A few weeks ago, Pat and I went on a hike in the McDowell Mountain/Sonoran Mountain range. A beautiful 70 degree January day. ahhhhhhhh, the sun! The sun. Even in the desert, he and I are feeling a little pale. It was a good 4-5 mile hike into the range, up a saddle and down again. I think I stopped at every cactus, in awe of how these things can grow so tall and stately. It takes a Saguaro 75 years to grow one arm. There’s something poetic in that, some sort of life lesson about how we first must listen and look before we can reach higher. This was my first outing and exercise since I’ve been sick. Still on the mend, but the fresh air gave my lungs a good cleaning.

photo 1

backlit

cactusthumb

caughtintheact

mcdowellmtsaddletrail

mcdowellmttrail

ocatillogate

saguaro

spikes

The next bunch is from a girls weekend this past weekend. I have a tendency to steal Pat’s girlfriends and make them my own. I did it in college and I’ll do it now, dammit! A couple are his coworkers (Jacki – blondie; and Lindsey – longer brown hair); Gina is Jacki’s roommate. We went to Sedona, drank, sat in the hot tub under the stars, went to a blues club and laughed our asses off. We also got small tattoos. Don’t tell my mother! Wait, I’m seeing her this weekend anyway… oh well. The arrows – one for me and one for Pat – mean we are separate but always going in the same direction, together. How could Mom be mad at that?!

MeGina

photo 4

photo 3

photo 2


Comments

4 responses to “Pat Hike/Girls weekend”

  1. Excellent tattoage. How did I not know you were sick?

    1. rachelvb Avatar
      rachelvb

      I love my arrows! We’ll see how the fam takes another one 😉 Although this one is significantly smaller than the bird on my wrist. God, I’ve been sick for what feels like years! Sick before Christmas, then better for a week, then sick from Christmas until now. I’m finally on some antibiotics. Plus all the holiday work at the paper on top of that and no time off. I wanted to chop my head off. I’ve been a little scattered. Today is the first day I feel like I have a clear head. Man, that’s nice!

  2. i love seeing your face. you are so pretty and give off such light.

    1. rachelvb Avatar
      rachelvb

      Angella! The desert has been good to me. Although, I’m feeling a little pale for living in Phoenix. Oh well – the sun is bad right? 😉 I equally love seeing your pictures and love hearing how happy you are in this new life/adventure. Isn’t it strange to look back and wonder how the hell we lived that way and why? For me at least. But it’s all part of how we get where we get and I wouldn’t change a thing. I’m glad to hear you had a wonderful trip to Jamaica. I’ll have to get there someday. God, that sounds wonderful. xoxo

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