Ruth, Sophia and I are leaving tomorrow for Arizona to visit Ruth's grandparents. In February. I haven't been anywhere in February in almost fifteen years. When I was a kid my family would take a yearly trip to the Oregon Coast nearly every February, but that was back when we had help taking care of the cows. For a long time now it has been just my dad and I every winter, working seven days a week for five to seven months (depending on how long the winter was). I've had both an aunt and uncle die during the winter, and both times I had to send Ruth to be there, because the cows had to be fed. I've always somewhat resented the cows for that, not personally of course (it wasn't their fault), but collectively. I've given up quite a bit for them over the years. That is why now that they're gone it seems so odd to have the freedom to travel in the winter. It makes me somewhat sad, not only because I miss the cows, but also because those things that I gave up for them are meaningless now that they're gone. I couldn't visit my aunt or uncle on their death beds a few short years ago, but now it has become a trivial thing to fly to Arizona anytime we want. I don't mean to sound self-pitying, I'm glad I was a rancher for the time I was. And now that I'm not, I'm glad of that too.
Now that that is off my chest. We've got some fun things planned for our trip, including seeing the Kartchner Caverns and going to a Renaissance Fair. Also, I hear that Arizona is a magical land where snow never falls (at least the part we'll be in), and though there isn't much water, it actually stays liquid throughout the year! Generally speaking I strongly dislike looking too much like a tourist, however, on this trip I plan to wear shorts and sandals the entire time. They may think it is the middle of winter, but from my perspective it'll feel like a tropical island.
Hopefully I'll get some good photos to put on here when we get back.