Moominmama Takes It Easy

In which Moominmama takes a mental break, returning to Fruita and Grand Junction in Western Colorado...

After a week of epic hikes in Utah and little contact with the outside world, Moominmama has returned to a location she visited last year. This provides a welcome opportunity to relax the brain. I know where the supermarket is. I know where the library and town pool are. I know a great pizza place for lunch.

This is a welcome break from locations where absolutely everything is new and unfamiliar. I am still in canyon country, but unlike the awe-inspiring heights and towering canyon walls of Capitol Reef or Arches, hiking here is more like being in a nice church than the Notre Dame.

Hikes here allow me to appreciate some of the little things, like these small daisy-like flowers. These were only about 6-inches tall and appeared to grow right out of the red sandstone, though I suspect there's a crack under there that provides for the roots.

Flume Canyon in McInnis Canyons Conservation Area includes a small narrows where sections of rock have washed away.  Here, walking under this overhang, I could see exactly how silt forms into sedimentary rock as gravity compresses the layers.

Between hikes, I am getting work done in the local library, swimming in the community pool, watching sunsets from my campground and taking care of errands like an oil change for the car!

I made a big pot of stew one afternoon and another day, paid a visit to my favorite pizza place, Hot Tomato, where I got a generous salad and the slice of the day: garlic sauce with mushroom, artichoke and cherry tomato. 

Couldn't even wait to get a picture before I dug in! 

I've gone from awe to simple pleasures, and it's a welcome change of pace. This is something I've learned to do as I travel. This season marks Year Four of my adventures, and it's better to go slow and come back than rush to fit everything in.  I may have a list of things to see when I visit a national park, but I make sure to break that up with periods, like now, without an itinerary. 

Western Colorado has proved to be my go-to location for restocking and replenishing over the last few years. And after last week, I'm enjoying hot showers and clean laundry. 

I'm doing some "housecleaning" and talking on the phone with friends and family. I'm clearing work off my plate so I can do the next leg of my trip without worrying about internet or cell service.

I'm also picking out hikes depending on how I feel in the morning, and looking to revisit some favorites from last year. 

And I'm stopping to admire the littlest of the creatures around me. I'll be here for another week and probably won't post next week because it'd be boring! Nothing new! 

I'm actually looking forward to a little boredom and walking along familiar paths. 











Location: Fruita, CO 81521, USA

Comments

  1. NMLMay 31, 2024 at 1:40 PM

    Sounds like a wonderful time to recharge! And you certainly are still enjoying life’s pleasures to the fullest!

    ReplyDelete
  2. ErikaMay 31, 2024 at 2:20 PM

    Very pretty area

    ReplyDelete

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