tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48373589700112715442024-03-16T16:47:18.802-05:00Halfway to AnywhereBetz Steichen _________ Travel - Stories - Art Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837358970011271544.post-56739910825510513192024-02-11T07:47:00.000-06:002024-02-11T07:47:27.605-06:00Plaza de Tres Culturas - México City<p><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Plaza de Las Tres Culturas is the main square of the Tlatelcolco neighborhood of Mexico City. The name signifies three periods in Mexican history, pre-Columbian, Spanish colonial era and the independent nation. The square was completed in 1966 and is flanked by the Tlatelcolco ruins, a 1960's housing complex, the collage of Santa Cruz de Tlatelcolco and a church </span><span style="text-align: center;">built from Tlatelcolco Temple stones</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">On October 2, 1968, Mexican Armed Forces opened fire on a group of unarmed civilians on the plaza who were protesting the upcoming 1968 Summer Olympics. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">The Mexican government and media claimed that the Armed Forces had been provoked by protesters shooting at them,</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; text-wrap: nowrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">but government documents made public since 2000 suggest that snipers </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">had been employed by the government. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #202124;">Twenty five people were officially reported dead. Later investigations identified 44 remains</span><span style="color: #202124;">. Eyewitnesses claim that over 300 bodies were carted away from the square. The real death toll remains a mystery. </span></span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDviPRllW9oQURvtPHv5VreAHZmeIM_NJpGKC0OqiZKMq3XWZsXjIc5ghLWMKXydQPDFDpGukwAcpU5BJKmfWdLQXOZWs-3-JJx3BCEZ6e7dp6xhBf0U1XYVhK1VIIyxvCLS0jgDW1OtXz_zg_J_khbElOocBRoYK-gBKaAhuFh0KKRoBVcgQIMHilDsI/s1435/IMG_6641.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1435" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDviPRllW9oQURvtPHv5VreAHZmeIM_NJpGKC0OqiZKMq3XWZsXjIc5ghLWMKXydQPDFDpGukwAcpU5BJKmfWdLQXOZWs-3-JJx3BCEZ6e7dp6xhBf0U1XYVhK1VIIyxvCLS0jgDW1OtXz_zg_J_khbElOocBRoYK-gBKaAhuFh0KKRoBVcgQIMHilDsI/s320/IMG_6641.jpeg" width="261" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span face=""Google Sans", arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-size: 16px;"> Colonial-era, Baroque Catholic Church, </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;">Plaza de Las Tres Culturas</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4d5156; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #5f6368;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4d5156; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #5f6368;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4d5156; font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3KwJytdrwkn92BD6U96NEh41DQWjqIW36YwRHiPv6RY8dS3-4XSA3Kz2Ott7YWyCe0omwL2CWQfFy0CE5kp3IofUbqS2kTKbxuVF81O_km8MKZAzHkBs3q2FZogCU7_RXnb8WMf5T-ewFzVRFJy4oE4pAL5jjDzfhdLMQuG-0QrXmM7cA7CLOBkqbep0/s599/15-07-20-Plaza-de-las-tres-Culturas-RalfR-N3S_9336.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="430" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3KwJytdrwkn92BD6U96NEh41DQWjqIW36YwRHiPv6RY8dS3-4XSA3Kz2Ott7YWyCe0omwL2CWQfFy0CE5kp3IofUbqS2kTKbxuVF81O_km8MKZAzHkBs3q2FZogCU7_RXnb8WMf5T-ewFzVRFJy4oE4pAL5jjDzfhdLMQuG-0QrXmM7cA7CLOBkqbep0/s320/15-07-20-Plaza-de-las-tres-Culturas-RalfR-N3S_9336.jpg" width="230" /></a></div><span style="color: #4d5156; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #5f6368;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4d5156; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #4d5156; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #5f6368;"><br /></span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Monument</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> to the Tlatelolco 1968 massacre,</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4d5156;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">Plaza de Las Tres Culturas</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #4d5156; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-align: start;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzLYEZ2teKx1z6Cz3xr4P64SBdzLXtWHSWpramWqI65L9O4BzWkBjRaa4OBJPi_9IvdpCY17EgXFHe0DkWC8L6QmTXEyse-3xMKaUqUME9PKDxUSvQDjMihFAMLqsdHoBuWW5YejfH-OTdB5jeUlWKiep_Svey9DiaiFU0SPHiE6YcYhhfWvXk5PoWK8A/s856/IMG_6556.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="856" data-original-width="856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzLYEZ2teKx1z6Cz3xr4P64SBdzLXtWHSWpramWqI65L9O4BzWkBjRaa4OBJPi_9IvdpCY17EgXFHe0DkWC8L6QmTXEyse-3xMKaUqUME9PKDxUSvQDjMihFAMLqsdHoBuWW5YejfH-OTdB5jeUlWKiep_Svey9DiaiFU0SPHiE6YcYhhfWvXk5PoWK8A/s320/IMG_6556.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Tlatelcolco ruins, </span>a colonial era Catholic church and </div><div style="text-align: center;">a modern housing complex, <span style="text-align: left;">Plaza de Las Tres Culturas</span></div><p><br /></p><p>Read more here: <a href="https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97546687" target="_blank">What really happened? Mexico 1968 Massacre</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837358970011271544.post-87689306458606559832024-02-09T16:08:00.000-06:002024-02-09T16:08:41.249-06:00Our Lady of Guadalupe Mexico City <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM1gf7AKWAYtkHZflblcDxflyOYVhFeLrv24NiVK_Md9AWNOZdduEw_LQEABFjhxzHmVJJhcY5aiXxSyY1IqpGjOdmBfEdQe0INg0IvSkU6z8vaMNfBbm8LwsTtGdsYOqM7merG0qz6Q3cjP98Lq8H0b7ZxK2Nc_mfS5N5E9j4AJYelQ5Ji9-g4xXB_1c/s3355/IMG_6552.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3355" data-original-width="2315" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM1gf7AKWAYtkHZflblcDxflyOYVhFeLrv24NiVK_Md9AWNOZdduEw_LQEABFjhxzHmVJJhcY5aiXxSyY1IqpGjOdmBfEdQe0INg0IvSkU6z8vaMNfBbm8LwsTtGdsYOqM7merG0qz6Q3cjP98Lq8H0b7ZxK2Nc_mfS5N5E9j4AJYelQ5Ji9-g4xXB_1c/s320/IMG_6552.jpeg" width="221" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Our Lady of Guadalupe</div><p style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">To say that Mexicans love Our Lady of Guadalupe would be an understatement. For devout Catholics and the holiday Catholics, in Mexico, Guadalupe holds a special</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-family: inherit; text-align: start;"> appeal. To the poor, Guadalupe is a </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">symbol of </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">standing against oppression and a common sight in most communities in Mexico. There are shrines to her almost everywhere. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-family: inherit; text-align: start;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">As the story goes, Juan Diego was indigenous, to Mexico. He is described as a Chichimec peasant and one of the first indigenous people to convert to Christianity. It is believed that he was visited by the Virgin Mary at Tepeyac Hill on four occasions in 1531, when Mexican territories were under Spanish rule. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-family: inherit; text-align: start;">The Virgin Mary requested a chapel be built in her honor. At first he wasn't believed but was able to summon up some proof when the Virgin Mary miraculously imprinted her image on his cloak on one of the visitations. Who doesn't love a miracle!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-family: inherit; text-align: start;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7OiXEYWFtFhZ_hC0N877-5XdBQvv8ffVeWTuuSUVo_RO94KocwTQZpifUIrBW_6LMw6LUCywKZqlKp_7hN0Rbmqiv1sjjDrgiCfT8TomOzO_CN4NgqnMkKJzIaPCbd2I1zrsHwBujPovI7m1iL2cd2qJPuchWeMErH6TVUAcZPWMucgR2xHz31KwLpRY/s2967/IMG_6546.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2967" data-original-width="2967" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7OiXEYWFtFhZ_hC0N877-5XdBQvv8ffVeWTuuSUVo_RO94KocwTQZpifUIrBW_6LMw6LUCywKZqlKp_7hN0Rbmqiv1sjjDrgiCfT8TomOzO_CN4NgqnMkKJzIaPCbd2I1zrsHwBujPovI7m1iL2cd2qJPuchWeMErH6TVUAcZPWMucgR2xHz31KwLpRY/s320/IMG_6546.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Capilla de Indios (Indian Chapel) </p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">The original shrine for the Virgin of Guadalupe sits </span><span style="text-align: left;">atop Tepeyac Hill with vast views over Mexico City.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIDy-2TUUbteyDISaBTfh3hCCGUBZXZ-ZgytLIvaiPD2KfiyOOM6ga-Fa69-BT-50TnW7kGtCKb3PjffIypkPFEv3QVMwh-W65U62e8F3k41nDxPXycF1OvSPhT6trPcyJud5VnRaJkVHuSaLgoy-tkdbXp0LuFgRUcnSrHV_j0N0CIyh8DiAVzt44sJw/s4032/IMG_6544.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIDy-2TUUbteyDISaBTfh3hCCGUBZXZ-ZgytLIvaiPD2KfiyOOM6ga-Fa69-BT-50TnW7kGtCKb3PjffIypkPFEv3QVMwh-W65U62e8F3k41nDxPXycF1OvSPhT6trPcyJud5VnRaJkVHuSaLgoy-tkdbXp0LuFgRUcnSrHV_j0N0CIyh8DiAVzt44sJw/s320/IMG_6544.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><p style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;">Templo Expiatorio a Critsto Rey </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;">(Old Basilica of Guadalupe) </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;">Templo Expiatorio a Critsto Rey, the old </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;">Basilica sits at the foot of Tepeyac Hill </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;">below the original shrine. The old structure is sinking and was not able to handle the amount of visitors that come from around the world and allows a limited number of visitors to enter. </span></div><p></p></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNDOrbdUfTadiq4mtzAsfUQRRncvXpKaSvhZGWXjgBBe6CSX_mohiG5UKQ60W5YNPL8OHBHKK2s8C4C_GGMOWjg93fJOpHLUWfysZMuUXw4t1kPqq2bU-mnPHemR8fN4meTjzVBUr_MMyWbINLIcYcONfzy-dnnM8h6aiBXDMZWLh1DJLnzrbsAGVOg6M/s4032/IMG_6542.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNDOrbdUfTadiq4mtzAsfUQRRncvXpKaSvhZGWXjgBBe6CSX_mohiG5UKQ60W5YNPL8OHBHKK2s8C4C_GGMOWjg93fJOpHLUWfysZMuUXw4t1kPqq2bU-mnPHemR8fN4meTjzVBUr_MMyWbINLIcYcONfzy-dnnM8h6aiBXDMZWLh1DJLnzrbsAGVOg6M/s320/IMG_6542.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Basilica de Guadalupe (modern Basilica) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The modern Basilica de Guadalupe was built 1974-1976 and is circular so that the image of the Virgin can be seen from any point in the building. The structure can accommodate up to 10.000 people and the doors open wide to the plaza to accommodate larger crowds. The modern Basilica </span>sits to the west of the old Basilica and to the south of the chapel up on Tepeyac hill. It was built to allow greater access to visitors as the old Temple was unstable. <span style="background-color: white; color: #4d5156; font-family: inherit;">Over 20,000 million people visit each year.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn8FfqlaiSjQKCC8mLw0-XrhVDfhoW9ElVGhP8Hh1U7t6SfnD70MZxhyNRl53nvl2I73gSGpcwtRFMnf0vpf9S9ZguFYsxzknJyJf1S-O4PUGeJ92VfUMFb5e5mS08xolZb-m76CVkHrCvcdHBP1DuckvywzIdSwYdhakE1EZUSj2_HXcGWacbbuJww3s/s1439/IMG_6543.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1439" data-original-width="1439" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn8FfqlaiSjQKCC8mLw0-XrhVDfhoW9ElVGhP8Hh1U7t6SfnD70MZxhyNRl53nvl2I73gSGpcwtRFMnf0vpf9S9ZguFYsxzknJyJf1S-O4PUGeJ92VfUMFb5e5mS08xolZb-m76CVkHrCvcdHBP1DuckvywzIdSwYdhakE1EZUSj2_HXcGWacbbuJww3s/s320/IMG_6543.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Basilica de Guadalupe - door detail</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNg7B1oDf8RvbRh38o5JbEiFKnNcxJoZmyr0Wy6blaviN9_7kk-AjBkscsObQ_bQge2aStOXPTykuYDgMi6MiRYQGLbfIKaT7hggFxNu1Rm3dtgpwSPXpVsvsd0tLz1x63mYK-FGOjEt1ufmfxwIJfIkN6QBZGTjXrV_USiR5v0Y3IfVGrJNEIrVNYmLk/s2527/IMG_6545.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2527" data-original-width="2467" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNg7B1oDf8RvbRh38o5JbEiFKnNcxJoZmyr0Wy6blaviN9_7kk-AjBkscsObQ_bQge2aStOXPTykuYDgMi6MiRYQGLbfIKaT7hggFxNu1Rm3dtgpwSPXpVsvsd0tLz1x63mYK-FGOjEt1ufmfxwIJfIkN6QBZGTjXrV_USiR5v0Y3IfVGrJNEIrVNYmLk/s320/IMG_6545.jpeg" width="312" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Guadalupe, the Basilica de Guadalupe, Mexico City </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Visitors can view the painting for only a short time by passing by on a conveyor belt which is situated behind the alter. It allows people to view even when a service is going on. There are no vendors on the holy site but of course there is a store adjacent to the plaza where you can buy statues and trinkets to be blessed at an outdoor blessing station by a priest prior to the viewing of the painting of Guadalupe. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Read more here: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_Guadalupe" target="_blank">Our Lady of Guadalupe</a></div><br /> <p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837358970011271544.post-17275233843403250652024-02-07T11:52:00.000-06:002024-02-07T11:52:09.405-06:00Teotihuacan Piramides<p><span face=""Pangea Text", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; font-size: 20px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span face=""Pangea Text", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; font-size: 20px; text-size-adjust: 100%;">The pre-Hispanic City of Teotihuacan was the largest urban center of Mesoamerica and predated the Aztecs by a 1000 years. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We were extremely lucky that the usually blistering sun was obscured by cloud cover, as there were few spots for a shady rest. Our guide provided us with historically significant information and then time to roam around on our own.</span><p></p><p><span face=""Pangea Text", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; font-size: 20px; text-size-adjust: 100%;">It is the site of very significant Mesoamerican pyramids. The complex is vast and was once a vibrant pre-Columbian city. In the middle is the Avenue of the Dead which links the Temple of Quetzalcoatl, the Pyramid of the Moon and the Pyramid of the Sun. Since 2020 you are no longer allowed to climb to the summits.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO6pAeg1afU8Ql7qUdhRv79WXpjFNe7I4lVa0GOI2orouAZATFBUDs-qVCP-3oYVsn49DL55g6PB1Gr5yUDvjxRDFQ_Gt10ynPzhbJW0b8Oo85DpZI_yKA5_lE_7VYM2O4SFDU-VT47kPstOIcsC3n7Ql9_JjPzt7p1t7ur4aMR_lYJrfaXdHLrK6xnsY/s4032/IMG_6539.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO6pAeg1afU8Ql7qUdhRv79WXpjFNe7I4lVa0GOI2orouAZATFBUDs-qVCP-3oYVsn49DL55g6PB1Gr5yUDvjxRDFQ_Gt10ynPzhbJW0b8Oo85DpZI_yKA5_lE_7VYM2O4SFDU-VT47kPstOIcsC3n7Ql9_JjPzt7p1t7ur4aMR_lYJrfaXdHLrK6xnsY/s320/IMG_6539.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></p></div><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span face=""Pangea Text", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; font-size: 20px; text-size-adjust: 100%;">Pyramid of the Sun, Teotihuacan</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: center; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span face=""Pangea Text", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; font-size: 20px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7f2DRqW5koncfR7PSbsHpE6d6zLUGLhTJ_XePBkFH22hgF60lKCIEJlJHYp6mwwhiOg6cGo2ez1lYpy1bz92nV0GpCLdQQypl1YeNoSN169IPMfSWsehOceDWyie-hyBPTiEFmwgJvzzXp1RrZf9Wp2sJLDJo_HEHb-k0eMdpd1ByIfJ_dwPhNaIMxRg/s2866/IMG_6534.jpeg" style="font-size: 20px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2866" data-original-width="2866" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7f2DRqW5koncfR7PSbsHpE6d6zLUGLhTJ_XePBkFH22hgF60lKCIEJlJHYp6mwwhiOg6cGo2ez1lYpy1bz92nV0GpCLdQQypl1YeNoSN169IPMfSWsehOceDWyie-hyBPTiEFmwgJvzzXp1RrZf9Wp2sJLDJo_HEHb-k0eMdpd1ByIfJ_dwPhNaIMxRg/w255-h255/IMG_6534.jpeg" width="255" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face=""Pangea Text", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; font-size: 20px; text-size-adjust: 100%;">Pyramid of the Moon, </span><span style="font-size: 20px;">Teotihuacan</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span face=""Pangea Text", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; font-size: 20px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDPoWwIllCR2gR8xv3LrkgREywO8nw9okULjGpyzRBjysQvcwx2SheJYxa52aSK_skV8DBJVCVUzED5izoDoCPvwfwxnONW7x6EUxTa2Whj8ZeJSH34bUSWnso-AG-iTIS93r6oCG2E4_wIzvVH28MSwCCwPfKA1NSh-l-lP9dEgnQ7mydaF9UjuHoEc0/s473/deadav.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="473" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDPoWwIllCR2gR8xv3LrkgREywO8nw9okULjGpyzRBjysQvcwx2SheJYxa52aSK_skV8DBJVCVUzED5izoDoCPvwfwxnONW7x6EUxTa2Whj8ZeJSH34bUSWnso-AG-iTIS93r6oCG2E4_wIzvVH28MSwCCwPfKA1NSh-l-lP9dEgnQ7mydaF9UjuHoEc0/s320/deadav.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 20px;">Avenue of the Dead, </span><span style="font-size: 20px;">Teotihuacan</span></div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span face=""Pangea Text", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; font-size: 20px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><br /></span></div><p><span face=""Pangea Text", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; font-size: 20px; text-size-adjust: 100%;">read more here: <a href="https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/414/" target="_blank">Pre-Hispanic City of Teotihuacan</a></span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0San Juan Teotihuacán, State of Mexico, Mexico19.6860799 -98.871636099999989-8.6241539361788462 -134.0278861 47.996313736178848 -63.715386099999989tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837358970011271544.post-37300401025262329952023-01-30T16:11:00.000-06:002023-01-30T16:11:10.313-06:00Siempre Cambiando<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL_xnB9MpQ4jEa0AnROPbcnGo7m2rIrkM0zyL59Opp8JUFl6z2vgFa8Ui3wo-dtnFzfXkjoI56sGsm8c5lbCfFoXUToWx9kOBkO0WQ7F2HeHjchw3qbOcD_nCPDASgIHmNYa5PP4w6rizX9GlQEgI7jXQkQzHXys4bTfjcBaICzKBCN5Sdjn5hgYjj/s3024/IMG_2122.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL_xnB9MpQ4jEa0AnROPbcnGo7m2rIrkM0zyL59Opp8JUFl6z2vgFa8Ui3wo-dtnFzfXkjoI56sGsm8c5lbCfFoXUToWx9kOBkO0WQ7F2HeHjchw3qbOcD_nCPDASgIHmNYa5PP4w6rizX9GlQEgI7jXQkQzHXys4bTfjcBaICzKBCN5Sdjn5hgYjj/s320/IMG_2122.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>It's been a long few years and lots of crazy stuff has happened. We cannot begin to express the amount of gratitude we have to be able to travel again and return to some of the places we love. This<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> bustling small city continues to grow and change before our very eyes. I say that each time we come here because it is true. This time it has been 4 long years since we have been here. Many of our favorite and familiar places are gone, replaced by new places that will probably be gone the next time we return. The juice man is gone, the corner market where we used to buy eggs, avocado and fruit is no longer there. Our favorite antojitos restaurant is no longer run by the same family. The tourist zone is creeping closer. <span>It goes on and on and is filled with restaurants, bars, countless shops and hordes of tourists. It is almost possible to ignore it simply by walking different streets. </span><div><br style="white-space: normal;" /></div>Countless apartment buildings are being built where homes for locals once sat. The new buildings are pushing the locals farther and farther from the central area. We no longer hear the colectivo man shouting as they have moved to a new location. We still find a few local cart or cargo king vendors with their bell or horn announcing they are on your street. Once in a while a car goes by with a megaphone announcing something. There is more traffic and more noise but here on</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> the top floor patio or in the garden we can almost forget. </span><div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV2ePAMFquwYOpIOyuXgSK8IDINwL-OGpMGUrDJBLrxHOb83fJ8s2lezR_UJcEy7CXXKH3NTpXSbsysqEpBk71VeCNKGScvalNIOr95lpjnbba3w9hgw4fpz70dUOlL3HSEMhtBcIrh5tx410Phaxyq08bGuuf1-TfBSAP2HflPvrDpeY0jgOJjQDI/s960/IMG_5462%20(1).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV2ePAMFquwYOpIOyuXgSK8IDINwL-OGpMGUrDJBLrxHOb83fJ8s2lezR_UJcEy7CXXKH3NTpXSbsysqEpBk71VeCNKGScvalNIOr95lpjnbba3w9hgw4fpz70dUOlL3HSEMhtBcIrh5tx410Phaxyq08bGuuf1-TfBSAP2HflPvrDpeY0jgOJjQDI/s320/IMG_5462%20(1).JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><span data-tt="{"paragraphStyle":{"alignment":4,"writingDirection":1}}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">During the day the sun blazes hot overhead. If I sleep too late I miss my chance to have my morning coffee in the shade. In the small houses nestled behind our building dogs bark. We visit with other guests and talk about Mexico City or other places to feed our travel dreams. I go to Yin class at a yoga school twice a week. I zoom my regular yoga class once a week. </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Afternoons are spent at la playa. It is more crowded than we remember but we find a little spot, open our beach chairs and contemplate the waves. </span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">In the evening, the sun lowers in the horizon and the night breeze is simply perfect. It is one of my favorite times of the day and I am always thankful. It’s the time of day the birds fly over head to roost in the trees nearby just before sunset. The evening breeze kicks in and the clouds move past. We have our evening comida on la terazza or at one of our nearby favorite restaurants. </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">We steal time to chat with our friends that own the hotel where we stay and visit in the garden. W</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">e walk to the park when there is music and a market. We watch children playing and family time enjoyed by locals and visitors. </span></p><p><span data-tt="{"paragraphStyle":{"alignment":4,"writingDirection":1},"fontHints":2}" style="font-style: italic; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoX_JFrx-9KtbMo3AyFHrFRnU9ADI2pPuNiR-Gsn8w-a-JRe00iOwzkejwAMKNsgiX148ELBS9lqrULAXjLyrubVyu2KWZ4bhC80rl-pEJFM4F9v6WbuONq-TJf2M1yzSLE9OYAXvCY8lpaA4WLtXMTJbegvEz_3oDZjRNRKy-XLNVyK5jWYBO4yDQ/s2754/IMG_2261.