9.03 The Kids at the merry-go-round and up to the Pinnacle, on Munds Trail

Sedona is a very special place for us. It’s not the new-age religion, new-age science or even the new-age president. In fact, there are places spotted from mountain tops where we would like to…”.You’re right, dear Editor,” we humbly agreed, “current events only upset us and should not be part of this blog.” Why is Sedona special? Jenni says that it’s most attractive with red rocks and mountains forming a perimeter around the town. Wherever one stands, the beautiful sights are in abundance and always visible. Who can argue with that?

Hoodoos? This is not Bryce Canyon

I spy through the peep hole—Blue hazy mountains

View is spectacular despite knocking knees

Sitting at Devil’s Bridge, we introduced ourselves to Ron and Jerome from North Carolina. Ron made an interesting comment: “You gotta sit and look out yonder and listen to those rocks calling to you.” There was a time when we might have suggested to Ron that he should substitute Diet Coke for whatever he’s drinking. Nowadays, we have a much better understanding of his wise words. Besides, it makes a change as we no longer ‘talk to the trees’.

Preparing for lunch in a breathtaking environment

We can’t get this new age business from our minds. It is very sobering to realize that one has been behaving incorrectly. What’s even worse is to come to an understanding that one’s parents advised us poorly. It gets worse. We realize we passed on this foolishness to our children, too. From generation to generation, we have been wrong. Today, we have the erudite leadership, which has a fresh approach. ‘Borrow and spend’, they tell us. Borrow more, spend more—it’s healthy. If we could borrow, what would we buy, we pondered. The best idea that came to mind was a new pair of boots. Exciting stuff!

‘Save your money for a rainy day, our parents kept telling us.’ Little did they know that we would move to San Diego where the rain is sparse. Yet, knowing this, we still passed on, at the time we thought sage advice, to our children. Will they ever forgive us? Meanwhile ‘Helicopter Ben', of the Federal Reserve, keeps printing dollars and depreciates the currency. We can only hope that Ellie will borrow and spend, learning from our mistakes.

Merry-Go-Round Rock, destination the top

Steady as she goes; rising wind makes it interesting

The Phoenix Rock—appropriate for Arizona

We hiked close on ten miles today, gaining a modest cumulative 1,500 feet while surrounded by the interesting, colorful rock shapes, mountains, both bare and tree covered. We strayed from the trail, which is essential in Sedona, particularly as we scaled the Merry-go-round Rock and perched on its pinnacle. It was breathtaking sitting at such a high vantage point while gazing at the incredible scenery. Jenni announced lunch hoping the wind velocity would not increase further—it gets a little spooky at height when blowing. We pulled out apples and began to eat. When we noticed a worm crawling on the backpack, we hoped that it was passing by and had not been in our lunch. After all, we had cut meat from our diets many years ago.

At the pinnacle of the Merry-go-round Rock

A typical scene on trail at Mund's

It was a first for us, the Munds Trail, proving how much we still have to accomplish on the local circuit. During the last two miles, Jenni inquired, “Where did my fitness disappear over the last month?” Since we are studying the delicate art of tact, we refrained from offering an answer.

Cheers,

Jenni and Jeffrey