My dog and I headed North out of Austin on 183 and hunkered down in the back of the wagon after a beautiful sunset in Palo Duro Canyon State Park.
Then we got up with the sunrise and drove straight on in to Colorado.
Steve's wedding was such a fabulous hurricane of family and friends that I didn't even pick up my camera until we started hiking. This one is in an aspen grove just up from Ceran St. Vrain Creek.
A few more hikes and one visit to the badass National Mining Hall of Fame later, my friend Patty suggested we try Ice Lakes Trail outside of Silverton, CO - it's the sort of place that reminds you no imagination is more creative or courageous than Mother Nature's.
Suz loved every minute of it!
We wound our way through the mountains outside of Durango, CO - stopping to pick up a few bottles of honey wine! - and met up with Patty, her husband Ryan & dog Jack just north of the Arizona line. We had an INCREDIBLE time with them in Tsaile (and a little slice of Utah!), and finally got to meet their wonderful friends, Julie and Dave! We even ran a 'Just Move It' 5k! (The photo above is from our trip to Monument Valley - usually folks say storms are to be dreaded, but once you see rain fall from the desert sky...)
Yea for new friends!
There was a searingly hot stretch between Arizona and California that (though possessed of indescribably sheer white light) I'm glad is in the past...
...particularly because it has led me to San Francisco.
To exploring the Pacific Coast with my friend Coby.
To my family.
And perhaps to my own future garden!
After finally getting the not-so-good word from NOLA, I am thrilled by the opportunities that SF opens up and have already started digging through the want ads. More on that once my brain get's itself sorted! In the meantime, there are an obscene amount of photos HERE.