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2754" data-original-width="2754" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoX_JFrx-9KtbMo3AyFHrFRnU9ADI2pPuNiR-Gsn8w-a-JRe00iOwzkejwAMKNsgiX148ELBS9lqrULAXjLyrubVyu2KWZ4bhC80rl-pEJFM4F9v6WbuONq-TJf2M1yzSLE9OYAXvCY8lpaA4WLtXMTJbegvEz_3oDZjRNRKy-XLNVyK5jWYBO4yDQ/s320/IMG_2261.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><span data-tt="{"paragraphStyle":{"alignment":4,"writingDirection":1}}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">We will miss the beautiful water, the fresh sea air breezes, our friends and the ever changing neighborhood but we know we will return. We feel at home here and it has stolen a part of our hearts for too long. Hasta la proxima vex.</span></p><p><br /></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico20.6295586 -87.0738851-7.6806752361788462 -122.2301351 48.939792436178848 -51.9176351tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837358970011271544.post-60937390329031707882023-01-14T10:16:00.082-06:002023-01-14T10:40:33.338-06:00Somewhere Between Living and Dreaming<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfphHKwwPYwOJ0fYxHBJH1H0rQaFdeKifl-U47ir9alae-DhGIi9NO2_DroRe9PdYUwn1rpYduMZU8pfHft9dCtkZXrLbHwA67XMtxfvr4GHS9FQZPKsDx31-a8jFwXDQUFQn-0Ffo5-5PYihqFTYGz1tRzfgv7w1XosSpIhpQb8QTYXDGv_XnL-G6/s1242/IMG_5759.jpg" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1227" data-original-width="1242" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfphHKwwPYwOJ0fYxHBJH1H0rQaFdeKifl-U47ir9alae-DhGIi9NO2_DroRe9PdYUwn1rpYduMZU8pfHft9dCtkZXrLbHwA67XMtxfvr4GHS9FQZPKsDx31-a8jFwXDQUFQn-0Ffo5-5PYihqFTYGz1tRzfgv7w1XosSpIhpQb8QTYXDGv_XnL-G6/s320/IMG_5759.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">La Playa Caribbean, acrylic on canvas 18" x 24" - B.Steichen</span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202124;">Somewhere between living and dreaming, there is Mexico and it has been way too long since I have been here. I are not traveling around this time, just staying at our home away from home. I am dredged in a familiarity of simple routines, a walk, a shared meal on the patio, many memories from the past and the beautiful beautiful playa. I do as little or as much as I want here. It is a contemplative reset. </span></span></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaK-wW35MTVTdumlIkL9-2npk4ZuaQ61fx-u_QqLelKiKVkig6o5W4isKtNYeFcMH7TA8Ybj5AaTpkY41CACHpB5cZz5Ch6m46UCEekNRegppX0V_IgyQLkrXAbFLKD4ct_H-Qll0ZulDvE950hvt0i9miZ6PK-05QVJjF1Lym8PcJVck4yNCtMT2f/s960/IMG_5516.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="740" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaK-wW35MTVTdumlIkL9-2npk4ZuaQ61fx-u_QqLelKiKVkig6o5W4isKtNYeFcMH7TA8Ybj5AaTpkY41CACHpB5cZz5Ch6m46UCEekNRegppX0V_IgyQLkrXAbFLKD4ct_H-Qll0ZulDvE950hvt0i9miZ6PK-05QVJjF1Lym8PcJVck4yNCtMT2f/s320/IMG_5516.JPG" width="247" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif">La Playa is forever shimmering in countless shades of turquoise. The sun is warm upon our shoulders and the air is humid and sweet. </span></span>Unending waves merging one into the next. Turquoise is my favorite color, the color of the Caribbean Sea. It is the color I see when I close my eyes<span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif">. It is my conjured memory for meditation. It is pure magic.</span></span></p><div><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5woMxd0ie1qAGz5kN29XfxvDkRk4oJkUugbWG6oE-WAN91__KFu1D4Ewo775FNW6RD6qzgvAZRTYsLOOkebqZz-LSGIFz8pgRokAW26R16qf9ZFX9FUCSQHwZZtcM0-ukX16CB-yB_Lo2MVBY5vo0OZ8hhxFondP8rRL6emA3dwRpQvBYY9mtWCAK/s1242/playa.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1242" data-original-width="1242" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5woMxd0ie1qAGz5kN29XfxvDkRk4oJkUugbWG6oE-WAN91__KFu1D4Ewo775FNW6RD6qzgvAZRTYsLOOkebqZz-LSGIFz8pgRokAW26R16qf9ZFX9FUCSQHwZZtcM0-ukX16CB-yB_Lo2MVBY5vo0OZ8hhxFondP8rRL6emA3dwRpQvBYY9mtWCAK/s320/playa.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14px;"><p style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; white-space: pre-wrap;">On the patio outside our room, e</span>veryone is happy to have escaped from wherever they came from. They are happy, full of stories and laughter. <span style="background-color: transparent; white-space: pre-wrap;">The days perfectly blend one into the other. I revel in all that is my life, the work I have done to be able to be in this moment. I have so much gratitude for every second of it. I try not to count the time that turns weeks into days before I return home to get ready for the next adventure.</span></p><div dir="ltr" style="font-size: medium; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 11pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Every day is a journey and the journey itself is home. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Matsuo Basho</span></div></span></div><div><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div><p></p><p><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14px;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #444444; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></span><p></p><ul class="i8Z77e" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><li></li></ul><div><ul class="i8Z77e" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><li class="TrT0Xe" style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 4px; padding: 0px;"><br /></li><li class="TrT0Xe" style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 4px; padding: 0px;"><br /></li></ul></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico20.6295586 -87.0738851-58.473021303735123 132.30111490000002 90 53.5511149tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837358970011271544.post-20406333193380674392022-08-03T14:54:00.001-05:002022-08-03T14:54:53.242-05:00Goin' the Backway<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-OSS59eCHiRa0suKV8ODE-9X814PDqbr80-gySTHZMcuDJidGECG2h7vaGHVe-VcUTp7JsKd2PdpCXcxD3LhiTbdFOlEyQa9zvWQXQ9CaxQac9hH151PGsrPbLCNB6yOdfyWOQLmGln3H0R3r2pwumKYlh4dwMa2Z3U1zCL7zdEKInboUnI2URZxJ/s4032/5C002745-3F13-4CF6-918F-2CE598D29093.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Sabino, 13"x16" acrylic on canvas, b.steichen 2022" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-OSS59eCHiRa0suKV8ODE-9X814PDqbr80-gySTHZMcuDJidGECG2h7vaGHVe-VcUTp7JsKd2PdpCXcxD3LhiTbdFOlEyQa9zvWQXQ9CaxQac9hH151PGsrPbLCNB6yOdfyWOQLmGln3H0R3r2pwumKYlh4dwMa2Z3U1zCL7zdEKInboUnI2URZxJ/w240-h320/5C002745-3F13-4CF6-918F-2CE598D29093.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p><span style="color: #050505;"><span style="background-color: white;">Sabino, 13"x16" acrylic on canvas, b.steichen 2022</span></span></p><p>It's been a long ride but we somehow managed to make our way through selling a house, buying a house, countless boxes, the unpacking our old life into a new life and trying to build community in a new place. We have fresh eyes in a new place. It is quiet and calm. It is hard to believe we have been in this new place for a year and a half. The pandemic took its toll on so many of our travel plans but it's time to get back to it. We are ready. Catchin up.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBu9bmaDLGhQWRosvVq4n33taCm1fuLDWNHKtYc-g7lxCwLGHqZBFqjlYCWSw7IViNhw2S5siBf0Kc9oXwPSJ4niGP1tPByt73Vz7JJcXbwT9FdXSgfVsuRRSvc6ZiN5HNON4BrjyFSt8MzkA_8W0tHRYTkfeIKLZvnS7CQjEfYRSkNoRFM3dfYxDC/s3024/IMG_4368.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2419" data-original-width="3024" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBu9bmaDLGhQWRosvVq4n33taCm1fuLDWNHKtYc-g7lxCwLGHqZBFqjlYCWSw7IViNhw2S5siBf0Kc9oXwPSJ4niGP1tPByt73Vz7JJcXbwT9FdXSgfVsuRRSvc6ZiN5HNON4BrjyFSt8MzkA_8W0tHRYTkfeIKLZvnS7CQjEfYRSkNoRFM3dfYxDC/s320/IMG_4368.jpg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">Fasen Round Barn, Sartell MN</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505;">This gem, before we barely get out of our neighborhood to drive the backroads, the Fasen Round Barn was one of the first wonderful things I found. It was featured in the Minnesota's Preservation Alliance in 2006 "10 Most Endangered Sites List", however, it does not appear that the preservation will happen. No one loved it enough. So disappointing that this treasure is rotting away. The round barn is located in Stearns County just a few blocks from my home and will eventually get surrounded by building developments and dirt hills. City planning with roads and curbs is all plotted out. This past winter a part of the roof caved in and I fear that it will soon be gone. One day I will look over and it will be gone.</span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF93tVrfqnwwI34_VY-EVaQII1nbxj3Ut14BMZGvx_pir2JwvsJyQd5cTPfMOR0ENIzjsjWckRwYqkr_bHg0upodrSYEugDRqFEpRAU0r9PbnxlFXiDykefR85SPZ0JBxRSGsD7Sa9Ar0Sgb-2ag9GPxm6R1aGvCSKe5A8fLARU8WnvMiCBsM_wvm6/s3024/082A6213-9458-4CFD-B189-19AA15B9B3D6.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF93tVrfqnwwI34_VY-EVaQII1nbxj3Ut14BMZGvx_pir2JwvsJyQd5cTPfMOR0ENIzjsjWckRwYqkr_bHg0upodrSYEugDRqFEpRAU0r9PbnxlFXiDykefR85SPZ0JBxRSGsD7Sa9Ar0Sgb-2ag9GPxm6R1aGvCSKe5A8fLARU8WnvMiCBsM_wvm6/s320/082A6213-9458-4CFD-B189-19AA15B9B3D6.jpeg" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">Marfa, 8"x8" acrylic on canvas, b.steichen 2022</span></p><p>We started Goin' the Backway (Sunday Driving) shortly after moving to St. Cloud, MN. We do it any day we want. It doesn't have to be on a Sunday. Sometimes we bring a friend. It's like Monday night Jazz on Thursday nights (at the Veranda Lounge downtown) or just knowing you don't have to be anywhere at all. You can do it any day that you want. The days all kind of blur together so who cares. That's OK. Life is an abstraction. I love it. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTsPJLfmCmzk7VvbldPSwUQY_50RbImvTgpFr9AMmVX5eEuqD26PnZeE-6GbGyjRXP37cTak5vsI5Tpdc0RGv0Xzur_-0u0UXsPc2GtDakMPYRhq09bFHkX6inzopeNyzZgYKp9TirHTuYGakf-rmi-I3GDbaEaEQkTw2ZM8vQAjPThJotkiP9XWQR/s3024/IMG_4908.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTsPJLfmCmzk7VvbldPSwUQY_50RbImvTgpFr9AMmVX5eEuqD26PnZeE-6GbGyjRXP37cTak5vsI5Tpdc0RGv0Xzur_-0u0UXsPc2GtDakMPYRhq09bFHkX6inzopeNyzZgYKp9TirHTuYGakf-rmi-I3GDbaEaEQkTw2ZM8vQAjPThJotkiP9XWQR/s320/IMG_4908.HEIC" width="320" /></a></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">Lake Wobegon Trail</span></p><p>Driving the back roads. Exploring the regional parks and nearby small towns. It takes just a few minutes and we are in the countryside driving along the Mississippi River to some great scenery. We drive through the farm lands, along quiet stretches of the Mississippi, Watab and Sauk Rivers. We ride along all the great bike trails too and pass through beautiful lands and farms headed for Bolus, Holdingford, Avon, St. Joe or Albany. Great old barns, treasures, farmers markets, the Knaus Sausage House in Kimball Minnesota with the most amazing horseradish pickles, quiet cornfields alternating with soy beans, pickup trucks with pipes and lots of pine trees. I love where this all is taking me, new adventures, people, encounters, experiences, ventures and it's all influencing my paintings. Looking forward to balancing all that with some upcoming travels. </p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system, -apple-system, ".SFNSText-Regular", "San Francisco", Roboto, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 20px;"> “</span><em style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: system, -apple-system, ".SFNSText-Regular", "San Francisco", Roboto, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine. It’s lethal!</em><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system, -apple-system, ".SFNSText-Regular", "San Francisco", Roboto, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 20px;">” – </span><span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: system, -apple-system, ".SFNSText-Regular", "San Francisco", Roboto, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", "Lucida Grande", sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Paulo Coelho</span></p><p><br /></p><p></p><blockquote style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; border: none; color: black; font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; orphans: 2; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><p></p></blockquote><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Tinos; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505;"><br /></span><p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><br /><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0St Cloud, MN, USA45.5579451 -94.163240399999992-15.682837683268176 125.2117596 90 46.461759600000008tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837358970011271544.post-27674054561334022072022-04-11T23:55:00.001-05:002022-07-09T15:19:29.885-05:00Resiliency <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvvnBEn3UhCoNhW3N26eLNAQOW0ueco0YalIx3DPTtFMzxLrhwtb5ZLhFkXpF1RlEEEWtB32NmIFlF4dVfKg-bBdwc8zl3faK94XSccf18vDb3m5QJwl5vTMF9eZ0bOPwx8S4S8Egntk_1GCXwT9a90hKVtTk5SbjCPX3zvje_iWlQMwAaX441Zolf/s2048/88821139-C9B0-4F03-874F-C7A873BDD983.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2039" data-original-width="2048" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvvnBEn3UhCoNhW3N26eLNAQOW0ueco0YalIx3DPTtFMzxLrhwtb5ZLhFkXpF1RlEEEWtB32NmIFlF4dVfKg-bBdwc8zl3faK94XSccf18vDb3m5QJwl5vTMF9eZ0bOPwx8S4S8Egntk_1GCXwT9a90hKVtTk5SbjCPX3zvje_iWlQMwAaX441Zolf/s320/88821139-C9B0-4F03-874F-C7A873BDD983.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><span id="docs-internal-guid-66aab37d-7fff-2036-e765-4452023acb32"><p style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">I</span><span style="font-family: Arial; white-space: pre-wrap;"> have grappled with writing about civil unrest for almost 2 years. I write and review, edit and rewrite. It never quite seems to provide the impossible picture of what transpired. I need to let just this go. I need for this story to be told but also have it 2 years behind me. </span></p></span><span><p style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">The official report contracted by the state Department of Public Safety to objectively evaluate what the state did well and did not do well, was completed in early 2022. It basically paints a picture of state and city leaders caught off guard by the civil unrest and confusion regarding who should take the lead. The report states that the chain of command structure hindered timely and effective response to the unrest, that there was a lack of clarity among participating agencies and that law enforcement agencies used different approaches to handling crowds. No surprise there!</span></p><p style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At the end of May 2020, George Floyd was murdered about a mile from our home. There is no questioning the tragic and unnecessary death by those sworn to protect and serve. There is no arguing about the horrors of what happened. I understand that enough is enough. There were peaceful protests, a lot of anger, outraged citizens, opportunists, outside instigators and full on civil unrest. We watched as the city's leadership fumbled in disagreement with the Governor. Minneapolis City Council Members made a call to defund the police with no plan for restructuring or plan for assisting with the problems at hand. So much failure, disappointment and lack of safety. </span></p><p style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">During the civil unrest, mayhem ensued and the 3rd Precinct neighborhood businesses were looted and burned to the ground. Our once quiet enough inner city neighborhood experienced constant and unprecedented street violence. The city handed over the police station to rioters. Cars and trucks (no license plates) raced around our neighborhood streets. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">We built barricades in our intersections to slow vehicles down. We saw n</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">o police presence. It took way too long and many days, for the National Guard to be called in. During the period of May 27-29, 2020, days were somewhat quiet but with each nightfall came unrest, uncertainty and fear. We wondered how long this could possibly go on. </span></span><span face="Roboto, arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-size: 14px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">We heard every pop of the marker canisters. We had ash and burned wood chunks in our yard from nearby burned buildings. We heard every shot of the rubber bullets, the crowds of protesters, rioters, looters and marchers. We saw every trolling thug looking for any opportunity to inflict harm or destroy property. We patrolled our alleys looking for containers of flammables. We checked in with our neighbors and compared stories of fear and discontent. We saw untrained and open carry civilian patrols. We knew the police wouldn't come if called so we carried a civilian patrol number in hopes of never needing it. </span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><div style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But wait, there's more, because apparently the pandemic wasn't enough. The burning and looting of our neighborhood business district and the roving carjackers weren't enough. The city allowed a homeless camp to be established which grew to 400+ tents just 5 blocks from our home. Many other city parks became inhabited with tents creating additional chaos. The more services that were provided the bigger the camps grew. It turned into a huge public health hazard which brought open prostitution. assaults, rapes. drug dealing. shootings and visible heroin usage. </span> </div></span><br /><p style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I know now anything can happen anywhere because it did. For those that haven't experienced anything close to this, this is how it goes. No one comes to rescue you. No one helps you. No one understands what it is like in your once safe enough home and yard. No one calls. Opportunists were everywhere. Crime increased. The news was constant. Crimes of opportunity, street violence, murders,</span><span style="font-family: Arial; white-space: pre-wrap;"> gang violence, carjackings, high speed chases, sirens, stabbings, muggings, home invasions and no police presence. Untrained and unorganized armed civilian patrols. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">No illusion of safety. No protection. No help.</span></p><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">At the time I thought I lacked resiliency, hope and empathy but I later came to understand survival mode and trauma. I learned about fear and uncertainty. How it effects your state of mind and your relationships with people you thought you could count on. No one escaped 2020 unscathed, that I know. We all have a different story to tell about the pandemic and our spoiled little lives. Some fared better than others. Some got to throw civil unrest into an already difficult time. We may have been all going through the pandemic, but we were most certainly not all in it together.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 11pt; margin-right: 11pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin: 0pt 11pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The summer passed and by September, three months after the civil unrest, there were still no businesses open. No grocery, library, liquor store, drug stores, gas station, credit union, bank, a favorite restaurant, post office and others boarded up, torn down or in repair. We prayed for cold weather to quell the ongoing violence. Things happened to people we know. A friend assaulted in their place of business, another carjacked. There were glimmers of hope but they were like a dangling thread hanging from a hem all poised to unravel.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p></span><span><p style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I know this isn't an Instagram "life is so beautiful" post. I know people adapt because that is what we do. Resilience doesn't happen overnight. People bounce back, reinvent themselves and adapt. We made a plan. We emerged from the mucky river of 2020. We relocated to a place that is peaceful and quiet. We bought a new home in a quieter community. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">We sold our Minneapolis house in a millennial crazed market. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We half halfheartedly </span><span style="font-family: Arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">welcomed 2021 with air hugs, continued uncertainty, a side of hope and probably a few extra pounds.