VOTE, it's your right and privledge

If you're complaining, fed up or unhappy with the current state of affairs, VOTE.

Look inside yourself and ask, what can I do? VOTE.

Also check out this excellent story about woman's sufferage.

There can be no excuses. GET OUT AND VOTE!

You can & will make a difference.

Leaving Grand Canyon

It’s the end of my first Ranger season at Grand Canyon National Park. What a grand summer! Actually 5 ½ months of grand, spring thru fall. After being a seasonal for 14 years it hasn’t gotten any easier to say goodbye, to the people or the place. And yet, I’m always ready for the break. I not only did my last program yesterday, but also the last program of the season. I look forward to returning in the spring.

Spring snow on the meadows

Rainbow of wildflowers

Fall Aspens along the Bridle trail

Sunset from Toroweap

This morning my boss took the Rangers to breakfast at the Grand Canyon Lodge. There are only two of us left, but we were joined by others to celebrate a birthday. Afterwards I turned in my keys and badge which makes the end of season feel very official.

Grand Canyon Lodge

Bright Angel bronze in Lodge

Navajo rug in Lodge

However, I’m not quite out of here yet. I plan to leave Sunday morning and will probably only go as far as Cameron Trading Post & RV Park. (More on that when I get there as I think they offer WIFI.) Then Monday home to Yarnell, via Prescott to have the RV inspected for AZ plates.

Then back to semi-retirement for six months. Ahhh. . . . . Also back to friends, making jewelry, and dial-up. Yea, what’s up with that? Here on the remote North Rim Qwest can provide DSL, but not in Yarnell only about 50 miles NE of Phoenix. How archaic. Does anyone else still have dial-up?

Gift from a knapper

Rocks, rocks, and more rocks

I tend to haul rocks around in my old 5th wheel. A heavy load for sure. I also collect beads and books, not light in weight either. Yet rocks are great gifts, to the right people.

I gave John some obsidian gathered from the Glass Buttes area of Oregon. John is a knapper, and that doesn’t mean he sleeps a lot. That means he chips flakes off a hard rock to create arrowheads, knife blades or fetishes. He gave me three beautiful arrowheads which I’ll add to my collection.

John sells some of his work at the Kaibab Lodge, which unfortunately will be closing Nov 2nd. But it reopens mid-May when Hwy 67 into the Grand Canyon opens.

Carson & my old RV which I call home at the canyon.

McCain's Hate Campaign

I don’t want to live in a world full of hate.

Why are McCain and Palin rallying people to the point of frenzy filled with hate for Obama, amongst others? Do you want a man filled with hate to be your president? It’s just not healthy. If this is the best example McCain can show while campaigning will he be different in office? Can his (lack of) “plan” to solve the current economic upheaval help any of us? He tells us to spend yet wants the government to quite spending.

Take that $750,000,000,000 and divide it amongst “we the people” and then watch the economy soar as we pay our bills to get back on our feet.

The Kanab Queens of coffee saved me

Double almond mocha breve, please.


Am I the only one who likes an almond mocha breve to start the day? I didn’t drink coffee until my 30s. Believe me, I tried. I’d doctor that black coffee shop tar with half a cup of cream and more and more sugar, but to no avail. It tasted terrible, upset my stomach and gave me the shakes. Then someone introduced me to “lattes,” almond mocha in fact, and I was hooked. Yet spending—at that time--$3 per day on coffee seemed absurd. Of course I did live in Seattle, the coffee drinking capital of America. But even then, it was adding up. So I bought my first espresso machine and ever since it’s become a morning ritual.

I bought my preferred almond flavored syrup at grocery stores or even Starbucks for many years. When I first moved to Arizona it wasn’t always easy to find. But eventually espresso came south. Now all I can find in grocery stores is vanilla and hazelnut, not to my taste. Even Starbucks has discontinued almond, sometimes called “orgeat.” I bought the last bottle in Page over a month ago. Yes, I have found it online. Yet I leave the canyon next week and there’s no time. This is an emergency!

My first stop in Kanab was Laid-Back Larry’s Coffee and Smoothie Desert Bar. I didn’t need to drink any more coffee—once a day is enough—but asked if they sold bottles of the flavored syrups. Only if they have extra, and they did, in my flavor.

So, sisters Valerie and Laureen, joint owners of Laid-Back Larry’s, saved me.

Thank you so much ladies!

Cold at the canyon

It’s soo cold this morning that Carson’s water bowl is frozen solid, right now 23°

I have to go to town, Kanab, UT 80 miles away for dog food, and it’s only suppose to be a high of 54° there today. Yet that’s warmer than our predicted 38°. Guess winter’s on its way.