husband Ray along with our good friend Nina twice again! Stewart and Ron had fun playing GO, too. Smooch Smooch had some good girlie doing nails, hair and shopping; the Folk Art Museum is pretty wonderful. . We hiked the Aspen Vista trail on Sunday; Monday (yesterday) Norma joined us for a hearty four mile hike on the Dale Bell Nature Conservancy Trail. We met John, Linda and Nina for a delightful time at Ristra Restaurant enjoying the Amarone wine we were introduced to by Ray. And this morning the chef at the Buffalo Thunder Casino treated us to breakfast. The delightful waitress Marie gave us good-bye hugs. We are headed to Sedona, AZ today with stops in Albuquque and Las Cruces. Eventually the missing days in the blog will be updated with photos of quaking Aspen. Smooch Smooch loves Santa Fe - mostly because of the wonderful friends who live here.

22 Sep - Mon: The ride to Bandelier National Forest was pleasurable - followed by an
adventurous five mile hike (RT) on the Twin Falls Trail down to the Rio Grande. The trail follows El Rito de Los Frijoles (The Little River of Beans) past two waterfalls - through a wooded gorge - with mountains rising steeply on both sides; the hike is a moderately difficult one - crossing the river by stone stepping in three places; the return is largely uphill. The descent is about 200 feet to the Rio Grande - which seemed wider than remembered. OH NO! Smooch Smooch was a few yards ahead on the trail when the ominous sounds of a rattler alerted her to danger slithering away; she moved out of there mighty fast. And indeed he was still there when we both approached him - a big guy - about 1.5 inches in diameter and 3 feet long - moving very slowly away from us. Not too much further up trail a large deer carcass was lying in the gully- having been obviously enjoyed for dinner; parts of the the hide were visible; the bones were very white and not chewed up. After leaving the parking area we spotted a coyote killing a snake in on the road. The coyote took off into the woods leaving his prey. It was fun to share the day's adventure with Janie at Ristros'.

Sunset at Buffalo Thunder : View from the room.








It only took 62 years to learn that Fleurs pay off with romantic points!


19 Sept - Sat: Nina wrote the meaningful poem for us - 9/2/09:

She the rolling water -
He the certain sky -
A length like love's commandment
that holds the heavens wide -
And with the ocean -
whose deepest touches earth -
Where they are both horizon -
Makes the force where light gives birth.

THANK YOU NINA -

The afternoon was spent at St. John's College playing "GO" with Stewart (losing two out of three games) while Smooch Smooch took a tough computer course trying to learn how to use those Hilton Grand Vacation Club points with RCI - (its exchange affiliate) - for Sedona next month. We TRIED to eat dinner at an east Indian restaurant that is vegan. Do you know how much oil (translate: fat grams) is in that diet - not to mention sugar? Booths separated by drapes - with low benches and floor cushions was the interesting aspect of the dining experience; but the best part was going to the Tune-Up Restaurant to eat after eating.

18 Sept - Fri: AAAAuuuGGGGHHHH! Using our Hilton Honors points at the Homewood Suites in Buffalo Thunder was a circus; but we had the special assistance of a Bankston by marriage who fixed things for us. We rode towards Santa Fe - only to be greeted by a late afternoon rain shower five miles out and took shelter under a highway overpass. Believing the rain passed over - we we once again set forth only to discover to our chagrin and soaked clothing we had not waited long enough. Smooch Smooch's Tour-master rain pants were waiting for us at Stewart's. We enjoyed a nice visit and went on to John and Linda's for a glass of wine - and to wish them bon voyage: they leave in the AM for a week of river rafting and wilderness camping.

17 Sept- Thurs: Zooma Zooma - South out of Durango to avoid the downpours in the North, East and West with plans for a stopover in Chaco Canyon. The ride was pleasant, cool at times, and the vista simply marvelous. Chaco Canyon has changed considerably since the first visit some twenty five years ago - maybe thirty - when there was no Visitor's Center or commercialism. But 15 miles of ugly, washboard, rutted dirt road going through Indian lands to the entrance has not changed in the least; next time we travel across this road we will rent a car and not drive the bike. Chaco Canyon is well worth our return another time: MMMM. We were rewarded with a magnificent sunset. After a chilly dark drive to Cuba, NM we enjoyed a lovely dinner at El Bruno's and the delightful waitress - mother of five - who surely deserved a big tip. Our lunch the next day at the Abuiqui Inn demonstrated a deserved reputation.



































16 Sept.- Wed: The Strater Hotel is a must if you are touring circa Durango, Colorado. After breakfast at Carver's (a coffee house) we were exhausted planning possibilities of places we could hike and bike today so we opted for a quiet day inside this delightful hotel to catch up on computer work. Indeed we missed lunch working so hard and went straight to dinner at the Red Snapper for some mighty fine Salmon. Tomorrow we will leave Durango but await word from the weather woman about the direction to travel. The old Beamer is working well after Dave fixed it up! The seat is comfy - the ride is sweet and smooth.

15 Sept, Tues.- We toured Mesa Verde National Forest taking in almost all of the overlooks plus a guided tour of the Pueblo Indian Cliff Dwellings. The exit ascent was a vertical 100 foot climb. We climbed five ten foot ladders to enter the Cliff Palace (left). Will miracles never cease????: The rain missed us once again.

Dinner tonight was again at the Red Snapper with much thanks to Nancy and John - the congenial owners who worked so hard to make our cardboard and styrofoam diet delicious. They created sauces we can eat! Dinner was followed by an evening in the balcony of the Diamond Belle Saloon listening to the delightful piano player and visiting around. We certainly have met a lot of nice people in Durango like Freddie and Dan; also the nice folks celebrating a thirty-fifth wedding anniversary in the Red Snapper were a lot of fun.


