Today is the day we lost an hour. Back to MDT – We are still in AZ but on the rez so the time is the same as CO. It’s also the day I gained a crazy appetite. If I keep this up, the 20 pounds I lost last spring would be history.

We climbed back up on the Colorado Plateau and visited Petrified Forest, again. Two hikes today – Agate House and Crystal Forest. And, yes, it got pretty windy this time. Kachina was dragging on the hike, I think she may be sore from the hike yesterday. So, she and Koko eventually rode in the stroller together. The Petrified Forest is like comfort food, I guess. I’m not particularly drawn to the scenery but it’s dog-friendly and on our route. Lots of memories of this place with all my various pups. I’ll never forget when the woman asked me why I brought my pig on hikes! It was old big ears, pink nose Maizzy.

Vacations make us happier because they are different. Our brains assimilate to sameness and we stop enjoying it. It’s good for our well-being to do things that are out of the ordinary. That’s why I take these trips. It’s interesting though, because when I was working I looked forward to the break from work stress. This year, I think the vacation was more stressful than life. Maybe that’s why I didn’t plan any new stops. The summer camping road trip should have some new stops, though.

My anxiety gets high on trips because something could happen. I realize my faith in Mini Pearl is part of the stress. My most reliable car ever, but every year she gets older, as do I. I realize the new car issue is surfacing. Having a great car is key to having a great vacation.

Today, as I drove, I remembered the day I woke up in Show Low with suspected norovirus. I thought it was something I ate or a 24-hour thing. But, OMG, no. It took months to get fully over it and I ended up giving up lactose and gluten to fix it. I actually drove almost 200 miles that day. That’s brave – but likely more optimistic than anything. I remember trying to stop at Petrified Forest long enough to get a photo of the pups, but I got right back in the car because I was so sick. It was awful on a road trip.

Tomorrow, Red Rock Country for our last full day of Adventures for Sazi!

Love Ya’all, Cathy Hartt (Grandma Hartt)