We've had an interesting time for the past two days, for different reasons, though.
Friday we were in Ganado, AZ at the Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site. Budd was there for work, and I tagged along so we could go shopping in Gallup for some things we have been sorely missing. More about that later.
I had told Budd a couple of days before that the low tire light was on, and he had said it wasn't very low and not to worry about it. So Friday morning found us looking all over town for compressed air to fill it up for the trip. Discovered there are actually four gas stations in town...none of which have compressed air. I kept saying 'Fix-a-Flat', and Budd kept saying that the tire repair guys hate that because it makes a mess they have to deal with when repairing the tire. But finally it was the only choice, especially when Budd found the cause, a fence staple, still stuck in the tire. We made the 34-mile drive holding our breath that it didn't get thrown out or forced out by the goop.
Hubbell is not only a national historic site, it is still an active trading post, given to the Park Service by the widow of the youngest son of the original Hubbell. Indian artisans for many miles bring their rugs, jewelry, baskets and other artwork to be sold here, and the store sells them everything from potato chips to STP oil treatment. The Park Service also preserves the Hubbell home, and keeps a herd of the Churro sheep that have provided meat and wool for the Navajo tribe since the Long Walk survivors were allowed to leave Ft. Sumnter and return home in 1868. The visitor's center boasts a rug weaving demonstration and a visitor's loom, where I tried my hand at weaving a few rows. I decided to stick to cross-stitch and crochet.
Before I got to learn or see anything except the trading post, I asked one of the interps (Park Service employees who are there to help answer visitor questions, lead tours, etc.--official name interpretors) whether there was a place in town to get my tire fixed. He told me where, and I set off to get that done before the next leg of the journey. When I found the place, I had to laugh. It was housed in a construction-trailer type building, and there was no pavement, just a sea of slushy snow. Inside, I found a very friendly Navajo woman who told me it would be about a 30-minute wait. I passed that time watching a huge tv that took up over half her sales counter. I didn't know the second Transformers movie was so funny! I never did learn the name of my hostess, but she told me that if I saw a rug-weaver named Ruby at Hubbell, I should say hi. She said Ruby was her cousin. Then she said Ruby was her sister, and that their mothers had been sisters, 'that's how close we are.' I thought that was a little odd, so later I asked the interp at the visitor's center about Navajo relationships. It's a bit complicated, so I'll say more about it in another day's post, but 'sister' was correct, because of the clan relationship. Navajos are a matriarchal society.
Back at Hubbell, I found Ruby, who is in fact the rug-weaver at the demonstration loom. She looked a little confused when I told her I met her cousin. This was before I learned about the correct terms. I sat cross-legged on the floor and watched her work after trying the guest loom. She made it look much easier. After lunch, I took a tour of the Hubbell home, which I'll also talk about more later. When I returned to the visitor center, Ruby was at lunch, so I conversed with the lunch-hour substitute interp. He turned out to be a college student, and had asked me what I do after learning why I was there. When I told him I tutor online, he pulled a paperback out of his pocket, Hermann Melville's Moby Dick, and asked me what he should be paying attention to.
Later, Paul, the regular interp came back and talked about Navajo relationships, why the young people aren't learning to speak Navajo, and how the old ways are being less and less practiced nowadays. He didn't seem as sad about this as I was. When I think about it, though, I guess we Anglos don't practice the same traditions from 100 years ago or more, either. At least not in the same ways.
I learned quite a bit while there at Hubbell, and haven't even touched below the surface, but this is getting long, and there will be days in the future when nothing much of interest is happening when I can write about Navajo culture and history.
When Budd was finished with what he went to do, we drove on to Gallup, where the first thing we did was hit Walmart and obtain a prepaid debit card with which to rejoin the 21st century. Now I could pay my phone bill, storage bill, and the fee for Mvelopes so life would be back to normal. A late dinner that turned out to be a mistake came next, and then we returned to 'our' hotel, a reasonably-priced, fairly comfortable, place on historic Route 66 where we stayed the previous trip.
The next morning, we made ready for the big shopping trip, grabbed breakfast at the first place we saw, and then headed out looking for a printer cartridge to fit our printer. As we went from place to place (having already looked at Walmart on our last trip), I began to feel, shall we say, some discomfort. The rest of the day was lost to food poisoning. If you've never shopped at Walmart in a market town on a Saturday with the need to find the bathroom every half hour, my recommendation is, don't.
As a result, I'm not sure we got everything we went for, but I am sitting on a more comfortable pillow on this very uncomfortable chair, and the tv now has the capability to record one show while watching a different one--a necessity of life once you have tasted the luxury. Unfortunately, I didn't feel well enough to go to the neighbor's house for the dinner we had been invited to Saturday night. We felt really awful about that, as we didn't have their phone number and didn't return in time to give them a heads-up that we couldn't be there. Budd stopped on the way to our place and let them know I was sick, then got us home and the car unloaded, including me.
We watched Friday night's Jazz game that Budd had set to record--go Jazz! Beat the Kings without either of our star players, and it was fun to watch the tributes to Hot Rod Hundley, Jazz radio and tv announcer for years, on the occasion of his retirement.
Now I'm all caught up, hungry as a bear after not eating for 24 hours, and facing putting away everything that just got thrown wherever it landed last night. Guess I'll start with breakfast, and cross my fingers.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
January 28, 2010
Yesterday was one of those days when I had a lot to do, and couldn't get any of it finished for one reason or another. Mostly it was technical stuff like not being able to find the installation disc for the printer. We hadn't installed it yet to the new computer, and didn't feel any hurry since the ink cartridge needs to be replaced. It was one of those, can't do this until we do that, can't do that until something else happens things. And everything related to being in the middle of nowhere with no credit or debit cards due to the bank failing. Hope that new card gets here soon! Sooner or later, emailing Budd everything that needs to be printed, signed and sent back is going to get old. Like yesterday.
So, it never rains but it pours. Throughout this whole banking ordeal, I was happy to be able to move funds and pay bills through my wonderful third-party service, Mvelopes, that I've used for five years. No checks, no worries...just send through Bill Pay. Today I log on to pay a bill, and get a message that Bill Pay service has been suspended. Live Chat tells me it's just my account...what could be wrong? It turns out that my once-per-year fee for the service is due, and they couldn't charge my card (wonder why, lol) so they suspended the service. One of my pending bill payments is in process and may or may not go through. It will be overdue by Monday. The other one, I have until next Friday to deal with, so that's ok. To get the service reinstated, I'll have to get a pre-paid debit card...hmmm, closest place to do that is Gallup. This is getting ridiculous! If any of it were my fault, I'd just do what needs to be done and shrug it off, but I'm beginning to feel like a victim, here, so forgive me if I whine.
While I was blissfully unaware of all this yesterday, I made banana bread and shared with the two kind souls who have loaned me their books. Both were grateful out of all proportion. Our duplex neighbor actually came over to rave about it. I had hung a bag with the little loaf and a note on her doorknob. She found it and had it for lunch, lol. The banana bread, not the note.
Well, everything I needed to do yesterday is now done, scanned, signed, emailed and on someone else's plate. Let's see what life will throw at us next. I'm in the mood to belt a home run right out of the park.
So, it never rains but it pours. Throughout this whole banking ordeal, I was happy to be able to move funds and pay bills through my wonderful third-party service, Mvelopes, that I've used for five years. No checks, no worries...just send through Bill Pay. Today I log on to pay a bill, and get a message that Bill Pay service has been suspended. Live Chat tells me it's just my account...what could be wrong? It turns out that my once-per-year fee for the service is due, and they couldn't charge my card (wonder why, lol) so they suspended the service. One of my pending bill payments is in process and may or may not go through. It will be overdue by Monday. The other one, I have until next Friday to deal with, so that's ok. To get the service reinstated, I'll have to get a pre-paid debit card...hmmm, closest place to do that is Gallup. This is getting ridiculous! If any of it were my fault, I'd just do what needs to be done and shrug it off, but I'm beginning to feel like a victim, here, so forgive me if I whine.
While I was blissfully unaware of all this yesterday, I made banana bread and shared with the two kind souls who have loaned me their books. Both were grateful out of all proportion. Our duplex neighbor actually came over to rave about it. I had hung a bag with the little loaf and a note on her doorknob. She found it and had it for lunch, lol. The banana bread, not the note.
Well, everything I needed to do yesterday is now done, scanned, signed, emailed and on someone else's plate. Let's see what life will throw at us next. I'm in the mood to belt a home run right out of the park.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
January 26, 2010
It's official: We're here an extra six weeks. I had some momentary panic as I realized that should be the end of March, and I'm planning a trip to Texas on the first weekend in April. But as I counted, everything turned out ok. That gives us a week to relocate wherever we will be going. Of course, staying the full 12 weeks depends on whether the work lasts and whether some other park needs Budd's talents more urgently. Nothing is ever set in stone.
When I walked into the bunkhouse next door to do my laundry there for the first time, I could understand why Budd wanted to see if we could move over there. It looks huge compared to here, has two bathrooms and some actual counter space and cabinets. The floors are even worse, though, as the original linoleum hasn't been replaced, which ours evidently has been. Doing some wishful thinking, I got a head start on the cleaning that would be required and was sweeping the floor when Budd poked his head in at lunchtime. He let out a somewhat horrified 'What are you doing?' that told me our request had been denied. Well, I guess I could have predicted that. The bunkhouse has four bedrooms, far too much for the two of us, and I guess groups of people come in for retreats or meetings or something. I told Budd to tell them I would clean the place and cook for the out-of-town groups, just to get that kitchen, but I'm sure that won't be taken seriously. Sigh. Counter space.
It seems that Tuesday must be the day the Basha's supply truck gets here. When I got to the store after lunch, it was packed like a Saturday at Costco back home. Inside, people were stocking in almost every aisle, and for the first time since we've been here the meat section was full. So now I know when to go for fresh eggs, produce and a decent selection of meat. We arrived here with enough food to last most of our stay, as I had spent some effort last year stocking freezer and pantry. Then when we knew we would be moving to Arizona, I started trying to consume it because I knew we couldn't bring the freezer. We had too much to fit comfortably in the refrigerator's freezer, and I probably still have enough of everything except non-frozen perishables to last another two weeks. But not six, so it's good to know when to shop.
It was a beautiful afternoon, so when my neighbor stopped by to ask if I'd like a walk, I was sad to have to say I couldn't. My tutor.com shift was starting in less than ten minutes. Missed the window of opportunity--tomorrow we should see the next storm roll in.
More adventure is in the offing for this week, though, as Budd is scheduled to go to another park, Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site, for a survey of their IT needs. It turns out that part of his assignment is coming out of their budget, so they want their fair share of his time. Hubbell is near Ganado, about 45 minutes from here and, most importantly for me, halfway to Gallup. We'll spend Friday at the trading post, where Budd will work and I'll find out why it's a National Historic Site. Then we'll overnight in Gallup again for the things we either forgot or didn't know we would need the last time. We wanted to go to Farmington this time, but I guess that's next time now.
When I walked into the bunkhouse next door to do my laundry there for the first time, I could understand why Budd wanted to see if we could move over there. It looks huge compared to here, has two bathrooms and some actual counter space and cabinets. The floors are even worse, though, as the original linoleum hasn't been replaced, which ours evidently has been. Doing some wishful thinking, I got a head start on the cleaning that would be required and was sweeping the floor when Budd poked his head in at lunchtime. He let out a somewhat horrified 'What are you doing?' that told me our request had been denied. Well, I guess I could have predicted that. The bunkhouse has four bedrooms, far too much for the two of us, and I guess groups of people come in for retreats or meetings or something. I told Budd to tell them I would clean the place and cook for the out-of-town groups, just to get that kitchen, but I'm sure that won't be taken seriously. Sigh. Counter space.
