9:30 Arizona time
Only 30 degrees
And we’re heading out of town
Good-byes on the street
202 to the 101
And then we don’t know where we are going
An ice cream treat
Coming with us
Greenery galore in the country
Following the wintry rain
Which we missed
During our 50 belows
In Sask and Alberta
Thankful for so much
Our health
Friends and family
Technology
We’re on this trip
See the signs
Talking Stick Way
Indian Bend Road
Like a holiday
Thankful
Great signage
17 North to Flagstaff
And great roads even when under construction
Hearing myself say “eh”
In my conversations with Bob
Just see a woman talking into her cell phone
While driving
Loving the names
Sonoran Desert Drive
Dove Valley Road
Carefree Highway
Daisy Mountain Drive
An Alberta motorhome pulling a car and bikes
A country of saguaros
Brown hills
More green than usual
Red rock-colored overpasses
Mesas in the distance
Adobe style houses
And then all the outlets
At Anthem Way
Guess, The Gap, Calvin Klein and on and on
We’re going by Bumblebee
And Crown King
That have no services
But you can camp at Horsethief Basin
Driving on top of a mesa
All green around us
Like wild grass
Heavy traffic; probably worst part says Bob
From Phoenix to Saskatoon
But double lane highway
Weather is fine
Have to cover arms and legs
Sun burning through the window
So glad talked to both kids
And saw Grandchildren this morning
Sang “skimmeradinkidink, I love You”
To the girls, texted Brett
Haven’t heard how he is
Looked like a foreign land
For about fifteen minutes
England came to mind
So much green
I’m taking a pair of pants in
Sewing by hand
Two days from now they’ll be needed
We are in the pines
Gas and lunch on buns and salad I made
(hope no gas from that)
Wind picked up
Blasts of sand hit vehicle
Snow on mountaintops
22 degrees by the Flagstaff ski hill
We do look at a map
Choose a new route
Will be new to us
We are foregoing Monument Valley
For another time
Dust devils all over the valley floor
At the Grand Canyon turn off
Mounds of green and gray rock
Has me pulling out camera
Sign: Cows next fifteen miles
On this single lane highway
Red cathedral type cliffs
We leave main road
Sign: Begin Daytime Headlights
As we drive straight into a mountain
And circle around it
Up close and personal
And then into grazing land
Sagebrush green
Clump upon clump of last year’s grass
Right above the north rim
Scenic views on Navajo land
Cherry trees in blossom as we come into Page
8 Tesla Chargers at the Marriott Clubhouse
Bathroom stop
Found the downtown after stones
Fly into car
When window down trying for canyon pictures
Could not stand outside
Was sandblasted
Checked out Antelope Canyon Tours Inc
Saw our friend just leaving
For one and half hour tour
$61.90 a couple, twenty-minute drive
Three quarter mile walk
Maybe do some day
Booked solid for next week
Lake Powell here we come
Humungous dam and power plant
Page had eleven churches in a row on one street
Including the Lord’s Gym
An up town high school with lights galore
For the sports stadium
Mostly native children
Walking around the town
And we’re now in Kanab, Utah
Hoteling it for the night
First time in a room with pillars
Family restaurant with Polygamy Porter Beer
After walking by Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints
Church and Family History Hall
And another Beer called Chasing Tail
With Phyllis and Ken who are
Sporting new haircuts
And filled us in on their adventures of the day
“Now that’s just amazing!”
Or “what magnificence,” as we start our new day
Addicted to taking photos of swirling red rock
Carvings and caves but can only open window
Rare occasion as only two degrees
Sun shines and first rain drops
We passed Humboldt yesterday
A Mount Caramel today
Both places of my youth
Black angus bulls
Acreage type living
In a valley of lavender fields
Leaves coming into spring
The Rock Shop in every town
Totem poles
Destination vacation homes
A raging creek
Falling rock signs
Pottery and paintings
Between Bryce and Zion National Parks
Climbing and see first snow under the trees
Not on the road
Speed limit 65 mph
Went from red, muddy creek
To clear cold looking streams
Then fog and snow
A fish hatchery at Hatch
Frequent School bus stop signs
40 mph as minus one degree
And hard to see
Bathroom stop
No to the buffalo elk venison jerky
Saw the thrift shop I stopped in about three years ago
And bought my $1.00 runners
Wore for a long time
Two hundred and fifty miles to Salt Lake City
Cars Coming at us with three to four inches of snow
Piled on top of them
White knuckle drive
On a snow-covered slushy mountain pass
Minus one to minus three to minus five
Eight percent grade going down
Over a two-mile span
With a lit-up animal sign
And up we go again
Cedars on the sides covered in snow
Runaway truck ramp in one mile
Back to the I-15
Winter driving with rain and snow
Beaver sculpture at Beaver
SIGN: Winter driving conditions for the next sixty miles
Pass a snow plow and rock hits window
In front of my face
“We’re ok” I say
Not sure if a nick or not
Least of our worries right about now
In this white out ahead
And to the sides it lightens a little
And I can see green grass covered in snow
New appreciation for people who live in mountains
And truck drivers delivering our fruit and veggies
Seven days a week
And we’re back in the green
No snow or rain
One degree
And get a deep breath
Mistook a bird for a plane
It was so big
Bob had said “I just want to go home”
So many times, in the past few weeks
And when he said to Ken and Phyllis
“See you on the other side”
Before we went through the mountain passes
And meaning meeting up after Salt Lake City
My thoughts hope no symbolism there.
