November 30, 2025, Grapevine- My sole tasks today were recording measurements of two rooms in the Plano house, using the Notes application on my i-Phone, and doing my laundry. It was not a hard day. Son had to navigate traffic across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, as he does almost every day. He had the harder job. There is a fair number of unfocused, impetuous motorists here, as there are in nearly every major city on the planet. He got the job done just fine.
Much of the difficulty facing the human race has come from one or more people, in any given situation, becoming distracted. There are plenty of diversions competing for anyone’s attention, at any given time of the day: Sunrises and sunsets; cute animals; cute babies; text messages; phone calls; road accidents; attractive members of the opposite sex; billboards; alluring announcements on the radio or streaming device; even someone riding a horse on the side of the road. The tasks, though, remain the same: Drive safely; pay attention to the person in front of you; finish what you start.
I think of this, as I plan out one of the most tightly-choreographed months in quite a while. Not since July, 2011 have I had to face a sea change in my living situation. It will need to be done carefully, and attentively, both because of time frame and because the feelings of so many people, who mean a great deal to me, need to be kept in mind. The most important, of course, are my little family. Others also matter, and so December will see lots of hugs and handshakes and “Thank you for being my friend, all these years.” The saving grace, in each instance, is the continuity offered by social media.
All I can promise anyone is that I will stay on point, and get the tasks of transition done, to the every best of my ability, doing justice for all concerned.
November 28, 2025, Grapevine- The road to diamond ended where it began, in the company of my little family, here in Texas’ Christmas City. There was a sense that life would continue as ever, for the three of us, and in preparation for my third visit to the Philippines, I seriously contemplated moving there, being very strongly drawn to a lovely woman and having made several friends during my first two trips to that beautiful, struggling, supremely hospitable country.
I sojourned a lot this year-to the Philippines in February; back to the eastern U.S., in May and across a wide swath of Europe in September and October. In between, my commitment to Prescott continued unabated and many hours of service were recorded. These were the fruits of twelve years of building relationships and friendships, across sectarian and even ideological lines.
The finest thing about both travels and community service came in seeing people take the reins of empowerment to themselves. Filipinos rejuvenating a local Baha’i Center, building a pavilion for an elementary school, and women standing up and saying “Enough” to abusive significant others made my spirit soar. The initial phases of a Baha’i House of Worship, north of Manila were an added bonus.
Northern Arizona became a distinct Red Cross Chapter again this year. I had little to do with the actual achievement, but was able to establish ties between the organization and at least one rural community, east of Prescott. We also reached out to formerly isolated communities in the far northern reaches of the state-albeit as an outcome of a horrific fire that ravaged the magnificent North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
Getting to spend time with friends in several European countries fulfilled an eleven year old promise. Visits to Sweden, Croatia, Ireland and the United Kingdom accomplished that goal. Paying homage to the victims of the Holocaust, at Auschwitz-Birkenau and to those massacred at Srebrenica, Bosnia & Hercegovina was the fulfillment of what I regard as a duty of a citizen of the world. In most places, my presence was evanescent, yet I felt at home, and would not be unwelcome if I returned.
I have reached my diamond jubilee. The day, and this Thanksgiving visit, have been focused on the coming move of my little family and I into a permanent home. Doing things like meeting the tradesmen who will help prepare the house, going over specs and pointing out things that need to be repaired/replaced, shopping for new furniture to replace items that are, in my case at least, nearly fourteen years old-have taken precedence. Once I get back in Prescott, in the middle of next week, the process of dismantling Home Base I begins in earnest. Furniture will need to be sold or given away, as will clothing, books and a variety of household items. Farewells will be said, at gatherings in the Prescott area, in southern California and in the Phoenix area. Farewell, though, is not an eternal goodbye.
Our little one will arrive, sometime in the second half of December. A new era thus starts, along with the beginning of my “fourth quarter”. Other than a visit to the Philippines, at the start of 2026, itself dependent on the baby’s healthy start and her mother’s health, my time at the new Home Base I, from March onward, will be primarily focused on my granddaughter’s care. Gradually, Plano will become my new community. It will not be Prescott-but then again, Prescott was not Jeddito, and Jeddito was not Jeju. Every Home Base has had its draws, its strengths and its undying memories.