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><ul class="i8Z77e" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><li class="TrT0Xe" style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 4px; padding: 0px;">“The oak fought the wind and was broken, the willow bent when it must and survived.” </li></ul><ul class="i8Z77e" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><li class="TrT0Xe" style="list-style-type: disc; margin: 0px 0px 4px; padding: 0px; text-align: right;">~Robert Jordan</li></ul></h4><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Arial; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><br /><br /><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837358970011271544.post-86191094641043491872022-04-08T10:39:00.001-05:002022-04-08T10:39:41.576-05:00Coming Off The Road 2020<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl9eaxKJzChzorgY-Y2LabChhiPVpvHY6D5dgnaDhtDTqV2e6hUeAFLoEataS7Avj8XLbua525W0yAfw8ijjBh6_cJ3zW1ZC-Fh7gAAixqfISC65MKvzPChkNZMEOiSj1KvqIoWfxHrrq93GY0XT3M8RooeLbWvZJSlLpThcsrqLbToYc0FLIMscIw/s3323/kayenta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2463" data-original-width="3323" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl9eaxKJzChzorgY-Y2LabChhiPVpvHY6D5dgnaDhtDTqV2e6hUeAFLoEataS7Avj8XLbua525W0yAfw8ijjBh6_cJ3zW1ZC-Fh7gAAixqfISC65MKvzPChkNZMEOiSj1KvqIoWfxHrrq93GY0XT3M8RooeLbWvZJSlLpThcsrqLbToYc0FLIMscIw/s320/kayenta.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I wrote a lot in the middle of the dismay but I never wanted to publish it because every time I read it, it all sounded so horrible. It didn't seem like it could be a part of my charmed life. With a little hindsight, I want to believe we are coming out the other side of some very dark days. So I have taken a bit of fresh look at The Before Times and broken it down. In the end, two years later, our new life is beginning to emerge. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We left for extended winter travel at the end of November 2019. That seems like a lifetime ago. We had a wonderful 5 month itinerary. We headed south to Louisiana and spent a month in a rented shotgun style house in New Orleans. What a great time that was! Good music, amazing food and friends. The new year arrived and it is fair to say that is where the dismay began to creep in. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The first thing that happened is we lost our friend Riley. He passed while we were driving across Texas headed to Big Bend National Park. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We continued on in a fog of loss all across Texas. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">Onward through New Mexico and into Arizona where we spent some time at Karchner Cavern and just as the sun was going down I hear that my friend David had died. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By the time we headed into California we found the solace of some hot springs and the beauty of Joshua Tree. We added a story to our books of a desert rat in the engine compartment of our van and a 3am drive down a lonely road to relocate it. In other news, driving around Joshua Tree in the middle of the night is actually amazing, quiet and still. It's an alien abduction type experience for sure. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By March 2020, just as we had made it to the farthest point in our travels, the pandemic became real and we made the painful decision to</span><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"> abandon our adventures. We cancelled reservations and drove like a bunch of spring break kids (without the drinking), back across the country. We slept in rest stops and returned home so that we could be “safe”. Everything was closing up behind us, the regional parks, hotels, campgrounds. On the positive side we did receive refunds for all our bookings even though they were all non-refundable. A spark of humanity in uncertain times.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">A few weeks after returning home, and basically in lock down, we receive the unsettling news that our Louisiana long lost brother Terry was murdered. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">We had just a few months earlier, spent a lovely few fun days with him and his son in Marksville Louisiana on our way to New Orleans. While I was still trying to wrap my head around not being on the road, the isolation of the pandemic crept in. We lost John Prine, from Covid. He was </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">such a treasure and fantastic story teller. He</span><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"> had a profound effect on my early music leanings growing up just outside of Chicago. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">Zoom became our tiny connection with the world. I became a convert to Yin Yoga every night at 9pm. Thank you to Steve Murray. You were a shining star. Yin Yoga remains a saving grace.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">When I hear people complain about 2021, I think no, 2020 that was the real lousy year. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Read more: <a href="https://just1backpack.blogspot.com/2020/07/the-boneyard-where-memories-live.html" target="_blank">The Boneyard</a></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /></div><br /><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837358970011271544.post-36015591181627307292022-04-02T20:00:00.001-05:002022-12-23T16:31:59.144-06:00WXYG The Goat Guest DJ<p>WXYG, The Goat Guest DJ 04/02/22 </p><p>This station was meant for me. Album Rock. It was a sign that yes we moved to an OK place. </p><p>So much fun. Thanks to Al Neff for being the copilot. It was so fun to make a playlist and do the show live on the air. Of course if I could do it all over again my list would be different. It's a great program and so fun to tune in each Saturday. </p><p><span face="Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">You too can be a GOAT Guest DJ. Simply send us a letter telling us why you’d like to do it, and include a list of 25 songs that you think is your perfect playlist, stick it in an envelope, and send it to Al, at the station. The GOAT Guest DJ Program, exclusively on Album Rock WXYG.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20pt; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;">Goat Guest DJ April 2, 2022</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-6922eb1c-7fff-a7ec-8a5e-e362d656c8c8"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRySM5etVjQmhym-84fIs6ZLXQTjsOFfqcuje8GhqplBYl3wntKDI2Ni5LUT7h0gbunwrje3TkfF3S_rQgE0yyHjCoQG5gy_Ss55WTBEe7tIiBzn-oN4VUYMprc4N-Og9T1Z_ysaXK6QblAuXpHPM3QLwAEt19j3ou5SbEpCfIHjZnCEI_4iDOi4G7/s1229/9CAE4B1B-5EC3-4713-819A-2855D517421F.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="938" data-original-width="1229" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRySM5etVjQmhym-84fIs6ZLXQTjsOFfqcuje8GhqplBYl3wntKDI2Ni5LUT7h0gbunwrje3TkfF3S_rQgE0yyHjCoQG5gy_Ss55WTBEe7tIiBzn-oN4VUYMprc4N-Og9T1Z_ysaXK6QblAuXpHPM3QLwAEt19j3ou5SbEpCfIHjZnCEI_4iDOi4G7/w290-h223/9CAE4B1B-5EC3-4713-819A-2855D517421F.jpeg" width="290" /></a><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Changes - David Bowie Hunky Dory 1971 </span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Everything stopped when this came on at a party.He was singing about us. It amplified what was going on<br /></span></div></span></div></blockquote><p> <span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">That was ____________ by ____________________ on WXYG the Goat</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">I'm Betz today’s GOAT GUEST DJ </span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">We’d like to thank Cetera Investment Services, Heller & Thyen Law Firm and Lily’s Wings Burgers and Things </span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">for sponsoring the program and helping to keep the goat heard.</span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-6922eb1c-7fff-a7ec-8a5e-e362d656c8c8"><div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">important early influences - </span><br /><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">amazing grace coffee house on campus of Northwestern University - counterculture Chicago Folk Scene, </span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">TRIAD radio underground station - King Crimson, Hawkwind, John McLaughlin, the </span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Aragon Ballroom - Albert King, Paul Butterfield and the fantastic Mike Bloomfield</span> <br /> <br /><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That’s the Way the World Goes Round </span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- John Prine 1971 </span><br /><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Somebody Else's Troubles </span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- Steve Goodman</span><br /><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Born in Chicago -</span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Paul Butterfield Blues Band w Mike Bloomfield 1965</span></div><p></p></span></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-6922eb1c-7fff-a7ec-8a5e-e362d656c8c8"><br /></span></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-6922eb1c-7fff-a7ec-8a5e-e362d656c8c8"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Because the Night </span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- Patti Smith 1978 </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Absolutely fascinated by Patti Smith and her story. Her life with Robert Mapplethorpe began as a love story and ended as a eulogy. The young artists, inspired together in the late 60’s in New York City. They made art together. Mapplethorpe encouraged her to sing. He is best known for his photography, powerful, black and white portraits. Smith, a poet, singer, writer and artist became an influential figure in the early punk rock scene. They remained friends until his death from complications from HIV/Aids in 1989. </span><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Women in rock were so lacking in power and Patti Smith was amazing and </span><span style="font-size: 13.3333px; white-space: pre-wrap;">trans-formative</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">. The collaboration with Springsteen, epic really. </span></span> </p></span></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-6922eb1c-7fff-a7ec-8a5e-e362d656c8c8"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </p></span></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-6922eb1c-7fff-a7ec-8a5e-e362d656c8c8"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Spirits in the Night -</span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Bruce Springsteen 1976 Great powerful story teller. A National Treasure</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Locomotive Breath Jethro Tull 1971</span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> best rock flute solo ever hear the pistons scraping</span> </p></span></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-6922eb1c-7fff-a7ec-8a5e-e362d656c8c8"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </p></span></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-6922eb1c-7fff-a7ec-8a5e-e362d656c8c8"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Powderfinger </span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- Neil Young 1972</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Imagine </span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- John Lennon 1971 Big impact on my life being opposed to the Viet Nam War. This song is about injustice and inequality…Imagine… a world where there is peace and acceptance of everyone. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1980 early days I remember where I was. I was at the beginning of my career </span> </p></span></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-6922eb1c-7fff-a7ec-8a5e-e362d656c8c8"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </p></span></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-6922eb1c-7fff-a7ec-8a5e-e362d656c8c8"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’d Love to Change the World</span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> - Alvin Lee 10 Years After 1971 Guitar Gods moody</span> </p></span></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-6922eb1c-7fff-a7ec-8a5e-e362d656c8c8"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </p></span></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-6922eb1c-7fff-a7ec-8a5e-e362d656c8c8"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bridge of Sighs </span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- Robin Trower (guitar god) (James Dewar vocals) 1975 Guitar Gods</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">These Days - Jackson Brown </span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For Everyman 1973 How did he write this when he was just 16?. So heartfelt…always fresh. I was at a music festival in San Francisco I think in 2018 and I sat in the tall trees. He was playing solo piano. It was cathartic</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">T</span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">he Rain Song -</span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Led Zeppelin 1973 Jimmy Page wrote it but the brilliance to me is always Robert Plant’s vocals. Houses of the Holy establish, inspired and spurred the imagination. </span> </p></span></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-6922eb1c-7fff-a7ec-8a5e-e362d656c8c8"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> </p></span></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-130a22fd-7fff-1f8d-51ab-a7990c65cd89"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Green River - Creedence Clearwater </span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1969 That iconic hook. Call and response. Fogerty is brilliant. He wrote, sang, played lead and produced most of their songs. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Paint it Black </span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- Rolling Stones It’s 2013 and I am in Hyde Park in London. People are milling about and someone tries to sell us Stones Tickets. We are like WHAT? Turns out the Stone were playing later that day. We returned later with our picnic dinner and joined hundreds of people outside the walls of the concert. Perfect sound, amazing crowd. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Room to Move</span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> - John Mayal Hard harmonica</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Samba Pa Ti</span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> - Santana 1970 Guitar Gods</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Little Wing </span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- Derek and the Dominos Clapton and Duane Allman Guitar Gods Best version ever. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Duane Allman died 1971 motorcycle accident. Derek and the Dominos. Played on Layla with Clapton. Finest guitarists. Muscle Shoals session work 22 years old 1968. Muscle Shoals Fame Studio.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Recognize people in my life and concluding statements</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I want to thank my husband Lyle Johnson for “buying the ticket and taking the ride”, and all the people here and gone that encouraged me to live a creative life, travel, sing, make art and share stories. They are all my true inspirations. Thanks to the Goat. This was an absolute blast!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ending Song</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A Song for You -</span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Leon Russell 1970 Stunningly beautiful. Hauntingly heartfelt composition.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Alternative songs</b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Anything from Pink Floyd David Gilmour is a guitar god</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Anything from the Allman Brothers</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Oh Well, Peter Green Fleetwood Mac 1969 Guitar Gods</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wooden Ships - Crosby Stills Nash & Young 1969 No Nukes! </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For What it’s Worth - Buffalo Springfield 1966 It just works</span></p><br /></span><p style="text-align: left;"> </p></blockquote><p style="text-align: left;"> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837358970011271544.post-29030833407082406132022-03-15T22:07:00.008-05:002022-04-06T09:55:02.922-05:00Revamp<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhi85VX6jKvsWz5WIA0R2HvCc_KbFUW0AKEW-S_KlWbOK9ZmrNWVxXQE7QrPwmK4o0pr1_bkNfLfbMVO3fFle7fXCXqbZUTkGoTnFHmJ27CxxVIDQRPXKSZqpnKSq1qoOPc27qnC174T2-xFsvCDBnRVom9sPnIT_NwMQobD0vqoSL78n5uMowcNMwl=s3024" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhi85VX6jKvsWz5WIA0R2HvCc_KbFUW0AKEW-S_KlWbOK9ZmrNWVxXQE7QrPwmK4o0pr1_bkNfLfbMVO3fFle7fXCXqbZUTkGoTnFHmJ27CxxVIDQRPXKSZqpnKSq1qoOPc27qnC174T2-xFsvCDBnRVom9sPnIT_NwMQobD0vqoSL78n5uMowcNMwl=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big Sur 20"x20" acrylic on canvas<br />B.Steichen 2021<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Like so many other things during the pandemic, the Just1Backpack Blog has fallen by the wayside. Lots of reasons really. The past two years have been crazy times for everyone. Blame the lack of content on the pandemic and the dystopian times we have been witnessing. There just hasn’t been much to write about that wasn't disturbing (the Civil Unrest 2020), mundane (setting up a new home), stories filled with general dismay (the pandemic) or grief for lost loved ones. Travel opportunities fallen by the wayside, but I am hopeful we have turned the corner on that. It's time to get back to living a creative life with more travels, adventures, stories, music and art. We miss our friends and hope there will be safe and fun gatherings coming up soon. <div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Check out the revamped website that includes a new header name, Half Way to Anywhere. It just makes more sense to me right now. It includes old stories, recent art works, updated photographs and a store.</span><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Things are starting to come together. How many times have I said that? There are more stories to tell, travels to experience and art to make. As always, stay tuned.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Read more: <a href="https://just1backpack.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Halfway to Anywhere</a><br /></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></span></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837358970011271544.post-26786738573413705912020-07-13T12:36:00.000-05:002020-07-13T12:36:01.991-05:00The Boneyard - Where the Memories Live<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What a strange and wonderful time on the road this past winter with visits to many beautiful and amazing sights, all juxtaposed to the loss of some very memorable and special people. We returned home </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">from travels 6 weeks early to be in the “safety” of our own home. At the end of May we experienced civil unrest here in Minneapolis, resulting in the destruction of our neighborhood businesses. The unrest was triggered by the trauma of another senseless murder of a black man by the hands of men sworn to protect and serve. It appears that some days there is a lot to mourn, lost adventures, friends and connections. There is too much introspection and too much uncertainty. The emotions come in waves. We hope it all balances out. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have only seen a small smattering of friends since November due to our winter travels. The Covid-19 has isolated us even more. It’s been a big uncertain and disturbing blur since we returned. I have had plenty of time to think, write, paint, garden, read, dream and hope. </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">As I struggle to weave these little stories of life and loss together, </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I have repeatedly hesitated to publish this writing because it is so lovingly personal. To publish, seems like the final goodbye, it makes it all painstakingly real, but it had to be written. It had to get thrown out there with all the other little stories. All of our tears are real! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Riley Burns - Boat Captain, World Traveler</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">Riley died in January, when we were on the road trying to escape winter. We found out while staying in a dreary hotel room just outside of San Antonio. We were on our way to Big Bend National Park. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;">This was never going to end well. We all knew that. Riley uprooted himself from Alaska and returned to rural Minnesota to be treated at the Mayo Clinic. He could not have had a better care team but the odds were completely stacked against him. We spent time together, met the care team, shared meals and checked in with his siblings. It was some kind of a crazy balance of hope vs prognosis. When it came time to leave for winter, Riley wanted us to go. He was so very brave. His public persona during all this strife will always amaze me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After he passed, I would wake up in the middle of the night trying to remember what he looked like when he was healthy. I wanted to know if he knew how his illness infected our hearts. I wondered if he knew how scared we were for him as we tried to comfort him and understand the pain. I know he is released from all that now but I mourn the lost adventures he will never have, that little bit of hope he had to return to his home in Alaska. I mourn for the friendship that is no longer there. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The brightest star followed us on our westward travels and I like to think that it was telling us that he was OK. We carried our memories and told stories all across Texas. Riley would have loved every gorgeous bit of scenery and every rugged mile. The Big Bend National Park helped our spirits. Riley would have loved it there, big and expansive like Alaska.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">R.I.P. Riley Burns, July 3, 1965 - January 13, 2020. We miss you. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">David Bradley - Imagination is Everything</span></h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gZ438s1Fmf8/Xwt9oGPNS6I/AAAAAAAAL2A/r0JV2G4LdhoSQm9zJAgjuZrwxteJQbA-wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_1534.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gZ438s1Fmf8/Xwt9oGPNS6I/AAAAAAAAL2A/r0JV2G4LdhoSQm9zJAgjuZrwxteJQbA-wCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/IMG_1534.JPG" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">David Bradley</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">David died on February 16, while we were on the road in Arizona. Social media is odd that way. We find out of a person’s passing and get to read all the shared stories, all while watching a beautiful sunset among the Whetstone Mountains in South Eastern Arizona. I know David was a “city” guy but as a photographer he would have absolutely fallen in love with the changing light. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;">He was the first person I met right after I retired in 2013. We met at Jazz Fest in St. Paul and ran into each other again on the following days for more Jazz Festival events. He was kind with such a beautiful and infectious bright smile. I said something about having just retired and feeling guilty for no longer having to work. He reminded me rather sternly that I deserved the benefits of retirement and that I had indeed worked and sacrificed for every penny that comes to me each month. He probably never knew how his words stuck with me. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">He was right and I have carried those words with me on through this Third Act of my life. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">We shared a love for jazz and his photographs of musicians were amazing. I admired his frankness and honesty about his struggles with PTSD from his service in Vietnam. I think it taught people and reminded them to never forget the sacrifice of those that served our country. We never actually saw each other again but we shared a few stories occasionally about music or traveling, corresponding via email or Facebook. We checked in on each other casually from time to time. </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am sorry that David did not get to enjoy more days but I am happy he is no longer struggling. He deserved more, that I know. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"> R.I.P David Bradley, June 10, 1950 - February 16, 2020</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Terry Dupuy - </span>Laissez les bons temps rouler</span></h2>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Terry DuPuy</span></td></tr>
