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So R, J, ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
scrottie and I got back late last night from an expedition up to Moab, UT. I don't think I can write everything in narrative form at the moment, but we got in some fun adventures up in that country, to be sure--mountain biking on slickrock on Friday and then a trip over to Arches for one of the most glorious sunset picnics I've ever had the pleasure of enjoying (watching the sun set and shine across onto Balanced Rock and in such fine company, ahh). On Saturday, we headed up into the La Sal Mountains, and got in some leisurely hiking and murky alpine pond-wading. In the evening, we hung out with the friends and family of one of R's good college buddies, who had just gotten married and was holding a wedding reception up at a campground in the mountains (ahh, the mountains! How I miss being in the mountains. It was hard not to climb up to the top of them.). The food was amazingly delicious.
Then on Sunday we went back over to Arches to check out some more of the cool rock formations (Double Arch - one of the most remarkable cathedrals I have ever set foot in), and then set sail back towards Phoenix. I read about half of Desert Solitaire aloud to everyone as we drove back towards Phoenix, and it was great to realize that the years I've spent in the desert have given me a new appreciation for everything that Abbey wrote about. There were a few brief moments on Sunday (Partition Arch, Double Arch) when I could sense the vast silence of the space and felt a sort of peace I haven't felt since I don't know when. No, there's nothing else like those hot rocks; sandstone. It felt right to go up there and spend a few odd moments thinking about my Aunt Pam. Those weren't her mountains, but they felt like they were connected.
This week, I need to play a bit of catch-up on the bicycling front--all sorts of plans are afoot, too numerous to name individually. I also just booked a plane ticket up to Salt Lake City on Thursday, where I'll meet up with a cousin to drive the rest of the way north to my Aunt Pam's memorial service, returning to Phoenix late Sunday evening. It just seems like the right plan to make, this time.
On the school front, I have an intrepid undergraduate who has reached the fledgling stage and is about ready to take flight with her first experiment, plus the start of a new semester to consider, plus all of the research work that surrounds the massive data-collection blitzes. Yipes. But life is always better when there's too much going on, n'est-ce pas?
scrottie and I got back late last night from an expedition up to Moab, UT. I don't think I can write everything in narrative form at the moment, but we got in some fun adventures up in that country, to be sure--mountain biking on slickrock on Friday and then a trip over to Arches for one of the most glorious sunset picnics I've ever had the pleasure of enjoying (watching the sun set and shine across onto Balanced Rock and in such fine company, ahh). On Saturday, we headed up into the La Sal Mountains, and got in some leisurely hiking and murky alpine pond-wading. In the evening, we hung out with the friends and family of one of R's good college buddies, who had just gotten married and was holding a wedding reception up at a campground in the mountains (ahh, the mountains! How I miss being in the mountains. It was hard not to climb up to the top of them.). The food was amazingly delicious.Then on Sunday we went back over to Arches to check out some more of the cool rock formations (Double Arch - one of the most remarkable cathedrals I have ever set foot in), and then set sail back towards Phoenix. I read about half of Desert Solitaire aloud to everyone as we drove back towards Phoenix, and it was great to realize that the years I've spent in the desert have given me a new appreciation for everything that Abbey wrote about. There were a few brief moments on Sunday (Partition Arch, Double Arch) when I could sense the vast silence of the space and felt a sort of peace I haven't felt since I don't know when. No, there's nothing else like those hot rocks; sandstone. It felt right to go up there and spend a few odd moments thinking about my Aunt Pam. Those weren't her mountains, but they felt like they were connected.
This week, I need to play a bit of catch-up on the bicycling front--all sorts of plans are afoot, too numerous to name individually. I also just booked a plane ticket up to Salt Lake City on Thursday, where I'll meet up with a cousin to drive the rest of the way north to my Aunt Pam's memorial service, returning to Phoenix late Sunday evening. It just seems like the right plan to make, this time.
On the school front, I have an intrepid undergraduate who has reached the fledgling stage and is about ready to take flight with her first experiment, plus the start of a new semester to consider, plus all of the research work that surrounds the massive data-collection blitzes. Yipes. But life is always better when there's too much going on, n'est-ce pas?