It seems that Tuesday must be the day the Basha's supply truck gets here. When I got to the store after lunch, it was packed like a Saturday at Costco back home. Inside, people were stocking in almost every aisle, and for the first time since we've been here the meat section was full. So now I know when to go for fresh eggs, produce and a decent selection of meat. We arrived here with enough food to last most of our stay, as I had spent some effort last year stocking freezer and pantry. Then when we knew we would be moving to Arizona, I started trying to consume it because I knew we couldn't bring the freezer. We had too much to fit comfortably in the refrigerator's freezer, and I probably still have enough of everything except non-frozen perishables to last another two weeks. But not six, so it's good to know when to shop.
It was a beautiful afternoon, so when my neighbor stopped by to ask if I'd like a walk, I was sad to have to say I couldn't. My tutor.com shift was starting in less than ten minutes. Missed the window of opportunity--tomorrow we should see the next storm roll in.
More adventure is in the offing for this week, though, as Budd is scheduled to go to another park, Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site, for a survey of their IT needs. It turns out that part of his assignment is coming out of their budget, so they want their fair share of his time. Hubbell is near Ganado, about 45 minutes from here and, most importantly for me, halfway to Gallup. We'll spend Friday at the trading post, where Budd will work and I'll find out why it's a National Historic Site. Then we'll overnight in Gallup again for the things we either forgot or didn't know we would need the last time. We wanted to go to Farmington this time, but I guess that's next time now.
Monday, January 25, 2010
January 25, 2010
I worked all day on big and little annoying issues with the bank transition forced by the failure of Barnes Bank. Patiently worked through each one to a satisfactory conclusion, and only finished just in time for my tutoring shift. So, no walk as I had planned. I've decided not to wait for neighbors, human or canine, to walk with. Since my Wii died, I have had only a few walks for exercise, and with no way to determine weight gain or loss, I'm worried it's creeping up on me. I'm determined to be, if not skinny, at least respectable for a planned family reunion on Easter weekend.
However, the good news is manifold. Rumors of a washer and dryer available in the bunkhouse proved true, so no more laundromat for me, hooray! Budd went over this evening with the maintenance chief to take a look and asked if we could move in as it is one-third again as large as this unit. It looks like a mansion to him, now, haha. Brad said he could probably swing that, but we would have to share if anyone else needed a place for a few days. That's not so good. I'll get to see it for the first time tomorrow morning and decide whether that's feasible.
Two NPS co-workers took pity on my plight and sent over six or seven books each, which ought to hold me even if we are here for an extra six weeks. Only two of them are titles I've read before, and those are Dan Brown, tolerable to read again.
Finally, the Jazz won again, coming back from a 17-point deficit to the Suns to win by 9 points. Woo-hoo! Two more wins in a row and Deron Williams will shave that disgusting mess off his chin.
I'm excited that one of the books lent to me is a history of the Navajo and the Long Walk. I plan to read that while waiting for my own book about the Navajo to arrive, and will share any interesting tidbits that relate to the local area.
On balance, this has been a good day.
I have been forgetting to post information on the music festival at the end of the month that I mentioned a couple of weeks ago. Here are two links, one about the festival and one about the venue:
http://www.trivalleycentral.com/articles/2010/01/22/coolidge_examiner/top_stories/doc4b56175f7dfc0046162926.txt
http://www.nps.gov/cagr/planyourvisit/american-indian-music-fest.htm
I was hoping we would have the opportunity to get to at least one of the days, but it's a six-hour drive from here, so probably it's a no-go. Not far from Phoenix, though, so if you're in the area and can go, let me know what I missed.
However, the good news is manifold. Rumors of a washer and dryer available in the bunkhouse proved true, so no more laundromat for me, hooray! Budd went over this evening with the maintenance chief to take a look and asked if we could move in as it is one-third again as large as this unit. It looks like a mansion to him, now, haha. Brad said he could probably swing that, but we would have to share if anyone else needed a place for a few days. That's not so good. I'll get to see it for the first time tomorrow morning and decide whether that's feasible.
Two NPS co-workers took pity on my plight and sent over six or seven books each, which ought to hold me even if we are here for an extra six weeks. Only two of them are titles I've read before, and those are Dan Brown, tolerable to read again.
Finally, the Jazz won again, coming back from a 17-point deficit to the Suns to win by 9 points. Woo-hoo! Two more wins in a row and Deron Williams will shave that disgusting mess off his chin.
I'm excited that one of the books lent to me is a history of the Navajo and the Long Walk. I plan to read that while waiting for my own book about the Navajo to arrive, and will share any interesting tidbits that relate to the local area.
On balance, this has been a good day.
I have been forgetting to post information on the music festival at the end of the month that I mentioned a couple of weeks ago. Here are two links, one about the festival and one about the venue:
http://www.trivalleycentral.com/articles/2010/01/22/coolidge_examiner/top_stories/doc4b56175f7dfc0046162926.txt
http://www.nps.gov/cagr/planyourvisit/american-indian-music-fest.htm
I was hoping we would have the opportunity to get to at least one of the days, but it's a six-hour drive from here, so probably it's a no-go. Not far from Phoenix, though, so if you're in the area and can go, let me know what I missed.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
January 23, 2010
Our beautiful sunshine is back for a couple of days. Looks like two days sun, two days rain and snow for the next little while. Right now it's 20 degrees, such crisp air! Reminds me of early December more than late January, which, being from Salt Lake I think of as gray and gloomy even when the sun is out.
It's interesting being surrounded by Park Service people, who all seem to be outdoorsy and health-conscious. I looked out the window Friday to see our across-the-circle neighbor coming home from a bike ride in the middle of the blizzard. She was all bundled up, only her eyes showing. Budd said later that he saw bike tracks when he headed for work at about 7:15. Now that's dedication!
The NPS people really look out for each other's pets, too. A minute or so after she arrived home, here she came across the street, lugging a cinder block, which she used to get to the gate latch and put Blaze back in his backyard. He loves to jump the fence, and has apparently mastered the newly-raised height again. This all happened not too long after I called him over to take his picture running in the snow, that's posted on Facebook.
Sometime last week Budd had a conversation with one of his coworkers that answered a question I've had about property rights on the reservation. Being a real estate investor, I've wondered whether the Navajo own their land or what. Not that I thought I could acquire any, just curious.
Budd's coworker informed him that they have to apply for land grants, which are actually long-term (65 year) leases at $1 per year. It took her about a year to obtain hers. After they obtain the lease, then it's time to apply for a house. Budd didn't question more closely, but from his description I think that the loan is from the Navajo Nation. Payments are according to income, but the individual or couple must qualify in some way. About 5 houses per year are built, not sure whether that's in the entire reservation or just locally. So it took another year for her to get her house. She was able to choose from only 5 floor plans, and there is just one builder. Her choice was to take the biggest square footage. Others choose a plan with the traditional hogan shape as the family area, with bedrooms and baths projecting out one side.
Budd and I are both suffering a bit from the discomfort of the furniture here. Not that we're ungrateful for it--it saved us having to lug ours down here at an expense that would not have been worth it for the time we're here. Fortunately, we brought quite a few decorative pillows, so we tuck them under us to make it a bit more comfortable, but we are both sadly in need of some physical exercise to shake out the kinks. Hope to persuade him to take a walk with me today. I may have to sabotage the tv, as football playoffs will be my competition.
Oh, we've discovered we may have a 'pet' cottontail. Budd went to the grocery store yesterday after the worst of the storm had passed, and noticed the prints coming right up to the car. I've seen them criss-crossing our yard and the next, also. When he came back home, Budd spotted it, and it ran under the shed that's between here and the next building. We're not supposed to feed the wildlife, but what harm could a celery end or some wilty lettuce do now and again? We'll see. Maybe I'll ask the superintendent's wife on our next walk.
It's interesting being surrounded by Park Service people, who all seem to be outdoorsy and health-conscious. I looked out the window Friday to see our across-the-circle neighbor coming home from a bike ride in the middle of the blizzard. She was all bundled up, only her eyes showing. Budd said later that he saw bike tracks when he headed for work at about 7:15. Now that's dedication!
The NPS people really look out for each other's pets, too. A minute or so after she arrived home, here she came across the street, lugging a cinder block, which she used to get to the gate latch and put Blaze back in his backyard. He loves to jump the fence, and has apparently mastered the newly-raised height again. This all happened not too long after I called him over to take his picture running in the snow, that's posted on Facebook.
Sometime last week Budd had a conversation with one of his coworkers that answered a question I've had about property rights on the reservation. Being a real estate investor, I've wondered whether the Navajo own their land or what. Not that I thought I could acquire any, just curious.
Budd's coworker informed him that they have to apply for land grants, which are actually long-term (65 year) leases at $1 per year. It took her about a year to obtain hers. After they obtain the lease, then it's time to apply for a house. Budd didn't question more closely, but from his description I think that the loan is from the Navajo Nation. Payments are according to income, but the individual or couple must qualify in some way. About 5 houses per year are built, not sure whether that's in the entire reservation or just locally. So it took another year for her to get her house. She was able to choose from only 5 floor plans, and there is just one builder. Her choice was to take the biggest square footage. Others choose a plan with the traditional hogan shape as the family area, with bedrooms and baths projecting out one side.
Budd and I are both suffering a bit from the discomfort of the furniture here. Not that we're ungrateful for it--it saved us having to lug ours down here at an expense that would not have been worth it for the time we're here. Fortunately, we brought quite a few decorative pillows, so we tuck them under us to make it a bit more comfortable, but we are both sadly in need of some physical exercise to shake out the kinks. Hope to persuade him to take a walk with me today. I may have to sabotage the tv, as football playoffs will be my competition.
Oh, we've discovered we may have a 'pet' cottontail. Budd went to the grocery store yesterday after the worst of the storm had passed, and noticed the prints coming right up to the car. I've seen them criss-crossing our yard and the next, also. When he came back home, Budd spotted it, and it ran under the shed that's between here and the next building. We're not supposed to feed the wildlife, but what harm could a celery end or some wilty lettuce do now and again? We'll see. Maybe I'll ask the superintendent's wife on our next walk.
Friday, January 22, 2010
January 22, 2010
Happy birthday to Heather and Laurie today. We have a lot of January birthdays in our family! I'm a little frustrated right now, because I wanted to post pictures of them, and they are all locked away in Budd's computer, behind a password. I don't know why he needs a password, he has no secrets from me, lol. He'll be home for lunch in a couple of hours, and I'll torture it out of him. Withhold his birthday cake, or something.
We had a major ice storm last night, very violent, It was scary to listen to, but our little house held up, and as far as I know we didn't even have any roof leaks. I was playing online poker (play money chips...I'm too cheap to play for real money) and had just raised with two pair, aces and kings, when the power went out. Fortunately, it came back on a few seconds later. Although I timed out in my game and my hand was folded, I came back to win the whole thing...first place. I now have over 220,000 chips, as it's the second tournament I've won in the last three or four days. Wonder if I can buy an investment property with them?
Fortunately also, I went to the laundry despite rain and wind yesterday, and we have plenty of groceries, so we can cocoon in our warm little space and not have to go anywhere until the sun comes out on Sunday. As I was getting home from the laundry I saw our next-door-neighbor, who offered the loan of some of her books and informed me that there is a washer and dryer in the 'bunkhouse', currently unoccupied, next door. It will be a great relief to be able to step over there and do one load when needed rather than the three-hour ordeal I've been going through. I can never seem to find one of the wheeled carts that will actually go in any straight direction. Yesterday I think I discovered the reason...several little boys using them for bumper cars, with one in the cart and another pushing. I don't think they were designed for 80-lb loads.
Speaking of frustrating little annoyances, our bank failed at a very inconvenient time, not that there is any really convenient time. While we are in transition between the old and new banks, and temporarily unable to access our money online, birthday gifts to beautiful twin daughters will be late. On the other hand, maybe they should be used to it by now. Because their dad's birthday and our anniversary fall two days before their birthday, I am usually focused on our celebration and chronically late with theirs. That's what they get for arriving in this world five weeks early. They should have waited, lol. But then they would have been right next to my mother's birthday. Oh well, happy birthday to them again anyway.