The promise of 75 is the promise of guiding a new life, a new human being, who may very well be the embodiment of much that I have wanted to offer the world. The choice, though, will be up to her alone. All her parents and I can do is guide her with love.
November 27, 2025, Grapevine- My grandchild gave a small kick, when I spoke to her through her mother’s belly. Her coming birth is surely the shiniest blessing, overarching this year and the next. Grandparenthood is already a feeling far different, in a beautiful way, than anything I have ever experienced, and it will only get more so, upon her arrival. Those who are already grandparents know this all too well.
Thankfulness cannot be relegated to one day a year, though I am supremely thankful to have been brought into the world, myself, in a season of collective thanks. Many years, my birthday has fallen on Thanksgiving Day, making my mother thankful that I loved roast turkey, stuffing, butternut squash and green bean casserole, while being tolerant of mashed potatoes. This Thanksgiving Day, the last day before my diamond jubilee, was Aram’s first turn at actually carving a turkey-so he asked me, at long last, to show him how. I am grateful for fatherhood, and the ways that it never ends.
I had lengthy conversations with both of my living brothers today. Both are living embodiments of what it means to persist and redefine success. My sister is that, as well, and has forever defined, for me, triumph over adversity. They have each walked their trails to strength and purposeful living. I am grateful for siblinghood, and the ways that it never ends.
This afternoon,looking at the house where we will be a family of four, gave me a sense of both fulfillment and wonder. I would not have predicted this state of affairs, even a year ago. It is a sizable place and my area is almost as large as my present apartment, save my current kitchen. It will be a comfort being in a house that is a home, from the get go. I will let go of most of what I presently own-including about 80 % of my books. In return, I will have the knowledge that my little family is secure, day to day, and that things can always be replaced. I am grateful for shelter, and the ways that it is always available.
I will be leaving Arizona soon, after an at times topsy-turvy life of service to children and teens, that has only deepened my commitment to their well-being, In the course of things, lifelong friendships have been built, old and counterproductive concepts and habits from my youth have been cast aside and a commitment to Faith has arisen. I am grateful for all the friends who have stood by me, over the past thirty-three years. I am grateful for Divine Guidance, and the ways that it has never let me down.
Over the next 2-5 years, I will be more settled than I have been in the past fourteen. I will need my health and stamina to meet different needs, some of which can only be surmised at this point. Travel has its bounties and strengths; building family also has its share of both. Living consciously and maintaining equilibrium have been an enormous blessing. I am grateful for flexibility, and the ways it has guided me through so much change over the years, and will continue to guide.
Now I have reached a point attained by many elders and by several of my cousins before me. I am grateful for having safely achieved the age of seventy-five. More on that, tomorrow, but let me thank all of you, my family and friends, across this continent and across the planet. You are my life’s grandest blessing.
I am closing with a song that I consider one of the most beautiful of this, or any century. This one is for my Mom and Dad, for whom I have the most gratitude of all.
November 26, 2025, Grapevine, TX- I had breakfast this morning at a new spot on Amarillo’s 6th Street “Fun Zone”: Coffee Fixx. It has superb coffee, and it is the first place I’ve been to in a while that offers Red Hots as a breakfast meat option. For those who wonder, Red Hots are Texas-sized sausage links that have a good, spicy kick. They are a notch above the hot Italian sausage to which I have become accustomed in Prescott.
From Coffee Fixx, I headed down along what I call Texas’ Northwest Passage- a road, or network of roads, from Dallas-Fort Worth to Amarillo and points north and west. It has been my go-to alternative to flying, when the weather is fine, as it is right now. I will depend on the Northwest Passage (US Hwy 287 and Texas Highway 114), when it comes time to bring what is left of my household from Prescott to Plano, in the not-too-distant future.
The Passage has some neat canyons along the way: Palo Duro, which I’ve visited a few times and Caprock, which is actually several canyons, set aside as a State Park, in much the same manner as Palo Duro. Here are a few scenes that presented themselves to me, on the north side of Caprock, this morning.
North side of Caprock (Above, and next few frames)
After viewing Caprock’s features from a Picnic Area, I passed through the Passage’s small, but thriving towns: Childress, Quanah, Chillicothe (struggling, but finding its way back, nicely), Vernon, Iowa Park, and the largest of the region’s cities: Wichita Falls.