Photo: Mining Camp View From Train


13 Sept, Sat - The photos were taken from the window of the Durango to Silverton narrow gauge steam engine train; it was a seven hour round trip event that included lunch at an old time saloon with sing-along songs. TOO MUCH FUN! - Smooch Smooch loves honky-tonk music.

12 Sept, Fri- Montrose through Ouray to Durango, CO: Motorcyclists heaven. Winding trails, spectacular views and NO RAIN! We stopped for lunch in Silverton and we are staying at the historic Strater Hotel - lively banjo music tonight at the Diamond Belle Saloon that is part of the hotel. The Red Snapper is THE place to eat great seafood and an excellent salad bar.



Black Canyon - Colorado
10










Sept. Thurs- 11 Sept: Montrose, CO, - Sit still for ten minutes viewing the awesome wilderness: time vanishes, stress evaporates and your life will be so much richer -

Hiking and biking in the Black Canyon located in Gunnison National Forest was great. The first day we were rained out in the afternoon - but had some good hikes, albeit not long, and we enjoyed seeing a herd of mountain goats. The colorful mountain flowers are captivating: Lupine, Aster, Yarrow, Goldenweed - Golden Eye. Each day the Aspen turn more gold - and each day proclaims the quickening pace of Autumn.

Molly (the waitress from the Belly Restaurant) met us at City Market where we drove to the mountains so she could take our photo for Christmas cards - and we could send some stills to Sharyn in Santa Fe. Our favorite restaurant in Montrose is the Stonehouse - FANTASTIC FOOD!

9 Sept. Wed.: Leaving Alamosa early we headed west on Hwy 160 through Del Norte, Creede towards Montrose, dressed for cold; this kept us warm over the Continental Divide (10, 000 plus feet) and over Slumgullion Pass at 11, 900 plus feet where we definitely felt the chill. A stop in Creede for Smooch Smooch to buy warmer socks was a very good idea - especially purchasing two pairs of socks because one pair is very cute. The socks are 100% Smartwool.: the label reads "We always give you 100% Effort, 100% Smarts and 0% Bull." Higher in the mountains we loved seeing the Aspens turning a gorgeous gold. We warmed up - almost overheated - as we rode closer to Montrose arriving about four PM with only a protein drink, banana and apple for lunch; we had a very delightful dinner at the Belly Restauran, inviting the waitress, a photographer from Philadelphia, to take our picture on the bike tomorrow after we spend the day hiking the Black Canyon.

8 Sept. Tues: The photo (left) is of the spectacular sunset from the Stakeout Restaurant nine miles south of Taos, NM - taken last night. This is a not to be missed restaurant high in the mountains with yummy food even on my diet of cardboard and styrofoam.

For Nina: Today we left town headed westward towards Durango, Colorado until we were nearly enfolded into a massive thunderstorm. At the last moment, in Tres Piedras, an alternative route was available northward to Antonito. If the Cumbres and Toltec Railroad had offered an afternoon departure, we would have ridden the train. More storm clouds there convinced me to make another 90 degree turn back eastward to San Luis, "the oldest town in Colorado." That fetched us up to the mountains with a north/south choice only. North look less rainy, so we proceeded to Fort Garland, then west again to Alamosa where we are enjoying an early evening at the Rio Grande Hotel. No telling where we will go tomorrow - God only knows.

The landscapes are indeed waving to us. The songs of the sirens cannot compare to the allure of these landscapes. Embraces are a given; we practice at every opportunity, and thank God for both the embraces and the opportunities. Thank you Nina for your wonderful words that are blessings to us!

7 Sept - Mon: Our breakfast companions, Joe and Diane from Alamagordo and Pennsylvania, were really enjoyable people; we had a lively conversation about philosophies. Diane is a very wise woman who commented about our traveling lifestyle, "At the end of life people are not likely to be wishing they had worked more or earned more but wished they had taken the time to be more invested in relationships."

Smooch Smooch had an hour plus walk to the Plaza before we drove around the Enchanted Circle (a three hour drive on the bike). It was very scenic, too. We stopped in Red River for a so-so lunch. The recent rainfall was evident in the abundance of beautiful mountain wildflowers: lavender, gold, white, reds amidst variegated greens. Stopping at the Veterans Memorial at Eagles Nest was a moving experience. Rain seemed about to fall so we returned to the hotel for more jig-saw and a nap before dinner at the Stakeout Restaurant. Dinner on the patio high in the mountains was an experience not to be forgotten.

6 Sept - Sun: Lots of Shriners on motorcycles are staying in the Touchstone --- and fun fun fun to talk to this morning before working on the jig saw puzzle. We spent the day back at the Hacienda de Sol until time to check in for tonight and tomorrow night's final stay in Taos. Dinner tonight was at Lambert's - the 2009 Best of Taos award winning restaurant. Not great but OK. We do enjoy the view of Taos Mountain from this new room at the Hacienda del Sol. It is a great place to stay.

5 Sept.-Sat: After eating our usual egg white omelets at the B&B we ventured forth on the bike NW of Taos hoping we could make it to Durango or Pagosa Springs, CO - but the weather did not cooperate. A storm front was headed to the four corners. We were hit by hail first ... but continued moving ahead out of the hailstorm and into rain. Parking the bike at a National Forest Service Road was a convenient place to hide under trees until the rain stopped and the highway was no longer so wet. We continued on to the spectacular Brazos Cliffs mountain view over the Chama valley below but the clouds looked too dark and we turned back to Taos. A few miles NW of Taos is an Earthship subdivision; we pulled into the visitors center to look at the construction of earthhomes fabricated out of trash (used tires filled with mud, bottles and cans for reinforcing material - and recycled water. The actor and director Dennis Hopper lives here. Smooch Smooch wants to build a house "on the cutting edge of green" but this is NOT what she has in mind. About two miles N of Taos rain started to fall ahead of us; there was a distinct line in the road where the rain started. We proceeded on when the rain reached us - and waited it out in a gas station.

