Northbound with Ralph

THIS IS RALPH.

I took off May 1st and arrived in Las Vegas for the first night out. The drive across the desert never ceases to amaze me.  I look out at the mounds of dirt, imagining that a power greater than myself is sitting cross legged and playing with sand. Some might find the desert boring but I find it mesmerizing!   I met up for dinner with friends, my sisters, brother in law, nephew and his children.  It's always nice to get hugs even though I might be blowing through the area.  There are always some I miss.  The next day I drove from Vegas to Salt Lake City for two nights. It rained about 90% of the time and all along I was wishing that rain could reach the fire raging 20 miles from my mountain home in Arizona.  Later I did learn that the fire had been snowed on!  I enjoyed time with Shauna, my "frister"...a term I have developed for a friend of my sister. We had a nice meal out with her mother and brother.  I also took time to follow up with the doctor that did my laminectomy in September 2016.  It was nice to learn that it all looks good in the newest ex-rays. My sister, Megan had made lovely arrangements for our Mom and sister, Laurel which I delivered.

The next piece of the trip took me over Northeast Utah into Wyoming.  I had forgotten how that part of the country is loaded with iron making the land orange.  I stopped to visit and stay with friends in STAR VALLEY, Wyoming.  Kathy and Dave McCann and I met at Jackson Lake Lodge back in the 80's when we all worked for The Grand Teton National Park.  I took advantage of the short trip by stopping to explore a bit in Evanston, WY. I looked at the Uinta County Museum where I learned two things I might be able to remember....

1. The first woman to drive across country did so in 1909 with three friends that took 59 days.  She drove across ranches and at times forged water lifting the vehicle! Read more here:  https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/alice-ramseys-historic-cross-country-drive-29114570/
2. The first cross country bicycle trip was done two years prior in 51 days!

Dave flanked by two Star Valley babes!

Again, I took the opportunity to poke around Jackson, WY and the Teton Park to see how things have changed and to have some memories reignite.  Although little was open, the roads were clean and clear.  The mountains were showing themselves completely and I felt very fortunate.

Jenny Lake Visitor Center was still closed.

Ice breaking up on Jackson Lake....brr!

  I can recall working there and being asked when the peaks would be revealed....as though I were a meteorologist!

I left the Jackson area and stopped in on cousin Jessica in Idaho I have not seen in years.  It was nice to see her and I sure hope so much time does not elapse before the next visit!

This is Jessica with her dad, my Uncle Allan.

After leaving her, I was able to drive to Butte, Montana.  On that drive I saw SO many new baby calves on ranches.  Fun fact....Montana has more cows than people! Again, the drive was nice with sunny weather and some clouds.  I was fortunate because just as I checked into a hotel, rain and wind began for the long haul.  As I watched late night news, I heard that Missoula was hit hard and the storm had left many without power.

I awoke to a foggy morning, but I had a plan to visit a museum and by the time I was done the sun had burned off the fog.  As a tribute to my dad (a geophysicist), I looked in on the World Museum of Mining.  I opted not to take the underground tour and wandered the "streets" of the old West town.  It is really pretty extensive. 

Before I left Butte, I stopped at a bakery to buy a pasty. This is what the miners were given for their meals underground.  My goodness, the thing was huge!  It was filled with beef and potatoes.  I opted for some gravy but I am pretty sure the guys got theirs dry in the day.

Beef and potato pasty (PAHstee) with gravy

I pushed on, working my way close to the Canadian border. I followed a river or two along the way taking note of the level.  The rivers are rising, raging and/or rambling!  Many times it looked as though breaches were imminent

 I took a stretch in Wallace, ID.  What an interesting and fun place.  I enjoyed the museum set up at the railroad depot and visiting with a lady in a visitor center.  I asked, "What should I know about Wallace?"  She told me two things.  First, the place produced more silver than any other mining . district in the US.  2) Every downtown building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.   I90  passes through Wallace on an elevated freeway viaduct.  Fun fact I discovered on museum walk:  Dante's Peak was filmed in Wallace.

You might be able to see the freeway viaduct running behind the depot at a second floor level.

As I left Wallace, I passed Coeur d'Alene.  It is very beautiful, but disappointingly overbuilt. 

Beautiful Lake Coeur D'Alene

I drove through and found a sweet AIRBNB for the night in nearby Sandpoint. 

Spring is in the AIR!

Yes, indeed.  First quarter of 2018 is now behind us.  As I post, I look out to the rabbits and squirrels chasing each other.  The daffodils and iris are in bloom. 