After purchasing a gift item for my little family, at Valley Pecans, in Chillicothe, I waited for a lady to get out of the car next to Sportage, then began to back up. I saw a rear door open in a car that was across the way, but whose occupants would have to cross my path to get to the store. A little boy got out, then got back in, then got out again. All the while, I sat there, waiting. When he saw me, he decided to head into the store. Given that he was alone in the car, I’d say that was a good decision he made. In any case, I was not about to move the car until the coast was clear.
After Wichita Falls came Henrietta, Bowie, Alvord, Decatur, Rhome and Roanoke, before Southlake and Grapevine appeared. The near towns of the Passage are becoming exurban, but they still have the feel of independence and newness about them.
In time, the Lone Star Northwest Passage will become as familiar to me as are the Arizona Outback routes to Las Vegas and southern California, the “Lonely Road” from Las Vegas to Reno and the Red Road from Flagstaff to Cortez and Durango. Its communities will be filled with people I consider friends and its sights will be the stuff of the back yard.
Caprock is a good name for one of its signature canyons.
November 25, 2025, Amarillo- Having been interested in prehistoric life since I was around 6 years old, I had to seize the opportunity to visit a place which I had sped past, about two dozen times, over the last 25 years: Mesalands Dinosaur Museum, in Tucumcari, New Mexico.
“Tucumcari Tonight!” was a billboard slogan that was shown as far west as Gallup and as far east as Clinton, OK., in the 1980s and ’90s. The little town’s motels and restaurants were billed as a fine halfway point between Albuquerque and Amarillo, in a bid to recover from the loss of traffic, after I-40 replaced U.S. Highway 66, as the prime east-west conduit in the upper South.
I’ve stayed in Tucumcari a couple of times and stopped for dinner there once. I found it a welcoming place-just a bit too far west, when I was going from Gallup eastward and a bit too far east, when going from Oklahoma City or Amarillo, westward. Today gave me the reason to take in the museum, as my itinerary was Moriarty to Amarillo.
The day started with a wonderfully flavourful “Classic Breakfast” at a Country Pride restaurant, on Moriarty’s west side. After about ten minutes, I was the lone diner in the place, a shame, as this Country Pride’s cooks and server seem to care about their customers. K looked bored stiff, but was pleasant and attentive to me and to those who were about to leave. I felt sorry for her, but she said this is the way in Moriarty, from October to April-slow traffic at the Travel Center. I wouldn’t have guessed it was Shoulder Season last night, though, as the nearby Nachos Mexican Restaurant was packed.
I left Moriarty around 9:15 and headed towards Tucumcari and Amarillo, stopping for gas at some friends’ station in Milagro, a rural stop about halfway between Moriarty and “Tuke”. About five miles west of Tucumcari, there was a one car accident, closing the highway fro about twenty minutes. Some people decided to cross the grassy median, and drive west to the frontage road at Cuervo, then head back east. I thought better of that and stayed put, not being in any particular hurry.
Once traffic resumed, it was not long before I was in the first section of Mesalands, the Early Life exhibit, focusing on ancient sea life: Trilobites, ammonites and prehistoric insects are prominent in the collection of fossils from the Cambrian and Carboniferous Ages, the time before the emergence of amphibians in the Permian Era. There are then open rooms displaying fossils and bronze castings of dinosaurs and related reptilians, early avians and some mammalian megafauna. The Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous Eras are all well-covered. A small section is devoted to the Cenozoic Era, the modern time of mammals, including us humans.
This being a largely fossil-centric institution, minerals have their place in the exhibits, including the Shanks Collection, one of the loveliest mineral exhibits this side of Jerome State Park, in Arizona, which to me is the Gold Standard for mineral displays. Howard and Laura Shanks were keenly interested in the mineral and fossil troves of the Quay County area, collecting sizable amounts of all manner of unearthed gems, minerals and petrified animals and plants. These were donated to Mesalands Community College, in 2004, and the Museum was born. Paleontology has continued apace, with bronze castings and careful restoration of even large dinosaur fossils finding their places in this marvelous collaboration between Mesalands Community College and the people of Tucumcari.