Since we turned around to return to Taos we needed lodging for the night; the innkeepers at the Hacienda de Sol recommended Touchstone next door. It was a good choice: the owners are artisits who built on a gallery/dining area combined. Bren Price is the owner - with wonderful watercolors hanging on all of the walls. Her husband is a potter and painter who told us a lively story of how they met, walked a labyrinth and decided they had met their soul mates in each other in only a week's time.

We had dinner at the famous Hotel La Fonda in the restaurant: Joseph's Table... it was OK but not great at all!

4 Sept-Fri: Well! We did not get the early start that we planned but we did get started before lunch. Leaving the trailer and car at Stewart's - we managed to leave behind cute shoes and get all of our necessities into two little saddlebags and started out on the first leg of Touring the US Rockies Two on the Bike - by taking the High Road to Taos. The High Road is a back-country, scenic route between Santa Fe and Taos through high desert, mountains, forests, small farms and tiny Spanish Land Grant villages. Scattered along the way are the galleries and studios which make up the High Road Art Tour. The views are spectacular. We enjoyed touring the Santurio de Chimayo managing to arrive in Taos by three PM after a nice meal on the plaza in the Bent Street Grill. The Mediterranean salad was excellent. We are staying at the Hacienda de Sol (advertised as one of the top ten most romantic B and B's in the US) assuring me of lots of romantic points. It is the first home of Mabel Dodge Luhan. And they even have a jig-saw puzzle that begs putting together. The Stakeout Restaurant is really fine: dinner was out on the patio - high in the mountains south of Taos. We thanked them profusely for arranging such a spectacular sunset. The colors were incredible.

3 Sept.-Thurs: And double the fun! The interview with Sharyn and her brother Arne was so nice. Arne used Nina's poem she wrote for us as the beginning of the ihour long nterview. He fielded questions to us while Sharyn filmed. Their house was built about 1920; Arne lives in the lower floor while Sharyn lives on the ground level. Arne treated us to his latest music compositions (two of them) created in the past two days. More about this brother and sister when we get time. We had lunch at the Tearoom on Canyon Road. We went to El Farol's for dinner in the evening - but had the wrong time for Pat and Janice. They were there at the right time and we arrived thirty minutes later - after they went home. Nina joined us for dinner. We are very thankful to have met such nice new friends as Nina, Sharyn and Arne.

2 Sept.-Wed: Oh what fun! We went to Bob and Lupe's early (well... for us....). It was SUCH fun we arrived ten minutes late at Nina's studio. Nina is one amazingly talented - plus beautiful- woman. She is a dancer, poet and fine art collage artist - not to mention a great cook. We were treated to tea, with home-made scones, special jams from San Francisco and fruit first. In addition to all of that good food she wrote a special poem for us that will get posted. Her artwork is very professional and moving. The Tango series is rich and colorful. A favorite is the tryptich. She has agreed to meet us tomorrow night for dinner at El Farol's. Stewart and June treated us to a delicious meal at their home; their son and granddaughter joined us to make it a very special evening.

1 Sept-Tues: We checked out of Buffalo Thunder because we were not too happy with the facility. They allowed a 3 PM checkout which did help make up for the problems. We parked the trailer at Stewart and June's and checked into the Hampton Inn. it was surprising to discover so many changes in Santa Fe around Pat's house ... but we did locate him after driving for an hour. He is just as amazingly creative as usual. He was awarded the commission of building the desk for the Governor of New Mexico - and the reception desk for the CCollege of Santa Fe. Now he is doing some pretty fancy ceramic work and pottery. Janice does Native American bead work as well as pottery. Later we met Stewart and June for dinner at the Tune-Up.

The Rockies in August

31 Aug. Mon: We worked... with the notion we would hike in Bandolier. But, by the time we left the hotel the clouds in the west were dark and ominous so we rode the bike to Janie's and walked four miles (RT) to Mark V's house. One more address updated: he is still living in Santa Fe but not home; we left a note tucked inside the front door with an invitation to the wedding. After Janie finished her afternoon class we went to the very trendy El Farol's for dinner and had the most adventurous time: photographers and male models drove up in a BMW convertible and SUV; they told us they were doing a story of life in Santa Fe for coastal circulation - and they asked if they could use the motorcycle and Janie's Scooter as props for the photo shoot. it seemed a good idea to suggest they use the OWNERS of the bikes for the best story of life in Santa Fe. A blonde, very tall, leggy photographer dressed very avant garde played interceptor. But at that moment the two male models (on Janie's bike) started kissing. OH OH - they have a different viewer audience intended. After dinner we drove to Stewart and Judy's for a brief visit with plans to take them to dinner tomorrow night. Judy was not home but we did get to look at her artwork.

30 Aug. Sun: - We missed breakfast with Norma and Bob but made up for it by treating them to dinner at a popular spot for locals that used to be "Dave's Not Here" but is now called "The Tune-Up. " They have a hamburger called "Dave Was Here!" But first we hiked the Aspen Vistas trail with Norma, a retired librarian, hiking and scrabble partner. Bob is a retired engineer from Los Alamos turned symphony composer.

EXCITEMENT OF THE EVENING: Nina was in the restaurant. She is our new friend from Ristra's Restaurant. We have exchanged Email addresses and we have plans to see her studio 2 September.