There are a plethora of trees blooming and I am so grateful for living where I live.  I have come to call the place my "NEST".  Like a Mama bird, I fly out and circle back .....not for my baby birds, but to regenerate.  This place known as RIM COUNTRY fills my soul and settles my nerves.  Yes, I do love to travel, see new places, learn from others and reunite with friends.  However, at this point in life, I do need the occasional stop to recharge.  There is no better place than my mountain home! Elk continue to be seen in the mobile home park where I live, but Spring is not their flattering season!

Karen and I have taken a couple of hikes in March and April...best time in AZ to hike!

Three pictures below are from Tonto Natural Monument near Roosevelt Lake.

These are from our April hike to Fossil Creek, an 8 mile hike with 1500 foot elevation change.

Might be Spring, but this water in Fossil Creek was cold to me!

The last two months found me here, there and everywhere according to my neighbors.  I finally bought a vehicle in February after remaining afoot since my return from Guyana in 2016! You guessed it....I would put a few miles on that Jeep in no time! I felt fortunate to get my hands on a 2008 one family vehicle with just 62,000 miles. I feel this vehicle will help me have many good memories!

My friend and neighbor, Maria passes on her treasured 2008 Jeep to me!

My longtime friend, Kim met me at Sahuaro Ranch in Glendale, AZ 

It's a lovely historic property that seems to be a secret to locals! 

I kept my word to my friend, Michelle who arranged a double hip replacement in Vegas in March.  She flew in to Phoenix and we had a quiet week at home, taking in a quick day trip to The Petrified Forest which is close to Winslow, AZ.  That being said, a picture was necessary! We also had a lovely lunch in the Turquoise Room at historic La Posada Hotel. (www.laposada.org)

Michelle taking pictures of petrified wood she called rocks.

We drove to Vegas and she was in the hospital getting her surgery 2 days later.  I felt she was a bit off her rocker doing both at once, but she was up and walking with a cane only less than a week after surgery!  In fact, she flew home a mere 10 days post surgery and is doing well.  Made me a believer!  I returned from Vegas with just one day to do laundry before flying out to see my family out East! 

I flew first into Baltimore, MD where 10 year old Jacob was on Spring Break and spent every day with me.  What a great gift for a Grandma!  I was impressed when he said he wanted to bake a lemon meringue pie one day and prepare fish chowder the next!  I stood by, just helping with something once in a while, but he did prepare both successfully.  We enjoyed a day at Brookside Garden and another touring the Smithsonian African American Museum.  The cherry blossoms lagged their peak  during my week in the area, but there were certainly indicators that Spring was on the verge!  I was pleased to get in short visits with a few friends as well.  After one week I was off to Jacksonville, FL to see my daughter, her husband as well as Grayson, 6 and Gabriella, 5.  They are so busy, but we found time to have some fun sessions.  I was happy to be present when Grayson did a great job at his baseball game, earning the game ball.  I certainly enjoyed having the tables turned some having them read to me! I took a day to wander in the St. Augustine area.  I had seen the fort and extensive visitor's center in the past.  This time, I took in the first mission of the area and dock.

I have been back in Arizona a little over 2 weeks and have just a couple of days for last minute preparations for my summer away.  I am pulling things out of the woodwork as I pack up for Glacier National Park in the northwest part of Montana.  I will undoubtedly find myself greeted by snow on my journey which includes a quick trip to Canada.  Jasper, Alberta, Banff - all on my bucket list for years!  I only hope Ma Nature cooperates with my timeline!  I am due to report May 11th for orientation.

Here are some things I do know about Glacier National Park.  There is a lot of wildlife, of course.....particularly, BEARS!  It is recommended I arrive with bear spray!  I will be living in a dorm and consume my meals in an employee cafeteria.  I will be able to do my own laundry and hitch rides into Kalispell on weekly shuttles.  However, I am finally a vehicle owner again and will leave the shuttle to those who are there without wheels. I also know that there will be amazing and beautiful land to trek, water to explore and travelers to greet.  I look forward to those who are planning to visit me over the summer and just maybe there are those making a plan that I do not know.  Could YOU be one?

At any rate, keep this link under my name in your contact list.  I will update as I can! If you choose to drop me a snail mail, here is where you would send it:

Patrece Ryan, Lake McDonald Hotel
Xanterra -Seasonal Employee
 PO Box 2990
Columbia Falls, MT 59912

Packages must go to this address:
Patrece Ryan - Lake McDonald Hotel
Xanterra - Seasonal Employee
110 9th Street West
Columbia Falls, MT 59912

Have a wonderful summer!

Q1 2018 - A plan is in place!

