Here I am...

Back from the Grand Canyon, but not because we want to be! It was so wonderful, we even stole and extra day and headed to the South Rim. I can't explain it, but I love that place more than anywhere I've ever been. And as always, photos abound! This was exactly how I wanted to spend my 50th birthday. And as my friend so sweetly reminded me - I'm only half-way to 100... still lots to do!

The first long, hot day of driving took us through Farmington, NM and Shiprock. That afternoon we found ourselves in Marble Canyon, on Navajo Bridge, looking out over the Colorado River. It was over 100 degrees down there, so we went down to dip our toes, and to see the famous Lees Ferry, where the river rafts launch and land.







We spent that night at the Marble Canyon Lodge, which I don't recommend.... it's worn out to a point long past quaint... gone 'round the bend to shabby. I'd say stay at either the Lees Ferry Lodge for it's cuteness, or Cliff Dweller's Lodge, where we had a terrific dinner, with a great view of Vermillion Cliffs, and a cooling mist spray keeping the outdoor deck tolerable.





Next morning we were heading into the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. But we like to stop at interesting things along the way, so we pulled in at this old stone house that was built by a woman who was stranded with car trouble, and just decided to stay. It's falling down now, but her family now owns Cliff Dwellers, and local Navajos sell jewelry in front of the old stone house. Yes, of course I bought something! A silver and inlaid turquoise bead!





The North Rim Lodge is a beautiful old stone cliff-hugger, with great big views of Bright Angel Canyon and beyond. The North Rim is a smaller, less built-up area than the South Rim. It's quieter, less crowded, and has fewer options for lodging and dining. But it's nice for a relaxing stay in the trees. We got used to it pretty easily! There are no actual hotel rooms inside the lodge. It's all little cabins. We were lucky to get one very near the rim, with a porch and rocking chairs. Ahhhh...






The first thing to do was go for a little nature walk and check out the surroundings...






After that, pizza and beer on the stone porch of the lodge, and a really red sunset, caused by a fire about 30 miles away... and pollution from California. Fires happen in the forest... It makes for hazy air, but is really an important part of a forest's overall health. Locals don't seem to get to freaked out about them. It's just nature!




And then... there it was... my birthday. My 50th Birthday. Holy Cow - I'm 50! I can't explain how weird that is to me. But I was the kid who cried and cried the day I turned ten, because Mom told me I was a decade old. I'm not particularly graceful about these numbered landmarks in life. And I'll admit to feeling a little edgy about it all day. We hiked the Uncle Jim Trail, chatting with the animals and flowers and even super-ancient sea-life fossils. I was quiet... not sure how to "be" my new number. OK - I didn't like it a bit. But I knew the queasiness would pass, so I tried to be brave, and hiked on, camera and notebook in hand... Rick was a big help. He always is.






Tired and hot, we got back to the cabin to find a mysterious delivery... a huge, beautiful gift basket. After a little bit of sleuthing, we found out my baby, Lauren had sent it. Perfect timing! We were in serious need of refreshment!



Rested and feeling better, we shined ourselves up for a nice dinner at the lodge. We had frou-frou drinks and a wonderful meal. And I actually insisted that the staff sing to me at dessert time. Maybe the pink drink helped... I was beginning to feel better about the whole birthday deal...







That night I had a little clip of a dream... I was sliding down a steep hillside, digging my heels in, trying to stop before going off the cliff... but as I went over the edge, I found I was able to fly...

I guess I'm processing the age thing better than I thought.
I went to the gift shop, looking for a bracelet - something regional. Something to remind me of the trip and the Canyon. Something to remind me to be Fearless... This is what I found - it's perfect! It's Navajo "pawn", sterling and coral, in a style I've never seen in the southwest. Sort of medieval... like the architecture of the castle-like lodge. It's as close as I'm going to get to carrying a sword!



We spent the rest of the day "car hiking" to far off view points. The air was smoky from the fire, and it was really hot and sticky that day. We just took it easy, and spent time meeting the locals... like Brighty, the donkey. Cute little guy. And I met Shirley, a Beadist who spends part of the year in Washington, and the other part at the Canyon. I was wishing I could spend more time there, and she suggested I apply for the Artist In Residence Program. A.I.R..... yes! I'll give it a try!