We had a major ice storm last night, very violent, It was scary to listen to, but our little house held up, and as far as I know we didn't even have any roof leaks. I was playing online poker (play money chips...I'm too cheap to play for real money) and had just raised with two pair, aces and kings, when the power went out. Fortunately, it came back on a few seconds later. Although I timed out in my game and my hand was folded, I came back to win the whole thing...first place. I now have over 220,000 chips, as it's the second tournament I've won in the last three or four days. Wonder if I can buy an investment property with them?
Fortunately also, I went to the laundry despite rain and wind yesterday, and we have plenty of groceries, so we can cocoon in our warm little space and not have to go anywhere until the sun comes out on Sunday. As I was getting home from the laundry I saw our next-door-neighbor, who offered the loan of some of her books and informed me that there is a washer and dryer in the 'bunkhouse', currently unoccupied, next door. It will be a great relief to be able to step over there and do one load when needed rather than the three-hour ordeal I've been going through. I can never seem to find one of the wheeled carts that will actually go in any straight direction. Yesterday I think I discovered the reason...several little boys using them for bumper cars, with one in the cart and another pushing. I don't think they were designed for 80-lb loads.
Speaking of frustrating little annoyances, our bank failed at a very inconvenient time, not that there is any really convenient time. While we are in transition between the old and new banks, and temporarily unable to access our money online, birthday gifts to beautiful twin daughters will be late. On the other hand, maybe they should be used to it by now. Because their dad's birthday and our anniversary fall two days before their birthday, I am usually focused on our celebration and chronically late with theirs. That's what they get for arriving in this world five weeks early. They should have waited, lol. But then they would have been right next to my mother's birthday. Oh well, happy birthday to them again anyway.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
January 21, 2010
My goodness, this weather is unsettled. Two inches or so of snow on the ground yesterday morning had mostly melted by this morning. But now we're getting another coating. This area is going to sink into the mud come spring.
We had a nice dinner last night at one of the two real restaurants in town. About the tenderest steak I remember in a long time. A lady at the table next to us was reading a Kindle, and I had never seen one in person. Following the lead of the server, who also asked about it, I asked if she would mind my looking at it. What followed was a very pleasant and interesting conversation with her. She is also in the area on a temporary job, for the hospital. We are definitely in the wrong business...she mentioned doing some weekend side work as a PA that paid $500 a day plus travel and lodging. Nice! Maybe we'll see more of her before we go.
Our new friend told us about one of the horses that I've mentioned before running loose. I guess one of them is a genius horse, that actually stops and waits for the light to cross the highway. Eddie mentioned seeing it actually herding the rest of them back away from the highway as an eighteen wheeler approached. I'm going to take my camera every time I go to 'town' to try and catch some photos of them. We haven't noticed a particularly smart palomino among them, but I'll be watching.
My daughter Laurie, who is serving as our mail drop and forwarding clerk, tells me my book about the Navajo of Canyon de Chelly is on its way. Can't wait! Speaking of de Chelly, I've been wondering about the origin of that name. The Navajo call this place Tsegi or Tseye. Those are both attempts to phonetically spell the Navajo word, and I don't know how to include all the accent marks they use, so those are missing. I guess the Spanish heard it as Chelly, using the Spanish sound for the double l, kind of a y sound, too, making a double yeh yeh sound at the end of the word. Now everyone pronounces it Shay. Still don't know what it actually means, lol.
Our duplex neighbor, Tess, dropped by yesterday. We asked each other if we made too much noise for the other, and then she asked me if I heard the mouse in the wall. NO!!! Didn't hear it, and don't want to see it, either. Actually, it wouldn't bother me that much to see it as long as it keeps its distance. And leaves our food alone. And doesn't go poo anywhere. Come to think of it, I don't want to see it. Hope Tess's trap is effective. People think of country life as being peaceful. It's true you don't hear or have to endure traffic or much other kind of noise, but the potential for wildlife of any kind in the house is not what I call peaceful.
There are noises being made about extending Budd's time here by six weeks to six months. The former, ok. I'm not so sure about the latter, but we'll see.
Today is laundry day again, and I'm not looking forward to a laundry day with snow added. Parking is not close, so by the time I get back to my car with folded laundry, it probably won't still be dry. Maybe I can take a garbage bag for laundry umbrella. Heaven help me if I tip over the cart and dump it on the ground like I did the first week.
How 'bout those Jazz???!!! Sweeping San Antonio for the first time since '92-'93 season. SWEET! It's great to see players like Kirilinko getting back close to their former ability, and the newer ones doing well too. So glad we got the TV going and can watch our team again. I guess I'm a little sorry Tim Duncan fouled out and missed his 20,000th point by one, it would have been nice to see a milestone like that. But not at all sorry the Jazz won! Maybe that would have taken the shine off that point for Duncan anyway. I wish him well in the next game.
We had a nice dinner last night at one of the two real restaurants in town. About the tenderest steak I remember in a long time. A lady at the table next to us was reading a Kindle, and I had never seen one in person. Following the lead of the server, who also asked about it, I asked if she would mind my looking at it. What followed was a very pleasant and interesting conversation with her. She is also in the area on a temporary job, for the hospital. We are definitely in the wrong business...she mentioned doing some weekend side work as a PA that paid $500 a day plus travel and lodging. Nice! Maybe we'll see more of her before we go.
Our new friend told us about one of the horses that I've mentioned before running loose. I guess one of them is a genius horse, that actually stops and waits for the light to cross the highway. Eddie mentioned seeing it actually herding the rest of them back away from the highway as an eighteen wheeler approached. I'm going to take my camera every time I go to 'town' to try and catch some photos of them. We haven't noticed a particularly smart palomino among them, but I'll be watching.
My daughter Laurie, who is serving as our mail drop and forwarding clerk, tells me my book about the Navajo of Canyon de Chelly is on its way. Can't wait! Speaking of de Chelly, I've been wondering about the origin of that name. The Navajo call this place Tsegi or Tseye. Those are both attempts to phonetically spell the Navajo word, and I don't know how to include all the accent marks they use, so those are missing. I guess the Spanish heard it as Chelly, using the Spanish sound for the double l, kind of a y sound, too, making a double yeh yeh sound at the end of the word. Now everyone pronounces it Shay. Still don't know what it actually means, lol.
Our duplex neighbor, Tess, dropped by yesterday. We asked each other if we made too much noise for the other, and then she asked me if I heard the mouse in the wall. NO!!! Didn't hear it, and don't want to see it, either. Actually, it wouldn't bother me that much to see it as long as it keeps its distance. And leaves our food alone. And doesn't go poo anywhere. Come to think of it, I don't want to see it. Hope Tess's trap is effective. People think of country life as being peaceful. It's true you don't hear or have to endure traffic or much other kind of noise, but the potential for wildlife of any kind in the house is not what I call peaceful.
There are noises being made about extending Budd's time here by six weeks to six months. The former, ok. I'm not so sure about the latter, but we'll see.
Today is laundry day again, and I'm not looking forward to a laundry day with snow added. Parking is not close, so by the time I get back to my car with folded laundry, it probably won't still be dry. Maybe I can take a garbage bag for laundry umbrella. Heaven help me if I tip over the cart and dump it on the ground like I did the first week.
How 'bout those Jazz???!!! Sweeping San Antonio for the first time since '92-'93 season. SWEET! It's great to see players like Kirilinko getting back close to their former ability, and the newer ones doing well too. So glad we got the TV going and can watch our team again. I guess I'm a little sorry Tim Duncan fouled out and missed his 20,000th point by one, it would have been nice to see a milestone like that. But not at all sorry the Jazz won! Maybe that would have taken the shine off that point for Duncan anyway. I wish him well in the next game.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
January 20
Happy birthday to Budd, happy birthday to Budd, happy birthday dear Budd, happy birthday to Budd. We also celebrate our 31st wedding anniversary today--it's a little problematical exactly how to celebrate with absolutely no entertainment in town. Probably go out to dinner and rush home to watch our Jazz. At least there's a restaurant.
Woke up to two inches of snow on the ground, turning the world white again after the last couple of weeks of thawing. Hope I can get to town, as we learned to our shock last evening watching SLC news that our bank had failed and we will need a new account. The only bank in town is Wells Fargo, not my first choice, but I guess it's any port in a storm.
We never seem to lack for excitement for too long, lol. Wrote the following yesterday to get a head start, so will conclude with some facts about the birds around here and then head to the bank to regain control of our funds.
We've noticed and wondered about a species of large black bird everywhere we've been in and around the Navajo Nation. Finally got around to looking it up, thinking raven and confirmed that's what they are. Wow, no wonder they spooked Edgar Allen Poe. They are massive, and a bit creepy, even more so than the grackles of Texas, that are very aggressive. We spotted about six ravens sitting on someone's pickup in Page, like they had it in for the guy. They are reputed to be among the smartest birds, able to solve more and more complex puzzles that people have set for them. They are certainly bigger than I had ever realized--about a foot tall when standing. I have no idea what the wingspan is.
I was also privileged to spot a pinyon jay in flight one day as we were driving in the park. This little bird is a beautiful blue against the red sand and rock. They are listed as vulnerable, one step below endangered, due to the disappearance of their habitat. Fortunately, there are pockets of pinyon pine throughout the mountain west that haven't been lost to forest fire, so hopefully these little guys will hang around for a long time yet. Even if I had been carrying my camera, I wouldn't have had time to get a picture of the one I saw as it flew across the road we were driving on.
Woke up to two inches of snow on the ground, turning the world white again after the last couple of weeks of thawing. Hope I can get to town, as we learned to our shock last evening watching SLC news that our bank had failed and we will need a new account. The only bank in town is Wells Fargo, not my first choice, but I guess it's any port in a storm.
We never seem to lack for excitement for too long, lol. Wrote the following yesterday to get a head start, so will conclude with some facts about the birds around here and then head to the bank to regain control of our funds.
We've noticed and wondered about a species of large black bird everywhere we've been in and around the Navajo Nation. Finally got around to looking it up, thinking raven and confirmed that's what they are. Wow, no wonder they spooked Edgar Allen Poe. They are massive, and a bit creepy, even more so than the grackles of Texas, that are very aggressive. We spotted about six ravens sitting on someone's pickup in Page, like they had it in for the guy. They are reputed to be among the smartest birds, able to solve more and more complex puzzles that people have set for them. They are certainly bigger than I had ever realized--about a foot tall when standing. I have no idea what the wingspan is.
I was also privileged to spot a pinyon jay in flight one day as we were driving in the park. This little bird is a beautiful blue against the red sand and rock. They are listed as vulnerable, one step below endangered, due to the disappearance of their habitat. Fortunately, there are pockets of pinyon pine throughout the mountain west that haven't been lost to forest fire, so hopefully these little guys will hang around for a long time yet. Even if I had been carrying my camera, I wouldn't have had time to get a picture of the one I saw as it flew across the road we were driving on.
January 19, 2010
Budd had the day off yesterday, so I thought maybe I'd get my new computer set up. Didn't realize he was waiting for the UPS delivery to bring his new monitor so he could use them side-by-side for the setup. Now that he has everything networked and backing up daily, I am completely dependent on him for the computer stuff. To think, I used to do this for an entire hospital (before PC networks though...we were on mainframes with some PCs for desktop access).
Anyway, did one more day of tutoring with the old PC, and now am on the new. I'll say this for it...it deals the cards on PokerStars faster. On the other hand, the screen fonts are either too big or too small, can't seem to find a happy medium. Hoping this solves some of the problems I have in the tutor.com classroom, so I don't waste so much unpaid time waiting for it to 'unfreeze'. Funny, that made me think of when my daughters used to say 'unthaw'. "What do you want me to unthaw for dinner tonight, Mom?" Wierd.