I had a surprise come at the end of 2017.  The diverter valve in my bathroom broke, pouring water behind my wall and creeping through wallboard and flooring.  Of course, living in a small town, finding help over holidays is a challenge.  It took a couple of days for a plumber to arrive and then there was the assessment....major damage requiring complete floor replacement as well as cabinetry repairs!  Water damage is insidious and penetrating.  I feel fortunate that I could know right away what the issue was.  It is not always the case.  The end result: nearly half of my flooring was replaced and I ended up with new appliances as the old had to be pulled in order to get to the floor.  I took the opportunity to get new appliances and feel like my place has a face lift!  Thank goodness for insurance!

Generally, I am always happy when a new year rolls around.  It seems strange, but it appears as a clean slate to me.  It is just another new month, but for some reason I see it as an opportunity to plan ahead.  I will give more details about extended plans, but first I would find myself preparing for a visit from a new friend. 

I met Jeanne Tinkham last September in Rome, Italy. 

She would be with a group I would rendezvous with sailing aboard The Royal Clipper in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.  Jeanne lives in Massachusetts and had only visited Arizona once before.  As our group talked one night about birthdays, she would reveal that she generally hates her birthday as it is always exceptionally cold where she lives.  Well, I said that she needed to come Arizona to celebrate as the weather is nearly perfect! She made plans to do just that!  Just days prior to her arrival we would see our first sign of winter.....luckily, the white stuff does not stay for long!

She arrived in Payson, AZ and rested the first night, but then we would be on the go!  She wanted to revisit Sedona. I took her the long way via Mormon Lake, Flagstaff, Oak Creek Canyon and finally Sedona where we would find a resting spot and visit with fellow travelers.  We opted to stay the night in the area as we were to take the Verde Canyon Rail the next day out of Clarkdale, just a few miles from Sedona.  Jeanne wanted Mexican food for dinner and I am ALWAYS up for that!  We found a perfect restaurant right next door to the Best Western.  Boy, did they have the best food and, of course margaritas by the pitcher!  The next morning we got up early enough for a quick trip to Jerome, an old mining town.  From Jerome one can see the beautiful red rock country at a distance. 

We made our way to the train depot about noon and boarded for the all afternoon journey into this magical and beautiful setting.  Of course, the desert was dry looking, as deserts are but the red rocks were amazing and closer than I had expected.  

Why, we could reach out and nearly touch some of the cliffs.  The lunch was nice and an option I would recommend on that train.  Of course, we started with a Champaign toast! After returning about 5PM we headed back to the Payson area.  We had reservations and plans to join the Oxbow Outfit and Payson Petticoats for dinner.  That is the reenactment group I have been involved with the last year.  The members made Jeanne feel right at home, of course!  The next day would have us going South for the much anticipated warm weather that Jeanne longed for.  We started out hiking to the lower dwellings of Tonto National Monument. 
https://www.nps.gov/tont/index.htm

Then we poked around the little communities adjacent to Lake Roosevelt. 

After lunch we took in a local winery and then some good ole' country and western music by the locally famous band, Junction 87.  The night was finished off by another great Mexican food dinner and one of my favorite Payson restaurants. On Jeanne's last day we drove to the top of the Mogollion Rim for one of Arizona's most spectacular views. 

We drove back to Payson for a quick look at Green Valley Park before seeing the movie, "12 Strong"....very powerful movie.  The  night was capped with dinner at Fargo's steakhouse where we split and meal and still left with food!  

I enjoyed having a fun Jeanne visiting and look forward to her return...maybe on her next birthday!

Just a few days after Jeanne's departure, Payson would see the annual run of the Hashknife Pony Express.  This is a reenactment of how mail was delivered for a short time over a 100 years ago.  Payson folks love this event and folks from far and wide meet at the post office to greet cowboys and their horses. Below you see a transfer of the mail bag from one rider to another shortly after leaving Payson.

Now, I  turn back to looking to the summer. I began the year poking into jobs in National Parks. Some of my favorite summers were spent in The Grand Teton National Park in the 80's. Times have changed in regards to applying for work in the parks.  Back in the day, I saw an ad in the Arizona Republic for summer work in the Teton's.  Recruiters from Jackson Lake Lodge would be in place the following week at a downtown Phoenix location to interview for seasonal summer jobs in Wyoming. I interviewed on site and was offered a cashier job in one of the restaurants in the park. What would intentionally start as a one season job became three seasons.  So, leaning on that fond memory, I began my search for the 2018 season.  Of course, now we are living in the age of technology.  I looked directly at the NPS sites and saw voluntary positions.  As much as I would LIKE to volunteer, I do need a stipend at the least.  Then, it dawned on me that the paid jobs are outsourced.  After I did a search for concessionaires contracted by National Parks I was set!  I did start with Teton National Park and quickly got a job offer as a Reservations Agent.  I retracted others (I thought) for Glacier and Denali.  However, just a week later I received a call from the HR Department at Glacier.  Once again, I was offered a job!  My last visit to Glacier was as a six year old!  I asked for a few days to give my response and after consulting with an equally adventuresome sister, I was encouraged to "Look forward, not backward."  So, now I am wrapping my mind around the fact that I have new territory to explore from early May to late September! For those of you who might like to come visit, I will be at the Lake McDonald Hotel.  I have been told there is no cell service, but WIFI is in pockets.  I will be reminded of the remoteness of my village in Guyana!  The best way for people to reach me then was by the app, WhatsApp.  If you think you'd like to visit Glacier National Park, let me know and once I am in place I might be able to get a "friends and family rate".