Here are five photos from today’s visit to Tucumcari, Back Then.
Henry Gonzales, professional bronzecaster, who created the dinosaur marvels of Mesalands Dinosaur Museum and taught others his craft.Coelophysis, one of the terrors of the Triassic Period, was an ancestor of velociraptors, and of birds.An Apatosaurus got stuck in the mud, and left this for us.Torvosaurus, an apex predator of the Jurassic Era.A variety of petrified material, in one stone.
There was enough in this Best Kept Secret of northeastern New Mexico to keep me enthralled for two hours. Many more photos will be posted on my Flickr account: https://www.flickr.com/photos/86298326@N07/, over the next several days.
Now, I am resting at a Motel 6, on the west side of Amarillo. After breakfast, tomorrow, in this city’s “Fun Zone” (Old 66), I will make my way down to my little family’s home.
November 24, 2025, Moriarty, NM- I left Home Base I , around 8 a.m,, bound for Texas, with a few stops along the way. The first was the Monday morning Coffee Klatsch, where we each gave a rundown of Thanksgiving plans. I then set out for Winslow, encountering almost no traffic between Camp Verde and the famous corner from the Eagles’ tune. After a nice lunch at Relic Road (aka Sipp Shoppe), I found I-40 also relatively tame, even through Albuquerque, to this old ranching town that has become a favourite stopover of mine, being close to the Duke City and therefore halfway across New Mexico.
I did not focus on taking photos, having taken lots of the I-4- corridor, over the years. It is noteworthy, though, that late November is foliage season-for the cottonwood trees and shrubs along High Desert river banks. So, golds, bright yellows and rust-colours are a frequent site, across north central Arizona and New Mexico.
My attention was more drawn to a Sirius XM channel of ’70s Rock. A few songs conjured memories of people who figured in my life in that decade of dissolute behaviour. “Papa Was a Rolling Stone”, by the Temptations concerns the sons of a reckless, irresponsible man trying to determine the truth about him. The lyrics say he died on the Third of September. I knew a man who did pass away on that day, in 1971. That gentleman was the antithesis of the subject of the psychedelic soul tune. He was a man who never took a dime he hadn’t earned and who worked almost to the day he died.
“Seasons in the Sun, by Terry Jacks, brought the memory of four young men from my hometown, who were killed during the Vietnam Era, two in the war itself and two others, due to accidents in nearby countries. The notion of people dying young is voiced by Jacks, saying goodbye to his best friend, his father and his beloved. It struck many of us, at the time, as sappy and unrealistic. Yet, there were our contemporaries dying around us-and not just the four guys in the military. Disease and automobile accidents took their toll on our generation. One of my best friends in high school dies in a crash, not long after his graduation.
I switched to a folk song channel, just east of Gallup, being guided by less evocative tunes until arriving at Lariat Motel, where I am for the night. Still, the songs that came up on the ’70s “show” helped me that much more, in confronting lingering baggage.
November 19, 2025- I had my last haircut at Prescott’s Fantastic Sam’s, this afternoon. The mane doesn’t need trimming more than every two months or so, making this the last time I stopped in and visited with Brittany, an effervescent ball of fire who makes every stop at FS a joyful experience. She did her usual magic and smilingly wished me well with the coming adventure in grandparenting. I will miss her, and many others, who have been my support system in this Home Base I, for fourteen years.
There will be more of these bright farewells, over the next month or so. Nobody here in Prescott, or in other parts of Arizona, is being grumpy about the move. People are genuinely happy with what I have done here, and at the same time glad that my little family is growing. I am grateful for that. My beloved K, writing from the Philippines, is also happy for me, and has some dreams of her own that I sincerely hope will see fruition. At this age, one can dearly love another person and not be tethered to a set of schedules and procedures that are more conducive to establishing a marriage and raising a family. K and I can meet the needs of our respective families and not worry about preconceived notions of others. I will make time for a visit over there, provided my little family’s needs are being met, in the meantime.
That leaves the proper distribution of furniture and other items, like books and tools, over the next four or five weeks. Those, too, will be bright farewells. My belongings have served me well, and I am grateful. It’s time to pass much of the materials along.
