Monday,
October 30, 2017 – Leaving Nauvoo, Passed Our Final Home Inspection, Four
States in One Day, Wenda & Tyson Johnson
Well, the day of our departure has arrived. We
were up and packed by 8:30 and ready for our home inspection which we passed. I
made a last trip to the mail room to check one last time for mail. While I was
out running my errands our resident herd of deer stopped to let me take their
picture one last time. It was very considerate of them. I never get tired of
seeing that herd of deer or taking their pictures.
As we started our drive home to Arizona we drove
past the picturesque Nauvoo Temple on the hill one last time. As we drove by
Sis. Johnson and I spontaneously broke into song. We began to sing one of our
favorite numbers from our “Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo” show. It’s from the
“Thomas & Elizabeth” vignette titled, “Farewell Nauvoo.”
And so Nauvoo, we say Farwell to you
With numb and aching hearts, one last Adieu
As through our tears we look to homes beyond
Could ever we be fond of one as you?
One cardinal’s song, one sunset’s glow
One Nauvoo dawn, one silhouette of woods on snow
From templed hill faint echoes ring
Where prophets walked and talked with God
Their memories linger
And so we go and hide our aching
hearts
No one will see our tears when we
depart
This home we leave will shelter
memories clear
Of all that we hold dear in Old
Nauvoo
Farewell Nauvoo – Farewell Nauvoo
Next we sang another favorite song from the
conclusion of “Rendezvous” titled “Little Town.” This song too is very touching that concludes
with these two lines:
“Where time cannot erase
Our days in Old Nauvoo with you.”
We had to choke back
tears as we sang. A fitting way to leave Nauvoo, the place we loved to work and
serve. Where the spirit testifies of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. Where
those early pioneers worked so hard, sacrificed so much and set such wonderful
examples for generations to come.
We headed south down a very familiar stretch of
highway beside the Mississippi River enjoying the scenery, the fall leaves and
the wild life. And then, almost like it had been scripted, a majestic Bald
Eagle did a “Fly by.” He paralleled our car flying beside us just a few yards
away in a final tribute. He was so close we felt like we could have reached out
the car window and touched him. Then he peeled away and was gone. How
beautiful, how majestic and how fitting on our last drive down the Mississippi
River.
Our first day of driving we went through four
states, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma. We stopped for the night at
the home of our niece, Wenda Johnson, and her family in Pawhuska, OK. Her
husband, Tyson is the manager of the Church’s 70,000 acre cattle ranch in
Pawhuska. We didn’t arrive at their home until 9:00pm. In spite of the
lateness, we stayed up very late visiting and enjoying their company. Thank you
Wenda & Tyson, we really enjoyed your hospitality.
