Phoenix

After all the dust settled from the blown tire, we had a great visit with Mom and Bud.  My niece, Cari, came over on Wednesday night and it was great to see her.  We went out to eat several times, Mom and I ran some errands (including getting our flu shots) and Mom baked some cookies for Doug.  They were great!

Doug trimmed some fronds off of a palm tree for Mom, the dogs loved going to the dog park (particularly on the golf cart) and I got caught up on some laundry.  We had coffee outside early every morning and watched the sun come up.

We left there Friday morning to drive to Albuquerque.  We took some U.S. Highways as a short cut up to 40.  Through the Sonoran Desert and some mountains.  Beautiful two lane highways.

We stayed at a KOA just north of Albuquerque on Friday night where we had free cable and WI-FI.  Saturday morning, we set out for Colorado Springs.  Just north of the Colorado border, we visited the Ludlow Massacre site.  In 1914, a clash between striking coal miners and the Colorado State Militia ended up with 24 people dead, including women and children.

Here's a link to read more about the strike and massacre.  http://www.santafetrailscenicandhistoricbyway.org/ludlow.html

Thank God for the miners, the early auto workers and the construction workers who fought hard for 40 hour work weeks, paid time off, worker safety, health insurance and retirement benefits.  All workers owe them gratitude for the basic employee rights and benefits we enjoy today.

Coffee makes us severe, and grave, and philosophical.  ~Jonathan Swift