Homeward Bound

Monday was basically hours and hours and hours of driving punctuated by the following:

A sad drive-by of the closed-on-Mondays Woody Guthrie Center.

Rosalie stroking Jane's hair until she fell asleep. Then pulling
it and trying to wake her up again.

Picnic lunch at a cheesy Cherokee Trading Post (definitely
not run by Cherokees but we needed a pit stop).

Watched the bison in their coral while we ate.

I was not going to take a picture of this. But
Jane insisted "because it's Kaw Liga!" I will read
some Sherman Alexie in penance.

Everybody say, "Squirt Cheese!" (They all have their initials
spelled out on Wheat Thins with that disturbing canned cheese
product that doesn't need refrigeration and we only buy on
vacation.)

Rest area in Texas which had a play area
so I ran the girls around for 15 minutes.

You tell Grace to say cheese and she poses
right down to her fingertips. Either that or
they're teaching her gang signs in pre-school.

Grace peaking through the Lone Star (before
we read the sign warning of rattlesnakes in
the tall grass. Yikes!)



It's windy there in the Texas panhandle.

You can tell it's the end of the trip because Grace
refused to be photographed with Jane. "NO! By myself!"

Another "By MYself" picture

Entering New Mexico

New Mexico brought a wind storm, a rain storm, a dust storm
(see above) and finally multiple electrical storms.



Lightning was striking all around and the rain got so bad
we had to pull off once at an abandoned gas station.

We had hoped to make Albuquerque, but about 45 miles out the weather was looking too ominous, so we stayed the night in Moriarty, New Mexico.  (Sherlock fans will appreciate the significance of staying in Moriarty during scary weather patterns.) We obviously made the right decision because no sooner had Arthur brought in the suitcases than the heavens opened up and we had thunder and lightning nearly all night.

We're hoping to be home tonight.  I won't have internet access for a few days, but I plan to write one last follow-up blog post when I get a chance.

See you in Whittier!