Snow in Flagstaff

Sorry about the lack of correspondence, folks. Robert has been so diligent and I. . . have been so sleepy. But not today! Today we have been stranded in the lovely old frontier town of Flgstaff, AZ. The drive up into town yesterday was AMAZING. After leaving Phoenix we approached the beautiful, rugged peaks of the mountains in northern Arizona (think rocky soil and beautiful, tall cactus plants, scrubby bushes-- no trees). As we climbed in elevation pine trees started to appear, the cacti faded out, and soil and rocks became red. Robert took a video in Sedona, totally breathtaking, totally different from the surrounding landscape.

---Liz

Flagstaff is almost 7000 ft in elevation. Last night we visited the Lowell Observatory, a turn of the century giant telescope built by Percival Lowell (of the wealthy and famed Lowell family in Massachusetts). The observatory was so fantastically crafted that is was even used by government researchers leading up to the moon landing 50 years later! It's so strange to be in a state that only achieved its official statehood less than 100 years ago. We didn't get to view anything in particular through the telescope as the city was covered in snowclouds. I haven't even gotten to see its jealously guarded starry skies with the naked eye either. Such is life, eh? The snow is beautiful even if it has interfered with our plans.