November 9; we came down to Sedona—from 6000 ft to 3200.

It was a windy ride today. The sun was warm, but the wind took charge. The sky was blue and huge, but began to shrink as we approached Flagstaff which sits at the base of the first mountains we have seen in a long time.

The ride was tiring as I had to keep correcting the path in the wind and for just about every truck that passed. Now, talk about numbers, a gentleman at the City Electric Shoe Shop answered my question about trains and said that 14 trains pass through Gallup NM in an hour. We did not count them during the night, but I believe him.

The shoe store was a wonderful source of leather, all sorts of slime green colours in pigskin, buttons, conches, belts, cowboy hats and of course shoes and boots. It was an old family store that will continue to be a family business. It was around in the heydays of Route 66. Down Coal Ave. was a wonderful old movie house. The façade seems to have incorporated turquoise into the design. Again today, there were lots of remnants of The American Road.

The mountains appeared through the ozone fog and grew as the day moved us closer to Flagstaff. We avoided this city and headed to Sedona. The trip took us south through a very windy road and gave us a stop that looked into a chasm that had a dry bottom. I espied two young men preparing to go down a cliff face. They did not look prepared to make the descent—no shirts or shoes. I ventured over to visit with them in an attempt to discourage their descent. The boys were very polite and appreciated my concern. While conversing with them, I espied climbing gear and felt much better. They assured me that they would be careful, and no, they had not called their mothers and said I love you. They had made the descent before and started to change into their climbing gear.

The red soil is amazing. The erosion is proof that nature is its own artist. The shades and shapes are intriguing.

There are lots of souvenir sellers at gas stops and even at the lookout stop we made.

I am thinking about a woven Navaho rug for my bedroom. I saw some from a store near Sedona and the store is on the net. Well, I may have to rethink that idea as some of the rugs I saw were $3 500 for a 5 X 4 ft. Gee, I only want a short runner-- 30” X 40”.

Cheers; you get a night off. Kelli not known for being full of hot air got hot air ballooning. Sorry, P&C you were a tad slow in responding.