A strikingly beautiful woman named Sharyn sat next to Smooch Smooch. She creates documentaries. Her charming brother Arne sat next to Norma and made the conversation very lively. She was so captivated by our wedding plans she wants to be invited to film it as a story of interest. We have an interview scheduled with them for Thursday morning.

OH. The food was good, too!

29 Aug. Sat: Tia Sophia's is the place to eat breakfast in Santa Fe; the burrito is a bountiful feast and NOT to be left uneaten because of anyone's diet. Three sisters manage the restaurant - - LONG-TIME friends that go back to the hometown of Trenton, Illinois. Marie was happy to meet Smooch Smooch and glad to receive a wedding invitation in person.

We had a lovely walk around downtown Santa Fe - over to the Supreme Court Building and across the Santa Fe River which surprisinly had some water flowing; it must have rained. An enjoyable memory working for the Supreme Court of New Mexico was to run outdoors when it rained hard to see the river overflow its (creek-like) banks. Fifteen minutes later another check and the river was down to its little trickle again. The best part of working for the Supreme Court was traveling throughout New Mexico visiting its thirty courthouses and meeting the chief judges.

A highlight of the morning was attending the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum and a photography exhibit. From there we drove along Arroyo Tremorio to see the houses I owned - three blocks from the state capitol - that still to this day are on dirt roads. It was only a two block walk to work at the Supreme Court Building.

We were fed REALLY GOOD at Linda's birthday party; and what a fun time was had by all of the survivors. Lots of Linda's colleagues and friends from rafting adventures and some family were present to enjoy her special day. Friends serenaded her with touching songs of friendship and caring.

Despite being very full - we met another good friend Janie for dinner at Ristra's and had another good meal.


28 Aug. Fri: We had a terrific hike (after not such a great breakfast) up to the top of Chimney Rock for some good photos. Linda suggested Buffalo Thunder Casino for the first few nights in Santa Fe. The best part of the Santa Fe years is the deep friendships that have endured for decades. It is always so good to return to this home. After checking into the hotel we drove onto Santa Fe to visit John and Linda. They gave us a tour of the old adobe houses they have purchased on Alto Street that adjoin the house Ron purchased in 1978. Smooch Smooch was impressed with the house: it was built in the late 1800's and its original hand hewn beams (axe marks present that I bleached - and seeing the restoration work I did.

Linda and John were busy in preparation for her party tomorrow so we walked to Ristra's Restaurant for a delicious meal; we met a lovely couple who toasted us - "because we enjoyed watching your expressed tenderness." We bought them a glass of wine and they bought us a glass of champagne (ONLY ONE - we share only ONE). She is a poet and artist - he is a remarkable man we liked instantly. They, too, enjoy a tender and loving relationship. We joined them and we enjoyed the camaraderie so much that we paid for their dinner (unbeknownst to them). After walking to Borders Bookstore we were very surprised to see David and Nina walking across the parking lot to the bookstore entrance. And they were happyl to thank us for the meal. (The STORY continues to unfold - stay tune!)


Thurs Evening continued: En route to Ghost Ranch we encountered a wonderful rainbow and panoramic views that were MARVELOUS! The sunset was a glorious display of color preparing us for the retreat time at Ghost Ranch. We arrived after dark - about nine-thirty - and found the key and a note that we were in Coyote 9; it was VERY DARK but we found our way to the Coyote lodge and room nine - only to find it inhabited. No PHONES! NO CELL SERVICE! After locating an emergency phone attempts to find some live person failed - we met the guests who were in room nine - who were supposed to be in rooms nine and ten but found ten occupied. They suggested we just grab an empty room - which we did. The room was sparse but comfy. It was great to have the windows and door open with fresh air blowing in. And the stars were magnificent. Other campers had a nice large blazing campfire going - fun to watch but we did not participate.

27 Aug. Thurs: The views of red rock south of Moab are awesome. See photo of "Wilson Arch" left. We made it to the Cortez for lunch - dining at the delightful Shiloh Restaurant (hard to locate - on the corner of the Wal-Mart parking lot). The dining area is an outdoor covered patio with waterfalls and koi ponds. Great food.

We had another delicious meal in Pagosa Springs at JJ's Down Under Seafood Restaurant. Dining was on an outdoor overlook of the river. Fabulous view and great food too. After three phone calls we connected with Ghost Ranch near Abiqui for reservations tonight.

26 Aug. Wed: Moab, UT. We had a nice visit with a long-time friend Lance from Santa Fe who retired here;he joined us for dinner at the Moab Brewery, It was a delight to have his company at one of Moab's eclectic restaurants for breakfast. Moab has changed: it has grown greatly.

25 Aug. Tues: We worked hard hardly working. We had a good day at the library with a two mile jaunt to our favorite restaurant. Tonight's dinner promises to be most engaging with Roy and Barbara because they are feeling well again. Roy has atrial fibrillation issues but you cannot keep a good man down. We leave tomorrow mid-morning for Moab, UT to visit friends before we arrive in Santa Fe on Friday to help Linda celebrate her big day. We hope to do some serious hiking in New Mexico with long-time friends. Updates will be coming from Santa Fe... and from there we will go to Sedona, AZ for a month. Progress has been satisfying on all counts: the bike is fixed, the research is caught up. When we get to Sedona plans are to start arising at four AM hoping to complete the last two volumes.

24 Aug. - Mon: Thanks to Walt and Pam we are happy with the Tourmaster purchases: Renegade Classics in SLC carried the Flex II jacket (black) in a size small; it fits nicely - three zip out layers is a good idea and the price is reasonable. They ordered the matching pants in a size extra small and will call us when they arrive. "Cute Shoes" are high on the agenda although ugly warm ones might look very cute when the temps become frigid in the Rockies late fall. The day at the library was productive, too, and the food at the Market Street Grill remains delicious.

