LEAVING MESA

We enjoyed our four months on our lot in Mesa, visiting old friends and getting needed medical, dental and financial issues done. We finally left Mesa on March 31 after some medical problems caused us to leave later than planned. The delay caused us to cancel the visit to Flagstaff and the Lowell Observatory but it is close enough that we can visit it from Mesa next fall.

Our route took us through scenic hills up to US 40 where we spent the first night at Sun Valley near Holbrook near the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest. We had seen them before so we did not stop. The road to Albuquerque from there passed variegated cliffs of red, tan and black. At the state line of New Mexico, the hills became wind-sculpted mounds with intriguing caves carved in as well. Surprisingly brilliant red lumps of hills came nest and gradually became sheer cliffs with mesas. Near Grants miles of fields of lava made us wonder where they had originated as no volcanic mountains were nearby. . Our trip delay also made us cancel our plans to visit Chaco Canyon which is still on our to do list.

. We had wonderful visits with our old friends Sitara and Sue and with Elizabeth catching up on old times and new happenings. Now we head to Shawnee, Oklahoma near Oklahoma City to visit other old friends.