Rainy but strangely mild yesterday. Felt like fall, and we could almost believe it was since there are brown leaves still on the trees. Blue skies with a few scattered clouds today, and windy. But the weather forecast online says it's snowing. Guess I'd better go stock up on milk and eggs, and figure out something for Budd's birthday tomorrow before the weather catches up to the forecast.
Budd popped in not long after he left for work this morning to pick up the Tahoe we drove to Page. Turns out they are giving it to him for the duration so he's not driving his personal vehicle between maintenance and the visitor center where his office is. He also told me that he has to completely re-think his project, as they won't allow him to drill into the walls. Seems the building is rife with asbestos. This one-step-forward and one-step-back makes him grumpy. Wish he could make some progress he's happy with, or the Jazz would go on a long winning streak. Either one would brighten his outlook.
I can see clouds gathering beyond the ridge to the west, which means Chinle is about to get weather...better make that milk run quickly.
Anyway, did one more day of tutoring with the old PC, and now am on the new. I'll say this for it...it deals the cards on PokerStars faster. On the other hand, the screen fonts are either too big or too small, can't seem to find a happy medium. Hoping this solves some of the problems I have in the tutor.com classroom, so I don't waste so much unpaid time waiting for it to 'unfreeze'. Funny, that made me think of when my daughters used to say 'unthaw'. "What do you want me to unthaw for dinner tonight, Mom?" Wierd.
Rainy but strangely mild yesterday. Felt like fall, and we could almost believe it was since there are brown leaves still on the trees. Blue skies with a few scattered clouds today, and windy. But the weather forecast online says it's snowing. Guess I'd better go stock up on milk and eggs, and figure out something for Budd's birthday tomorrow before the weather catches up to the forecast.
Budd popped in not long after he left for work this morning to pick up the Tahoe we drove to Page. Turns out they are giving it to him for the duration so he's not driving his personal vehicle between maintenance and the visitor center where his office is. He also told me that he has to completely re-think his project, as they won't allow him to drill into the walls. Seems the building is rife with asbestos. This one-step-forward and one-step-back makes him grumpy. Wish he could make some progress he's happy with, or the Jazz would go on a long winning streak. Either one would brighten his outlook.
I can see clouds gathering beyond the ridge to the west, which means Chinle is about to get weather...better make that milk run quickly.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
January 17, 2010
Today we had planned to drive out to see Three Turkey Natural Bridge, about 17 miles off the South Rim road of Canyon de Chelly. But researching the way, we decided to wait for several reasons. First, it appeared some of the roads would be dirt, and the mud has gotten pretty bad here over the last week of warming trend, melting the snow. Also, we weren't sure we could see it without hiking, and the more I researched, the more I realized you can't do that on the reservation without a permit. While it's permissable to be on the roads, getting out and hiking or camping is considered trespassing if you don't have a permit, and climbing is forbidden altogether.
I dug a little further and found that there is a Three Turkey Ruins Navajo Tribal Park nearby, so tomorrow or Tuesday I'll check with the Navajo Parks and Recreation department to get more information on both attractions and maybe get a permit, if they will be accessible before we leave. Forecast is for the next five days to be rain and snow, so the mud may preclude our getting there this trip. We noticed on the trip we did take that the route is definitely dirt as soon as it leaves the South Rim road.
Still, I wanted some scenery, photos and a bit of a ramble, so we decided to drive out to the end of South Rim road to Spider Rock Overlook and catch the other overlooks on the way back. Comments about what we saw are on the photos, posted on Facebook. About halfway back we both decided it was time for a restroom break, and there aren't any out on the canyon road, so we decided to leave the rest for another day and come home.
We had seen a place to buy frybread on the way up, so the plan was to buy some frybread on the way back. The parking lot was practically a bog, couldn't get the car in, so we parked on high ground and picked our way across, acquiring several pounds of mud on our shoes on the way. When we got to the establishment, which was housed in a hogan, we felt we should remove our shoes, but the floor was fine sand and the proprietor insisted there was no need. Unfortunately, there was no frybread either, as they had run out. But there was some beautiful jewelry, small carved and painted pots that the proprietor and his wife made, and other artifacts. We will have to go back another day, get that frybread and maybe a souvenir. It is so hard to decide what or whether to buy. So many Navajo vend jewelry, food or paintings as a way of supplementing their income, and of course we can't buy everything.
At one of the overlooks, a Navajo woman was vending rock paintings, and she left them to follow us out to the overlook and point out some of the features we wouldn't have seen otherwise. Wish we had thought to pay her for being our 'guide', as we didn't buy any of her paintings. She showed us the 'face' on Face Rock, which we wouldn't have noticed, and also a ruin that wasn't in good enough condition to be named or pointed out by signage. At some of the overlooks, they have pieces of pipe aimed at the features they want you to notice, but most of them have no explanation for what you're seeing.
While researching Three Turkey this morning, I came across a book about the Navajo of Canyon de Chelly written by a former Park Service employee and ordered it. Can't wait to get it!
Back home, Budd decided to check on the Cowboys/Viking game (because he hates the Cowboys) and was regretting missing it since the Cowboys lost. Everyone around here had 'Go Cardinals' signs out for Arizona team's playoff game yesterday, but oddly enough when you see sports-logo clothing on the locals, they are Cowboys fans. That struck me funny when I first saw it. Here Budd is a Redskins fan and the Indians are Cowboys fans. There's irony for you.
I dug a little further and found that there is a Three Turkey Ruins Navajo Tribal Park nearby, so tomorrow or Tuesday I'll check with the Navajo Parks and Recreation department to get more information on both attractions and maybe get a permit, if they will be accessible before we leave. Forecast is for the next five days to be rain and snow, so the mud may preclude our getting there this trip. We noticed on the trip we did take that the route is definitely dirt as soon as it leaves the South Rim road.
Still, I wanted some scenery, photos and a bit of a ramble, so we decided to drive out to the end of South Rim road to Spider Rock Overlook and catch the other overlooks on the way back. Comments about what we saw are on the photos, posted on Facebook. About halfway back we both decided it was time for a restroom break, and there aren't any out on the canyon road, so we decided to leave the rest for another day and come home.
We had seen a place to buy frybread on the way up, so the plan was to buy some frybread on the way back. The parking lot was practically a bog, couldn't get the car in, so we parked on high ground and picked our way across, acquiring several pounds of mud on our shoes on the way. When we got to the establishment, which was housed in a hogan, we felt we should remove our shoes, but the floor was fine sand and the proprietor insisted there was no need. Unfortunately, there was no frybread either, as they had run out. But there was some beautiful jewelry, small carved and painted pots that the proprietor and his wife made, and other artifacts. We will have to go back another day, get that frybread and maybe a souvenir. It is so hard to decide what or whether to buy. So many Navajo vend jewelry, food or paintings as a way of supplementing their income, and of course we can't buy everything.
At one of the overlooks, a Navajo woman was vending rock paintings, and she left them to follow us out to the overlook and point out some of the features we wouldn't have seen otherwise. Wish we had thought to pay her for being our 'guide', as we didn't buy any of her paintings. She showed us the 'face' on Face Rock, which we wouldn't have noticed, and also a ruin that wasn't in good enough condition to be named or pointed out by signage. At some of the overlooks, they have pieces of pipe aimed at the features they want you to notice, but most of them have no explanation for what you're seeing.
While researching Three Turkey this morning, I came across a book about the Navajo of Canyon de Chelly written by a former Park Service employee and ordered it. Can't wait to get it!
Back home, Budd decided to check on the Cowboys/Viking game (because he hates the Cowboys) and was regretting missing it since the Cowboys lost. Everyone around here had 'Go Cardinals' signs out for Arizona team's playoff game yesterday, but oddly enough when you see sports-logo clothing on the locals, they are Cowboys fans. That struck me funny when I first saw it. Here Budd is a Redskins fan and the Indians are Cowboys fans. There's irony for you.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
January 16, 2009
Back 'home' again, and we got a late start so Budd didn't want to stop for any pictures. It's ok, I slept most of the way back, anyway. Facing the sun does that to me when I'm riding in a moving vehicle.
On the way back we stopped at Basha's Dine Market for milk, and I was shocked to find myself in line at the cash register between two other Caucasian women, neither of whom looked familiar from the park. Budd was waiting in the car so I didn't try to make their acquaintance. Where could they have come from?
We found a couple of packages waiting for us when we returned yesterday. One was my new, faster computer (necessary for my tutoring). And the other was our very own DirectTV satellite. I didn't know you could buy them, but when Budd was researching our options after I discovered the bitter truth about moving with DTV, he found out you could. After some frustration this morning, we finally have it aimed correctly and have the signal we want. Yay!!! Jazz games!!! Right now he's sleeping through the Saints/Cardinals game. I watched most of the first half and then got a signal that I could float for tutoring hours, but I'm not receiving any requests, so I may go back and watch the rest.
Speaking of tutoring, I'm no longer on probation...have received my promotion to Tutor I and a dollar raise. WhoopWhoop! Now the new computer really is justified.
Was supposed to be bright and sunny today, but there's been a thin gray layer between us and the sun all day. Looks like it is full cloud cover now. I wanted to go out to an obscure arch at the end of the South Rim road tomorrow, but if the rain comes early it might not be a good idea. I think the road is dirt for the last 15 miles or so.
Returning to a subject that caught our attention when we first came here, Budd has developed a theory about alchohol, bootlegging, and the littered highway. He had heard that the prohibition on alcohol wasn't strictly enforced due to lack of law enforcement personnel. Someone told him that the first offense might just result in confiscation, maybe second in a fine and it would have to be very serious to get much worse than that. We've also noticed some obvious public intoxication, and of course the beer cans and bottles by the side of the road. Budd's theory is that people go off-res to Gallup or Page to get it, then drink it on the way home and throw the evidence out the window. He also theorizes that it's the forbidden nature of it that appeals so strongly. Maybe, but it seems that there is some genetic inability to metabolize it well, also, possibly related to the genetic pre-disposition for Type II diabetes. The human toll is awful, though. Driving out to Page and back, it seemed that the Adopt-A-Highway signs were every two or three miles, and three-to-one were memorials for family members killed on the highways rather than just civic-minded individuals and businesses.
Still no tutor requests, so I'm going back to the ball game.
On the way back we stopped at Basha's Dine Market for milk, and I was shocked to find myself in line at the cash register between two other Caucasian women, neither of whom looked familiar from the park. Budd was waiting in the car so I didn't try to make their acquaintance. Where could they have come from?
We found a couple of packages waiting for us when we returned yesterday. One was my new, faster computer (necessary for my tutoring). And the other was our very own DirectTV satellite. I didn't know you could buy them, but when Budd was researching our options after I discovered the bitter truth about moving with DTV, he found out you could. After some frustration this morning, we finally have it aimed correctly and have the signal we want. Yay!!! Jazz games!!! Right now he's sleeping through the Saints/Cardinals game. I watched most of the first half and then got a signal that I could float for tutoring hours, but I'm not receiving any requests, so I may go back and watch the rest.
Speaking of tutoring, I'm no longer on probation...have received my promotion to Tutor I and a dollar raise. WhoopWhoop! Now the new computer really is justified.
Was supposed to be bright and sunny today, but there's been a thin gray layer between us and the sun all day. Looks like it is full cloud cover now. I wanted to go out to an obscure arch at the end of the South Rim road tomorrow, but if the rain comes early it might not be a good idea. I think the road is dirt for the last 15 miles or so.