23 Aug. - Sun: After a late and great sleep this morning we were en route to Salt Lake City. Smooch Smooch has an appointment with a realtor early tomorrow AM; and she plans to look at Tourmaster gear while Ron will happily spend the day in the library. Arriving in SLC tonight about 7:15 PM - Ron maneuvered the trailer into the parking lot behind the hotel - managing to turn it around and BACK into the narrow alley parking space while Smooch Smooch stayed in the lobby unable to watch the process. Thanks to the hotel concierge for great guidance. The Orange Roughy at the Market Street Grill was terrific. We forgot to mention the construction boom in downtown Salt Lake City: we counted 15 huge cranes in two city blocks. The old Masonic building across from the restaurant has been up on wheels for a month - but when we arrived at the restaurant tonight we were mighty surprised to see that it had been turned around and moved across the street (next door to the restaurant) and slid sideways into place. It is still up on hoists and scores of wheels but it is readied now to be lowered onto giant beams while they build a basement foundation under it: amazing. A new FHL is under construction: 30 floors of library!!!

Ed P. suggests we write romance novels as our next calling. But Ed... we have so MANY THINGS yet to accomplish while we LIVE one out. We are amazed that about a year ago we thought we were only going to take a short research trip together; many miles, months and much joy have brought us to the State of Romantic Bliss. And thanks to Mary and Cheryl, we are planning a wedding May 12, 2011 at Gloria Dei "Old Swedes Church" in downtown Philadelphia - in 17th century garb. It will take a year to update all of the addresses of friends who have waited long years for this day (like you Ed). Everyone has been promised a year's notice but there is too much preparation to schedule for next spring - hence the 2011 date (a birthday so anniversaries can be remembered). "Save the date" cards will go out this coming winter and a wedding website will be created to keep you informed. Smooch Smooch will have to obtain a Canon 19 dispensation from the EPCUSA bishop ( a very lengthy process) to be married in the Episcopal/Anglican denomination. Our common ancestor, Peter Gunnarson Rambo, was one of the founders of Gloria Dei; it was originally Swedish Lutheran but it became Anglican about the time of the Revolutionary War. The "new" building, completed in 1702 shortly after the venerable Peter's death, is now an historical landmark. It will hold 300 people (squished). Prepare to be squished and have a great time.

22 Aug. - Sat.: We left Spokane early AM on I-90 for a surprisingly scenic drive and MARVELLED at the views. This Interstate is one of the few that has great views. Interesting sign (left) begged a photo. There was a great rest stop with a hiking and biking trail that stretches all the way from Spokane to Couer d' Alene We hiked for a half an hour. Arriving in Missoula, Montana for lunch we were disappointed the Blue Canyon restaurant did not open on Sat. until five PM. Instead we had a fine lunch at the Stone of the Accord Irish Pub and Grill. We arrived in Butte, MT in time for an hour walk before dinner at the Derby Restaurant recommended to us by a congenial fireman. The Halibut Florentine was outstanding.

21 Aug.- Friday: The bike is ready, loaded into the trailer. After another great breakfast at the White Spot with our favorite waitress Lindsey (she had to birth twins who died in utero a month ago and is grieving) we headed south of Vernon to the Can./US border for an uneventful crossing. We had a lovely drive to Spokane for an overnight at the Hampston Inn and a magnificent dinner at the Milford Fish House (719 North Monroe Street - don't miss this place). We were surprised and quite delighted with Spokane, too; it is a lovely city.

20 Aug.- Thurs: The FL bike was smoking so rings were replaced. It is a sweet bike according to Dave. We enjoyed dinner at Earl's with Joanic (pronounced Yahnik) Gene, his wife Tonya and their son Colton. Joanic,, a handsome 27 year old with a lot on the ball, is quite shy but very enamored of the very cute waitress named Christine. Ron introduced him to her and offered to pay for their meal on their first date (if he gets up the courage to ask her out). We changed from the Sandman hotel to the Prestige Inn because it was so uncomfortably hot.

19Aug - Wed: Ron made a quick rount trip to the border and registered both bikes with customs to be able to transfer title of the SC bike to Dave.The border crossing was not without incident as the customs agent could not grasp that the second bike was listed as a two hundred dollar value -- and that we would drive all the way from South Carolina with a two hundred dollar bike plus the other vintage bike just to leave the less expensive one. Finally after a thorough inspection of the bikes, the car and contents they were satisfied we had no illegal immigrants in the hubcaps nor drugs, alcohol, etc.

18 Aug - Tues: The day has been busy, busy busy! The bike needed a new battery which fixed ta turn signal problem. We are working on the E-mail updates for a mailing list - but the room has been mighty hot because the A/C isn't working well. We had lunch at Earl's and tonight we had a delightful dinner with Dave, his lovely wife Deb and their three beautiful, talented daughters for the second night in a row. This makes OUR THIRD night at Earl's. We do like this Canadian restaurant. Hanna taught Smooch Smooch how to use Chop Sticks!


17 Aug - Mon: We arrived in Vernon, BC last night in time for a delicious dinner at Earl's to enjoy a yummy spinach salad with strawberries, almonds, avocado slices and feta cheese, but we opted out of the tasty champagne vinaigrette dressing. Breakfast this morning was a treat at the White Spot (egg white garden omelet (no cheese) and our favorite sourdough bread toasted dry (sugar and fat free pancake syrup make this an ideal french toast treat).