We just weren't ready to head for home, so Rick did his magic, and got us a reservation the next day at the South Rim. Oh happy day! It was stormy and dramatic when we arrived after a 250 mile drive around from the North to the South Rim. That didn't bother us though. We know how fast the monsoon rains can drift through. So we watched the show for a while, and then went for a little hike down the Bright Angel Trail. I learned that every step you take down into the Canyon is a 20,000 year trip back in geological time. I couldn't go too far in flip-flops, but we did go past the tunnel, and then down to the sharp point in the trail on the right.




We had plenty of time to watch the condors, which can only be seen at the South Rim, have beers on the deck of El Tovar, and just gaze off into the big side of the Canyon.





Too soon it was time to get some sleep. We had to go home the next day, but our stolen day was well worth the effort. As we said good-bye to the Canyon in the morning, two condors flew right over our heads, circling twice, as if to say good-bye. I cried and laughed and thanked them, and can't wait to go back again... and again...



Happy Birthday to me! We celebrate BirthMonth in my family, so tonight... we're going to the Santa Fe Opera! I'll tell you all about it later!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Rick and I are heading to the Grand Canyon to celebrate my 50th birthday. I found this video on YouTube, and while I think it's just a teensy bit in questionable taste at the end, most of it is pretty funny. It's my favorite Birthday Song, so come on! Dance with me! See you back here next week, with a full report of my big birthday adventure!

the last few days...

Rick's niece Joni, and her fiancee, Jonas, came to visit from Seattle. We had a great time with them! Hope they enjoyed their time in Taos. Uncle Rick has always been an important part of Joni's life. He was the fun uncle to her and her brother Matt... the one who was silly and played and didn't act anything like a parent. We all need one of those!

This is Jonas, Joni, Julia, and Rick, at dinner at the OBL the first night they were here... I've lost track of the days, but no matter. Fun is fun, whatever day it is!

The Cousins, catching up...

Lauren was working that night, so we were well taken care of.


There's always a lot of eating when people come to visit. The second night was dinner at the Trading Post. Beautiful food... especially dessert! And the sunset was worth going outside to take a picture of. The way it hit the red wall and the paintings was art worth catching too.






And then there was the 4th of July... always a big day here, starting with the parade in Arroyo Seco. It's a silly, crowded, small town parade that anyone can be in. You don't see stuff like this in Seattle!








This funny little dog became part of the family over the last week. Lauren has been dog-sitting while Heidi's owner was on vacation. I'm only a little embarrassed to admit that I cried my face off when she left this morning.


This is our own country singin' legend, Lynn Anderson...

And last... the town did a nice display of fireworks, which we watched from our roof. But of course, you know me... I had to take some fire and play with it!

A busy week...

Knowing that a super-busy week is about to begin, Rick and I decided to "relax" yesterday with a little morning hike. We'd just read that the Divisadero trail was rated number one in the recent Best Of Taos survey, followed closely by the wonderful Williams Lake trail we took last week. So we grabbed our backpacks and headed out. Well... once again, we are reminded that many people in Taos either don't know what they're talking about, the ballot box was tampered with, or folks here just have a funny idea of what a nice trail is. Granted, we could have headed out earlier in the morning, to beat some of the heat. But the heat wasn't the real problem. People were. People and their bikes and dogs. Some of them had both. And when you're on a narrow, rocky path, and a mountain bike comes speeding down the mountain toward you, all you can do is scramble out of the way and hope the mad biker keeps his balance. The dog following him has likely left a gift on the trail, which at least is marked by a herd of buzzing flies. I was in the lead, so it became my job to walk along, pointing to the ground and announcing, "Poop!". I think I'll invent a nice walking stick with a little shovel attached to the bottom, so I can fling these little offerings off the trail as I go along.

There were some good points to the hike. As we went along the first part of the climb, the views of the Taos Valley were pretty fine. We had binoculars along, so we could pick out various landmarks, and see things you normally don't see from the roads. I was expecting a Grand View from the top, but no... it was nothing but a flat spot where someone had thoughtfully made chairs out of rocks. We ate some trail mix, rested up, and then headed back down. At least it was late enough that there were no other people anymore. After six miles of dust and heat, we found the little stream at the bottom of the trail, near the parking lot, and just sat and soaked our feet. Today we're feeling it in places we didn't know we had...

So this week is whacko. We have family coming to visit, the 4th of July to celebrate in some silly way, beads to sell and mail, and then Rick and I are leaving early Saturday morning for the Grand Canyon, to celebrate my birthday. More on all of it later, but for now, take my advice... if you visit Taos and want to hike, go to Williams Lake!