Saturday, July 31, 2004
LEAVING MESA VERDE
Tuesday July 24th
We had several small showers during the night but hardly enough to wet the canvas on the camper. We got up and made short work of breakfast and clean-up. George, aunt Beulah, Becky and Patty went to the launder matt to wash dirty clothes while mom, and I wrote cards. The boys passed time flying John’s airplane and dad busied himself putting the new charms on our bracelets. When the “wash crew” got back we folded up camp and came off Mesa Verde our last time. In due respect, she is one of a kind and refuses any attempts to change. You do not conquer her… she conquers you.
It wasn’t far to Four Corners. It’s a place where Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona come together. We ate a bite of lunch and took pictures at the monument. I have a couple of favorites. One of John standing on his head in the exact spot of the four corner’s (I believe that was dad’s suggestion) and one of each of the four children standing in a different State, inches apart. This would be the only place in this great country of ours that you can do that. It must have been off the beaten path because there were few tourists and it was barren and isolated more or less. An old pick-up truck was parked close by with a weathered man sitting in it. He was the only “concession stand” which consisted of an aged pop cooler with some bottles of cokes in it. He made no attempt to sell his drinks and the outrageous price kept us from buying any. We had our own, of course.
We headed southwest across an architectural wonderland of mesas, desert and every kind of spire, dome, sphere, jaw toothed, blunt, blobby, rhythmical mass of rock and mountain you could think of. The ground had ravines, washes, holes and mounds of all types. If this wasn’t awesome enough, in design, we had every color the Southwest could think of to paint. The sky, jealous of the attention below, gathered her big white clouds and had a regular temper fit across the mesa tops, spilling her tears in big black streaks to the ground. One had to look in a swivel motion to try and look at all Arizona was throwing at us, as if determined to prove she was the best of the West. A common sight during the afternoon were hogans and corrals of different sizes made with tree branches. They were crudely built and almost invisible they blended into the landscape so well.
We saw several Indians on horseback, herding sheep and one posed beautifully for us when we stopped to take a picture. We were most appreciative until he came closer to the car with his hand out and said, “MON-ey, MON-ey.” It ruined the whole concept for us but aunt Beulah and Patty fished out a little change for him before we drove away. Patty was riding with mom and dad this afternoon.
We saw several dust devils spinning across the valley floor and we stopped southwest of Tuba City to look at some dinosaur tracks. We hurried on because we were getting close to the Grand Canyon and we wanted to get there early enough to get good camping spots….and close together. We came up the mesa in a rain shower which detracted from the view but we knew it would be beautiful on a sunny day. We were pleased to get two good spots right across from each other and we went immediately to buy some groceries so we could have a good supper. It was rainy and drizzly all evening but we didn’t mind in our nice camper.
Later that evening George and the kids went to the souvenir shop to look around. When they got back, aunt Beulah, mom and the kids all went to the campfire where Rangers were gathering folks for story telling. I wanted to go but after the drizzly weather I wanted to clean the floor in the camper and get the beds ready for the night. When our little bunch got back they told us the campfire was really nice and what all was said. We talked back and forth in the dark before we fell asleep. Tomorrow would be a full day of unimaginable sights……….
Until Monday,
Essentially Esther
We had several small showers during the night but hardly enough to wet the canvas on the camper. We got up and made short work of breakfast and clean-up. George, aunt Beulah, Becky and Patty went to the launder matt to wash dirty clothes while mom, and I wrote cards. The boys passed time flying John’s airplane and dad busied himself putting the new charms on our bracelets. When the “wash crew” got back we folded up camp and came off Mesa Verde our last time. In due respect, she is one of a kind and refuses any attempts to change. You do not conquer her… she conquers you.
It wasn’t far to Four Corners. It’s a place where Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona come together. We ate a bite of lunch and took pictures at the monument. I have a couple of favorites. One of John standing on his head in the exact spot of the four corner’s (I believe that was dad’s suggestion) and one of each of the four children standing in a different State, inches apart. This would be the only place in this great country of ours that you can do that. It must have been off the beaten path because there were few tourists and it was barren and isolated more or less. An old pick-up truck was parked close by with a weathered man sitting in it. He was the only “concession stand” which consisted of an aged pop cooler with some bottles of cokes in it. He made no attempt to sell his drinks and the outrageous price kept us from buying any. We had our own, of course.
We headed southwest across an architectural wonderland of mesas, desert and every kind of spire, dome, sphere, jaw toothed, blunt, blobby, rhythmical mass of rock and mountain you could think of. The ground had ravines, washes, holes and mounds of all types. If this wasn’t awesome enough, in design, we had every color the Southwest could think of to paint. The sky, jealous of the attention below, gathered her big white clouds and had a regular temper fit across the mesa tops, spilling her tears in big black streaks to the ground. One had to look in a swivel motion to try and look at all Arizona was throwing at us, as if determined to prove she was the best of the West. A common sight during the afternoon were hogans and corrals of different sizes made with tree branches. They were crudely built and almost invisible they blended into the landscape so well.
We saw several Indians on horseback, herding sheep and one posed beautifully for us when we stopped to take a picture. We were most appreciative until he came closer to the car with his hand out and said, “MON-ey, MON-ey.” It ruined the whole concept for us but aunt Beulah and Patty fished out a little change for him before we drove away. Patty was riding with mom and dad this afternoon.
We saw several dust devils spinning across the valley floor and we stopped southwest of Tuba City to look at some dinosaur tracks. We hurried on because we were getting close to the Grand Canyon and we wanted to get there early enough to get good camping spots….and close together. We came up the mesa in a rain shower which detracted from the view but we knew it would be beautiful on a sunny day. We were pleased to get two good spots right across from each other and we went immediately to buy some groceries so we could have a good supper. It was rainy and drizzly all evening but we didn’t mind in our nice camper.
Later that evening George and the kids went to the souvenir shop to look around. When they got back, aunt Beulah, mom and the kids all went to the campfire where Rangers were gathering folks for story telling. I wanted to go but after the drizzly weather I wanted to clean the floor in the camper and get the beds ready for the night. When our little bunch got back they told us the campfire was really nice and what all was said. We talked back and forth in the dark before we fell asleep. Tomorrow would be a full day of unimaginable sights……….
Until Monday,
Essentially Esther