Afterward we walked two miles to and fro Dave's Garage to check on the bikes. They refurbished his old BMW out of the South Carolina duplicate instead of vice versa and it looks mighty sweet. We have to take the SC bike back to the US side to go through customs since the title is being transferred to Dave to rebuild the SC bike as a sale to him. This means a full day's trip back to the border south of Kelowna and back to Vernon hauling both bikes. But the travel is scenic through Canada's wine country.

We are also searching for Pam's highly recommended Tourmaster riding gear for Smooch Smooch - but find the manufacturer's website worthless. Few dealers stock extra small jackets or petite pants. Our turnaround time in BC is short: we have an important date 28 August in Santa Fe to celebrate Linda's admission to the Septuagenarian Club at her Gigantic Medium-sized party.

16 Aug. - Sun: One of the best parts of traveling is the companions one meets on the journey. We enjoyed a breakfast conversation with a sweet young pastor's wife who is originally from Georgia (friend and helper of the owner's mother at the Riverstone Lodge). Her husband is pastor of a 24 hour prayer ministry for a non-denominational congregation in Kansas City, KS on State Line. Very recently he and their son were released from a prison in China for preaching in an underground Chinese church.

Fully fed and Ron has edited for a couple of hours we have time for a morning hike before heading onto Vernon, BC. After a brief walk instead we crossed the US/Canadian border only to discover that Smooch Smooch's passport has expired (a few days ago). They let us through anyway.

15 Aug - Sat. - Smooch is exhausted after packing up in preparation for today's trip.

The phone call from Jim, Joanie, Pam and the gang was a really good one! Ron connected with most friends by phone while driving. It is very comforting to hear from Auntie Carol that Little Carol Ann is behaving herself; although she was in need of some sandals - seems she lost her steel toed boots en route. Smooch is traumatized she is gone (see photo left).

We arrived in Kalispell, MT, after a scenic drive from Missoula, hungrily searching for a nice restaurant but we only saw fast foodies until we stopped to inquire at the Red Lion Hotel. They did have one but it had only one customer despite advertising the best Bison in Montana. WARILY we sat down to order. If you go to Kalispell - TRY this restaurant ONLY because of the delightful and charming waitress named Teri. She is one sweetie who charmed us with tales of her romance with Brian while lovingly help us stick to dietary restrictions. After dinner Ron ran to the car to give her our bottle of wine (we cannot take it into Canada and forget to drink it) she exclaimed, "This is the nicest thing any customer has ever done for me!" To which he replied, "But you haven't seen your tip yet!"

We found great lodging at the Riverstone Lodge just a few miles from the US Canada border entrance: the individual log cabins are quite delightful - new - very comfortable - with a great view of the mountains. Breakfast is included for only $92.50 a night.

14 Aug: Imagine a beautiful view from a huge room in a new Hawthorne Hotel in Missoula, Montana. That is what we are enjoying as we work to get our projects in order before proceeding back to British Columbia to recover the refurbished motorcycle. Busy, busy, busy day.

13 Aug - Thurs PM - Walt called early AM with warm words of comfort. THANKS, Walt; we will all miss Lee. We are too far away westward with too tight a schedule to afford the luxury of attending the Irish Wake held in his honor on Sunday and seeing all those people who also loved Lee. The drive was a pretty one, on the Interstate from Salt Lake City into southern Idaho, then on Highways 26 and 93 through the eastern Idaho arid plains, through several canyons, and over the Continental Divide into the mountains to Missoula, Montana.

12 AUGUST 2009: 12: 40 AM - LEE B. PASSED AWAY, a sad day in some ways, but a blessing in others. A tree is planted today in memory of Lee (tree in German is Baum) so substitute Lee in place of tree in the poem by Joyce Kilmer:I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.

(Joyce Kilmer)

11 Aug - Tues: Ron is one happy camper at this library finding citations and resources he was missing. We tore ourselves away from the library at six PM because the car was ready; the dealer found an acorn in the A/C unit but it is covered by warranty.

10 Aug - Mon: We had a productive meeting with Raquel and George about brick walls, and all met with Raquel's husband, Stan, for lunch at the Garden Room on the tenth floor of the old 5-star Hotel Utah [now a professional building] located on Temple Square. Great food and nominally priced. Mondays the library closes early, at five, so we headed to the Market Street Grill for a shared meal of tour favorite Orange Roughy. The car repairs were not yet complete, so we will spend another day at the library tomorrow.
9 Aug - Sun: Cousin Roy's mother passed away in Texas: our condolences! We hiked the Solitude Lake Trail (a harder trail) and the Interpretive Lake Trail (easy) east of Cottonwood Canyon in Brighton. The combined hike was about five miles taking three hours. The easy trail was very crowded in places because of a moose sighting. The moose crossed the lake water to charge just a few yards in front of us.

8 Aug - The Smooch Smooches are back in the library working industriously; we enjoyed a delightful dinner at Sweet Tomato with Cousin Roy and his lovely wife, Barbara.

Kevin's (Preacher Boy) blog is just amazing. This outstanding young man recently bought a bus ticket to LA with barely any money left in his pockets to start a ministry to the poor. His journey to LA describing the LA bus system, ending up in the Uplands and Watts, days spent on the streets nursing a badly sunburned and blistered forehead and head (because of a new buzz cut) is fascinating. We can only imagine the family's concerns as they follow his blog.

4-7 Aug - Edit, Edit, Edit! Ron had a successful week working without disruption. Auntie Carol says that Little Carol Ann arrived safely and she will should be herding chickens in no time. On the other hand, Smooch the Frog is throwing tantrums because she misses her. We had a phone call from "Kat" with glowing reports of her new job working at the Carlsbad Caverns.

