Hello!
It is Fee Free Weekend in the National Parks because yesterday was National Lands Day and today is to honor new American citizens. Yesterday was a great day! Brenda and I went over to Mesa Verde to see Wetheral Mesa before it closed for the season. The weather looked daunting, but we decided to go for it anyway. We hit a little rain in Cortez, but as soon as we got through the Mesa Verde guard shack, the sun came out of the clouds and shined onto the hills around us. We were very lucky. It turned out to be a beautiful day.
Driving up to the top (around 8000 ft above sea level), the road is incredibly windy and hilly with 90 degree turns, cliff edges mere feet away- I am sure you remember quite well, Mom and Suzanne! Brenda was driving, so no worries. As we started getting higher and higher, I couldn't help but notice the low shrubs were taking on a slight yellow hue. The higher we got, the more pronounced the color was. I felt myself excited by the prospect of seeing some oranges and reds in this desert environment. I had given up hope I was going to see some fall color this season. With the sun shining bright, we turned around a sharp cliff and there it was. Fall. The gamble oaks and service berry bushes were alive with jack o lantern oranges and fire engine reds. Because there were no trees, only bushes, the clumps of shrubs created a patchwork quilt effect, laying over the sides of the mesa top. The sight reminded me so much of mum mountain at Otts Greenhouse, I almost cried out loud. If I squinted my eyes hard enough, I could almost be back in Pennsylvania, driving on I-80 on my way to Penn State.
The sites were also great to see. We saw Long House as well as Step House, which were smaller then Cliff Palace, still absolutely amazing. Our tour guide was ten times better then the one we had for Cliff Palace (Buffy?) and Brenda and I got some great pictures and had some great times.
Jim left this morning which was incredibly said. He finished his last season here after over 10 years at Hovenweep, about 20 years in the park service. I was surprised about how choked up I got. Jim is a great guy and he will truly be missed here. Thank goodness Steve is staying on as a volunteer a little longer so him and Dana have longer to move out of Hovenweep into Cortez. But our little family at Hovenweep is shrinking. I wonder how December will be?!
I hope everything is going well for everyone back home! Take lots of pictures of Fall! I miss you lots! And Dad- Julia and I will be making peach jam as well as apple butter so I will save you a jar if they turn out well, and no Dad, we are not allowed to add to the 750 year old Rock Art.
1 comment:
Hi Lizzy, you've seen more fall than we are having yet in PA. The annuals are still blooming in the gardens and the trees are hanging onto their still green leaves. The dogwoods was covered in more red berries than ever and the birds gobbled them up, leaving not one berry left, in a record 3days. There are plenty of mums though so you're right about Mum's Hill at Ott's. And Freddy's and MerryMead are having their fall days so I'll have to stop for a pumpkin or two.
Yes, I explicitly remember the drive up to the visitors center in Mesa Verde and was getting dizzy reading your description of it again. Please please drive along those cliffs carefully. Stay far away from the edge. Better yet, don't drive there at all. Go with someone else and tell them to be careful. Am I making you nervous?
Love you and miss you too and wish I was there. xomom
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