Since writing last, we have been busy. Normal life chores have consumed some of our last week. We waited around for a few hours in Las Cruces, NM, while we got an oil change, each taking a long and enjoyable shift in a deliciously packed used bookstore while the other watered and entertained the pooches. We then wasted away another very hot and sunny seven-hour chunk of time (with some very warm pooches in tow) outside of Fountain Hills, AZ, as our RV’s rear end finally got a much-needed lift. We also filed state income taxes, did three loads of laundry, shipped a very late birthday present (went out today, Em!), replaced my dirt bike’s mirrors and grips, installed a new battery in my phone, and cleaned and lubricated our bike chains. You can probably guess who did which tasks.

Strange rock formations at City of Rocks State Park

Catwalk Trail

We have also had plenty of time for fun. We spent our last few days in New Mexico making our way from Las Cruces to Glenwood, a tiny town at least an hour away from cell service. Shortly after leaving Las Cruces, we passed through our first US Border Patrol Checkpoint. I didn’t particularly appreciate having to stop and talk to a government official when I hadn’t broken any laws and hadn’t crossed any borders, but I guess these checkpoints are pretty common so close to the border. On the way to Glenwood, we camped amid the whimsical rock formations of City of Rocks State Park and bathed in a very hot private pool at Faywood Hot Springs. We spent two nights at a free campground just outside of Glenwood, NM, a town that claims you will never forget her. We did indeed make some good memories there, so maybe the claim is valid. We walked a mile on the suspended steel Catwalk Trail over a river rushing through a rosy canyon and explored the area’s curvy mountain backroads a bit. Also in the area, and reminiscent of our time in Iceland, we hiked to the alleged San Antonio Hot Springs without finding anything other than a quietly cool (and probably high) river.

Crossing the border into Arizona, our route took us over a rapidly descending mountain road. As we left the thick forest behind, we began to see bits of color on the side of the road. Over the next few days, we watched our world don a colorful coat of wildflowers, the hills dusted in hues of yellow, orange, purple, and pink. We’re so accustomed to traveling in shoulder seasons and hitting awkward weather that it was quite a shock to be somewhere for the peak of anything. And with the wildflowers came the many mighty saguaro cacti, standing guard for centuries over their surroundings.

Inmates working away

Cliff dwellings at Tonto National Monument

Snack break at Apache Lake

The bridge by Roosevelt Dam

Apache Trail adventures

Roosevelt Dam

We spent two nights by the shores of Roosevelt Lake, a beautiful azure gem set in the hills of central Arizona. Our favorite activity in the area was a scenic drive on part of the Apache Trail, a mountainous dirt road along the Salt River. With beauty around each curve, wildflowers abounding, eye-popping views of the Roosevelt Dam, the Superstition Mountains to the south, and a gracefully meandering green river to the north, we had to work hard to keep our eyes on the road. We cooled off from a long day of blazing sun on the road by taking the dogs for a dip in Roosevelt Lake. A few hours later, we brought our dinner down to the water’s edge to watch night quietly fall accompanied by the sound of bird calls and crickets. The one particularly memorable moment of our time in the area was when I took the dogs out one morning right after waking up, looked around, and saw a group of men in orange jumpsuits walking towards me with weed whackers. Arizona has a very, very high ratio of public to private land, so I guess they use their basically free and captive public workforce to take care of things!

We took advantage of the rare opportunity to spend time with all four of Nic’s grandparents in Fountain Hills during the last two days. It was good to be with family, and it was odd to not be cooking for ourselves and to use sinks with an unending supply of water.

And more than anything, at the end of a long day in a busy week on the road, we are thanking God for the way He has cared for us and for those we love. Someone we love so very much ended up in the hospital today, and we are so, so grateful that God protected this person from worse harm. Tonight, we can indeed proclaim:

            Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!

            Morning by morning new mercies I see;

            All I have needed Thy hand hath provided –

            Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

It’s tough at times to be a great distance from a hurting loved one. Fortunately, that hurting loved one is in stable condition and surrounded by excellent medical care. And that professional earthly care doesn’t compare one bit to the “strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow” promised to him and to each of us by our heavenly Father.