First, happy, happy birthday to my mom. In so many ways she is my rock, my confidant, my best friend, and my biggest fan.
Today was a very laid-back day. Seems like we’ve had a lot of those recently. We are looking ahead to the next nine days filled with hiking and camping, so I’ll take one last down day.
We sadly left the Berry’s after one last meal. We had just a delightful stay and will gladly take them up on their offer to stay again. I don’t know if Zoe and Ellie will miss their dog and cats more or vice versa. The drive to Basalt was about three hours through the mountains. We stopped in the quaint town of Carbondale for lunch and some window shopping.
The saddest part of the day was seeing the wildfires as we approached Basalt. Here the sky is hazy, the smell of smokes lingers in the air, the billows of smoke rise from the ponderosa pine forest. We’ve been told that it is 59% contained and, although we are staying just over the ridge from the flames, there is no need to be concerned. We heard people talk of their evacuation bags in town, so we are packed and could leave the room within five minutes if needed.
As uneventful as the day was, it was also incredibly special. Zak and I celebrated our 16th anniversary. We were so young when we got married and are lucky that we’ve been able to grow into the individuals, couple, and family that we have throughout the years. He makes me laugh every single day and he allows me to be wholly me.
Finally, today I finished the memoir “Navajos Wear Nikes” by Jim Kristofic and came across this quote:
“If we love those places, we should at least learn their stories and understand their people.”
It struck a cord with me for many reasons, the simplest being that I’m so honored to have spent the past four and a half weeks listening to stories and learning about the Ancestral Puebloans. I am confident we all understand America a bit more clearly and appreciate its history more. Now it is almost time to go home to teach others and continue our learning.
But tonight, I’m going to sleep well next to my husband of 16 years and be ready to hike like a mad woman the next three days!
