Arizona ~ California Ecotonic Journey

Interstate 40 slashes through the country, in some places putting fast-traveling cargo and humans through completely wild land. In other areas it's more like a many-miles-long strip mall. Most days of my trip across the country were a mix of the two, yesterday was a day of feeling dwarfed and awed by "wild."

I love the desert. I grew up on the Atlantic Ocean, so my thoughts of "desert" were the beach without water. The first time I saw one I was astounded by the amazing abundance and diversity of plants. I couldn't see the animals and insects, but I knew that the desert was teeming with life. The first time I saw a Joshua Tree, it was midnight at the Joshua Tree National Park, by headlights! I felt like I'd landed on another planet.

I spent lots of time in the desert yesterday. I drove west until suddenly I wasn't in the wild anymore. I was in one of the most populous and vibrant cities in the country. What an amazing ecotonic shift.

Hello Los Angeles....

Tucumcari to Flagstaff

Not the best day..... but the architecture in the bathroom at the Arizona Welcome Center was interesting.

Three out of four nights of hotel satisfaction is doing well, I suppose. Tonight's is horrid.

LA tomorrow!

This Land is Your Land << click

The first time I drove across the country almost every place I stopped had music connections. I went to Nashville, Sun Studios in Memphis, Okemah, Oklahoma, and Joshua Tree National Park in California. This trip is being made quite a bit faster, so I'm not making as many stops, but have still not strayed far from music.

I visited a music friend in Nashville, and today went to Okemah (Woody Guthrie's childhood hometown). Today I went by the place where his home stood and spent some time in the wonderful little Okemah Public Library.

These water towers always tickle me though... I've always meant to try to find out if the town actually did provide hot water at one time. In case you can't make it out, the one on the left says "hot." Hmmmm.... I should have asked while I was at the library!

I'm in Tucumcari tonight, will probably make Flagstaff, Arizona tomorrow night.

Holly

Several years ago when I was living in Los Angeles, I had the sweetest "roommate." Her name was Holly. She loved to sit on the headboard of the bed and purr. I'd wake up to her soothing sound and sweet blue eyes.

One time while I was there I was quite sick. Instead of sleeping in my bedroom, I stayed on the sofa in the living room. Holly was seldom more than a few feet from me the whole time. She was a comforting, kind, and knowing friend.

Holly died today. I can't even fathom how much I'm going to miss her. She was always watchful, always warm and peaceful. Holly walked in measured steps, carefully and gracefully. She moves into the ether with a beautiful grace.

Holly, your footsteps on my bed will always make me smile.

Here is Randall's post about Holly.

Industrial Strength

Waffle House coffee saved the day.... (Thanks Paul!) I was about to run out of steam around 4 o'clock this afternoon. I'd had a great visit with an old friend in Nashville, Tennessee, but needed to get to Oklahoma before stopping for the night.

Both the coffee and the barstools were industrial strength.

Between the coffee and the Bruce Cockburn show Ramcey gave me (THANKS!!) I arrived in Van Buren, Arkansas (which is right on the Oklahoma line) in time to get a good night's sleep before heading to Tucumcari tomorrow.

A Day of Flowers and Scents

Today was a day of flowers and beautiful scents. I took the picture today along a roadside in western North Carolina. The field was glowing from the sun low in an early fall sky.

I have a tradition when I go on a trip. I always pick a flower or herb and put it in my car as I leave. Having a good place to put them was actually one of the deciding factors in buying my Toyota Matrix. I have dried flowers from more than three years worth of trips on my dashboard.

On this very special trip as I move from Raleigh to Los Angeles the flowers would be just as special and meaningful.

As I left Sterling Montessori on Friday, I picked a bloom from the Rose of Sharon in our class garden. I added a gardenia (blooming out of season!) from my Dad's house in Rocky Mount, NC. I took a small yellow rosebud from my daughter's wedding bouquet as I left my apartment in Raleigh. I picked a dandelion and a sprig of rosemary from her yard in Greensboro, NC.

Another "beautiful scent" experience isn't tradition ~ and won't become one I'm sure, but it is meaningful to me.

My mom loved perfumes. When she died in December she left behind probably 50 different kinds. I told dad I'd take them and sort through them and do something with the rest. They sat in a paper bag in my bedroom for 9 months.

As I was packing to move, I knew I couldn't just throw them away. I had tried to go through them before, but wouldn't get far. I'd open one that would remind me so much of her that I'd start remembering things connected with that scent...

Well, the time had come that I had to decide what to do. So... I went through them and took out a few that contained my strongest memories. There were ones that she wore often, ones I remember seeing on her dresser since I was very small, ones that were special evening scents. I kept those. I threw a few away that seemed to have never been used (she must not have liked them). I put the rest in a basket and put them in my car.

My mom had been almost housebound for the last ten years of her life. She would go out only on rare occasions. She had always wanted to travel, but by the time she and my dad were at the time in their life when they could, she was too ill. So, she's traveling with me on this trip.

Every time I stop at a nice place, I take out one of the bottles, spray a bit into the air and then leave the bottle in a only slightly inconspicuous spot for somebody to find. Today I left three.

It has what feels like two main purposes. One, to travel with her... to take her along the ride across the country with me. Another is to sort of leave a "trail of crumbs" so she can find me.

It's been a powerful day.... and my car smells REALLY good.