Returning to a subject that caught our attention when we first came here, Budd has developed a theory about alchohol, bootlegging, and the littered highway. He had heard that the prohibition on alcohol wasn't strictly enforced due to lack of law enforcement personnel. Someone told him that the first offense might just result in confiscation, maybe second in a fine and it would have to be very serious to get much worse than that. We've also noticed some obvious public intoxication, and of course the beer cans and bottles by the side of the road. Budd's theory is that people go off-res to Gallup or Page to get it, then drink it on the way home and throw the evidence out the window. He also theorizes that it's the forbidden nature of it that appeals so strongly. Maybe, but it seems that there is some genetic inability to metabolize it well, also, possibly related to the genetic pre-disposition for Type II diabetes. The human toll is awful, though. Driving out to Page and back, it seemed that the Adopt-A-Highway signs were every two or three miles, and three-to-one were memorials for family members killed on the highways rather than just civic-minded individuals and businesses.
Still no tutor requests, so I'm going back to the ball game.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
January 14, 2010
Today I'm grateful for an inaccurate weather report. Yesterday when I checked, it looked like rain and snow showers, or at least cloud cover, from Chinle to Page. But this morning's drive was beautiful! Sunny, with a few wispy clouds here and there. The scenery on the drive was magnificent until the last 45 minutes or so, when it was the usual desert, nothing very spectacular. That was about the point when the world was no longer white, too. Very unusual to see so many miles of snow-covered vistas, even after many days of sun. We took a few pictures and will take more on the way back, but the laptop doesn't have an SD port, so I'll have to wait to post them.
Budd has decided this is the posting he wants...Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Unfortunately, there are no openings. He says he may have to kill someone, lol. Now let's hope the poor guy doesn't have an accident any time soon. We are staying at a Quality Inn in a room with a view of Lake Powell and Glen Canyon dam. I stayed in the room while Budd went to work, consulting with IT people here about the video surveillance setup. The light was perfect for cross-stitch, and I watched the lake change color all day as the sun's position changed. Unfortunately, because of the inaccurate weather report, I had the wrong coat so taking a walk wasn't a good option. I would have roasted in the coat and frozen without it. But I've been to Page before, and there's not much to see here in town, so I was content to stay in and work on my cross-stitch project.
I discovered for the first time today that KFC has fried okra on their menu. Don't know whether it's a new offering, local only, or what, but it's a favorite of mine. One of the few I can't make better for myself, or even as well as restaurants do. It's always been a mystery to me how they make the batter completely surround the okra...mine just falls off. Wish I had thought to have two sides of okra. mmmmmmm.
We had dinner at a sports bar & grill called, appropriately, Dam Bar & Grill. Everything there is dam good. Yeah, corny, but they do have good food, and our server was funny. Didn't find the Jazz game, though. When we got back to the room, discovered it's a very late game, on TNT, so we'll get to watch after all, as soon as Boston and Chicago are done.
Tomorrow, Budd will return the favor the local IT people did him and help them with some of their phone issues, before returning to the room for a phone interview. Then we'll drive back, taking our time this time and taking more pictures. Would love to take a side trip to Monument Valley, but we're in a government vehicle and your tax dollars are paying for the gas, so that won't be possible. Will have to make it a weekend trip on our own time before we leave the area.
Jazz game should be starting soon, so I'll sign off.
Budd has decided this is the posting he wants...Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Unfortunately, there are no openings. He says he may have to kill someone, lol. Now let's hope the poor guy doesn't have an accident any time soon. We are staying at a Quality Inn in a room with a view of Lake Powell and Glen Canyon dam. I stayed in the room while Budd went to work, consulting with IT people here about the video surveillance setup. The light was perfect for cross-stitch, and I watched the lake change color all day as the sun's position changed. Unfortunately, because of the inaccurate weather report, I had the wrong coat so taking a walk wasn't a good option. I would have roasted in the coat and frozen without it. But I've been to Page before, and there's not much to see here in town, so I was content to stay in and work on my cross-stitch project.
I discovered for the first time today that KFC has fried okra on their menu. Don't know whether it's a new offering, local only, or what, but it's a favorite of mine. One of the few I can't make better for myself, or even as well as restaurants do. It's always been a mystery to me how they make the batter completely surround the okra...mine just falls off. Wish I had thought to have two sides of okra. mmmmmmm.
We had dinner at a sports bar & grill called, appropriately, Dam Bar & Grill. Everything there is dam good. Yeah, corny, but they do have good food, and our server was funny. Didn't find the Jazz game, though. When we got back to the room, discovered it's a very late game, on TNT, so we'll get to watch after all, as soon as Boston and Chicago are done.
Tomorrow, Budd will return the favor the local IT people did him and help them with some of their phone issues, before returning to the room for a phone interview. Then we'll drive back, taking our time this time and taking more pictures. Would love to take a side trip to Monument Valley, but we're in a government vehicle and your tax dollars are paying for the gas, so that won't be possible. Will have to make it a weekend trip on our own time before we leave the area.
Jazz game should be starting soon, so I'll sign off.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
January 13, 2010
Happy birthday today to my brother-in-law Don. We won't talk about how old he is.
Yesterday's trip to the Sand Dunes was fun. Posted pictures of the dogs and dunes on Facebook. Dogs were happy to be off-leash. I huffed and puffed up the hills and rested on the downhill side. That reminds me, I need to figure out how to get my WII fixed. I'm supposed to be using my free time here to get back in shape. Of course, round is a shape.
Brought a good portion of the sand from the dunes back to the house. Have I mentioned that my shoes pick up everything but money and men? On days that I don't go outside, I wear houseshoes, because the sand and small gravel in mine make the worst tracks. I have to take them off at the door, and we have a permanent mud and sand puddle where I leave them. Doesn't do any good to sweep or mop, because as soon as I put them back down, they leave their mark. Budd says I need new ones, but another trip to a city with any shopping is a couple of weeks away, at least.
Today was laundry day. What a chore! It is a gray day, which matched my mood as I braved the laundromat again. When you consider that the $12 bucks a week or so that we're spending on it would easily make a payment on a washer/dryer set, it seems such a waste, but of course there are no hookups here. If there had been, we might have considered bringing our machines with us. At least our daughter is putting them to good use. Maybe I should charge rent?
Tomorrow we're going on a field trip. The video setup here wasn't working (I think it's security video, but not sure) and no one knew it until Budd started tracing how it was set up. Video wasn't being stored to the server, I think was the problem. Anyway, the employee who set it up in the first place but hasn't been able to get here to maintain it is working at Glen Canyon NRA in Page. We're going there so he can show Budd how to set it up again using his installation there as a model. I get to tag along. Thought it would be fun and a little warmer, but the weather forecast for there is the same as for here. We'll have a little sun on Friday afternoon, on the way back, but the rest of the time from now 'til next Friday looks like rain and snow. Budd says it's a conspiracy, but I won't buy into that unless we start getting smog like in Salt Lake. Sure, I'd prefer sun and warm, but I'll take gray and cold as long as I don't have to take that toxic air, too.
Time to stop avoiding the chores and mop the floor again. Then it will be a good day for a nap.
Yesterday's trip to the Sand Dunes was fun. Posted pictures of the dogs and dunes on Facebook. Dogs were happy to be off-leash. I huffed and puffed up the hills and rested on the downhill side. That reminds me, I need to figure out how to get my WII fixed. I'm supposed to be using my free time here to get back in shape. Of course, round is a shape.
Brought a good portion of the sand from the dunes back to the house. Have I mentioned that my shoes pick up everything but money and men? On days that I don't go outside, I wear houseshoes, because the sand and small gravel in mine make the worst tracks. I have to take them off at the door, and we have a permanent mud and sand puddle where I leave them. Doesn't do any good to sweep or mop, because as soon as I put them back down, they leave their mark. Budd says I need new ones, but another trip to a city with any shopping is a couple of weeks away, at least.
Today was laundry day. What a chore! It is a gray day, which matched my mood as I braved the laundromat again. When you consider that the $12 bucks a week or so that we're spending on it would easily make a payment on a washer/dryer set, it seems such a waste, but of course there are no hookups here. If there had been, we might have considered bringing our machines with us. At least our daughter is putting them to good use. Maybe I should charge rent?
Tomorrow we're going on a field trip. The video setup here wasn't working (I think it's security video, but not sure) and no one knew it until Budd started tracing how it was set up. Video wasn't being stored to the server, I think was the problem. Anyway, the employee who set it up in the first place but hasn't been able to get here to maintain it is working at Glen Canyon NRA in Page. We're going there so he can show Budd how to set it up again using his installation there as a model. I get to tag along. Thought it would be fun and a little warmer, but the weather forecast for there is the same as for here. We'll have a little sun on Friday afternoon, on the way back, but the rest of the time from now 'til next Friday looks like rain and snow. Budd says it's a conspiracy, but I won't buy into that unless we start getting smog like in Salt Lake. Sure, I'd prefer sun and warm, but I'll take gray and cold as long as I don't have to take that toxic air, too.
Time to stop avoiding the chores and mop the floor again. Then it will be a good day for a nap.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
January 12, 2010
Yesterday was rather uneventful, and today was shaping up to be the same until a few minutes ago, when my neighbor came to invite me to walk to the Sand Dunes with her. We'll be accompanied by her dog Maggie, and a puppy that she is 'babysitting' for a park employee. My other canine friend Blaze has been confined behind a higher fence, and we haven't seen him since Sunday afternoon, when we had a conversation with his human, Mick. While we were talking, Blaze came around the corner with a 'stick'--a fallen tree branch at least 7 feet long. Mick said he wasn't great at fetch, but he was big on keep-away. Blaze did drop his stick and run over to greet us, before picking it up again and teasing Mick by jumping around with it.
This morning I began my internet search for information on the history and culture of the Navajo people. Budd remembered accurately that hogans are always built with the door facing east. One account says it's to catch the morning sun, and that seems to jibe with one of the creation legends I found where the morning sun played a role in begetting First Man. Hogans used to be dwellings as well as being important in ceremonies. Nowadays you can see small ones near many of the dwellings, which tend to be mobile homes. One account mentioned that in the old days, Navajos would destroy a hogan that someone died in, believing that the dead were evil or bad luck. For this reason, there was some resistance to building more permanent dwellings until Christian religion overcame the old ways regarding the dead.
Unfortunately, much of what I've found on the internet so far is either confusing, borrowed from sources that may or may not be accurate, or incomplete. One interesting story in modern Navajo history is fairly well-documented though. During World War II, the Marine Corps recruited several dozen Navajo to be radiomen due to the obscure nature of the language at the time. The Code Talkers, as they became known, played a great role in the Pacific Theater, where the code based on their language was never broken. There have been several movies made about them, including Windtalker from 2002. I remember enjoying that when we saw it.
All this has also stirred up my interest in my own Native American heritage again. When I spoke to my mother on Sunday evening, I asked which of my paternal grandparents was Cherokee and which Choctaw. Neither was full-blood, or even enough to be included on tribal membership roles, but both could have been mistaken for full-blood from their features, as could my father.
It turned out that my grandmother, MaMa, claimed Cherokee heritage. I learned for the first time, though, that MaMa's family didn't come west on the Trail of Tears forced migration of most of the Cherokee Nation from Georgia to Oklahoma. It seems they were already in Alabama and thoroughly mixed with Scottish or Scotch-Irish families when they migrated to Texas. Mother hasn't been able to do much with the geneaology, as she hasn't been able to find MaMa's grandparents in the census records as yet.
Just now, checking my accuracy in remembering that the Cherokee Nation was removed from Georgia, I also learned that the term 'Trail of Tears' originated 7 years earlier, when the Choctaw Nation were removed from their ancestral lands in Mississippi to Oklahoma. There is some question whether that removal was forcible or voluntary. A Choctaw at the time sent a letter to the people of the United States saying they preferred to emigrite and be free rather than stay and be subject to laws they had no representative voice in forming. Sound familiar?