In the time between now and my departure for Montana I will make the rounds to see my children and the grands.  In addition, I will have another visit from a Peace Corps friend and continue to dig up bones....a term I use for my personal genealogy search! I will have a small support role in a murder mystery play done by the Oxbow Outfit and Payson Petticoats March 24 and 25.  It will be our first attempt at a play and judging by rehearsals, should be pretty fun! So, until we meet again.....

PEACE!

Holiday Time

November started out with me traveling to Florida for a reunion with family.  I spent better than three weeks in the Jacksonville area with my daughter and her family.  An unexpected adventure occurred when, as I mall shopped after sunset one Saturday, the power went out.  I took a seat just outside an anchor store and waited for power to resume.  It did not.  I then had the realization that unlike the smaller stores, the anchor store was not shuttering up the entry.  Holiday shopping with unsecured entry seemed risky and I decided to make my way outside!  I never found out why the power was out, but gratefully there were no incidents.  I must say that while I sat in dim light waiting, the voice of Peace Corps Security Officer, Simeon screamed through my head, "RED, RED, RED!"  I must give thanks for my safety and security training received in Peace Corps.

I was proud to be present the long Veteran's Day weekend as the Navy family took holiday pictures.  I was able to sneak in one good shot with grandson!

During this visit, I would help Gabriella make her FIRST letter to Santa!

As we progressed to Thanksgiving, my son and his son arrived from Maryland. 

We are all seen here about to take our happy selves out to a lovely Thanksgiving dinner with extended family.

Additionally, my Peace Corps friend, Fran drove in from Ft. Lauderdale. 

We enjoyed the Thanksgiving meal at my son in law's brother's home in Fernadella Beach. We all joined hands and recognized we had much to be thankful for.

Prior to leaving Florida I reunited with another Peace Corps friend, Lauren and her significant other, Greg. We enjoyed lunch together in St. Augustine and took the tram after sunset, enjoying the Nights of Lights complete with cocoa at the finish.

I returned to Arizona on December 2 and stayed with a couple of friends in Phoenix prior to returning home to Star Valley, beautiful RIM COUNTRY! I give thanks for friends who hosted me, Beverly Ward on the East side

and Sherry Bigley on the Northwest side. 

I got myself across the vastness of the Valley of the Sun by Valley Metro Bus and Valley Metro Rail.  I wanted to know for myself just how the rail operated even though I knew it would take hours.  Indeed, it was two hours and 40 minutes.  I was pleased with the experience, especially since I could sit back and take in the sights and changes over the many years.

My friend, Sherry and I attended the annual Business Office Supervisor lunch.  I had only been one other time and was ever so happy to see so many that I recognized and could visit again with.  After lunch Sherry took me to the airport where I would meetup with my mountain transportation, returning me to Star Valley.  

I had thought I would tuck myself in for the month of December, enjoying the sights and sounds of the Payson, AZ area.  I would see a school concert, a hand bell concert and Handel's Messiah - all for no charge!  Say what you want about your big city experiences, but I will stick to the little community events.

Just days before Christmas I decided to rent a car and go to visit my Vegas sisters.  After all, we did lose one this year. It was time to gather, cry, laugh and tell stories.  So, off I went.  We piled into my rental and drove to LaJolla, CA to see my nephew, Kellan perform a family tradition of the one man show, "One Christmas Carol".  You would expect me to say he was awesome, and so he was!  I hope my friends in AZ, NV, UT, CA can see him next year!  We drove back to Vegas the following day.  I enjoyed gathering and celebrating on Christmas, returning home the 26th.

And so, we come to the end of a very active year in many ways.  If nothing else, I have learned that only love matters. In spite of differences, hold your family members tight when you can.   I am blessed to be amid family and friends who take me as I am.  I look forward to sharing space with many in 2018.  Here's to health and serenity!