The following map shows the route (minus the diversion to the Grand Canyon) I’ve taken and where the blogs were posted.

This blog picks up from where the last one left off in Arizona.

Even in desolation, there is stunning beauty right off of the road.

The next picture could come as quite a jolt if I wasn’t paying attention.  This is NOT “Photoshopped!”

My brother, a trucker, had figured this out looking at the last picture.  He said this person had probably driven the pick-up somewhere to pick up the two tractor trucks.  They link them together this way sometimes.  He said he had seen this before.  For me, it’s all new! :)

During my visit with my Dad and Step Mom in Central Texas, it was time to take pictures.  The camera is on a tripod and has a function that lets me take multiple pictures after the 10 second timer has elapsed.  I told Dad not to worry about getting the right picture because out of 10 pictures, at least one of them would look good.  The following series was his answer to what I said. (Two of them were virtually identical so I didn’t post one of them.)

I figured, what the heck, I posted all of them!  That’s what he gets for “clowning!”  The funny thing is I don’t remember him being this much fun while I was growing up!  LOL

Of course, our conversation included everything from his Air Force stories, to my Army stories, to our current political difficulties.  Dad is a strong conservative and I keep trying to get him to blog more.  I think he prefers spending LESS time on MySpace.  In fact, the only reason why he got an account is to send me emails because I spend more time here than anywhere else!  LOL

Then it was time to move on to Colorado where I grew up.

This is my Step-Dad in his shop in the garage.

This is Mom on the patio in the backyard.  She’s convinced she takes lousy pictures!  LOL

While visiting Mom, it seamed like a good time to clean out the jeep.  I had a funny feeling someone, or something was watching me.

What??  Can’t see her?

Kittah, you’d make a lousy insurgent!  LOL

Mom calls her a “Russian Blue.”  She has the same nasty disposition of a Siamese.  If the petting isn’t up to standard, she will let you know in a way where there is NO misunderstanding!  Your education normally includes a of pint of blood!  I briefly considered starting a local “choke the kitah” day!  LOL

Then, another aggressive visitor showed up.  I know, I know, time for the squirrel jokes!  This one has made his home in mom’s back yard and really looks like he wants me off of his patio!  Luckily for him, kitah stays mostly INDOORS!

Well, at least he appears to approve of the fountain.  It’s a good thing too.  I certainly wouldn’t want to end up on the internet getting my arse kicked by a squirrel, in addition to a Russian Blue.

Then my brother showed up.  He’s a trucker and wasn’t sure he would be able to make it.  As good fortune would have it, he was able to make a delivery to a neighboring city.  With the economy being what it is, truckers have a lot less choices as to what deliveries they can pass up in order to get another one going the same way they want to go.  This whole trip as been very fortuitous in the way it has turned out.

From left to right, this is me, my brother, and his son.

My niece had other obligations earlier in the day, so we visited her at her home.  Her hair is still wet from the shower and she feels like women always feel after recently giving birth.  She really isn’t happy with photos ... in general.  Personally, I think she is beautiful!  In fact, I think she has an eerily similar smile as the Mona Lisa!  Will people see this image a hundred years from now and wonder what she is thinking?  :)  If the thoughts are similar, I can tell you exactly what the Mona Lisa was thinking!  “Why is this guy painting my picture???”  I guess they were a lot slower back then.

She is holding my “brand new” great nephew.  This makes two for me.

Of course, pets are always part of the family.  This one looks like she stole her tail from another kitah!

And, this one looks like she had an unfortunate encounter with a drip pan!  LOL  Actually, I really like these markings.  If she were mine, I’d probably call her “Jiffy Lube,” or something similar!

I can’t begin to count how many times I’ve seen this sight on my way to work in the morning.  Sometimes the colors are so brilliant it takes your breath away.  During the majority of the year, this peak is snow capped.  During some summers, I don’t think the snow ever COMPLETELY melts.  There are heavily shaded areas where you can usually find some patches.

This takes me back to my youth.  I can’t begin to count how many times I’ve taken a girlfriend up here ... here on the boundary between civilization and the wild places.  And, I can tell you, there were times when a mountain lion could have jumped up on the hood of my car and we might not have noticed!

In this place, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life.  I’ve since learned that if we don’t choose and commit to our path, and work tirelessly towards this choice while we are young and strong, then life will often choose our path for us.  It’s not always bad, but rarely is it what we might have chosen for ourselves.

While this temple of aspen and pine, and glittery jewels on velvet seas will always remain a part of me, in many ways this is no longer my home.  I have been too many places and seen too many things.  I can never really return here, not really.  This doesn’t mean I would never consider retiring in or near this city.  What it means is that you can never turn back the hands of time.  In this world, you are only young once.

Rolling stones aren’t forever.  Inevitably there comes a time for moss.  There comes a time when our restless hearts give way to the need for peace and serenity.  I am content with the path I took.  I feel blessed and honored to have served my country.  I would never want to change a thing.  Yet, when we visit an old place that’s burned deeply into our mind’s eye, a secret place near the starting gate, one always wonders about what other path we might have taken, and what other life might we might have lived.

My last blog about this trip will be written at the end in Tacoma.  I’ll cover the last leg and sum things up.  I still have my other sister, niece, and great nephew to visit.  Oh, and of course, there remains the Great Dragon Rider.

Peace. :)