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We met Terry quite by accident in 2015 in St. Martinsville, Louisiana while eating lunch at a restaurant near his old sound studio. Terry and Lyle bear a resemblance and we joked about them being twins or cousins. We occasionally over the years made contact via social media chatting mostly about cooking or music. While planning our winter travels last fall, we asked Terry if he would like to visit with us when we passed through on our way to New Orleans. He was excited about it so we made a plan for early and stopped in Marksville in early December. We visited for two days, stayed at a nearby RV camp, met his son, shared dinner, walked around town, attended the tree lighting ceremony and told stories. It gave us a little chance to get to know each other. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">We are extremely grateful for his hospitality and it seemed like we all had a good time. We brought them home canned goods from our family garden, a very mid-western thing. I am a painter and had made Terry a small abstract painting of a Louisiana cypress grove, which he immediately put up on the wall. Terry told stories. We listened. Terry seemed to have a great attitude of just letting things roll. He was excited that we were there and took us around town to meet people and see this slice of Americana. We had no idea of the turmoil or strife they were experiencing alone and together.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In mid April, we heard of the deaths of Terry and his son Eden via social media. We thought that perhaps they had been in an accident driving somewhere for the Easter holiday. Within a day or two we found out that Terry was murdered by his son, Eden who then in-turn took his own life. The intimate details will remain unknown to us.Terry was my go to guy to call for making the Gumbo and I know that forever, red beans and rice will never be the same.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">R.I.P Terry Dupuy, August 26, 1969 - April 12, 2020 </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">" Perhaps they are not stars, but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pour through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy." <b> </b></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b> </b></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">- Eskimo Proverb</span></span></blockquote>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837358970011271544.post-63504479938599410732020-04-03T11:42:00.000-05:002020-04-03T11:42:03.690-05:00California Teaser - March 2020<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SJgeQS3wofc/XoUMmth8fQI/AAAAAAAALhs/iNMyMt0rowYdqWMBLfPgsO_kPnDY1zSXwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/4E01F4BE-623C-4A7E-8D95-D98DF43531AC.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SJgeQS3wofc/XoUMmth8fQI/AAAAAAAALhs/iNMyMt0rowYdqWMBLfPgsO_kPnDY1zSXwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/4E01F4BE-623C-4A7E-8D95-D98DF43531AC.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
Joshua Tree has always been special and we have visited here once before. This time we booked into Jumbo Rocks, one of the campgrounds located in the park and it was a much more joyful experience. We were able to hike the Cholla Cactus Garden Loop and also the Skull Rock Loop. We drove by the Oasis of Mara which didn't look any better than when we saw it two years ago shortly after the arson fire.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cholla Cactus Garden - Joshua Tree</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joshua Tree</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joshua Tree National Park</td></tr>
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We have lights we use to keep the pack rats out of our engine area but one night while here we woke up to something snooping around under our hood. I stayed in the van due to my unlove of anything rodent and Lyle was hoping to lure it out of there by shining a bright flashlight in it's eyes and swearing at it. Nothing seemed to work so we started the engine and drove out of the camp and down the road at 4am. It either got away or died. Either scenario worked for me.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jumbo Rocks Campground, Joshua Tree</td></tr>
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Heading our of Joshua Tree National Park we passed through the town of Borego Springs. We were there before but it was so crowded with people trying to see the super-bloom of 2019 that we didn't stop. On this day it was a sleepy little town that was just hanging a very well curated plein art landscape show. Lots of inspiration there. We spent the night at Tamarisk Grove Campground. This place has an interesting history. It was a San Diego County prison camp which built roads in this once remote area.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tamarisk Grove</td></tr>
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We left there and headed to the Agua Caleiente County Park which is one of San Diego's regional parks. This place has three geothermal pools with the warmest one housed indoors. This is however what is considered a family park. It was by far the noisiest park we have been to, filled with families and children. In addition there was a Winnebago Travato club gathering which also contributed to the noise factor. A couple of Travato owners stopped by because our van is also a Ram Promaster and they were more than curious to see a custom build and compare it to their manufactured RV with the very hefty price tag.<br />
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After two days we are headed to San Diego its and easy drive, about 100 miles to the park that was to be our "home" for the next 21 days. During our first week, it rained 4 out of 6 days. As news started to creep in regarding the pandemic we could see stress levels rising and it was then that we realized people were starting to horde food. We spent the weekend not really going anywhere and looking at what our options could be. We made the decision to return all the way back home to Minneapolis. We felt is was safer for us to ride this out in our own home instead traveling for 6 more weeks in a van with an unsure calendar of booked lodgings scattered in California, Nevada, Utah and Colorado.<br />
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We drove 2170 miles home over the next 4 days, eating our own food, loading up on non perishable foods, sleeping in rest stops and a small motel in Des Moines on our last night. On the day we returned home the camp we had been staying at in San Diego closed and evicted all the campers. Since that time many of the other places we had scheduled to visit either closed or remained open with no services. We made the right choice to return home. We are thankful for all the businesses that kindly relaxed their cancellation policies for reservations and refunded our money.<br />
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We are most definitely missing our view to the west. Missing sunsets and adventures. We are disappointed that our travels ended somewhat abruptly. It was definitely a California teaser. We missed our last two weeks in Sand Diego and our time scheduled for Death Valley National Park.<br />
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In addition we missed out on planned time on BLM land near Lake Mead and time scheduled for hiking at Bryce Canyon, Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, Utah. Lastly, we didn't get to Glenwood Springs and Denver. And so it goes...<br />
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Minneapolis is mostly gray and dreary but we made the right decision to end our travels. Spring will get here eventually. It's all humbling. For now we are safe at home which makes things a bit easier.<br />
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Wishing everyone we know, good health and happiness. Stay tuned for future adventures whenever and wherever that may be.<br />
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<b>"The Future is unwritten." ~ Joe Strummer</b></h4>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837358970011271544.post-50473168041747748392020-03-30T16:02:00.001-05:002020-03-30T16:02:27.239-05:00Prickly Little Things - Arizona 2020<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Like a Wildfire</td></tr>
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You know you are in Arizona when you carry a pliers in your hiking pack. Don't touch anything here. There are lots of things that can hurt you or kill you. Prickly little things. Who knew there were poisonous centipedes? Who knew that desert rats want to build a nest in your engine and chew on your electrical wires? The list can go on but I am definitely having a big love affair with Arizona as it tries once again to steal my heart. All the sunshine, mountains, beautiful landscapes, wild spaces, breathtaking endless beauty and animated saguaro cactus. Almost every night an insane display of fiery sunsets and evening skies.<br />
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We really covered a lot of Arizona desert ground this time, went on some fantastic hikes and feel like we have discovered some new places. Catalina State Park is a repeat visit and we never manage to get a spot in the regular campground. We end up in the overflow but love it all the same. It's like an old wagon circle, people talk to each other and wait for the sunsets. The coyotes howl at night. It's just on the north edge of the Tucson city limits near the Oro Valley at the base of the Catalina Mountains.<br />
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Just a quick drive north to Oracle, Arizona is the Triangle L Ranch. It is by far my favorite art park anywhere. It is ever changing and the people that live and work there are as friendly as can be. It's a beautiful place to stroll around. It's only open on Saturdays and for special events but they have a sweet little bed and breakfast there so if you stay there you can walk around anytime you want.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o647_er2Mys/Xnfu1PvrXyI/AAAAAAAALcQ/cy1cfSCz6dsyQIl65IEr2hsQDx5Y6a2vgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/2B330D77-2C82-4176-A51F-DB934D0B2A22.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o647_er2Mys/Xnfu1PvrXyI/AAAAAAAALcQ/cy1cfSCz6dsyQIl65IEr2hsQDx5Y6a2vgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/2B330D77-2C82-4176-A51F-DB934D0B2A22.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Triangle L Ranch</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Triangle L Ranch</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_KKXnq5EC8k/Xnfu18Wh2yI/AAAAAAAALcU/KP2tIy_Sf64XI1b0Z1ZlKObh4BdGmI_0wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/417B3130-AC2F-4359-AFC4-C87CC329EEAD.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_KKXnq5EC8k/Xnfu18Wh2yI/AAAAAAAALcU/KP2tIy_Sf64XI1b0Z1ZlKObh4BdGmI_0wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/417B3130-AC2F-4359-AFC4-C87CC329EEAD.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Triangle L Ranch</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Triangle L Ranch</td></tr>
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We stayed at several other Arizona State parks. The parks are all great and seriously well managed. If you don't mind sitting still, you will have what you need. We quickly realized here at Picacho Peak State Park that we needed to rearrange our itinerary and shortened our stay. This park was nestled between the peak and an interstate, not exactly comforting and there was no where to go. We did have one chilly afternoon in the little amphitheater with a singing cowboy and that was a pretty awesome but cold hour.<br />
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We also shortened our stay at Kartchner Caverns, visiting both Bisbee (again), Tombstone (again) and we went on a tour of the Karchner Cavern. They have a great visitor center and knowledgable docents. It has a pretty good story about the discovery of the caverns.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">"Hoping to protect the cave from vandalism, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"> they kept the location a secret for fourteen years, deciding that the best way to preserve the cavern" ...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">-- R</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">ead more about the discovery of the Caverns here: </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kartchner_Caverns_State_Park">Katchner Caverns</a></span><br />
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The nearby mountain hid the sunsets here but the reflective light to the east was absolutely amazing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i57zDDSDUWE/XnfvcLMCxsI/AAAAAAAALc8/JkC_5S5EXHMMATeIQEK1mps-7tYXYad3gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/F459E1EC-4E80-4AD8-9C99-07BE05EA4141.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i57zDDSDUWE/XnfvcLMCxsI/AAAAAAAALc8/JkC_5S5EXHMMATeIQEK1mps-7tYXYad3gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/F459E1EC-4E80-4AD8-9C99-07BE05EA4141.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kartchner Caverns State Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kartchner Caverns State Park</td></tr>
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We visited Organ Pipe National Monument two different times while in Arizona and I loved it so much I wrote a separate blog post all about our time there.<br />
-- Read that post here: <a href="https://just1backpack.blogspot.com/2020/03/organ-pipe-cactus-national-monument-2020.html">Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument</a><br />
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We had more Tucson time while staying at Gilbert Ray just west of the city. What a great place to be. It is just down the road from the Old Tucson Studios which is an old western movie set turned gentle theme park. We heard cowboy stories, took in a can can show and watched a comedic stunt actor show. Then we ran into people we had met at a previous camp and witnessed the daily shoot out together. We spent the good part of a day there and it was more enjoyable than I thought it would be. So many westerns were filmed there so if you are a western film buff you will really like it. Even if you aren't it's amusing and fun.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ApLJNce09vY/XnfwY3B3iMI/AAAAAAAALdY/qYdRu3kv-kAjFzOJqAQJQM-8LM-T8Oi2ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/38F7676B-518F-4E52-875B-6137DB61E52F.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1547" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ApLJNce09vY/XnfwY3B3iMI/AAAAAAAALdY/qYdRu3kv-kAjFzOJqAQJQM-8LM-T8Oi2ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/38F7676B-518F-4E52-875B-6137DB61E52F.jpeg" width="309" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bath House at Old Tucson Studios</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and the Guys at Old Tucson Studios</td></tr>
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Gilbert Ray is adjacent to Saguaro National Park (west) which is for sure one of my favorite places on earth. It was here that we made a wrong turn one night and realized we were driving on the perfect alien abduction road. I am sure I would be a great location scout for the movies, if of course I had any interest in working. We drove the Bajada Loop Drive at the west park and on another day drove over Gates Pass and to the other side of Tucson to drive the Cactus Forest Drive at the Saguaro National Park (east park).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ktoMf3hq1Eo/XnfwYRFgscI/AAAAAAAALdU/NT5s1MNnd_YOEsLx0Bqx4u3zam2CJFcLgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/4D80D403-5C79-4602-A897-DAF97ACE6109.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ktoMf3hq1Eo/XnfwYRFgscI/AAAAAAAALdU/NT5s1MNnd_YOEsLx0Bqx4u3zam2CJFcLgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/4D80D403-5C79-4602-A897-DAF97ACE6109.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perfect Alien Abduction Road (at night)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T4N9RqNIzaw/XnfwZqQhCYI/AAAAAAAALdg/dhfYurd4FJcjNknMa3gVCLANP4A6sFhqwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/5AFD5DA4-3147-4266-95A1-1E0C79B36BE0.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T4N9RqNIzaw/XnfwZqQhCYI/AAAAAAAALdg/dhfYurd4FJcjNknMa3gVCLANP4A6sFhqwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/5AFD5DA4-3147-4266-95A1-1E0C79B36BE0.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gilbert Ray Pima County </td></tr>
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Our last stop in Arizona was to visit friends in Scottsdale, We took a lovely walk at Papago Park the surreal oasis and spent a few days near Apache Junction in the Superstition Mountains.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eL2cF7UBIpo/XngLeTdfL_I/AAAAAAAALec/sGBXjZqFFMYeBjpvAKLNRT3PP3I8D-qNgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/2398E171-9A06-424E-83B6-A11018CF90E5.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eL2cF7UBIpo/XngLeTdfL_I/AAAAAAAALec/sGBXjZqFFMYeBjpvAKLNRT3PP3I8D-qNgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/2398E171-9A06-424E-83B6-A11018CF90E5.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Papago Park, Scottsdale</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RhO18o16IOY/XnfxcXoL-KI/AAAAAAAALd4/fsahaDxe9CUH6HOYDmF1-8oVjWONunwAgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/A654E0CA-5CF6-43AB-BC93-562A9C791554.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1580" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RhO18o16IOY/XnfxcXoL-KI/AAAAAAAALd4/fsahaDxe9CUH6HOYDmF1-8oVjWONunwAgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/A654E0CA-5CF6-43AB-BC93-562A9C791554.jpeg" width="316" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Superstition Mountains, Apache Junction</td></tr>
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<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">"Then the wind blew cool through the pinyons on the rim. There was a sweet tang of cedar and sage on the air and that indefinable fragrance peculiar to the canyon country of Arizona." ~Zane Grey</span><br />
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<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Hasta la proxima vez / Until next time</span><br />
