Quiet Days in Four Corners with Family

The tractor is now working. Russ' dad took it out and tidied up the lower field after the expert house mechanic (youngest brother) took a look when Russ and his dad got stuck.

The trailer was to take the tractor to the mechanic, but it wasn't necessary.

Final fuel fill up to test the effort

Mostly, we've been hanging out and reading. I went food shopping with Russ' mom last Thursday. We mostly found what we needed, but TP is still in short supply. I'm enjoying our quiet time here. I continually forget how beautiful the night sky is from a high, dark place. We can see the Milky Way and dim stars that are not remotely visible from Tacoma. I've also been watching the prairie dog town in the neighbor's field behind our R-Pod. We've had mostly clear weather, but it has continued to blow, rain, and snow on and off all week.

The cottonwood is budding, despite the snow.

Snow. Plus cows in the neighbor's field for scale.

Russ and I drove up to Durango this morning to finish the shopping (some items are definitely cheaper and more available in Colorado). We took the opportunity to walk the Animas River Trail. The Animus' full name is el Rio de las Animas Perdidas, the River of Lost Souls. I find my soul walking in nature, and I especially like trails along rivers or creeks, so I'm not sure it is the most appropriate name. This trail would be great to ride using our folding bikes, as it is fully paved and in great condition. We only did about four and a half miles, from Santa Rita Park to the High Bridge and back. The wind was brisk, but the sun was out, so it didn't feel cold.

Geese on the Animas River

What a fabulous city resource in Durango!

Sign.

Inadvertent Art. Inverted Art. This sculpture is temporary.

Most amazing city trash receptacle. This could survive anything.

It looks like it is set up for Bear Resistance.

Russ stands for scale.

I want to walk more often; I'm sitting too much. It seems like most of the parks and trails are sparsely used right now, so we should be able to continue social distancing and still get out. It seems strange to even drive through the city and see so much of it closed down and empty.

Another day, Another walk, Another tractor repair

We walked again today, this time at the Aztec Ruins National Monument. They had a table in front of the main door with trail maps and an admonishment to Stay On The Trail! Russ and I were alone the entire time we were there, so social distance at maximum. This is a special place and it feels like a privilege to enjoy it now.

Main building is closed

Ruins from a higher place.

Trail to the last round ruin, main ruins in the background.

The long wall.

A larger kiva.

Small flowers at the base of a big wall.

Many doors.

 

Inside the Great Kiva. They rebuilt this as an example.

We also walked the other side of the trail down to the Animas River. Apparently, this area has been a crossroads for many centuries, with routes from the ancient Puebloans and including the Spanish Trail, which was blazed by a man named Armijo as a trade route from Santa Fe to Los Angeles using mules to transport local wool fabric to trade for California horses.

The bridge was added more recently.

Nice project.

Russ also helped his dad work on the tractor. They replaced some fuel filters and it sort of worked, but it still needs some effort.

The pages of history are boring in real time

Staying inside feels harder now that we have done it for a few days. Russ and I did drive up to Durango, CO to run some errands for Russ' dad. The most important item for being stuck at home... liquor! We also got take out from our favorite restaurant in Durango, the Kachina Kitchen.

Provisions.

Russ waits for take out. It's the only thing allowed here now.

I've been enjoying the sunrises here. They usually have some great color. We've mostly stayed in and rested, but we've been trying to get out for a daily walk. Yesterday we walked around the property. My shoes got so muddy that I had to keep them outside.

Computers keep Russ going.

The property during a short thunderstorm. They really need the rain here.

Sunrise from the R-Pod back window.

Today Russ and I drove to Riverside Park to walk. There is a paved trail along the Animas River that turns into a proper dirt trail. Under the bridges into town, there were several murals that I found really fun. I especially liked the graffiti that said "Before I die I want to..." Hopefully, I don't have to decide soon.

Russ at the Animus River.

Paved trail.

