Lady bugs & home

It will take me a long long time to clean up and get settled and get my life in the order I want it to be. Back at John's taco with Joe and Jim... felt the same same but different. Micky was starting to soil on the rug, Jim think he just misses me. Lady was lame by the time I got home and I need to get some grub in the house.
Organized the $... spend a total of $1877 on everything for 24 days and 7800 miles - $633 for gas. I stayed at 8 campgrounds, 8 Wall-Marts, spent 6 nights with 4 friends and 2 nights ($90) at Motel 6. $194 for tours into the parks and the rest on food, books, stuff along the way...a wool hat, socks etc.
Could not have done it for much less but the images I have are priceless. For those that followed, thank you. For those that dropped a note or called, my gratitude. For those that housed me and gave me showers... mmmmm. I would do it again...and probably skip the two motels.. they were not worth it. Alaska anyone?

last days

I will say for the last time, it is easier to blog in Asia than the US. It is either the slowest connection in the world or no connection. I am rather sure that if you knew where to go it would be easier. But even Libraries are not consistent..some turn them off, some you need a pass code and some don't have wifi.

I have taken longer to drive the last few hundred miles than most of the rest. It is not that I have lost my curiosity but more that I have found the jangle of the east harder to live with....like coming up from a deep dive...you want to adjust. What I have learned about me and the country... buy the book.
Here are a few pics from the last days and some thoughts. I think I can sum up my observations... the bigger the space the more awareness of boundaries and the more out of others business it becomes. The boundaries between the natives and the whites is clear. I did not see Navajo in the Dam Bar in Page and there are places that they sit in the breakfast place down the road. I saw many people coughing in the west and asked about health care. We have great health care and terrific doctors or I almost lost my leg with a sore and my diabetes...we have health care in Tuba City about 60-70 miles away.... guess who is who. The Navajo nation is miles and miles and miles of scrub bush..mountains, canyons and free range. Texas is very smelly slaughter houses and miles of crowded cows. Tx and Ok are friendly people who have lots of churches and you don't talk about anything too deep. I asked a native where the fairgrounds was and she had the blankest look I have ever seen...looked up and down the road and said... I am not sure. I looked over her head and saw the sign..fairgrounds. I think the hills of West Virginia and the pines of PA have gotten a bad rap.

US gave the most barren land to the Navajo... miles and miles of sage....the cows and horses run free or amble free and they also have a good sense that they are just part of the scene and no one will harm them. The look at the car as if it were a new cow in town....

They auction property and goods more out west and they try to sell property in the east...but to whom. You can get 10 acres and a 3 bedroom side by side in eastern OK for about $40 and a new adobe house on a few acres cooking in the sun with no trees on a dirt road for $300K in NM. Same same but different. The employer in the small towns.. one of the many evangelical churches. We have more trash that we feel we need to get off the property in the east..so more collective junk yards.. in the open spaces...you just leave it where it stopped running. I am reminded that nothing is permanent..some day Ru will be in the pile... but not for a while. Georgette keeps her emaciated dog going with liverwurst...I will honor Ru until she can't take anymore oil.... to start out cross country with 100K and dive over 8K and give it everything over the roads that I elected...great car. My first car, the green pig was like that....I took her to the crusher myself...and watched them pick her up and smash her... sad day.

I have eaten the same thing when I ate out..eggs, toast, potatoes, and coffee... $3.50-7.50. potatoes have been out of a box, out of a bag, but rare real... ah..miss Pat's. This was the last egg place in Pitts... a young couple bought the pace 4 yrs ago... open every day but Christmas and Thanksgiving... close at 4... the potatoes were real but have so much grease and peppers, I only ate half. I asked to take pictures and they gave me a t-shirt to remember them by... I will remember them but give the medium shirt to someone or a child. Each part of the country is unique. The rolling hills and vibrant color is terrific in the east.. but I will miss the boundaries of the west. The farther east, the poorer the service and the more there were no boundaries. I watched an intellectually limited staff person who was responsible for picking up the trash on the floor....I watched her being let go yesterday. She wanted to talk about it..and the two doing the job just said nothing. Everyone knew what was happening and the others snickered and laughed... and I watched like a crow on a line.... they didn't take her in the back room at the end of her shift... they just let her go and finish her shift. She was heavy set, had limited social skills, her eyes set close together..and she walked in a strange manner. The best part..I don't think she knew what was going on... but it is how we treat each other. You are either part of the in group or not.. don't question what is going on... The public PA roadside had no idea I was observing.. and then walking about listen to their bad mouth .... I will remember Heather.. for she is now unemployed and unemployable in the hills of PA.

I know I can't fix the world but I can make some real changes in me and what I tolerate around me.