November 14, 2025- A young friend asked me what the best strategy is for deciding where to live. There are three main factors behind my own choices: Family, good of the community and peace of mind. In 2011, I had to decide where I would live next, as my house was up for sale, and purchasing another one would have been foolhardy. A family home was available, in Prescott, I could serve the community in several ways and it is a very pleasant place in which to live. That made choosing this Home Base very easy.
Being a Sagitarrian, I find wanderlust is a constant refrain, but I am also mindful that there is value in establishing ties to community; thus, the idea of Home Base. I could have stayed with Prescott as Home Base I for several more years. The coming birth of my first grandchild, however, brings on a feeling far stronger than wanderlust, or the desire to be close to someone I also love dearly. So, Home Base I will shift to Plano, Texas, sometime in the middle or latter part of next month. There will always be other Home Bases: HB II, unless I hear differently from my beloved there, is Metro Manila ( or wherever she is); HB III, Prescott; HB IV, Nynashamn, Sweden; HB V, Dinetah/Hopi; HB VI, Exton/Oley, Pennsylvania; HB VII, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia; HB VIII, Jeju, Korea; HB IX, northeast Scotland.
I hear you saying, why so many? One can only live in one place at a time and “serve only one master.” I also understand that there are those who turn away from someone who leaves their area. Some, in a few of the places mentioned, already have made their displeasure with me quite clear. I am sorry for any hurt you might feel, but know that family is always a priority for me-as it is for some of those who have expressed annoyance. The shoe fits equally well on both pairs of feet. I will be present for my grandchild as long as needed, especially once parents are both back at work. You will be fine and know that I don’t care for you any less than I ever have.
In Prescott, I (initially) served family, have done right by the community and found peace of mind. The same thing is true of several of the other Home Bases. It will be true of Plano.
November 10, 2025- I was thirty-five minutes out from Bellemont, when I got the message that the plumber was “on his way”. Knowing that two other people were already on site, I continued on towards the property. Once on the access road, I spotted the plumber’s truck and one other car ahead of me. Plumber turned onto a neighbouring development, so I followed the second car to Bellemont and four of us waited for the plumber to get his bearings.
The winterization process, for a property that will see minimal use during the off-season, involves draining the water tanks, pipes and hoses. Plumber had to “blow out” the tanks and pipes, to prevent against freezing that would lead to rupture. This property is in an area that gets more snow than even Flagstaff, a scant fifteen miles to the east, so no precaution is too extreme.
I will need to “winterize” my friendships with people in Home Base I, and in the Philippines, given that my life plans have changed. Immediate family has to come first, so whatever is necessary to avoid rupture, by way of transparency and honest, direct interest in what is going on in friends’ lives will have to suffice-until the day when I can spend time with them again. Making the most of remaining time here, and possibly going to “the Phils”, between the time of my grandchild’s birth and the day that I am needed permanently in Texas, will alleviate things somewhat.
November 6, 2025- The talk, other than about Blood Drives, trailer reorganizations and the entry in Prescott’s upcoming Veterans’ Day Parade, was regarding my pending move to Texas. My Red Cross associates are, in a pleasant surprise, fully on board with it. I have been with the local RC organization since 2012, so ties to the group are strong. Nonetheless, the most important thing to most Red Cross staffers and volunteers is family. To a one, those meeting in Prescott today expressed happiness at the upcoming arrival of my grandchild.
These next eight weeks or so will therefore be very much concerned with letting go of household furniture, a good many books and some other items that have accumulated over the past fourteen years. Another family member who made a similar move, a few years back, has,by example, given me a roadmap ( no pun intended) for this move to be done efficiently and successfully.
In the middle of it all comes Thanksgiving, and we will celebrate it in Grapevine, while looking ahead to spending next year in a house, instead of an apartment. I will drive out there and back, largely because of the uncertainty that still hangs over the airline industry, due to the government shutdown. My diamond jubilee will be the day after Thanksgiving, and besides, the three of us have so much for which to be grateful. Not the least of it is the arrival of family member # 4. I already feel a very deep love, not explicable to anyone who is not themselves a grandparent.
So, my plan is to spend 2-3 days each way on the road, and repeat the process just before Christmas, weather permitting.
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A Sagittarian Seeker 