It was time to hit the road--get out of Dodge.  When the foot starts to itch, it is a sure sign that a road trip is in the making.  A week ago the foot began its tingling and it was so persitent we knew the only way to cure it was to load the car and head south.

  We love to travel and short trips to nearby places often offer as much as those involving further distances, more money, and bigger chunks of time.  When the gray light of winter hangs heavy we head south, not far, just an eight hour drive.   The car points its nose toward St. George and we buckle up and go along for the ride.  When the red rocks and cactus come into view the spirit begans to lift and the cold and snow become a memory rather than a reality.  The journey has taken us from a world of black and white to one of vivid color.

I am always amazed that in a reasonable amount of time you can transport yourself to a new and different enviornment without much effort.  All it took was a bag of snacks to munch on as the miles ticked by.  There is solace in consuming the extra calories as we put the miles behind us because we know that shortly those little fat builders will be walked off.  Sun, warmth, and color have a magic effect on the energy level--WOW!  Let's get outside and move that body. 

To really enjoy the new freedom from cold and coats you must stayed fueled.up.  In order to do that, you must eat a lot.  Never fear, that is not hard.  Just ask us.  We found a variety of fun places to eat.  Breakfast seemed to be the meal we zeroed in on.  Omlets at The Egg- n- I, Belgian waffles at the Bear Paw and hashbrown casserole at Cracker Barrel.  We just tucked right in and never looked back.

a little bit of the middle east--lamb kabobs--yum

The only down side to the whole get away experience is the withdrawal that comes when I wake up and realize I am the cook of day.    

cactus and spring blubs in the hotel gardens--7:00 a.m.

Too Early

4:15 A.M.---What to do.  Such a still time of morning.  The neighborhood is dark and lights have not started to appear yet.  It is a Saturday morning and for most people an opportunity to sleep in and put aside the alarm clock.  My clock seems to be in need of adjustment.  I woke at 3:30 and mulled over my options.  I could meet Chip in the kitchen for a glass of milk, read my lusty romance novel, walk up the road and see if Packs need an extra hand milking, or watch TV.  None of these options sounded appealing.  Why not blog and share my morning insights.  So here I am.     

I am perplexd somewhat.  When I worked I never woke at three or four in the morning bright eyed and bushy tailed.  I did however wake up to check the time so I could calculate how many hours of sleep I had left before the radio alarm sounded the call to action.  That in itself is rather odd so I shouldn't be surprised that I now wake in the middle of the night and wonder what to do with myself.  If I was Nolan I could check out the starts and drag out the telescope or binoculars and stand in the COLD or lay on the kitchen floor to get a better perspective of Spika or a nebula which he swears is visible, but I can't see.

None of these choices are very exciting.  The small hand on the clock is moving toward five.  If I lived in New York City it would be almost 7:00, and I could walk to my favorite coffee shop and have a cup of flavored coffee, a Danish, and buy a copy a real newspaper.  Oh, I forgot I am not a coffee drinker.  Well, the next best thing--meet Chip in the kitchen and have a cup of hot chocolate.