SUNDAY
& MONDAY, JUNE 7 & 8:
Our
4th
summer trip since retirement. This one has started off so
differently, has such a different background cadence to its normal
rhythm. First, of course, there was the several week delay due to
Beth's issue . . . the questions about leaving her in the house, how
well she was recovering, etc. Then, as that was resolving
(triumphantly so!) and we were confident that we could leave, we were
knocked off our feet by Jason's stroke on May 20. Where did that
leave us?? After 2 intense weeks of uncertainty and exhaustion, we
decided to set out and salvage the last 2/3 of our originally planned
itinerary, knowing that we could always turn around and return home
early if need be, particularly after our time in Southern California
with Bethany & Landon in Oceanside and then with the San Diego
girls and families. We very much needed the time by ourselves to
decompress and rejuvenate. Not to mention the fact that Beth had
purchased non-refundable airline tickets back in March to join us in
So.Cal and had no place to stay if we didn't take the RV out! And of
course Jason was making slow, steady progress, and going to his dad's
after his stay in Rehab was finished. So we felt the Lord giving us
peace and a measure of certitude about our decision. But still . . .
our usual exuberant spirit of adventure as we set out on these
summer trips isn't the dominant theme this time . . . it's there,
but subdued. Notes of uncertainty and tentativeness, as well as
sadness and concern, are there this time, along with a profound
gratitude and awareness of God's providential leading and guiding in
making it possible and even desirable to still take this trip.
Two
days of hard driving, over 500 miles each day. Very hot and
uncomfortable inside the truck, especially the first day across
Missouri & a good part of Oklahoma. Outside temps in the 90's,
and of course high Midwest humidity. Discovered that the A/C in the
truck didn't work. (The mechanic who'd been doing extensive work on
other things mentioned to Bill last week that the A/C didn't seem to
be working very well. But after having spent over $8,000 on the
truck in the last few weeks [a large portion of which was optional,
to beef up the power of the engine and to install industrial strength
brakes so that we would have an easier time of it through the
mountains this year], Bill didn't even broach the question of
spending more $$ to me!) We were both exhausted on Sunday, from the
cumulative stress and hectic pace of the previous 2 weeks, combined
with the awful heat. Thank goodness the A/C in the RV works fine!
We collapsed into bed around 9:30, and were both asleep within
minutes.
Monday
wasn't quite as bad, starting out from Oklahoma City in pretty
comfortable weather and then driving into considerably drier air as
we pushed west into New Mexico and its high desert. As always when
we drive West, were immersed in the gradual yet quick transitions
from Missouri woodlands to Oklahoma/Texas plains to New Mexico high
desert with its lovely buttes, mesas, and escarpments painted in soft
earthtone hues of rusts, salmon, bronze, peach, mauve, and violet.
And of course its vast blue sky. And, as we approached Albuquerque,
the foothills of the southern Rockies in the distance. Stayed at a
small RV park about an hour west of Albuquerque,
surrounded by Indian reservation land.
Both
of the RV parks we stayed at were nice family-run campgrounds.
Simple, unpretentious, peaceful, dotted with shade trees. Everything
we needed.
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