Hello World... It's Me

Hello World...
Yes, it's been a while. Do you mind if we don't talk about that? I'd rather focus on here and now. I wouldn't mind telling you about the awesome trip we took to celebrate our 20th Anniversary however.

Bucket List Item

It's been a long time desire of mine to visit New Mexico. I love the southwestern architecture, those tan adobe structures with their colorful turquoise window trim and doors. I love the rich culture and history the state represents. And who doesn't appreciate a warm dry climate when you hail from the Pacific North WET.

So when our 20th anniversary was approaching and we started talking about what to do to celebrate-- and we agreed it should be something special-- something bigger than a weekend away-- New Mexico topped the list.

We flew into Albuquerque on a Saturday evening, rented a car and spent the next 7 days touring the state. We crammed as much as we could into each day without exhausting ourselves. It was WONDERFUL.

We toured the heart of the major cities (Albuquerque, Santa Fe) taking in guided tours, museums, national parks and mysterious wonders.

We drove along the historic Route 66, poked around in cute little touristy shops, climbed into Cave Dwellings from ancient times at Bandelier National Monument, and learned more about the National Lab of Los Alamos. We tried Pinon Coffee, and juiced our taste buds with Hatch chilies!

We stood in awe in the Loretto Chapel and gazed at the miraculous spiral stairway. We saw one of the oldest standing missions and oldest adobe home.

We admired amazing rock formations and breathed in deep the smell of pinons and roasted peppers. We toured the UFO Museum in Roswell and had a close encounter.

We celebrated our actual anniversary day with a scrumptious dinner and a relaxing stay in a very lovely suite in Carlsbad.

 We toured Whites City and Carlsbad Caverns. We made a pit stop in a itty bitty city in Texas and learned about bottomless lemonade. We toured the 'other' town of Deming and made comparisons.

There was some adjustments needed for the much much higher altitude and the drier climate. We learned that at every place we ate we'd be asked if we wanted 'Red' or 'Green' or 'Christmas', meaning what color chili sauce did we want. We learned there is a distinct difference between Mexican food and NEW Mexican food but it's all delicious!

We visited dear friends, shopped, watched a parade, and saw balloons filling the skies from the balloon festival. In the hours of longer drives we listened to books on tape and every once in while we'd just enjoy the companionable silence that being married 20 years can bring.

We rested, we recreated, we romanced. We laughed, we played, we wined and dined. We truly celebrated the gift of marriage and the gift of each other. It was a great vacation.

Upon returning home, the sogginess of Fall in the PNW has fully descended. The nights come quicker now and it's dark when we wake up. This is the time of year I dread, much as I love Autumn. When we change our clocks back an hour it really kicks in for me and I am glad that I gave in and added to my anti-depressant regime. That seems to be slowly getting better... still fighting some lethargy and anxiety but I know this just takes time.

it was very good.

Our 18th wedding anniversary came and went! Usually I blog with in days of an event but October brought us sickness along with the rain and my energy seems to have flown out the window. It has taken me forever to put together a coherent travelogue... but finally... here it is.

destination: Vantage WA. 

We took a long weekend with the Burke Turque and escaped to the east side of the state where the sun was still shining and except for an early sunset, no hint of Autumn.

We drove over on a Friday and set up base camp in the little tiny town of Vantage, population 70. We're talking a couple gas stations, a hamburger joint and a general store with postal service and limited hours. Oh, and a campground. That's important because it's where we stayed and really it is probably the life and breath of this town. They get a lot of traffic connected to the "Gorge", a nearby amphitheater that offers concerts on a regular basis.

bridge over the Columbia River from Vantage WA.

It was great for us to be able to set up camp and then explore the neighboring areas. The campground has certainly seen better days. Run down and in desperate need of maintenance, we sensed the economic downturn has carried quite an impact on the whole area. It's a shame because Vantage is in such a great location being right next to the Columbia River,Wanapum Recreational Area and the Ginkgo Petrified National Forest and State Park.

The Burke Turque: home sweet home!

Saturday morning dawned bright and sparkly and as excited as we were to set out and visit the petrified forest, Bruce was getting over a cold and I felt like I might be coming down with one. Bummer!!

We took it easy all morning, making the most of coffee, sunshine and quiet solitude. It was so peaceful!

coffee made the old fashioned way ! tasted so good!

Eventually we felt rested enough to head out and to the Petrified Forest we went! Our first stop was the museum. They have a really great display and a lot of interesting facts. We saw plenty of petrified varieties of wood and rocks, hieroglyphics from the Wanapum Tribe and then to our surprise, a herd of wild Big Horn Sheep grazing on the grounds. What we did NOT see where any rattlesnakes, thankfully!!

a walk around the interpretive trail

the love-burkes in the petrified forest!

big horn sheep!

We did a short walk around the Trees of Stone Interpretive Trail under a brilliant blue sky with a hot breeze swirling around us, then headed back to town. We took a drive down to see the Wanapum Dam, which is under repair.  We slurped up creamy goodness in the shape of milkshakes from the funky little restaurant in town and kicked back in our camp chairs.

how beautiful are the feet... 

Sunday, our official Anniversary date, we got up early to avoid the heat while we hiked up the steep trail at the Wild Ponies Monument just east of Vantage. You cross the Columbia River, then take a turn off of I-90 to a parking lot. High above, perched on a steep bluff, are 16 amazing works of art.

we are going to hike up to see the ponies!

Made from iron and bronze, the ponies can be seen from quite a distance away. I have always wanted to get a closer look at them and this was the day. It's only about a quarter mile to the top but it is a rather steep and slippery climb owing to the loose dry gravel on the trail. Coming down was a bit more challenging than climbing up!

view from the top!

