"Full Hands, Warm Hearts"

Fall came early this year. Some say it's because of the lack of rain, and that it's an indicator of a heavy snow winter. Who knows really. Dave and I have been grateful for the still warm evenings so we can take our hike up the mountain and witness the rapidly changing colors. Once we arrive at the top of the first steep hill and take a minute to look at the yellows, oranges and reds, Dave says, "How about we go this weekend and hike the Grand Canyon like we've been talking about doing for so long?" I respond like a puppy that hears "Wanna go for a ride?!" You don't have to ask me twice if I want to travel and hike around one of the mighty five parks. We spend the rest of our nightly hike telling each other each time we stop to catch our breath, that the Grand Canyon really can't be much more difficult than what we're currently doing. I also like to remind us that we're young and spry!

Some people name their RV's. We should name ours "Baby-Step". We chronically "If we're going to this location, we might as well stop off at this or the other location on the way there...." School is back in session, the weather is perfect and so we soon found out we'd be joining the 70 plus crowd in our travels. We are not 70 plus. We are 60 plus but never forget we are young! and spry!

Because we are so young we are also spontaneous and decided we'd leave the next day. I have learned to streamline my clothes needs, but still fully stocked the RV refrigerator and a large cooler.

We got a late start and so decided to only get down the road so far as we both were wide awake; stopping after a couple of hours to pull over and sleep before continuing on to New Mexico. Per usual what starts as a "Hey! How 'bout we go hike the (fill in whatever hike sparks our interest)!" almost always turns into a "While we're headed that way we might as well stop by (fill in whatever location also sounds awesome to visit)!" So New Mexico would precede the Grand Canyon this time.

As we passed through Colorado, we both felt the need to stop and stretch our legs and walk around a bit. We saw a little row of cabins for rent and pulled into the parking lot to get more info about it. The little log framed office was lined with small bookshelves carrying several copies of the Bible and on the walls were pictures of Jesus and the mother Mary and a few ornamental crosses. A man greeted us at the front desk and we asked him about the nightly rental rates and then asked him about the doe and two fawn that were grazing peacefully on the front lawn. He told us that the deer are a constant presence and that the since a river is on the opposite side of the highway making it extremely dangerous for them. "A few weeks ago my daughter found a tiny fawn lying on the lawn all alone, barely able to move. We called the wildlife and game authorities and they told us to let nature take its course and that it's best to not interfere. My daughter wasn't having any of that....she carefully wrapped the fawn in a blanket so she'd not transfer her human scent onto it and placed her in a cardboard box. Then she fed her milk from a bottle, and within a few hours that fawn was jumping out of the box, so we took her back outside! She was crying for her mama, and would you believe the doe came running back across the highway to fetch her baby!....you know what the scriptures say, it's our duty to help God's creatures otherwise it's a sin." I was so touched by his story, I of course started to cry. The image of mama and baby being reunited against all odds was just so heart-warming. (I was also operating on not nearly enough sleep so the feels were extra real.

This is not a National Park, but it is the parking lot of the Georgia O'Keeffe House Museum, which is on the way to to Bandelier. Dave already knowing that if given the opportunity, I would permanently move into the Georgia O'Keeffe House surprised me by pulling over for lunch. The temperature outside was perfection, so we chose to eat out on the patio.

The attention to the minimalist artwork in every little detail kept me entirely entertained while we waited for our food to arrive.

This outdoor sculpture is carved out of marble.

As I gazed around at other visitors and a with a quick profiling I realized we were here at the same time as a lot of older folks. And I have to say, I felt a bit out of place; because of the aforementioned young and spry thing. I wonder to myself if there will ever be a day that not having children whether they be mine or someone else's nearby won't make me feel slightly off-kilter.

While we waited for our lunch to arrive I browsed the dessert menu; by the scent of butter and vanilla wafting from the kitchen I wanted whatever was coming out of that oven.

We shared a green and red smothered chicken enchilada and chili relleno, with New Mexican style pinto beans and rice. There is something about eating outdoors the food that is locally grown that makes food taste even better.

Brown butter apple bread pudding with caramel sauce was what our waitress said I had been smelling. I love when what I am presented with lives up to my wishes. This dessert delivered in every way. It was creamy and spongy with just a slight density at the base to give it some balance.

And because dessert is basically a requirement for my overall happiness, I ordered a second one for the road. A chocolate piñon nut torte with a buttery graham cracker crust. Did this make it into a to-go box? No. No it did not. When in Rome....well when in New Mexico we eat all the things and we feel good about it.

With no leftovers to take with us, we headed straight over to the museum to see if there were any spots available for the Georgia O'Keeffe House tour. We waited for the next group to gather to see if there were any no-shows, but sadly, no luck with the no-shows.

We browsed the small museum for a while and waited out a thunder-storm before heading to our camp-site.

Dave got the Star-Link set up, so we could still work on-line, while I got my kitchen things set up. With enough sun still peeking through the clouds, we decided to take a late-evening hike committing to turn back before it got too dark. Being out on the hiking trail of my childhood with not another soul in sight brings me an indescribable peace; especially when horrific events happening both so close to home and all around the world make me feel helpless and even hopeless.

A few years ago when Dave and I were visiting this same place and I was experiencing some of the same feelings, we had taken a little token with us, a little bracelet that we decided to bury in a spot that we'd try to bring our children and grandchildren back to find someday. Much to my dismay, we have never been able to remember and find exactly where that spot was. It was just a little silly thing. A tangible thing of this world. It is buried somewhere among ancient pieces of pottery and perhaps arrowheads of people that hundreds of years ago walked along this very dirt. I wonder if they ever contemplated the future of their children and grandchildren, or were they so focused on living in the moment; making pottery, tending children and tending gardens, hunting, mending wounds, mending broken hearts, laughing and loving each other. Watching the very same sun setting against the wall of the Frijole Canyon that Dave and I stood and watched this night.

As we'd promised each other, we turned back before it got too dark. When we turned out the lights for the night and I pulled the covers up under my chin, I raised the blinds of the window on my side of the bed. The sky lit up with so many stars. Heaven felt close; heaven is close. It is said that the only thing we take with us after we pass from this earth life is the love we feel and the relationships and bond we've made with others. I close my eyes and think of my grandparents, my parents and one by one, my children and grandchildren. My heart has been heavy this day, but it now feels incredibly full.