This new (or I should probably say renewed) interest may turn out to be a bigger project than I realized. As far as PaPa's geneaology goes, the Choctaw heritage came through a marriage of a son of the Nelson family to a Choctaw woman, but Mother didn't remember exactly when or where. Her research has taken the family back to Massachusetts, but how they met up with any Choctaw hasn't been explained to me yet. Maybe my questions will get her started on her geneaology hobby again, and maybe I'll even join her someday. I've been resisting as I have more than enough hobbies already, but I have to admit that the research is fascinating and I really do want to know.
For now, though, it's time to get my daily tasks done so I'll be free to join Debbie for our walk.
This morning I began my internet search for information on the history and culture of the Navajo people. Budd remembered accurately that hogans are always built with the door facing east. One account says it's to catch the morning sun, and that seems to jibe with one of the creation legends I found where the morning sun played a role in begetting First Man. Hogans used to be dwellings as well as being important in ceremonies. Nowadays you can see small ones near many of the dwellings, which tend to be mobile homes. One account mentioned that in the old days, Navajos would destroy a hogan that someone died in, believing that the dead were evil or bad luck. For this reason, there was some resistance to building more permanent dwellings until Christian religion overcame the old ways regarding the dead.
Unfortunately, much of what I've found on the internet so far is either confusing, borrowed from sources that may or may not be accurate, or incomplete. One interesting story in modern Navajo history is fairly well-documented though. During World War II, the Marine Corps recruited several dozen Navajo to be radiomen due to the obscure nature of the language at the time. The Code Talkers, as they became known, played a great role in the Pacific Theater, where the code based on their language was never broken. There have been several movies made about them, including Windtalker from 2002. I remember enjoying that when we saw it.
All this has also stirred up my interest in my own Native American heritage again. When I spoke to my mother on Sunday evening, I asked which of my paternal grandparents was Cherokee and which Choctaw. Neither was full-blood, or even enough to be included on tribal membership roles, but both could have been mistaken for full-blood from their features, as could my father.
It turned out that my grandmother, MaMa, claimed Cherokee heritage. I learned for the first time, though, that MaMa's family didn't come west on the Trail of Tears forced migration of most of the Cherokee Nation from Georgia to Oklahoma. It seems they were already in Alabama and thoroughly mixed with Scottish or Scotch-Irish families when they migrated to Texas. Mother hasn't been able to do much with the geneaology, as she hasn't been able to find MaMa's grandparents in the census records as yet.
Just now, checking my accuracy in remembering that the Cherokee Nation was removed from Georgia, I also learned that the term 'Trail of Tears' originated 7 years earlier, when the Choctaw Nation were removed from their ancestral lands in Mississippi to Oklahoma. There is some question whether that removal was forcible or voluntary. A Choctaw at the time sent a letter to the people of the United States saying they preferred to emigrite and be free rather than stay and be subject to laws they had no representative voice in forming. Sound familiar?
This new (or I should probably say renewed) interest may turn out to be a bigger project than I realized. As far as PaPa's geneaology goes, the Choctaw heritage came through a marriage of a son of the Nelson family to a Choctaw woman, but Mother didn't remember exactly when or where. Her research has taken the family back to Massachusetts, but how they met up with any Choctaw hasn't been explained to me yet. Maybe my questions will get her started on her geneaology hobby again, and maybe I'll even join her someday. I've been resisting as I have more than enough hobbies already, but I have to admit that the research is fascinating and I really do want to know.
For now, though, it's time to get my daily tasks done so I'll be free to join Debbie for our walk.
Monday, January 11, 2010
January 11, 2010
Happy birthday to my grandson, Brandon, who is 16 today.
Today is the beginning of Budd's second week of work here, and I suspect we'll be counting the days before the six weeks are up. But so far, everything is new and interesting, though I can imagine getting very tired of not being able to run down to the store for just anything we want. Budd has found quite an interesting variety of things that need doing for the park. As he has begun to dig into how the server is wired and backed up, he's found that it is going to have to be completely revamped to be reliable. So now he's in his element.
We went to Gallup, NM for the weekend, some to shop and some to try out the Fire Rock Navajo Casino for a little entertainment. The restaurant at the casino had some of the best, fork-tender pork baby back ribs I've ever tasted, and a passable band doing mostly country songs. I wasn't impressed by the table games, though. I hate those new electronic shoes that take 6 or more decks and continually shuffle them. It messes up the odds, and my usual (almost) flawless play and money management schemes didn't prevent me from losing too fast. So I quit playing, and Budd had decided not to start, which made for a relatively early night.
We had quite a variety of items on our shopping list, which meant braving Walmart for one-stop shopping. The one in Gallup is probably the only one for two hundred miles in any direction, and Saturday shopping meant that there were about 5,000 people in there. I didn't count, of course, but they definitely needed traffic lights at all the major aisle intersections.
Speaking of traffic lights, Gallup's are odd, with the green left-turn arrow to the right of the red. Budd was transfixed, trying to figure out why they would make them that way, when someone behind us honked and got him going. The whole town was confusing to drive in. It is split east/west by the railroad tracks, and there are only two or three places to cross. Of course, it didn't help that we got our orientation off by 90 degrees and kept thinking we were going north/south instead. Our GPS was also confused and kept taking us in circles instead of having us turn left. We stayed in a hotel on the old Historic 66 side of town and almost followed it out of town going the wrong way on Sunday. What stopped us was a roadblock on the east side of a Day's Inn that was fully engulfed in flame, requiring us to turn around to get to the breakfast restaurant we were looking for. Once we were done with breakfast, we were mystified at why the GPS wanted us to take a different route out of town than we had started to take before turning it on. It took nearly ten miles before we realized we had almost made a costly mistake in direction earlier. Turned out the GPS, that we have nicknamed Big Mouth and refer to as 'she', was right after all. Go figure.
The only thing I really liked about Gallup, since the cultural center and museum seemed to be closed, were the corner decorations. They were giant Indian pots painted in colors and patterns I associate with Zuni culture, black and red (rust-red) on white. They were beautiful, about six or eight feet tall.
Headed home on Sunday, we looked across a panoramic view to what we thought was the northwest and saw a huge, monolithic sandstone ridge with a very large natural arch in it. We speculated it was the Window Rock that the town is named for. Window Rock, AZ is the capital of the Navajo Nation, and the first sign of civilization between here and Gallup. They have a Denny's! But no Walmart. Anyway, when we got to the town, we couldn't see the big ridge anymore, and the only arch we found couldn't have been the one we saw. Searching on the internet Sunday night we came to the conclusion that the big one was indeed Window Rock. So now we have a mystery to clear up, which I'm hoping to do next weekend. Our search also revealed a little-known natural bridge just 25 miles from here on the South Rim road, that I would also like to see and photograph.
Between here and Window Rock the road climbs from its starting point around 5500 feet in altitude to almost 8000 and passes from high desert plateau to even higher evergreen forest. It reminded me of the Flagstaff area, but I don't think it's as extensive. All along the way, residences are dotted over the landscape, some with modern-day hogans nearby, all facing east. Although I've always had a casual interest in the native cultures around the Four Corners area, living here among the Navajo has given me an incentive to learn more. Maybe that will be one of my projects while here. Thank goodness for the Internet!
Today is the beginning of Budd's second week of work here, and I suspect we'll be counting the days before the six weeks are up. But so far, everything is new and interesting, though I can imagine getting very tired of not being able to run down to the store for just anything we want. Budd has found quite an interesting variety of things that need doing for the park. As he has begun to dig into how the server is wired and backed up, he's found that it is going to have to be completely revamped to be reliable. So now he's in his element.
We went to Gallup, NM for the weekend, some to shop and some to try out the Fire Rock Navajo Casino for a little entertainment. The restaurant at the casino had some of the best, fork-tender pork baby back ribs I've ever tasted, and a passable band doing mostly country songs. I wasn't impressed by the table games, though. I hate those new electronic shoes that take 6 or more decks and continually shuffle them. It messes up the odds, and my usual (almost) flawless play and money management schemes didn't prevent me from losing too fast. So I quit playing, and Budd had decided not to start, which made for a relatively early night.
We had quite a variety of items on our shopping list, which meant braving Walmart for one-stop shopping. The one in Gallup is probably the only one for two hundred miles in any direction, and Saturday shopping meant that there were about 5,000 people in there. I didn't count, of course, but they definitely needed traffic lights at all the major aisle intersections.
Speaking of traffic lights, Gallup's are odd, with the green left-turn arrow to the right of the red. Budd was transfixed, trying to figure out why they would make them that way, when someone behind us honked and got him going. The whole town was confusing to drive in. It is split east/west by the railroad tracks, and there are only two or three places to cross. Of course, it didn't help that we got our orientation off by 90 degrees and kept thinking we were going north/south instead. Our GPS was also confused and kept taking us in circles instead of having us turn left. We stayed in a hotel on the old Historic 66 side of town and almost followed it out of town going the wrong way on Sunday. What stopped us was a roadblock on the east side of a Day's Inn that was fully engulfed in flame, requiring us to turn around to get to the breakfast restaurant we were looking for. Once we were done with breakfast, we were mystified at why the GPS wanted us to take a different route out of town than we had started to take before turning it on. It took nearly ten miles before we realized we had almost made a costly mistake in direction earlier. Turned out the GPS, that we have nicknamed Big Mouth and refer to as 'she', was right after all. Go figure.
The only thing I really liked about Gallup, since the cultural center and museum seemed to be closed, were the corner decorations. They were giant Indian pots painted in colors and patterns I associate with Zuni culture, black and red (rust-red) on white. They were beautiful, about six or eight feet tall.
Headed home on Sunday, we looked across a panoramic view to what we thought was the northwest and saw a huge, monolithic sandstone ridge with a very large natural arch in it. We speculated it was the Window Rock that the town is named for. Window Rock, AZ is the capital of the Navajo Nation, and the first sign of civilization between here and Gallup. They have a Denny's! But no Walmart. Anyway, when we got to the town, we couldn't see the big ridge anymore, and the only arch we found couldn't have been the one we saw. Searching on the internet Sunday night we came to the conclusion that the big one was indeed Window Rock. So now we have a mystery to clear up, which I'm hoping to do next weekend. Our search also revealed a little-known natural bridge just 25 miles from here on the South Rim road, that I would also like to see and photograph.
Between here and Window Rock the road climbs from its starting point around 5500 feet in altitude to almost 8000 and passes from high desert plateau to even higher evergreen forest. It reminded me of the Flagstaff area, but I don't think it's as extensive. All along the way, residences are dotted over the landscape, some with modern-day hogans nearby, all facing east. Although I've always had a casual interest in the native cultures around the Four Corners area, living here among the Navajo has given me an incentive to learn more. Maybe that will be one of my projects while here. Thank goodness for the Internet!
Friday, January 8, 2010
January 8, 2010
Budd came home with tamales and a pen-and-ink drawing of Monument Valley yesterday. It seems the Navajo are entrepreneurs. Everywhere we go, we see vendors with baked goods, tamales, artwork, jewelry and heaven knows what else. They don't just sit and wait for you to come to them, they wander around offering their wares to everyone who will pause. It reminds me a bit of Mexico, except that the Navajo aren't importunate like the street vendors in Mexico. But I may have to take all of Budd's cash away for safekeeping--he's a pushover.
I'm back in the swing of tutoring online. Can't decide whether I love it or hate it, but it's the only gainful employment open to me here. My best session yesterday was helping a student modify her poem to iambic pentameter. It amazes me that there is such a wide diversity in the quality of education our young people are receiving. One minute I'll be working with a 12th grader who can't spell, read or distinguish a noun from a verb. The next I'll have a 7th grader with an insightful essay on Shakespeare. This work is also sending me back to school. I don't remember learning the formalities of a five-paragraph essay, or even if there were any formalities. Now the structure is very tight, so in addition to the mechanics of grammar and spelling, I have to be conversant with thesis, topic sentences, ALA citation rules, etc. Thank goodness for the internet!
