Went through all of the mail that accumulated while were away, began to sort out and pay the bills...worked on laundry (and must do more momentarily). Took in the Jeep and had its 9000 mile checkup and oil change done (of course, we put over 5000 miles on it during the trip, so it was actually the 10700 miles checkup and oil change). Met Dan for lunch, pretty much the first time I have seen him or talked to him since we got back...(business as usual, eh?)

Day Eight

It is great being able to travel with Danlo, that soft-spoken, gentle, sensitive, and intelligent man. He is so knowledgeable, and has done so many very different things and had so many experiences in his life.

The sun woke us up a bit on the early side today. I opened up the sliding door of our room so we could experience, the cool, clean desert air. The door opened up on a lovely courtyard with a swimming pool. In wandered a darling little black kitten with green eyes. We took turns cuddling with him and making him purr his little head off. Danlo dropped in after awhile and he and Dan went off for some coffee and a bite to eat. The kids and I weren't quite ready to get moving yet (and besides, there was the kitty to pet...)

When the men came back, we all moved out to the pool area. It was a pure joy being able to watch Danlo and Dan and the kids swim and have so much fun. I wasn't able to go in, as the worst of my scrapes from the SRD dinner night (on my left ankle) was still bleeding, and I did not want to stick it in the chlorinated water (I was really paranoid it would sting like crazy). So I sat in the morning sun, breathed the clean, crisp air, and watched the guys have all of that fun in the pool and cuddled the little black kitten.

We then all ate breakfast (or second breakfast as the case might be ) and headed out to Canyon de Chelly National Monument. The Grand Canyon is an infinity of rock and light and shadow...hence its alternate name of the House of Stone and Light. Canyon de Chelly is very different, with mazes of side canyons, and with the bottom filled with farms of Navajo families. You cannot see the bottom or the Colorado River in most places from the rim of the Grand Canyon. You can see the bottom and the green farms, beneath the towering red rock cliffs at Canyon de Chelly. de Chelly is filled with ruins of the Anaasazi people, hundreds of years old, which you can see from the overlooks. The overlooks are also places where artists come to sell their wares. I bought a little black ceramic bear, with red geometric designs on him. Dan bought jewelry for his mother, and more surprisingly, for me as well.

And at the end of the South Rim Scenic Drive we found Kevin's Watch!!!!!!!!!!!! It is called Spider Rock, and is a sacred place to the Navajo, home of Spider Woman, the benevolent spirit who taught them how to weave...what an awesome sight it was!

We returned to Albuquerque via Window Rock, capital of the Navajo Nation. We stopped to see the rock formations there, including the lovely one that gives the town its name. We dropped Danlo off at his home, then checked into our hotel (we got the room right next door to the one we had had previously. ) And then we ate dinner, at Danlo's recommendation, at a great steak place called the Cooperage.