Sister time in Sedona

My time in Sedona with my sister Kathleen has come and gone too quickly, but we had a lot of laughs. Now she's back in Washington state.

Our first full day, we hiked the Bell Rock Trail and got lost on the way back. Neither one of us has a sense of direction, and despite all the signs we still got turned around. We finally stopped a guy on a mountain bike and he directed us back the way we had come, then we found a cafe and had cold drinks and  pastries.

Later, we stopped at the Amitabha Stupa, a Buddhist place of spiritual renewal. Prayer flags draped the path leading up to it.

On the way back home, we drove up to Airport Mesa and joined the crowds waiting for the sunset. At the moment that it sunk below the horizon, a big cheer erupted!

The next morning brought a different view, below, as we looked out onto the Verde Valley from the little town of Jerome perched high up on a mountainside. I cannot get enough of the big skies and clear air in the desert -- I think I was born to be a desert dweller.

First order of business after taking pictures was to find a cafe for coffee. Kathleen had an espresso and I had an iced mocha -- I think mine had a few more calories.

Jerome is a quirky little historic town filled with quirky characters. The van below belongs to one of the shop owners.

The book store looks out over the valley, as do the other businesses in town. There are a LOT of stairs!

When we were almost home (this was the last night of Kathleen's visit) we made a last-minute stop at our third mystical/magical/crystal/aura/tarot shop. I bought a strand of peridot chips -- one of my favorite colors -- and the shop keeper gave me this card to go with it. It wraps four times around my wrist as a bracelet, or I can wear it as a necklace. Perfect!

As we pulled into the driveway, the sun was just going down and I rushed onto the deck to get this shot. It was a good visit.

Have a colorful day