Got out the camera to take pictures yesterday, only to find the battery dead. Charged it all night and have taken a few inside our little park service house. As soon as the sun gets around to the right position, will take one from outside and post. Can't wait to get back to the canyon for some really beautiful scenery to post. Have I mentioned that there are only a couple of trails that can be hiked here without a Navajo guide? I'm looking forward to both of those, and hopefully some of the guided hikes as well.
Think I'll go see if my new canine friend Blaze would like another walk today. Hope his human doesn't mind...
I'm back in the swing of tutoring online. Can't decide whether I love it or hate it, but it's the only gainful employment open to me here. My best session yesterday was helping a student modify her poem to iambic pentameter. It amazes me that there is such a wide diversity in the quality of education our young people are receiving. One minute I'll be working with a 12th grader who can't spell, read or distinguish a noun from a verb. The next I'll have a 7th grader with an insightful essay on Shakespeare. This work is also sending me back to school. I don't remember learning the formalities of a five-paragraph essay, or even if there were any formalities. Now the structure is very tight, so in addition to the mechanics of grammar and spelling, I have to be conversant with thesis, topic sentences, ALA citation rules, etc. Thank goodness for the internet!
Got out the camera to take pictures yesterday, only to find the battery dead. Charged it all night and have taken a few inside our little park service house. As soon as the sun gets around to the right position, will take one from outside and post. Can't wait to get back to the canyon for some really beautiful scenery to post. Have I mentioned that there are only a couple of trails that can be hiked here without a Navajo guide? I'm looking forward to both of those, and hopefully some of the guided hikes as well.
Think I'll go see if my new canine friend Blaze would like another walk today. Hope his human doesn't mind...
Thursday, January 7, 2010
January 7, 2010
Finally got my laundry done, whew! I was struggling to carry my second load into the laundromat when I passed a local who was piling hers into a grocery cart (the grocery store is right next door). Why didn't I think of that? Carrying on the tradition of losing things, the machines ate two of my socks, unfortunately not from the same pair. I think I'll bring the two I have left as a sacrifice next time. I can't keep losing socks...it's not as if I can just run down to the Walmart to get more. The nearest Walmart is two hours away...
The laundry was still crowded from my perspective, but not quite as bad as Tuesday. Interesting though. Have I mentioned how sweet and friendly the Navajo are? They seem a little shy sometimes, but as an example, I asked a young woman if she was using one of the rolling laundry baskets there, and she shook her head no, so I tried to roll it over to the washer I was using. Unfortunately, it wouldn't go forward in any direction. The four wheels were all canted at different angles, so all I could get it to do was go in circles. I said, 'that must be why no one is using it' and left it. A few minutes later, the young woman I had asked about it silently rolled the one she had been using over to me, nodded, smiled, and left it there. She never said a word to me, but the kindness spoke volumes.
Last Saturday on our exploration, we passed a big field where several huge flatbed trailers with full loads of hay for sale were arrayed. As we drove back to the main intersection where the road to the park leaves the freeway, we were halted by the sight of eight or ten horses roaming free across the highway in the direction of that field. One of them wandered back and forth and down the middle of the side road several times before we finally got past and headed home.
Yesterday we had lunch with a Park Service employee who had come from another park to help orient Budd in what needs to be accomplished here. As she is Navajo, we asked quite a few questions about things that have puzzled or interested us. She told us that people own the horses, and that there are ordinances to keep them from wandering free in town even though most of the reservation is free-range. But there aren't enough enforcement personnel, so people who can't afford to fence them and feed them just let them roam free. I guess they saw the scattered hay on the ground in that marketplace as a free lunch. The market was there again yesterday, and this time I also noticed what looked like a rummage sale and several tables with jewelry.
During our lunch, we were approached by a gentleman who had mistaken my husband for the park superintendent (not an uncommon occurrence since arriving here). He turned out to be a Pima Indian, the grandson of the famous Ira Hayes, one of the WWII heroes photographed raising the US flag over Iwo Jima. He is a native flautist of some reknown himself, and wanted to give Tom a flyer for an Indian music festival to be held later this month, I think on the 28th. I'm hoping we'll be able to catch it, as I think it will be nearby. Will get Budd to copy the flyer and bring it home so I can post details. Wouldn't it be fun if some of us could meetup there?
Speaking of what Budd needs to accomplish, it turns out to be a great deal more than he identified on the first day. After three days of gathering information, now he's concerned that he won't be able to get it all done in the six weeks. He left for work this morning eager to get started. It's so good to see him enjoying his work.
The pixies brought back my measuring cup last night. Budd had been telling me all along that it was under something. I found it under the other stack of measuring cups, where I would never have put it. Budd denied putting it there to tease me, so it must have been the pixies. I wish they'd bring back my mug.
Went on another walk this morning with the park superintendent's visiting mother-in-law. We were accompanied by a new friend, another neighbor's young German Shepherd named Blaze. He had jumped the fence and insisted on coming with us, but was very good about coming back to us when he wandered too far astray. Sweet dog. My human walking companion is returning to her California home tomorrow, as I learned when we got back to the houses. I'm glad I asked her to tell me about herself today. Her life story has been really full and interesting so far, and she seems well-prepared to have a full and interesting retirement, too, though she delayed starting it until she was almost 75. She did a bit of real estate investing, which of course was the most interesting part for me. I also learned her daughter has recently published a book, so I'm looking forward to learning more about that.
That's all for today--it's time to mop the floor again. In case anyone ever asks you, white linoleum and melting snow in red-rock country don't make a good mix.
The laundry was still crowded from my perspective, but not quite as bad as Tuesday. Interesting though. Have I mentioned how sweet and friendly the Navajo are? They seem a little shy sometimes, but as an example, I asked a young woman if she was using one of the rolling laundry baskets there, and she shook her head no, so I tried to roll it over to the washer I was using. Unfortunately, it wouldn't go forward in any direction. The four wheels were all canted at different angles, so all I could get it to do was go in circles. I said, 'that must be why no one is using it' and left it. A few minutes later, the young woman I had asked about it silently rolled the one she had been using over to me, nodded, smiled, and left it there. She never said a word to me, but the kindness spoke volumes.
Last Saturday on our exploration, we passed a big field where several huge flatbed trailers with full loads of hay for sale were arrayed. As we drove back to the main intersection where the road to the park leaves the freeway, we were halted by the sight of eight or ten horses roaming free across the highway in the direction of that field. One of them wandered back and forth and down the middle of the side road several times before we finally got past and headed home.
Yesterday we had lunch with a Park Service employee who had come from another park to help orient Budd in what needs to be accomplished here. As she is Navajo, we asked quite a few questions about things that have puzzled or interested us. She told us that people own the horses, and that there are ordinances to keep them from wandering free in town even though most of the reservation is free-range. But there aren't enough enforcement personnel, so people who can't afford to fence them and feed them just let them roam free. I guess they saw the scattered hay on the ground in that marketplace as a free lunch. The market was there again yesterday, and this time I also noticed what looked like a rummage sale and several tables with jewelry.
During our lunch, we were approached by a gentleman who had mistaken my husband for the park superintendent (not an uncommon occurrence since arriving here). He turned out to be a Pima Indian, the grandson of the famous Ira Hayes, one of the WWII heroes photographed raising the US flag over Iwo Jima. He is a native flautist of some reknown himself, and wanted to give Tom a flyer for an Indian music festival to be held later this month, I think on the 28th. I'm hoping we'll be able to catch it, as I think it will be nearby. Will get Budd to copy the flyer and bring it home so I can post details. Wouldn't it be fun if some of us could meetup there?
Speaking of what Budd needs to accomplish, it turns out to be a great deal more than he identified on the first day. After three days of gathering information, now he's concerned that he won't be able to get it all done in the six weeks. He left for work this morning eager to get started. It's so good to see him enjoying his work.
The pixies brought back my measuring cup last night. Budd had been telling me all along that it was under something. I found it under the other stack of measuring cups, where I would never have put it. Budd denied putting it there to tease me, so it must have been the pixies. I wish they'd bring back my mug.
Went on another walk this morning with the park superintendent's visiting mother-in-law. We were accompanied by a new friend, another neighbor's young German Shepherd named Blaze. He had jumped the fence and insisted on coming with us, but was very good about coming back to us when he wandered too far astray. Sweet dog. My human walking companion is returning to her California home tomorrow, as I learned when we got back to the houses. I'm glad I asked her to tell me about herself today. Her life story has been really full and interesting so far, and she seems well-prepared to have a full and interesting retirement, too, though she delayed starting it until she was almost 75. She did a bit of real estate investing, which of course was the most interesting part for me. I also learned her daughter has recently published a book, so I'm looking forward to learning more about that.
That's all for today--it's time to mop the floor again. In case anyone ever asks you, white linoleum and melting snow in red-rock country don't make a good mix.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
January 6, 2010
Yesterday's trip to town for laundry turned out to be a bit of a bust. There are two laundromats in town, unlike grocery stores and banks, of which there are only one each. But both were jam-packed. Guess Tuesday is laundry day on the res. Had to go to the bank for quarters to feed the machines, as the grocery store clerk wouldn't give me any change. By the time I'd finished the grocery shopping, a recon of the two laundries and the change run, it was time to head home because we have only one key to the house. Guess I'll try again today.
Saw a curiosity though. One of the first things we learned, as I wrote yesterday, was that liquor is illegal here. But there was a sign on one of the laundries that public intoxication was forbidden on the premises. Hmmm. Turning that mystery over in my mind, I decided to do a little research on the size of this reservation. Maybe there's a nearby town to bootleg from? But no! This is the largest reservation in the US, and actually encompasses the Hopi Nation. Over 27,000 sguare miles of Navajo nation surround us. We are constantly reminding ourselves that we are guests in this land, which is actually an independent nation, with its own laws and governing body, even a president.
Speaking of curiosities, we seem to have pixies in the house. I have been mystified by not finding the very last box I packed, with my favorite tea mug in it among other things. This morning, I find that my 1/3 cup measure is missing. Now, I know I used it yesterday, and where in the heck would it go in a house this size? Normally I would look for something like this in the last canister I used it in, but it wasn't there, either. So I'm sure mischievous fairies are taking my things. Fortunately, I have another 1/3 cup measure, but I'm really mourning my tea mug. It was a gift from Budd after I broke my last one with kitties on it. He's always going way out of his way to find special things for me like that, the sweetie. I really hate it when I lose or break one of them.
Now that we have our DSL, we also have phone service through the magical MagicJack. So I decided to call and see what we could do about TV. Turns out that Direct TV will move you free just as they advertise--once. Six weeks from now, when we need to move again, it will be a $200 charge. And every time we move thereafter. Might be worth it if we could get Jazz games, but nooooo--we're in Phoenix Suns territory. NBA package so we can get any game we want is another $187. Just how much are we willing to spend for Jazz games? We haven't decided yet. There's nothing else on TV that we really can't do without. But the evenings get pretty long when the sun goes down at 5:30 and you have to ration your reading. Did I mention there's no library or movie theater? I brought 18 used books I bought from the Riverton library, but I've gone through two of them already. Had to leave in storage the heavy hardbound library of self-improvement books that I read over and over. Maybe I'll learn to enjoy reading on the computer screen. Wait--maybe I'll write a book! Oh, hey, that's what I'm doing, huh?
One last observation, the house isn't quite as small as I thought. I was counting the squares in the linoleum to measure, 3 per foot. As it turns out, 3 actually is 13.5 inches. So the house is really a magnificent 588 square feet. For some perspective, though we rattled around in it a bit, our previous home was 3600 sf. Now a third of that will seem like a mansion--silver linings everywhere, yes?
Time to do something constructive with this day. Maybe I'll take some pictures today. P.S., it's a beautiful, sunny 32 degrees right now, headed for 43. Things are looking better for winter warmth in Arizona!
