The rest of yesterday afternoon, as we made our way to our next base camp at Flagstaff, we were chased across the Arizona desert by storms. Where there are big skies there can be big weather. (At one stage, looking back, I could see three separate storms behind us on the desert, with good weather in between.) Our hotel boasts a two-mile walk through a Ponderosa pine forest, so we set off for a pre-dinner walk. Half way around, though, a storm raced up on us and we had to run back, lightning and thunder crashing about us. Today, storms have crashed about us, with plenty of spectacular air-to-ground lightning, some of it close by. The locals don’t seem to mind, though. In downtown Flagstaff this afternoon people were wandering around apparently oblivious to the lightning strikes just near them. This evening we ate at Black Barts Steak House, Saloon and Musical Revue. It was a theoretically bizarre dining experience but, in fact, worked very well. From time to time the waiters get up onto a stage and sing – sometimes alone, sometimes with others, and always accompanied by a good pianist. It was great fun. (We quizzed our – singing – waitress. Flagstaff is a university town and most of the waiters and waitresses are stduents). All too quickly our solitary rest day was over. Tomorrow we’re back on the road.
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