: \' I I ,, ' .J- SHENANDOAH, IOWA 25 CENTS VOL. 38 OCTOBER, 197 4 NUMBER 10 -Photo by Strom PAGE 2 KITCHEN-KLATTER MAGAZINE, OCTOBER, 1974 middle of the ponds and the kids got a kick out of that. Kitchen·Klatter "The next day we boarded that nar­ <Reg. U. S. Pat. Off.) row gauge train for the run from Dur­ MAGAZINE ango to Silverton, and it was far more interesting and beautiful than we had "More Than Just Paper And Ink" anticipated. I believe everyone on EDITORIAL STAFF board had cameras, and Jed and I were Leanna Field Driftmier, Lucile Driftmier Verness, clicking away right with them. My, I Margery Driftmier Strom hope some of those slides and movies Subscription Price $2.50 per year (12 issues) in the U.S.A. turn out good. The kids were simply Foreign Countries $3.00 per year. enthralled with every minute of that Advertising rates made known on application. Entered as second class matter May 21, 1937, at the post trip, and I said when we got back to office at Shenandoah, Iowa, under the Act of March 3, 1879. Durango that if I had my druthers I'd Published monthly by get back on the next day and repeat it. THE DRIFTMIER COMPANY LEANNA FIELD DRIFTMIER Shenandoah, Iowa S 1601 "Be sure you tell our Kitchen-Klatter Copyright 1974 by The Driftmier Company friends, Mother, that if they want to cross northern New Mexico after leav­ LETTER FROM LUCILE tions. No camping charges either, and ing the Colorado border to be sure they that's always a help. But the Canyon get an absolutely new, up-to-date map, Dear Good Friends: is so spectacular that Juliana said it because the map we had marked this This morning at the breakfast table attracts her like a magnet and she as secondary, but in actuality it is a when I said to Betty: "Well, I'm going hopes to go back there more than once brand-new road, paved and with wide into my room now and write to our in the summers to come. shoulders. It certainly is better than Kitchen-Klatter friends" she said in From there they went to Mesa Verde most of the roads in this state. There astonishment: "AGAIN? Why you just to see the famous cliff ruins and she was no traffic on it and we saw sev­ wrote your letter a few days ago!" says about this: "The camping there is eral coyotes running across the road - It seems that way to me too, so that lovely and each spot has privacy, but this thrilled the kids. shows you what a whirling maze these trying to get around to and in the ruins "Our last night on the road we pitch­ recent months and weeks have been. is a mob scene. We'd like to tackle it ed camp in heavy timber where they There may be people who've had an again in the autumn when there aren't had had recent rains and a s~n was idle summer, but I haven't heard from such mobs - if there ever is such a posted permitting campfires. We didn't any of them. time. have any wood with us and we '11:wJ. In my last letter I said that Juliana "But the forest rangers gave a mar­ also run out of bread, so Jed said q·e'd and Jed were going to try to get away velous talk at night and James and put up the tent and watch the1 kid'",, if for a week's vacation and, if they suc­ Katharine listened spellbound as he I'd go down to the nearest St'Jre d ceeded, I'd tell you about it in this explained things. It was an experience get some bread. I got the b),ead 1 letter; so here are some of the details. they will never forget. right and some milk, and then 'I First, in preparation for their initial "Then too, we found a couple camped the old man who ran the plac camping experience, they bought a tent, next to us who proved to be very inter­ could buy a little wood. Wood is one of these small stoves to cook on esting to visit with. The man was an bly expensive in New Mexico an and the essential gear that is needed. engineer from West Germany and his pected just enough to have (I've never slept in a tent in my life so wife was a former art teacher in Dutch campfire. all of this is an unknown quantity to Guiana, so they were glad to meet an "The old man said: 'Now i ~u me.) engineer from Albuquerque and his drive around in back I'll put some in The kids were so wild to see the wife (namely, Juliana!) who had ma­ your car for you,' and so I drove around tent pitched that Jed set it up immedi­ jored in Art Education at the Univer­ and he began piling in the wood - I ately right outside his bedroom win­ sity of New Mexico. helped him because he really needed dows, and from then until they de­ "After we left Mas a Verde we drove help. When we had the car loaded I parted the kids slept in it every night to Cortez, and from there we went up said: 'What do I owe you?' and he re­ and occasionally with one or two of the Dolores River Valley and over plied: 'Would a dollar be too much?' their little friends. Juliana laughed Lizard Head Pass. We took the OLD Heavens, when I think what that would when she reported that Jed, usually Million Dollar Highway, named Old have cost in Albuquerque! such a sound sleeper that the house Lime Creek Road, and I'm telling you "Well, Jed's face was a wonder to could crash down right over his head, that road had even steel-nerve Jed behold when he saw the amount of bolted out of bed at the very first right on the edge of his seat. I was wood I'd hauled back! (I think he was drops of rain. There's nothing like driving and I'm glad that I was as I calculating instantly if we'd have having your children on your mind, is would have died a thousand deaths if I enough cash left to make it home!) there! weren't the one at the wheel. (Several Anyway, we had a beautiful fire that When they left; Albuquerque they times James and Katharine said: 'Oh, night and watched the stars, and the headed west to Gallup and then turned wouldn't Granny Wheels be simply ter­ people who drove in and camped next north to Canyon De Chelly (this is pro­ rified on this road!')" to us came over to enjoy the fire too nounced as if it were spelled Canyon (Granny Wheels has only one com­ with their darling little three-year-old Dushay) where they spent two days. It ment to make about the whole thing. boy. This man turned out to be a pro­ happens to be the one place of their Since I'd never again go over the NEW fessor at some college in the East and trip that I'm familiar with since Marge Million Dollar Highway you can be his wife is a writer - it was their first and I went there on the only expedition dead sure that I'll never go over the trip West and they were dumbfounded we ever managed together to New Old Lime Creek Road.) at all they had seen. Mexico. "Once we got down to the river val­ "We pulled into Albuquerque on Sun­ They found it absolutely magnificent ley it was no problem. We saw quite a day afternoon around 5:00 and I'll con­ and far beyond their greatest expecta- few beaver dams with the lodges in the fess we were all mighty tired and beat- KITCHEN-KLATTER MAGAZINE, OCTOBER, 1974 PAGE 3 up. Our house looked strange to us We've had a major change in our when we entered it and our beds felt household this last month - we are peculiar. I guess that after a week of now a family of three rather than of camping it takes a little while to ad­ only two women. Betty's daughter, just to home. Hanna Tilsen, who turned thirteen the "Then the very next morning Jed day before she arrived to live with us, phoned from the office and said that he is now in the 8th grade here in our had to drive up to Tierra Amarilla at local junior high and is occupying the once and asked us to go with him be­ quarters upstairs where Juliana grew cause he was so tired he was afraid he up. might fall asleep at the wheel if he It was thirteen years ago this Sep­ were all by himself. It was over a 300- tember when Juliana left home to go to mile round trip, so I drove part of the the University of New Mexico in Albu­ way. But it was very interesting for all querque (what a fateful decision that of us to see how Jed does these final turned out to be!), and it took Russell school inspections where his firm has and me over a year to adjust to the had the contract. Nothing ever thrilled Katharine fact that no young people were coming "But one really funny thing happened and Jomes more than the family's and going.