This trip. Thanks for joining us!

Just a little short. More than one friend has suggested we drive the remaining 455 miles during this trip, but at this point, we wanted to get back home.

Saguaro cactus. They can live up to 200 years. In Arizona it's a Class 4 felony to steal, kill, deface, or shoot (!) one (max. sentence four years.) This landscape made me think of what someone told me about the Nova Scotia landscape: "God created it, and then threw rocks at it."

At a truck stop in Arizona. We actually backtracked 15 miles because we were running low and the next station in our direction was nearly 50 miles away.

"Hmmm... I'm not sure about my friend Aidan's data crunching on this - I LIKE the yellow ones."

Approaching the Colorado River. The same one that marks the border between Arizona and California is the one that runs through the Grand Canyon.

"Welcome to California. Any fruit to declare?"

Wind turbines at Twenty-nine Palms, CA.

California sunset.

When Ben saw our IDs at the hotel check-in, he was excited to see the Massachusetts connection: he's a composer who studied at Berklee (hotel management is a night job). This orchestral piece he composed was performed by the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra. (Click on the photo if you'd like to watch it.)

My first time in a hotel since the Before Times. As my friend Liliana says, "Oh MYlanta!" Things have changed.

Apparently I run on Dunkin' too. (You can take the girl out of greater Boston...)

It's so much fun to meet someone in person that I know only online! Janine and I are in a writing class together, and when she learned we'd be in her home town, she suggested getting together. She and her husband Ron, along with the lovely (Miss Jean) Harlow, showed us around Old Town. And of course, we talked about writing!

No crying in baseball. Even when there's no baseball. Joe in his happy place. One of many.

You don't see singing cowboys much any more.

We didn't know what it was, either, but it was outside a blacksmith shop in Old Town.

Joe's comment upon seeing this sign: "Yes! Be a consumer! Buy more stuff." (At the moment, with a car full of stuff, and considering all the stuff in Mom's house, I'm mindful of the adage, "you never see a U-Haul behind a hearse.") I think the stuff I'm most interested reveals itself in moments, stories, in nature, and words. And things that make me laugh. Especially those.

A solitary peppermint stripe rose outside the mission church immediately takes me to thinking of my Mom and how much she loved roses. This one had a light scent reminiscent of fresh peaches. When I see a rose in an unexpected place, I like to think she's saying 'hi.'

After visiting Old Town, we lounged around the pool and talked about family, writing, and politics (Ukraine, of course; but also national politics, especially around Arizona). And the dogs were a hit with other hotel guests!

A little Papi walk in Santa Fe before leaving. Joe hadn't noticed the juxtaposition of messages till he was getting ready to drive away.

You know we love our roadside signs. This is probably my favorite public health sign I've seen in awhile.

Not as flat as Florida. But flat enough at 6,000+/- feet. (You can see some mesas in the distance on the right.)

We saw several of these stores just down the road from a state rest area.

"It's sedimentary, my dear Watson." (not at all sorry for that)

We're struck by how blue the sky is here!

Still life with surgical masks.

Arrival, Scottsdale. Joe: "I'm so proud of myself - I parked within 1/8" of the concrete post in the garage. Imagines Di is thinking, "Why do guys care so much about things like this?" Di: "We need to wash the car today -- some of the salt on it came from Cape frickin' Cod!!

Not even three minutes into the room and already the Meep is overseeing her domain. (We haven't even removed the luggage cart!)

at the risk of planting an ear worm.... "Doo, doo, doo, Lookin' out my back door..."

A walk with Little Papi in the Golden Hour. Even with snow on the ground, we had to be careful he didn't step into any cactus. I can't figure out why I get out of breath so fast. Turns out we're at 7977 feet. The cottage on the Cape is at 17 feet and Redwood City is 75 feet.

We never saw so many wind turbines as we did driving through Oklahoma and Texas.

The spur off the interstate headed to Santa Fe. Our first view of mountains since upstate New York.

Meep in a southwestern frame of mind (this was taken awhile back in Redwood City, but it just has a real southwest feel to us). Also, she was demanding equal time on the blog.

I suppose it was my fault. I had to go and buy sunglasses on that brilliant cold and sunny Chicago day. We've been dodging the low clouds, and snow and ice storms since.