3 Aug - Mon: Ron had a good day: he took the car in for work early and accomplished lots of hard work "hardly working!"

2 Aug-Sunday: Roy beat Ron at "Go" the first time; then Ron beat Roy the second and third "Go" Rounds!" Ron's stack of Sudokus were nearly finished until Roy gave Ron a whole new stack of them along with 9000 piece puzzles! On the working side: a third volume is ready for a thumbs up to the printer; the finances are finished except for mailing Lee two Canadian pennies in a Thinking of You card (we are!), and it is time to work on Rambo bibliographies while we worry about Little Carol Ann. We put stamps on Little Carol Ann's forehead and sent her by postal mail to Auntie Carol Ann but we have not heard if she arrived OK. It is the weekend so she is likely languishing in some overheated post office until Monday morning.

Jasper National Park, Canadian Rockies
July 2009

July in Canada

28 Jul: Ron is back at work editing the third volume industriously finding punctuation errors that he thought had been corrected. OH WELL! We are enjoying the library which is so wonderful it is almost overwhelming.

23 Jul: We celebrated the arrival of "Little Carol Ann" today just as scheduled. Whew: It is a girl after all! Her first toy is a Beanie toy frog named "Smooch" who is every bit as cute as our "girl" named for her Auntie Carol Ann whose birthday just happens to also be today (HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAROL!)

22 Jul: We arrived in Salt Lake City at noon today in time for a quick tour of the library and a delicious lunch at the Market Street Grill. Smooch Smooch was so overwhelmed she lost her sunglasses but Ron found them again. Later, we met cousin Roy and his lovely wife Barbara for an enjoyable dinner at another Market Street Grill.

Reminiscing on the month in Canada: Our favorite lodging is the Banff Springs Hotel, second is Chateau Lake Louise and third the Prestige Luxury Inn at Nelson, Canada. We thoroughly enjoyed the views from those hotels. The worst hotel was Ace Western in Clarkson, Canada. Our favorite hikes were in Jasper and Banff National Forests with the longest hike being 18 kilometers. The best animal sighting was a majestic eight point elk stag viewed about twenty feet away while on the motorcycle. The most unsual sight was the four wolf cubs playing in a lovely pastoral meadow. We saw five or six black bear (some good sized), two or three herds of elk, lots of deer, mountain goats and long-horned mountain sheep, too. Eventually we will post photos and more details of the hiking, good food and really great people we met along the way.

21 Jul - Tuesday: The breakfast at The Old European Inn in Pullman, WA with Spruce and Mollie could not have been more enjoyable. It was great to see Spruce and revisit the AT memories; he is encouraging us to complete the hike from Dalton, Mass onto Katahdin but the knee has to be fixed first.

We continued on to Clarkston, Idaho to view the Nez Pierce architectural site (not a lot to see from the highway). It was an important archaeological site occupied for ten thousand years or more; some of the five thousand year old pit houses were discovered by the dig in the middle of the previous century. The traders arrived in 1812 to make it their main camp.

20 Jul - Monday: The breathtaking view of the lake at Nelson needs to be revisited another year. The hotel is roomy and comfortable. We enjoyed walking through the public park along the lake walkway last night and again this morning to breakfast. We loved the lunch at Alberto's in Bonner Ferry en route to Moscow, Idaho to visit with Spruce - one of the greatest guys one could hope to meet on the Appalachian Trail. Spruce and his girlfriend Mollie went to dinner with us at a lovely patio restaurant with food we had not heard of or tasted before. It was good! The lodging at the Best Western was nice, too.

19 Jul - Sunday: We left Vernon, BC early morning traveling on the Canadian side eastward through gorgeous winding mountain passes with little traffic until evening when we found lodging at the Prestige Luxury Inn in Nelson, Canada that is wonderful. The community spirit is evident in the well cared for park and lake walkway.

18 Jul - Saturday: We took roses to Deb this morning with plans to leave for the U.S. today; but we learned that two of Dave and Deb's adorable adopted Chinese daughters would be performing in the Children's Theatre this afternoon so we delayed our departure to watch the girls. Each one is cuter than the next one. Their talent is amazing: all three play violin and classical music as if they are professionals. Ella is about eight year old; Hannah is 11 and Amy is 13. The girls are home-schooled by their Australian mother who is a teacher by profession. The afternoon's performance of Pinocchio was delightful and well worth postphoning our departure for a day. Hannah's performance surprised us the most because she was so was incredibly animated - shining in the spotlight - standing out from the rest of the cast. Ella was charming as well. We brought them roses, too. After the play ended we treated them to dinner at Earl's - which caters more to an adult crowd. The girls became very weary waiting for a table and food! But the food was worth the wait.

17 Jul - Friday: The bikes are being refurbished so we went to the Yamaha Shop and tried on helmets - only to find exactly what Walt suggested: we purchase an Aria helmet for Smooch Smooch. She LIKES her helmet. It is not heavy - and fits exactly right.

16: Jul -Thursday: More flowers for Smooch Smooch - a pedicure and manicure and a bike ride are scheduled for the day's events.

15: Jul - Wednesday: we arrived back in Vernon, BC to check on the bikes.


6 Jul: After an eventful day visiting in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, the rainy forecast for Tuesday encourages us to consider shopping for riding gear.

5 July, Sunday: We arrived in Edmonton after a nice, brief hike near Jasper at the ? Fort trail. Compared to riding the motorcycle, being enclosed in a car was like wearing blinders.

4 Jul: What a relief to finally get a good night's sleep thanks to dense, room-darkening drapes; restful sleep isn't so easy when darkness waits until 11:30 pm to arrive and sunshine starts before 4:30 am. We returned the motorcycle, took a gondola ride, and hiked nearly to the summit at The Whistlers for views of snow capped & snow-streaked mountains in all directions, some at incredible distances. The Canadian Rockies are awesome from that viewpoint.