Pottery catalog by location.

Petroglyph samples by state.

Before I die...

We stopped at the Durango Joe's drive through for some whole bean coffee. The tip jar was fun. We used up our coffee supply on the way south. We typically try to buy beans at the local roasters. It's probably better for us than our sampling of the local beers!

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Save a cow, tip a barista.

I feel like we are living in the pages of history book, but the story isn't as exciting as those that I read about pandemics of the past. It is more about waiting, looking for more information, and waiting some more. It's easy to read about something that unfolds over a year's time in just a few hours, but living the reality of it will take the full year. I'm thinking about all our friends and family and hoping you are safe and healthy.

Hunkering Down in Comfort

We arrived at Russ parents house in Aztec last night. Russ' mom had made us a fabulous bean soup dinner with Saint Patrick's Day side dishes (potatoes and cabbage). We are resolving to stay in and not travel until it is safe to do so. The weather is cooperating with that plan, since it started snowing last night/early this morning. It is beautiful, with the snow lightly drifting down, as I sit here and look outside.

Like Christmas!

Russ parents' house in the snow.

The R-Pod parked at Russ' parents this morning.

Today I plan to do our laundry. We had considered some RV repair investigation, but since the snow looks like it is here to stay awhile, we my just let that wait. On our way here from our last stop in Kanab, UT, we had a structural failure: the outlet pipe on our black water tank came loose from the trailer frame and ground off along the ground. We ended up doing a makeshift repair with a bungie cord and a piece of webbing from my backpack to tie it back up so we could get here without further damage. Now the end of the pipe needs to be replaced. Of course, Russ did the repair laying down in red mud during a hail storm. Yuck.

Pulling out of our spot in Kanab. Yes, it was raining.

The drive was nice. It started on US 89, which is a scenic byway alongside the Vermillion Cliffs. We got to drive over the Glen Canyon Dam bridge. Plus we stopped for lunch at the Wahweap Lake Powell Overlook. I got some nice photos of Shiprock as we drove by. The intermittent rain and sun breaks made for some great photographic light.

Lake Powell, not as low as it has been lately.

The Glen Canyon Dam and Bridge.

Monuments on the Navajo Reservation.

Navajo Generating Station. A coal plant that is being shut down.

Ship Rock with tumbleweeds and sagebrush in the foreground

I'm finding it hard to switch gears from traveling and sightseeing to staying in place, but at least we are staying with family in comfort. We'll be here for at least two weeks, and probably three. So there will be less interesting posts and fewer of them. Stay healthy and carry on.

Social Distancing

The last day we spent in Death Valley, we mostly relaxed and cleaned up the R-Pod. It doesn't take much to dirty it. We did take the Artists Palate Loop Drive for some evening photography in amazing light.

Exposed minerals in the eroded soil paint the hills.

Since we left Death Valley, the COVID-19 response has ramped up considerably, so we decided to make a straight push for Russ' parents house in New Mexico. We had planned to go slower and spend some time in Zion National Park and at Red Rocks in Nevada, but instead we are driving longer days and going straight there.

On the way, we first stopped in Pahrump, Nevada, for gas and to stock up on food for the next week or so. Our fridge and pantry storage is small, so we run through most of our fresh food quickly. We found a Smiths on our main route, so pulled in. What a zoo! Luckily we don't need toilet paper! In fact, we have to use special paper for RV tanks (it dissolves faster). Russ managed to find space to park at the Casino next door, which had an empty parking lot. It turns out, Nevada has strongly suggested that all casinos close for the duration of the pandemic.

Red Rocks Campground was full, so we ended up at another I had listed as a back-up in case our first-come-first-serve first-choice campground wasn't available. We ended up at Kings Row RV Park in Las Vegas, which had the most perfectly Vegas sign.

At night.

Just as perfectly tacky by day.