You wouldn't see THIS vehicle on Rte. 128 or the 101. But we weren't fast enough to capture our favorite sign in day-glow orange: "Hitchhikers may be escaped inmates." Note they don't advise motorists against picking them up. ("We report, you decide.")

Dog park and wash. A dog wash on the interstate. We should have more of these.

We stopped for fuel and to get a bite along the famed Route 66. One of us got McDonald's at the drive-through. The other had salmon salad and some blueberries. And some French Fries.

Oklahoma sunset, 224 miles to go till Amarillo and a good night's sleep.

We changed our route to avoid heading into the storm, skipping Memphis and heading further west. Nonetheless, we managed to drive 51 miles in the wrong direction.

After backtracking 52 miles on Route 55, we cut through county roads to get back to where we wanted to be -- Route A, Route B and then Route EE -- hills, curves, a single lane in each direction and a 60 mph limit... and then 18 miles on Jones Creek Road -- much smaller, no shoulder, tighter curves and steeper hills. The house above is typical of those we saw on Jones Creek Road.

In Chicago, everyone wore face masks, some even outside. At our first gas stop in southern Illinois, Joe saw one person wearing one. Further south into Missouri, we stopped at a very busy gas station complex. There had to be 20 people at the pumps, another 20 or more in the store, and others wandering around. We were the only people wearing masks. I have to say I felt quite conspicuous.

Saw a few of these billboards in Illinois and Missouri. The one that startled us most was one that read "Audit all 50. Find the truth." But this was the only one that was paired with 'Deli. Wine. Diesel.'

Looks like Missouri runs on Dunkin, too.

A few yards away from the shoreline, these bare branches, red-coral, make a striking contrast against the dark ground and blue sky. Whenever I see something like this, I think of my friend Paul, who's a landscape designer. He says plants like this "provide interest in the garden all year round."

Never saw anything like this along Nantucket Sound!

Matthew White works events at Northwestern. It wasn't long before our conversation turned to high-mileage Toyotas. Particularly his son's adventures in the one he drives. We're not sure whether and how much Matthew's son gloated over picking up his dad at the shop when his car needed work.

We shared the photos with him, and as we left, he said, "Now you have a connection on the South Side!"

Students paint these shoreline boulders in Northwestern purple and white. We can't figure whether someone painted over their intended's name, or they have a deep affection for Xanax (makes me think of the schoolyard taunt, "If you love it so much, why don't you marry it?"). Or maybe the suitor was rejected and thinks a benzodiazepine is the only thing that could help.

At first, we spent a few minutes trying to figure out what function this had. But soon enough this art piece just captivated us. I like the juxtaposition of the iron & steel, the rust and the bolts against the fragile butterfly.

Another artistic interpretation of the butterfly, this one in Michael's collection.

Joe likes to end the day with a sunset stroll by the lake. It'll be a few days before we're near a body of water this impressive.

"No insurance, no problem." Our impression here is that Chicagoans are taking the pandemic seriously, even as restrictions are lifted in many other cities. As of this writing, an indoor mask mandate remains in place.

Even though masks are de rigeur in Chicago, it was cold enough that we kept them on for warmth even when we were outside. The temperature was 27 degrees; the wind chill brought it to 13.

'nuff said.

A store for all things marshmallow. Really.

Without a doubt, our favorite sign.

I was about to take this photo for Stanford friends, when the car's owner, Richardo Rosenkranz, came out of the theatre behind us. He had bought the theatre, and movers were coming in that afternoon. He invited us in to show us around to what will soon open as the Rhapsody Theatre. Look for chamber music as well as magic shows for grownups.

The façade is original, harking back to silent film days. Behind this wall, its history included multiple uses - in one incarnation, moviegoers enjoyed matinees and evenings out; in another, worshippers celebrated the Sabbath and holy days in synagogue. When it opens in a couple months, it will play host to live performances.

The main stage. Ricardo was a gracious host, welcoming us and giving Little Papi the run of the stage area.

"Whenever I come in here, I have to play the piano." Richardo treated us to an impromptu mini-concert! A Stanford grad (hence the license plate), he's a neonatal physician, musician, and magician. Want to feel uplifted? Click on the photo for a Chicago Tribune profile/review.

Look through the window. The moving guys have arrived! If we lived here, we'd definitely be patrons. Wishing Ricardo and his team much success!