<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Adios Arizona</span></div>
Next Stop: Joshua Tree<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837358970011271544.post-35520762150762747222020-03-24T16:39:00.000-05:002020-03-24T16:39:18.436-05:00Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument - 2020<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VwwxB94TdPQ/XnolkYMMNbI/AAAAAAAALfA/UQwZwCFIY7Af66utdAUpxTcp04R2cyCgACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/2A50C5B7-1688-4DF7-AE28-57E46CAB910D.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VwwxB94TdPQ/XnolkYMMNbI/AAAAAAAALfA/UQwZwCFIY7Af66utdAUpxTcp04R2cyCgACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/2A50C5B7-1688-4DF7-AE28-57E46CAB910D.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is a true desert experience. It is located along the Arizona Mexico border in south western Arizona and it part of the Sonoran Desert. <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">The Sonoran Desert is a North American desert which covers large parts of the Southwestern United States in Arizona and California and Northwestern Mexico in Sonora, and Baja California Sur. It is the hottest desert in Mexico. </span>It is the greenest desert in the world. This portion of the desert is designated as a National Monument and was established to protect this unique species of cactus. The blooms open in summer and are pollinated by the nectar-feeding Long-nosed Bat. Beautiful and unique this is the farthest north region in which these cactus can survive. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3W2f3BmkG0Q/XnolqmH7KPI/AAAAAAAALfU/-7b0_s9OHdIdkEdAHp4tIlph5w6oi9T7wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/67912E59-94F2-4866-B002-F022E49064D6.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3W2f3BmkG0Q/XnolqmH7KPI/AAAAAAAALfU/-7b0_s9OHdIdkEdAHp4tIlph5w6oi9T7wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/67912E59-94F2-4866-B002-F022E49064D6.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Organ Pipe Cactus</td></tr>
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The Sonoran Desert has five seasons, dry summer, summer monsoon, fall, winter (rainy) and spring. Abundant wildlife thrives here and includes many species of reptiles, birds, kit fox, deer, bobcat, cougar and coyote. There are big blue skies, blazing orange sunsets and beautiful silence. This is a dark sky community and there are so many stars. There are other surprises too in this incredible land and we were happy to stumble on this organ pipe cactus cristate. The cristate is a somewhat rare mutation which also appears in other species of cactus.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bk4LJ7nDPVw/XnolreW44NI/AAAAAAAALfY/KipEgfTZ59Ya_l8guaZTbgmiJmwZRsx_ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/6F1832A1-DF34-44AB-B0B1-C59520528ED3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bk4LJ7nDPVw/XnolreW44NI/AAAAAAAALfY/KipEgfTZ59Ya_l8guaZTbgmiJmwZRsx_ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/6F1832A1-DF34-44AB-B0B1-C59520528ED3.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cristate Organ Pipe Cactus</td></tr>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KLiKPgFbd50/XnolsJM92KI/AAAAAAAALfg/w-HlB4kYT28wZbG0B-NKly7ClFkQNP1jgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/7D5D79C9-FF21-4D4B-B570-DABF3B7934C9.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KLiKPgFbd50/XnolsJM92KI/AAAAAAAALfg/w-HlB4kYT28wZbG0B-NKly7ClFkQNP1jgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/7D5D79C9-FF21-4D4B-B570-DABF3B7934C9.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">The Ocotillo </span><span style="text-align: start;">has spines on woody stems and basically looks rather dead most of the year. It's not technically a cactus but it looks like one and is an incredibly drought tolerant plant that you do not want to touch. It is a beautiful contrast to the other desert plants with its skinny tall stems. In the spring when it blooms, it has flame-shaped orange-red flower clusters atop each long thin stem. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wlgLR2aWgcA/XnolmQDPEKI/AAAAAAAALfM/lZs83eYY4Ho8Qgmo8_C6rzq4SkGpXmRfgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/3F97239F-1CCF-4564-A522-A4243FDEEC04.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wlgLR2aWgcA/XnolmQDPEKI/AAAAAAAALfM/lZs83eYY4Ho8Qgmo8_C6rzq4SkGpXmRfgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/3F97239F-1CCF-4564-A522-A4243FDEEC04.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ocotillo</td></tr>
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To say that Arizona sunsets are the best is an understatement. They win hands down for consistently providing endless variety and evening entertainment. The dry desert conditions combined with upper-level clouds creates amazing shows of iridescent pink, orange and purple hues. We were rarely disappointed. </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2Ho8-SmhJgQ/Xnoll6b2HRI/AAAAAAAALfI/meXjxHGMBB8hD2_-67tUrxmmC7R2vpHgwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/5441EA38-3C31-40FB-879A-33B7C184CB03.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2Ho8-SmhJgQ/Xnoll6b2HRI/AAAAAAAALfI/meXjxHGMBB8hD2_-67tUrxmmC7R2vpHgwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/5441EA38-3C31-40FB-879A-33B7C184CB03.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VcqCj6L5KlM/Xnolt4ZsADI/AAAAAAAALfs/3jgEdbM7bLAWoOFkmfShXB2GUUeaFyROQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/9FBD4195-A966-4E53-9906-0FD8DA0771F6.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VcqCj6L5KlM/Xnolt4ZsADI/AAAAAAAALfs/3jgEdbM7bLAWoOFkmfShXB2GUUeaFyROQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/9FBD4195-A966-4E53-9906-0FD8DA0771F6.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We drove the Ajo Mountain Scenic Loop, stopping along the way and reading the road guide. This scenic drive crosses the Diablo Mountains, passes along the base of the Ajo Mountains and crosses the Sonoyta Valley. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-90-J8c4_o5U/XnoljvFO5QI/AAAAAAAALe4/lnq_4UvT5wwGoMfvuR79KKuq5rmsYtqbACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/214FB0B5-F191-494B-8CBA-D2C3DFB10931.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-90-J8c4_o5U/XnoljvFO5QI/AAAAAAAALe4/lnq_4UvT5wwGoMfvuR79KKuq5rmsYtqbACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/214FB0B5-F191-494B-8CBA-D2C3DFB10931.jpeg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">Ajo Mountain Scenic Drive</td></tr>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rP8p-XLDmoI/Xnolv6JmbkI/AAAAAAAALf4/gidAaFBmwA4rKuUuHTCib4hWSt3hCYyBgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/BFC90CEC-7500-48FD-99A3-DEBDD6ABE699.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rP8p-XLDmoI/Xnolv6JmbkI/AAAAAAAALf4/gidAaFBmwA4rKuUuHTCib4hWSt3hCYyBgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/BFC90CEC-7500-48FD-99A3-DEBDD6ABE699.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We attended several ranger programs. One about the history of places within the park. Another one about coyotes (song dogs) and another one about stargazing. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vXESh_MNXE8/Xnoltdy5KrI/AAAAAAAALfk/tDI1I_XbbIMt7kxGmuGBnMTnwD8ufFINACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/9758D425-18FE-4787-9447-CDD147F5BA56.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vXESh_MNXE8/Xnoltdy5KrI/AAAAAAAALfk/tDI1I_XbbIMt7kxGmuGBnMTnwD8ufFINACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/9758D425-18FE-4787-9447-CDD147F5BA56.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Super Moon</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We hiked the loop around the camp several times and also hiked the Victoria Mine Trail twice, but, not on the same day. Rangers here have one of their scheduled days as a hiking day so often we would pass a Ranger on the trail. </span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q4ZvpxMR-dM/XnolrS6ua9I/AAAAAAAALfc/Uqxt7Zc3aYcsloqIS-6SAQpMOeWBgKG7ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/6E39DD6B-B29D-4C85-8202-F0703FDD1608.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q4ZvpxMR-dM/XnolrS6ua9I/AAAAAAAALfc/Uqxt7Zc3aYcsloqIS-6SAQpMOeWBgKG7ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/6E39DD6B-B29D-4C85-8202-F0703FDD1608.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
When we first arrived, I was concerned, we would stumble on distressed people making illegal crossings. There were signs posted to alert us. We did not see anyone, but, it's not entirely uncommon. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) are diligent here and busy. You could see where the land was in need of restoration due to the destruction of illegal crossings. There were lots of CPB patrols, roadside checkpoints and helicopter patrols.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w26pEuT-DBQ/XnoljrPlXeI/AAAAAAAALe8/I0ndmjlnzgAv-kM1q8Yr_jKZ2aWPNP3DgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/283508FA-5BE3-4D5C-8462-B21913664808.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w26pEuT-DBQ/XnoljrPlXeI/AAAAAAAALe8/I0ndmjlnzgAv-kM1q8Yr_jKZ2aWPNP3DgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/283508FA-5BE3-4D5C-8462-B21913664808.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We also drove a portion of the Puerto Blanco Road which runs along the international border where the wall is being built. It was quite an emotional experience. When you see the harshness of this environment, how vast it all is, you see an unforgiving land. I think about the people who traffic others with a somewhat false hope of helping them cross the border. Everything out there can hurt you and there are many things that can kill you. </span>I think about distressed people, trying to flee their homeland for what they hope is a better life. I look at this terrain and see how difficult it would be to traverse this unforgiving land. I believe they must be so desperate they are willing to die just for the chance. I think about how<span style="font-family: inherit;"> humanitarian aid has become a crime and how human rights advocates have carried gallons of water into remote areas of the Sonoran desert and been arrested. </span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zwLhYeiKYkQ/Xnolm-rkWDI/AAAAAAAALfQ/MvRUtHIPhzkBCZyhzpH3omfnd9ayEN1vwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/5A91290E-901C-495D-BB0B-2ACFCBA95067.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zwLhYeiKYkQ/Xnolm-rkWDI/AAAAAAAALfQ/MvRUtHIPhzkBCZyhzpH3omfnd9ayEN1vwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/5A91290E-901C-495D-BB0B-2ACFCBA95067.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nEAwAUklQlE/Xnoluqj5xEI/AAAAAAAALfw/Za1I1trV9So-gx9R8cPsx3oKHo7zIw5FQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/AB107235-14BE-46EB-8201-E6A32A288B51.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nEAwAUklQlE/Xnoluqj5xEI/AAAAAAAALfw/Za1I1trV9So-gx9R8cPsx3oKHo7zIw5FQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/AB107235-14BE-46EB-8201-E6A32A288B51.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mural, Ajo, Arizona</td></tr>
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On a happier note, this was definitely one of my favorite places while we were on the road. In fact we loved it so much we returned to for a second time while in Arizona. Pristine beauty and incredible silence. It was here at the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument that we both earned our Desert Ranger Patch. I've always been an advocate and a conservationist and it was a fun and interesting exercise. We made our way through the workbook, completed the requirements and pledged to preserve and protect the National Parks and Monuments.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pdLhK8xxKvc/Xnolt_i9X4I/AAAAAAAALfo/PklPUt7eKikFAM6Poa-N_jgS8X9uaIRfwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/8372EE51-E199-48EC-8D7B-36015369F111.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1448" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pdLhK8xxKvc/Xnolt_i9X4I/AAAAAAAALfo/PklPUt7eKikFAM6Poa-N_jgS8X9uaIRfwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/8372EE51-E199-48EC-8D7B-36015369F111.jpeg" width="289" /></a></div>
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How incredibly blessed we are to have the life we have and to get to see so many unique and beautiful places. Our new van has made things so much easier. Travel makes me happy and I intend to do more of it for as long as I can.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i><b>"If you don't die of thirst, there are blessings in the desert. You can be pulled into limitlessness, which we all yearn for, or you can do the beauty of minutiae, the scrimshaw of tiny and precise. The sky is your ocean, and the crystal silence will uplift you like great gospel music, or Neil Young."</b></i> - Anne Lamott</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e-c31oIqP4o/XnollAdL1fI/AAAAAAAALfE/8EP3Ivjr8eUOl_hb6k8gO5y0A761iyBrwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/4BA4197C-EBC6-4E01-9172-FDEA788354BF.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e-c31oIqP4o/XnollAdL1fI/AAAAAAAALfE/8EP3Ivjr8eUOl_hb6k8gO5y0A761iyBrwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/4BA4197C-EBC6-4E01-9172-FDEA788354BF.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837358970011271544.post-68995600082202134552020-03-22T16:18:00.000-05:002020-03-22T16:27:15.030-05:00Laissez les bon temps rouler - New Orleans 2019<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R-5G3sL4eus/Xg-zg3IAfoI/AAAAAAAALT8/zSSyAmhC5yknSUkcKDOgc1LiB2q6AniNgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/monkb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="1200" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R-5G3sL4eus/Xg-zg3IAfoI/AAAAAAAALT8/zSSyAmhC5yknSUkcKDOgc1LiB2q6AniNgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/monkb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big Chief Monk Boudreaux</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Laissez les bon temps rouler” (lay-ZEH leh BAWN taw ROO-leh)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Let the good times roll... </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">New Orleans is one of a kind. It is steeped in history and traditions like no other City in the United States. There is so much more here than the French Quarter of which I would bet that most visitors rarely get out of. Great museums, parks and culture. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">How can one not be intrigued by the tradition of the Mardi Gras Indians? </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;">The Mardi Gras Indians came about because cultural separation did not include the black neighborhoods in Mardi Gras celebrations. The Mardi Gras Indians named themselves after Native American indians to pay them respect for their helped and accepted slaves into their society when they made a break for freedom. Their krewes are named after imaginary Indian tribes according to the streets of their ward or gang. Their costumes are amazing and the craft work that goes into them astounds me. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">We have spoiled ourselves. We are at the beginning of the longest road trip we have ever been on. We started out our journey by renting half of a double shotgun home in the uptown area of New Orleans. It's not exactly living in a van just quite yet but more Van-in-the-city. I just keep saying it's all good and we have plenty of camping in our van coming up over the next few months.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SOEaCzfU4Fs/Xg-aTxzpVhI/AAAAAAAALS0/LJBuAeMEshILlIL6rGzU3tpyyxtVXqr6QCEwYBhgL/s1600/1F487CAC-F6A0-48C4-AD4B-BC164733C1F6.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1291" data-original-width="1600" height="257" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SOEaCzfU4Fs/Xg-aTxzpVhI/AAAAAAAALS0/LJBuAeMEshILlIL6rGzU3tpyyxtVXqr6QCEwYBhgL/s320/1F487CAC-F6A0-48C4-AD4B-BC164733C1F6.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Our extended stay in this city has allowed us to drink in the culture and see more than what you would do on a long weekend. We have both been here a few times before but this time is more close up. We are perhaps living like locals. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">We have discovered great urban walks, fun music venues and cozy little lunch spots. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">We also have great direction from my extensive research of things to do and we have friends in town that are leading us to places we would have never found on our own. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">It's not exactly budget friendly fun but we hardly missing a thing and it some how balances all out. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">There is great music all around this city. Something for everyone. You really can't go wrong with attending the monthly Fa Do Do at the legendary Tipatina's with Bruce Draigrepont. He is a fantastic front man and plays those dance tunes like no one else. What a fantastic night with a great band. It doesn't even matter if you can't or won't dance, the music is fantastic. He is integral to the history of Tipatina's and a nice guy too that took time at the end of the gig to talk to us for a few minutes. </span><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EUbegv3dpRc/XgUKvn23-iI/AAAAAAAALNQ/3MZW2JZNdLsdRj09LIJzTyIQaDg7vSdbgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/980576B5-BF4F-455C-BC73-02D3C702CD34.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1590" data-original-width="1600" height="315" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EUbegv3dpRc/XgUKvn23-iI/AAAAAAAALNQ/3MZW2JZNdLsdRj09LIJzTyIQaDg7vSdbgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/980576B5-BF4F-455C-BC73-02D3C702CD34.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Bruce Draigrepont</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Iguanas at the Circle Bar pretty much every Wednesday is an amazing treat. It's the most intimate setting just like someone's living room and they are indeed world class. With two multi instrumentalist and languages in English and Spanish, I was in tiny venue heaven.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gUKwcXBm3Vk/XgUKggubEAI/AAAAAAAALNM/v7nIF-unQjMkQ17gbN-xJw8FDDDF6RE0wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/DA90C658-8868-4B28-B72A-33F09229A83E.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gUKwcXBm3Vk/XgUKggubEAI/AAAAAAAALNM/v7nIF-unQjMkQ17gbN-xJw8FDDDF6RE0wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/DA90C658-8868-4B28-B72A-33F09229A83E.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Iguanas</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="776" data-original-width="776" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--4ge6l75omY/XgULA0fiGXI/AAAAAAAALNc/9G6yDIWfepAM4CcCEQhvm5jlHNWP5teBQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/71BEF38A-EB6E-4A03-A62E-B60490CA87D3.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chubby Carrier Rock n Bowl</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">We looked for the Tree of Life in Audubon Park more than once and when we found it we realized we had just been driving by it repeatedly. So many old and large live oaks all around and in this park. Once we got out of the van we could see why it is so special. They think this one is about 300 years old. There are so many amazing trees in Audubon Park but this one clearly deserves special attention. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tree of Life - Audubon Park</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Another great place to take a walk is the Bestoff Sculpture Garden at City Park adjacent to the New Orleans Museum of Art. It's not only free it has a great mix of 20th Century Sculptures. It's a beautiful setting with several places to rest and enjoy the surroundings. We loved it and went there twice. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Studio BE. Absolute Truth and Beauty. What an extraordinary exhibition by Brandon "B-mike " Odums, artist, activist and mentor. The pieces reflect the impact of Katrina on the community, the Black experience, history and the Civil Rights Movement. Very very powerful social justice statement. It is probably one of the most moving exhibits I have seen in quite some time. Emotional. Brilliant. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">We made it to Grand Isle, the mouth of the Mississippi and that was a great place to spend the day. It's kind of off season here so we basically had the place to ourselves. Who doesn't love a deserted beach stroll?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">We went to the Garyville Louisiana Levee along the Mississippi River to see the 45 foot Alligator Bonfire but I was at the mercy of my friends and they didn't want to wait the 15 minutes before they lit it up. We started driving north toward Gramercy because there were more fires there, the possibility of food and drink but the traffic got so crazy there was a quick U-turn and our adventure ended without climax. I did see a few stray fireworks over the distant levee from the backseat window of the car. The tradition of the fires is strong along the levee to light the way for Papa Noel. .