Last summer, when I was tired and lonely, I told Robbie I wanted to take the horses, dogs, and shotguns to Arizona for the entire month of February to camp, eat wild, and soak up some sun. There is no better place on the planet Earth to be in the month of February than Arizona. As it happens, our trip trickled into New Mexico and then into Texas where we found ourselves stranded for a week during the great blizzard of 2021 (we were alright but Texas was very not alright). As a result, I had one of the worst birthdays in the history of my life which we made up for a week later when we celebrated with wonderful friends in Santa Fe before driving the rest of the way home to Idaho.
We had some disasters that we managed to overcome with some luck and the help of good people who chose to be generous neighbors to absolute strangers. We rode our horses almost every single day in wild, beautiful country. We dry camped on public land the entire trip, in wild undeveloped spaces, alongside dry creek beds, under live oaks, beside windmills and sand dunes.
When the sun was shining it was warm and delicious and my arms and face and shoulders turned brown as my body soaked up all that vitamin D. I relaxed for the first time in a couple of years. I read books. I worked on some projects with my bead loom. I ran on soft two track through cactus and boulders alongside granitic monoliths. I watched the sunrise and sunset. I did what I wanted to do every single day.
Tater did a great job hunting up quail for us which we proceeded to roast over campfires and eat fresh for almost four straight weeks. Son of a Gun turned into a teenager and had his first lessons on quail as he simultaneously learned about cactus. I shampooed my hair with water from a BLM guzzler a couple of times and let it dry in the sun as I rode my horses in the warm desert breezes. For the most part we were dirty, suntanned, well fed and covered in horse grime most of our trip. What a dream!
We met up with a friend. He had been big game hunting in New Mexico and joined us to bird hunt for five days. We had a blast chasing quail together, laughing our heads off, carefree and happy. I felt like I was with a band of brothers. It was one of the highlights of our trip.
Naturally, I stone shopped along the way and managed to procure and transport home a lovely load of American turquoises. I’m thankful I had a stone budget at the time because handpicking in person is always the best way to choose gems.
On a side note, I think since we bought the farm I have been unable to recover from these fire seasons that come year after year. Over all the years Robbie has been fighting fire I’ve had a fatigue take root deep in the marrow of my bones, and in my soul, a fatigue I’ve been unable to shake for some time. This trip to the sunshine with our horses and dogs and each other was so restful for me. It wasn’t really a vacation for me, it was bigger than that, it was a time of recovery for me. I’m grateful we were able to go.
I’m looking forward to getting my studio up and running again this week! We are unpacked, the house is in order, all the critters have settled back into this wonderful Idaho life we’re built for ourselves and I’m dreaming of moon bright silver paired with stone.
The roads less traveled are the best roads to travel and after they wind and climb and descend and straighten out again it’s sweet as heck to find ourselves back where we started. The horizon line is a beautiful mystery and the curve of the earth is a generous smile.
I hope you are all well and finding the silver lining in every cloud.
ahhh…the desert is good for the soul (but as a native arizonan, i’m a little biased). i did two months in montana a couple summers ago with my now husband. every day i woke up and did exactly what i wanted when i wanted while he worked building mountain bike trails. i slept so deeply during those two months. i felt refreshed and whole. then i came home and feel even more in love with arizona.
i’m fairly certain that second picture is ragged top in ironwood forest national monument. if so, she’s a fun one to summit! our love our rugged mountains down here!
Good eye!!! It is Ragged Top!
So glad you can relate to the kind of trip this was for me. It was so special.
Thank you so much for sharing these beautiful photos of this incredible journey! I am blessed and encouraged by your deeply personal musings. It’s a wonderful life!!!
Also, can’t wait to see what you great with those gorgeous stones!
Thank you for being here, Lis!
I’m so glad you, Robbie and company had such a delicious time in the Southwest! Your words were the perfect thing to come into after lying out under the full moon with my horse munching her grain beside me. Thank you so much for taking the time to write them with us “long hand”, coming to your blog always feels like such a long fresh breath of air to drink in in the midst of this crackling paced world of ours.
I love laying on the ground in the pasture with the horses under the moon. The only thing to make it lovelier is the nighthawks in the summertime. So special.
Appreciate you being here, friend.
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I am so glad you were able to take time to rest and recuperate. Healing is so essential, especially after the stress and anxiety of those fire months (paired with the intense work of farming during the same time). I love the photos you have captured–you know you could sell prints of those (if you wanted!) Especially love that photo of Son with his kibbles–that little grin is so cute! What an adventure for all of you, full of blessings and that delicious rewarding struggle that makes us appreciate each day more.
I’ve been running pretty ragged for years!!!
I think I’ll probably print a couple of these images for postcard enclosures with jewelry shipments.
Son is such a cutie…very expressive all of the time.
lovely post, dear friend. xx
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What a wonderful post, eternal beautiful pictures of yours, this post is very peaceful and I am happy you could recharge yourself like a battery (not very poetic but this is what I want to say), you obviously both had a fabulous time, it shows…..yes Arizona in February…true….I hope one day the borders will open again and we can drive down…welcome to your home and thank you again for this delicious post.
I hope one day the borders open up and I can drive home to Canada!!! I MISS MY FAMILY!!!
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Southern Arizona is indeed a tonic for the soul in the winter months and your words and splendid photos beautifully capture the spirit of that special country. Although I live in the east now, you brought back memories of a time many years ago when I lived in Tucson and, too, wandered throughout the Southwest camping with beloved friends. The Chiricahua Mountains are breathtakingly beautiful! I am so glad you and Robbie had the time to rest and recharge, and reconnect living free and wild together. Please stay happy and healthy, dear one.
The southeast corner of the state is our favorite area in AZ. It’s just amazing, especially in the sky islands right up against the Mexico border. Incredible quality of light, rolling oak savannah, warm warm sun in February.
Everyone above has already stated what is in my heart for you. Nothing better than the wild, the fresh air, even Texas to add to the experiences. Not to pressure, but I would so like to see you write a book. Your words flow and take me there.
Take care and keep doing what you are doing.
Bless you Pearl and thank you for those well wishes. I had my arse chewed by a few strangers in my instagram direct messages for going camping during covid and to have the majority of people support us in taking this trip and resting and being in wild places and fresh air and restoring our souls and bodies means so much to me — thank you for being supportive.
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I also meant to mention a great book, that relates to your journey somewhat. It is “Cities of Gold: A Journey Across the American Southwest”, by Douglas Preston. A true story of the author who wanted to retrace Coronado’s trail from Arizona to New Mexico, in 1987(I think) on horseback. Well written and quite an adventure. Some sadness and the author was a greenhorn but overall fascinating.