Back home....it is not Nick the not so nice guy's house that is below code..it is the good Laura the church woman who is below code....but she is our friend.. I will spend more time looking and writing..I have seen the cruel effects of the righteous.... and the calm of the code talkers.... I have much to do with me so that I am the person that I think I am. This was much more of an adventure than I thought it would be.....and I can't go home again at least not to where I have been.

in NY

Arrived at Georgette's at 10:30.. just as Sarah said I would.. think the weight of the hat is making me tired...at least I can't keep my eyes open... so..reflections tomorrow

I want to praise Sarah and the Subaru

I am now in TN and the road view has changed. I did not go to Graceland...$29 for a senior just to walk about.... so I climbed on a table and took a picture of his plane, saw Heartbreak hotel...and listen to Presley radio. I will stop in Nashville and then on to Louise's house and a shower :)

I can not imagine taking this 6000+ trip without the faithful Sarah letting me to u-turn as soon as I can and my super subaru....Think I am just going to call her Ru... I know I am not home yet.. but up she gets no matter what gas i put in etc. The other items that have been invaluable... my Nikon blanket...(roasty toasty)...and my king size plastic soda cup.... If you have been reading this...you know why.

This might look a mess to you, but i can find with one hand everything (except the can opener) at any time.
Georgette asked if there was enough room in the car for the hat... oh yes an the boot box. This is looking from the front of the car to the back. You can see I put the window shade on the back, the table cloth and curtain on one side and the blanket and other p

illowcase on the right side. I put the boot box inbeteen the two seats. This is looking from the back to front..the table cloth is usually taped to the side, but i hit it getting out. I usually read for a little before i plug in the ipod before bed and then sleep until 6ish.

Ark

You just did not see as much poverty in the west as you do in the east. What you are not seeing in this picture is the silverware and napkins still on the tables.

There are many dreams that have been left by the side of the road...

there were several auctions of farms as I drove down AK 10

I bet Mama still does the cooking..and papa now stars at his shoes.

I did stop at the library. I did pay the extra $3 for Bill to narrate my way about the building. They had a room of extra stuff and one was this picture of the Bush family. I had not realized that GW had a smirk as a boy. Barbara has sure changed since this picture


Well...I have made it almost all the way home without a hat....but since I will have to be by myself at the festival this year... this will be useful as I work on my garden ...as John said... some folks travel and others take care of their home. One of the things I have talked to folks about ...when do folks start spending more time watching others with the eye of judgement.... It happens. folks had lots of comments about where the old man with the wagon was sleeping etc...I had the big camera..etc.. so they were a bit taken back when I said... when he didn't stay at Walmart.... I was alone last night.

and God bless America...and Sudan..and Iran...and the birds I have killed...and the armadillo by the side of the road... and fluffy puppy...and Barbara K...

and I think it is time for a motel room.....

getting down to the home stretch part 1

I am not kidding about the fox stuff. there are roadsigns about Obama Care etc... I really enjoy the country songs...but the preaching gets tired in a mile.

I decided to take the back roads across Ak.. when I ask where do people work...it is mostly at churches, on farms. I passed this hair salon this morning... I can see Sue working here. It was early but I gave a half mind to spending some time just to see what is happening in Sayre TX. I ate at the Country girl Cafe and that was the cheapest breakfast. I am sure I have gained wt by eating the toostie pops but I can't take the potatoes...they are box hash browns and they are terrible. She told me of a boot and hat shop down by the fairgrounds..so I started down the road when I saw this fellow traveler. I could tell he lived in his rig. He was a friendly guy and was tieing his horse off and stopping along the way.

I told him I liked his puppy and he said he was taking him back to his home. You could do a whole story about the brown dog. He would be the kind you couldn't give a name to or he would have been in the car and coming home

checotah....about to cross the great FOX area

After dinner tonight I went to the wall next to the federal building in OKC...it was very moving and a very serious reminder....

actually..every Flying J is turned to fox and the only station that is consistent across the us..is Limbaugh. Well I might have missed the Cadillacs in the sand, but I did not miss the largest cross in Texas. The information plaza had a nice dog run and water fountain... I thought it was so neat...just had to include it in the daily selection. Not sure if the dog can reach the button..but it is still cute. Route 66 is a myth. You go down the road and it just stops and then some county route 1321 appears and you are headed to who knows.... I tried to follow it, but the best I could find was the sign and museum. I did not go in...this was a "photo op" in Elk Tx. I ate dinner in Nonna's a very nice place in OK City. The woman who developed the place was into Marilyn Monroe... I thought this was a very sad picture. She has several that showed the vulnerable nature. I then took a canal ride around downtown and it was very interesting to see how much it had built up and how downtown changed with the canal.. at the end of the ride is a great group of sculptures that depict a battle, There was even horse prints in the rim of the canal path... very impressive. there are 20+ pieces of the 40+ planned that are complete.

After the great dinner and boat ride, I went to the other noteworthy thing in OKC...the federal building..or what was before it was blown up.... I did not go in where each person has a picture...but this was enough

New Mexico and Texas

It was great to see Mitch... we live too far and have often let too much distance between us...but having so much history including my kitchen and the worst Thai food I have ever tried to eat, it is easy to pick up where we left off. He has a great house and dog, Baxter - who knows how to open the front door and take a walk on the wild side. I have driven for miles a day across some of the worst roads my car and I and bff Sarah GSP have gone, but driving from Mitch's to Amarillo was the slow boat to china across long stretches of open roads (and as Mitch and I know from our first trip...no gas stations for 100 miles).