3 Jul: We rode the motorcycle to Saskatachawan Crossing, booked a room for the night, and proceeded to Lake Louise for dinner. A short walk at Athabaska Falls provided a modicum of exercise and good views of the falls and an old, abandoned river channel. Motorcycling improves the scenery by 88%, and this is an ideal time to see the Icefields Parkway since substantial snow still clings to the northern faces of the mountains.

2 Jul: We enjoyed a long hike today to Lake Christine - 8.3 kilometers with 250 meters rise. Afterwards we rented a motorcycle in Jasper for two days and immediately proceeded to Maligne Lake for wonderful views and twisty roads.

1 Jul: Today we hiked the Valley of Five Lakes trail totalling 11 kilometers with mild ups and downs. There were no other hikers to be seen on the second half of the hike, and only 11 total for the day. It was quite a change from our first hikes near ever-popular Lake Louise. It is Canada Day so we also watched a very enjoyable parade!

June Journey for the twos of us

30 June: Lots to report whenever I get done with mending & sudokus.

20 June, Saturday: We are in Moses Lake, Washington tonight after a very pleasurable day of sightseeing along the Columbia River Gorge east of Portland turning north on a road less traveled. Pulling the trailer the interstate has been the road of choice because it is a fairly flat divided highway that does not often go through high mountain passes. I-84 had gorgeous vistas. It was interesting watching the trains along the sides of the river, the wind farms high on the river banks as well as the wind surfers on the river with gaily colored sails.

Last night we had a great Thai dinner with a friend of forty years: Beanie and her husband Eddie. He is a world Scrabble master who beat all of the top world champions in one single tournament. Retired now, she and Eddie are studying to become Shamans.

18 June, Thursday: It is 99 degrees as we approach a gorgeous snow and ice covered Mount Shasta ahead; it is even more surprising since Sacramento's forecast was temp high of only 95 degrees. I-5 has been a beautiful drive all the way; the median is often filled with 10-foot-tall red, white and pink oleanders. It is a joy to again be traveling through the mountains and even more exciting to think that motorcycling is only a couple of days away now.

17 Jun: This evening when left the Holiday Inn to drive to dinner, we found a ticket with a fifty dollar parking violation under the windshield wiper. No surprise in a big city except that we were parked in the city parking garage as directed by the Holiday Inn valet parking attendant. Apparently that entire floor of the city parking garage is off limits from 7:30 am to 9:30 am to all but authorized street vendors in that cutesy downtown area. When we had parked at 6:30 pm the lot was full and warning signs were obscure - especially to unsuspecting visitors from out-of-town. Valet parking had not warned us of that hazard, so the hotel graciously deducted most of the cost of the ticket from our bill.

16 June, Tuesday: We enjoyed lovely visits with cousins Kenneth and Jewel (both gems) who are in their mid-nineties; this amazing couple were teacher until retirement and enjoyed their home in Indiana until their sons moved them to Phoenix after Jewel broke a wrist in a fall. They live independently in a lovely condo unit with meals provided in the cafeteria. It was a relief to see Kenneth more active and vital than during previous "recent" visits. We met cousin Kay at the Good Egg for breakfast and non-stop conversation. She is a mesmerizing six- foot- tall woman with a delightful personality. The car has handled pulling the lite utility trailer just fine but it got pretty dicey in the pass near Palm Desert. According to a local the wind in the pass is like that all of the time which is why they have the wind farms. The phone call from Lee, Walt and Pam keeps running through our minds and conversation because it was just so great to hear Lee sounding good: you hang in there, Lee!!

We are on I-5 heading north enjoying the mountain vistas, agrarian fields and orange groves of the beautiful San Juaquin Valley in central California. Interesting signs are posted in fields along the road: "Congress Created Dust Bowl"

I love you Smooch Smooch.

13 Jun (maybe), Saturday: The desert scenery is awesome on I-10 through Tucson. We enjoyed a nice breakfast with cousin Jim & Diane at the Country Home in Sierra Vista

2 Jun: After an early awaking at 4:40am, we spent the early morning packing until Smooch Smooch refused to sit on the sidelines and started messing with Ron's beloved recycling projects. A time-out was needed, so we went to Wal-Mart to purchase rope and a padlock. A final Sacred Grounds breakfast was thoroughly enjoyed by Smooch Smooch, Ron and buddy Paul. At 9:00 the trailer was opened to discover that the incident yesterday that created jack-stand problems was worse because the motorcycle tie downs are connected to the jack stands; the floor was broken and one motorcycle was inadequately secured and at risk of falling. The temporary solution to get on the road was to duct-tape a brick to the side stand and to open the back at every pee stop to inspect for catastrophe. 70 miles from Kansas City, the pee stop uncovered another problem, a leaking trailer tire. I guess Ron needs to do better at avoiding curbs - even though he only hit one ot two and a stump in Carol's driveway that jumped out & bit the trailer right on the tire. Good things somtimes come from bad beginnings (yeas, really) and the place that replaced the valve stem also repaired the floor for a mere $25 in Sweet Springs, MO. thanks again to you guys (although the women's bathroom could be cleaner). Just puzzling... why is it that Ron can happily say, "You are not going to like the bathrooms" without himself being much bothered by the men's room condition. We had a delightful Applebee's dinner with Clarence and Kathy. Ron's month of surface mail fit into one priority envelope.

1 June, Monday: 5:35 AM and the journey is about to begin. The tow trailer is loaded with two
bikes for the westward jaunt. Thanks to Paul for letting us store them in his garage this month. We lunched with Carol and will spend the rest of the day packing. One significant ten hour day this week should get the next volume to the publisher.