Gone

Just a quick note to update.

We bugged out of Ghost Ranch yesterday morning, Sandy to Chandler, OK, and me to Mancos. On the way back, I picked up the latest issue of Arts Perspective in Durango; will distribute that around the San Juan Skyway on Tuesday and Wednesday. Have Servas guests here last night through tonight; we'll do Mesa Verde today.

Yearly Meeting was moving, as it usually is. The theme and keynote speech was about telling our stories, and there were some very deep and personal stories told. A good centering, renewing experience.

My heart went out to the clerk, who tried mightily to find unity on the issue of our service projects ... and there wasn't any. It was an anguishing time for her. We left it at "no unity," which I think was unsettling for everyone ... it kills the program in an indirect manner, not really dealing with the substance of the matter. That's what sometimes happens when you make decisions by consensus. tv

Still here

We're still at Ghost Ranch, will leave tomorrow morning, Tom for Mancos and Sandy for Oklahoma.

The weather has been beautiful for us. There was rain earlier in the week, but it stopped the day we arrived and it's been wonderful. As we walked up to the cantina and back for out evening ice cream fix, the temperature was just perfect, it was still (despite the presence of more than 300 people) and twilight.

The lower photo shows the setting a little earlier in the evening. The other is shadows on the adobe walls of the Agape Center at Ghost Ranch Conference Center. tv

Ghost Ranch

You haven't heard from us for a while! Busy, busy, busy!

We had a hectic round of meetings and chores in the last week, then left Wednesday morning for Ghost Ranch in northern New Mexico. On the way, we stopped to see the juried art show at the Durango Art Center, where we both had pictures accepted (no prizes, though).

We also routed through the Jicarilla Apache reservation, eating lunch in Dulce and stopping in Lumberton to look at the St. Francis Catholic Church complex there. The doors were interesting sculpted wood. It must be 10 years since I was last through that way and this was Sandy's first trip through, so we enjoyed the greenery and the livestock.

We were fortunate to arrive at Ghost Ranch at the end of several days of rain, so today it has been the Ghost Ranch we know and love, with fluffy clouds floating in blue skies above redrock cliffs and green grass. Beautiful and peaceful. tv

A visit to Mancos

We were pleased to host a young scientist named Ryan for supper tonight. He's working on a bird and plant survey at Mesa Verde. More relevant, he's the son and nephew of a couple of friends of long standing and the grandson of a dear friend of the family. So, after a pleasant supper and catching up on family stories (may have given him a few he hadn't heard before!), we visited some family spots in Mancos. As it happens, the house he's shown standing in front of  is one I lived in shortly after arriving in Mancos and it's also a house his grandfather lived in. His grandfather graduated from Mancos High School, shown behind him in the second picture up, as did my kids. Finally, I'm sure Ryan's grandfather and great-grandfather went to events in the historic Mancos Opera House.

After the brief show-me tour of Mancos, Ryan sat in on the Mancos Valley Cares forum held at the Mancos Community Center. Great turnout ... more than 50 people! Hopefully, we helped people prep for the County Planning Commission scoping session on July 9, and we got good questions and discussion concerning possible long-range planning for the Mancos Valley. Good variety of viewpoints expressed in the short time we had. Tired. tv

Riding the waves ...

Seems like it's one thing after another, lately, with no time to catch up. 'Twill be nice to leave for Intermountain Yearly Meeting on Wednesday and have the rest and renewal that goes with being there. 

Summer's here, but it's not really very warm yet. A couple of times I've put on short-sleeved shirts and decided that was a bit too optimistic. Still, the flowers are coming along, like the Mariposa lily pictured here in the yard.

Last night we went to the reception for this year's Mancos Mix show at the Cortez Cultural Center. In addition to the works of 15 artists, there was a musical program that was enjoyable. The group shown singing "House of the Rising Sun" included three artists, a spouse of one of the artists in the show and a daughter of another artist. 

This morning we got our fresh vegies fix ... we went to the Cortez Farmers Market (top). This was the second Saturday it had been open, but we weren't here last week. The bags of fresh carrots especially made me drool; we had some for supper tonight.

Sandy had a productive afternoon at Artisans while I went to a funeral and then came home and made supper. Lots of stuff left undone, but maybe I can get some of it taken care of in the morning, when I'm more awake. tv

Big Bird(s)!

Somewhere in Montana we ran across two eagles ( who were not cooperative enough to sit close together for a good photo shoot) and a blue heron .   It was such a treat to be able to get some pictures of these great birds!   sf

Home again!

Sunday we traveled from Spokane to Fairmont Hot Springs, near Anaconda, MT. Had a relaxing soak in the pools there and a good night's sleep in the adjacent RV park (despite losing a hearing aid somewhere in the grass).

Got up early yesterday and got on the road by 7 a.m. It's just a few miles from Fairmont to I-15, which we remained on for more than 400 miles to Provo, UT, which we reached by 3:30 or so, after the interminable SLC metropolitan area and its traffic. So Tom suggests from Provo it's another hour or so to Price, and another hour or so from Price to Green River, and another hour or so from there to Moab, and two hours from Moab to Mancos ... we got home just after 10 p.m. Long drive, but it felt REALLY good to take a bath and go to sleep in our own big bed! (Even with the ADD dog whining for attention at 4:30 a.m.!) tv

Postscript: Our change of plans put us in the Moab area in time for late afternoon sun on red rocks with a storm cloud beyond. Lovely! tv