Different strokes…somewhat
I read Shep’s post “Goodbye St. George” and thought he summed our visit up quite eloquently. After I commented on what a great overview of our stay he had shared, he encouraged me to share my viewpoint of our time here. so here we go.
Not surprisingly, at the top of my list of my favorite things about visiting St. George are the wide variety of biking opportunities. Whether you like paved trails or prefer the challenges of mountain biking, it’s here in abundance. As an example, you can follow the moderate Virgin River Trail north for 12 interesting miles, passing through a tapestry of varied sights. From pastoral views of sheep, cattle, or horses grazing in various pastures to ducks paddling in a huge pond located in one of the parks the trail passes by or even newly built condos, your eyes are never at a loss for something to view.
Poor Shep! Just after we passed this sign we came to a “Y” and at the beginning of the trail to the left a signpost indicated a 12% incline ahead. I thought I was pretty smart by choosing the trail to the right. Ummm- nope- it also had a 12% uphil grade disbursed over lots of twists and turns. About 10 minutes into this nonsense I suggested we reverse course. There was no argument to the contrary so off we went back downhill doing a bicycle slalom.
I learned something about iPhones and sharp bumps and jostles…even when they are ensconced within a purse that is sitting in a milk crate attached to the rear of the bike. They seem to think you have had an accident because at the steepest and most inopportune place it began alarming, called 911 and began the process of notifying my emergency contacts that I needed assistance!!! Fortunately the 911 operator had a good sense of humor (they must hate erroneous cell phone calls) and told me she was glad that I was ok. As well I lucked out and halted the emergency contacts notification process before it caused unnecessary stress on our loved ones. I get enough egg on my face with purse dials so I was glad I didn’t add yet another cell phone blunder to the list. I haven’t yet come up with a snappy, humorous warning to share with others about this but I’m working on it.🙈
One morning bright and early I had the opportunity to travel about 45 minutes north to Cedar City to spend time with my dear friend Carol. We have known each other since I999 or so. Carol is not only a sweet, fun, loving and generous individual, she is a daughter of God that possesses tremendous faith. Carol is an artist that works to enhance a woman’s beauty with permanent cosmetic makeup. Whether a scar needs to be hidden or eyebrows restored, she does it gently and to perfection. I count getting to know and spend time in her company a great blessing.
We both enjoyed our time in St. George but we are eager to head south to our winter quarters and sit in one place for a few months, reconnect with our friends and our church family there. It will be a 6 hour trek to Quartzsite. The first few weeks after arrival will require some labor to get our lot cleaned up and laid out the way we want but that in itself will be a fun thing for us to do together. As we travel we carry each of our loved ones in our hearts and most assuredly you are faithfully in our prayers.
