Lady Vivianne MacWench and I began our journey to G5 on Wednesday the 15th of March.  (Wait, isn't that the Ides of March? *g*)  We had a long drive to Santa Fe for our stopover, but the drive was nice -- even through places like Deming, the literal one-stoplight town *g* -- clear, and cool as we got into mountain country.  Viv and I were both in shorts, typical Arizona wear...I had packed my overnight stuff in a little bag, Viv decided (since it wasn't that cold even at 8 pm when we arrived) that she'd go down for her next day's in the morning.  (Yes, there's a point to this...and yes, Viv, I'm ratting you out again. *g*)
 
 

The next morning around 8:30, I got up, and went to look out the window.  Viv was still prone in the other bed behind me, and she asked, "How does it look out there?"  Still in shock, I replied very matter-of-factly, "It's snowing."  Viv shot straight up in bed.  "WHAT?!?"  In fact, it was snowing...little tiny flakes still floating down, and an inch or two on the car. :^)

But most of it was off the roads, which were barely even wet.  Viv went down to get her suitcase in her pajamas (which at least were pants, not shorts!) and my denim shirt for a wee bit of warmth.  (Of course, there was a family setting out wrapped up like Eskimos, looking at her very strangely.  She was doing okay til she stepped in a puddle, then knocked snow onto her feet while getting the suitcase out -- onto her sandaled feet. :^)

 We wandered around Santa Fe a bit that morning (after scraping off the car).  It's a beautiful city, very very very Southwest (and coming from a Southwesterner, that says a lot *g*).  It was drippy and wet and full of snow patches, but it was still impressive.  Native Americans set up their wares near the Governor's Palace, and I bought the sandpainting below from a very radiant Navajo woman named Lena Toledo.  Her warmth and attitude impressed me, she grinds stones to get the sand colors (no dyes) and there's real personality in everything she makes.  Lots of Native American and Southwestern stuff to buy there, if you've got the money.
 
 

We made it to Denver the next day (Thurs)...not a lot of problems, the roads were all good and dry, but hitting the end of rush hour in Denver was not a great thing.

On the way home, we got out of Denver just before the weather got too bad, I guess...we had ice on the windshield (thank goodness for a good defroster) and it was still a little snowy, but the road conditions weren't too bad.  We were more delayed by an accident just outside of Denver.  That put us in Santa Fe too late to really wander around again, so we had a good dinner at Tortilla Flats (where we'd eaten lunch before heading to Denver) including their marvelous margaritas.  (Highly recommended for anyone going to Santa Fe.)  We hit some snow and gusts and even fog until we were well out of high country, and even nearing home it was still very cool and slightly rainy -- unusual weather for us desert rats. :^)  But we made it without major incidents, and my car performed wonderfully on its nearly 2000 mile round-trip journey.  It was a great week away from the stresses of job and home.