Saw a curiosity though. One of the first things we learned, as I wrote yesterday, was that liquor is illegal here. But there was a sign on one of the laundries that public intoxication was forbidden on the premises. Hmmm. Turning that mystery over in my mind, I decided to do a little research on the size of this reservation. Maybe there's a nearby town to bootleg from? But no! This is the largest reservation in the US, and actually encompasses the Hopi Nation. Over 27,000 sguare miles of Navajo nation surround us. We are constantly reminding ourselves that we are guests in this land, which is actually an independent nation, with its own laws and governing body, even a president.
Speaking of curiosities, we seem to have pixies in the house. I have been mystified by not finding the very last box I packed, with my favorite tea mug in it among other things. This morning, I find that my 1/3 cup measure is missing. Now, I know I used it yesterday, and where in the heck would it go in a house this size? Normally I would look for something like this in the last canister I used it in, but it wasn't there, either. So I'm sure mischievous fairies are taking my things. Fortunately, I have another 1/3 cup measure, but I'm really mourning my tea mug. It was a gift from Budd after I broke my last one with kitties on it. He's always going way out of his way to find special things for me like that, the sweetie. I really hate it when I lose or break one of them.
Now that we have our DSL, we also have phone service through the magical MagicJack. So I decided to call and see what we could do about TV. Turns out that Direct TV will move you free just as they advertise--once. Six weeks from now, when we need to move again, it will be a $200 charge. And every time we move thereafter. Might be worth it if we could get Jazz games, but nooooo--we're in Phoenix Suns territory. NBA package so we can get any game we want is another $187. Just how much are we willing to spend for Jazz games? We haven't decided yet. There's nothing else on TV that we really can't do without. But the evenings get pretty long when the sun goes down at 5:30 and you have to ration your reading. Did I mention there's no library or movie theater? I brought 18 used books I bought from the Riverton library, but I've gone through two of them already. Had to leave in storage the heavy hardbound library of self-improvement books that I read over and over. Maybe I'll learn to enjoy reading on the computer screen. Wait--maybe I'll write a book! Oh, hey, that's what I'm doing, huh?
One last observation, the house isn't quite as small as I thought. I was counting the squares in the linoleum to measure, 3 per foot. As it turns out, 3 actually is 13.5 inches. So the house is really a magnificent 588 square feet. For some perspective, though we rattled around in it a bit, our previous home was 3600 sf. Now a third of that will seem like a mansion--silver linings everywhere, yes?
Time to do something constructive with this day. Maybe I'll take some pictures today. P.S., it's a beautiful, sunny 32 degrees right now, headed for 43. Things are looking better for winter warmth in Arizona!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
New Year--New Adventure
We arrived at last on New Year's Day, about mid-afternoon. We hadn't known what to expect, really. There's very little information on Chinle, AZ even on the internet. Wikipedia says its a CDP (Census Designated Place), which should have given us the first clue that there isn't really a town here. At least, not like any town I've lived in before. Budd lived in Bluff, UT for a while, which may be a close comparison, except that Chinle is actually on the Navajo reservation.
It's beautiful country, if your taste runs to red-rock desert. Some of the cliff formations we drove through after we crossed the Utah-Arizona border were literally blood-red. The park itself, Canyon de Chelly, is spectacular, at least what we've seen of it so far.
But, back to our arrival. The town consists of a few gas stations, a post office, a grocery store, a couple of laundromats and fast-food restaurants and a number of offices for departments of the Navajo nation. Schools look brand-new and we've heard that there's an Olympic-sized pool in the sports complex.
The park is 3 miles east of the highway, but the entrance and visitor center give no hint of the spectacular canyon beyond. I waited in the car while Budd went in to get the keys to our new home (for the next six weeks or so). Then we drove down the hill and into a No Visitors admin area of park housing.
Our domicile turned out to be one side of a modular duplex, about 475 square feet. As I look at that, I can't believe it, but I measured it at about 19 feet by 25 feet. There are two bedrooms, a bath, and an open kitchen/dining/living room arrangement. The previous occupant was a bachelor we've been told, and I do believe that. Today is our fifth day here, and the first that I haven't spent most of the day either trying to figure out how to fit the food and kitchen equipment we brought into the cabinets or scrubbing the floors. And I mean scrubbing with bleach cleaner, on my hands and knees, with a scrub brush.
We did take a break on Saturday to explore a bit. First we went from one end of the town to another, no more than two miles, and then we took the North Rim road into the park and across to the Antelope House lookout. From the parking lot, a 1/2 mile loop takes you out to the rim of the canyon where you can look at Anasazi ruins (called Antelope House because of the pictograph of an antelope beside the biggest structure) on one side of the point, and huge fields that the Navajo cultivate in the canyon floor on the other side. I can't begin to do justice to the scenery, so will go out again with a camera and post photos at a later date.
Sunday we had dinner at one of the two restaurants in town that aren't fast food, and treated ourselves to some wonderful Navajo tacos. For those who haven't experienced this little bit of heaven, a Navajo taco is similar to a chalupa, but served on a dinner-plate sized portion of frybread. Frybread is just that...a bit of light bread dough, flattened and stretched by hand to the desired size and deep-fried. Taco-seasoned ground beef, pinto beans, lettuce, onion, tomato and cheese are then piled on top. Sometimes avocado, too.
Monday was Budd's first day at work here, and he quickly learned that a) there's not much to keep him busy for six weeks and b) he bears an extraordinary resemblance to the superintendent of the park, a gentleman named Tom. He was greeted by several coworkers who quickly became confused when they realized he wasn't Tom.
Around 4 p.m. the Frontier phone tech showed up and quickly had our DSL modem hooked up and working. Yay! Internet! Communication, entertainment, gainful employment for me! WOOOHOOOO!!! Yeah, I was excited. Budd then tested all the peripherals and the USP went nuts everytime he tried to print to the laser printer. Hmmmm. Guess our power isn't as powerful as we have come to expect. The lights also dim when I use the hair dryer. Worst of all, the power fluctuations may have killed my WII, which powered up yesterday but won't today.
Monday evening we were invited to a 'send-off' of one of the park rangers who will be attending law-enforcement classes in Georgia for several months. There we met a number of the other employees and family members, including our duplex neighbor. We were also treated to a pot-luck supper where I sampled posole for the first time, and Budd muddled into sampling some menudo. He said the broth was good, but the tripe was like slimy turkey skin. Ick. Guess I'll pass on that, lol. Park service people seem to know how to have a good time, even (gasp) without booze. Yep...illegal on the res. If Budd had known it would be six weeks without beer, I don't know where we'd be right now, but it probably wouldn't be here. lol.
Which brings us to this morning. I was invited to take a walk with the superintendent's wife, her mother who is visiting from California, and the dog, a sweet Springer with arthritis who fortunately kept the pace comfortable for sedentary me. At a brisk 26 degrees, I still found myself sweating in my down coat. Obviously I will need to modify how I dress for these walks! Could have used a hat, too, as my ears almost broke off. But it was invigorating, and I'm looking forward to more. Pat (the mom) is fascinating...80 years old and talking of trips she wants to take to Madagascar, the Antarctic, and the Canadian Rockies. She wasn't breathing as hard as I was on the walk, either, despite the fact that she lives at sea level and we're at 5500 ft in altitude here.
Now I'm caught up to real time. I'm planning a trip to 'town' for laundry and a grocery run this afternoon, and hopefully will be back in time to float on tutor.com for a while. Have to justify the outrageous cost of installing DSL for only six weeks, lol.
Pictures soon.
It's beautiful country, if your taste runs to red-rock desert. Some of the cliff formations we drove through after we crossed the Utah-Arizona border were literally blood-red. The park itself, Canyon de Chelly, is spectacular, at least what we've seen of it so far.
But, back to our arrival. The town consists of a few gas stations, a post office, a grocery store, a couple of laundromats and fast-food restaurants and a number of offices for departments of the Navajo nation. Schools look brand-new and we've heard that there's an Olympic-sized pool in the sports complex.
The park is 3 miles east of the highway, but the entrance and visitor center give no hint of the spectacular canyon beyond. I waited in the car while Budd went in to get the keys to our new home (for the next six weeks or so). Then we drove down the hill and into a No Visitors admin area of park housing.
Our domicile turned out to be one side of a modular duplex, about 475 square feet. As I look at that, I can't believe it, but I measured it at about 19 feet by 25 feet. There are two bedrooms, a bath, and an open kitchen/dining/living room arrangement. The previous occupant was a bachelor we've been told, and I do believe that. Today is our fifth day here, and the first that I haven't spent most of the day either trying to figure out how to fit the food and kitchen equipment we brought into the cabinets or scrubbing the floors. And I mean scrubbing with bleach cleaner, on my hands and knees, with a scrub brush.
We did take a break on Saturday to explore a bit. First we went from one end of the town to another, no more than two miles, and then we took the North Rim road into the park and across to the Antelope House lookout. From the parking lot, a 1/2 mile loop takes you out to the rim of the canyon where you can look at Anasazi ruins (called Antelope House because of the pictograph of an antelope beside the biggest structure) on one side of the point, and huge fields that the Navajo cultivate in the canyon floor on the other side. I can't begin to do justice to the scenery, so will go out again with a camera and post photos at a later date.
Sunday we had dinner at one of the two restaurants in town that aren't fast food, and treated ourselves to some wonderful Navajo tacos. For those who haven't experienced this little bit of heaven, a Navajo taco is similar to a chalupa, but served on a dinner-plate sized portion of frybread. Frybread is just that...a bit of light bread dough, flattened and stretched by hand to the desired size and deep-fried. Taco-seasoned ground beef, pinto beans, lettuce, onion, tomato and cheese are then piled on top. Sometimes avocado, too.
Monday was Budd's first day at work here, and he quickly learned that a) there's not much to keep him busy for six weeks and b) he bears an extraordinary resemblance to the superintendent of the park, a gentleman named Tom. He was greeted by several coworkers who quickly became confused when they realized he wasn't Tom.
Around 4 p.m. the Frontier phone tech showed up and quickly had our DSL modem hooked up and working. Yay! Internet! Communication, entertainment, gainful employment for me! WOOOHOOOO!!! Yeah, I was excited. Budd then tested all the peripherals and the USP went nuts everytime he tried to print to the laser printer. Hmmmm. Guess our power isn't as powerful as we have come to expect. The lights also dim when I use the hair dryer. Worst of all, the power fluctuations may have killed my WII, which powered up yesterday but won't today.
Monday evening we were invited to a 'send-off' of one of the park rangers who will be attending law-enforcement classes in Georgia for several months. There we met a number of the other employees and family members, including our duplex neighbor. We were also treated to a pot-luck supper where I sampled posole for the first time, and Budd muddled into sampling some menudo. He said the broth was good, but the tripe was like slimy turkey skin. Ick. Guess I'll pass on that, lol. Park service people seem to know how to have a good time, even (gasp) without booze. Yep...illegal on the res. If Budd had known it would be six weeks without beer, I don't know where we'd be right now, but it probably wouldn't be here. lol.
Which brings us to this morning. I was invited to take a walk with the superintendent's wife, her mother who is visiting from California, and the dog, a sweet Springer with arthritis who fortunately kept the pace comfortable for sedentary me. At a brisk 26 degrees, I still found myself sweating in my down coat. Obviously I will need to modify how I dress for these walks! Could have used a hat, too, as my ears almost broke off. But it was invigorating, and I'm looking forward to more. Pat (the mom) is fascinating...80 years old and talking of trips she wants to take to Madagascar, the Antarctic, and the Canadian Rockies. She wasn't breathing as hard as I was on the walk, either, despite the fact that she lives at sea level and we're at 5500 ft in altitude here.
Now I'm caught up to real time. I'm planning a trip to 'town' for laundry and a grocery run this afternoon, and hopefully will be back in time to float on tutor.com for a while. Have to justify the outrageous cost of installing DSL for only six weeks, lol.
Pictures soon.
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