I stopped at Walmart's in Los Cruses only to find that they only sell 20 pound bags of ice... then as I was leaving the city I noted that although they have 10000 of cacti..they have used a steel one in the meridian.





I had wanted to see the White Sands NP so as you cross the missile range, (comforting) there it is. There was an excellent volunteer telling about how it is becomes sand and white sand and it is hot (87) with young folks sliding down the dunes on saucers in bikini's.


I was tired, I wanted to stop early etc. I did keep going and ended in my Thai trip two Thai massage and farkel playing friend Cindy's yard. As always, I slept well and got out to seek a breakfast stop. Interestingly at 6:30 in the morning the place is hopping with folks with grey hair, cowboy hats, and lots of funny stories about the one's that are not there, fishing trips, what they have done this week etc.

On my way to Amarillo, I stopped in a steakhouse for lunch that had a very good "senior" menu. There were about 15 women playing cards in the bar...all dressed and with their little purses... you would have thought it was the country club.

And who can resist stopping in Roswell... the museum was only open for about 10 min when I got there so they let me run through for free. I bought a book about it and picked up this hitchhiker... didn't talk much.....

and how did I know

That I was back in the "civilized" world. In Santa Fe, there was a great many tourist places selling all kinds of things. The $1000 cowboy hat made to your perfection was probably one item that I could do without, but the southwest dinnerware for $22 a bowl made in China probably was the second thing. The gent with the long hair is the local mail man. He was a happy guy but I did note that it was almosts 5 when he was delivering...

When I stopped in Cuba NM and took a picture of the man with the hooked on Jesus hat, I went to the bathroom and found this dispenser.... yep back from the hills
They must get a great deal of business since it required a pad lock.

I am visiting with Mitch now and seeing his nice home..and dog Baxter...a ridgeback lab.... intereesting combo.... doing laudry ..and relaxing....home in a week or so...

no words

can describe the roads, the scenery or the stars that I have seen. I am confident that outside of the road in Vietnam, I have never been on a more primitive pathway than I was this am going the "shortest" route between Chaco Canyon and Sante Fe. After I crawled 5-10 mph for 27 miles over washboard roads to the National Park...the ranger said.. go 30 or 40 and you will not feel the bumps... I didn't There are some rally old stuff here and then in 1200....they just left. but I want to share with you..why I love to camp... I love the quiet...the solitude... and I can only hope that much of the new years will be more of the same. It you look closely at the sun rise you will see a doe walking across the mesa. I had to stop my travels twice to wait for sheep and cows. That is my shadow in the Kiva...the ancient place of worship. And as they say in Thailand...same same but different as I looked up at the hat on the man at breakfast.....

This has been more than I could have imagined it to be...I am eating at a Navajo casino, gas, and truck stop.... the food is terrible..but the wifi is free... I have a new copper braclet made by Presley Crowley ... and another beautiful day in paradise... and on to see Mitch and get a shower...

oh yes...rocks and sketches

I am going to let these pics speak for themselves...The navajo have tried to maintain some integtrity to the ruins but most of the drawings are there and not the ancient. I am off to the lunch and the last canyon....bye for now

people and dogs

I was lucky to sit next to two sisters originally from Texas and Kitty's husband Don. Everyone had a good sense of humor and we all appeared amazed at some of the high maintenance tourist. I thought Kitty looked like Kay C. Little sister, two years younger was raised by big sis since Mom had some issues. Both are retired and I expect will have many more adventures. I was pretty sure husband was an engineer type...

I suspect, much like Thailand, the dogs are all first cousins. The black dog was laying in the road near the Spider Woman turn off.... did not appear to have a care in the world. The other dog, was miles away but looked like a mirror of the first. He was at the burger king and appeared to be an independent dog.... You have to stay awake on the high way...it is free range...horses and cows...

George the Navajo guide made the trip really fun. Could have been the longest day...9 to 5 and covering100 miles. When I asked him what made the round stones in the cliffs... a holepecker. No matter what was asked...he could come back with a good zinger...he has been doing this for some time...

other pictures of DeChelly - housing

I have spoken about the poverty. Many of the navajo live in round houses on the reserve. The orange house really stood out

It is not unusual to find many abandoned cars, trucks, and here a school bus.

Aztec

Going to jump about a little. Spend the night in Wally's...:( Mom and Pop's was closed. This was not a supper that stays open but there were many in the parking lot. I panicked because I thought I fried my acer...but all is well and I am not a temporary member of the Aztec library...my pass pin is 1948..(shhh the year the UFO crashed).

I thought the sky was very beautiful and while the ruin was to the right, the sky was there also

I enjoyed the short film and museum but the ruins have been restored and actually to make the area more appealing to the general public. They put a stone roof on but kept the doors small.

My tripod is giving me a little trouble but it will do for the rest of the trip. Only one more ruin. the door space is about 4 feet and about 2 wide. I was surprised how many were worried it would cave in... these folk left in 1200...so i don't think this is the day. I am off to the last ruin chaco....which is about 64 miles away and then I will go to Santa Fe and down....