The night before we left for Colorado, we were watching the weather and worrying about flash flooding. We decided to take a different route, heading up through Shiprock and Cortez, then through Dove Creek, over Slickrock, and across Disappointment Valley. Apparently, it earned its name because there is no water there. Given the reason for our detour, that seemed appropriate.

We stayed with Samantha and my cousin Corey in Norwood on Friday night. We went out to dinner together and spent the evening catching up. We always enjoy our time with them. Samantha has done a lot of work on the family genealogy, so we talked about family history, and Corey and I shared memories of our aunts and uncles. It was a wonderful way to begin the weekend.

The next morning, the drive from Norwood to Montrose was beautiful. I got some gorgeous pictures coming through the valley.

Saturday was the first annual Montrose Book Fair. My Aunt Mary Anna came early and bought signed copies of both Anywhere But Here and The Space Between Songs. She already had the ebooks, but she wanted copies I could autograph. That meant a lot to me.

The fair was fun. There was great food and plenty of interesting people to talk with. Near the end of the day, my cousin Jerri and her daughter Jamie arrived after driving through a serious downpour from Grand Junction. Jamie bought The Space Between Songs; she already has Anywhere But Here. Jerri had forgotten to bring her copies for me to sign, but I’ll see her in November.

I sold thirteen books over the weekend, mostly to family. It meant a lot to have them show up, visit, and take my stories home with them.

After the fair, we headed toward Nucla. I wanted to stop for more pictures in the valley, but we were in a hurry. Samantha and Corey had given us a boat, and we needed to get to Nucla in time to meet with a notary for the paperwork. Even without stopping, there was plenty to see. We spotted a big herd of elk just outside Norwood and several deer along the drive.

Then we went to Uncle Frank and Fran’s house—the house that belonged to my grandma. Uncle Frank, my dad, and Aunt Mary Anna were all born there. I hadn’t been to Nucla in more than sixteen years, and it had been closer to twenty-five since I’d been inside that house. Spending time with family there was one of the best parts of the weekend.

Uncle Frank also has horses in his pastures that belong to a neighbor. I love horses, so of course I took a bunch of pictures—especially of the buckskin and the pinto.

I’d come with another photograph in mind, too. I thought the old barn might make the perfect cover image for Midway Saints. I took pictures in the Saturday evening light and went out again early Sunday morning. I did come home with the photograph I want to use for the cover, but it wasn’t the image I had pictured before we arrived.

On the way home, we drove over Lizard Head Pass, a route I’d never taken before. The aspens were just starting to turn, and the whole drive was beautiful. It gave me one more chance to enjoy the Colorado scenery before heading home.

I went for a book fair, hoping I might also find a photograph for my next book. I came home with both of those experiences, a camera full of pictures, a boat, and the pleasure of spending time with family in a place I hadn’t visited in far too long.