This is our sixth cross-country road trip in the past seven years. I bought coffee mugs and ball caps from each National Park during many of these sojourns. I’m not much of a collector of ‘things,’ but I treasure my NP mugs and hats. Yet I realize I have more than enough, so I’ve not been spending much time in gift shops this year. However, that changed in Kanab, and I’ll show you what I bought at the end of this letter.
This time around the country feels different to me. I am lighter and happier; I feel fulfilled and at peace with where Samwise, Emily, and I are. Samwise is getting older, and we may not have many more vigorous adventures after this year, so I am drinking it in. All of it.
(Sam is still good to go, still happy, always pondering, as you could see at the end of Tuesday’s Kanab video. We have many adventures ahead, but I am not taking them for granted.)
We are blessed, and we are grateful. Ours is a good and simple life.
So many own more and bigger things, but I feel we’ve got happiness down. All we need is some peace, a little quiet, the occasional adventure, good food, and an appreciation of the world around us.
Our itinerary is dotted with more than a few “uncompleted” items this trip, primarily due to the weather. Yet, we are also taking in so much more.
How we treasure finding secrets on service roads, all dirt, out in the country. Or looking out over horizons we don’t get to enjoy in the White Mountains. Now that we’ve landed in Tucson, the birdsong is a reason to be awash in bliss.
As happens almost every trip, either Samwise or Emily (and sometimes both) tweak a leg while roughhousing or racing each other. This time, it was Sam’s turn. We cut back on mileage for the first few days and slowed our pace. This morning, after a week, though, he was back to being himself, leading most of our six-mile hike among the saguaro souls.
So, not even Sam’s jammed leg put a damper on our days.
We are making new friends, and we’ve even changed our route and extended our travels to spend more time with one. This will add to our life-affirming big surprise for you on our next-to-last stop! We will share more about these upcoming chapters as the weeks pass.
Each day, we meet strangers, and after a few minutes, they are nothing but a comfort. That’s one of the benefits of travel.
Usually, toward the end of each month on the road, we pick out an animal rescue charity to raise money for. It’s our way of saying, “We are filled with so much; here’s some for others in need.”
I am a sucker for underdog stories and those who deserve the same chances Max, Will, Samwise & Emily had.
This month, we’re moving up our fundraiser, which begins today and runs through Sunday at midnight. The reason? We were just in Kanab and stopped by Best Friends Animal Society, the most incredible such organization in the world.
So here’s the deal.
As you know, at the end of our trip, I will write out five checks for the organizations we raised money for. The first two are Cape Cod’s The Sampson Fund and Emily’s rescue organization, Operation Pets Alive. Best Friends is now number three.
Anyone buying a subscription will save 20% off through Sunday at midnight. This goes for all annual subscriptions, whether for yourself, a gift, or a donated subscription. Each bought subscription adds your name to a raffle. Buy two, your name goes in twice. Buy three; your name is entered three times.
Best Friends will get a portion of each subscription. Better yet, I’ll draw three names from those who buy an annual subscription in any form, and they’ll receive whatever cap or hat they wish from Best Friends Animal Society. This is the one I chose.
Here are some of the other options.
If you are a new subscriber, you have plenty of locked posts to catch up on. I’ve posted over 600 letters on Substack, all of which will be unlocked once you pay for a subscription.
Free subscribers will continue to receive between 1 and 3 monthly letters. Paying subscribers receive an average of 12 when we are home and between 15 and 20 when traveling.
Over the next few days, there will be letters covering our time in Kanab, a tour of our yard for the next month, our run-in with a javelina, what a heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure survivor eats in a day at our casita, a simple explanation and advice about eating this way (answering reader Bill Griffiths questions), and at least two music videos. Stay tuned.
We are thrilled to have you here.
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