</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;">We attended the Big Nine Second Line Parade and walked several miles along side the parade. I loved seeing people with a connection to their club, neighborhood, city or traditions, something I do not feel apart of in my own home city. Fantastic display of home made costumes, feathers and lively steppers. Brass bands and decorated floats. We ended up visiting the St. Roch Market and stopping in for a snack. It was a nice renovation of the old market place oddly upscale for the neighborhood, cold and loud inside. We walked back through the neighborhood and looked at all the houses, most of which in this neighborhood were needing a some </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;">TLC but some were darling little gems.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">A week later we had the honor of meeting Ronald Lewis, culture bearer who </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">curates a cultural museum which is based on his participation in the culture of the Mardi Gras Indians, Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs and the skull and bones gangs. His work preserves and shares the culture and passes on the knowledge and traditions for the next generations. Ronald is president of the Big Nine Social Aid and Pleasure Club, former Council Chief of the Choctaw Hunters, former King of Krewe de Vieux, a lifelong resident of the Lower Ninth Ward, survivor of the two worst hurricanes in US history, Betsy in '65 and Katrina in 2005.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Update: Sadly Ronald passed away on March 20 due to complication f</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proximanova, sans-serif;">rom diabetes and other medical conditions. He will be surely missed by all those whose lives he touched. He was an amazing spirit, a beautiful light. I am especially honored to have met him. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">We entered the nondescript building with hardly a sign, took a number and waited at Domalise's for a while to order up our po-boy sandwiches. While we were waiting we met a couple were thought were just typical football fans and it ended up one was a Jazz guitarist and the other a second chair violinist for the Memphis Orchestra. So never judge a book by its cover. Be nice to people. They were delightful and we ended up sitting with them and eventually ordering and eating our po-boys </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Revellion Dinner at Brigsten's was a real budget buster. You can catch my honest review on Trip Advisor. As we entered the creole cottage there was a magazine photographer and he asked us if we would be willing to be in the shoot. He then came indoors to our table and took some photos as we dined. We then were asked to sign a release for our images to be used in the Eating Well Magazine. Be on the lookout for me in an upcoming issue of Eating Well Magazine, because I am pretty sure that my curly hair will appear in one of those photos! The one where my smoked salmon toast point broke apart when I bit into it. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">The Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and Preserve is just 25 minutes from New Orleans and it is like another world. The Park has a beautiful boardwalk trail that goes through the bayou. On property nearby were were booked on a swamp tour where we were able to get out into the channel and see marshes, swamps and alligators. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Mardi Gras World is an insanely huge warehouse and artistic building space. They build and created floats for their clients. We were able to see the artists working in different studios. There were also countless props in storage from previous Mardi Gras float builds. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">We visited the Whitney Plantation which is the only plantation museum in Louisiana</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #08090e; font-family: "open sans" , sans-serif;"> with an exclusive focus on the lives of enslaved people. Expertly presented with highly knowledgeable docents. There are many memorials and restored buildings on the sugar plantation property. Remembrances for those that built and worked this property. Our guide provided many fantastic examples of how the 1% has always and continues to create a culture which will always create ways to divide the people against themselves. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Through their research they have developed some excellent educational materials that can be used with curriculum in the schools. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Please read more about it here: <a href="https://www.whitneyplantation.org/">https://www.whitneyplantation.org/</a></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">What an amazing time we have had. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Oddly we are leaving right as the Mardi Gras season begins, Twelfth Night. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">We say good bye to our fake New Orleans home and neighborhood knowing that New Orleans will not disappear. It's spirit is strong. It's people proud. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">There are some amazing and lovable characters here in this community that eats, dances, hugs, makes music, parades, laughs, lives large and is always talking about the next meal. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">"Just relax, darlin'. This is the Big Easy. Folks have a certain way o' doin'things down here. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">~ Remi McSwain.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Next Stop: Houston</span><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837358970011271544.post-83024046309254997612020-03-21T18:56:00.004-05:002020-03-21T18:59:15.279-05:00Big Bend National Park - January 2020<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's a long drive from Houston but everyone should drive across Texas at least once in their life. I've done it twice in the last few years. Each time I see more and more of what makes Texas great. The night skies are dark in far west Texas and the whole reason is to make our way to Big Bend National Park.<br />
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Big Bend National Park is massive and it's border stretches nearly 120 miles along the river. It is the largest, most remote and least visited National Park. It's not on the way to anywhere. It is its own destination. The park has been described as splendid isolation by the National Park Service and that is not an understatement. There is a great silence here amid the expansive beauty. It is indeed the end of the road. It's a strange feeling to look across the river at another country. It's beautiful and sad at the same time. The desert cactus scorched by the southwestern sun and the vastness of this amazing Chihuahuan desert make this a very magical place. I feel honored to be here.<br />
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I catch my first glance at the Rio Grande River. I have my first worry that I will see distressed people crossing over from Mexico. I did not. What surprised me most was that the Rio Grande is not so grand at all. Nothing like I remember from the old movies. Water being tapped for irrigation up stream makes for an easy swim across if you are so inclined. I was not.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rio Grande</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We hiked in to where there was a small hot spring perched along the river. It was actually in the remains of a foundation from a former bath house called </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Boquillas Hot Springs which was long before the land became a National Park. It was a thriving little getaway between 1927 and 1942 during which time it had a little post office, store, motor court and community market. People would come from miles around to trade, shop and take in the healing properties of the hot springs. Big Bend became a national park in 1935. The owner sold the land where the springs are located to the state of Texas in 1942, it became part of the the national park, the buildings were abandoned and fell to ruin in the 1950's. </span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boquillas Hot Spring</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Big Bend is the largest protected <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">area of Chihuahuan Desert in the United States. There are 800,000 acres of stunning views, scenic drives and dozens of hiking trails. You can even take a row boat across the river and visit Boquillas village in Mexico if you have your passport handy. We did not. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">It takes a lot of time just to get here. You will want at the very least 3 full days to just skim the surface. If you only allow that I can guarantee you will leave wishing you had allowed more time. Don't cheat yourself, do your research and allow enough time to properly see it. Once you are there you will quickly realize how big this park really is. Just go slow and enjoy what you can. Revel in the solitude.</span></span><br />
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Leaving Big Bend National Park we make a quick stop in Terilingua. It is a small little ghost town about 5 minutes outside of Big Bend. It was a small but booming little mining town which was abandoned around 1946 after WWI when the need for mercury declined and the mining company went bankrupt and left. It has a small number of residents these days. It's worth driving through town. There is a smattering of local business and restaurants. Make a stop at the cemetery perched along the road with views of the Chisos Mountains and Sierra del Carmens. It's a beautiful example of makeshift graves with a bit of folk art thrown in for good measure.<br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">We made another little stop in the town of Marfa, Texas before heading toward our next destination in Arizona. We've been to Marfa before but we stop again to walk along Donald Judd's legacy. The story of how he came to Marfa, the purchase of abandoned buildings from an old United States Army fort and his important contributions I find, quite interesting. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #45444a;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Beautiful Texas</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #45444a;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“You can live on the plains or the mountains / Or down where the sea breezes blow / But you’re still in beautiful Texas / The most beautiful place that I know.” </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #45444a;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">~ Willie Nelson</span></span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #45444a; font-family: "roboto" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "geneva" , sans-serif; font-size: 17px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Next Stop:</b> All kinds of places in Arizona</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>More information:</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.nps.gov/bibe/index.htm">https://www.nps.gov/bibe/index.htm </a></span></span></span><br />
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Bend_National_Park" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Bend_National_Park</a><br />
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Judd" style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Judd</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinati_Foundation" style="font-family: inherit;">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinati_Foundation</a><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837358970011271544.post-89709395257382113222019-12-07T13:06:00.000-06:002020-01-03T15:27:44.045-06:00Marksville Louisiana - December 2019<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NlFKfAyfDx8/Xes-vAYVRpI/AAAAAAAALFw/hCKJqbSt9q4cFIlphXcT8Ul-O8nFhCj5wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/CFEAB826-056A-4CA1-B395-FBCD486E3640.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NlFKfAyfDx8/Xes-vAYVRpI/AAAAAAAALFw/hCKJqbSt9q4cFIlphXcT8Ul-O8nFhCj5wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/CFEAB826-056A-4CA1-B395-FBCD486E3640.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
In Minnesota, November is like giant roulette wheel, the weather, you never know what it will be. We indulge ourselves in guilty pleasures, see our friends one last time and hit the road. We hope to not have to drive through a snow storm across Iowa. We sneak away between two winter storms and drive until we see no traces of snow and the hint of green grass.We have our new van fully loaded with exactly what we need and a little bit of what we think we need. We have more space now so it's been harder to not bring more stuff, yet still trying to be smart about it. We are making our way southbound to escape the northern winter.<br />
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Welcome to Louisiana. Bienvenue en Louisiane. Our first real stop is in Marksville Louisiana to meet up with a guy we met a few years back. Back when we were still travelin in a Honda Element and sleeping in a tent. We were staying at Lake Fausse Point State Park near St. Martinville, visiting many of the little nearby towns and eating ourselves silly. One day we were eating lunch at the Kajun King in St. Marinsville and ran into the doppelganger. We have kept in contact a bit here and there and from time to time I would contact Terry because I couldn't ever get my gumbo the right color. Terry would tell me that it is because I need to drink more beer. There in lies the problem. I don't drink beer. This is a case where social media wins. We have somehow managed to keep in contact enough to warrent a visit. So we decided to stop through, get to know each other and tell some stories. We had a great time. Terry treated us like family, styled us up with some history and cooked up some fabulous meals for us. Fresh pork sausage, rice and gravy and then the Gumbo. Heavenly. Absolutely lovely. Terry DuPuy is good people<span style="text-align: center;">!</span><br />
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We took a quick ride out to the historic Fort DuRussy Cemetery. The drive in was beautiful through the tunnel of trees. It is supposed to be the most haunted place in Avoyelles Parish. We however had a very serene visit, ate a little sandwich in the parking area and walked reverently among the headstones. It might have been a more haunting activity had we visited during the night time. </div>
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We attended the lighting of the Holidays Tree at the Marksville town square and experienced a big rise of Americana. Santa arrived in the fire truck and several local choirs sang on the courthouse steps. It was there that I read that a peddler, Marcos Litche, a native of Venice Italy was passing through the Avoyelles Post in 1794 and his wagon wheel broke. He decided to stay and established a trading post. The place became known as Marc's Ville and was first noted on survey maps in 1809. He was known then as Marc Eliche and donated most of the land that makes up the present courthouse square.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marksville Courthouse </td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #101010;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I love Louisiana. There's no place on earth like Louisiana, and there's no city on earth like New Orleans. It draws me back time and time again.</span></span></div>
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Next Stop: New OrleansUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837358970011271544.post-60250393042238017322019-11-18T11:19:00.001-06:002019-11-18T11:19:55.366-06:00ProMaster Van Build - Summer 2019<h4 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #272727; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.4; margin: 1.75em 0px 0.5em; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”</span></h4>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">-Mark Twain</span></em><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wr81gv6FnDY/XcMzcM2ArzI/AAAAAAAAK3o/GBGSiNVVyXYmwGkCrr31aApdMinac3nmACEwYBhgL/s1600/4EF649BD-00DE-4640-8181-4E0AB96B649B.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="936" data-original-width="1280" height="146" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wr81gv6FnDY/XcMzcM2ArzI/AAAAAAAAK3o/GBGSiNVVyXYmwGkCrr31aApdMinac3nmACEwYBhgL/s200/4EF649BD-00DE-4640-8181-4E0AB96B649B.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Honda Element + Tent</td></tr>
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I've dreamed of "someday" having a van, my entire adult life. A boyfriend in college had an old painters truck and we tooled around in that a little bit but we never had any money for an adventure. The dream was short lived. Fast forward more years than I want to admit and I was making road trip memories with my husband in a Honda Element, very methodically packed and sleeping in a tent. In our second year of adventures in the Element, we woke up early one morning in the brush country of Texas with a bunch of javalina in our camp. It's true you smell them before you see them and they are amazingly quiet. It was somewhat disturbing but we lived to tell the tale. That was when we both said, "We should get a van."<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ford Transit Connect</td></tr>
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So in 2017 we purchased a slightly used Ford 6 seat passenger mini-van. It felt big to me. We took out all the seats, added a plywood floor, built a storage bench which also doubled as one of the 25" wide and 6' long sleeping places and installed a cargo box to hold all our stuff. Great we were out of the tent, our adventures got longer and longer, we got awesome mileage but if it was cold, windy or rainy there was no where to sit accept in the front two seats. It limited where we could travel to comfortably and when we could travel. After two years of this, we said "We needed a bigger van"!<br />
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We wasted no time after returning from winter travels this year (2019) and by the end of May, we had purchased a brand new 2019 Dodge Ram ProMaster 1500 136 wheel base. It was a huge white blank canvas project, an empty shell with no windows. It sat in front of our house. I drove it around back almost everyday and started working on it. The beginning of the build was daunting in some ways but having spent a lot of time obsessively researching what others had done, I knew it was to be treated as a project. I could manage all the tasks, budget and focus on each phase. I could elicit help as needed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zTD8yE0aqSw/XcOUDYgQltI/AAAAAAAAK4I/0WBmnrA5XTsQhH1u-C1Tz2SDGea1V7GUgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/D90A1672-AE54-48FD-A65F-3101CB132D89.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zTD8yE0aqSw/XcOUDYgQltI/AAAAAAAAK4I/0WBmnrA5XTsQhH1u-C1Tz2SDGea1V7GUgCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/D90A1672-AE54-48FD-A65F-3101CB132D89.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blank Canvas - No Windows</td></tr>
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I kept things in perspective, using what we had and keeping it simple. In the end I ended up doing most of the work myself. It was my dream and my responsibility to make it happen. I scheduled the installation of the windows and roof vent/fan and started in on the sound proofing and insulation. I began by covering about 25% of the metal inside walls, ceiling, behind the door panels and completely covered the wheel wells with a butyl and aluminum sound proofing material. Then I began the insulation. For the walls, I used two layers of 1" XPS rigid foam secured to the metal with spay adhesive and foam safe construction adhesive. I used 1/4 inch XPS where needed to make the insulation flush with the ribs of the van. Wheel box covers were made from 2x2's and plywood. For the ceiling I used insulation pin fasteners and 1" xps rigid foam insulation. I filled gaps and small openings sparingly with faced fiberglass batt insulation.<br />
