This Week Moab, Next Week Leran

We heard from our friends Didi and Ursula in Livingston, Montana last night. Julian and Gwenda had arrived there after touring Yellowstone. We didn’t get a full blow-by-blow description of their adventures but we expect to see a bunch of pictures when we arrive in Leran next week. Julian and Gwenda arrive back in Leran a few days before we do.

By the way, Julian had to ask the t-shirt vendor to insert an apostrophe in the message. We're not too concerned with using the Queen's English here in Moab.


We really enjoyed their visit here in Moab. It was, as Gwenda said..."strange to see you here, a half a world away, instead of in Leran". Julian and I toured the Fiery Furnace. Nancy and Gwenda went to the little outdoor farmer’s market in Swanny Park, where a handful of vendors from all around the Four Corners area bring their items for sale. It’s probably very exciting, unless you’ve been to someplace like Pike Place Market in Seattle or the Mirepoix Monday morning market. I’m sure Gwenda was not impressed because she has been to the Mirepoix market, but she bought some delicious sweet cakes for Julian and I to eat after our hike. And they insisted on taking us to dinner a couple of times. We had Thai food one night and buffalo burgers a few nights later.

We did some driving the next day and I’m sure the distances and the emptiness of the Utah desert was shocking to our visitors. We went to the Needles Overlook which has a view like no place else in the world. I heard Julian say that the view was worth the price of the airline ticket all by itself. Because we were fairly close, we went to Newspaper Rock, a hunk of sandstone that has Indian petroglyphs all over it. As the sign says, we don’t really have a clue what they mean. But they are fascinating to contemplate. These petroglyphs are not so old but they do show horses, pelts, bowmen, animal tracks and other symbols that are incomprehensible. As is customary, some asshole had to go and put his mark on the place with a few bullet holes in inconvenient places. Such ignorance astounds me. And to think that idiots will now be able to carry loaded guns in the National Parks. Astounding.

My sister, brother-in-law and niece arrive today for a visit. It will be wonderful to see them, and we always enjoy their visits to Moab. And then we leave for France. Our next post may be from Leran.


Remember kids, click on 'em to enlarge 'em.