Albuquerque is behind me.  The mile high city is behind me.  Two mile high cities in a row.  Tough on the body when it comes to exercise.  So here I am in Mesa Arizona at 1,234 foot altitude instead of over 5,000 foot altitude.  Tomorrow I will exercise and get back to routine.

The drive through New Mexico and Arizona was absolutely astounding.  Everywhere I go I see more and more that amazes me.  The first thing that took  my breath away today was coming to the edge of the plateau from the mile high city and looking at the expanse before me.  Miles and miles spread out in a panoramic view as far as I could see.  Oh to be able to take pictures and drive at the same time would be awesome.  I just tried to soak it all in as I descended the mountain.  It was a straight road before me going down to the lower elevation.  Then when I thought I was on the bottom, after a few miles a new view would await me as the altitude descended even more.  The roads changed, the vegetation changed and the mountainous rock formations changed.  By the hour the landscape just kept changing and changing.  Just driving these roads made me wonder, not just about God’s creation but at the engineering and ingenuity of man’s capability to design such roads through the huge boulders and lava rock.  This is a highway I would like to travel again, but slowly next time instead of at 75 miles per hour.

Once I crossed over into Arizona the terrain just abruptly changed to flat lands and more desert like conditions.  At least for awhile.   My first stop in Arizona was a necessity stop (restroom).  Stops are few and far between so I take every advantage I can.  This time it was at Tee Pee Trading Post.  The shop was filled with native American authentic art and jewelry.  I seem to meet the kindest people wherever I go.  I was browsing and the cashier noticed my hands and asked if they hurt.  I said yes and she showed me a little tin with an Indian remedy for easing arthritic pain.  She opened it and gave me a sample on a little stick.  I put it on my fingers.  I don’t know yet if it works.  I inquired about buying one but they were all out and she insisted on giving me the remainder that was in the little tin.  I’ll use it and let you know if it works.

After awhile my ma mapquest directed me to go to a little less traveled road called Highway 87.  If  you want the boonies, then HWY 87 is it.  For miles and miles there is absolutely nothing but small mountains and open spaces.  I could tell the car was climbing but didn’t realize just how much.  After about an hour or so I came across a small business, store/gas station, and a post office.  A very small post office.  I was curious so I took a picture of the post office and a man got out of his car and commenced to telling me that this post office was the smallest post office in Arizona and the 3rd smallest in the world.  He introduced himself as the post master. He was proud to inform me that I was in Happy Jack, Arizona.  The interior of the building was about 4 feet by 5 feet.  I’ll post a couple of pictures of the interior.    This little Happy Jack community was in the mountains and the population was not  very dense. I couldn’t see even one house.  A little before Happy Jack the forest began to thicken up and soon I realized I was really climbing.  A sign told me that I was in the Tonto National Forest.  I read later that this forest is the 4th largest forest in the United States and ranges from 1300 feet to 7900 feet in altitude.  It is one of the most beautiful forests I have ever driven through.  The vistas that I could see from the top were so breathtaking with the late sun dappling the huge jutting rocks on one side of the road and the drop off on the side of the road I was driving on.  The road was so winding and the grade was steep, both up and down.  Very good roads but very treacherous.  Google Tonto National Forest pictures and look at some of the views I saw today.  You will see why I thought they were so spectacular.

Once I climbed to the peaks of the Tonto range I could look out and see layers upon layers of more mountains.  It seemed they were unending, one behind the other getting higher and higher.  The views below were also amazing to behold.  It was like looking down from heaven and seeing all the variations of color and trees and different heights that went on and on and on.

The fact that I arrived in Mesa Arizona astounds me.  True, I followed the mapquest instructions ,one of which was wrong and sent me in the opposite direction but luckily I know North from South because my rear view mirror tells me, so I turned around. Once I saw a road sign to confirm I was going in the right direction I still wondered if I was really going someplace.  There was no sign giving indication that I was headed in the right direction.  I have never seen such a dearth of traffic signs as in Texas, New Mexico, and I found  out today, in Arizona.  You can go for miles and miles and not see a speed limit sign or notification of what highway you are on.  It is confusing to me at imes to not have occasional verification as to what road I am on.

Tonight and tomorrow night I am staying with my friend JoAnn and her husband Brent.  What a delight it is to be in their home.  Can’t wait to take a better look at the area tomorrow.  I am falling in love with the southwest.  I think this may be my favorite place of all.  Like I said, wherever I am becomes my favorite.  Maybe that comes by being content in any situation or circumstance.  Let’s see if I get along tonight with my bed that takes a stair way to climb into.  I may be able to navigate 4, 300 miles to get here but let’s see if I can get up those three steps to the bed.  It’s not the getting up I’m concerned with.  Rather the coming down two or three times during the middle of the night.  Don’t ask me why.  Figure it out.

A lovely day!  Some of my favorite times is when I am alone in the car enjoying the beauty around me.  No TV, no radio, no headsets, no reading.  Just living in that simple moment of time where I am, who I am.  No demands on my time, no need to try to impress, no need to hurry, no consternation or concern about anything at all.  Do you know how good that kind of living is?  It is called a place of freedom. It is a place where I like to be.  And it seems, looking back, that the closer I came to the Lord, the easier it was to live in the moment.  It’s a nice place to live.

More tomorrow.  But first I have to get there.

Goodnight