Ah, what a difference a week can make. I’m finally out of New Mexico after most of November spent there, and this week finds me trucking across Arizona to get to California where family and friends await. I loved my long holiday weekend at City of Rocks, with long walks and… starry skies once the moon had set. I let my eyes soak it up every night because such sights are not easy to come by in California, I know. Desert plants are weird, but wonderful. See, weird. But wonderful! I moved on to Catalina State Park near Tucson, Arizona…
Month: November 2017
Sunday Serenity: Retreat
Retreat:Â Withdraw to a quiet or secluded place. The desert is a beautiful place to get quiet and think, and that’s exactly what I did for four days. The hiking trail that encircled the campground was usually all mine and I walked at all times of the day to see the different light on my surroundings. This rock, balanced on top of a pile of them, about 30 feet high, made me reflect on balance in life every time I walked by it. It’s been up there since this place was formed millions of years ago. Weather has carved away the…
Weekly Update: Nov 22, 2017
My time in New Mexico is coming to an end soon and I’m going to miss views like this one at Oliver Lee Memorial State Park. For a sense of scale, that little dot in the lower right (about an inch from the bottom) is an Alto trailer (not mine, but I do know the owner). The Sacramento Mountains are massive things, and I loved walking below them for my week’s stay and watching the light play over them, morning, noon, and night. Monday was moving day, and three hours of driving due west got me to City of Rocks…
Weekly Update: Nov 15, 2017
Still in New Mexico, quickly becoming one of my favorite-ever states of the union. Its warm and windy and pretty perfect weather the last week, so I’ve been enjoying the outdoors. The water at Elephant Butte Lake is beautiful in different light as the days pass, and this one became my favorite shot. At twilight, I walked by a guy’s boondocking camp and got a shot that kind of captures the spirit of vagabonding. Yes, those are indeed antlers on his pickup truck. It’s New Mexico, people, home of the free spirited. On Saturday, I drove by an outdoor auction,…
Veteran’s Day in New Mexico
I had meant to go chasing sandhill cranes today but as I drove through the small town of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, I stopped for an old couple slowly crossing the street. As I waited, I looked off to the left and noticed the bunting and flags and old men with families heading in the same direction as the couple. I drove on but something in my heart wouldn’t let go and I did a U-turn and went back. My dad was a WWII veteran, always careful to point out he was never in combat and he always showed…