Grandfather Releases the Ponies

After our excursion up the mountain we drove on to Ellensburg and the tiny town of Thorp. Ellensburg has some beautiful historic buildings that deserve a longer look but we were really eager to see Thorp so on we went. The town of Thorp is named for Fielden Mortimor Thorp, one of the first permanent white settle in the Kittitas Valley. F.M. Thorp also just happens to be Bruce's Great, Great, Great, Grandfather!

Ellensburg WA

Thorp WA

We toured the Thorp Grist Mill and took in some of the local history there. Fascinating stuff. Our next stop was searching out a way to get to something we've seen several times from the freeway. A pioneer cemetery that has the names Thorp-Splawn on it. Owing to that family connection Bruce was understandable curious about getting a closer look. It took some sleuthing to ferret out the owner of the field the cemetery is located in.

Thorp-Splawn Pioneer Cemetery

With permission granted we came back the next day and tromped across a soggy field where Bruce was able to see the final resting place of his Great, great, great grandfather and GGG-grandmother. A truly special moment.

the headstone on the left is the Thorp's. Splawn was also a relative. 

We broke camp Monday morning and hit the road early as we had several stops to make before we headed home. After our visit to the cemetery we lunched in Cle Elum and then hooked up with a friend of Bruce's to see a house he is building. (hey, I'm married to a builder. it's what we do)

I think the builder is salivating...

Our final stop on the lane of nostalgia was to see the Masterson Ranch. Bruce's mother's maiden name is Masterson, and Bruce remembers visiting the ranch when he was just a wee little lad. What fun to find the ranch, the old homestead and then, cherry-on-top, knock on the door of the house and meet a long distance cousin!

just like Bruce remembers it.

meeting a distant cousin for the first time.

Bruce remembers posing in front of this house with his mom when he visited at around age 6.

After exchanging contact information, with the sun setting and miles to go before we slept, we pushed on to make it home late that night. Tired and sore from a long days drive, but happy and content with the weekend we experienced.

saying good night and good bye to the east side of the state.

To close I will leave with you just a few more photo highlights from our fun little weekend get away! 

God is good. 

close up of the lead pony.

panoramic view from the top of the viewpoint.

rocking this anniversary!

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Living Simply; Simply Living

Living out of a suitcase for a couple of weeks can have a profound effect on one's life believe it or not.

Living with erratic cell service, cut off from the internet and relying on battery powered lighting can also do it. When you are traveling for several days and you need to keep the food on ice, you might prepare food and eat differently than normal too.

You find all kinds of ways to practice simplicity and you learn to not only get good at it, but you start to really like it. Love it even.

There's something to be said for waking up with the sun and going to sleep at dusk. There's a magic lull that happens when you eat by candle light or under the stars. When the only sound you hear at night is the lake gently lapping the shore or the hoot of an owl and come morning its the coo of a dove and the rustle of grass from a curious deer.

We lived simply for the two weeks we were on the road. I packed way more clothes than I ever needed and learned a lesson in that. I found what was comfortable and stuck with that, putting the rest at the bottom of the basket.

Taking sponge baths or dips in the lake made me realize how much I took hot showers for granted but I found I rather enjoyed the quaintness of heating water for my morning routine. I let my make up and hair product rest in the drawer and turned my face to the sun for color.

Coffee perked the old fashioned way never tasted so good. The smokey flavor of  grilled meat and the sizzle of eggs in a pan delighted me in ways a cappuccino machine can never do.

We lived simply and we ate simply. Yet we never felt deprived and we relished every meal. We developed a system for cooking and cleaning and the partnership it created was fun. I cook. He cleans. Likewise our traveling: he drives, I navigate. Setting up camp got easier each time as we both had our roles to play and didn't have to be reminded of it, we just did it.

We lived simply and we simply lived. Without the distractions of the world wide web we could sink back into the soft pillows of the hammock and get lost in a good book. We took hikes and enjoyed the sounds of rushing water over the creek bed. We saw wild life up close and struggled to breathe in altitudes we were not used to. We reveled in the majesty of God's Creation: mountains and crevices, rolling hills dotted with trees and brown grass. Snow capped mountain peaks, whistling marmots and chattering squirrels. The thrill of seeing a big black bear as it meandered in search of berries!

Curiosities in the form of road side attractions and tourist traps. Pulling over when the mood strikes and buying ice cold coke from a funky little store in the middle of nowhere. When your shopping list is as complicated as "eggs and milk" and your needs are whittled down to a shady place to park and water to cook with, you know you are living simply. Living simply but simply living. Rejoicing in the simplicity of life and how much pleasure it can bring if you just stop long enough to drink it in.

I've been in a bit of a post-vacation funk since we got home. Part of it I can probably blame on the rapid change in weather-- definitely feeling like that next beautiful season is fast approaching and wanting to stretch summer out for a few more weeks. But I think a great part of it has to do with the busyness of life rushing in to claim me once again. For two weeks we put our regular routine on hold but when you go to collect your mail after 2 weeks and start sorting through the bills, when you have meetings to attend and decisions to make and your calendar is full of activities.... all clamoring for your attention, all threatening to steal the peace you worked so hard to achieve while on vacation... well.... post vacation funk, plain and simple.

But the mantra that has been rolling over in my mind since our return is going to be the mantra I use to hold on to some of that vacation tranquility. Living Simply, Simply Living.

If I can live simple and find joy and peace and contentment in the practice of simplicity while on vacation, can't I find it here in my every day life? What changes would I need to make to live simply in order to simply live?

It's nice to know that as I explore this I have the Burke-Turque sitting right outside my front door. If push comes to shove I can always move out there for a day or two to remind myself of how to live simply and simply live.