Turtle Runner

Running in Mesquite, Nevada. I ran around the air-field southwest of town and out into the desert. Enjoyed running up the dried water beds and studying the Desert Trumpet plant. On the way back to the hotel I got a call from my brother Paul saying my grandma (age 103) died in St. George about 1am in the morning. I guess we won't be stopping in St. George on our way through to see grandma. Funeral is Saturday so I'll get home just in time to turn around and go back.

Had a great run in Moab. I started by running up the Mill stream through town and then toward the east side of town headed up the mountain and ran along the top of the ridge along the east side of town. I realized it was time to be getting back to the hotel but I hadn't found a good trail back down so had to climb down the cliff face rocks. It would have really freaked out others to see me do that but I went slow and tried to remain calm. Just scratched my elbo a little but otherwise I made it down safely and was only 40 minutes later than I said I would be. We then went to Dead Horse Cliff State Park and Canyonlands National Park and I realized another flower I'm seeing everywhere is a very interesting plant they call Mormon Tea. It doesn't really have a flower - rather it is a tiny little yellow cone - it apparently is a reduced for of one of the conifer plant families. I will have to study it further at home. I also loved the beautiful cacti flowers (Claret Cup Cacti). This has been a beautiful trip! 

It was fun exploring around Moab again. I decided to try to find a route that went by where the Colorado River cuts between the cliffs just northwest of the town of Moab. I ended up in the Wildlife Preserve. At one point I was startled by a dozen deer and as they seemed to watch me run by instead of me watching them. That seemed strange since usually people go to places like that to watch the animals. I guess seeing a primate run by was fascinating or a curiosity to them. The cottonwood trees were beautiful as the little seeds caught the wind and had the sunlight behind them. I finally found the road that followed the Colorado river on the south side. I ran out of time but if I am in Moab again, I'll know how to get to the road and perhaps can follow the Colorado River for several miles through the canyon.

This was the day of my grandma's funeral in St. George. I got up before the sun at 4:00am and headed out for a run along the Virgin River as it goes through the west end of the valley. Then later in the day - while the family were meeting before the viewing and funeral, I made a walk along another trail. Finally, after the funeral, I didn't want to talk to all my siblings or cousins who want to pretend that life is so simple and exclude my reality so I slipped out after the funeral and went for a third walk rather than attend the luncheon or visit at my Aunt Carol's house with all the out-of-town guests. I wasn't really looking for a long run but it gave me an excape from my tomo ("totally Mormon") family that doesn't acknowledge the legitimacy of my existence. Apparently my absence created some little bit of stir among some of the relatives. At the funeral I sat away from the rest of the family and thereby avoided having to go up with all the other grandchildren and sing Mormon Jesus songs that I don't believe in - which many of my other secular cousins were pressured into doing. I enjoyed hearing my aunts and uncles talk about their mother and it was a great tribute and I am happy with the way I can begin to reconstruct my relationship to my family as a peripheral member and not a core member of the family.