before the last part of school begins

craving my desert I found a few days to skip out of work to play before school starts up again next week.
The loose plan, {I hate tight schedules, but I do love a plan}: hang with the folks, play with some dogs, see my friends, hopefully escape the chill that has set into my bones.

we drove to Kanab to volunteer at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, one of my all time favorite places on Earth. Protocol has changed and gone are the days of just showing up to hang with the pups for a few hours. Scheduling at least a day in advance is a must so we hung around the lodge a bit while I soaked in as much furry love as I could before we headed off towards Zions National. Gorgeous day for a drive and I took full advantage of taking Ben's zippy little car out on the open road.

I know the picture above is too dark but it was so fun trying to get it I had to include it. I saw this stunning scene with the sun hitting the river and the grasses blazing gold. By the time I got off the interstate and to the back of a building where I could scurry down a rocky embankment to the flood plain, the sun had just barely dipped behind the bluff. {just like in the cartoons} My shoes flew off, the geese were disturbed by my grace..it was magical.

Thursday was all about catching up with my friends I thought I'd see so much more than I've been able to the last few years. Jana and I had a late breakfast at a fun new restaurant just up the street from our old store where memories run thick for both of us. Amy and I laughed over dinner and nothing has changed. Laurie and I schemed design ideas for her beautiful house. They made me miss St. George more than the colors, the warm weather and the proximity to outdoor fun combined. If I could only figure out how to make money there I'd really consider moving back...



hanging with the folks. The kindest most easy going people you'll ever meet. Happy anywhere so long as they're together. We saw Sherlock Holmes a couple nights ago and I'm trying out the new nickname 'ginger midget' on my mom. She's not too keen on the idea and I know it won't stick, but it is so fun to tease.

If there is a color scheme that has a more soothing effect on me than the desert I'd like to see it. I never feel the same way anywhere else than surrounded by low laying hard core desert plants. They know how to survive the toughest conditions while keeping their cool. The contrasts, the surprising vibrancy... throw in dark clouds and I'm happy as a clam.




my dad asked why I like to travel at night. So I'm not tempted to stop every so often to take pictures of colors. Perfect example. Didn't even make it to the interstate before I was off the side of the road trying to get the Nestle Quick Strawberry sunset. I know I'm not going to get a good photo, but I still want the colors. Its a sickness.

mission accomplished. folks, friends, not as much dogs as I'd have liked, but a few days in the sun definitely thawed me out enough to hold out til spring.