Nomad exploring life wherever I am
The desert day starts with sunrise, cactus a shadow that turns real as the sun slowly creeps over the mountain range to the east of my campsite. It is a harsh place, the desert. Cactus rise, and cactus fall. But tiny miracles of green give hope. Life, indeed, finds its way here. As with any place, there is beauty if searched for, contentment when found. If you sing of beauty though alone in the heart of the desert, you will have an audience. Kahlil Gibran
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…
Retreat: 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…
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…
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,…