Summer of Love

The wedding was perfect! We were married in Santa Fe’s probate court and what could be better for two young lovers? Then eight of us went out to lunch at La Casa Sena (thanks, mom, for sending us a bottle of champagne!). Dinner was back at Bob and Catfish’s: mussels and ribs and a long night by the fire. All this before Josh and I headed back to the honeymoon yurt. Yee haw!!

Post-wedding festivities:  Taos Ski Valley for a small hike (wild raspberries along the path and, generally, an altitude not for the weak-at-heart), ice cream in Arroyo Seco, a quick peek into the Rio Grande gorge (wow & wow) and back home for an amazing Indian dinner (thanks Jeremy!).

Today (Thursday) is our last day here in Ojo Sarco, so I’ll be back on the grid and therefore able to make my posts each day. We have about 32 hours ahead of us before the next big destination: Niagara Falls and Josh’s brother and his family in Buffalo. I’ll let you know where we stop along the way. It looks like Cheyenne will be first. Wyoming!

I am committed to writing a few words each day, but since we’re off the grid up here, I’ll be combining a few together. Also, on night 3, I had one-too-many Courvoisier, which seems almost impossible, but true!

The big day is tomorrow. We’ll be having brisket and red velvet cake for the pre-celebration and right now Cara and I are on our way to Santa Fe to meet up with a few friends. Josh and Jeremy are fishing at the Embudo Canyon. Lots of great food and dog walks and shooting stars up here. Hummingbirds all over the yard and the far cry of coyotes in the morning. I could easily step off the grid and set my tent up in their yard.

Got to go! A bride has a schedule.

Aliens!

Epigraph from the book I’m reading, “The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.” –St. Paul, 1 Corinthians 7:4

And that leads me to the package I received last night at the Austin Motel (which I loved! Room 136) from my mom. Inside was the Catholic Bride’s Manual! It was something she was given for her wedding. From the mass for the bridegroom and bride, “Let women be subject to their husbands…because man is head of the woman.” Right-o! It was beautiful and I love the tradition. I also love to think of the women in my family who were, in many ways, independent.

A quick recap of day 2: I bought my cowboy boots! Yee haw haw! Hank Williams and Hank Snow on the radio. Windmills off against the vast, pale sky and little derricks hammering slowly down on miles of scrub land. Sunflowers and corn and ranches and many miles between small towns. West Texas. At one point we took Farm to Market Road to a Dairy Queen. All afternoon my hands smelled like ice cream. Tonight we’re at a cheap motel in one of the “luxurious” rooms (as opposed to one of the “economy” rooms). The toilet backed up and I just kicked a cockroach from my bare foot. Luxury! Though the dog is on the king-size bed where I’m also headed. Sweet dreams of UFOs!

Broadcasting from the Austin Motel which only allows ten minutes of internet at a time. I’ll write fast and since this is the first night, fast is good! We got a late start from Baton Rouge partly because of the storm and partly because it takes me twice as long as Josh to get anything done. Inky (our cat) was under the porch and none too happy with the rain or with us. He’s got no idea we’ll be gone for three weeks! The beginning of the beginning. Some towns and waterways along the way: Whiskey Bay, Atchafalaya Basin (the largest U.S. swamp), Opelousas, Lake Charles, Sugar Land and the Rice Palace Casino. The last seemed like a good place to get hitched, though we’re still holding out for Santa Fe. Tomorrow I’m picking up my wedding cowboy boots and we’ll probably just go as far as west Texas. I’ve got pictures and we just returned from downtown where we found a photo booth. We’ll try to find as many as we can along the way.

I once started a blog  called Alligator Radio. It’s trucker talk or cb slang for a radio that sends out a message loud and clear but has trouble receiving. It’s all talk and no ears, much like a blog. So if you’re hammered down in the big hole (driving fast in top gear), and you’ve got your ears on, I appreciate the visit. Jolene and Josh are out for a walk, but we all say goodnight.

Beginning August 2010.