Notes from Westwater

Kenidee, a new friend of Merry Palmer, enjoys exploring the wonders of Westwater in the heat and the cold. Merry Palmer photo

Grateful for new, young friends

I wore long underwear, a sweater, a plush jacket, a purple down coat, and an ancient pair of gold snowpants. To top off my outfit, I wrapped a winter scarf over my head and around my neck and donned purple-framed sunglasses. I was sure I looked just like Jackie Onassis—for those who remember her. I...

Thousands of snow geese on the long way home. Merry Palmer photo

Treacherous routes on the long way home

“My home is Heaven. I’m just traveling through this world.” – Billy Graham The big freeway sign flashed a warning: “Interstate 70 closed in western Kansas, limited parking available west of Salina.” We were on our way home after spending Christmas with my side of the family. Our last...

Frozen foliage in Westwater Canyon serves as a reminder of the season. Merry Palmer photo

Transformations

“Christmas is not as much about opening presents as opening our hearts.” Janice Maeditere Westwater sparkled as Kenidee and I started down the trail early Sunday morning. On Saturday, we’d had an unusual fog which cloaked the entire area. That moisture now created crystals which transformed even...

The Outlaw Trail to the top of Tank Mesa. Ted Palmer photo

This is what the living do

The phrase, “This is what the living do,” looped over and over in my mind as we walked up the trail toward Ranger Canyon, not far from Bluff. We’d done a little exploring among the sandstone bluffs in November on previous trips, and we’d been amazed by their beauty. However, on this expedition I...

The incredible Procession Panel on the east side of Comb Ridge. Merry Palmer photo

The Procession Panel

Nothing prepared me for the Procession Panel despite all the rock art my hubby and I had seen over the years. The Procession Panel is a famed tableau carved in a cliff face on the east side of Comb Ridge, and, as its name indicates, portrays a procession of three long lines of people from the west...

The spectacular expanse of Comb Ridge forms the backbone of central San Juan County. Merry Palmer photo

The Road to the Rising Sun

Tumbleweeds, cheatgrass, and Russian thistles impeded our passage as we trudged toward the ancient road in Comb Wash. They posed even more of a challenge for Kenidee, our little schnauzer, who hopped over, sidestepped, or scooted under the prickly weeds, some of which had blown into piles as big as...

The beauty of Warm Springs. Ted Palmer photo

Exploring Red Canyon, Warm Springs

We could hear the loud pulsing noise even before we rounded the corner, a noise that didn’t belong in Red Canyon. The sound startled us, and as we kept walking up the wash, it grew louder with every step. Earlier that morning, Ted had parked the 4 Runner in Red Canyon and unloaded our little ATV. I...

Merry and Ted Palmer at Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. Courtsey photo

Magnificent roots of the Redwoods

Years ago, I traveled with my family and best friend to the United Kingdom. We took buses, trains, and taxis to reach our destinations as we toured England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. One stop remains vivid in my memory—the York Minster in York, North Yorkshire, England. Workers began...

Along the Tsurai Trail in Northern California. Merry Palmer photo

For Whom the Bells Toll

The San Juan summer sun had seemed intense this year, so Ted, Kenidee, and I relished the moist air and cooler temperatures of the Pacific as we strolled across the beige sand toward the jetty. We were at the Humbolt Bay along the Redwood Coast in California. Before we could climb onto the jetty,...

Sand, burned forests, and butterflies

Bernadette Logue calls our life here on earth a soul odyssey, an epic adventure, saying we came to learn, heal, grow, and contribute, but neither my hubby nor I had our souls’ odysseys in mind when we left Lehman Caves and caught Highway 50, heading west. We merely felt curious about the wonders we...