The trailer park wasn't in any good part of town, and was next to a busy trucking corridor of a road, but it was fine for one night, and cheap (that helps). It was nice to have hook-ups again. I was able to use the toaster oven and the microwave. It was strange to drive through such a dead town. Vegas is usually hopping with action, but it was strangely quiet, except for the trucks driving past our trailer all night.

Today's drive was again, quite pretty, once we got out of east Las Vegas. I was surprised by all the trash along the highway for miles out of town. Plastic bags waving goodbye from every fence post and sage brush bush for 30 miles. It was quite sad, because the area around the city is desolate and dramatic otherwise.

We stopped for gas and ate lunch at a fabulous local place called Irmita's Casita in St. George, Utah. The Mexican food was amazing, as it often is in the southwest US. We talked for awhile with the owner, who was keeping the place open until the state steps in to force a closure. She felt like a small town in southern Utah was unlikely to be a disease epicenter. Also she said she trusted God to take care of us. I was glad to talk to someone who had faith that things would be ok, and glad to eat the delicious food.

Plus the restaurant has easy parking for the Pod

Russ contemplates the plates

Every time I find myself in this part of the world, I am in awe of its beauty. The red rocks and green plants (it seems unusually green right now) glow in my memory and in my vision. We are staying tonight in Kanab, Utah, at the J&J RV Park. The park seems new, with nice graveled spaces and sapling trees. It is much quieter here than at that park in Las Vegas.

Long views from a long road.

Traveling like this is one way to have social distancing. Russ and I have spent our time since leaving Tacoma mostly with each other, and occasional interactions with other people are more distant than close, since everyone is universally a stranger. Before leaving, I joked that travelling like this could be a test of our marriage; so far it is holding up well. I feel comfortable and happy being with Russ full time in close quarters like this. Russ is adjusting to being retired. He says he doesn't feel so close to being on vacation anymore. Every day brings a new thing, and being away from home keeps the old things distant.

Golden Day

We made a spontaneous decision to move quickly this morning and drive up to Zabriski Point and watch the sun rise over Death Valley. We skipped breakfast and just grabbed our cameras and jumped in the car. We managed to get there before sunrise and took some worthwhile pictures, but the reality is always better than the photo. The two dimensional picture can't really show the grandeur and scale of a thing.

The pink mountains on the far side of Death Valley are the Panamints.

We got back to the R-Pod and finished our morning. I did my meditation, Spanish lesson, and made breakfast burritos using some of the held out beans from last night's dinner. Russ took care of some computer business (Facebook?) and was relaxing at the table. This is such a typical scene for us, that I felt like I should take a picture of it too.

Relaxing with his new book.

We drove south and parked by the road near the trailhead, because the parking area was full. The hike we chose was Golden Canyon-Gower Gulch Loop Trail with the spur to Red Cathedral. We ended up doing about 7 miles, an estimate because on the way back from the spur, we started talking with another hiking couple from Vancouver, Canada and missed our turn onto the Gower Gulch trail and had to retrace our steps. The hike was amazing. I find that I really miss the qualities of desert hiking. It smells so exotic to me, like sage and dust. The wind was fierce; it could really blow us off the trail if we weren't careful, plus we had to protect our eyes from the dust it kicked up. The wind kept us cool and comfortable though, it was a pleasant day to be outside. I was extra glad to have my poles with me, they helped me stay balanced in the wind on the gritty trail.

Red Cathedral. We ate lunch here.

From the high point. You can see the valley floor (our truck is parked down there)!

Gower Gulch had some nice mineral colors in the rocks.

When we finished up, we finally got a shower! We've been careful to not over use our fresh water supply, but since we are only two nights from leaving and refreshing our tanks, we planned to clean up at last. I didn't realize how much I appreciated being clean until spending a week dirty. We then went out to a fancy dinner at the Inn at Death Valley. Yummy. Plus I didn't have to cook anything or clean up the trailer afterwards.

Feeding the (clean) hiking beast.