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By the time we got the van back from the window installer, it was starting to look like the dream. I wired the vent/fan with a 12 v plug so that we can run it off our battery pack. I dreamed about not having to look at pink XPS board. The van filled with light. </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-95UQLWTQ6cs/Xb2iT3WwucI/AAAAAAAAK1c/fPZF0svhlbUHiGNDL9YreiSmZW-1yynYwCEwYBhgL/s1600/4383A58C-5C9D-4318-8805-9FB59781A2F8.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-95UQLWTQ6cs/Xb2iT3WwucI/AAAAAAAAK1c/fPZF0svhlbUHiGNDL9YreiSmZW-1yynYwCEwYBhgL/s200/4383A58C-5C9D-4318-8805-9FB59781A2F8.jpeg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dXQvK9RCijw/XcOUDOwmTHI/AAAAAAAAK4E/soPVnsSCpQw05Z-_tOZF4aGmnm9N7dWRACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/25301C1D-1046-454A-9F85-4A4198128292.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dXQvK9RCijw/XcOUDOwmTHI/AAAAAAAAK4E/soPVnsSCpQw05Z-_tOZF4aGmnm9N7dWRACLcBGAsYHQ/s200/25301C1D-1046-454A-9F85-4A4198128292.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Window screens were refashioned and resewn from the ones I had made for our old van. I hand made window panels with reflectix, using spray glue to adhere fabric to both sides and hand sewing seam binding around the edges. The window covers use magnet tabs and will provide privacy when needed. The passenger door window covers are cut a little smaller so that we can vent the windows just a bit under the rain guards. This is a safety precaution for when we use our propane stove in the evenings. I also have made curtains for the two side windows. The curtains are simple and slide along a rod. It allows us to close them easily when in a parking lot, assures some privacy but I also cut to fit reflectix inserts for when we need to keep the heat out or the heat in depending on the weather.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XSAGnFEpqsI/Xb2iR8Whp7I/AAAAAAAAK0Y/mT6VWfr2TiAgurZ9SCA0Zrs-ssnNWpR0gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/3B0162AE-D692-4D59-99F6-3531443B104C.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XSAGnFEpqsI/Xb2iR8Whp7I/AAAAAAAAK0Y/mT6VWfr2TiAgurZ9SCA0Zrs-ssnNWpR0gCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/3B0162AE-D692-4D59-99F6-3531443B104C.jpeg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fWrY__V_LBk/Xb2iVd9jVYI/AAAAAAAAK0o/rtabrtQOonQU8qaNw6WbCHvdDytQqxfcgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/5BFFBBC7-E183-4C63-9F7D-DD763B811312.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fWrY__V_LBk/Xb2iVd9jVYI/AAAAAAAAK0o/rtabrtQOonQU8qaNw6WbCHvdDytQqxfcgCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/5BFFBBC7-E183-4C63-9F7D-DD763B811312.jpeg" width="200" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_H58ABmV_sQ/Xb2iSojT5jI/AAAAAAAAK0c/xKxGbXJIpyQvutoGWNLsIL6zUAzVQaivACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/4126B1D7-A3CF-4DD4-A64D-E251A6C573C8.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_H58ABmV_sQ/Xb2iSojT5jI/AAAAAAAAK0c/xKxGbXJIpyQvutoGWNLsIL6zUAzVQaivACLcBGAsYHQ/s200/4126B1D7-A3CF-4DD4-A64D-E251A6C573C8.jpeg" width="200" /></a> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EAgQrcBRMc4/Xb2iY3ikrwI/AAAAAAAAK1A/hUqPqngl4n41c-mShMFshdmpI0IKSrXogCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/DC84901B-4F8C-4315-B9E2-21A5BECB71D8.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EAgQrcBRMc4/Xb2iY3ikrwI/AAAAAAAAK1A/hUqPqngl4n41c-mShMFshdmpI0IKSrXogCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/DC84901B-4F8C-4315-B9E2-21A5BECB71D8.jpeg" width="200" /></a><br />
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My partner in crime helped with upgrade for installing seat swivels. We did this because the swivel plates would have made the seats even higher than they already were. We removed the old seat bases, installed the new lower seat bases, and added seat plates and reinstalled the seats. This will allow us to turn the seats when in camp. We now have somewhere to sit when the weather is cool or unpleasant.<br />
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Then we got to the bed build. Go with what you know. We thought about using metal super strut to build our cross-wise bed but we ended up with wood. It's cheaper and we know how to work with that, cut the wood and build with it. We were able to use our existing memory foam mattresses and the covers from the old van. A bit of savings there and continuity so there will be something familiar in our new tiny home on wheels. </div>
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We didn't want it to be super dark in the van so we ended up using this thin mdf whiteboard and hope it holds up. It wasn't expensive so if we end up having to pull it our and rebuild the walls, I'm OK with that. It is 1/4 in thick and is flexible to install. </div>
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zrgZbjUrSh4/Xb2iXDZzaGI/AAAAAAAAK00/dKzWrUvtkvgwMDxacbGZd4Grs1msILf-QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/9AA8A2AB-2213-44A7-9B63-DBAB1A22D662.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zrgZbjUrSh4/Xb2iXDZzaGI/AAAAAAAAK00/dKzWrUvtkvgwMDxacbGZd4Grs1msILf-QCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/9AA8A2AB-2213-44A7-9B63-DBAB1A22D662.jpeg" width="200" /></a> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R9iy4nI69LA/Xb2iQaVbrqI/AAAAAAAAK0M/cKpmPTZCNfskopC2Pa2sKkjqV1DMtrloACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/29F92EE8-577E-489D-BD03-19CC1AFC8C1D.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R9iy4nI69LA/Xb2iQaVbrqI/AAAAAAAAK0M/cKpmPTZCNfskopC2Pa2sKkjqV1DMtrloACLcBGAsYHQ/s200/29F92EE8-577E-489D-BD03-19CC1AFC8C1D.jpeg" width="200" /></a><br />
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Use what you have or what you find. For our cabinets and storage bins, we were able to utilize things we already had or fantastic alley finds. A jig saw is a blessing and allowed us to easily recut/redesign the furniture to fit where we wanted it to go. It's so clean and white that my new challenge was looking for ways to warm it up in there a bit by using color and fabrics. Brightly colored paint contrasts with our retro look cooler.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KGx3RcSPOQ8/Xb2iadaZl2I/AAAAAAAAK1M/kyrE3abAMmcFM48ZRALhg_cHwLgeq331wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/FB400C79-3DC6-4948-9AC0-81F55BBE9196.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KGx3RcSPOQ8/Xb2iadaZl2I/AAAAAAAAK1M/kyrE3abAMmcFM48ZRALhg_cHwLgeq331wCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/FB400C79-3DC6-4948-9AC0-81F55BBE9196.jpeg" width="200" /></a> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5XOhHHtLeCc/Xb2iV5LScAI/AAAAAAAAK0w/P8PfnRR9aEMx7x9zC6WNK8xlzibG2wZfgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/8CDDF521-123F-4DF8-AA96-0AD51F04A078.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5XOhHHtLeCc/Xb2iV5LScAI/AAAAAAAAK0w/P8PfnRR9aEMx7x9zC6WNK8xlzibG2wZfgCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/8CDDF521-123F-4DF8-AA96-0AD51F04A078.jpeg" width="200" /></a></h4>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j4bXk_Gq7rQ/Xb2lwaLMPYI/AAAAAAAAK2I/LWU73KIXNHwdDTKGcCcwSu8HcJiIU352wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/7BA07452-F880-49F1-BFAC-6639257EF3DF.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="font-weight: 400; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j4bXk_Gq7rQ/Xb2lwaLMPYI/AAAAAAAAK2I/LWU73KIXNHwdDTKGcCcwSu8HcJiIU352wCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/7BA07452-F880-49F1-BFAC-6639257EF3DF.jpeg" width="200" /></a> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UuissHGc0D4/Xb2iXCgTziI/AAAAAAAAK04/B9lEiJANo8ckRFVy1H5_h9MIh0tse5lSwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/C4CDD31C-A0F6-42A7-9E62-7799C1B4CB71.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1525" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UuissHGc0D4/Xb2iXCgTziI/AAAAAAAAK04/B9lEiJANo8ckRFVy1H5_h9MIh0tse5lSwCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/C4CDD31C-A0F6-42A7-9E62-7799C1B4CB71.jpeg" width="190" /></a></h4>
There are things we just don't think we need. I can already hear people saying, Where's this and where's that and how do you do this and that. We can always change and add things later. That is the joy of building your own.</div>
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When we first started to investigate all the choices of vans, mobile homes and campers, we found they came with a lot of extras with their hefty price tags and included things that we know we do not need. They also felt cramped and dark to me. I most certainly do not want or need a closet, shower, microwave or TV. I'm ready for adventure. I didn't want cookie cutter. I wanted what works for us.<br />
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We do not have a:<br />
<ul>
<li>bathroom - There are bathrooms every where. In general we stay in designated campgrounds like those managed by the forest service, state parks, regional and national parks. We are not stealth camping in cities or boon-docking for periods of time on Bureau of Land Management lands. We can always add one later.</li>
<li>stationary kitchen - We travel with two stoves, a propane and an electric depending on where we are. We prefer to cook outdoors and be outdoors when ever possible. We can cook inside if we need to but do not intend to. </li>
<li>refrigerator - They take a lot of power. We shop a lot. The cooler works just fine especially when we can find block ice. </li>
<li>solar on the roof - What the heck would we need all that power for? We have a power bank that will run our vent fan, recharge our electronics and lights. </li>
<li>hardwired lighting - We are using led lights that recharge via usb and we also have 4 solar luce lights that work just fine. </li>
<li>fresh water tank - No tank but we generally carry about 5 gallons of drinking water, 2 one gallon jugs and a 3 gallon bottle with a usb rechargable punp and another 3 gallon jug for use when needing to stock up or staying put in one place for a period of time. </li>
<li>grey water tank - No sink = no need for a tank</li>
</ul>
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It's down to the details. Party lights, magnetic board, Forevetron flag, juju amulet, VW memorabilia, step block/bookcase. rug and my good luck monkey.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gUyWWOaeSBY/Xb2iRUbCU0I/AAAAAAAAK0U/AydXYCqPRZkhHYeycOZdVVjX2siDPGqvACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/2CBCE8AE-1F35-4B4B-879B-A3752700E7FD.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gUyWWOaeSBY/Xb2iRUbCU0I/AAAAAAAAK0U/AydXYCqPRZkhHYeycOZdVVjX2siDPGqvACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/2CBCE8AE-1F35-4B4B-879B-A3752700E7FD.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Ready to Roll. We are excited to start our journey for extended travel and the quest for searching for eternal spring. No spoilers here. Stay tuned to see where our next epic road trip takes us. Less is more. They say it's never really done but we have what we need to hit the road. Stay tuned for our adventures. Happy Trails.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837358970011271544.post-39781669043238688922019-11-04T22:27:00.003-06:002019-11-04T22:27:45.412-06:00Loneliest Road in America - Nevada 2019<div style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px;">US Hwy 50 passes through hundreds of small old towns. It runs across the middle of the United States and has been refered to as the Backbone of </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px;">America. The Nevada portion of US Hwy 50, runs through mostly rural areas, crosses the center of the state and was justly named the </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px;">Loneliest Road in America</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px;"> by Life magazine in July 1986. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Loneliest Road in America, Nevada (c) b.steichen2019</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px;">We started in Reno and drove it all in one day. Sadly it would have been good to have more time to stop along the way. The road is really </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px;">quite desolate but there are some towns along the way for a little respite. Lots of old world charm. Old gambling casinos. Blue skys. Mountains. No billboards. Unspoiled. Pristine. Majestic. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Loneliest Road in America, Nevada (c) b.steichen2019</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Loneliest Road in America, Nevada (c) b.steichen2019</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">In one of the little towns, Ely Nevada, we got pulled over for making a U turn. Honestly there were no cars in sight and we turned to take a few pictures. The officer asked us how we liked Hwy 50 and Lyle answered that he thought it was quite majestic. He ran the license and plates and we were happy to verify there were no warrents. When the officer returned to the van he said, "Did you say majestic?" and then commented that this is not how he would have described it. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">That may have been our saving grace. "Don't do it again", he said. One verbal warning later and down the road we go...</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hotel Nevada, Ely Nevada (c) b.steichen 2019</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Hotel Nevada, Ely Nevada (c) b.steichen 2019</td></tr>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O0zsuKVlvZo/XZ_dwUpqP4I/AAAAAAAAKvo/p9p-VcARyDcfXIlxRv-S9Zdew5HK6Z3hwCEwYBhgL/s1600/68484C4A-42FB-4B09-93F8-3FBFFA2E9FF1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O0zsuKVlvZo/XZ_dwUpqP4I/AAAAAAAAKvo/p9p-VcARyDcfXIlxRv-S9Zdew5HK6Z3hwCEwYBhgL/s320/68484C4A-42FB-4B09-93F8-3FBFFA2E9FF1.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last Light, Loneliest Road in America, Nevada (c) b.steichen2019</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px;">One day we would love to drive this again and do it ever so slowly. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #181818;">“The roads do not know the length of their journey. The traveler must keep on traveling.”</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #181818;">― </span><span class="authorOrTitle" style="color: #333333;">Avijeet Das</span></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837358970011271544.post-85651131128860999692019-11-02T09:59:00.001-05:002019-11-02T09:59:41.049-05:00Crushin on California 2019<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">“I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery—air, mountains, trees, people. I thought, "This is what it is to be happy.” </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"> </span></b></span><b style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">― </span><span class="authorOrTitle" style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Sylvia Plath, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"></span><span id="quote_book_link_6514" style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">The Bell Jar</span></b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Super Bloom, Anza Borrego Desert, California (c) b.steichen 2019</td></tr>
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The golden coast and the amazing super-bloom had us crushing on California even more than usual. It's an amazing place to visit but almost untouchable to live there. Everything costs more in California so be sure allow for that in your travel budget. There is vast and expansive beauty in the desert and it is quite a contrast to California's over populated cities. Driving through the Anza Borrego Desert and witnessing a record spring bloom, spending time in San Diego with friends and family and driving up Pacific Coast Highway to San Francisco was an absolutely incredible experience. We are so filled with gratitude to be able to slow travel our way to some amazing places.<br />
<br />
Witnessing such beauty. Walking among the coastal redwood trees, watching the sun set in Big Sur. Stopping along the way in great places like Pismo Beach, Morrow Bay and Santa Cruz. Visiting the Lands End Park in San Francisco which is within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area just some of our stops along the way filled with so many breathtaking walks.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Aq8cXI18Evg/XZ_d3dMNFPI/AAAAAAAAKvk/yRAkSqGSMIsitzC9NCKyHZ7Sy3YfcntqwCPcBGAYYCw/s320/9F2D0A1C-1470-4AED-A785-DD216177EA51.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Super Bloom, Anza Borrego Desert, California (c) b.steichen 2019</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S4vQNO4oe_I/XZ_d4cFPzNI/AAAAAAAAKus/T0QZHZk4jQowdQ7V5r8pC0SHJrCKJtY6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/9E7220BE-D6B9-4F9D-9FD2-3D9EDD6943FD.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coastal Redwoods Big Sur, California (c) b.steichen 2019</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dNONObDi-vg/XZ_dz_rmnNI/AAAAAAAAKvk/oSJPDfh_FnYt6ip5BEkW7MRvKbrgn9FfQCEwYBhgL/s320/98B25751-668C-44A5-946F-EDD8AE811FE5.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pacific Coast Highway, California (c) b.steichen 2019</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lGB0BpefJNU/XZ_d7mM8cTI/AAAAAAAAKvE/-LdHmielXzo9FNTiYmWRTs6naKhndSW-wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/DFEBA3E1-98F8-4257-BD43-29CA34F33FE5.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lGB0BpefJNU/XZ_d7mM8cTI/AAAAAAAAKvE/-LdHmielXzo9FNTiYmWRTs6naKhndSW-wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/DFEBA3E1-98F8-4257-BD43-29CA34F33FE5.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boardwalk, Santa Barbara, California (c) b.steichen 2019</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_cBd8Q9gUnY/XZ_d6X1y2iI/AAAAAAAAKvY/BiYYDRytpqcHMs8IWq-7ZiFCfvJyowTogCEwYBhgL/s320/BF61A145-4148-45DC-9BE0-4A8515343DB5.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lands End Park, San Francisco, California (c) b.steichen 2019</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tHnW74aSiGU/XZ_d55rRgGI/AAAAAAAAKvY/570DtE28u34qIuXjdsvtaTwyZA1jSamAwCEwYBhgL/s1600/B2DE5580-05CE-4A4D-9A85-F9502A9F2097.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tHnW74aSiGU/XZ_d55rRgGI/AAAAAAAAKvY/570DtE28u34qIuXjdsvtaTwyZA1jSamAwCEwYBhgL/s320/B2DE5580-05CE-4A4D-9A85-F9502A9F2097.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Lands End Park, San Francisco, California (c) b.steichen 2019</td></tr>
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</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit;">“You do not have to be good.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">You do not have to walk on your knees</span></div>
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.</span></div>
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">You only have to let the soft animal of your body</span></div>
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">love what it loves.</span></div>
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.</span></div>
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Meanwhile the world goes on.</span></div>
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain</span></div>
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">are moving across the landscapes,</span></div>
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">over the prairies and the deep trees,</span></div>
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">the mountains and the rivers.</span></div>
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,</span></div>
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">are heading home again.</span></div>
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,</span></div>
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">the world offers itself to your imagination,</span></div>
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting –</span></div>
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">over and over announcing your place</span></div>
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">in the family of things.”</span></div>
</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">― </span><span class="authorOrTitle" style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold;">Mary Oliver</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837358970011271544.post-22616128982696149392019-10-30T11:00:00.001-05:002019-10-30T11:00:36.223-05:00Arizona Tries to Steal my Heart 2019Arizona tries to steal my heart for a second time in 2019. I still think about it and plan to spend even more time there this coming winter. It's not that I do not like the change of seasons, the beautiful colors of autumn or the flowering spring, I'm just not a fan of winter cold, snow and darkness.<br />
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Beautiful landscapes, absolutely gorgeous and insanely red sunsets, the oh so animated saguaro cactus, abundant sunshine, hiking, with mountain views everywhere and one of my very favorite sculpture parks.<br />
<span data-tt="{"attachmentInfo":{"attachmentIdentifier":"C427D73E-2C53-4E89-9064-918FFEA8B147","typeUTI":"public.jpeg"}}" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tmQiXnYglt0/XbmoE_nT_NI/AAAAAAAAKz8/t7QhIerSWYwgRD_7AQKRlfd4IivLwZWLgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/redson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tmQiXnYglt0/XbmoE_nT_NI/AAAAAAAAKz8/t7QhIerSWYwgRD_7AQKRlfd4IivLwZWLgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/redson.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Desert Red, Catalina State Park, Tucson, Arizona (c) b.steichen 2019</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: "Open Sans", serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 15px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"All the great pleasures of life are silent." — <span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Georges Clemenceau</span></h4>