As Salt Lake City was like a race track
Road work so out of the express lane
Rain and semi back wash better than snow
Then back into the express lane
And then we’re out and twenty-five miles away
The continental divide
In Idaho
And it’s quite a nice day
For awhile
Snow falls
Poor visibility and then police lights
Sign says: “wreck ahead”
White car slammed into a bridge
We’re behind a semi
Track through the slush
Half hour to go to where we’re stopping for the night
Dillon
First time in our sleeping together
We slept on the wrong side of the bed
After our happy half hour
Deciding whether to go to Sharkees or
Mac’s Com Cast Restaurant
It wasn’t Sharkees
It was Sparky’s Garage
For our meal of the night
Where a car is now a booth
A Studebaker hanging from the ceiling
Above a table being served
6:30 am and we’re on the road
This Thursday morning
Heated seats nice at Zero degrees
Bob could have used them during his
February month long
Below thirty deep freeze
Have my directions mixed up
I’m a quarter turn out
As if going east instead of north
The yellow rangeland of Montana
Eleven point five hours from Saskatoon
According to Barbara’s text
She’ll be there day after we’re home
For doctor appt
Then the pack and move
To Sherwood Park
Warren sends teddy bear hugs
Brett didn’t answer
Interesting road signs
Big Hole Battlefield, Moosehead
Over the continental divide again
Took picture of the sun rising
Has me wanting to sing
Field now covered in snow
Signs even covered in snow
6343 feet
Over continental divide again
Icy road conditions
Drifting snow
Minus seven up here
Ice on bridge it says
Every few minutes a bridge
We are behind a semi
One strip of highway
Mountains on either side
Covered with pines
Some mountains been cut
Other side drop off
Winding road
River at bottom
Snow at top
Not snowing now
Can see racing water
When can see
Another sunrise
Over the mountains
Sunglasses here you come
Through Great Falls
And a beautiful sunny day
Cloud fog or mist or something
Sun burning off the moisture
Now Brett and I catching up via text
Telling our roomie
We’re on our way home
Road drying out
Horses grazing
Boat going fishing
River up pretty good
Bales covered in plastic
Rocky type mountains
Cross Missouri River
Over and over
Eight bighorn sheep
Standing on the highway
As if deaf
Looking at pavement
Around the curve we come
Thank goodness
Spot to get through
Breathe again
Lodge pole pine, Douglas fir
Campgrounds, picnic areas
Trails, recreation
Green grass around yards
Looks like we will lose our sun
Dark clouds ahead
But turns out nice
They moved on
Beautiful
No snow last hour
And last stop at Shelby
Before border
Read short stories aloud
Compliments of my last writer group
I say last
Next year replaced by tennis time
Always change
Rotten egg smell coming off oil derricks
Half hour at border
Questioned less than a minute
What we Bought
What we’re Bringing
Where from
Good to go
Take pics of the scary thunderstorm
Out our front window
Hoping to get by
Drops hit windshield
Buckets must be coming down in the west
First fields being worked
Warner, Alberta
We dodge the storm
Eat last vegetable snacks
Rehash our winter
How it changed
From what we had planned
When we covered this ground
Last October
Bob’s Nov 8thheart attack
Changed our life
How grateful we are
Ten minutes from a heart hospital
Insurance still a question mark
Great experiences this winter
And here we are
This trip together
Can plan some more
Taber, Alberta
Finish our lunch
First train beside us
In over 2000 miles
Rain at Grassy Lake
Tea with Darcee in Medicine Hat
Hawks, crows, geese
Now some bison
In this fenced pastureland
Highway number one running through
No snow to be seen
Glimpse of green
White-faced Herford herd
Antelope on hillside by Walsh
First tractor seeding the land
Saskatchewan Naturally says the sign
Bob just misses a gopher
Black angus and antelope co-exist
Seven semi-loads of pipe
Going somewhere
One hundred ten train cars
Next
Coal we wonder?
Stop for gas
Bob needs toque and coat
Says worst trip in ten years
Rancher on a horse
Bringing in cow and calf
Alkali around the sloughs
Sheep ranch
Hutterite colonies
Viterra inland terminal
Golf course with cart sheds
On open prairie by Gull Lake
Seven above and wind
SWT inland terminal
Sask Landing bridge repair
Beef barley soup and lasagna supper
At Rosetown
Feels like home
Seeing the prairie sky
Snow geese covering a field
Four deer
Right up against fence
Beside Harris
Jersey cows
Bumpy roads
Sun setting
Ducks gliding
Caragana winrow
8:30 home
After 14 hours on the road
Longest driving day we’ve ever had
Unpacked
Solid sleep
10pm – 5am
We are here
And happy we are.
ellensagh 