Our Journey Begins

Just two days ago, we left California with a station wagon full of things—and we are proud to say that the entirety of material possessions both of us had in California fits inside Richard’s car.  Luckily, there was enough room for both of us, too.

We stopped for one last brunch at Duarte’s, our favorite Pescadero omelet joint, and finally hit the road.  Originally, we had planned to make it to Flagstaff on the first day, but saying goodbye to Duarte’s and our good friends there took precedence over ground covered, and we made it to Needles, CA by midnight.  The timing turned out to be perfect, because we wound up crossing the Mojave while the temperature was bearable.  Never had I enjoyed driving in the desert so much as I did that night, when everything was either illuminated or silhouetted by the waxing moon. 

The next day, we stopped for breakfast in Kingman, then cautiously watched smoke from the southern Arizona fires as we drove east on I-40.   I drove most of the day and felt the good energy of my home state pull us, even from deep in Arizona.   The sun began to set over New Mexico, and what we call the “Golden Hour” lit up the already golden land. 

The smoke obstructed mountain views and made this familiar drive seem strange to me.  Richard took pictures of that lovely moon against the gray-blue sky, while I drove happily to my hometown. 

When we finally arrived, our first priority was inarguably to eat green chile.  We ate at Maria’s just before they closed for the night, then headed out of town to stay with my Dad for the next five days.

I sing with Dad on guitar and Richard on percussion.

My dad and me in a real garage band!  Thanks to Richard, we have some of his originals recorded.