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GdoKCeq7lWY/XbDZPI_yBdI/AAAAAAAAKxQ/RT03o_uJKj0lJ9DP0sf2QiYk9l0-NZ0cgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/0F919FE0-AB01-46B5-B2AB-65FDCF1EFEE8.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GdoKCeq7lWY/XbDZPI_yBdI/AAAAAAAAKxQ/RT03o_uJKj0lJ9DP0sf2QiYk9l0-NZ0cgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/0F919FE0-AB01-46B5-B2AB-65FDCF1EFEE8.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Volkswagen Love, Somewhere on the Road, Arizona (c) b.steichen 2019</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JK5IPddZzL4/XbDZN0ysnwI/AAAAAAAAKxI/iGxkoWRfasgZq6EF59dZBhJy0vnSiTKMwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/06AC6E98-C56F-434F-934C-DA5F7897FC42.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JK5IPddZzL4/XbDZN0ysnwI/AAAAAAAAKxI/iGxkoWRfasgZq6EF59dZBhJy0vnSiTKMwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/06AC6E98-C56F-434F-934C-DA5F7897FC42.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saguaro National Park, Tucson, Arizona (c) b.steichen 2019</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q6vrY-vqDrc/XbDZShyjIdI/AAAAAAAAKxg/4kssgGe14ewYdWB-EJpa5-1jTfAn19cCQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/7D8E261F-2468-472D-83F4-6CE2B21B7B7F.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catalina State Park, Tucson, Arizona (c) b.steichen 2019</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q6vrY-vqDrc/XbDZShyjIdI/AAAAAAAAKxg/4kssgGe14ewYdWB-EJpa5-1jTfAn19cCQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/7D8E261F-2468-472D-83F4-6CE2B21B7B7F.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hB9DZUEDQHw/XbDZPgE3ofI/AAAAAAAAKxU/OVcylGJwReU4BBXMtTDYBtNpCR1nOXUVQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/28F0D275-67E0-4F10-8D5E-49C25BA5E287.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hB9DZUEDQHw/XbDZPgE3ofI/AAAAAAAAKxU/OVcylGJwReU4BBXMtTDYBtNpCR1nOXUVQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/28F0D275-67E0-4F10-8D5E-49C25BA5E287.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saguaro National Park, Tucson, Arizona (c) b.steichen 2019</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PYBhAGxHXR8/XbDZO3CUVPI/AAAAAAAAKxM/n3wvP711T0k8iX-CCg59FJbe_vWq0C6JwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/090FFB88-3090-45B0-8CEE-57A265FD383B.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Catalina State Park, Tucson, Arizona (c) b.steichen 2019</td></tr>
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I often call the Amazon guy my boyfriend because he brings me presents all the time but this guy stole my heart a long long time ago. Who doesn't love a guy named Smokey.<br />
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Smokey Bear was born on Aug. 9, 1944, when the U.S. Forest Service and the Ad Council agreed that a fictional bear would be the symbol for their joint effort to promote forest fire prevention.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Artist Albert Staehle was asked to paint the first poster of Smokey Bear. It depicted a bear pouring a bucket of water on a campfire and saying “Care will prevent 9 out of 10 fires.” Smokey Bear soon became very popular as his image appeared on a variety of forest fire prevention materials. In 1947, his slogan became the familiar “Only YOU Can Prevent Forest Fires!”</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Then in the spring of 1950, in the Capitan Mountains of New Mexico, a young bear cub found himself caught in a burning forest. He took refuge in a tree, and while managing to stay alive was left badly burned. The firefighters who retrieved him were so moved by his bravery, they named him Smokey.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">News about this real bear named Smokey spread across the Nation, and he was soon given a new home at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. The living symbol of Smokey Bear, he played an important role in spreading messages of wildfire prevention and forest conservation. Smokey died in 1976 and was returned to Capitan, New Mexico, where he is buried in the State Historical Park.</span></span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="319" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-esRqBryhSBo/XbDZS7bRVfI/AAAAAAAAKxk/G20-b6939_AlAySE1tePPgywn9mz0gV2QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/4A0044C4-7A24-46F7-9775-4C28BD50E346.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Catalina State Park, Tucson, Arizona (c) b.steichen 2019</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GHCoY4StXXE/XbDZUwZmX9I/AAAAAAAAKxs/CAg3TSBL1KcPWTfUeUQL6yLHIsm0Z6aEwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/A715A7AC-FD48-4F3D-A3A7-F2ABA26ABC32.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catalina State Park, Tucson, Arizona (c) b.steichen 2019</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HOacKtVBZHo/XbDZVVbegBI/AAAAAAAAKxw/E6dpQKt0k8IK2wjh83Wla1KbHIwonbsYQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/BFE6EBD6-7145-42D7-BEC1-2495DDD3F26F.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HOacKtVBZHo/XbDZVVbegBI/AAAAAAAAKxw/E6dpQKt0k8IK2wjh83Wla1KbHIwonbsYQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/BFE6EBD6-7145-42D7-BEC1-2495DDD3F26F.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Triangle L Ranch, Oracle Arizona (c) b.steichen 2019</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wXkz8tRlbHk/XbDZQuSGDRI/AAAAAAAAKxY/bFArL7MgunIvyak4ougVNs5NlQcv4ZrVwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/3EEBF252-7E95-4D0A-95B5-BEA9DE748FC3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wXkz8tRlbHk/XbDZQuSGDRI/AAAAAAAAKxY/bFArL7MgunIvyak4ougVNs5NlQcv4ZrVwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/3EEBF252-7E95-4D0A-95B5-BEA9DE748FC3.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Triangle L Ranch, Oracle Arizona (c) b.steichen 2019</td></tr>
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</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1502" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pk5kAGb0gaU/XbDZUyzkHAI/AAAAAAAAKxo/11-ZCYQIcVUFd0k-2tDDTrTqM7UClfTBACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/CE706BF1-6707-46C6-B454-0DF4E12887D1.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Triangle L Ranch, Oracle Arizona (c) b.steichen 2019</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Triangle L Ranch, Oracle Arizona (c) b.steichen 2019</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Triangle L Ranch, Oracle Arizona (c) b.steichen 2019</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Saguaro National Park, Tucson, Arizona (c) b.steichen 2019</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w2wjze_aves/XbDZYqZVseI/AAAAAAAAKx8/QQhZXnjebIYujlQXJeCqVmLLfMODCFShwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/FAEE48B0-020F-43AC-988B-BF3DFFA73DAA.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837358970011271544.post-66327348574256649102019-10-23T21:18:00.002-05:002019-10-23T21:18:42.549-05:00Roadside America Texas 2019February 2019 On our way to Albuquerque<br />
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Quick drive through the pan handle of Texas where we passed through Amarillo. We stopped at the Jack Sisemore Traveland RV Museum which is in a back building at the Traveland RV Sales. It's a worthy stop if you are passing through Amarillo. They staff were friendly and welcoming. Great variety of old camper trailers. We even got to see one of the first Airstream trailers. Before they were produced commercially, the inventor sold the plans for building your own. There was a caveat that you had to build to all the specs in the build plan. They were beautifully designed.<br />
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It was crazy cold and windy but we found it. The Cadillac Ranch is a classic Route 66 landmark. It consists of ten Cadillac cars which are half buried nose down in the ground in a field. This public art is the work of the Ant Farm and was created in 1974. In recent years it has repeated been spray pained over and over again by visitors. The grounds are littered with spray cans.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cadillac Ranch, Route 66, Roadside America, Amarillo, Texas (c) b.steichen 2019</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "geneva" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.536px;">Slug Bug Ranch -- also known as Bug Ranch, Bug Farm, and Buggy Farm -- was created in 2002. The five wrecked Volkswagen Beetles, buried hood-down in the ground, were the idea of the Crutchfield family, who owned the Longhorn Trading Post and Rattlesnake Ranch next door. Great photo ops here especially with the old gas station and ghostly adjacent buildings.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GQzyhgPBaAQ/XbEC7-jXXLI/AAAAAAAAKyY/vXSU8RjqxmAVqGmayt60B-rXMbmOVV7bwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/sugbugs.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="156" data-original-width="323" height="154" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GQzyhgPBaAQ/XbEC7-jXXLI/AAAAAAAAKyY/vXSU8RjqxmAVqGmayt60B-rXMbmOVV7bwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/sugbugs.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slug Bug Ranch, Roadside America, Conway, Texas (c) b.steichen 2019</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-itFlzj_qrbw/XZ_dzOLD_KI/AAAAAAAAKvk/LbzSewr8ZugR3uqljTQNY3D65sMLPBidACEwYBhgL/s1600/91265B4C-0C98-43D1-9FF6-169323A938B8.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-itFlzj_qrbw/XZ_dzOLD_KI/AAAAAAAAKvk/LbzSewr8ZugR3uqljTQNY3D65sMLPBidACEwYBhgL/s320/91265B4C-0C98-43D1-9FF6-169323A938B8.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slug Bug Ranch, Roadside America, Conway, Texas (c) b.steichen 2019</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837358970011271544.post-3515818601216683072019-02-13T19:18:00.000-06:002019-02-13T19:32:54.719-06:00Monument Valley 2019<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kZhx8Qnq4g4/XGSsWWsYOeI/AAAAAAAAKbI/ZHW6Bi4jidIsvgG8O4atKNWa1cLOplBFACLcBGAs/s320/BE313CA4-9BAB-422B-AA49-175555FFF521.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">"Tsé Bii’Ndzisgaii"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7wtPkCYgoF8/XGSsXXBkPjI/AAAAAAAAKbY/Gbh6bUXzLxga16CmV1oVhW6AAUfA6KR8wCLcBGAs/s1600/DAD64BF4-ED85-4CC3-8B70-47CF54D682BE.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7wtPkCYgoF8/XGSsXXBkPjI/AAAAAAAAKbY/Gbh6bUXzLxga16CmV1oVhW6AAUfA6KR8wCLcBGAs/s320/DAD64BF4-ED85-4CC3-8B70-47CF54D682BE.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vanlife</td></tr>
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We visited the Monument Valley Navajo Nation tribal park, located along the border of northeastern Arizona and southeastern Utah on the Colorado Plateau. It preserves the Navajo way of life and holds some of the most striking and recognizable landscape, buttes, mesas and spires in the entire Southwest. The park is entirely within the Navajo Indian Reservation.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-muT4OEu2owI/XGS0IZEmdbI/AAAAAAAAKb4/lVHKlKm7AaI5T5N-6LvRA6tG-HlnL22yQCLcBGAs/s1600/navajop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="425" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-muT4OEu2owI/XGS0IZEmdbI/AAAAAAAAKb4/lVHKlKm7AaI5T5N-6LvRA6tG-HlnL22yQCLcBGAs/s200/navajop.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vf91I7uhxCI/XGSsVpmbeYI/AAAAAAAAKa8/Q24WN2qgJNQvHsHkPeyC7XegTuca-No9wCLcBGAs/s1600/49EBDE60-7497-4CE4-A719-70F036C25059.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vf91I7uhxCI/XGSsVpmbeYI/AAAAAAAAKa8/Q24WN2qgJNQvHsHkPeyC7XegTuca-No9wCLcBGAs/s320/49EBDE60-7497-4CE4-A719-70F036C25059.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The entire Navajo reservation covers one third of the 130,000 square mile Colorado Plateau. The dry desert climate has all four seasons. On this day we could see traces of snow and the skys were mostly cloudy.<br />
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The park was established in 1958 as a preserved environment by the Navajo Nation Council. It is truly pristine. They do not allow motorcycles, mountain bikes or hiking. The people that actually live inside the park, or the valley within the rock as it is called in Navajo: "Tsé Bii’Ndzisgaii" have long sustained life through simple living. They have underground aquifers which provide moisture to the crops and adequate grazing for their livestock.<br />
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We spent a good part of our day driving the Valley Road. There were very few people and many were choosing to pay for a guided tour which took them to different parts of the park. We had the place to ourselves and could take in all the beauty and quiet splendor.<br />
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The mesas and buttes are surrounded by sandy desert and have been filmed and photographed many times over the years. The colors are stunning depending on the time of day and the amount of sunshine. It is a desolate landscape with amazing rock formations rising hundreds of feet. They are the last remnants of the sandstone layers that once covered this entire region. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">“Those who tell the stories, rule the people.”</td></tr>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UKDihnU4y0c/XGSsV8jiB5I/AAAAAAAAKbA/RAeuisQAp0cBa9r3jxB4LD2nVRvKzvPQQCLcBGAs/s1600/A7FDC7E4-1FC8-4C4D-938F-E8A11680B9C3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UKDihnU4y0c/XGSsV8jiB5I/AAAAAAAAKbA/RAeuisQAp0cBa9r3jxB4LD2nVRvKzvPQQCLcBGAs/s320/A7FDC7E4-1FC8-4C4D-938F-E8A11680B9C3.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>
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When the tour vans and buses pulled up to this lookout area, this guy got on his horse and rode out to the point. It's kind of kitschy but I love it just the same. Prior to this we had this little stop all to ourselves and walked out on that point to see a fantastic view. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Be still and the earth will speak to you"<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">The Real Wild West</td></tr>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eiOUVkxO2jE/XGSsXYRR_1I/AAAAAAAAKbk/KypOKC2L_UUATxCszKZZmUaoVTngBj85QCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/FB434373-D5EC-4422-BF83-80F704BF8D30.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eiOUVkxO2jE/XGSsXYRR_1I/AAAAAAAAKbk/KypOKC2L_UUATxCszKZZmUaoVTngBj85QCPcBGAYYCw/s320/FB434373-D5EC-4422-BF83-80F704BF8D30.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">"Coyote is always out there waiting, and Coyote is always hungry.”</span></h2>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">photos: (c)b.steichen 2019</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">quotes: attributed to Navajo sayings</span></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837358970011271544.post-65436288691737439632019-01-22T14:31:00.001-06:002019-01-22T14:31:48.257-06:00La Terraza<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 11pt; margin-top: 11pt;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It's so difficult to describe being in such a place, a bustling small city which continues to grow and change before our very eyes. Finding old remnants of this once sleepy fishing village are becoming more and more difficult to find. I am incredibly grateful to experience this place, taking time to explore and venture out into the neighborhood. It is here, away from the tourist zone that you see the real pulse and heart.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #444444; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The people grilling arranchera from a street cart, a man on the corner with a small trailer full of simple wood furniture for sale, the colectivo driver taking a rest in the driver seat, a man chopping huge bags of onions at his corner antojitos stand, they are all part of the landscape. Countless taxis, colectivos, local buses and cars trying to drive far too fast on the crowded streets. This place has an odd sense of home perhaps because I have spent more time here than anywhere I else I have ever traveled to. The days pass by just as fast as my fleeting thoughts, the dreams of what this place used to be and of other new and far away places yet to see and experience.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The sun blazes hot overhead. It arrives early and if I sleep in, I miss my chance to hear the early morning bird calls. As the early morning moves into day, church bells play Cielito Lindo, a man yells out at the nearby colectivo stand, directing riders to head north or south. In the small houses nestled behind our building the dogs bark. We gather vegetables, bananas, and eggs from the corner tienda and purchase fresh juice from the humble juice man down the street. I grab fresh made to order salad from the restaurant across from the yoga school I attend. Later in the day we cook a meal in our room or we get tacos, para llevar from our favorite antojitos stand, visit our favorite Venezuelan restaurant, asian fusion or grab a Sinaloan spatchcock roasted chicken for our evening meal. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">We steal time to chat with our friends that own the building where we stay, we talk about all the beautiful flowers they have added to the garden,. We talk about our projects they are working on and love of music, to listen, play and sing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">One year we witnessed a chachalaca's that hatched a pajaro bebé (baby bird) in a nest in the garden. We provided reports to each other, each day of sightings, of where it slept and were honored to watch it grow strong and independent. We are sad when we find it fluttered over the fence, into the property behind the building and fails to thrive after meeting the neighbor dog. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">On the terraza or in the jardin, stories are exchanged with other travelers. There is talk about past travels, long hot bus rides in Belize, visiting Tikal in Guatemala, travels through the Yucatan Peninsula to Vallodolid, Merida and Chixulub. We tell stories of time spent in Campeche, Palenque and on to San Cristobal del las Casas. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We once we talked with a traveler who had met our friend at her cafe, way down at the bottom of Belize in Punta Gorda. We are joyous that they had eaten there and know exactly where the turn is for the gravel road to the drum school that we walked down every day to get to town.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We listen to stories of travels in Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Cuba and Costa Rica. We talk to people about their favorite places in South East Asia and Europe. We hear plans of travels to come and take notes to feed our dreams. We say goodbye to people departing for home or travels and wish them safe journeys. In the evening, the sun lowers in the horizon and the night breeze is simply perfect. It is one of my favorite times of the day and I am always thankful. It’s the time of day the birds fly over head to roost in the trees nearby. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">On the terraza, I revel in all that is my life, the work I have done to be able to travel and am grateful for every second of it. I wonder if my friends back home have forgotten my laugh. I try not to count the months, that turn into weeks, that turn into days, before I return home for a time and then on to the next adventure.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Every day is a journey and the journey itself is home. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Matsuo Basho</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">* Some of this content was originally published in 2015</span></span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4837358970011271544.post-30580241145623764132018-12-10T20:48:00.001-06:002018-12-10T20:48:16.172-06:00Bougainvillea Everywhere - Playa del Carmen, Mexico 2015 <div style="direction: ltr; font-family: "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4em; margin-bottom: 1em;">
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<span style="font-family: "uictfonttextstylebody"; font-size: 19px; line-height: normal;">I dreamed about you last night. You were as beautiful as ever, exactly how I remember you with your amazing hair, your smile and your stare. Most always talking hopeful and positive while your life seemed from my view to crumble around you. Forever young indeed and always strikingly gorgeous. You only looked different to me because your usual sun soaked skin was white as milk. You were sitting in a t</span><span style="font-family: "uictfonttextstylebody"; font-size: 19px; line-height: normal;">ower of a building that had a thatched roof, and you were looking down at me from a window. </span></div>
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Someone came to me to tell me that you wanted to see me. I'm not sure who it was. I climbed some stairs up to where you were sitting. I felt as though you had something important to say. I grabbed your milk white hand and your skin felt cold as ice. We walked quietly along the beach together. I asked you if you were really dead and you simply said yes. I saw all your children waving to us. We walked a little more turning on to a beautiful cobble stone path that led us through the shade, away from the blazing sun of the beach. We passed old, lovely trees and there was bougainvillea blooming everywhere.<br />
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<span style="color: #2d2d2d; font-family: "opensans" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 28px;"></span>I forgot to tell you, I miss you and that I loved you. Then you were gone. </div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); line-height: normal;"><span class="m_-7350025989901637441m_-7172859957323073168bqQuoteLink"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/marcelprou105251.html&source=gmail&ust=1544579766278000&usg=AFQjCNEPctjzbom2s8K8SeHPUc9GFA32LA" href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/marcelprou105251.html" style="color: #2585b2;" target="_blank" title="view quote">Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0); color: #2d2d2d; line-height: normal;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/marcelprou105251.html&source=gmail&ust=1544579766278000&usg=AFQjCNEPctjzbom2s8K8SeHPUc9GFA32LA" href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/marcelprou105251.html" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); color: #2585b2; line-height: normal;" target="_blank" title="view quote">Marcel Proust</a></span></div>
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